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20 Best Task Management Software Tools to Elevate Your Workflows [2024 Edition]

Sarah Burner

ClickUp Contributor

March 30, 2024

Is your personal or team workload spiraling out of control? We’ve all been there! What’s worse is the anxiety-inducing feeling of dread that follows when you have a bunch of unattended tasks, gradually leading to a lack of motivation . In fact, recent research reveals that 41% of workers find heavy workloads to be the main cause of workplace stress. 😖

However, more often than not, it’s not the amount of work that makes you or your employees feel overwhelmed—it’s poor task management. For instance, setting unreasonable deadlines or delegating tasks without considering team availability may lead people to burnout faster than you can blink. 

Luckily, using the right task management software can help you prevent this chaos! We’re here to introduce you to the 20 best task management software that can assist you in assigning tasks and optimizing priorities effectively in 2024. Learn about their key features, limitations, and pricing before you pick your ideal task manager tool. 🌻

What Should You Look for in a Task Management Tool?

• 1. ClickUp—best overall project & task management software

2. Asana—best for remote teams

3. jira—best for experienced professionals, 4. monday.com—best for marketing and pmo teams, 5. trello—best for small teams, 6. hive—best task management software for team collaboration, 7. meistertask—best for kanban task management, 8. ntask—best task management software for scheduling, 9. zenhub—best for software teams, 10. zoho projects—best for complex project management, 11. activecollab—best for personalized task management experience, 12. wrike—best for workflow management, 13. todoist—best for teams on a budget, 14. proofhub—best for task tracking, 15. smarttask—best for managing multiple projects, 16. hubspot (hubspot task management)—best for crm tasks, 17. paymo—best for client tasks and bookings, 18. timecamp—best for time tracking and billing tasks, 19. any.do—best for creating to-do lists, 20. smartsheet—best for spreadsheet-style task management.

Task management software helps identify, monitor, and manage tasks efficiently . It goes beyond a simple to-do list and offers features to let you collaborate on elaborate workflows for effective goal completion .

Naturally, the best task management software allows you to set deadlines, prioritize tasks , track progress, and adjust schedules with ease. Other useful functionalities include:

• Flexibility: A good task management software has a user-friendly interface and runs smoothly on all major operating systems across devices, allowing you more control over your work
• Time tracking: Choose a task management solution that lets you improve your time management through seamless time tracking
• Task automation: The best task management software lets you automate recurring admin tasks, leaving everyone more time to focus on cognitively demanding, high-level assignments
• Communication support: If you’re running a team, look for a tool that supports productive task-related discussions, file sharing, and instant announcements
• Reporting and analytics: Quality task management software provides reporting features to record and analyze information (like clock-in/clock-out data, absence, and overtime hours) for productivity analysis, invoicing, and payroll management
• Integration with other tools: Pick a task management system that integrates with other software you use, like messaging apps , project management software , and writing assistants

20 Best Task Management Software for Balanced Task Planning and Execution

There are tons of task management apps available on the market, but they’re not all cut from the same cloth—for instance, some are versatile tools, while others focus on specific functions like task dependencies.

We’ve chosen the 20 best task management software to help you find the perfect app for your business needs. These are expert-vetted options, cherry-picked after considering criteria like feature set and affordability.

Let’s dive in! 🧐

1. ClickUp —best overall project & task management software

Why end with a bang when we can start with one? 💥

Introducing ClickUp —the best task management solution for individuals, professionals, and teams. It’s not just us; even G2 considers it to be the best-rated task management and team task management software , ranking it #1 in 15+ competitive categories in 2024!

What makes ClickUp click is its AI-enabled, end-to-end support for managing tasks and priorities, monitoring progress, and staying productive.

Leverage ClickUp Tasks for task planning, scheduling, and tracking within a centralized hub. Easily categorize team tasks by type, set Custom Task Status from To Do to Done , and use Custom Fields to set deadlines, add assignees, and track details. For each task assignment, you can: 

• Add links and comments to centralize contextual knowledge and discussions
• Specify task dependencies, subtasks, and checklists
• Use @mentions and action items to delegate tasks and share updates

ClickUp’s Calendar View comes with drag-and-drop capabilities for granular task planning. You can also ClickUp’s Recurring Tasks to schedule routine stuff, like meetings and sprint retrospectives, and visualize or adjust your day-to-day on the Calendar.

Stay on top of task lists with ClickUp Reminders that you can create from any task comments or notifications and manage seamlessly from any device.

Prefer a visual task manager? ClickUp’s got you! This adaptable task management software offers 15+ Views for managing tasks on Kanban boards, sorting tasks in the List view, or visualizing timelines with colorful Gantt charts. 🌈

And, if you’re dealing with an overwhelming workload, identify what to prioritize and deprioritize using ClickUp Task Priorities and its color-coded tags. You can also lighten the workload for your employees with ClickUp Automatons , which lets you automate time-consuming tasks like checking emails or organizing documents.

Embrace stress-free productivity with ClickUp Brain and pre-made templates

Beyond tracking and prioritizing tasks, ClickUp also lends a hand with Project Management . For instance, you can employ ClickUp Brain , the platform’s AI assistant, to automate project summaries, task planning, and task standups and updates.

ClickUp Brain is a neural network connecting your tasks, documents, and discussions on the platform—it helps you extract and summarize information and action items through simple prompts and questions.

Take your productivity to new heights with numerous customizable ClickUp templates to help you standardize task assignments immediately! The ClickUp Task Management Template is a great starting point. With this template, you can organize your tasks into Lists like Action Items , Ideas , and Backlog for easier navigation and open separate views to track assignments by department or priority label. 🚩

ClickUp best features

• 1,000+ templates to kickstart skillful task management
• Supports time tracking and time blocking
• ClickUp Dashboards for real-time task tracking and productivity metrics
• ClickUp Goals to set measurable task KPIs
• Task Checklist feature for easy to-do list creation
• Multiple project views like List, Table, and Timeline
• Custom task statuses to complement your workflow
• A Bulk Action Toolbar to edit multiple tasks at once
• Automates recurring, error-prone tasks
• Built-in task prioritization levels  
• Universal Search and Tags to access tasks quickly
• Supports task generation directly from ClickUp Docs and Whiteboards
• Integrates with 1,000+ apps like Slack, Gmail, Zoom, Outlook, and HubSpot
• Dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android
• Compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux
• Built-in chat and file-sharing options for task collaboration
• Easy-to-use, no-code interface

ClickUp limitations

• It takes time to explore all its task management features
• A dedicated subtask reporting feature would be a great add-on

ClickUp pricing

• Free Forever
• Unlimited: $7/month per user
• Business: $12/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing
• ClickUp AI: Add to any paid plan for $5 per member per month

*All listed prices refer to the yearly billing model

ClickUp ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (9,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (4,000+ reviews)

Asana is an online task management software that lets you document all assignments in one location. Like ClickUp, Asana makes creating tasks a breeze. Add task descriptions in the form of bulleted lists, embed files to add context, set due dates, and add assignees in a few clicks. You can also create subtasks, identify blockers, and quickly streamline approvals on task changes.

This quality task management software features a My Tasks list , which helps you prioritize work by auto-promoting tasks based on due dates.

What makes Asana stand out among its alternatives is the Workflow Builder feature , which allows you to create workflows without coding, helping you automate routine tasks and expedite projects. You can even track the same task across departments to avoid work duplication.⚡

Asana is a collaborative task management tool —it lets you communicate with your team directly within the app, encouraging cross-functional collaboration . For added transparency, add relevant collaborators to your team’s tasks to keep them updated on progress.

Asana best features

• Templates for task management
• Remote-friendly collaboration tools
• Zero-code workflow builder
• Search and filtering options for simpler navigation
• Integrates with apps like Slack and Dropbox
• Mobile app for Android and iOS

Asana limitations

• May be challenging to implement for large teams
• Storage and collaboration features could use improvement

Asana pricing

• Personal: Free forever
• Starter: $10.99/month per user
• Advanced: $24.99/month per user

Asana ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.3/5 (9,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (12,000+ reviews)

While not as beginner-friendly as most alternatives due to its complex features, Jira is a popular task management software option among seasoned professionals in industries like IT, finance, marketing, and HR. It was first launched by Atlassian as an issue-tracking tool for software developers but has branched out to become a useful tool for project managers and task managers alike.

Jira is a handy tool for agile project management , allowing teams to break a complex project into manageable sprints . Its multiple views, like boards and timelines, help track sprint tasks and identify roadblocks to ensure continuous improvement .

Jira also supports team collaboration by allowing members to brainstorm and exchange task information across departments through shared workflows.

Jira, like ClickUp , lets you update task statuses in real time, while its automaton feature helps you run manual actions in the background. Plus, project managers can automate work using its numerous task management templates . 😀

Jira best features

• Workflow automation support
• Multiple task views for agile teams
• Templates for niches like human resources , marketing, and IT
• Integrates with Atlassian Work Management and other popular apps
• Task management apps for Android and iOS

Jira limitations

• The system can be slow at times
• The user interface and dashboard design could be improved

Jira pricing

• Free: Up to 10 users
• Standard: $8.15/month per user
• Premium: $16/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing

Jira ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.3/5 (5,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (13,000+ reviews)

Check out these Jira alternatives !

Using Monday.com to manage tasks can make Mondays less dreadful! This simple task management software provides all key features, from multiple task views to task templates, that you’d find in most Monday alternatives .

Still, Monday.com stands out with its smooth interface . Its Work Management feature lets you create no-code workflows. Even project managers enjoy an intuitive layout that allows them to make informed decisions by accessing quick overviews of task progress on a dashboard. 📈

Monday.com allows you to organize workspaces into projects with individual tasks and subtasks, complete with color-coding options to help you track task priorities and statuses easily.

The software offers specific task management features for marketing and PMO teams . For example, marketing teams can benefit from key features like brand asset management , robust Gantt charts, and campaign tracking . Meanwhile, PMO teams rely on features for monitoring OKRs , identifying dependencies, and tracking time for future task planning.

Overall, it’s a well-rounded task management tool—quite similar to ClickUp and Plaky in terms of design and feature set.

Monday.com best features

• Includes 200+ automation options
• Color-coded task statuses and priority levels
• User-friendly 
• No-code workflows setup
• Offers a mobile app for iOS and Android
• Integrates with over 200 apps

Monday.com limitations

• The initial setup tends to be overwhelming
• Some users struggle with custom reminders and experience delays in notifications

Monday.com pricing

• Free: Up to two users
• Basic: $9/month per user
• Standard: $12/month per user
• Pro: $19/month per user

Monday.com ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (10,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,000+ reviews)

If you’re a fan of Kanban boards, you’ll have a blast using Trello. This task management software is all about moving tasks like sticky notes on a drag-and-drop Kanban board for easier status tracking.

Individuals can use it to create personalized task lists, while team members can rely on advanced checklists to add context to tasks by adding due dates and assignees. 

This software supports task prioritization through labels like high, medium, or low priority—filter the labels to access a specific batch of tasks . It also has a no-code automation tool called Butler, which lets you create rules, buttons, and commands to automate select recurring tasks.

Trello lets you view your tasks on calendars, timelines, and neatly organized tables, which is often more than enough to manage workloads in a smaller team. However, if you’re running a larger team that may prefer more flexibility and a wider variety of project views, Trello alternatives with enterprise features may be a better option.

Trello best features

• Butler—a no-code automation tool
• Kanban-based task tracking software
• Includes checklists, calendars, and timelines
• Color coding helps prioritize tasks
• Android and iOS mobile apps

Trello limitations

• Gets costly as users increase in number
• May not support complex project management

Trello pricing

• Standard: $5/month per user
• Premium: $10/month per user
• Enterprise: $17.5/month per user

Trello ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (13,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (23,000+ reviews)

Hive is an all-encompassing project management software that provides any hybrid team with a task management platform to:

• Assign, track, and execute tasks together, regardless of location
• Monitor upcoming tasks across departments
• Collaborate async or live with Hive Notes and Text and Voice Chat

This software lets you observe your tasks from multiple angles . For example, use the Portfolio view to get a detailed overview of tasks across projects or the Label view to categorize subtasks. Focus better by activating the My Actions view to display your task assignments in a concentrated way. 

Rely on key features like task status to easily track progress, templates to customize project layouts, and notifications to never miss a beat.

Plus, Hive offers Workflows App —a no-code task automation tool to help you cut down on manual labor and design personalized automated workflows. 

Like ClickUp, Hive supports project collaboration by letting teammates communicate across projects by leaving comments on action cards or tagging team members.

Hive best features

• Collaborative task management tool
• Supports individual, group, or project discussions
• AI assistant ( HiveMind ) and templates to support standard tasks
• My Actions view tracks all the tasks assigned to you 
• Includes a no-code task automation tool
• Integrates with Dropbox and Google Drive

Hive limitations

• The mobile app has limited functionality
• UX may get compromised with many collaborators

Hive pricing

• Starter: $5/month per user
• Teams: $12/month per user

Hive ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.6/5 (500+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)

Check out these Hive alternatives !

Most alternatives to MeisterTask include Kanban boards as one of their key features. However, MeisterTask excels as Kanban-based task management software because of how user-friendly and intuitive it is. 😻

It provides customizable Kanban-style boards that let you organize and monitor task cards to mark if they’re In Progress , Done , or on the To Do list. These boards keep your work centralized and let you communicate effectively through task comments.

You can mention teammates in the comments, add them as project watchers, and assign them tasks directly from the board. Activate real-time notifications to keep everyone in the loop about the latest project updates.

Besides collaborative boards, the software offers personal pinboards called Agendas, where you can organize all the tasks assigned to you, as well as access additional details like due dates and important files faster.

MeisterTask best features

• Easy-to-use Kanban boards for organizing tasks
• Can serve as a personal task management software
• Task-related collaboration through comments
• Dashboards to track upcoming tasks, time-tracking data, and notifications
• Lets you automate recurring tasks
• iOS and Android mobile apps

MeisterTask limitations

• The software could benefit from adding a workflow calendar to its features
• Notifications may be delayed on mobile devices

MeisterTask pricing

• Basic: Free
• Pro: $6.50/month per user

MeisterTask ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.6/5 (100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (1,000+ reviews)

nTask serves as a central hub for tracking and scheduling tasks . Use it’s task scheduling software to assign project tasks or entire task lists to your teammates and set real-time notifications to ensure no action remains overlooked.

Its robust time-tracking capabilities can help you monitor time spent on tasks and estimate the amount of time you’ll need for future tasks and projects. 

nTask is a visual task management tool —it lets you plan and prioritize tasks, manage interconnected delivery timelines, and visualize projects with color-coded Gantt charts. Plan your projects easily by creating tasks and adding descriptions and assignees.

Schedule tasks by setting planned and actual due dates and creating task dependencies and milestones to ensure timely completion. Then, set priorities and track their progress using custom statuses.

nTask best features

• Offers multiple project views (board, grid, list, and calendar)
• Comprehensive task tracking
• Visual task management and task scheduling through Gantt charts
• Recurring tasks feature with daily, weekly, or monthly repeats
• Integrates with 1,000+ tools like Apple Calendar, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams
• Android and iOS support

nTask limitations

• Attaching documents and photos may be challenging
• User interface could be more intuitive

nTask pricing

• Premium: $3/month per user
• Business: $8/month per user

nTask ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (10+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.2/5 (100+ reviews)

ZenHub is a project management solution that primarily caters to software development teams. It provides a native GitHub integration via a browser extension for Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. This helps reduce context switching by keeping project tasks connected with GitHub code. 

Plus, ZenHub offers automatic task updates as users complete issues in GitHub, streamlining task completion by eliminating manual status check-ins from your team’s to-do list. There are also automated hand-offs to update all connected workspaces.

This online task management and software development tool brings tasks together on intuitive, drag-and-drop Kanban boards , allowing you to view all current tasks and their status.

Use these boards to prioritize tasks, track projects, and attach pull requests to corresponding issues. Group related issues into Epics or connect various private and public GitHub repos to a single board. 👨‍🏫

Additionally, ZenHub offers sprint planning features, making it a handy tool for agile teams . It lets you set automated sprint cycles, auto-generate new sprints with prioritized and unfinished tasks, and receive periodical reports on progress.

ZenHub best features

• Various key features for agile teams
• Native GitHub integration
• Provides spring planning and tracking
• Boards for easy task management 
• Automate repetitive tasks and hand-offs
• Acts as a visual task management tool with roadmaps and timelines
• Integrates with Figma, Miro, and Loom

ZenHub limitations

• Steep learning curve
• The interface may be challenging to navigate

ZenHub pricing

• Free: 14-day free trial
• For Teams: $8.33/month per user (annual billing)
• For Enterprises: Contact sales for pricing

ZenHub ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.3/5 (30+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (30+ reviews)

Zoho Projects is a project management software with features such as issue tracking, team monitoring , project timesheets, and resource utilization charts. It helps you manage projects in industries like marketing, construction, IT, and consulting.

It also offers a comprehensive toolset for task management that assists you in breaking projects down into milestones, task lists, and subtasks for simpler tracking.

This task management platform is all about details—each task can have attributes like assignees, work hours, priorities, and reminders. Use timesheets and timers to record time spent on each task.

Like many Zoho alternatives , this tool simplifies task organization by providing Kanban-style boards with drag-and-drop task cards and flexible statuses. As for planning and tracking, use Gantt charts to identify your team’s tasks, set dependencies, and monitor deadlines to ensure everything is done on time. ⌛

The software lets you schedule tasks on a calendar, which provides an overview of team members’ capacity. That way, you enjoy balanced task planning and avoid the risk of team burnout. 

Zoho Projects best features

• Quick-access Gantt charts
• Supports versatile task management use cases
• Highly customizable workflows
• Easy task scheduling on calendars
• Integrates with various Zoho, Google, and Microsoft apps 
• Task management apps (iOS 9.0+ and Android 4.1+)

Zoho Projects limitations

• Initial setup may be challenging
• Software customization can be time-consuming 

Zoho Projects pricing

• Free: Up to three users
• Premium: $4/month per user
• Enterprise: $9/month per user

Zoho Projects ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.3/5 (300+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (400+ reviews)

ActiveCollab is all about increasing productivity and meeting deadlines. The tool lets you add due dates, assignees, and detailed task descriptions. Break down complex actions into subtasks, ensuring all assigned tasks get done as planned. You can also:

• Group tasks based on different criteria
• Duplicate repetitive tasks

This online task management software offers three project views to choose from, which is less than what ActiveCollab alternatives typically offer. Still, it includes frequently used views—the Kanban board, Gantt chart, and List view. 📝

ActiveCollab helps you reduce manual labor by automating recurring tasks. And, if you need to ensure actions are completed in a fixed order, just create dependencies between multiple tasks.

ActiveCollab stresses the importance of a personal task manager —it provides a My Work page where you can find and organize your task assignments by project or due date. 

This page also serves as your personal timesheet, offering an overview of all your time records. You can revisit your activity in terms of the comments posted, tasks created or closed, or due dates modified.

ActiveCollab best features

• Excellent personal task management software
• Automation for repetitive tasks
• Dependencies for order-specific actions
• Android and iOS smartphone apps
• Integrates with other task management tools like Asana and Trello

ActiveCollab limitations

• The file-sharing feature of this task management software could be simpler to use
• Adding more customization options could be beneficial 

ActiveCollab pricing

• Plus: $9.5/month 3 users/month
• Pro: $8/month per user/month
• Pro+Get Paid: $11.75/month per user

ActiveCollab ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.2/5 (90+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (300+ reviews)

Wrike is well-known for its robust task and workflow management features. It allows you to prioritize work on personalized dashboards by pinning important tasks from your to-do list and automatically sorting them by priority and due date.

Like most of Wrike’s competitors , Wrike supports strong teamwork —it lets teams collaborate on real-time project plans, task assignments, and decision-making within the platform.

Wrike’s workflows adapt to your needs, so regardless of your project management methodology, you can visualize your tasks in views like Gantt Chart, Kanban, and Calendar.

