Today, we will understand what is a project management application and how it can help your organization. Also, we will have a look at a few of the best project management apps available.
Project Management Tools Definition: Businesses work on multiple
projects at the same time. They form teams of personnel and assign them to experienced leaders who take the responsibility of ensuring the success of the project and timely completion. This takes a lot of work to be completed in a well-organized manner and within their designated time frames. A project planning app helps manage business projects in one common platform. It ensures visibility of the progress of each project in one integrated system.
Be it budget management, ensuring the team members’ collaboration, or managing the involved resources, all factors
are equally important when running a project. Assigning a task to members, reviewing the status of the work assigned, keeping track of the timeline, ensuring the ease of communication, and allowing the managers and leaders to make sure the tasks are completed in a timely manner. Let's take a look at some of the best project management app features.
Best Project Management App Features
Best project management app is aimed at
improving the efficiency and productivity of the team members, thus improving the overall project quality.
Before choosing the project management software for your organization, here are a few features that an ideal project management app should provide:
- It should let the team-leaders hold discussions over the application’s platform
and direct messages both privately and collectively to the members.
- It should be able to send a notification to the members over SMS or an email so that they don’t have to log in to the tool to check all the updates.
- It should facilitate the storage of documents in a central database that should be accessible by all the members. Also, the documents could be password protected so that the privacy of the documents can be ensured.
- A mobile app should be provided so that team
members working remotely can access the project management system with ease and at their convenience.
- Visualizations help to see the progress of multiple projects running together. Visualizations in the form of Gantt Charts are useful in showing the timelines. They could be included in the app to enable efficient reporting.
Do you
have the right skills for the role of a project manager? Take up this PMP Practice Test and assess yourself.
An organization always looks out for hiring people with
proven leadership skills. A
project management professional can help any business use the latest available technologies to achieve an increase in the productivity of the team members, which results in the completion of projects within the stipulated time period. This gives you an edge as you would have a basic knowledge of project handling,
project cost estimation, engineering economics and leadership skills. This is why one must consider pursuing a project management course.
Related
learning: What are the Benefits of Project Management?
Advantages of Using a Project Management Application:
- The Best
Project Management tool helps establish a hierarchy of the execution steps that have to be followed. It helps the team members to complete the tasks sequentially and on time.
- Once all the tasks are assigned, the project management tool can be used to monitor the progress of each individual task.
- One of the best
features of the project management apps is the project management tools documentation. A central document storage system makes it easier to share files and folders across all the team members.
- A calendar can be integrated into the project management tool so that this can be used to keep track of the deadlines of each individual task, the entire project as a whole, and also schedule meetings.
- The flow of work improves as this app provides a common platform for all the team members
to collaborate over. This ensures teamwork, thereby increasing productivity and ensuring the success of each project.
With all of the aspects, let’s have a look at the best project management tools and techniques:
1. ASANA
ASANA is one of the best project management apps available. It has a variety of options for
visualizing projects. Features
- It facilitates the use of dashboards and conversations.
- The TEAM PAGES can be used to share messages with the entire team.
- There is also a smart box feature that shows the notifications only important to a particular team member.
- It has the following views: List, Board, Calendar, and Timeline.
- ASANA can easily be
integrated with other data sources like Google Drive, Github, Dropbox, and many more.
Pros and Cons of ASANA
Pros
| Cons
|
- Easy-to-use and highly intuitive user interface that has been thoughtfully designed.
- Expansive integration and compatibility with many other project management apps, such as Google Drive, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
- A collaboration-focused project management tool that lets users invite others to their digital workspace.
- Organized and efficient task management and real-time
information that allows users to prioritize tasks with ease.
| - Lacks tracking features
- Requires some experience, and it can be difficult to master for people completely new to project management.
- Too many features can make even simple tasks feel a bit overwhelming.
- Assignments are limited as only one user can be assigned to a task at any given time.
|
Pricing
- The plan with basic project views and features is free for teams of up to 15 people.
