WhatsAppHow we review: Ratings are editorial scores based on vendor documentation, published pricing and recurring themes in public user reviews. No vendor paid for placement and we earn no affiliate commission. Prices change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
The best project management software for most teams in 2026 is Asana for cross-functional work, monday work management for teams that want to configure their own boards, and Jira for software development. Smaller teams on a tight budget can start free with Trello, ClickUp or Zoho Projects. Teams that must keep data in-house can self-host OpenProject.
Below we cover 15 tools, what each does well, where each falls short and what it costs. Project management rarely lives alone, so if you bill by the hour you may also want to compare time tracking software alongside your shortlist.
Quick picks: the best project management tools at a glance
Here is the short version, with each tool’s best fit and published starting price.
| Tool | Best for | Starting price* |
|---|---|---|
| Asana | Cross-functional teams | Free; Starter $10.99/user/mo (annual) |
| monday work management | Configurable boards and dashboards | Standard $12/user/mo (3-seat min.) |
| ClickUp | Consolidating tasks, docs and views | Free Forever; paid per user |
| Jira | Agile software teams | Free up to 10 users; Standard $7.91/user/mo |
| Trello | Simple Kanban boards | Free plan |
| Wrike | Structured workflows and approvals | Free; Business $25/user/mo |
| Smartsheet | Spreadsheet-style planning | Paid plans; see vendor |
| Notion | Docs plus light tracking | Free plan |
| Basecamp | Communication-first collaboration | Free (1 project); Plus $15/user/mo |
| Microsoft Planner | Microsoft 365 teams | Plan 1 $10/user/mo |
| Teamwork.com | Agencies and client services | Free (5 users); Deliver $10.99/user/mo |
| Zoho Projects | Budget teams on Zoho | Free (5 users, 3 projects) |
| Airtable | Database-style tracking | Free; Team $20/user/mo (annual) |
| Linear | Product and engineering teams | Free plan |
| OpenProject | Self-hosted open source | Free Community edition |
*Prices checked October 2026 on vendor sites and recent reviews; they change often, so confirm on the vendor’s pricing page.
How we chose and rated these tools
We scored each tool on five weighted criteria: features and fit (30%), ease of use (20%), pricing and value (20%), integrations and API (15%), and support and reliability (15%). Ratings are editorial scores based on vendor documentation, published pricing and common themes in public user reviews on sites such as G2 and Capterra. They are not paid placements and not lab benchmarks. Prices were checked in October 2026.
The 15 best project management software in 2026
1. Asana — best for cross-functional teams managing tasks, projects and goals
Asana is a polished work management platform that connects day-to-day tasks to larger projects, portfolios and company goals. It suits teams where several departments work from one plan.
Key features
- List, board, calendar and timeline views on the same project
- Rules-based automation for routing and status changes
- Portfolios and goals for leadership-level tracking
- Forms that turn requests into structured tasks
Pricing: Free plan for small teams; Starter costs $10.99 per user per month billed annually, with higher tiers for advanced reporting and admin controls. Visit Asana
Pros
- Clean, intuitive interface that new users pick up quickly
- Strong goal and portfolio features for multi-team planning
- Mature integrations and API
Cons
- Many advanced features sit behind higher tiers
- One task can only have one assignee
- Costs climb quickly for large teams
What users say: Reviewers often praise how easy Asana is to adopt and how clearly it shows who owns what. Common complaints are tier pricing and notification overload.
2. monday work management — best for teams that want configurable boards, dashboards and automations
monday.com’s work management product is built around colorful, highly customizable boards. Teams design their own columns, statuses and automations for almost any workflow.
Key features
- Custom columns, statuses and board templates
- No-code automation recipes
- Dashboards that roll up data across boards
- Gantt, Kanban, calendar and workload views
Pricing: Standard is $12 per user per month with a three-seat minimum; seats are sold in bundles, so check the exact tier pricing on monday’s site. Visit monday work management
Pros
- Very flexible without needing a developer
- Attractive, visual interface
- Strong dashboards for managers
Cons
- Seat bundles can mean paying for unused seats
- Automation and integration actions are capped by plan
- Flexibility can lead to inconsistent boards across teams
What users say: Users commonly highlight how quickly they can build a workflow that fits their process. Frequent criticisms involve seat-bundle pricing and action limits on lower plans.