Plus, the software includes built-in proofing tools for quick yet detailed task feedback, task automation to save time, and collaboration tools to increase work efficiency.

Additionally, Wrike allows project managers to build customizable reports on task and team performance. They can further optimize workflows by analyzing relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) on dashboards.

Wrike best features

• Comprehensive project dashboards with personalized reports
• Supports feedback-friendly team collaboration
• Multiple project views
• 400+ integrations
• Task automation

Wrike limitations

• Could use more custom display options
• Some users experience task syncing issues

Wrike pricing

• Team: $9.80/month per user
• Business: $24.80/month per user
• Enterprise and Pinnacle: Contact sales

Wrike ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.2/5 (3,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5 (2,000+ reviews)

While many Todoist alternatives on this list offer additional project management features, Todoist is purely focused on task management. It assists you in creating detailed daily to-do lists to ensure optimal day-to-day organization.

The tool is simple to use—just create tasks and subtasks, determine priorities, add due dates, and set reminders to ensure nothing goes overlooked. 👀

Although it’s primarily a task management app, Todoist can help you manage projects as it includes goal-setting features , labels to categorize tasks, and task descriptions to keep information centralized.

You can use its Upcoming calendar view to see which tasks are due urgently and use a drag-and-drop function to reschedule assignments. If you need to focus on tasks that are currently due, simply go to the Today view .

While Todoist’s simple navigation and low price make it a handy tool for personal task management, it’s also a good to-do list app for teams on a tight budget . Its project management features aren’t too comprehensive, but you can still assign tasks and leverage comments for better teamwork and transparency. 

Todoist best features

• Efficient daily task management
• Multiple task views (including Kanban boards and lists)
• Basic team collaboration support
• Easy navigation
• Integrates with various productivity and time-tracking apps
• Has a to-do list app for Android and iOS

Todoist limitations

• Integrating the software with some apps may be challenging
• It would be beneficial if the app displayed tasks when you’re offline

Todoist pricing

• Beginner: Free
• Pro: $4/month per user
• Business: $6/month per user

Todoist ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (700+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (2,000+ reviews)

Besides being a task management tool, ProofHub is a task tracking software that lets you easily create task lists and individual tasks, assign them to team members, and closely follow due dates and priorities across task categories . Got complex tasks? Divide them into subtasks for simpler tracking.

Similar to ProofHub alternatives , the software is fully customizable —it lets you build personalized workflows and use custom fields to capture any task-related data you deem important. Custom fields enhance task tracking —because you can customize them to track virtually anything, be it deadlines or output.

Speaking of tracking, ProofHub has a feature for creating task dependencies to help you ensure tasks are completed in a predetermined order. If you want to offer more clarity to assignees, leave comments on tasks or use mentions to guide them.

Additionally, ProofHub offers various reporting options to help you gain insight into your project’s progress. You can enhance resource allocation by analyzing resource utilization reports or tracking project-specific progress with task completion reports.

ProofHub best features

• Multi-faceted task tracking software
• Customizable workflows
• Supports task-related discussions through comments and mentions
• Reports to gauge task progress
• Various project views like Kanbans and tables
• Mobile-friendly

ProofHub limitations

• Notifications can get difficult to manage
• Some users find its customization features complex

ProofHub pricing

• Essential: $45/month 
• Ultimate Control: $150/month (or $89/month for a limited time offer)

ProofHub ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.5/5 (80+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (90+ reviews)

SmartTask includes all key features you’d typically find in a task management tool—it lets you create subtasks, set deadlines, add dependencies, and manage tasks in views like calendar, list, and board.

However, this software especially stands out with its tools for managing multiple projects simultaneously in a cross-functional setup. Its Project Portfolios feature allows you to create multiple boards to track separate goals, aligning your marketing, sales, and design teams. To play it safer, you can even share task lists across teams to prevent orphaned actions. 

SmartTask supports team collaboration by letting you comment on tasks and generate real-time notifications for updates. You can also invite clients, vendors, and external stakeholders to collaborate on any task or project by sending them an invitation.

Plus, it provides reports on both project tasks and sales that you can easily find through its advanced search bar. 🔎

SmartTask best features

• Internal and external team communication
• Set recurring tasks (daily, weekly, or monthly)
• Task and sales reports
• Supports managing tasks across projects
• Time tracking for individual tasks
• Task management tools for iOS and Android

SmartTask limitations

• The UI and UX could use some improvement
• Adding more integrations would be useful

SmartTask pricing

• Premium: $7.99/month per user
• Business: $10.99/month per user

SmartTask ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (60+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (30+ reviews)

HubSpot Task Management is far from a traditional task manager—it’s a suite designed to help marketers streamline Customer Relationship Management (CRM) processes. Effective CRM depends on properly storing, tracking, and managing lead- and customer-based activities. HubSpot helps you streamline these scattered tasks to boost revenue.

The software reduces the need to switch between multiple tabs when talking to prospects by providing dashboards that centralize all your work. Use them to track your to-do list items, view prospect details, and stay on top of meetings. 

Need to create new tasks? Do that directly from your workflows, email inbox, or to-do list. If you need insights from past task performances, like deals made and activities completed, leverage HubSpot’s reporting tools.

This platform simplifies communication with email templates (for sending messages in bulk) and real-time team chat. 

While sales and marketing teams may enjoy HubSpot’s task management style, some of HubSpot’s alternatives could be a better choice for companies in IT or finance.

HubSpot best features

• A wide array of CRM functionalities
• Live team chats
• Dashboards to centralize prospect-related work
• Integrates with apps like WordPress, Gmail, and Zapier
• iOS and Android mobile app for HubSpot CRM

HubSpot limitations

• Limited option to prioritize tasks
• Workflow automation is limited on the free plan

HubSpot pricing

For individuals and small teams:

• Starter: $15/month
• Professional: $800/month

HubSpot (CRM) ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (11,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (4,000+ reviews)

Paymo is a simple task management software designed for professionals who want to manage client work and resources within one platform . It lets you automatically set up ghost bookings based on the task details you’ve entered in the past and receive a visual overview of all bookings for the entire team on a single screen. 🖥️

Paymo also simplifies managing resources by allowing multiple managers to work on schedule to avoid overbooking or underbooking. You can:

• Book time for time-sensitive tasks by the hour
• Accommodate unscheduled tasks with a simple drag-and-drop function
• Visualize your team’s availability on timelines
• Send booking notifications only to relevant team members

The platform lets employees view their tasks in a single view, while task managers monitor both their personal tasks and team’s work in separate views. Like with most Paymo alternatives , you get project views like Gantt charts, Tables, and Calendars to visualize tasks.

It also encourages team collaboration, offering a detailed Task View to chat in real-time about the latest task updates. Finally, Paymo provides task priority levels like critical, high, normal, or low across teams.

Paymo best features

• Timelines to assess employee availability
• Allows booking time for client tasks by the hour
• Real-time chat
• Project views like Gantt chart and Kanban board
• Integrates with apps like Slack, Google Calendar, and JotForm
• Mobile app support for iOS and Android

Paymo limitations

• The mobile app may be tricky to navigate
• Takes time to train employees to use the platform

Paymo pricing

• Starter: $5.9/month per user
• Small Office: $10.9/month per user
• Business: $16.9/month per user

Paymo ratings and reviews

• Capterra: 4.8/5 (400+ reviews)

While most TimeCamp alternatives on this list include typical task and project management features, TimeCamp shifts its focus to time tracking instead.

With its robust time-tracking capabilities , you can track your team’s working hours, standardize times for specific jobs, plan task assignments, and monitor each team member’s productivity.

TimeCamp also provides features for measuring the profitability of your projects and tracking billable hours, streamlining invoicing and resource management. Basically, the tasks you had to do manually, like creating invoices and approving timesheets, can be automated with TimeCamp.

Although this software highlights time tracking, it’s still a task management tool. Its TimeCamp Planner product helps you organize tasks and monitor their progress on Kanban-style boards. 

If you’re dealing with repeatable tasks, automate them by specifying information like due dates, assignees, and progress statuses. Plus, you can switch from team task overview to your own using the My Tasks feature , which displays your assigned tasks on a list, calendar, or timeline view.

Note that TimeCamp’s time tracking and task management features are available on separate pricing plans .

TimeCamp best features

• Comprehensive time-tracking tools
• Kanban board for easy task tracking
• Personal task lists
• Can automate repeatable tasks
• Includes apps for Android and iOS
• TimeCamp (not the TimeCamp Planner) integrates with tools like ClickUp, Google Calendar, and Slack

TimeCamp limitations

• The user interface and server load time could be better
• The tool may be buggy at times

TimeCamp pricing (for TimeCamp Planner)

• Pro: $2.99/month per user

TimeCamp ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (500+ reviews)

Any.do specializes in providing easy-to-use to-do lists to help you achieve personal or professional goals efficiently. You can organize your to-dos in separate lists and projects, all color-coded to set clear priorities and determine task categories. Enhance your task lists with:

• Subtasks and attachments for added task awareness
• Deadlines and reminders

Sharing responsibilities is also simple—just share a task list with your teammates or family to collaborate on task completion . For example, you can assign different items on a grocery list to family members and track the list to ensure they complete the task successfully. If there’s an urgent matter you wish to discuss, use the chat function to communicate in real time.  

For companies looking for a task management tool with project management capabilities, Any.do is a solid choice as it also offers features like customizable workflows, pre-made templates, and powerful integrations with other work tools.

If you want more comprehensive workflow features, though, explore some more advanced Any.do alternatives .

Any.do best features

• Provides simple to-do lists
• Great as a daily task manager
• Lets you share lists with teams, family, and friends
• Reminders for timely task completion
• Has apps for iOS and Android
• Integrates with other task management tools like ClickUp and Asana

Any.do limitations

• Some users desire more integrations (like with Microsoft Calendar)
• Limited advanced features for this price range

Any.do pricing

• Premium: $5/month per user
• Family: $8/month per four users
• Teams: $5/month per user

*All listed prices refer to approx values billed annually

Any.do ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.2/5 (100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (100+ reviews)

Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-like task management tool . It’s great for those who are comfortable tracking tasks in Excel but are open to switching to a tool with less complicated calculation work.

Like ClickUp, Smartsheet offers comprehensive project and task management tools for handling different workflows. For example, it lets you schedule tasks, create subtasks, allocate resources, and track assignments efficiently from one platform. ✅

Here, tasks are represented on spreadsheets for individual projects. Like most Smartsheet alternatives , you can add basic task information, like due dates and assignees, in clear fields or columns.

However, these aren’t traditional spreadsheets—they also provide the advanced features of a modern task management tool. For instance, you can use checkboxes, dropdown lists, and comments to interact with tasks on Smartsheet.

This is a great task management software for teams working on extensive projects as it includes templates for agile project management, OKR tracking, budgeting, and resource management.

It also supports task automation, real time collaboration , and advanced analytics. Plus, it integrates with services you may already use, like Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams.

Smartsheet best features

• Spreadsheet-based project management tool
• Advanced functionalities for monitoring complex projects
• Supports real-time team communication
• Templates for agile project management
• Integrates with numerous communication, data visualization, and project delivery apps
• Available as an iOS or Android mobile app

Smartsheet limitations

• There may be a steep learning curve for users figuring out advanced features
• It could benefit from adding more template options

Smartsheet pricing

• Pro: $7/month per user
• Business: $25/month per user

Smartsheet ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (14,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (3,000+ reviews)

Leveraging the Best Task Management Software: Which Tool to Pick

Since all the products on our list are rated well by users, it’s natural to be overwhelmed by the choices. So, what do you really prioritize in a task management platform?

The answer is straightforward— great task management software provides features that help you plan, organize, track, and assign tasks, but you shouldn’t have to pay a fortune for these functions. Don’t settle for a tool that doesn’t include the bare minimum, i.e., reminders, automations, task views, and collaboration features.

Lastly, task management tools are supposed to make your life easier, not vice versa, so ensure your chosen tool is easy to implement and fun to work with! 🥳

If you can’t make a choice, try ClickUp ! It’s got all the features you’ll need to streamline task management with minimal effort. Whether you want to set goals, track and assign tasks, manage time, reduce manual labor, or communicate with your team, the possibilities are endless.

Sign up to ClickUp today and enjoy the best toolkit a free task management software has to offer! 💖 

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Task management software: 9 tools to consider

April 26, 2024 - 10 min read

The best task management software helps you accomplish your tasks efficiently, produce consistently excellent work, and make sure nothing is overlooked. 

Whether you have a large project to break down or you want to make it easier for your team to collaborate, a watertight task management system makes all the difference. Here, we’ve listed some of the most widely used features to help teams: 

• Define tasks and subtasks so they can plan, delegate, and assign resources
• Track tasks and identify risks as the project progresses
• Centralize tasks so they can collaborate effectively
• Prioritize tasks to reduce stress at the end of the project
• Give completed tasks the stamp of approval

We know some people who land on this post will be individuals working on their own, looking for a quick and easy way to get their to-do list under control. The tools we feature in this post are designed for companies, and our solution, Wrike , is best suited to large teams. 

If you’re looking for a web-based tool, try task management apps like the free version of Trello, Todoist, or Microsoft Planner, which is included in Microsoft 365. But if you’re looking for a truly scalable, powerful system that supports your entire organization , read on. 

We’ll start with Wrike . 

1. Wrike: Go beyond task lists with powerful task management tools 

Wrike is the work management platform for large companies, complex setups, and growing businesses. 

Managers often prioritize saving time and money when they want to implement task management software. Wrike will certainly help you here (our features include time tracking and budgeting as well as automation to optimize workflows ), but you get much more, too.

Our intelligent task management features track the jobs being completed across your company’s projects and subteams, helping you avoid mistakes and making sure nothing is overlooked. When you work within Wrike, your tasks are centralized, so completing them is collaborative, the ownership is clear, and accountability is guaranteed — no matter how many people are involved. 

What’s more, you can tailor your task tracking to the work your team has on their plates. All this leaves you with a system that supports your team’s collaboration throughout their working day, rather than just a checklist that tells them what to do. 

Hootsuite required one consolidated solution to simplify and manage large-scale projects across 16 offices. Wrike helped it track progress and communicate across regions, so now the team can update a task or a whole project in 30 seconds, restoring focus to the customer. 

With that in mind, let’s look at Wrike’s top task management features for collaborative teams. 

Create and assign tasks that reflect your work

To find a task management tool your team loves to use, you need to look at the way it fits the tasks they actually have to complete. 

For example, imagine you’re tracking tasks on a basic Kanban board – like the one you’d have if you used Trello . This suits relatively straightforward tasks like creating content for your company’s website. In this case, a task card for your creative and design team might move through columns labeled “Requested,” “In progress,” “In review,” and then “Published.” 

But suppose your creative team is producing content for an external client with a strict compliance process in place. In that case, your task cards might start to jump between columns as they’re reviewed and sent back to the writer. 

In this scenario, it becomes worryingly easy to lose track of who’s reviewed what. The workflow can stall, revisions can be overlooked, and tasks can even start to slip through the cracks. This is where Wrike’s custom item types save the day. 

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, custom items tailor task management to suit your team’s requirements. 

Every task you add to Wrike can accurately reflect the stages (and the people) involved. Instead of just showing the task as a card or a line in a spreadsheet, you get a single point of reference, with various trackable statuses, to help you accurately plan your resources and monitor your team’s capacity. 

The process is simple. Wrike includes out-of-the-box task templates, or you can edit and automate tasks unique to your team.

Paul De Leon, a Graphic Designer from the San Francisco Chronicle , said :  

“The way I’m able to customize Wrike to fit my workflow is one of the strongest features.” 

As well as tracking your customized tasks within Wrike, you can delegate them by assigning them to an individual, a job type, or a team. With a simple when/then automation, you can even make task assignment an automatic part of task creation or progress. 

Plus, when the next person in the chain picks up the task, they’ll see the entire comment history and have instant access to the documents they need, so they can easily understand the work that’s been done so far. 

In a nutshell, Wrike is set up to break complex projects into tasks that reflect your process, making it easier to: 

• Plan and schedule your projects 
• Assign each task in the process
• Track progress through detailed stages 
• Complete your work to a high standard every time. 

Choose the visualization that works for you

Once you have your list of tasks, seeing each one as part of the bigger picture helps you manage your work effectively. 

With Wrike, you can visualize your tasks in a way that makes sense for your team, and toggle between views to see the data from multiple angles. 

Try adding some of these views to your workspace. 

Gantt chart

Gantt charts are a popular way to visualize project timelines , milestones, and task dependencies (i.e., the order you have to complete your tasks to keep up the momentum on your project). 

Gantt charts are a common feature of task management software, but Wrike’s stand apart. Our charts are totally responsive. You can define task dependencies with an intuitive drag-and-drop function. Whenever you reschedule a task, the subsequent due dates will automatically adjust to match. 

TeamViewer is a software company that uses Wrike in its marketing and creative departments. Using the Gantt Chart view, it can visualize and adjust its project planning process at any time. Fabian Schenk, Marketing Project Manager, said :

“Depicting the dependencies and statuses gives you a good overview of what needs to be done and what’s going to happen.”

Kanban board

In Kanban methodology, tasks are visualized as cards that move across a board as they progress through stages. It’s a great way to get an interactive overview of your project’s status, identify roadblocks, and plan effectively. 

Kanban boards are particularly popular with development or Agile teams , but they can bring clarity to any organization. Sean Amster, Digital Strategy & Operations Manager at Frontline Education said :

“With Wrike, we’re able to create statuses that are really meaningful and tell us a story of where a task or a project is. Ultimately, that allows us to better communicate with management and leadership.”

You could even set up your team’s Kanban board with our Kanban project management template .

Calendar 

With Wrike, you can sync your projects to a shared calendar , which shows the tasks and deadlines coming up and keeps the whole team in the loop. This helps you plan your projects more accurately, coordinate your schedules, and even eliminate the need for email check-ins ( in our experience , teams can reduce internal emails by up to 90%) .  

Calendars can be filtered by project, with color coding to help you check your data at a glance. 

Teams that work with Wrike find countless advantages in visualizing their tasks from multiple angles. Compared to a simple list of jobs to be done, these top-level overviews can: 

• Show individual team members how their work fits into the big picture 
• Help managers identify and respond to risks and bottlenecks
• Encourage teamwork and collaboration that delivers great results 

Ultimately, by viewing the same task data through these various lenses, you know every decision you make about the work is informed. 

Instantly prioritize your workload

Once you can visualize your tasks in detail, it’s time to prioritize your work. This is where Wrike’s intelligent dashboards can give you the edge. 

Dashboards filter data about your tasks and their status on the project, team, or individual level. You can sort any number of tasks by due date, status, priority, or any other feature you choose. No matter how many tasks your team is taking on, you can be sure you’re devoting your energy to the ones that need it most. 

Our next-generation AI dashboards also include powerful risk management features . As well as visualizing and prioritizing your team’s tasks, Wrike can flag overdue tasks, tasks in danger of missing a deadline, or unachievable task dependencies that could potentially derail a project milestone. 

Most importantly, dashboards create a central source of truth for all the people working on your project tasks, which also supports them as they achieve their individual goals. 

Alongside team or project dashboards, creating a private dashboard — for example, as part of someone’s onboarding process — gives a team member a place to visualize their work in the way they want, monitor their incoming tasks, and start their day with a clear view of what needs to be done. 

Enhance productivity and collaboration when you manage tasks in Wrike

Wrike elevates task management by centralizing real-time data on all the work your team completes. Beyond task tracking, you get a host of other features to enhance communication and increase productivity as you complete your work. 