- The Premium Plan with a timeline view, templates, dependencies, templates, and other advanced features costs $10.99 per month per user.
Platforms
2. Basecamp
Basecamp is a very popular project
management tool. It offers many collaboration facilities. Unlike other apps that are very powerful but also complex, Basecamp is refreshingly simple. Features
- It divides your work into projects containing features like a to-do list, a calendar, a group chat for quick messages, and a message board.
- You can store documents, spreadsheets, images, and other external files.
- Each project has a feature– automatic
check-ins. It has recurring questions that prompt members to report their progress, reducing the requirement for meetings.
- Hill Charts are a unique Basecamp feature to visualize your project progress. It displays each project’s to-do lists on a curve resembling a hill.
Pros and Cons of Basecamp
Pros
| Cons
|
- Easy to get started
- You can upload documents over the cloud.
- Enhanced project visibility
- Ability to create client-specific projects
- Great customer support
- Favorable pricing
- Well-built communication features
| - Users can put their comments in a dedicated area that is meant for discussion only; updates can be sent via emails.
- It is not possible to add deadlines for each individual task.
|
Pricing
- 30 days free trial.
- A flat fee of $99/month after the free trial.
- Free accounts for students and educators.
- 10% discount for nonprofits.
- A free Personal version with limited users, projects, and storage.
Platforms
3. JIRA
JIRA is the most used project management software by various organizations that work on the Agile SDLC principle.
Features
- The teams can create
Kanban boards and custom scrum boards.
- They can use real-time reporting facilities.
- Bugs can easily be tracked and resolved.
- Several features are built specifically for software development teams.
- Issues are the core representing what your team
is working on. You can easily organize your issues into a backlog.
Pros and Cons of JIRA
Pros
| Cons
|
- Agile work management with Scrum and Kanban.
- Teams and organizations can stay aligned with Jira roadmaps. They allow users to roll up work from team level to company-wide initiatives.
- Ready-to-use dashboards and reports.
- Offers up-to-date work information and timely insights.
- DevOps visibility
| - Lacks features to manage cost and assess risks.
- Challenging setup for first-time users. It has a steep learning curve.
- Missing communication tool for sending messages directly from Jira.
- Confusing to build a complete suite of solutions.
|
Pricing
- The basic plan is free for up to 10 users but has limited features.
- It costs $7/month per user for teams of 11–100 users.
- A discount is available for larger teams.
- A self-hosted version is also available.
Platforms
- Android
- iOS
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Web
4. Teamwork PM
Teamwork Project Management packs all the essential project tracking abilities that a user can ask for. Features
- It is quite easy to use and is intuitive.
- We can add milestones, task management, conversation boxes, file storage, and also visualizations like a Gantt Chart.
- Database management is also possible with the inclusion
of DropBox, Google Drive, etc.
Pros and Cons of Teamwork PM
Pros
| Cons
|
- Billing and invoicing feature
- Offers burndown reporting and utilization reports
- You can set a project time budget using Teamwork
| - It can be tedious to learn.
- The interface can be slow at times.
- Too many features make it difficult for beginners.
|
Pricing
- 30-day free trial
- Free plan for up to 5 users per plan
- Deliver Plan: $9.99 user/ month
- Grow Plan: $17.99 user/ month
- Scale Plan: Get a custom quote
Platforms
- Web-based
- iPhone
- iPad
- Android
- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
5. Wrike
Wrike is a cloud-based project management software. This free project management app can easily be integrated with Google Apps, Excel, and other software.
Features
- Users can edit, create, and view documents directly from
their email ID.
- It is the best free task management software available for small teams.
- This app supports the best use of Google project management tools.
Pros and Cons of Wrike
Pros
| Cons
|
- Easy-to-use task management
- It is a powerful proofing tool with an ideal central workspace for team collaboration.
- Easy to comment directly on task elements like Docs, PDF files, videos and other digital assets.
- Flexible templates for projects that favor time-saving.
- Improved visibility
| - It can be expensive for solo users.
- Missing chat option
- Some integrations result in delayed notifications.