3. ClickUp — best for teams consolidating tasks, docs and views into one tool
ClickUp aims to replace several apps at once, combining tasks, docs, whiteboards, goals and chat in a single workspace. It suits teams that want maximum features per dollar and do not mind a learning curve.
Key features
- Many views including list, board, Gantt, table and calendar
- Built-in docs and whiteboards
- Custom fields, statuses and task hierarchies
- Native time tracking
Pricing: The Free Forever plan is genuinely usable; paid plans are priced per user, so see the vendor’s pricing page for current tiers. Visit ClickUp
Pros
- Huge feature set at a competitive price
- Generous free plan
- Highly customizable hierarchy
Cons
- Can feel cluttered and overwhelming at first
- Performance can lag in large workspaces
What users say: Reviewers often say ClickUp can do almost anything once configured. Common complaints are the learning curve, interface clutter and occasional slowness.
4. Jira — best for agile software development teams running Scrum or Kanban
Atlassian’s Jira is the long-standing standard for software teams that work in sprints. It handles backlogs, sprint planning, bug tracking and release management, with deep links to code repositories and Confluence documentation.
Key features
- Scrum and Kanban boards with backlogs
- Custom workflows and issue types
- Advanced search with JQL
- Sprint reports, burndown and velocity charts
Pricing: Free for up to 10 users; Standard starts at $7.91 per user per month, with Premium and Enterprise tiers above it. Visit Jira
Pros
- Purpose-built for agile development
- Very configurable workflows and permissions
- Excellent free tier for small dev teams
Cons
- Too complex for non-technical teams
- Configuration often needs an admin
What users say: Developers commonly credit Jira with keeping large engineering organizations aligned. Common complaints are complexity, cluttered screens and admin overhead.
5. Trello — best for small teams that want simple Kanban boards
Trello, also from Atlassian, popularized the card-and-board approach to project tracking. It is easy for anyone to use and suits small-team workflows.
Key features
- Drag-and-drop Kanban boards and cards
- Built-in Butler automation
- Power-Ups for calendars, custom fields and integrations
- Checklists, due dates and attachments on cards
Pricing: A free plan is available, with paid tiers adding views, automation runs and admin controls. Visit Trello
Pros
- Almost no learning curve
- Good free plan
- Flexible Power-Up ecosystem
Cons
- Limited for complex or dependent projects
- Reporting is basic without add-ons
What users say: Users consistently praise Trello’s simplicity. The main complaint is that teams outgrow it as projects become larger and need dependencies or resource planning.
6. Wrike — best for enterprise-leaning teams needing structured workflows, approvals and reporting
Wrike is built for organizations that need formal processes: request intake, approvals, proofing and cross-department reporting.
Key features
- Request forms and blueprints for repeatable work
- Proofing and approval workflows
- Gantt charts and workload management
- Custom item types and dashboards
Pricing: Free plan; Business costs $25 per user per month. Visit Wrike
Pros
- Strong governance and approval tools
- Powerful reporting
- Scales well across departments
Cons
- Higher price than many competitors
- Interface can feel dense for casual users
What users say: Reviewers often value Wrike’s structure and reporting depth. Common complaints mention the learning curve and cost.
7. Smartsheet — best for spreadsheet-style planning and portfolio rollups
Smartsheet looks like a spreadsheet but behaves like a project tool, which makes it easy for Excel-heavy organizations to adopt. PMOs use it to roll many projects into portfolio views.
Key features
- Grid, Gantt, card and calendar views
- Formulas and cross-sheet references
- Dashboards and reports across sheets
- Automated alerts and approval workflows
Pricing: Paid plans only; see the vendor for current pricing. Visit Smartsheet
Pros
- Familiar for spreadsheet users
- Good for portfolio-level reporting
Cons
- No ongoing free plan
- Can become complex across many sheets
What users say: Users commonly say Smartsheet is easy to start with if they know spreadsheets. Frequent complaints concern cost and managing sprawl across many sheets.