Gwynnie Bee reduced processing time by 60% , Siemens noted a 10% improvement in productivity , and F5 tracked a 33% increase in on-time delivery , all thanks to features that: 

• Automate notifications . Automation boosts collaboration by helping your team get answers faster, with tagged comments, automatic task delegation, and discussions attached to individual tasks. Plus, by keeping all your communications within Wrike, you reduce the chance of losing track of an aspect of your project. 
• Reduce admin tasks . Custom request forms can automate task intake, blueprint tasks can reduce your workload for repeatable jobs, and generating reports on your project progress can drastically reduce the amount of time your team spends in meetings. 
• Speed up approvals . Built-in proofing tools allow for easy commenting on the document itself, access to comment history, and quick approvals to move the task on at the touch of a button. 
• Integrate with other tools . Choose from 400+ integrations to connect Wrike to the other platforms your team uses – like Slack, Google Drive, Salesforce, and Tableau .

When you’re ready to graduate from basic work tracking methods, there are some serious advantages to choosing Wrike as your new task management platform. 

Pros: 

• Total customization for seamless work across teams 
• 360° visibility on every task you complete 
• Effortless task prioritization
• Desktop apps for Windows and Mac and mobile apps for iOS and Android
• Countless additional features to support every stage of your workflow
• Wrike is more comprehensive than the basic task management tools we mentioned earlier, so it might take more time to set up than a lightweight solution 
• Individuals and smaller teams may only need some of the features on offer 

Additional features

Wrike is a robust and scalable solution for your task management — and it includes countless other collaboration features to centralize and manage entire projects.  

These include:  

• Online proofing and approval tools for creatives, developers, and more
• Cross-tagging to share tasks and manage resources – even across the different teams involved in your project 
• Reporting features to measure the impact of your tasks and inform your strategy 
• Pioneering AI features , including generative AI and intelligent automation suggestions for your workflows 

As you know, there are other work management platforms out there that offer task-tracking features. Here, we compare those to Wrike, so you can make an informed decision.  

Asana is a project management platform with a reputation for attractive visuals and ease of use. Its task management features include dashboards so you can check in on tasks and view your project data. It also includes rule-based automations to save time on repetitive tasks. Asana is priced similarly to Wrike and offers a 30-day free trial. 

• Great to look at and relatively simple to use on the project level
• Custom fields in tasks help to sort and filter a team’s workload
• Customizable, including 200+ app integrations

Cons:  

• The Gantt view gives a simplistic view of the project timeline
• Dashboards are only available at project level, so you won’t be able to create a task management dashboard for individual teams
• Customization is available, but it tends to improve the visuals of the board rather than the structure of your work

We think Wrike is easier to use than Asana, has more features to aid collaboration, and offers more of the visibility that teams need. 

Find out more: Wrike vs. Asana

3. Basecamp

Basecamp was built by a web design agency struggling to find a tool to meet its needs. It’s widely used by smaller businesses for the scheduling, messaging, and monitoring jobs associated with good task management. 

• Shared workspaces and file storage for remote teams, which centralizes task management to an extent
• To-do lists to break complex projects into smaller tasks 
• Flat fee pricing model can offer good value for larger teams 
• All integrations have been developed by third parties, so we can’t vouch for their reliability 
• No inbuilt templates for projects or recurring tasks
• Basecamp can’t cover all the jobs teams complete (for example, there are no features for requests and approvals), so teams may have to juggle tools to take their projects from ideation to approval

In comparison to Basecamp, Wrike can take you to the top. 

Find out more: Wrike vs. Basecamp

ClickUp is a flexible task management tool that helps teams manage their tasks and streamline team collaboration. Like other tools on this list, it includes multiple views, integrations, and file management features ; it can also suit both developers and creative teams. 

• Easy to use and set up 
• Wide functionality with a long list of features 
• Mind map feature differentiates ClickUp from other task management tools on this list

Cons: 

• There can be bugs and issues with stability at scale, and some features can be inconsistent 
• No phone support option from the customer service team 

Wrike is better rated for professional service automation, performance, and reliability than ClickUp. 

Find out more: Wrike vs. ClickUp

Hive classifies itself as a “project management platform for hybrid work.” 

Like Wrike, it combines task management and communication features and includes templates that help reduce a team’s workload. Hive takes a “by users for users” approach to designing the platform, aiming at building a tool that connects all aspects of work. 

• Multiple communication features alongside task management tools
• Over 1,000 integrations via platforms like Zapier
• Like Wrike, includes a built-in time tracking tool to use as part of task and timeline management
• Lacks folders, spaces, and portfolio-level reporting, which is not ideal for managing tasks for larger teams
• Broad permissions, which might run counter to a business’ security concerns 

We’ve compared use cases for Wrike and Hive in detail. 

Find out more: Wrike vs. Hive

Like Trello, Jira is part of Atlassian. It’s popular with development teams and fans of Agile project management who regularly tackle their work in sprints. The platform includes customizable workflows and can track task progress as your project goes on. Its free trial period is only seven days, but the free plan includes up to 10 users. 

• Used by an active community of supporters and developers 
• Set up for bug and issue tracking, which is great for IT and engineering teams
• Customizable workflows and progress tracking
• Can be time consuming to set up
• Rated much lower for reliability and usability than Wrike

Wrike’s work management works for creative teams, marketing, professional services, and developers, too. 

Find out more: Wrike vs. Jira

7. Monday.com

Monday.com is a cloud-based collaboration and task management tool designed for remote teams. Monday includes customizable dashboards and other task management features for projects, but these generally only work on the project level, making it much harder to customize the setup for individual teams. 

• Familiar to teams that use spreadsheets, so the learning curve is manageable
• Includes automations to speed up task completion, like reminders 
• Customer support isn’t that strong – the only phone support available is for billing issues 
• No equivalent of Wrike’s cross-tagging, which makes it harder to track tasks across multiple projects 

Be one of the 2.4 million people who choose Wrike over Monday.com. 

Find out more: Wrike vs. Monday.com

8. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is another task management tool that looks similar to an Excel spreadsheet, but with more room to grow. This was one of the first tools to combine this familiarity with the added functionality of a work management tool. It now boasts a user-friendly visual layout and additional project management features. 

• Automations for your workflows, including templates and blueprints
• Includes team, project, or executive dashboards
• Reporting features create documents, graphs, images, and text boxes, making them easy to interpret 
• Larger accounts with more data and records can face issues with the app’s performance
• Spreadsheet format might not be ideal for larger teams

With Wrike, you can visualize your project as more than lines and cells. 

Find out more: Wrike vs. Smartsheet

9. Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is a project management tool with planning, tracking, and reporting features, as well as communications and reminder tools. It’s part of Zoho One, a software suite of work applications used worldwide. If you already use Zoho’s other tools, Zoho Projects integrates seamlessly. 

• Includes Gantt charts that can be shared with teams or stakeholders (alongside multiple work views)
• Built-in timesheet feature
• Like the other tools on this list, Zoho includes a range of collaboration and communications tools
• Fewer pricing options than Wrike, and Wrike’s comparable plans offer more for the user
• Limited, less customizable reporting features make it more difficult to identify key metrics and resolve risks

Wrike is the best Zoho Projects alternative on the market. 

Find out more: Wrike vs. Zoho Projects

Wrike: Unbeatable task tracking, and so much more

When the creative team at Umpqua Bank needed to enhance visibility, track their deadlines, and consolidate their communications, they turned to Wrike. Jason Resch, the VP of Creative Services, said: 

“When we’re looking at 150 jobs a month, and trying to imagine how we’re going to accomplish getting all those jobs done, and how to organize them all – I can’t imagine how we would do it without a solution like Wrike.”

There’s a wide range of task tracking and project management software on the market right now. Whether you need to get on top of your tasks as a small business owner or bring international teams together, there’s a solution out there for you.  

But of all the options, Wrike offers the best task management software as part of our full-service work management platform. You’ll deliver your best work more easily, more collaboratively, and more efficiently than you could do with another solution, and Wrike will scale up with you as you grow.  

Find out what Wrike can do for your team when you book a demo today . 

Occasionally we write blog posts where multiple people contribute. Since our idea of having a gladiator arena where contributors would fight to the death to win total authorship wasn’t approved by HR, this was the compromise.

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Best Task Management Software of 2024

Table of Contents

• Best Task Management Software
• Things To Consider When Buying
• How We Chose

Task management software can be invaluable for those with busy lives. It allows people to keep better track of everything they need to get done, complete with dates by which to get things done, subtasks that could help along the way, and so on. Task management tools also can make it easier to collaborate with others.

In building this list of the best task management software, our contributor consulted experts and conducted extensive research on task management tools. He also conducted some hands-on testing to make sure he included only the best options.

• Best Overall: AirTable »
• Best Budget: ClickUp »
• Best for Small Businesses: Asana »
• Best for Simple Tasks: Todoist »
• Best for Creative Professionals: Jira Atlassian »
• Best for a Customizable Workflow: Monday.com »
• Best for an End-to-End Workspace: Notion »
• Best for Microsoft Users: Microsoft Project »

Best Overall: AirTable

Easy to use

Highly customizable

Free plan available

Limited features without the paid plan

Can get a little expensive

If you’re looking for a highly customizable and advanced task management tool, then AirTable is worth considering. AirTable is built around “views,” or different ways to view the same data, such as Kanban boards. This allows different users to interact with data and tasks in a way that best serves their needs, without impacting how others view tasks and data. AirTable offers views like a List View, Timeline View, Kanban View, and Calendar View. Despite its advanced functionality, AirTable is generally easy to use. There’s a free plan available, but it limits things like the size of attachments, the number of automations, and access to extensions.

Also on the downside, Airtable's paid plans are a little more expensive than much of the competition, especially when you start adding multiple users to your plan. Still, those who want excellently customizable and easy-to-use task management software will want to consider AirTable.

• Features: Customizable templates, a large selection of views, customizable reports, and more.
• Integration: Asana, Trello, Google Drive, Gmail, Instagram, and many more
• Collaboration: Excellent collaboration tools, with role management, real-time notifications, and mor
• Mobile accessibility: Mobile app with the ability to view all information, some limitations around creating automations and other advanced functions
• Customization: Highly customizable with many different views
• Reporting and analytics: Custom report creation, chart, and graph generation, and more
• Pricing: Free plan, monthly subscription per user for higher-end plans

Best Budget: ClickUp

Inexpensive

Real-time chat feature

Quite customizable

Somewhat of a learning curve

Some integration limitations

ClickUp is solid task management software for people on a budget. It offers a free plan, and its paid plans are generally cheaper than alternatives. Despite the lower price, ClickUp still offers relatively advanced features, including a real-time chat feature that allows teams to chat within the same service they use to manage projects. Further, ClickUp offers good customization tools, with customizable views and reports.

While ClickUp is relatively full-featured for the price, there are some caveats. For example, ClickUp comes with a slight learning curve, so you’ll need to be comfortable spending a little time learning how to use the platform. And while it has some good integrations with third parties, ClickUp doesn’t have quite the same number of integrations as some of the other options. Still, if you’re comfortable with these issues and could stand to save some cash on your task management tool, then ClickUp is worth considering.

• Features: Chat view for easier collaboration, document management features, customizable views
• Integration: Slack, GitHub, Webhooks, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more
• Collaboration: Chat view, real-time task updating, document sharing, and more
• Mobile accessibility: Mobile app with full access to tasks and fields
• Customization: Fully customizable views, template creation for repeatable processes, and more
• Reporting and analytics: Full Analytics Report Template, supports graphs and charts. Pricing: Free plan, monthly subscription for advanced plans

Best for Small Businesses: Asana

Good free plan

Great integration selection

User-friendly interface

A little expensive

Views locked behind paid plans

Asana is excellent task management software for small businesses. Asana offers a great free plan, so small businesses that don’t need advanced features won’t necessarily have to pay for the software. It also supports a range of great integrations, ensuring that you can get the software to work with other software and services you’re already using. And, thanks to its easy-to-navigate interface, you won’t have to spend too much time learning how to use Asana – which is always helpful when you’re running a small business.

Despite the fact that Asana offers a great free plan, the paid tiers are a little expensive compared to the competition. Some views are locked behind paid plans, but the commonly used List, Board, and Calendar views are included in the free tier.

• Features: Customizable interface, a large selection of views, task status reporting, and more.
• Integration: Trello, Microsoft Teams, Okta, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Drive, Looker, Vimeo, and many more.
• Collaboration: File sharing, task delegation, change notifications, and more.
• Mobile accessibility: Mobile app with full access to tasks and views.
• Customization: Custom fields, customizable views, homepage customization, and more.
• Reporting and analytics: Reporting dashboard and dashboard creation, data visualization tools.
• Pricing: Free plan available, paid subscriptions billed per user per month.

Best for Simple Tasks: Todoist

Offline tools

Natural language input

Some important features not available in the free tier

Limited views

Todoist is a simple task management solution with an easy-to-use interface and an excellent mobile app. Todoist is built around enhancing the to-do list experience. It offers advanced natural language input that allows you to type out due dates and tags without having to jump through multiple fields, automatically adding information as you type. Todoist also offers good offline support, syncing data again when you regain access, and it does all of this at a low price – even for the higher-end paid tiers.

Because Todoist is really built around enhancing a classic task list, it’s a little limited in the kinds of additional views and data manipulation tricks that it offers. It’s really meant for those who want to stick with list views and calendar views. Also, some of its more advanced features are unavailable in the free tier, like the ability to set task reminders and durations. Still, many won’t need these features, and the advantages of a simple yet high-end software like this will outweigh the disadvantages.

• Features: Natural language input, priority levels, task delegation, and more.
• Integration: Gmail, Alexa, Google Calendar, IFTTT, more
• Collaboration: Multiple users with task delegation, comments and file uploads, more
• Mobile accessibility: Well-designed mobile app with full access to tasks and collaboration tools
• Customization: Customize how tasks are grouped and sorted, some interface customization tools; limited views
• Reporting and analytics: Task analytics tools, limited reporting overall
• Pricing: Free tier, monthly subscription for advanced tiers

Best for Creative Professionals: Jira Atlassian

Integrations with prominent creative tools

Multiple views for customizable workflow

High level of security

High learning curve

Can get expensive

Jira is a great option for creative professionals who need integration with creative tools and services. Jira supports integrations with services like Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma, among others. Further, it offers multiple views like Kanban boards and others for a more customizable workflow, and it prioritizes security tools to ensure that your company’s data remains safe and secure. There are also excellent reporting tools built in.

Because the software is so advanced, it can come with a slightly high learning curve. Moreover, the free plan isn't as advanced as some of the paid tiers. Still, if you want an advanced task management solution for creative tasks, Jira is the way to go.

• Features: Customizable workflow, time-tracking tools, multiple views, enhanced security
• Integration: Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, Invision, Gliffy, GitHub, Slack, Zendesk, and more
• Collaboration: Task delegation tools, file sharing, people sharing
• Mobile accessibility: Mobile app with full access to tasks, projects, and notifications, slightly limited feature set compared to desktop
• Customization: Project customization tools, theme customizations, and more
• Reporting and analytics: Built-in reports with different chart formats, dashboard widgets
• Pricing: Free plan, monthly cost per user for advanced plans

Best for a Customizable Workflow: Monday.com

Intuitive interface

Extremely customizable

Good selection of integrations

Slightly confusing pricing

Somewhat limited reporting tools

Monday.com stands out for its wide range of customization tools. It boasts an intuitive interface that's also highly customizable, ensuring that you and your team members can get the exact features that you need out of the platform. Customization tools include the ability to set different views and create templates for better work management. It also offers a good selection of integrations, so it will probably work with the other software that you use.

Monday.com's reporting tools are somewhat limited, so if reporting is important to you, you may want to keep looking. In addition, its pricing structure is a little confusing, forcing you to pay for sets of team members instead of individuals. Despite that, the software is highly customizable and boasts a good selection of integrations, so it's still absolutely worth considering for anyone who wants a customizable task management solution.

• Features: File sharing, collaboration tools, automations, and more
• Integration: Gmail, Zapier, Slack, LinkedIn, Outlook, Teams, and more
• Collaboration: Comments, file sharing, update notifications, and more
• Mobile accessibility: Mobile app with the ability to view and keep track of tasks, attach files, use offline, and more
• Customization: Customizable dashboards, customizable views, automations
• Reporting and analytics: Customizable reports and dashboards
• Pricing: Free plan, monthly subscription per user for paid tiers

Best for an End-to-End Workspace: Notion

Tools for task management, creation, and more

Excellent note-taking tools

Can get a little complicated with many projects

Some missing advanced features

Notion isn’t just a great task management platform; it's also highly recommended for its document and creation tools. In particular, Notion boosts great note-taking tools that allow you to spend less time outside of your task management software and more time getting things done.

Notion is generally easy to use, but it may take time to get set up with the platform according to your needs. Plus, as you add more projects, it can start to get a little complicated to manage. And because Notion prioritizes features like note-taking and document creation, it lacks some of the advanced features that other task management platforms have, like some of the views and collaboration tools. Still, if you're looking for an end-to-end workspace that allows you to spend less time bouncing around apps, Notion is an excellent option.

• Features: Document creation tools, to-do list tracking, collaboration tools, and more
• Integration: Figma, Slack, Box, Canva, Dropbox, and more
• Collaboration: File sharing, task assignment, comments and mentions, more
• Mobile accessibility: Mobile app with full access to read and edit tasks and documents
• Customization: Customizable dashboard, custom themes
• Reporting and analytics: Workspace analytics, limited reporting overall
• Pricing: Free tier, monthly subscription cost per user per month for paid tiers

Best For Microsoft Users: Microsoft Project

Good integration with Microsoft tools

Automated scheduling tools

Good budgeting tools

No mobile app

Integrations a little limited

Microsoft users who want to remain in the larger Microsoft ecosystem should subscribe to Microsoft Project. Microsoft Project is a slightly niche service; it really only integrates well with Microsoft services, and all users will need a Microsoft account. However, for the right team that uses Microsoft Teams and relies on Office, it may well be the perfect solution. On top of the great integration with Microsoft tools and services, it also offers helpful budgeting tools, along with scheduling tools that can be automated for a more streamlined workflow.

There are some instances where Microsoft Project wouldn’t be the best option. For example, the service doesn’t have a mobile app, so if you want to access it on mobile, you’re limited to using the web interface. However teams that only use the desktop interface will be perfectly fine with this, and the additional tools like helpful custom fields, custom boards, and good reporting, may make these downsides worth the trade-off.

• Pricing: Starting at $10 per user per month
• Features: Large selection of views, customizable templates, automated scheduling, more
• Integration: Microsoft Office 365 services
• Collaboration: Collaboration tools integrated with Microsoft Teams
• Mobile accessibility: Web access only
• Customization: Custom fields, custom boards, more
• Reporting and analytics: Pre-built reports to track progress

The Bottom Line

Great task management software allows you to customize the platform to your needs while remaining easy to use and relatively full-featured. Because of this, AirTable is the best option for most users, however, some may find that platforms like Notion, Asana, and ClickUp are better for their needs.

Things To Consider When Buying Task Management Software

User-Friendliness: It can sometimes be hard to walk the line between ease of use and advanced features, but it's important that task management tools provide a relatively easy-to-use experience. Task management software should be usable almost right away, allowing you to jump right into managing your tasks without much hassle. Some more advanced task management software may take a little more time to get used to. Take into consideration how familiar you are with task management tools generally how much time you're willing to spend getting used to a new platform before you subscribe to one.

Functionality: What good is a platform that doesn't offer the features that you need? Task management services can offer a range of different functions, but very few offer every single function out there. Make a list of the types of features and functions that you need before you subscribe to a new task management platform. Common features include the ability to view data in different ways like with Kanban boards, reporting and analytics tools, and collaboration features. That said, you may not need all of these. For example, if you're looking for a platform that only you’ll use, then collaboration may not be as important.

“The devil is in the details, and, at an enterprise level, a shallow solution with a one-size-fits-all design doesn’t truly fit anyone,” says Kevin Tapscott, Global Leader, Software Solution Center, Zebra Technologies.

Customization: Customization tools are an incredibly important aspect of any task management platform. Your workflow will likely differ from anyone else's, so make sure you can customize a platform to better serve your workflow, rather than changing your workflow to serve the platform. Many task management platforms allow you to customize how you view data, how you label your data and tasks, the types of reminders you get, and more. These features may take some time to set up when you first log into your task management software. However, in the long run, they’ll save you tons of time in managing the tasks that you need to complete.