- Missing note-taking tool
|
Pricing
- Free plan available
- Professional: $9.80 user/month
- Business: $24.80 user/month
- Enterprise: Price available on request
Platforms
- Web
- Windows
- Mac
- Android
- iOS
6. Microsoft Project Management Software
Also called MS Project is one of the best project management apps and has been in the business for nearly three decades in various forms. It is still very widely used for complex projects.
Features
- Microsoft Project management tools facilitate strong reporting capabilities.
- It can be used to create built-in and customized reports which can be extracted to a PowerPoint slide.
- This software is mainly
used by trained professionals who know their way to extract the best out of this app.
Pros and Cons of Microsoft Project Management Software
Pros
| Cons
|
- Integration with the ubiquitous Microsoft 365 Office suite. It also works seamlessly with Skype, Microsoft Teams, Power BI, and Sharepoint.
- Strong dependability as it is a pioneer among project management tools released in 1984.
- Provides reliable support to its users.
- Flexible for other purposes like a road mapping tool or financial management.
- Comes with two deployment options: on-premise and cloud-based.
| - It requires training.
- Comes with cost constraints.
- File compatibility issues as MS Project saves files in a proprietary format. Thus, PCs that do not use this program cannot open them.
|
Pricing
- One-month free trial
- Project Plan 1: ₹720 per user/month
- Project Plan 3: ₹2,160 per user/month
- Project Plan 5: ₹3,960 per user/month
Platforms
7. Zoho Projects
Zoho is a free project management app that comes with all the standard features of any other software
app.
Features
- It facilitates the use of Gantt charts and integration with other platforms.
- It has a basic built-in tracking system.
- Allows basic reporting abilities
- This free task management app is cloud-based and works well for midsize organizations.
Pros and Cons of Zoho Projects
Pros
| Cons
|
- Downtime is rare.
- Billing and time tracking features come with great functionalities.
- Facilitates easy communication between members.
- Easy to track the progress of tasks and projects.
- Very responsive customer support.
| - Its task search capability requires improvement.
- Bug reporting is not efficient.
- Poor dashboard functionality as it does not let users easily include client contact information or arrange client names alphabetically.
- High learning curve
|
Pricing
- Free for up to 3 users
- Premium Plan: ₹350/user/month for up to 50 users
- Enterprise Plan: ₹700/user/month with no upper limit for users
Platforms
8. Trello App
The Trello App is a popular visualization tool that helps teams in managing projects by offering multiple tools for optimization. Trello app follows the Kanban system, a popular methodology used in lean management.
Features
With the Trello app, you can easily organize all your projects on boards, with information broken down into categories such as:
- What is being worked on?
- Who is doing
what?
- What is the progress of a particular project?
- Deadlines and time spent on each project at each stage.
- What makes the Trello app special is that it offers free services in addition to paid ones.
- Trello app is also mobile-friendly, which makes it easy to work and update your project information on the go.
Pros and Cons of Trello
Pros
| Cons
|
- You can never miss a deadline with a Trello Board. Its cards turn yellow when the due date is near and red when you pass the date.
- It is mobile-friendly. In fact, the tool can reformat itself to any screen size.
- Seamless notifications alert when any task is updated, commented upon or removed.
| - Trello does not work when there is no wifi or if the data.
- A 10MB file upload limit for basic members for each attachment.
- You cannot edit a comment on the card.
|
Pricing
- Most features are available for free.
- The $9.99/month per user plan comes with increased storage and third-party app integrations.
Platforms
Which One’s Right for You?
With
many options available, it becomes difficult choosing the best project management app for your organization. The tools available more or less have similar features, but the way these features are packed makes the difference. There are many factors like the size of the team, features of the task management software, etc., which should be considered before finalizing one project management app.
The following comparison chart enumerates the key aspects that will help you choose the best
option.