8. Notion — best for a docs-and-database workspace with light project tracking
Notion combines wikis, documents and flexible databases. Teams build their own trackers and knowledge bases in one place.
Key features
- Linked databases with board, timeline and table views
- Wikis and docs with rich page building
- Templates for roadmaps and sprints
- AI writing and search features on paid plans
Pricing: A free plan is available; paid plans add collaboration and admin features. Visit Notion
Pros
- Excellent for documentation plus tasks
- Very flexible building blocks
Cons
- Lacks advanced PM features like resource management
- Setup depends on someone designing the system
What users say: Reviewers often love Notion’s flexibility for knowledge management. A common complaint is that project tracking feels lighter than dedicated tools.
9. Basecamp — best for simple, communication-first project collaboration
Basecamp from 37signals keeps everything about a project, including messages, to-dos, files and schedules, on one page. It deliberately avoids complexity, which suits agencies and small businesses working with clients.
Key features
- Message boards and to-do lists per project
- Hill Charts for progress tracking
- Built-in group chat
- Client access to selected projects
Pricing: Free for one project; Plus is $15 per user per month; Pro Unlimited is a flat $349 per month. Visit Basecamp
Pros
- Very easy for clients and non-technical staff
- Flat pricing option for larger teams
Cons
- No Gantt charts or detailed dependencies
- Limited customization and reporting
What users say: Users commonly praise Basecamp for reducing email and keeping communication tidy. The most frequent complaint is a lack of advanced planning features.
10. Microsoft Planner — best for Microsoft 365 teams needing Gantt-style planning
Microsoft has folded Project for the web into the new Microsoft Planner, so Planner now spans simple task boards through premium scheduling. It fits organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365 and Teams.
Key features
- Task boards inside Microsoft Teams
- Timeline (Gantt) views and dependencies on premium plans
- Integration with Outlook, To Do and Loop
- Copilot features in supported plans
Pricing: Plan 1 costs $10 per user per month and Plan 3 costs $30 per user per month; basic Planner is included in many Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Visit Microsoft Planner
Pros
- Native to Microsoft 365 and Teams
- Familiar for Microsoft users
Cons
- Licensing tiers can be confusing
- Less flexible outside the Microsoft ecosystem
What users say: Reviewers often like having tasks inside Teams. Common complaints concern feature differences between plans and the transition from Project.
11. Teamwork.com — best for agencies and client-services teams with built-in time tracking
Teamwork.com is built for client work. It combines project planning with time tracking, budgets and resource scheduling, so agencies can see profitability as well as progress.
Key features
- Native time tracking and timesheets
- Project budgets and profitability reports
- Resource and workload scheduling
- Client users with controlled visibility
Pricing: Free for up to five users; Deliver is $10.99 per user per month billed annually. Visit Teamwork.com
Pros
- Strong fit for billable work
- Client access built in
Cons
- Less suited to internal-only teams
- Advanced features need higher tiers
What users say: Agency users often praise the time and budget tracking. Common complaints include some interface quirks and reporting that takes time to master.
12. Zoho Projects — best for budget-conscious teams already using Zoho apps
Zoho Projects offers Gantt charts, timesheets and issue tracking at a low price, and connects naturally with Zoho CRM, Books and Desk. It suits small businesses that want depth without enterprise pricing.
Key features
- Gantt charts with dependencies and baselines
- Timesheets and billing support
- Built-in issue tracker
- Blueprint workflow automation
Pricing: Free for up to five users and three projects; see the vendor for paid plan pricing. Visit Zoho Projects
Pros
- Good value for the features
- Tight integration with the Zoho suite
Cons
- Interface feels less modern than some rivals
- Best value only if you use other Zoho apps
What users say: Reviewers often cite value for money. Common complaints mention the learning curve and a dated feel in places.