“In addition to basic office reminder tasks, service-based one-time and recurring tasks that have other assignments, schedules, and deadlines, as well as past due warnings and condition-based triggers are critical functions that software must have to be beneficial,” says Rick Agajanian, Chief Product Officer at WorkWave.

Integration: Look for a task that can integrate with the other tools that you already use. This will allow you to spend less time bouncing around between different apps. Many task management platforms integrate with other work-related services, like Slack, Google Drive, and more. If you use other services regularly, it's worth checking to make sure that your task management platform integrates with these services before you subscribe, if these types of integrations are important to your workflow.

Collaboration Features: Perhaps you're looking for a task management platform that only you'll use. In that case, collaborative tools won't be important to you or your workflow. But for anyone who plans on using a task management platform with team members, collaboration features are incredibly important. Commonly, task management platforms allow team collaboration, such as the ability to comment on different tasks and make changes to tasks as they're completed. Some services go further with built-in chat features and file-sharing features. If these kinds of features could enhance your workflow, whether you have a small team or a large one, make sure a platform offers them before you subscribe.

How We Chose The Best Task Management Software

Our contributor Christian de Looper consulted several task management platform experts before compiling this list of the best task management software. These included Rick Agajanian, Chief Product Officer at WorkWave, and Kevin Tapscott, Global Leader, Software Solution Center, Zebra Technologies.

For each software considered, Christian considered aspects like user-friendliness, functionality, customization, integrations, and collaboration. He also considered what makes a particular platform unique in this category. Ultimately, While there are many task management tools out there, a few of them seem to be head and shoulders above the rest in terms of functionality – like AirTable, which includes most of the features that you would want from a task management platform. There should be a task management platform for all users’ needs.

Why Should You Trust Us?

Christian de Looper is a consumer tech expert who has spent countless hours reviewing software and devices. Christian knows what makes great software great. In his role as a freelance writer with many different clients that use different platforms, Christian himself has used many of the platforms on this list and has a deep understanding of what makes or breaks task management software, as well as what features are ultimately most important.

If you have to juggle many different tasks at any given time, then you really need some task management software. At the most basic task management software solutions could just be to do apps, like Apple Reminders or Google Tasks. However, other platforms will offer much more advanced features that could help you spend less time managing your tasks, and more time completing them. If you're unsure about whether or not you need task management software, it's worth trying out the free plan of one of the solutions on this list.

Task management software presents your tasks in an easy-to-understand way. Often, you'll be able to view all your tasks on a calendar, columns view, or even a simple to-do list. Task management software can also allow you to more easily collaborate with others. For example, you can have multiple users working on the same task at any given moment, while still remaining up-to-date on any changes to the task at hand. Some task management software offers other tools, like document, editing, and file sharing tools. “Users may be tempted by systems that are overly basic and seem appealing at first glance due to an easy interface, but these systems often end up being too lightweight or do not have the tracking and reporting aspects needed to properly manage work,” Agajanian says.

Task management software can vary widely in cost. Base plans are usually free, Allowing you to use the most basic features of a platform without having to pay at all. Usually, these free tiers are free forever so they aren't a free trial that expires after a few weeks. However, they're also usually limited in the kinds of features that they offer. Paid plans are usually paid on a subscription basis, and these can range up to $30 per user, per month, which can get expensive if you have many team members. Most average plans cost around $10 per user per month.

Usually task management software is web-based, meaning that you don't have to install anything on your computer to start using it. All you have to do is head to the website and you'll be able to start using the software. That said, often these platforms also work with mobile apps, which you will have to install on your mobile device. If you have an Android phone, that will involve going to Google Play and downloading the app. If you have an iPhone, you'll have to head to the App Store to download it. Downloading an app on your phone should be relatively easy, and the process is the same as any other app.

You'll know it's time to start looking for new task management software if you find that your current software doesn't offer the kinds of features that you need. Many task management software solutions are built to grow as you grow, so if you are finding that your software doesn't offer the kinds of features that you need, you may just need to upgrade to a higher-cost plan. That said, if the general workflow of the software you're currently using doesn't fit what you need any more, it may be time to start looking for an entirely new platform.

While task management software is often built around helping teams better work together, there’s plenty of great task management software for individuals too. Many of the task management platforms for teams can be used by individuals just as easily. There are plenty of task management options with base plans for one person, allowing individuals who want to better manage their workflow to do so at a reasonable price. There are even task management options that are specifically built for one person. However, these aren’t as common as those built for team collaboration.

Yes. Many task management software options offer a free plan to allow users to use basic features at no cost. The majority of these lock the most helpful features behind a paywall, however. In many of these cases, once you start using a free plan, you’ll find that you need to upgrade to get access to the tools that are most helpful to your workflow.

There are some task management platforms that are free to use, however their features are a little basic. For example, Apple users can use the Apple Reminders service, which is a simple to-do style app available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Android users could use Google Tasks – Google’s take on a to-do app. If you’re willing to pay for task management software but would prefer not to, it’s a good idea to try the free versions of a task management platform first, then upgrade if you find that you absolutely need to. In most cases, you’ll likely find that you will need to upgrade, but at least you can make sure before you spend any money.

There are a number of different types of task management software. For starters, there’s the to-do style task management software. These platforms are designed around creating to-do lists. While they sometimes offer additional features like the ability to organize tasks in different ways, set recurring tasks, and so on, they’re still largely built around the concept of a to-do list. Other task management software is instead organized around databases or big spreadsheets of tasks that can be organized into boards, lists, calendars, and so on. Most task management software built for helping teams work together is organized into databases rather than to-do lists, even if many of them don’t refer to them as databases.

It depends on the task management software. Most task management software developers tout the security of their platforms, with many platforms arguing that they offer full encryption, for example. Most task management software should be secure, but if you're worried about security – for example if you store sensitive financial information in your task management software – then look at the specific claims around security of the platform that you’re interested in subscribing to. Again, the majority of them offer at least basic encryption, if not more, in terms of data security.

One of the best things about task management software is that it syncs in the cloud to ensure it’s up to date on all of your devices. As such, most task management software is at its best when you have an internet connection, but most platforms also allow you to update tasks and make changes even when offline, then syncing those changes when you reconnect. Keep in mind that if you’re working with others, the changes you make won’t be reflected for others if you’re offline. If you work alone, those changes won’t reflect on other devices until you reconnect to the internet.

U.S. News 360 Reviews takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

• Project Management

Best Task Management Software in 2024: Project Task Tracking Tools for Individuals and Teams

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Completing task lists can be stressful. That’s why it’s good practice to log tasks and organize them to create structure, rather than having them swirling around your mind. To help with that, we’ve created this roundup of the best task management software.

Last Updated: 28 Mar'24 2024-03-28T16:30:40+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

In the modern era, we always have things we need to do, both personally and professionally. As organized as we like to think we are, all of us can benefit from a little help when it comes to getting tasks in order and ensuring we don’t forget them. In the digital world, we can access plenty of support tools, and in this article, we look at the best task management software.

Key Takeaways:

• For its ease of use and list of features, Airtable will appeal to the widest range of users looking for a good task manager tool.
• monday.com is the best project management tool that includes task management.
• The four other choices include Todoist , Any.do , TickTick and Asana is the most advanced tool in this list, and will serve you well for both basic and more advanced use.

Much of what you read in this article is geared toward the basic user, either for personal use or small teams that don’t require a ton of features to be able to keep on top of new and recurring tasks. This article will also be useful for those transferring from paper-based task management to a visual online task management tool, as all options are super easy to use.

If you’re a project manager and came to this article looking for the best Gantt charts, Agile software tools and other advanced tools, you probably won’t find what you’re looking for. The good news is that we have an article that focuses on the best project management software , which will no doubt help you find what you need.

For those who just want to get on top of their to-do lists and find a piece of software to help organize individual tasks, continue reading. You’re exactly where you need to be.

The Top Task Management Apps

What Makes the Best Task Management Software?

We have tested and reviewed each of the online task management tools listed below. Our testing focuses on features, ease of use, security and customer support. While we have reviewed many task management software solutions, the five below are the cream of the crop and scored well on each of our criteria.

• Airtable — Offers the best task management features and will appeal to a range of users
• monday.com — Pound for pound, the best project management software for all users
• Todoist — Priorities simplicity over features, opting to do the basics very well
• Any.do — Goes out of the box and creates cool features that help with managing tasks
• TickTick — Has a beautifully designed app which is a joy to use
• Asana — Perfect for managing basic tasks and complex projects

Airtable is our top choice of the best software for task management. For a basic task management system, it’s certainly not lacking in features, and it’s easy to use. However, if you want task management and project management wrapped in one easy-to-use package, monday.com is the top choice.

Todoist was next, and some may prefer the design of the user interface. Any.do makes the list because of its excellent security and privacy, while TickTick and Asana are appealing because of the well-functioning task management tools each company has created. 

Task Management Tools vs Project Management Software

If you’ve read our article on best project management tools, you may be thinking this is a rerun of something you’ve seen before, but it’s not. While there’s a certain degree of crossover between task management and project management services, there are also many differences. 

Project management tools are best suited for large-scale, complex projects, often for multiple users who work on different pieces of a project. A good task management tool is more streamlined, offering a basic way to organize tasks, track task progress and help reduce the overwhelming that tends to occur when you have multiple pieces of work to complete. 

For a deeper understanding of the differences, check out our task management vs project management article .

The 6 Best Task Management Software

Moving on from that comparison, let’s get into this roundup of the best task management tools, starting with Airtable, our number one choice.

1. Airtable – Best Team Task Management Software

More details about Airtable:

• Pricing : Free; $10 per user per month, billed annually
• Provider website : airtable.com
• Super easy to use
• Free plan is great
• Good range of features
• Pro plan is expensive

Airtable is a super simple tool that still has enough features for us to label it versatile. While it doesn’t have a traditional list view, it has what it refers to as a “grid” view. This view is essentially built to resemble a spreadsheet, and it’s here you’ll likely view and manage tasks.

To help with managing tasks, you can track progress by labeling each task by status, either as “to do,” “in progress” or “done.” If you want to switch up your views, there’s also a basic kanban board. When we say basic, we mean a very bare board that doesn’t have as much substance as a tool such as Asana (which you’ll learn about farther down).

If you prefer a calendar view of your tasks, Airtable has a native calendar that we really like. Each part of the calendar is spaced out perfectly, and viewing it doesn’t give us a headache or overload our brains with information. Some may find the gray design a little dull, which we get, but it’s one of the best task management tools as far as functionality goes.

Set Task Dependencies

With Airtable, project managers can assign tasks and set task dependencies so the team can prioritize and complete them in order of importance. This feature is a great way of “eating the frog,” which is the process of completing the most difficult tasks first in order to move forward with your work as quickly as possible.

For those on a budget, Airtable’s free plan may suffice. You get most of the core task management views, including the grid, kanban and calendar. The only thing missing are views such as Gantt charts, which you can access through the Pro plan. Chances are, those looking for basic task management software will likely not miss having access to Gantt charts.

If you feel like spending your money, there’s no need to go past the Plus plan (which lets you enter more tasks and is good for larger teams). Overall, Airtable does what it needs to do and that’s why it’s a great work task tracker service. You can learn more about it by reading our Airtable review .

• Up to five users. Unlimited bases. 1,000 records, 1GB of storage per base. Revision and snapshot history for two weeks. Views: grid, calendar, form, Kanban board, gallery and list. 100 automations per month.
• Everything in free, plus unlimited users, 50,000 records and 20GB of storage space per base. Adds Gantt charts and timeline views. 25,000 automations per month.
• Everything in Team, plus 125,000 records, 100GB of storage per base, 100,000 automation per month. Admin controls, single sign-on (SSO) and premium integrations with third-party services.
• Everything in Business, plus 500,000 records, 1TB of storage per base, and 500,000 automation monthly.

2. monday.com – Best Project and Task Management Tool

More details about monday.com:

• Provider website : monday.com
• Plenty of features
• Easy to use
• Hundreds of integrations
• Nothing to note

monday.com is an easy-to-use project management tool that targets a range of users. Depending on what plan you subscribe to, you can use it as a fully fledged project management solution, or a space to log and track basic tasks. Keeping in theme with this article, we’ll zone in on monday.com’s free and Basic plans , both of which offer a list view.

After signing up for the service, you’re automatically greeted with the list view when you first enter your account. Here you can input whatever tasks you need to do, and also add details that clearly outline what the task entails.

All the traditional functionality comes with monday.com’s list view. You can assign tasks to other users (the free plan limits you to five users per account,) set due dates and log progress with the “working on it,” “stuck” and “done” labels, all of which are color coded in green, amber and red.

Use the Native Document Creator

If part of your task management involves creating documents, monday.com offers a native document creator which you can use for personal use or to collaborate with others. It’s not as advanced as Google Docs or MS Word, but it should suffice when creating a basic document. 

If you feel you want to bump up your user experience, monday.com has more expensive plans which provide Gantt charts and calendar views, as well as a host of third party software integrations for you to choose from. The software itself is easy to use, which is why monday.com is the best all rounder. To learn more, check out our monday.com review .

• Maximum users: 2
• Minimum users: 3
• Enterprise-level features.

3. Todoist – Simplest Task Manager

More details about Todoist:

• Pricing : Free; $4 per user per month, billed annually
• Provider website : todoist.com
• Excellent list view
• Comprehensive free plan
• Privacy concerns

Todoist epitomizes everything good online task management app needs to be. It’s not fancy and full of frills, nor does it overload you with more features than your mind can handle. Instead, it sticks to the basics and offers strong task management features that help bring some organization to your life.

Unlike Airtable, Todoist’s strength lies in its list view of tasks. The list view is what you would expect it to be: a linear view that lets you schedule tasks by adding due dates and priorities, as well as leave comments. It’s also possible to embed the exact location of where your task needs to be completed, both in the list view and the reminder section.

Todoist offers a basic kanban board view, which, although it won’t make it on our roundup of the best kanban boards, functions well enough to make task management simple and free of complications. Users can customize the board, however it’s only possible on the Pro plan. 

Unlimited Task Archive 

Although only available on the paid plans (which are super affordable), Todoist offers an unlimited task archive. This means that no matter how far in the past you completed a task, if you need a reminder of the work you did, you can simply search for it in the archive and it will be there. Todoist’s free plan does offer an archive; however, it’s limited to only one week.

Although it gets the basics right, Todoist isn’t without its flaws, which mainly pertain to privacy. While Todoist won’t sell customer data, it will share it with a list of vendors that’s far too long for our liking. It also holds your data for six years, unless you remember to opt out.

If that’s no concern for you and you just want the best tool for the job, Todoist is an excellent piece of task management software and we’re certain it will help you bring all your tasks together, so you can complete them. To learn more about the platform, check out our Todoist review .

• 1 main user 5 active projects 5 collaborators (per project) 5MB file uploads
• 1 main user 300 active projects 25 collaborators (per project) 100MB file uploads
• Multiple users, (price is per user) 500 active projects (per member) 50 people (per project)

4. Any.do – Excellent Task Organizer

More details about Any.do:

• Pricing : Free; $2.99 per user per month, billed annually
• Provider website : any.do
• Beautiful design
• Separate tasks
• WhatsApp integration 
• No native calendar

Aside from being an enjoyable name to say (try it and see), Any.do is a beautifully designed task management app that helps with both your personal and professional life. As soon as you enter the web app, you’re greeted by a very clear layout that helps you get going in no time at all.

Simply click “create task” and a new box will appear with very clear details of the type of data you can enter into your tasks.

You can set reminders, create recurring tasks (paid plan only), leave notes and add tags. There’s no native calendar built into the app; however, Google users can integrate their Google Calendar if they wish to have a calendar view of the tasks they need to complete.

One slight niggle is that regardless of whether you’re in your work or personal list, a new task will automatically go into the personal queue by default, unless you manually change it yourself. That’s our only real concern in terms of functionality; aside from that Any.do works exceptionally well.

Send WhatsApp Reminders

For those who use WhatsApp (ahem, everyone), you can integrate Any.do with your account. Once integrated, you can convert your WhatsApp messages into tasks or reminders and they will sync with your Any.do account. 

While Any.do offers a mobile app, this feature is great for those who don’t want lots of apps on their phones but still want to do some task management inside the apps they do have.

Although best used for personal task planning, Any.do does have a plan that targets team use. As with the Premium plan , Any.do allows you to prioritize tasks and assign them to the users you add to your account. It’s still very basic, but if you and your team only require a space to track tasks and complete basic work, there’s likely no need to look for an alternative software.

Because it’s so easy to use, we especially recommend Any.do to the novice user of visual task management software solutions. Advanced users may need more substance, although if you don’t, Any.do will suit your needs as well. To learn more, read our full Any.do review .

• Adds location-based reminders, tags, themes, recurring tasks and integration with WhatsApp.
• Adds team-focused features like kanban boards and a built-in calendar, among other things. Comes with a 14-day free trial. Price is per user.

5. TickTick – Best Task Management Tool for Individuals

More details about TickTick:

• Pricing : Free; $2.33 per user per month, billed annually
• Provider website : ticktick.com
• Efficient task management
• Voice recognition
• Constant pings to upgrade

Because of its range of features and straightforward design, TickTick is a popular task manager app among project managers. In addition to the traditional way of organizing tasks and to-do lists, TickTick also allows you to sort tasks into folders, providing you with a cleaner overview of all your projects and tasks.

To add more depth to your tasks, you can also log how much time you expect a particular task will take to complete. That’s slightly different from setting start and due dates, as this allows you to program the length of the task in minutes and hours. For example, you may say it takes two hours to write an article.

TickTick also ranks highly with regard to security and privacy. It doesn’t sell your data, and if you decide to delete your account, all your data will be deleted from its systems within 90 days. 

On a security front, TickTick promises to let you know if there’s been a data breach within 72 hours. There hasn’t been a breach to date, which is evidence that the platform is doing everything right in terms of keeping your data safe.

Use Voice Recognition

TickTick is one of the few task management tools that allows you to add tasks through speech to text. This takes away the sometimes cumbersome task of typing out multiple tasks, either on your computer or mobile device. When testing the performance of TickTick’s voice input feature, we found it to be very accurate, even with the not-quite-dulcet tones of a Northern English accent.

While TickTick’s free plan helps you log and prioritize tasks, the Premium plan takes things to the next level. You can create almost 300 more lists, add more members and attach more files to your tasks. There are also some reporting features that let you track the progress of your personal and assigned tasks.

In the world of task management apps, TickTick is right up there with the best of them. It could offer more detailed customer support, but for quality task management software like this, it’s unlikely you’ll ever be at a loss as to what to do with it. To find out if this is the task manager for you, check our TickTick review .

• List, Basic filters, Kanban, Caps on use
• Calendar, Extra filters, Track progress, Caps raised

6. Asana -Best Free Task Management Tools

More details about Asana:

• Pricing : Free; $10.99 per user per month, billed annually
• Provider website : asana.com
• Great kanban board
• Clean list view
• Advanced features

Like monday.com, Asana isn’t solely a piece of task management software. Asana comes with more advanced features like Gantt charts, time tracking tools and the ability to seamlessly manage multiple projects at once. It’s one of the best project management tools for multiple projects .  

The list view allows you to segregate tasks into different sections, allowing you to see start and due dates, as well as task priorities. Those on the paid subscription can create customer tabs, giving you ultimate control over how you manage and create tasks.

As far as this roundup goes, Asana has the best kanban board you can use. It’s great for assigning tasks, tracking task progress and navigating through multiple projects with ease. It’s not the head honcho of kanban boards — that title belongs to Trello.

Integrate Third-Party Apps

Asana has a long list of third-party app integrations. Being a popular online task management software service, it has been able to partner with the likes of Slack, Venmo and Microsoft, plus several more. Users can also integrate with Google apps, making Asana a great collaborative task management tool.

