Project ManagementProject management software gives your team one place to plan work, assign tasks, track deadlines and see who's overloaded. The right tool replaces scattered spreadsheets and status chats, so projects ship on time and clients stop asking for updates. Compare all 21 tools below by price, free plan limits and weakness, then open any profile or vendor site to start a trial.
Project management software gives your team one place to plan work, assign tasks, track deadlines and see who's overloaded. The right tool replaces scattered spreadsheets and status chats, so projects ship on time and clients stop asking for updates. Compare all 21 tools below by price, free plan limits and weakness, then open any profile or vendor site to start a trial.

Candy

Beesbusy

DealRoom

GoodDay

Clubhouse

Zoho Projects

MeisterTask

Wimi

Jira

Confluence

Backlog

Mavenlink

Asana

Smartsheet

todo.vu

Miro

Nifty

ProWorkflow

Bitrix24

Qualtrics

Trello
What’s the best project management software?
- Best overall: Asana.
- Best project management software for small teams free: Jira, Backlog or Trello, depending on your work.
- Best project management software for agencies: ProWorkflow, for built-in time tracking and invoicing.
- Best Asana alternative on a budget: Zoho Projects. Skip Qualtrics, DealRoom and Candy unless you need survey, M&A or construction estimating tools.
Project management software compared
This list mixes true project tools with niche and adjacent ones, so read the “Best for” column first. The table ranks all 21 by score.
| Rank | Tool | Starting price | Best for | Biggest weakness | Score |
| 1 | Asana | Free; paid from $10.99/user/mo | General teamwork | Seat minimums; paywalled views | 9 |
| 2 | Trello | Free; $5/user/mo | Simple Kanban | Thin for complex projects | 8.8 |
| 3 | Zoho Projects | Free; $4/user/mo (yearly) | Budget teams | Free limits unclear | 8.7 |
| 4 | Jira | Free to 10 users; $7.91/user/mo | Software teams | Steep learning curve | 8.5 |
| 5 | Smartsheet | Free; $9/user/mo | Spreadsheet-style planning | Business plan needs 3 seats | 8.4 |
| 6 | MeisterTask | Free; €13.50/user/mo (yearly) | Visual task boards | Integrations are paid | 8.3 |
| 7 | Nifty | Free; $39/mo flat (yearly) | Small marketing teams | Free plan is very limited | 8.2 |
| 8 | ProWorkflow | $20/user/mo | Agencies | No free plan | 8.1 |
| 9 | GoodDay | Free; $6/user/mo | Budget all-rounder | Plan details inconsistent | 8 |
| 10 | Bitrix24 | Free; $49/mo for 5 users | CRM plus tasks | Crowded interface | 7.9 |
| 11 | Backlog | Free; $35/mo | Dev and bug tracking | Free plan allows 1 project | 7.8 |
| 12 | Mavenlink | Ask vendor | Agency resourcing | No price we could verify | 7.7 |
| 13 | todo.vu | Free solo; $9/user/mo | Freelancers | Small storage | 7.6 |
| 14 | Beesbusy | Ask vendor | Small team planning | No price we could verify | 7.4 |
| 15 | Wimi | €3/user/mo | European data hosting | Projects plan costs €12 | 7.3 |
| 16 | Clubhouse | Ask vendor | Software teams | Pricing not verified | 7.2 |
| 17 | Miro | Free; $10/member/mo | Whiteboarding | Not a task tracker | 7.1 |
| 18 | Confluence | Free; about $5.42/user/mo | Team docs | Not a task tool | 7 |
| 19 | Candy | Ask vendor | Construction estimating | Niche | 6.6 |
| 20 | DealRoom | Ask vendor | M&A deals | Niche | 6.4 |
| 21 | Qualtrics | Ask vendor | Surveys and research | Not project management | 5.9 |
Ranked project management software listings
- Asana (9.0/10)
Verdict: Polished all-rounder for most teams. Gantt and custom fields sit behind paid plans. Starting price: Starter $10.99 per user per month billed yearly ($13.49 monthly), per a third-party listing.
- Trello (8.8/10)
Verdict: Easiest Kanban boards to learn. Complex projects outgrow it fast. Starting price: Standard $5 per user per month. Free plan available.
- Zoho Projects (8.7/10)
Verdict: Cheapest paid plan of the big names. Free plan limits vary by source. Starting price: Premium $4 per user per month billed yearly ($5 monthly).
- Jira (8.5/10)
Verdict: The standard for software teams. Non-technical staff find it heavy. Starting price: Standard $7.91 per user per month, monthly billing. Free up to 10 users.
- Smartsheet (8.4/10)
Verdict: Familiar spreadsheet layout with strong reporting. Business plan needs three seats. Starting price: Pro $9 per member per month. Business $19, three-seat minimum.
- MeisterTask (8.3/10)
Verdict: Clean, visual task boards. Slack, Google and Teams integrations need a paid plan. Starting price: Pro €13.50 per user per month billed yearly (€17.50 monthly).
