Top Project Management Software Tools

I’ve tried numerous project management software tools throughout my years as a project manager. Some tools work better for agile and some work better for waterfall. Here I’ll discuss a variety of project management applications and give you the pros and cons of each. Mind you, technology updates quickly (most companies producing software today utilize agile project management after all) Keep in mind that this review was written as of the end of 2019. I’ll try to have updated documentation/blog posts each couple of years as technologies change. If you’re one of these companies that would like me to update some of my information sooner, feel free to reach out to me via my contact form. With that being said, let’s jump into it!

Redmine

• Cost
  • Free (Basic)/Open-source
  • A la carte (EasyRedmine add-ons)
• Pros
  • Somewhat intuitive/easy to learn to use
  • Easy configuration after installation (e.g. setup permissions, visibility, etc..)
  • Great filters
  • Simple layout
  • Plenty of widget options (Wiki, Issues tracking, File repository, GANNT charts, etc…) come standard
  • Ability to add extensions for additional functionality (Kanban Board, Work Breakdown Structures, etc…)
  • Update issues with right-click options so you don’t have to go into each issue (e.g. update priority, status, etc…)
  • Enables sub-projects
• Cons
  • Can be complex to install
  • Different syntax than other documentation software
  • JIRA like chart features, graphical views, and tracking are not present
  • Free version offers no support
  • Not setup for agile/scrum projects out of the box (no drag & drop)
    • My company had to use it in tandem with Trello Kanban boards
  • No internal chat functionality
  • Lacks workflow customization

Jira

• Cost
  • Free (Personal)
  • Starts at $10/mo (Business
• Pros
  • Scrum & Kanban board on basic installation
    • Sprint functionality with backlog management
  • Easy installation/setup
• Cons
  • GANNT functionality requires additional plug-ins

Trello

• Cost
  • Free (Basic)
• Pros
  • Drag and drop Kanban/Scrum board functionality
  • Cloud operated
  • Easy to create account and set up boards and tasks
• Cons
  • No issues page and lack of in-depth sort functions

Microsoft Project

• Cost
  • Starts at $7/month and offers enterprise bid pricing
  • 1 license includes up to 5 PCs per user
• Pros
  • Project portfolio management
  • Phone and live support
  • Office 365, Skype, and OneDrive integrations
  • Cloud-based option
  • Ability to submit timesheets for payroll/invoicing
  • File sharing/project communication
  • GANNT charts and calendar tools
  • Ability to assign resources to tasks/projects
  • Sync with Project Online & Project Server
• Cons
  • Not available for Linux nor Mac

Monday.com

• Cost
  • Starts at $25/mo but offers annual subscription model
• Pros
  • Many-to-many communication tools
  • Visual progress charts
  • Integrates with Google Drive, Jira, Gmail, Google Calendar, & Dropbox
  • Easy to learn for new employees
  • Copy & Paste from Adobe
  • Personal and public boards
  • Subscription includes storage on cloud starting at 5GB
  • Live support 24/7
  • Full API
• Cons