Compared to other task management software tools, such as Todoist, Asana is expensive. That’s mainly because it’s offering a lot more than the competition. The good news is that it’s one of the best free task management software solutions , and for those who don’t need the extra features, it will surely suffice. Check out our full Asana review to learn more.

• Up to 10 users
• Price is per user. unlimited users, expanded features
• Price is per user. unlimited users, even more features
• Custom pricing, advanced security features

Final Thoughts

Now that you know the best tools to manage tasks, all you need to do is select the right task management platform for your needs. Airtable remains the best task management tool, which should appeal to a range of project managers and solo professionals. Its user-friendly interface and generous free plan are why it’s our best task management tool.

The other options are not far behind, and all of them do what we would expect from a quality task management software provider. For more advanced task management, such as handling complex tasks and implementing strong team collaboration, monday.com is the stand-alone choice. If that’s not what you need, any of the other four services will serve you well.

Which is your favorite option in this roundup? Is there another task management solution you would like us to test and review? What’s the biggest hurdle you face when trying to manage projects and tasks? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading.

FAQ: Task Management Tools

A task management tool is a simple piece of software that allows you to log, visualize and prioritize your short-term and long-term tasks. Most tools provide a basic list view of all your tasks, making them easy to digest, manage and complete.

We’ve reviewed many and our top five are: monday.com , Asana , nTask , Wrike and Jira .

Atracker is an excellent time tracking app that allows you to monitor any type of activity you do, and pings when you’re taking too long to complete a task. Read our best time management tools guide to find more options.

I use kanbantool to manage my tasks. Have you tried it, I think the tool is amazing!

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10 best task management software in 2024

Jessica Elliott

Alana Rudder

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 5:15 a.m. UTC April 1, 2024

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Assigning and tracking job duties is challenging, regardless of company size. The best task management software increases accountability while keeping teams focused. It automates reminders, supports in-app communication and displays priority levels.

We evaluated 20 task management vendors across 29 data points, including ease of use, task tracking features and automations. After over a dozen hours consulting with customer and sales agents and a comprehensive review of business user feedback, we narrowed our list to the 10 best task management tools.

Featured project management software offers

Via Monday.com’s site

Monthly fee

$10 per user, with a minimum of three users

Free version

Yes, for two users

24/7 customer support

Yes, with paid plans

Via Hubspot’s website

Free version available

Via Clickup’s website

$10 per user

Yes, for unlimited members

Best task management software

• ClickUp : Best free task management software.
• Monday.com : Best for remote team task management.
• Airtable : Most customizable task-tracking tool.
• Notion : Best for content creators.
• Teamwork : Best for client task management.
• Asana : Best for SMBs managing complex tasks.
• Smartsheet : Best for reporting to senior leaders.
• Confluence : Best for light task management.
• Jira : Best for large software development teams.
• Trello : Best for branding and marketing startups.

Why trust our small business experts

Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of business products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.

• 62 companies reviewed.
• 164 products reviewed.
• 2,028 data points analyzed.

Best free task management software

What you should know

ClickUp is an all-in-one solution for organizing your tasks, teams and projects. We chose ClickUp as the best task management software because it allows unlimited users and tasks and automates recurring assignments. The home screen is an impressive feature, as it centralizes all assigned comments and allows you to add new tasks with the drag-and-drop tool.

Although ClickUp doesn’t restrict the usage of checklists or dependencies, once users use a certain number of goals or milestones, this feature is blocked until the plan is upgraded. Unlike Trello, you can’t connect ClickUp’s free version to Google Drive or Dropbox. It’s also a bit more challenging for beginners than a straightforward platform.

Pros and cons

• Unlimited tasks and members on the free version.
• Provides task checklists and dependencies.
• Home feature shows your daily agenda and tasks.
• The free plan is only good for sole proprietorships.
• Usage limits don’t reset.
• More complex to configure than Trello.

Best for remote team task management

Business managers leverage Monday.com’s intuitive work management platform to assign tasks and oversee progress. It supports diverse workforces with highly rated mobile apps, pre-made templates and drag-and-drop functionality. It is easy to customize the task manager board to display due dates and handle multiple departments. Consequently, we chose Monday.com as the best task management software for managing remote teams due to its automations, integrations and updates section that keeps employees informed.

While finding a downside to Monday.com is challenging, the free and Basic versions are disappointing. Both lack integrations and calendar views, which Trello provides. Companies with more complex tasks may prefer Asana because it supports dependencies on the less expensive Premium plan ($13.49 monthly versus Monday.com’s $20).

• Daily task manager dashboards and views.
• Drag-and-drop tools are user-friendly.
• Updates section shows recent comments or changes.
• Limited views on the Basic plan.
• The free version isn’t for teams.
• Only Pro and Enterprise users can set dependencies.

Most customizable task-tracking tool

Airtable is a unique cloud-based platform companies use to build custom no-code apps. Unlike other task-tracking tools, you can start from scratch or choose a base published by Airtable users. As our top pick as the most customizable task management software, Airtable stands out for its automation capabilities, sub-task options and multiple views (up to 1,000 per table).

While the free version allows unlimited bases, only five people can edit it. Paid subscriptions are pricier than competitors, making Airtable less budget-friendly than other solutions. It also offers fewer customer support options and may take a bit longer to set up compared to Asana or Monday.com.

• Many base templates created by Airbase users.
• Highly customizable for various workflows.
• Can track sub-tasks and automate notifications.
• More expensive than other task management apps.
• No phone support available.
• Not an out-of-box task-tracking tool.

Best for content creators

Notion is a block-based project and task management app. Users add a to-do list to every page or insert one list block per project. We selected Notion as the best task management software for content creators because it has over 50 content blocks, supports guest collaborators (like freelancers or clients) and allows custom dashboards. Creators can sort design tasks by category or client and customize fields by due date or team member.

However, Notion’s free version is more limited than ClickUp’s complimentary plan. It’s best for a single content creator. While Notion offers several task management templates, it requires a bit more configuration than Trello. Notion has various templates for tracking hours but lacks the built-in billable hours feature, making Teamwork perfect for virtual assistants.

• Customizable task management dashboards.
• Built-in text editor.
• 10 to 250 guest collaborators.
• No built-in or automated client billing tools.
• The free task management app is only for sole proprietorships.
• Slight learning curve for new users.

Best for client task management

Teamwork’s task-tracking tools help virtual assistants and agencies handle workloads for one or more customers. We named Teamwork the best task management software for client task management because it allows users to establish task lists, get immediate progress updates and view dependencies. Aside from all the basics, like setting due dates and assigning work, Teamwork lets businesses track billable hours, improve time estimates and chat with co-workers or contractors.

However, Teamwork doesn’t provide much storage space compared to competitors. The 50 GB and 100 GB limits on Starter and Deliver plans pale in comparison to Notion and Asana ’s unlimited offerings. Moreover, we wish Teamwork included additional reports and the tasklist budgets feature on lower-priced packages.

• Plans include billable time tracking.
• Integrated team chat.
• Unlimited tasklist templates.
• Limited reports on most subscriptions.
• Tasklist budgets only available on top-tier plans.
• Less cloud storage than Notion or Asana.

Best for SMBs managing complex tasks

Asana’s collaborative work management system enables small and medium-sized business (SMB) leaders to break down high-level tasks into manageable parts for individuals and departments. The my tasks view lets employees visualize assignments, priorities and changes in real time. The automation features make Asana the best task management software for SMBs managing complex tasks. Teams can create tasks from a meeting, email or Slack message, share status updates to third-party tools or change task dates in team calendars.

Although leaders can assign many collaborators to a task, only one person is the “assignee” and can view the task under “My tasks.” This could pose an issue for projects with two or more responsible parties. Asana locks time-tracking tools behind the more expensive Business tier, whereas Teamwork includes built-in features on the free version. However, you can integrate third-party apps with Asana with all subscriptions.

• Paid plans show task dependencies.
• Automates actions across third-party tools.
• Unlimited file storage.
• More expensive than Teamwork for time tracking tools.
• Only one assignee per task.
• 24/7 support limited to Enterprise users.

Best for reporting to senior leaders

Smartsheet takes the familiar spreadsheet for tracking tasks to a new level. Users can create custom dashboards and reports to find at-risk, due or not yet assigned tasks. Or quickly generate reports to see all tasks assigned to specific employees. It supports sharing permissions so companies can send task lists to internal and external stakeholders. Smartsheet is the best task management software for reporting to senior leaders because it provides real-time metrics and high-level data for keeping executives informed.

While senior leaders may appreciate the progress summaries, everyday users may be less enthused. Smartsheets can be trickier to navigate than Asana or Monday.com. The Pro plan maxes out at 10 users, and Business costs $32 per user monthly. Companies that require skills-based resource management or digital asset tools could pay even higher prices.

• Automated recurring reminders and alerts.
• Task scheduling and task list sharing.
• Real-time metrics and reporting options.
• Steeper learning curve for new users.
• Some functions or features may require add-ons.
• Pro plan is limited to 10 users.

Best for light task management

Confluence, an Atlassian product, is a team collaboration workspace that integrates with Jira. Companies use Confluence to develop knowledge bases for high-stakes projects. Users can add tasks to a requirements or meetings notes page. Putting action items anywhere is possible, making Confluence the best task management software for flexible light task management. We like tagging tasks with due dates and seeing a task list in our profile.

Yet, Confluence lacks the deeper task management features of other solutions like ClickUp and Monday.com . It doesn’t monitor milestones or offer billable time tracking. Also, companies that don’t use Confluence or Jira for current projects will find the software less helpful in tracking tasks.

• Coordinates with Jira.
• Tasks report blueprint shows team or project-specific tasks.
• Multiple ways to view tasks.
• Not for managing task scope and milestones.
• Lacks billable time tracking.
• Not a standalone time-tracking solution.

Best for large software development teams

Jira, an Atlassian product, is an agile project and task management system designed to mirror your company’s workflows, whatever those may be. This customizable solution gives powerful insights into task histories, status and workflows. Jira is our top pick as the best task management software for large development teams, thanks to its expansive integrations and drag-and-drop automations. We appreciate the interactive timelines and ability to create custom fields.

Companies that require advanced planning tools, like mapping dependencies or managing team capacity, must select the Premium or Enterprise plans. These subscriptions also provide unlimited file storage, whereas the other plans are limited (2 GB to 250 GB). While Jira helps large software development teams manage tasks, it can be overkill for smaller creative teams or service-based agencies.

• Supports multiple assignees and custom fields.
• Drag-and-drop automation.
• Integrates with thousands of third-party apps.
• Advanced planning tools only available for Premium and Enterprise users.
• Limited file storage on the Free and Standard plan.
• More complex interface than Monday.com.

Best for branding and marketing startups

Trello is a visual task management tool from Atlassian. Unlike Jira or Confluence, Trello is widely known for its user-friendly interface. Add a task and due date to a card, assign it to a team member and drag it to a column. Break large tasks into bite-size chunks by adding a checklist to a card and alert co-workers when the assignment is ready. Trello is the best task management software for brand and marketing startups because it’s free (or inexpensive) and simple to use.

However, as your agency grows, managing large projects is challenging on Trello. It doesn’t show dependencies and falls behind competitors in reporting options. You’ll need to upgrade for timeline and dashboard views.

• Many task management templates.
• Unlimited power-ups and file storage.
• Easy to add task checklists to individual cards.
• Lacks robust reporting tools.
• Not for managing complex tasks or projects.
• Limited views on Standard and free plans.

Best task management software comparison

Methodology

We extensively research the key competitors within an industry to determine the best products and services for your business. Our experts identify the factors that matter most to business owners, including pricing, features and customer support, to ensure that our recommendations offer well-rounded products that will meet the needs of various small businesses.

We collect extensive data to narrow our best list to reputable, easy-to-use products with stand-out features at a reasonable price point. And we look at user reviews to ensure that business owners like you are satisfied with our top picks’ services. We use the same rubric to assess companies within a particular space so you can confidently follow our blueprint to the best task management software.

The best task management software has positive user reviews on customer review sites and app stores. Task management software companies should provide customers with fast and reliable support. Using a combination of phone support, live chat and knowledge bases, customers should be able to quickly resolve issues 24/7.

Task management software should have role assignment features, timelines and dependencies. It should also allow businesses to use customizable templates, track expenses and track milestones.

And the best task management software should offer client access, billing and invoice capabilities and budgeting features.

What is task management software and how does it work?

Task management software helps individuals and companies track job or project-related assignments from a central location. Most task-tracking apps or to-do list tools let users create sub-tasks, establish due dates and monitor task progress. 

These cloud-based tools typically offer mobile apps, allowing users to view tasks from iOS and Android phones, and any changes made on the mobile app update automatically when viewed on the desktop version. 

Task management apps have different formats and functionality for creating to-do lists and managing tasks, but many systems work like this:

• A team leader or individual makes a standalone task or turns a comment, meeting action item or Slack message into a task.
• They assign themselves or one or more co-workers the task.
• Depending on the software, the user may add a due date, priority level, description and other details in custom fields. 
• The assignees may receive an alert and new tasks or status updates appear on their main profile or dashboard.
• Leaders can run reports, automate status notifications or view progress on dashboards.
• Task management tools may have in-app messaging or chat features, support file attachments or let users complete the project within the software.

How to choose the best task management software for your business

Workflows and task assignments vary by company, and the best task management software should fit your process and require minimal process changes by your team. Follow these steps to identify the right system for your organization.

1. Determine your budget and goals

Task management and to-do list apps charge a per-user fee. Many offer free versions, which could work for freelancers, solopreneurs, small teams or startups. However, free task-tracking tools often have usage limits or lack automation and other advanced features. 

If your funds are tight, consider starting with free task management apps or free project management software to stretch your budget and see which team members benefit the most from the software.

Companies choose online task managers to improve accountability and reduce missed deadlines. Yet, a virtual assistant needs a tool that tracks billable client hours, whereas a manager might want a powerful real-time dashboard for managing a remote workforce. Likewise, a software development company’s goals differ from those of a branding and marketing startup.

2. Consult with your team for a feature wishlist

Involve team leaders and employees in the early stages. Features desired by an office or remote worker may differ from those required by leaders or business owners. Therefore, it’s crucial to hear from people in various roles. 

Consider the following task management features:

• Task and sub-task creation, scheduling and assignment.
• Ability to assign tasks to multiple people.
• Recurring tasks.
• Different task views (calendar, list, dashboard or Gantt).
• Priority levels.
• Collaboration tools, like in-app messaging or chat.
• Time tracking, billable hours or timesheets.
• Progress updates, reports and status monitoring.
• Automation capabilities.

3. Identify top-rated task management apps

Read guides rating the top task and project management systems to understand your options. Then, check out mobile apps and user reviews to see how business users rate their experience. 

Look for details about ease of use and customer support wait times. Head to each vendor’s pricing page to see if your must-have features are within your budget. Lastly, use your criteria and insights to narrow your list to a handful of task management tools.

4. Test software and request feedback 

The best apps for task management provide free trials or versions, allowing businesses to test them before committing. Encourage your team and leaders in different positions to assign tasks and run reports.

Ask these questions:

• Could you assign, track and manage tasks on the mobile apps?
• How would you rate the setup and learning process?
• Did features work as expected?
• Were task priorities clear?
• How easy was it to switch between views or task lists?
• Did the format or visual structure make sense to you?
• What customizations do you think are essential? 

How much does task management software cost?

* Monday.com requires a three-user minimum. ** Teamwork has a three-user minimum for Starter and Deliver and a five-user minimum for Grow.  ***Smartsheet Business requires a minimum of three users. ****Trello Enterprise is billed annually.

Task management software ranges from $6 to $24 per user monthly for base plans. Most vendors provide discounts for annual prepayment, reducing the cost of entry-tier subscriptions by $1 to $4 monthly. At the high end, prices range from $11.55 to $54.00 per user monthly, and annual prepayment decreases monthly costs by $2.50 to $9.00. Several services have enterprise packages with custom pricing available.

Eight out of 10 task management apps have a free trial. Teamwork, Asana and Smartsheet give companies 30 days to test paid versions, which is a fantastic deal. However, all vendors offer a free version of their task management tools. Yet, only two users can access Monday.com’s free plan, whereas Trello says you can invite your whole team.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Organize your to-do list and manage tasks by choosing a free task management app. You can download it on your cell phone and computer to track personal and professional tasks. Free task management tools include Trello, Asana and ClickUp .

Successful task management is a critical first step to understanding your team’s workload and resources. 

The best task software for task management helps your company:

• Increase productivity: By automating manual tasks, reducing app switching and centralizing task lists, employees can accomplish more work instead of completing administrative jobs or other data entry tasks.
• Track costs: Many task management apps offer time tracking tools or integrations, which can help leaders understand how employees use their time or how much effort goes into a project.
• Improve focus: Team managers can set priority levels, due dates and goals to keep staff moving forward. Task management apps eliminate background noise and put main tasks front and center.
• Boost engagement: With in-app chat, comment features and real-time updates, employees can interact with each other and use the task management tool to stay engaged with their work and workplace.
• Ensure accountability: Online task managers increase visibility into who’s doing what and when. It helps individuals take responsibility for their role. They can provide an update as long as they have an internet connection.

The best-rated task management solutions take a multi-layered approach to data security. Many maintain ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification, which verifies that its security system adheres to certain guidelines. Vendors may also be certified by PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program). 

They use or maintain data centers under strict operating conditions with the same compliance standards and certifications. Vulnerability detection and bug bounty programs also actively look for potential security issues.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Jessica Elliott is a business writer specializing in technology, marketing, and operations. She dissects complex topics and empowers leaders to make informed decisions. Her work appears in Business News Daily, U.S News & World Report's 360 Reviews, and Investopedia.

Alana is the deputy editor for USA Today Blueprint's small business team. She has served as a technology and marketing SME for countless businesses, from startups to leading tech firms — including Adobe and Workfusion. She has zealously shared her expertise with small businesses — including via Forbes Advisor and Fit Small Business — to help them compete for market share. She covers technologies pertaining to payroll and payment processing, online security, customer relationship management, accounting, human resources, marketing, project management, resource planning, customer data management and how small businesses can use process automation, AI and ML to more easily meet their goals. Alana has an MBA from Excelsior University.

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8 Best Task Management Software & Tools for 2024

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• Best for remote teams: Asana
• Best for beginners: Trello
• Best for scalability: monday work management
• Best for Agile users: MeisterTask
• Best for simple task management: Todoist
• Best for Apple users: Things 3
• Best for mobile use: Any.do
• Best for growing businesses: ClickUp

Task or project management software is more than just a to-do list. You can use it to set deadlines, track progress, delegate subtasks and much more. However, with so many task management software options on the market, it can be challenging to pick the right one for your business.

In this guide, you will find a compiled list of top task management software for 2024. We have also shared our methodology, highlighting the parameters we used for compiling this list. Throughout this buyer’s guide, you will learn about key features to look for in task management software, so you can pick a tool that is the right fit for your business.

Best task management software comparison table

Here is how the top task management software solutions compare in terms of core features.

Asana: Best for remote teams

Asana is a complete task management solution that offers a variety of features, including ready-made project templates, reporting dashboards ( Figure A ) and automation. Some of the top features in Asana focus on security and privacy to help businesses keep their data safe. The scalability offered by Asana makes it ideal for companies of all sizes, including enterprises. It can also be used as a project portfolio management tool.

• Basic: Free for up to 15 team members.
• Premium: $10.99 per user per month, billed annually, or $13.49 per user billed monthly.
• Business: $24.99 per user per month, billed annually, or $30.49 per user billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote.

Standout features

• Organized user interface: Beginners will find it easy to start using Asana’s simple dashboard, while more experienced users will appreciate quick access to advanced features and customization tools.
• Multiple views: Asana offers a wide range of project views, including tasks, calendars and lists.

Top integrations

• Google Drive.
• Microsoft Teams.
• Salesforce.
• Powerful integrations.
• Support for Agile and Scrum .
• Excellent team collaboration tools.
• Limited mobile app functionality.
• Time tracking features need improvement.
• Does not support the assignment of individual tasks to multiple users.