13. Airtable — best for database-style custom project tracking and workflows
Airtable is a relational database with a friendly interface. Teams use it to build custom trackers for content, product launches or operations, and then share simplified interfaces with stakeholders.
Key features
- Relational tables with linked records
- Interface designer for custom apps
- Built-in automations
- Kanban, calendar, Gantt and gallery views
Pricing: Free plan; Team is $20 per user per month billed annually. Visit Airtable
Pros
- Powerful for structured data and custom workflows
- Great for building lightweight internal apps
Cons
- Pricier per user than many PM tools
- Record and automation limits on lower plans
What users say: Users commonly praise Airtable’s flexibility. Frequent complaints concern pricing and plan limits as bases grow.
14. Linear — best for product and engineering teams wanting fast issue tracking
Linear is an opinionated, keyboard-first issue tracker for software teams. It favors speed and sensible defaults over endless configuration, which appeals to startups and product-led companies.
Key features
- Cycles (sprints) and project roadmaps
- Keyboard shortcuts and a fast interface
- GitHub and GitLab integration
- Triage inbox for incoming issues
Pricing: A free plan is available, with paid plans for larger teams. Visit Linear
Pros
- Very fast and pleasant to use
- Sensible defaults reduce admin work
Cons
- Built for software teams, not general PM
- Less configurable than Jira
What users say: Engineers often say Linear is a pleasure to use. The common caveat is that it is too narrow for non-technical departments.
15. OpenProject — best for self-hosted, open-source project management
OpenProject is an open-source platform covering classic and agile project management. It appeals to public sector, regulated and security-conscious organizations that want to host their own data.
Key features
- Gantt charts and work package management
- Agile boards and backlogs
- Time and cost tracking
- Self-hosted or cloud deployment
Pricing: The Community edition is free; Enterprise pricing is available from the vendor. Visit OpenProject
Pros
- Full data control when self-hosted
- Supports both traditional and agile methods
Cons
- Self-hosting needs IT resources
- Interface less polished than leading SaaS tools
What users say: Reviewers often value the data control and Gantt features. Common complaints point to a learning curve and setup effort.
How to choose project management software
Start with how your team works, not the longest feature list:
- Methodology: agile sprints point to Jira or Linear; client deliverables to Teamwork.com or Basecamp; mixed departments to Asana or monday.
- Views you need: confirm Gantt, workload and portfolio views are on the tier you can afford, not just the top plan.
- Real per-user cost: check seat minimums, annual versus monthly pricing and paid add-ons such as AI.
- Integrations: list your must-have connections (chat, CRM, Git, storage, invoicing) and test them during the trial.
- Guest and client access: check whether external users count as paid seats.
- Reporting: make sure managers can get the dashboards they need without exporting to spreadsheets.
- Data and security: regulated teams should check SSO, audit logs, data residency and self-hosting options.
When off-the-shelf project management software is not enough
Most teams should start with a SaaS tool. But some outgrow them: field and engineering firms often need site-specific workflows that general tools cannot model, which is why many look at dedicated construction project tools instead. Others need project data tied to billing, inventory or a proprietary process that no vendor supports.
In those cases, custom project management software built around your process can remove duplicate data entry and per-seat costs that grow with headcount. A lighter option is to keep your current tool and add workflow automation that connects it to your CRM, ERP and support desk, for example so tickets from your help desk software become tasks automatically.
Companies that want projects, documents and announcements in one employee portal can also consider intranet development with project features built in. If you are unsure, our guide on whether to build or buy walks through the trade-offs, or you can get a quote for a scoped estimate.
Final verdict
Asana is our top all-round pick for cross-functional teams, with monday work management close behind for teams that want to design their own workflows. Software teams should choose Jira for scale or Linear for speed. Agencies will get the most from Teamwork.com, and small teams that want simplicity should look at Trello or Basecamp.
If budget is the deciding factor, ClickUp and Zoho Projects offer the most features per dollar, while OpenProject is the strongest choice for organizations that must self-host.