Project Management App
| Platform
| Team Size
| Integrations
| Price
|
Trello
| Android iOS Windows Web-based
| Suitable for all
| Jira, Google Drive, Slack, InVision, and more.
| Free Business Class: $ 9.99 per user/month Enterprise: $ 20.83 per user/month
|
Wrike
| Web-based iOS Android
| Small to large businesses.
| JIRA, Adobe, GitHub, Google Drive, Dropbox, MSFT Office 365, and OneDrive.
| Free Professional: $9.80/user/month Business:$24.80/user/month Marketers: $34.60/user/month
|
Teamwork PM
| Web-based Mac Windows Linux Android iOS
| Small to large. Also available for freelancers.
| MS Teams, Slack, HubSpot, SoftSync for Jira, and more.
| Free
Paid version: Starts at $10/user/month
|
ASANA
| iOS Android
| Suitable for all.
| MS Office, Gmail, CSV files, outlook, Slack, TimeCamp, and more.
| Premium Plan: $ 9.99 per user/month Business Plan: $19.99 per user/month Enterprise plan: Available on request
|
Basecamp
| Android iOS Mac Windows Web
| Suitable for all
| HubSpot, Trello, GitHub, Asana, Wrike, GitLab, Bitbucket, and more.
| 30 days free trial. A flat fee of $99/month after the free trial. Free accounts for students and educators. 10% discount for nonprofits.
|
Zoho Projects
| Android iOS iPad OS
| Small to large businesses
| Microsoft Teams, MS Excel, OneDrive, and more.
| Free for up to 3 users Premium Plan: ₹350/user/month for up to 50 users Enterprise Plan: ₹700/user/month with no upper limit for users
|
JIRA
| Android iOS Mac Windows Linux Web
| Suitable for all
| Slack, Zoom, GitHub, Zendesk, and more.
| A free basic plan for up to 10 users Paid Version: $7/month per user for teams of 11–100 users. A discount is available for larger teams.
|
Microsoft Project Management App
| Web Windows Mac
| Suitable for large teams
| OneDrive, Outlook, Skype, OneNote, Microsoft Teams, and more.
| One-month free trial Project Plan 1: ₹720 per user/month Project Plan 3: ₹2,160 per user/month Project Plan 5: ₹3,960 per user/month
|
Check out the video below that will help us understand the basics of project management in detail.
Conclusion
Having the right project management app is essential in achieving overall project success. Therefore, it is important that
before going for any project management app, you should look for the features that you think will be most valuable for your business and make the right choice.
You can also enroll in our PMP Certification Training Course to learn new trends, emerging practices, tailoring considerations, and core
competencies required of a Project Management professional. Placing a greater emphasis on strategic and business knowledge, this course will help you ace the role of the project manager in any size of the organization.
Our Learners Also Asked:
1.
What is the best project management app?
Each project management app offers its own benefits as mentioned above. The best project management apps currently on the market include:
- Trello
- Asana
- Click Up
- Wrike
- Paymo
- JIRA
- Basecamp
- Teamwork PM
2. Is there a project management app in Google?
No, Google doesn’t have a native project management app. However, it does have an alternative tool called Gantt chart which can be used to create projects. You can also use Google Sheets for time tracking and project management.
3. Which is useful project management app that you could use with a team?
Here are few useful project management apps:
- Trello
- Asana
- Click Up
- Wrike
- JIRA
- Basecamp
- Teamwork PM
4. Does Google have free project management?
Google doesn’t have its now free project management app or even paid management app at this time. However, you can use Google Sheets for basic project management and it’s FREE!
5. What does Google use instead of Jira?
Google uses Google Workspace which offers a suite of apps including Docs, Sheets, Presentations, etc.
6.
Is trello and JIRA same?
While both Trello and JIRA are project management apps and offer multiple tools to simplify project management, they have their differences and strengths. Trello offers only Kaban boards, which makes it easy to visualize projects, JIRA offers multiple boards such as Kanban, Scrum, and Sprint boards that make it easy for people from different fields to modify the boards for their project management needs.
Learn to deliver digital-age transformational
projects and excel in the field of project management with Simplilearn’s project management training.
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