Why we chose Asana

Asana offers multiple features to support remote team collaboration, including a chat messaging function. The free plan also supports unlimited tasks and projects for up to 15 users, making it a great option for small teams on a budget.

For more information, read the full Asana review .

Trello: Best for beginners

Trello is a web-based task management and collaboration software solution. The tool’s layout features cards, boards ( Figure B ) and lists, which can be customized according to user preferences. Its responsive web design is optimized for tablets, smartphones and desktops. In addition, users can configure notification settings according to their needs.

• Free: free forever for up to 10 boards and unlimited users.
• Standard: $5 per user per month, billed annually, or $6 per user billed monthly.
• Premium: $10 per user per month, billed annually, or $12.50 per user billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Between $7.38 and $17.50 per user per month, depending on user count.
• Kanban boards: Trello makes it easy to manage tasks through its kanban boards, with cards and lists providing a visual interface that is easy to use for beginners.
• Templates: Users can make their lives easier and save time using built-in templates for task management.
• Butler automation: Trello’s Butler feature offers several automation capabilities; for example, users can create commands and rules to minimize repetitive or redundant work.
• Gantt for Trello.
• Advanced features are available in the free version.
• Real-time updates.
• Client-access tools.
• Limited size for attachments.
• Not suited for larger or more complex projects.
• No native time tracking.

Why we chose Trello

Trello’s highly intuitive Kanban boards are easy for beginners to master and present a visually appealing alternative to standard to-do lists. The Butler automation features help to cut down on repetitive manual work so you can focus on actually completing your tasks.

For more information, read the full Trello review .

monday work management: Best for scalability

monday.com is one of the most popular task management software options on the market. With five pricing plans and feature sets, monday.com is highly flexible. It also offers plenty of automated workflow tools. monday’s visualization tools include maps, kanban boards , calendars and timelines ( Figure C ). However, some of these views are only available in paid plans.

• Free: free forever for up to 2 people and 3 boards.
• Basic: $9 per seat per month, billed annually, or $12 per seat billed monthly.
• Standard: $12 per seat per month, billed annually, or $14 per seat billed monthly.
• Pro: $19 per seat per month, billed annually, or $24 per seat billed monthly.
• Project automation: monday.com’s code-free automation tools allow users to save time on manually updating workflows, status updates and due date alerts so they can focus on tasks that require more personal attention.
• Built-in time tracking tools: monday.com offers built-in time tracking tools for both desktop and mobile versions, which several competitors are missing.
• Project data visualization: You can view project data in different formats, including boards, lists and charts.
• Unlimited documents for all plans.
• Outstanding tracking features for tasks.
• Highly customizable.
• Time tracking is only available in high-tier plans.

Why we chose monday

Monday work management offers five pricing plans to choose from, making it a highly scalable option for companies that are looking for a task management platform that can grow with their business over time.

For more information, read the full monday.com Work OS review.

MeisterTask: Best for Agile users

MeisterTask is a popular open-source project management solution with an easy-to-use interface that works well with Agile project management methodologies ( Figure D ). It’s ideally suited for users looking to organize, plan and execute simple tasks. The flexibility offered by MeisterTask makes it suitable for different use cases — from small personal tasks to large and complex projects.

• Basic: Free for single users.
• Pro: $12 per seat per month billed annually, or $14.50 per seat billed monthly.
• Business: $24 per seat per month billed annually, or $29 per seat billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Contact MeisterTask for custom pricing.
• Customizable dashboards: Users can choose to customize dashboards according to their needs. Users can also customize time tracking information, create a personal checklist and configure notifications.
• Multiple checklists: You can create multiple checklists for each part of the task. This makes it easier to manage larger and more complex tasks.
• Task tags: Organize tasks by tagging them based on client, priority or category.
• MindMeister.
• Impressive free plan.
• User-friendly interface.
• Low learning curve for beginners.
• Limited reporting tools.
• Fewer integrations than some competitors.

Why we chose MeisterTask

MeisterTasks’s simple, colorful interface makes task management easy, even for beginners who have never used project management software before. It’s not as robust as other advanced project management software, but if you’re only looking for task management, then it’s a great choice.

Todoist: Best for simple task management

If you are looking for simple task management and productivity software, you should consider using Todoist. It is designed with a clean and intuitive interface ( Figure E ), making it easier for users to create tasks, assign them to users, set up priorities and use tracking tools to check progress. Todoist also offers a feature to invite non-users, such as clients, to collaborate on tasks.

• Free: free forever for individual users only.
• Pro: $4 per month, billed annually, or $5 billed monthly.
• Business: $6 per user per month, billed annually, or $8 per user billed monthly. This is the only plan that is designed for more than one user.
• Priority levels: Todoist allows users to set up priority levels for different tasks, and it highlights the day’s highest priority tasks.
• Personalized views: Users can personalize their views with labels, filters and themes and connect with emails and calendars to centralize their work in one place.
• Role assignments: You can assign tasks or subtasks to specific team members so everyone is aligned with their roles and responsibilities for the project.
• Automatic syncing.
• User-friendly.
• Non-users can view and collaborate on tasks.
• Limited views.
• User roles are only available in the paid plans.
• Missing advanced features, such as reporting and analytics.

Why we chose Todoist

If you find other task management options overwhelming for your simple needs, then you will probably love Todoist’s simple digital to-do list. The free plan is suitable for individual use and the paid plans are quite affordable for families and small teams.

For more information, read the full Todoist review .

Things 3: Best for Apple users

Things 3 is popular with Apple users looking for a task management app with an uncluttered design and simple pricing. Along with its visually stunning interface ( Figure F ), you get plenty of functionality, including collaboration tools and location-based reminders. However, there are a few drawbacks to Things 3: there is no free version, and availability is limited to Apple products.

No free version is available. This is how the product is priced, depending on which device you are using:

• Things for Mac: One-time purchase of $49.99.
• Things for iPhone: One-time purchase of $9.99.
• Things for iPad: One-time purchase of $19.99.
• Widgets and shortcuts: You can personalize the experience by creating home screen widgets and shortcuts. There is also an option to connect your calendar with your teammates’ schedules.
• Reminders: You can set reminders for tasks based on time, location and other parameters.
• Headers and tags: Users can categorize tasks into different headers; additionally, they can add tags to keep their lists organized and add some context to tasks.
• Apple Reminders.
• Apple Calendar.
• One-time purchase.
• Uncluttered user interface.
• No free version.
• Only available for Apple products and users.
• No web app.

Why why chose Things 3

If you’re tired of trying to manage your to-do list in the Notes app, then Things 3 is a great task management alternative for Mac users. Simply purchase the app a single time in your desired format, then use it in perpetuity to stay on top of your personal to-do list.

Any.do: Best for mobile use

Any.do is a list-based task management app. The app is available on the web and has a desktop app, but the best experience is offered on mobile. Using Any.do, you can review your daily tasks and even delegate tasks to other users. Any.do is ideal for users who want a simple task management tool with a clean and organized user interface ( Figure G ).

• Free: $0 per user.
• Premium: $5 per user per month billed annually.
• Family: $8 per month billed annually, for up to 4 members.
• Teams: $8 per user per month billed annually.
• Location-based reminders: When you get close to the location of where you need to complete a task, Any.do will send you a reminder. Not surprisingly, this tool is available on the mobile app.
• Any.do Moment: This is the signature feature of Any.do. Using this tool, you can accept tasks assigned to you, postpone them to a later date or delegate them to teammates.
• Focus mode: When you enter Focus Mode, you can set the amount of time you want to focus on completing a task. The timer is visible on the screen; you can even turn on in-app white noise while you are in Focus mode.
• Apple reminders.
• Outstanding mobile app.
• Sleek and fast interface.
• Decently priced upgrades.
• Restrictive free version.
• Not suited for complex tasks or projects.

Why we chose Any.do

Any.do’s mobile app makes it a breeze to manage tasks while on the go, so you don’t have to be tied to your computer at all times. Its pricing plans are also highly affordable for small teams, while the free plan will suffice for personal use.

ClickUp: Best for growing businesses

ClickUp is a cloud-based task management solution suitable for businesses of all sizes. It offers task automation, custom field data and task assignment features and multiple project views ( Figure H ). Using ClickUp, users can customize tasks based on priority. The activity stream updates the status of tasks in real time. Users can also set up notifications for specific tasks.

• Free Forever: free forever for unlimited users and unlimited tasks.
• Unlimited: $7 per person per month, billed annually, or $10 per person billed monthly.
• Business: $12 per user per month, billed annually, or $19 per user billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Contact sales for custom pricing.
• Task customization: ClickUp allows users to customize tasks by creating custom fields or editing priority settings. Customization tools help users to create task descriptions, add comments, format text and more.
• ClickApps template library: ClickApps offers a variety of ready-to-use templates created by the ClickUp community. Users can even create and duplicate frequently used templates, applying them to tasks and subtasks.
• Time management: Users can set start and due times, schedule events, manage resource allocation, sync calendars and complete other useful time management tasks.
• Unlimited users on all plans.
• Team chatting tools.
• Suitable for solo users and teams.
• The interface feels clunky.
• Limited automations per month.

Why we chose ClickUp

ClickUp’s free plan supports unlimited users and tasks, a rare combination. If you need more advanced features, the paid plans are also affordable, making this task management software a great choice for growing businesses on a budget.

For more information, read the full ClickUp review .

Key features of task management software

Automation features in task management software allow users to save time and energy on repetitive, time-consuming or redundant tasks. Another benefit of automating tasks is that errors are reduced. While most task management software offers automation, some automations are more customizable than others.

Collaboration

One of the major advantages of using task management software is that it provides some structure for team collaboration. Users can receive information and share updates with their coworkers and managers through comments, real-time chat and other tools.

Time tracking

Built-in time tracking tools allow users to stay on top of task schedules, track billable and non-billable hours and forecast any hurdles to task completion.

With top task management software, you can choose from a variety of views — such as lists, cards and kanban boards — to choose the one that best suits each project. Different views provide effective and simple layouts for each stage of the task.

Benefits of working with task management software

Task management software is becoming increasingly popular, as it helps teams and individuals stay organized and on schedule to complete their tasks. Here are some of the top benefits of using task management software:

• More mental bandwidth: With task management software, users can focus on other aspects of their work. Automatic notifications and reminders ensure users don’t have to stress about missed deadlines.
• Time savings: Forgotten tasks and unclear expectations can often lead to extra work, eating away at your valuable time. With task management software, you keep your to-do list organized so you can stay on top of your schedule to get work done.
• Improved processes: Certain task management software features, such as milestones and Gantt charts, help users monitor progress to determine if they are on track to finish their tasks or whether they need to adjust their working plans.
• Better visibility: Teams benefit from using task management software by gaining better visibility and trust. Users can track the progress of tasks assigned to other teammates and their participation toward team goals.

How do I choose the best task management software for my business?

Whether you are a large enterprise or a solo user, you could benefit from task management software, as it provides the structure to organize, assign and track tasks. When choosing the right task management tool, you need to consider what problem you are looking to solve and how the software helps you solve that problem.

Some of the most important things to consider include the quality of the user interface, collaboration tools, pricing structure and unique features. If your working model requires you to share tasks or projects with clients, choose software that offers these features. Keep in mind that not all task management software allows you to share tasks with non-users like clients or guests.

The user interface must also be intuitive, so your team doesn’t face a steep learning curve. Most task management software offers a kanban-style dashboard; however, some solutions are based on a spreadsheet model. You must also consider whether you want a web or cloud-based system or an on-premises version.

While top task management software should offer basic features such as project views and subtasks, you’ll also want to assess each tool’s unique features. Unique features could include two-factor authentication, real-time collaboration, task dependencies or any particular feature that is a must-have for your business.

Lastly, you want to consider the price point. Ideally, you want to test the software before you make the decision, so if there is a free version or free trial available, you should take advantage of that opportunity. Most free task management software lacks advanced features, but you will still be able to get a feel for the user interface and the tool’s core functions.

Methodology

To determine the best task management tools, we researched an extensive collection of task management software and tested out many of them using free accounts and free trials. We also consulted customer reviews, product documentation, software specifications, pricing structure, third-party integrations, unique features and several other metrics to compile this list of top task management software for 2024.

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Best Task Management Software (2024 Rankings)

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Task management software is a great way for teams to organize their tasks, streamline team communication and become more efficient. Many task management solutions are project management software offerings that allow for task creation and oversight throughout a team’s workflow. 

Most task management solutions vary based on the features they offer, but with core functionality around creating tasks and organizing them within different board views. These views can be anything from to-do lists to Kanban boards. Teams can manage due dates, add subtasks and handle task prioritization all in one place. Task management software allows small teams to track project progress, streamline task assignments and hit milestones with an organized task management system. 

Top Task Management Software

Compare today’s top task management solutions based on standout features, pros and cons, pricing and more. 

• Best Overall: ClickUp
• Best Customer Support: Smartsheet
• Most All-Inclusive: monday.com
• Best for Team Collaboration: Asana
• Best for Integrations: Jira
• Most Intuitive: Notion
• Best for Workload Management: Teamwork.com
• Best for Spreadsheet Based Projects: Airtable 
• Best for Strategic Planning: Wrike
• Best for Real-Time Activity: Basecamp
• Best for Sales Teams: Pipedrive
• Best for Simplicity: Trello  

ClickUp: Best Overall 

ClickUp offers essential task management features for any project, with key features and templates that earn it the title of Best Overall. The software makes it easy to manage, assign and visualize tasks while allowing team collaboration with whiteboards and in-app chat features. 

ClickUp’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to organize tasks as cards on project boards. Teams can visualize tasks within a project as a Kanban board, table, calendar, Gantt chart or list. Whether you prefer a simple to-do list or a broad calendar view, you can make the most of ClickUp templates or configure your own project views. 

Teams can use docs, collaborate on digital whiteboards and chat back and forth within the platform. The forever-free plan has limited storage and integrations but still offers robust features for task management. Because of its collaboration features and intuitive project boards, ClickUp is a great option for remote teams that want to manage tasks together in real-time. 

ClickUp offers customer support via an online chatbot and its extensive help center. The company does not currently offer a public customer support phone number. The starter Unlimited plan is priced at $7 per user per month, billed annually. There is a 14-day free trial available with no credit card required. 

ClickUp Pros and Cons

ClickUp has many valuable features for task management, but your chosen plan will determine how it stacks up against alternatives. 

Pros  

• Team collaboration tools like whiteboards and chat
• Multiple project board views, including Kanban boards and Gantt charts 
• Forever-free plan with robust task management features
• Customer support is limited to a live chatbot and help center
• Free plan is limited for some features 

Smartsheet: Best Customer Support 

Smartsheet has much to offer regarding customer support, but it’s also a top choice as a task management solution. Teams can take advantage of spreadsheet-style project views to create to-do lists and prioritize tasks however they choose. It’s also easy to visualize tasks in other board views like timelines or Kanban boards. 

Teams that are already using spreadsheets for task management may find that Smartsheet is an easy transition, with much more functionality for managing projects in one place. With advanced plans, teams can even add custom branding and email domains to send automated emails directly from Smartsheet. 

If your team is unfamiliar with spreadsheet software or not wanting to rely on spreadsheet views for task management, Smartsheet may come with a slight learning curve. This all depends on what your team is comfortable with and what works best for your projects. Customer support is available through Smartsheet’s online web support and the Smartsheet Community forums for all plans. Many advanced customer support options are available as add-on features to some plans. The forever-free plan includes essential features, but it’s limited to one user. The Starter plan allows for up to 10 users and is priced at $7 per user per month, billed annually.

Smartsheet Pros and Cons

Smartsheet is a great option for teams who want spreadsheet-style task views, but it may be advanced for simpler task management needs. 

• Ideal for spreadsheet view customizations 
• In-app chat and team collaboration tools
• Custom branding and domains
• Learning curve for teams unfamiliar with spreadsheet software
• Free plan is limited to one user

Monday.com: Most All-Inclusive

Monday.com’s extensive project management features make it a great task management tool if you’re also interested in other work management features. “Monday work management” can combine project management with other CRM and sales functionality, making it a robust option compared to competitors. However, it may offer more functionality than small businesses need for simple task management. 

Within the monday work management platform, teams can organize task cards into a variety of project board views like Gantt charts and Kanban boards. Project boards are highly customizable, meaning you can set up the building blocks of a particular view to suit your team. If you’re still playing around with how you want to visualize and manage tasks, monday work management allows for a lot of flexibility and experimentation.  

Monday work management’s forever-free plan includes the essentials, but it’s limited to two users. Paid plans start at $9 per user per month when billed annually. For simple task management functionality, the free plan may be enough if only having two users is not a limitation. For larger teams, one of the paid plans will likely be necessary. 

Monday.com Pros and Cons

The monday work management suite works as a task management solution, but teams looking for something simple may find that their plans include a lot of extra functionality. 

• Forever-free plan with essential features 
• Flexible project workflows that work for task management 
• Free plan is limited to two users
• May offer too much for teams needing simple task management

Asana: Best for Team Collaboration

Asana is a powerful project management tool that works as a task management solution for highly collaborative teams. Asana is known for its detailed and customizable Kanban board and to-do list views that allow for automated rules, task dependencies and timelines. Each task card can be assigned to team members and customized with tags and custom fields. Cards also include a comment section for quick notes and easy team communication. 

Teams can create task dependencies within a project and include docs or files to tasks as they move them through the project workflow. Asana offers integrations with work software you’re already using, like Google Workspace and Slack. 

Asana offers a robust help center in addition to weekly live training sessions. However, the company doesn’t offer customer support via phone. Teams will need to reach out via live chat for help. 

Asana’s free plan is limited to 10 users, and the Starter plan is priced at $10.99 per user per month when billed annually. A paid plan is likely necessary if you want to take full advantage of Asana’s task management features like task automations or specific project board views like Gantt charts. 

Asana Pros and Cons

Consider Asana’s major features and plan options to see if it might make sense as a task management tool for your business. 

• Great for multiple team boards 
• Customizable Kanban boards and to-do lists
• Extensive help center and live training webinars
• Automations only in paid plans 
• No customer support via phone

Jira: Best for Integrations

Jira is a project management software offered by Atlassianl. Though it’s popular with agile software development teams, it’s not limited to any one industry or work style. Atlassian has a marketplace of over 3,000 software apps that integrate with Jira, earning it the title of Best for Integrations. 

Teams can use Jira to set up projects and create task cards within a Kanban board or timeline view, and it’s also uniquely set up to help teams organize task backlogs. This makes it helpful for teams that work cross-functionally and want to be able to communicate the work they have in progress. 

Jira offers a simple interface, but its simplicity may actually take some getting used to. Each task can be customized, but the project boards are more utilitarian than they are visual. There is a free Jira plan, but it’s limited to 10 users. Jira’s Standard plan starts at $8.15 per user per month, estimated for 50 users. The Standard plan allows for up to 35,000 users, making it essentially unlimited for small businesses. 

Jira Pros and Cons

• Great for software development teams
• Helpful for managing task backlogs 
• Simple but customizable user interface for Kanban boards 
• Free plan is limited to 10 users
• Learning curve for the user interface

Notion: Most Intuitive

Notion is a user-friendly and highly customizable task management solution that teams can use to set up projects however they choose. Notion’s interface is set up around different project boards, called teamspaces, where teams can include different blocks. These blocks can be anything from tables and to-do lists to task boards and more. While the sheer variety of customization options for Notion might be overwhelming for new users, there are plenty of templates for teams to explore when getting started. 

Teams can use project management templates for task cards to set up Kanban boards, timelines, lists and more. Setting up dashboards to organize different projects in one space is also easy. Automations are available, but they’re only included in Notion’s paid plans. 

Notion’s forever-free plan includes its essential functionality, but teams will likely need to upgrade to avoid limitations regarding Notion blocks and project pages. The Notion Plus plan starts at $8 per user per month when billed annually. 

