5 Highly Rated Project Management Tools and Platforms in 2021
Companies from around the world are increasingly seeking new ways to stay ahead of their competitors. The chaotic global economy coupled with the arrival of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has compelled companies to take project management more seriously.
Since more and more companies are prioritizing project management, the adoption of project management tools has increased over the past couple of years.
Some of the best project management tools streamline project planning, execution, and also enable quick and easy monitoring of each project.
The increasing need to objectify, segment, quantify, and assign tasks efficiently has paved the way for modern project management tools.
Today, there are a number of project management tools you can choose from.
Picking the best tool for your projects may consume quite a bit of time and ultimately dent your productivity.
This is why we have curated a list of some of the best project management tools in 2021.
The list features a mix of paid and free project management tools that we think are a perfect fit for all types of companies.
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1. Trello
It is impossible to miss Trello when we are talking about project management tools. It is one of the most popular task management tools out there.
The platform is light on the system and extremely easy to use. Trello provides cards, boards, and lists to create tasks and be more organized. Users can collaborate with each other via these cards and also leave comments and share files.
However, if you are looking for a tool with exceptional time tracking features and reporting, Trello is probably not the tool for you.
Having said that, it is the perfect project management tool for smaller teams that are working on a handful of projects simultaneously.
Price: The Basic plan is free of cost. There are paid plans which offer integrations, automation, and more.
2. Asana
Asana is a popular software-as-a-service (SaaS) project management software that primarily focuses on improving team collaboration.
It includes a bunch of workflows that automate mundane and repetitive tasks. It also supports custom forms and fields.
The best part about Asana is that you can collaborate with an endless number of users without paying a penny. You can also create custom rules and approval workflows.
While Asana provides an array of features for collaboration and productivity, the main project management functionality is made possible via third-party integrations. This may not be an ideal solution for a lot of users.
Having said that, Asana is used by businesses of all sizes. However, the usage of solopreneurs and freelancers is on the lower end of the spectrum.
Although the tool provides an array of a world-class and robust set of task management and collaboration features, Asana has received flak for its extremely simple interface.
Price:
- The free plan is available for up to 15 users
- Premium plan: $10.99 per month/user (includes custom fields, automation rules, reporting, and more)
- Business plan: $24.99 per month/user (includes rule builders, workload, portfolios, and advanced integrations)
You can also check out our Asana tool review to learn more about the tool.
3. Wrike
Wrike is a cloud-based project management platform that aims to simplify project planning, time tracking, and collaboration with senior management.
Wrike is loaded with some excellent task management features such as real-time newsfeed, Gantt Charts, and more.
You can define the priority of each task and work accordingly so that you never miss an important deadline. One of the main reasons why Wrike is such a dynamic and powerful project management tool is its range of integrations.
In fact, the plethora of features offered by Wrike can get a bit overwhelming for new users.
Price:
- Freemium version: Up to five users (limited functionalities)
- Paid plan starts at $9.80 per month/user
- Business plan: $24.80 per month/user (includes workflows, time-tracking, and Gantt charts)
Read our Wrike tool review to get an in-depth understanding of how the tool works.
4. monday.com
monday.com has to be one of the most popular and used project management tools in the world.
If you are looking for a project management software with an aesthetic interface and excellent project visualization features, monday.com is a great option for you.
There is a repository of project templates you can use and create your own boards. The tool also provides flexible display options such as calendar view and map view to make it extremely easy to stay on top of your projects.
One area where the platform takes a beating is the lack of automation features to execute recurring tasks.
Price: It is not very simple to provide pricing information as it primarily depends on the number of integrations, automation, and users.
The paid plan starts from $39 per month/5 users.
Check out our monday.com review to find out why it is one of the most popular project management tools.
5. Airtable
Do you work with large databases? Are you good with spreadsheets? If you want to work with a project management tool that combines the best features of databases and spreadsheets, Airtable is the perfect tool for you.
Airtable is easy to use and offers amazing customization options. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes. However, if you are looking for a tool with great reporting features, Airtable might not be the right choice.
The information stored in your database can be further used for project planning and task management.
The versatility of data organization due to spreadsheets is Airtable’s unique selling point (USP).
Price:
- Free plan: Includes important features such as collaboration, different views, and field types
- Paid plans start at $10 per user/month
- Pro plan comes with advanced features such as domain restricted sharing, personalized views, and branded forms
Go through our Airtable tool review to get a better understanding of all its features and integrations.
Picking the Right Project Management Tool for Your Business
Companies from around the world across all industries are gradually recognizing the importance and benefits of a modern project management tool.
However, before they pick a tool for their organization, it is important to identify what you want to achieve with a tool and your budget.
- Clarity
Project managers should have a clear understanding of these points before they pitch the idea to C-level executives and stakeholders.
- Training
Project managers should also chalk out a plan to ensure that users have enough time to learn the software before they use it for a major project.
Project management tools are important to improve planning and streamline business processes.
If you are still not convinced, you should know that around 77% of high-performing teams use project management software [1].
Leave your comments below and tell us which project management tool your company uses!
SEE ALSO: Find Out Why Product Management and Project Management are Not the Same!
Feature Image Source: rawpixel.com
Image 1 Source: Asana
Image 2 Source: Wrike
Source:
[1] Lim. R (2020) “15 Fascinating Project Management Statistics” Hive [online] Available from: https://hive.com/blog/project-management-statistics/ [Accessed August 2021]