- Nifty (8.2/10)
Verdict: Flat team pricing suits small marketing teams. The free plan allows two projects. Starting price: Starter $39 per month billed yearly for 10 members ($49 monthly).
- ProWorkflow (8.1/10)
Verdict: Built for service firms, with time tracking and invoicing. No free plan, only a trial. Starting price: Professional $20 per user per month. Advanced $30, five-user minimum. 30-day trial.
- GoodDay (8.0/10)
Verdict: Low-cost all-rounder with a free tier. Plan names differ between sources. Starting price: Professional $6 per user per month, per a third-party listing.
- Bitrix24 (7.9/10)
Verdict: Tasks, CRM and documents under one roof. The interface feels crowded. Starting price: Free plan. Basic $49 per month billed yearly for 5 users ($69 monthly).
- Backlog (7.8/10)
Verdict: Bug tracking and tasks for dev teams. Free plan allows only one project. Starting price: Free for 10 users. Starter $35 per month for 30 users, 5 projects. Full review | Website
- Mavenlink (7.7/10)
Verdict: Aimed at agencies and professional services. We couldn’t verify current pricing. Starting price: Not verified. Request a quote.
- todo.vu (7.6/10)
Verdict: Time tracking, billing and light CRM for freelancers. Storage is small. Starting price: Solo Free for one user. Business Time $9 per user per month, capped at $99.
- Beesbusy (7.4/10)
Verdict: Simple planning for small teams. We couldn’t verify current pricing. Starting price: Not verified. Check the vendor.
- Wimi (7.3/10)
Verdict: Teamwork suite with European hosting options. Project features start at the €12 plan. Starting price: Community €3 per user per month. Projects €12. 14-day trial.
- Clubhouse (7.2/10)
Verdict: Fast tracker for software teams. We couldn’t verify current pricing or plan names. Starting price: Not verified. Check the vendor.
- Miro (7.1/10)
Verdict: Great for brainstorming and workshops. It doesn’t track tasks or deadlines. Starting price: Free plan, 3 editable boards. Starter $10 per member per month.
- Confluence (7.0/10)
Verdict: Best for team docs next to Jira. It isn’t a task manager. Starting price: Free plan. Standard about $5.42 per user per month, per a third-party listing.
- Candy (6.6/10)
Verdict: Planning and estimating for construction firms. Useless outside that trade. Starting price: Not verified. Request a quote.
- DealRoom (6.4/10)
Verdict: Deal and data-room platform for M&A teams. Wrong tool for everyday projects. Starting price: Not verified. Request a quote. Full review | Website
- Qualtrics (5.9/10)
Verdict: Survey and experience research platform. It doesn’t manage projects. Starting price: Not verified. Request a quote.
Free plan limits compared
Most “free” plans cap users, projects or storage. Most figures come from third-party listings, so confirm them on the vendor’s pricing page.
| Tool | Free plan limit | Catch |
| Jira | Up to 10 users, 2 GB storage, 100 automation runs a month | Permissions need a paid plan |
| Backlog | 10 users, 1 project, 100 MB | One project only |
| Trello | 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace | 10 MB attachments |
| Asana | Up to 10 teammates | No Gantt or custom fields |
| Zoho Projects | About 3 to 5 users and 2 to 3 projects | Sources disagree |
| MeisterTask | 3 projects, 5 content manager seats | Key integrations locked |
| Nifty | 2 active projects, 100 MB | No time tracking |
| Smartsheet | 1 user, 2 sheets | Solo use only |
| Miro | 3 editable boards | Whiteboard only |
| todo.vu | 1 staff user, 1 GB | Solo only |
Project management software for agencies
Agencies need more than task lists. Look for time tracking, invoicing, client access and retainer support. Here’s what we could verify.
| Tool | Time tracking | Billing or invoicing | Client access | Starting price |
| ProWorkflow | Yes | Yes, plus quoting | Not verified | $20/user/mo |
| todo.vu | Yes, billable and non-billable | Yes | Simple CRM | $9/user/mo |
| Nifty | Paid plans only | Not verified | Guests and clients, limited | $39/mo flat (yearly) |
| Bitrix24 | Not verified | Not verified | CRM included | $49/mo for 5 users |
| Mavenlink | Ask vendor | Ask vendor | Ask vendor | Ask vendor |
ProWorkflow’s Advanced plan adds recurring and retainer projects. Ask Asana and Smartsheet for agency-specific demos before you commit.
Asana alternatives for small teams
Looking for Asana alternatives for small teams? These listed tools cost less per seat or add a useful free tier.