Notion Pros and Cons

• Customizable boards for task management
• Combined note-taking and project management platform 
• Helpful project templates 
• Setting up custom boards takes some effort
• Must upgrade to a paid plan for full automation functionality

Teamwork.com: Best for Workforce Management  

Teamwork.com is a task management solution that offers a ton of team collaboration features with helpful project tools like task lists and budget templates. Its combined functionality earns it the title of Best for Workforce Management. Teamwork allows businesses to track time, plan team capacity and manage tasks within the platform. 

Tasks are organized into project board views, like to-do lists, Kanban boards or Gantt charts. This helps teams visualize tasks within the context of larger projects. Teamwork also has the added benefit of budget features, which sets it apart from alternatives. Team members can log time for specific tasks, and teams can designate billable hours within the platform. Businesses that are interested in task management for client work may find Teamwork’s time tracking and budget features to be an added bonus. 

Teamwork.com does offer a free plan, but it’s limited to five users. The Starter plan has a three-user minimum and starts at $5.99 per user per month, billed annually. 

Teamwork.com Pros and Cons

Teamwork has a lot to offer as a work management software, but some plans may have more features than small businesses need for task management. 

• Free time tracking for tasks and projects
• Workload capacity planning
• Variety of project board views for tasks
• Free plan is limited to five users
• Customization features for project boards not included in all plans

Airtable: Best for Spreadsheet-Based Projects 

Airtable is a task management solution with an advanced spreadsheet-style interface, which is ideal for teams looking to upgrade their task management from a running spreadsheet. Airtable allows teams to list out all tasks that need to be completed and then group them into projects and assign them to team members. Teams can make the most of key insights and analytics as they move tasks through workflows in Airtable, with helpful data for future decision-making. 

Airtable is a great option for agile teams as it was designed with sprint work in mind. Tasks don’t need to be assigned to a particular project, and cross-functional teams can easily use Airtable’s interface to get on the same page in stand-ups or scrum meetings. Airtable’s intuitive interface is easy to pick up, but teams that aren’t as familiar with spreadsheet software for task management may experience a slight learning curve. 

Airtable offers a free plan, but it’s limited to five users. Larger teams must consider paid plans, which start at $20 per user per month. Compared to other task management solutions, this is slightly more expensive for a starter plan. However, Airtable’s spreadsheet functionality is unique and offers more functionality than table views in other software options. 

Airtable Pros and Cons

Consider Airtable’s key features compared to its pricing to determine if it makes sense for your business. 

• Built-in templates for task management
• User-friendly spreadsheet interface 
• Great for agile teams working in sprints
• Potential learning curve for new users
• Paid plans may be pricey for larger teams  

Wrike: Best for Strategic Planning

Wrike is another excellent task management solution for agile teams, especially when it comes to project planning. Its strategy tools earn Wrike the title of Best for Strategic Planning. Wrike’s features go beyond the task management or project planning essentials, with tools for resource allocation and workforce management. Teams can add tasks to projects and then create templates from those project boards, which helps automate workflows and save time. It’s easy for teams to visualize tasks in a variety of project board views like Kanban boards or Gantt charts. Team leaders can also create custom dashboards for easy reporting. 

Wrike is uniquely set up to support multiple complex projects, so teams that are looking for a simple task management solution may find that its plans include more than they need. Wrike’s interface is easy to navigate, but there may be a learning curve for new users implementing Wrike as a task management solution. 

Wrike offers a free plan with unlimited users, but functionality is somewhat limited depending on the features your team will need. Teams will need to choose a paid plan for custom fields within tasks and board views like Gantt charts. Wrike’s Team plan starts at $9.80 per user per month, billed monthly.  

Wrike Pros and Cons

Wrike has a ton of useful project management tools, but it’s key to consider its wide feature set to see if it makes sense as a task management solution for your team. 

• Robust task management tools for project planning
• Great project templates for Agile teams
• Unlimited users allowed on the free plan 
• Paid plans are required to access some key features 
• May take some effort to configure project boards 

Basecamp: Best for Real-Time Activity 

Basecamp is a comprehensive project management tool that makes sense as a task management solution. It combines project boards with communication features like in-app chat and real-time activity logs so your team can stay connected as they complete tasks. 

Basecamp earns the title of Best for Real-Time Activity because of its robust activity log and team communication features, which set it apart from many alternatives. Tasks can be added to different projects, which each include their own group chat and message board. Its simple interface makes it easy for teams to use Basecamp as a task management tool, with simple board views like a Kanban. 

However, Basecamp is missing some automation functionality. While not always essential for task management, teams that are interested in creating automated rules for project boards will need to integrate a separate software with Basecamp to make it happen. How this affects your workflow just depends on what your team is hoping to achieve with a task management software. 

Basecamp is a great option for teams that want to track tasks for multiple projects simultaneously without overly complicated project boards. Basecamp does not offer a free plan, and the starter plan is priced at $15 per month per user when billed monthly. The other plan option, Basecamp Pro Unlimited, offers flat monthly pricing at $299 per month, billed annually. This might be a cost-effective solution for larger teams. 

Basecamp Pros and Cons

Basecamp has a lot to offer for easy team communication in addition to task management, but the plan you choose may determine how it stacks up against alternatives. 

• Real-time activity timeline
• Simple boards for task management
• In-app group chats and message boards
• Not many advanced features for project boards 
• No free version 
• No in-app automations

Pipedrive: Best for Sales Teams  

Pipedrive is a task management solution designed especially for sales teams. It’s a dedicated customer relationship management (CRM) software with an intuitive interface to help teams manage clients and leads within the sales lifecycle. 

Teams can see at a glance where deals and clients are within a workflow with customizable board views. Your team can add tasks and assignees or client information all in one place, so multiple team members can interface with clients using the same information. Pipedrive allows users to visualize tasks in a Kanban board or timeline view and offers a wide variety of options for reporting and analytics based on project board data. Teams can also automate customer communication like email sends through Pipedrive to save time on routine follow-ups and other simple tasks. 

Pipedrive does not offer a free plan. The Pipedrive Essential plan starts at $21.90 per user per month, billed monthly. This is slightly higher than many other task management solutions. 

Pipedrive Pros and Cons

Pipedrive is an ideal task management solution for sales teams, but its plan options will determine its major tradeoffs between features and pricing. 

• Designed specifically for CRM and sales teams
• Easy-to-use project boards 
• Automated customer communication
• No free plan 
• Pricey compared to other task management solutions 

Trello: Best for Simplicity

Trello, like Jira, is an Atlassian software designed for project management. As a task management solution, it could be considered Jira’s more “visual” counterpart. Trello’s simple interface is designed for easy Kanban views, earning the title of Best for Simplicity and making it ideal for task management. 

Trello allows teams to create task cards and visualize them in different board views, allowing for plenty of customization. It’s not set up to manage multiple complex projects, but for simple task management, it’s a user-friendly solution for small businesses, particularly for remote or hybrid teams. Teams can easily set up projects or rely on simple checklists to manage tasks in one place. 

Trello does offer a free plan, but it’s limited in terms of functionality. Teams will need to upgrade for access to unlimited boards, custom fields and advanced checklists, all of which are useful for task management. Trello’s paid plans are affordable compared to some alternatives, with the Standard plan starting at $5 per user per month when billed annually. 

Trello Pros and Cons

Trello is affordable and simple, but it doesn’t offer enough task management features for the complex needs of large businesses. Here are some other pros and cons to consider.

• Simple user interface 
• Great for easy checklists and Kanban boards
• Variety of different project views 
• Not ideal for complex projects
• Free plan is limited 

Methodology

Choosing the appropriate project management (PM) software is critical for business owners and project managers, as it directly impacts efficiency and collaboration. To help customers make  the right selection, we at the MarketWatch Guides team researched 15 of the most widely used project management tools, including Airtable, Asana and Trello.

We conducted a survey in 2024 of 200 professionals who were currently using PM software or had used PM software within the past year. We analyzed the results of this survey to determine the following rating criteria:

• Features (58%)
• Reputation and Reviews (15%)
• Customer Support (12%)
• Pricing (8%)
• User Experience (7%)

Visit the full PM methodology page for more details on our rating system.

What Is Task Management Software?

Task management software is designed to help teams keep track of tasks from ideation to completion. It might be used interchangeably with project management, as tasks may be smaller pieces to the larger puzzle of a project. However, task management can refer to how teams organize any and all tasks, regardless of whether they’re part of a specific project. Rather than relying on a simple to-do list or spreadsheet, task management software can help teams specify tasks in detail and then track progress over time. 

How Much Does Task Management Software Cost?

Many task management solutions will offer free software versions, usually limited to a certain number of users or a certain level of functionality. Most project management software companies will offer per-user pricing, with starter plans ranging anywhere from $5 to $20 per user per month. 

Types of Task Management Software

Task management software can be divided into three main categories. 

Traditional Task Management Software

Traditional task management software offerings help businesses specify tasks, track deadlines and get an overview of all tasks that must be completed. They often include different board views like Kanban boards or Gantt charts so teams can get a sense of overlapping tasks and task dependencies to stay on track.

Smartsheet and monday work management both offer great features for traditional project management, with tons of task management functionality. However, they aren’t limited to just traditional task lists, as most software offerings now include a variety of features for traditional and agile workflows. 

Agile Task Management Software

Teams using an agile approach to projects may find that project management software is immensely helpful for day-to-day task management as well. Agile is intended to break up larger projects into individual tasks and move them through the project workflow, constantly evaluating the process. 

Software like Jira, Airtable and Wrike are easily used in stand-ups or scrum meetings to get the team aligned and prioritize tasks. Jira and Airtable are especially helpful for creating task backlogs that a project manager or scrum master can easily manage. 

Visual Collaboration Software

Visual collaboration software allows teams to work within a shared digital space, like collaborative docs or whiteboards. This can be helpful for creating roadmaps and brainstorming approaches to a team’s to-do lists. 

Software like ClickUp and Notion are examples of task management solutions that also prioritize visual collaboration and brainstorming. ClickUp’s whiteboard features make it easy for teams to create roadmaps together, separate from the actual project board views. Notion’s customizable templates and docs make it easy for teams to share ideas and visualize different projects. 

How To Choose the Best Task Management Software

When comparing task management solutions, it’s key to consider what’s most important to your team and key stakeholders. Understand the main pain points you’re trying to solve by implementing task management software. This helps you determine if you can get away with a simple free version of a software, or if a more robust paid plan is worth the expense. Having a good idea of what your team needs also helps you narrow down your list of options to be able to choose between the wide variety of task management solutions on the market. 

Identifying Workflows 

Consider how your team is already managing tasks today and identify which task management software may support your existing workflows. For example, teams that are used to tracking tasks in a spreadsheet may want to consider spreadsheet-style software like Smartsheet or Airtable. Teams that are looking to get away from spreadsheets will want to look out for software that offers more flexibility in visualizing tasks. 

Key features for task management include task creation, assigning tasks, custom fields and the option for viewing tasks within multiple board views. The level of detail you can add to any particular task card on a project board will vary depending on the software you choose and in some cases, which paid plan you select. Task management software can often integrate with popular work apps, calendars or email providers like Microsoft Outlook or Gmail. 

It’s also important to consider how your team works. If your team needs to manage tasks on the go, consider if a software has a mobile app for iOS and Android, in addition to a desktop app. 

Ease of Use

Most task management solutions will offer intuitive interfaces, but some will have more of a learning curve than others. If your team is used to various work apps, they may feel comfortable adopting a new solution for task management. Teams that are less comfortable with work management software may need to start with a more straightforward solution. Consider taking advantage of free trials or demos to understand how your team might implement a particular software into their day-to-day workflow. This can help you identify particular challenges when it comes to ease of use. 

Reporting and Analytics

Every software will have different capabilities for reporting and analytics. If you have specific needs for running reports for task management, it’s key to look for those features in the different software solutions you’re evaluating. In many cases, free versions of task management software will not include reporting and analytics or may have limitations on what you can do with project data. 

Customer Support

Customer support options will vary depending on the software you select, and, in many cases, phone support or live chat support is not guaranteed. Most options will offer at least a chatbot or highly robust help centers with guides, video tutorials and sometimes live webinars. If you have specific preferences for customer support, check to make sure that the software you’re considering makes it easy for you to reach out and find help as needed. 

AI and Automation

Many project management software options now implement AI tools and automation beyond just automated rules or recurring tasks within a board. AI can help make task management software even more efficient, and while it’s not always essential, it’s worth looking at any AI add-ons or advanced automation options offered within a software plan. Consider how AI tools may help you increase efficiency for task management on a day-to-day level, especially if automating tasks is important to you. 

The Bottom Line

Task management software is an excellent way for teams to organize tasks and become more efficient. Most software offerings are easy to use and offer intuitive drag-and-drop functionality for task cards, simplifying task assignment and project progress monitoring. With interactive project board interfaces, these software solutions can help teams visualize the tasks that need to be completed, whether or not they’re part of a larger project. 

Many task management solutions are project management software products that will often offer free software versions and per-user pricing for paid plans. Each software includes different features, some being comprehensive work management solutions and others being simple project management tools. 

Determining the best software for your team will depend on the features your team needs to become more efficient and your budget, considering that many task management features are included in paid software plans. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Task Management Software

What are the main differences between task management software and task management apps.

Task management software is typically more all-encompassing than a simple checklist or task list app like Todoist. Task management solutions are usually able to support tasks that ladder up to larger projects or are part of more complex workflows, but many can support simple task lists as well. 

Do you need specialized task management software for marketing or product development teams?

Most task management solutions are not industry-specific and are designed for general task management. However, some tools may offer templates that are specific to certain industries or functional groups. Marketing teams or product development teams looking for specific task management features should look out for software that offer these templates. However, these teams don’t necessarily need specialized task management software. 

Which task management tool has the steepest learning curve?

Task management tools are typically designed to be intuitive and easy to use, particularly when it comes to simple task lists or project boards. However, some tools will have more complex interfaces or offer a variety of features beyond task management. For more complicated software offerings, it’s worth considering how comfortable your team is with using work software. Teams that are unfamiliar with using software tools may experience steeper learning curves regardless of the solution they choose. 

How do prices compare between popular task management software options?

Task management software options will often have free plan options, with starter plans that range anywhere from $5 to $20 per user per month. Typically, opting for annual billing will mean you pay less per user, and most pricing will depend on the size of your team. Flat monthly pricing is rare. 

If you have questions about this page, please reach out to our editors at [email protected] .

5 Key Task Management Software Features and Top Products That Offer Them

1. to-do list, 2. task editing/updating, 3. task scheduling, 4. task progress tracking, 5. prioritization.

Task planning and management are some of the most complex functions for a project manager. Juggling between multiple tasks, resources, and deadlines often leads them and their teams to feel overwhelmed with long to-do lists, overflowing team bandwidth, and approaching deadlines. 

However, task management software can offer the help you need. The tool assists in staying organized and productive with work management features that can align with your workflow preferences and business objectives. 

Fortunately, there are multiple task management tools on the market, but not all of them have the same features. To save you time spent sifting through marketing materials or user manuals, this article highlights five key task management software features based on the ratings given by verified software users. We’ve also included the highest-rated task management software tools for each feature. Read more .

The to-do list or task list feature within a task management tool enables the creation of task lists with descriptions, due dates, and priorities. Users can mark tasks as urgent, important, or low priority to focus on what needs to be prioritized. The feature allows setting deadlines for tasks and notifying users of the nearing completion date. The created task lists can be broken down into smaller, more manageable steps, making complex tasks and multiple projects less daunting. 

Users can share their to-do lists with other team members and assign tasks to them, promoting team collaboration and keeping everyone updated as the task progresses.

What business problem does to-do list solve?

Missing out on tasks due to lack of reminders or feeling overwhelmed when dealing with large, complex projects are common business problems of task management. A task management system with to-do lists is a centralized hub for organizing, prioritizing, tracking, and managing tasks. It helps promote better focus, team collaboration, and overall workflow efficiency. 

Ideal users of the to-do list feature

Project managers handling complex projects with wavering deadlines and client requirements can benefit from to-do lists. Well-structured lists can help them avoid juggling multiple tasks and deadlines and stay organized throughout the project lifecycle. Furthermore, these professionals can share to-do lists with team members, assign tasks to them based on their bandwidth, and track the progress of each task for holistic project management. 

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for to-do list

Analysis performed March 2024 *

4.58 out of 5 stars

To-do list feature rating : 4.83/5

4.73 out of 5 stars

To-do list feature rating 4.76/5

Microsoft To Do

4.56 out of 5 stars

To-do list feature rating : 4.75/5

The feature allows dynamic changes to the to-do list or workflow during task assignments and aligns them with the changing project requirements. Users can modify tasks for their title, description, priority, sub-tasks, and due date. They can assign or reassign tasks to different team members and attach PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, videos, presentations, and notes to each task.  

Some task management tools with task editing/updating features maintain a version history of task edits. This allows users to revert to a previous version of the task or track workflow changes over time.

What business problem does task editing/updating solve?

Unexpected changes, new information, or shifting priorities are inevitable in project and task management. With proper editing features, task assignments can be manageable. The task editing/updating feature ensures that the workflow adapts to the changing project needs without derailing the progress. Users can delegate tasks, update assignees, and provide clear instructions, promoting smooth workflow handoff. 

Ideal users of the task editing/updating feature

Project managers and team leads struggling to make real-time task assignments or reassignments and frequently changing deadlines can benefit from the task editing/updating feature. They can adjust deadlines, update task details, and maintain a flexible workflow that adapts to shifting priorities. 

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for task editing/updating

4.53 out of 5 stars

Task editing/updating feature rating : 5/5

Task editing/updating feature rating : 4.93/5

4.94 out of 5 stars

A task management tool with task scheduling features allows assigning specific deadlines to tasks, creating a clear timeline for work, and visualizing the team’s workload to avoid procrastination. Users can schedule recurring tasks, such as weekly reports or monthly meetings, or sync their task schedule with the calendar to get a holistic view of weekly or monthly commitments.

Users can establish task dependencies for complex projects with interconnected recurring tasks to ensure that a dependent task starts only after the prerequisites are completed.

What business problem does task scheduling solve?

Work inefficiencies arising due to unorganized task prioritization can waste a lot of time. The task scheduling feature allows users to visualize their workflow, allocate specific time slots for focused work, and avoid multitasking. All to promote better time management and maximize productivity. Also, assigning too many tasks to a single team member can lead to burnout and decrease work quality. The task scheduling feature allows for a balanced task distribution between team members, eliminating tight schedules. 

Ideal users of the task scheduling feature

Project managers handling pre-approved workflows and recurring projects use task scheduling to block time for the required team members on specific days, weeks, or months. This clear communication regarding deadlines and task sequences helps team members better plan their work. Additionally, the calendar integration capabilities of this feature allow shared access to enhance transparency in the utilized team bandwidth, preventing scheduling conflicts.

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for task scheduling

Task scheduling feature rating : 4.90/5

4.86 out of 5 stars

Task scheduling feature rating : 4.88/5

4.82 out of 5 stars

Task scheduling feature rating : 4.87/5

This feature allows monitoring the ongoing development of a task, visualizing its status, and identifying potential roadblocks. Users can indicate how much of a task has been completed, often expressed as a percentage or a visual progress bar. The feature enables report generation to visualize task completion trends across projects or teams. Beyond simple ‘complete’ or ‘incomplete,’ the feature allows for user-defined progress stages, including ‘researching,’ ‘writing,’ or ‘editing.’

With the progress tracking feature, team members can also add the time spent on each task to simplify project accountability and client billing and identify areas for workflow improvement.

What business problem does task progress tracking solve?

A lack of efficient task progress tracking can make it difficult to gauge how a project is progressing. This can lead to missed deadlines, unmet expectations, and overflowing project budgets. The task progress tracking feature provides real-time insights into individual task completion and overall project status. It also assists with identifying tasks that consistently take longer than anticipated, allowing for better time and resource allocation and realistic project planning. 

