Looking to make managing simple or complex tasks more efficient? Project management software is an effective solution for time and resource management.

What project management is all about

Project management software helps teams and individuals organize their time and projects. It is particularly effective for teams collaborating on single or multiple projects as users can track who is working on what and what needs to be done.

Project management tools can also create reports about performance and organize project flows into “pending,” “in-review” and “approved” stages that can be accessed by users.

Are project management tools easy to use?

Project management tools are designed to be user-friendly, though many have more complex functions to meet specific demands. There are free project management tools as well as basic plans that cost roughly $5 per user. Fees go up for project management tools for more complex or specific tasks. You can also create project management Microsoft Excel templates.

To help understand the benefits and scope of these tools, there are project management courses available. University Canada West offers a micro-credential course called The Introduction to Project Management – Foundation for Success. It is an online, self-paced, 40-hour, 12-module comprehensive course that provides content that aligns with the Project Management Institute’s “A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge.” This guide is a recognized and accepted standard of knowledge as related to project management worldwide. Students will learn about building a solid foundation of project management knowledge, techniques and tools, including project management software.

While there are many options for project management software free or otherwise, here is a selection of some popular tools:

  1. ProofHub is an all-in-one tool that eliminates the need to depend on multiple programs. It is scalable to the size of project members. It combines files, tracking, chat and calendar in a web portal. It is cloud-based, so work-from-home teams and outsourced workers can log into a secure, single-project management tool for all their project needs.
  2. Scoro is a comprehensive management software for professional and creative services. It shows exactly what team members need to work on and when, and allows users to see how changes and delays impact plans in an always up-to-date view. It tracks profitability in real-time and covers any billing scenarios. It is easily integrated with popular tools such as DropBox, Mailchimp, Outlook and more.
  3. Celoxis is an all-in-one tool that assists organizations in planning and tracking their portfolios, projects, tasks, resources, timesheets, issues and risks. Features include a customizable free client portal. Its dashboards and reporting capabilities are superb and one of the best in the market. It is feature-rich, intuitive and highly customizable.
  4. Monday.com is a simple but intuitive tool that enables organizations to manage work, meet deadlines and ensure transparency. The solution is best for streamlining discussions, seeing who is working on what and keeping everyone informed. It’s available in a free trial.
  5. Asana is an adaptable, cloud-based project management tool that helps teams map out every detail of multiple projects, enabling users to plan tasks in a way that best fits their needs. Its free version offers a basic dashboard and search, while premium and enterprise tiers offer more complex functions.
  6. Wrike offers collaboration, communication and document management tools. Users can visualize deadlines and critical path analysis with one-click, adjustable Gantt charts. Project progress can be monitored in real-time with project management tools, allowing users to keep an eye on productivity and pressure with workload view.
  7. Smartsheet offers a rich set of views, workflows, reports and dashboards to capture and track your plans, resources and schedules. It easily adapts from projects to multi-faceted company-wide initiatives.
  8. HubSpot is an all-in-one tool that combines the power of marketing, sales, support and project management teams together. For every project, users can break down different tasks, assign owners, set deadlines and provide any needed attachments or assets.

Published on December 2, 2022.