| Tool | Starting price | Why switch from Asana |
| Zoho Projects | $4/user/mo (yearly) | Cheapest paid plan |
| Trello | $5/user/mo | Simpler boards |
| Jira | $7.91/user/mo | Better for software work |
| Smartsheet | $9/user/mo | Spreadsheet-style views |
| MeisterTask | €13.50/user/mo (yearly) | Cleaner task boards |
| Nifty | $39/mo flat (yearly) | Flat price for 10 members |
Which project management software should you choose?
- Tiny team, tight budget? Start with Zoho Projects or Trello.
- Software or bug-tracking work? Choose Jira or Backlog.
- Running an agency? Choose ProWorkflow.
- Freelancer billing by the hour? Choose todo.vu.
- Want tasks and CRM together? Try Bitrix24.
- Prefer spreadsheets? Choose Smartsheet.
- Leaving Asana? See the alternatives table above.
- Need whiteboards or docs, not tasks? Add Miro or Confluence beside your main tool.
How to choose project management software
- List your work types: marketing campaigns, client projects or software sprints.
- Count everyone who needs a seat, including clients and guests.
- Check the free plan limits before you build a workflow on them.
- Test the views you need, such as Kanban, Gantt or calendar.
- Trial it with one live project.
Red flags in demos:
- Guests and clients are billed as full seats.
- Automation caps stop rules mid-month.
- Key integrations sit on a higher plan.
- Exporting your data is hard.
How much does project management software cost?
| Tool | Entry paid price | Main extra cost |
| Zoho Projects | $4/user/mo (yearly) | Higher tiers add features |
| Trello | $5/user/mo | Guests on multiple boards count as seats |
| Jira | $7.91/user/mo | Every licensed user is billed |
| Smartsheet | $9/user/mo | Three-seat minimum on Business |
| ProWorkflow | $20/user/mo | Five-user minimum on Advanced |
First-year example: A 10-person agency on ProWorkflow Advanced pays 10 × $30 × 12 = $3,600 on monthly billing. The same team on Zoho Projects Premium pays 10 × $5 × 12 = $600, but gets no built-in invoicing.
Three hidden costs: guest and client seats, automation caps, and add-ons like Nifty’s $20-a-month forms.
Return: If a tool saves each person one hour a week, a $10 seat usually pays for itself within a month.
How we score project management software
Each tool gets a score out of 10. Ease of use counts for 25%, features for the use case 25%, pricing and free plan value 20%, integrations 15%, and support and reliability signals 15%. Pricing comes from vendor pages where available, otherwise third-party listings, marked as such. Usability notes come from published reviews. Scores appear once, in the table. Last reviewed: October 26, 2026.
FAQ
What is project management software?
Project management software helps teams plan work, assign tasks, set deadlines and track progress in one place. Most tools offer boards, lists, calendars and reports. Some add time tracking, invoicing or client access. Pick by the work you do, such as marketing, client services or software development.
What’s the best project management software for small teams free?
For a free plan, Jira and Backlog both allow 10 users, and Trello allows 10 collaborators per workspace. Backlog caps you at one project, while Jira suits software work. For general tasks, try Trello first. Check each free plan’s limits before building workflows on it.
What’s the best project management software for agencies?
ProWorkflow is the clearest fit on this list, with time tracking, invoicing, quoting and retainer projects on its Advanced plan. Freelancers can try todo.vu. Mavenlink targets agencies, but we couldn’t verify its pricing. Ask any vendor how they handle client access and billing.
What are the best Asana alternatives for small teams?
Zoho Projects is the cheapest paid option at $4 per user per month billed yearly. Trello costs $5 and is simpler. Nifty’s flat $39 monthly plan covers 10 members. All three have free plans. If you need Gantt charts, check which plan includes them.
How much does project management software cost?
Paid plans on this list range from about $4 to $30 per user per month. Several tools have free plans with limits. Some, like Mavenlink and DealRoom, don’t publish prices we could verify. Budget for guest seats, automation caps and minimum seat counts too.
Can one tool replace spreadsheets and team docs?
Often yes for spreadsheets. Smartsheet is built for it. Docs are different: Confluence handles knowledge pages, but it doesn’t track tasks. Many teams pair a task tool with a docs or whiteboard tool, like Jira with Confluence.