Ideal users of the task progress tracking feature

This feature benefits project management and planning teams looking to have a more granular view of projects and identify any lagging tasks that might hold up the overall completion. Additionally, they can utilize the task progress tracking dashboard to generate custom reports that help identify completion trends and potential bottlenecks, fostering data-driven decision-making in project planning and resource allocation.

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for task progress tracking

Task progress tracking feature rating : 4.96/5

Task progress tracking feature rating : 4.95/5

4.69 out of 5 stars

Task progress tracking feature rating : 4.90/5

The task prioritization feature within a task management tool provides a structured approach to organizing the team’s workload by urgency and importance. This includes using a Gantt chart, Kanban board, or an integrated calendar. Users can assign different task priority levels, such as ‘high,’ ‘medium,’ or ‘low,’ and drag-and-drop across the dashboard for reordering. 

The feature also allows for the setting up of automation rules based on priority. For example, users can configure high-priority tasks to automatically trigger notifications or reminders, ensuring that critical tasks don’t get lost in the shuffle.

What business problem does prioritization solve?

Wasted time and missed deadlines are some common challenges of ineffective task management and prioritization. Using a task management system with a prioritization feature helps eliminate uncertainty in task deadlines with clear priorities for team members to concentrate their efforts on what will have the most impact on achieving business goals. This also helps them avoid getting bogged down in less important, time-consuming tasks. 

Ideal users of the prioritization feature

Project managers dealing with a long, unprioritized to-do list that makes their team feel overwhelmed and unproductive use the prioritization feature for effective task management and project planning. They can allocate resources, such as team members or budgets, towards the most and the least critical tasks based on their skills and bandwidth. This ensures that all the pipeline projects are completed on time with little to no bottlenecks.

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for prioritization

Prioritization feature rating : 4.80/5

Business Base

4.74 out of 5 stars

Prioritization feature rating : 4.70/5

Adobe Workfront

4.39 out of 5 stars

Prioritization feature rating: 4.65/5

Methodology

Key features : To identify the key features of this article, we asked users to rate, on a scale of “low importance” to “critical,” how important different features are for task management software. The features showcased are those that the highest percentage of reviewers rated as “highly important” or “critical” over the past two years (as of March. 11, 2024).

Feature eligibility : To be included in the set of features considered, a given feature had to have at least 200 user ratings within the past two years (as of March. 11, 2024), of which at least 20% must indicate the feature is “critical.” Eligible features were determined from two sources: 

Our research team’s review of public information about task management software usage, definitions, and associated features.

Reviewers’ indication of the features they use for task management.

Product selection : To identify the top-rated products per feature, we evaluated user ratings for products that offer each feature. For a given product, reviewers rate each feature on a scale of one to five stars. A given product had to have at least 20 user ratings (between March 2022-24) for the feature in question to be considered.

*We selected products for this article based on their average ratings between March 2022 - March 2024, which may differ from their current overall average ratings.

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Easily distribute, analyze, and grade student work with Assignments for your LMS

Assignments is an application for your learning management system (LMS). It helps educators save time grading and guides students to turn in their best work with originality reports — all through the collaborative power of Google Workspace for Education.

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Make Google Docs and Google Drive compatible with your LMS

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Built with the latest Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standards for robust security and easy installation in your LMS

Save time distributing and grading classwork

Distribute personalized copies of Google Drive templates and worksheets to students

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• Project management |
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Project management software and tools: Your best picks for 2023

Project management software connects teams, enabling everyone in the organization to prioritize the work that matters most. Software that fosters this type of high-level collaboration is essential for most companies. But at a glance, many of the tools organizations use have seemingly similar features. Use our guide to narrow down your choices and understand which tools are best for different types of companies.

If you manage work, you’re a project manager. But that wasn’t always the case. For many years, the only people responsible for managing projects were (unsurprisingly) project managers. These highly specialized roles used legacy tools that required extensive training and knowledge to use. 

Now, almost everyone is expected to manage their own projects, and these outdated tools are no longer practical. And while project manager roles and legacy softwares still exist, modern project management software has adapted to fill the needs of a more dynamic, collaborative workforce.

Whether you’re a brand new business owner who just needs help with invoicing or you're operating a multi-national company, there’s a project management software that’s right for you. Read on to see which project management software fits your company's needs.

What is project management software?

Project management software is a tool that helps teams to organize, track, and execute work. In its simplest form, you can think of project management software as an interactive workspace, where you coordinate the way you work, collaborate, and communicate with others. But the best project management software goes far beyond that—connecting your most advanced workflows across the company and helping you achieve your biggest, boldest goals. 

It’s a broad category, and can be as simple as digital checklists or as advanced as a full work management platform. The type of project management software you choose—and the way you use it—will depend on the size, needs, and overarching goals of your organization.

Why use project management software?

These days, everyone manages projects, but they don’t always have the tools they need to manage projects effectively. This often leads to teams using a spreadsheet, which is great for organizing work but doesn't show real-time updates. Spreadsheets are extremely manual, and can actually impede cross-functional collaboration. In short, they lack the capabilities of project management software. 

That’s why project management software is so crucial to today’s working environment. Among its many benefits, project management software serves as the connector for work, teams, stakeholders, goals, and everything in between.

The benefits of project management software

Focus your work. You’ll get more done—but more importantly, you’ll get the right work done. With project management software, you’re less likely to duplicate work or waste time searching for materials.

Reduce busywork. With project management software, you can connect every single task to goals that support the company’s biggest, broadest vision—so everyone knows how they’re driving the success of the company with every project. When employees understand how their day-to-day tasks impact the company, they’re even more motivated to produce their best possible work.

Create a system of record. Project management software serves as a system of record for all your projects and their related tasks. As a result, you can simultaneously store information while also making it easier for stakeholders and teams to access and use that information.

Increase cross-functional collaboration . Project management software is, at its core, a team collaboration tool. By bringing together work, goals, and people across projects, teams, and departments, project management software helps you build an interconnected, thriving cross-functional organization.

Store work safely. Ever delete a cell by accident in your spreadsheet? Or forget where you saved your latest to-do list ? Keeping everything cloud-based both helps you stay organized and reduces the chance of you losing work—all while maintaining your privacy. 

The 11 best project management software & tools in 2023 

There’s a wide range of project management software available in today’s market—choosing just one can feel overwhelming. That’s why we compiled this list of the best products in the industry today, and the types of businesses they’re most likely to help. See how each one compares, and the different ways project management software can streamline and enhance your work.

1. Asana: Best for enterprise companies

Asana goes beyond traditional project management software to provide a full work management solution that supports the dynamic, changing needs of enterprise companies. Asana doesn't just help you manage your tasks (although you can do that too)—it connects all the work your company is doing to your highest-level goals and business strategy. With Asana, you get so much more than project management software, including:

Integrations to all your favorite tools and systems, so you can keep your work organized in one platform.

Goals that connect to everyone and every task across your company, so you can ensure the work that gets done is always the most important.

Automations for tasks, scheduling, assigning work, and much more—all designed to reduce the amount of time you spend on low-priority busywork.

Ready-made project templates so you can get to work on your most important tasks right away.

Reporting dashboards that automatically update stakeholders and eliminate status update meetings.

Security, privacy, and compliance features that keep your data safe.

Discover even more of what Asana can do.

2. Trello: Best for simple project management

Trello is a Kanban-board style project management software , owned by Atlassian. In Trello, you nest project tasks under boards labeled with an overarching theme. For example, you might have a board for “Not started,” “In Progress,” and “Complete.” The setup makes it easy to track project progress from board to board, which is helpful when you need a simple tool for small projects.

3. Smartsheet: Best for spreadsheet lovers

Think of Smartsheet as an advanced version of a spreadsheet, with more capabilities. This system can be intuitive for companies who traditionally used spreadsheets for project management, such as time tracking with timesheets. 

4. Jira: Best for Agile-specific project management

Designed specifically for software development, Jira comes ready to launch for teams that use the Agile methodology to do their work. Owned by parent company Atlassian, Jira is often used for common development projects like bug tracking, as well as projects that use the Scrum process .

5. Monday: Best for small businesses

Monday offers a broad spectrum of apps that make it easy to implement and get started right away. This works for small businesses who are new to project management software, though once you rev up your work, company size, or collaboration across teams, you might hit a threshold for what’s possible.

6. Clickup: Best for small teams or startups

Clickup’s intuitive and colorful interface makes it easy to understand and adopt. Clickup is a popular choice for startups with limited resources and smaller teams that may not need as many capabilities. 

7. Notion: Best for notetakers

Notion is an elevated system to create and store dynamic documents, sheets, and note taking. This works best for companies or individuals who just need a more organized space for thoughts and ideas, though Notion can feel limited in how you can work with others in the tool itself.

8. Airtable: Best for those who want to build it themselves

Airtable provides a flexible no- and low-code database you can use to build your own bespoke project management system (or other custom application). For those who prefer to oversee the backend development of their project management software, Airtable offers that option.

9. Wrike: Best for client management

Wrike offers stackable storage and security in an easy-to-use format, so both clients and internal teams can safely access information. This can be helpful when you’re working with external partners, such as clients, in addition to managing work as a company.

10. Workfront: Best for marketing-only teams

Workfront (owned by Adobe) is a project management software that was initially developed for marketers. They’ve built out their platform to be a tool for all teams, but because it’s so targeted, users may struggle to coordinate with other teams outside of the marketing department. 

11. Microsoft: Best for personal tools

Microsoft Office is often labeled as a project management tool, but that’s mostly because their products are a staple at any company. Because we already know and understand how to use them, Microsoft Office products are often the first tool managers turn to when they start experimenting with project management. But the reality is, Excel spreadsheets and docs weren’t built for collaboration, so you’re better off using them in conjunction with full-fledged project management software. 

Features to look for in your project management tool

Ready to buy? Each project management system will have different features and functionality, but we recommend you prioritize a platform with these features at a minimum:

Collaboration features that enable work between team members, departments, and across the company—including file sharing, project tracking, and resource management.

A platform that provides portfolio management capabilities and the ability to connect goals to actionable tasks, so the entire company can see how all work is connected.

A mobile app so you can send off approvals, receive timely notifications, and manage projects on the go.

Project and reporting dashboards that are easy to access and view.

Varying project view styles that support all your project types and operations, including Gantt charts , Kanban boards, Lists, and Calendars (so as your company grows, you know your software has the capability to grow with it).

Enhanced project scheduling to set due dates, create important milestones, and easily track time so everything stays on schedule.

Project management app integrations that fit your custom business needs.

Automations and dependencies that update you and stakeholders in real-time.

The best project management software is the one that grows with you

A lot of project management software claims similar features, and at a basic level, many of them are the same. But when you choose a project management solution, it shouldn’t just be another tool. It should be a full-fledged project management platform that enables you and your team to get their best work done, with less effort. 

This means you need a platform that continues to grow, expand, and adapt as your company does. The last thing you need is to hit a ceiling just when you’re getting into your ideal workflow. Asana is built for enterprise teams, which means it can support your project management work from the beginning—when you’re a one-person team with an idea—all the way through your Fortune 100 growth. In fact, more than 80% of Fortune 100 companies use Asana*.

With Asana, it’s not just about putting out more deliverables. Instead, Asana focuses on how you can connect and leverage every aspect of your company’s work, goals, and resources to produce the right work. 

Project management software FAQ 

Which software is best for project management.

The best project management software is the one with the features you need. Look for a tool like Asana , a full work management platform where you can integrate the apps you already use, connect goals to work tasks, break down silos between teams, and automate time-consuming busywork.

What type of software is project management software?

Project management software is a type of software used for every aspect of project management. Often, this includes everything from the project planning stages (resource allocation, setting due dates, and building and assigning work task lists) to project scheduling, tracking, and reporting. The best project management software will help you coordinate and automate work not just across projects, but also across portfolios, teams, and departments.

What’s the difference between project management software and task management software?

Task management software is used strictly to manage tasks and is focused on production. Often, this looks like a digital to-do list with more capabilities. Project management software goes beyond task management to the actual planning, coordination, and goals of a project. This incorporates the bigger-picture, high-impact work and the actionable tasks you need to get there. Good project management software will also have task management capabilities, but the reverse isn’t always true.

How does project management software work?

Project management software is a tool to help you coordinate everything you need for project management. Often, this includes capabilities to create and assign tasks, scheduling all aspects of a project, and coordinating with others in your project team. The best project management software will also enable you to work cross-functionally across all teams, departments, and projects within your organization.

Is project management software worth it?

The short answer: yes! Project management software has an almost endless list of benefits. Most people immediately think of productivity as the reason to purchase project management software, but the right project management software can do more than increase your output. If you invest in the best project management software, you can break down silos and connect your entire company to your largest visions and goals. This enables everyone to work better on the projects that matter most.

*Accurate as of September 7, 2022 . Asana makes no representations about updating this number.

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Guide to Choosing the Right Training Management Software

Look for a system that supports compliance with regulatory and standard requirements.

Forward-thinking companies stand to realize significant value by automating employee training management. Photo by  Headway  on  Unsplash .

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A n analysis of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letters by the Food and Drug Law Institute reveals a perhaps not-so-surprising link between training gaps and FDA violations.

It’s one of several factors motivating companies to switch to automated training management software. The underlying problem: Manual recordkeeping methods of the past simply can’t keep up with the pace of modern manufacturing.

Achieving ROI requires a solution that addresses the fundamental challenges of training management and truly makes people’s jobs easier. In this guide to choosing the right training management software, we explore: • Why companies implement training management software • Key features and functions to look for in a training management solution • Key integrations between training management and your QMS

Download a free case study to learn how a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) of specialized biomedical polymers and additives for medical devices revolutionized its training management system.

Benefits of automated training management software

Choosing the right training management software starts with an understanding of the business problems you’re trying to solve, and what your organization stands to gain. For many manufacturers, it’s about strengthening compliance while becoming more efficient to boost both productivity and quality. Below we explore in more detail.

Centralizing recordkeeping

Staying organized is one major benefit of adopting automated training management software . With the ability to store files and training records in one centralized repository, companies can: • Have a complete record of training compliance • Reduce the risk of losing important training-related files • Keep employees up to date on training requirements

Improving audit readiness

Employee training nearly always comes up during audits . While companies may have initial training records for employees, one area where they tend to drop the ball is providing evidence of refresher training.

While companies may have initial training records for employees, one area where they tend to drop the ball is providing evidence of refresher training.

With software, you can set training frequencies to provide automated reminders when refresher training is due. Automation reduces the chance of it slipping through the cracks while ensuring you aren’t caught without the proper records when auditors request them.

Remember, it’s not enough to say that you have a training program. The auditor will want to see evidence. With paper-based records, that’s harder to prove and much harder to provide those records quickly. With an automated system, you can access training records with just a few clicks, which also helps make a positive impression on auditors.

Reducing quality and safety risks

Not knowing whether staff have completed required training creates significant quality and safety risks.

For example, imagine an employee is moved to a different production line but hasn’t received the required training to operate the process correctly. Hidden risks here create opportunities for problems ranging from defective products all the way up to serious safety incidents. Software reduces these risks by: • Helping identify training gaps where people are overdue for training • Allowing companies to monitor training effectiveness over time • Ensuring that key changes (e.g., process changes or equipment changes) trigger new training requirements

Making data-driven decisions An automated training management solution allows organizations to implement more effective reporting systems for making data-driven decisions, so they can: • Set targets related to training (e.g., improving on-time completion rates) and track progress against them • Develop leading metrics to predict and prevent training-related problems • Easily communicate with stakeholders in the organization about important training trends

Strengthening accountability Completing training courses is rarely at the top of an employee’s list, especially in busy manufacturing environments where more immediate needs tend to take priority. Companies can leverage software to close the accountability gap by: • Reminding employees when training due dates are approaching • Providing easy access to training materials, records, and exams • Escalating alerts to managers when staff haven’t completed training in the required time frame

A short list of top features

Choosing the right training management solution can catalyze your continuous improvement goals. If you choose an ineffective solution, however, you could be looking at thousands of dollars wasted on “shelfware.”

Choosing the right training management solution can catalyze your continuous improvement goals.

To help you make the right selection, let’s examine some of the top features and functions to look for as you gather requirements and evaluate vendors.

Automated training assignments

The ability to automatically assign training requirements and tasks is a huge time-saver, particularly for large companies and production facilities. With that in mind, you should be able to: • Assign training tasks by job title, group, or department • Create alerts and escalation rules to improve training compliance and accountability • Build training requirements based on process documentation and SOPs • Link auto-generated training assignments to other related processes such as document management, change control, and CAPA

Dashboarding capabilities Configurable dashboards give you an overview of your team’s training status at a glance, helping you more quickly find and fix gaps that lead to compliance problems.

Being able to create multiple dashboards is also something many production facilities might want to consider. For example, it can be helpful to have one dashboard for managers to view the status of direct reports, with separate dashboards for users to view their records and upcoming assignments.

Training exams

Post-training exams are critical to verify that employees have not only completed training, but also that they understand the information presented. This can also help gauge training effectiveness to guide future training updates and course improvements.

In terms of exams, the software should provide flexible question types, including true/false, yes/no, multiple choice, and even free-text responses. You should also be able to specify the threshold for passing the exam to verify that employees have assimilated the material.

Supplemental documentation

Being able to link supporting documentation within any training course, exam, or record is an important feature to look for. This could mean adding additional resources to coursework, as well as documenting qualifications for employees such as Six Sigma and other certifications.

Bulk data import can prove helpful here, for instance when uploading existing training materials or other related documents.

Out-of-box functionality with flexibility

Any solution you choose should come with fully functional out-of-box workflows. This will allow you to get up and running quickly, and can be especially helpful if you’re looking to standardize your training workflow around industry best practices.

At the same time, you also want a solution that will allow you to configure it to your needs so you can map it to your own process as it evolves. This flexibility is the key to accommodating organizational change over time and supporting the continuous improvement process.

With many training management software vendors, what you see is what you get. Making changes to forms and workflows can be difficult, requiring manufacturers to reach out to the vendor for help. In some cases, you may be forced to adapt your process to the software, which can hamstring you in the long run and hurt efforts to improve efficiency.

That’s why it’s so important to choose a solution that can be easily configured without changing the source code and requiring additional validation. The software should make it simple to change: • Training assignments • Integration workflows and rules • Forms and approval routing • Reminders and escalation rules

The key here is to find a vendor that offers a combination of robust out-of-box functionality and flexibility, with readily available vendor support for when you need it.

Built-in compliance

A robust training management solution will come with built-in tools to ensure compliance, acting as a centralized repository for tracking: • Comprehensive employee training histories • Attachments such as certifications and licenses • Post-training test results • Time-stamped signatures and audit trails

Here you want to look for a system built to support compliance with regulatory and standard requirements, including FDA and ISO compliance.

All-in-one integration Employee training is part of an interdependent set of processes in the quality ecosystem. Any number of changes may require updating training, whether it’s training requirements for individuals or updating the training materials themselves.

In many cases, companies have been able to replace their learning management system (LMS) with training management software that’s part of an integrated QMS.

For example, any time that equipment, processes, or SOPs change, employee training will also be affected. An integrated quality management system (QMS) allows you to link these changes directly to employee training updates so people get the right information at the right time.

In many cases, companies have been able to replace their learning management system (LMS) with training management software that’s part of an integrated QMS. With this approach, forms, tasks, and workflows are standardized across multiple processes such as training, document management, audits, and CAPA . Teams only have to learn one tool, helping accelerate adoption and reduce IT costs.

Traditional approaches to training management can be burdensome and error-prone, driving up risks and costs to manufacturers. When records are lost or training is overlooked, it’s not long before you may find all of your operations under the compliance microscope.

Forward-thinking companies, on the other hand, stand to realize significant value by automating employee training management. This is true both in terms of direct cost savings from improved efficiency as well as in terms of avoiding mistakes and compliance issues. The right training management software allows companies to meet compliance with fewer manual tasks, helping teams improve productivity without putting quality at risk.

Published April 4, 2024, by Assurx .

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