Best Project Management Tools: An Honest Comparison
You're here because you need a project management tool and the options are overwhelming. Monday.com, Asana, ClickUp, Trello, Wrike—every one of them claims to be the best. Let me cut through the marketing and tell you which ones actually deliver.
I've tested dozens of these tools across different team sizes and use cases. Here's what actually matters when choosing project management software, plus specific recommendations based on your situation.
Quick Summary: Best Project Management Tools
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Free Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday.com | Visual teams who need flexibility | $9/user/month | Yes (2 users, 3 boards) |
| Asana | Cross-functional team collaboration | $10.99/user/month | Yes (up to 10 users) |
| ClickUp | Teams wanting maximum customization | $7/user/month | Yes (limited features) |
| Trello | Simple Kanban workflows | $5/user/month | Yes (generous) |
| Wrike | Enterprise/complex workflows | $10/user/month | Yes (limited) |
Monday.com: Best for Visual Project Management
Monday.com is a cloud-based, highly customizable visual project management tool with drag-and-drop functionality, automations, and real-time collaboration features. It's genuinely intuitive—most people can start using it productively within an hour.
Monday.com Pricing
Monday.com uses "bucket pricing" where you pay for groups of seats rather than individual users. Plans start at a minimum of 3 seats, then go up in increments of 5.
- Free: Up to 2 users, 3 boards maximum, limited to Kanban and Table views
- Basic: $9/seat/month (billed annually) – unlimited boards, 5GB storage, prioritized support
- Standard: $12/seat/month – adds Timeline, Gantt, Calendar views, 250 automations/month, 20GB storage
- Pro: $19/seat/month – private boards, time tracking, chart view, 25,000 automations/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing – 250,000 automations, advanced security, multi-level permissions
The Standard plan is generally considered their best value since it includes Timeline/Gantt views and automations that most teams actually need.
What's Good About Monday.com
- Genuinely easy to learn—the interface is clean and intuitive
- 200+ templates for different industries and use cases
- Strong automation capabilities (when you upgrade beyond Basic)
- Real-time collaboration with live updates
What Sucks About Monday.com
- The free plan is almost useless—only 2 users and 3 boards
- Adding users in increments of 5 means you often pay for seats you don't need
- Basic plan doesn't include automations or Gantt charts
- Pricing increased significantly in early 2024
For a deeper dive, check out our Monday.com review and Monday.com pricing breakdown.
Asana: Best for Cross-Functional Teams
Asana is a powerful work management platform with an intuitive interface, massive integrations library, and strong collaboration features. It's particularly good for teams managing multiple projects across different departments.
Asana Pricing
- Personal (Free): Up to 10 users (some sources say 15 teammates), unlimited tasks and projects, list/board/calendar views, 100MB file storage per file
- Starter: $10.99/user/month billed annually ($13.49 monthly) – Timeline and Gantt views, workflow builder, custom fields, project dashboards
- Advanced: $24.99/user/month billed annually ($30.49 monthly) – portfolios, workload tracking, time tracking, AI Studio access, Salesforce integration
- Enterprise: Custom pricing – SAML/SCIM, advanced security, unlimited features
- Enterprise+: Custom pricing – HIPAA compliance, data residency, audit logs
The free plan's 10-user limit makes Asana one of the most generous options for small teams just getting started.
What's Good About Asana
- Best-in-class integrations—over 200+ apps including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Quickbooks
- Generous free plan with up to 10 users
- Clean, color-coded interface that's easy to navigate
- Strong workflow automation on paid plans
What Sucks About Asana
- Free plan lacks Timeline view, Gantt charts, and custom fields
- You can't assign a task to multiple users (a common complaint)
- New users sometimes find the abundance of features overwhelming
- No refunds if you cancel mid-subscription
Compare Asana directly with Monday.com in our Monday.com vs Asana comparison.
ClickUp: Best for Customization Addicts
ClickUp positions itself as an all-in-one productivity platform that can replace multiple tools. It offers deep customization options and a feature-rich experience, though it comes with a learning curve.
ClickUp Pricing
- Free Forever: Unlimited users, 100MB storage, limited views and features
- Unlimited: $7/user/month – unlimited storage, integrations, dashboards, Gantt charts
- Business: $12/user/month – Google SSO, advanced automations, time tracking, workload management
- Enterprise: Custom pricing – white labeling, advanced permissions, dedicated support
ClickUp is notably cheaper than Monday.com and Asana at the entry-level paid tier.
What's Good About ClickUp
- Extremely customizable—you can build almost any workflow
- Lower starting price than most competitors
- Free plan allows unlimited users (with limitations)
- Docs, whiteboards, and mind maps built in
What Sucks About ClickUp
- Steep learning curve due to feature overload
- Can feel slow with complex projects
- ClickUp University training costs extra
- The abundance of features can distract from actual work
Trello: Best for Simple Kanban Workflows
Trello is the go-to tool for kanban boards. If your team thinks in columns—To Do, In Progress, Done—Trello makes that dead simple. It's not trying to be everything; it's trying to be the best at visual task management.
Trello Pricing
- Free: Unlimited boards, unlimited cards, 10MB file attachment limit, basic automation
- Standard: $5/user/month – unlimited boards, advanced checklists, custom fields, 250MB attachments
- Premium: $10/user/month – Timeline, Dashboard, Calendar views, unlimited automation
- Enterprise: $17.50/user/month – organization-wide permissions, attachment restrictions, SAML SSO
The free plan is genuinely usable for small teams who don't need advanced features.
What's Good About Trello
- Easiest learning curve of any PM tool
- Generous free plan for basic needs
- Power-Ups add functionality when needed
- Clean, uncluttered interface
What Sucks About Trello
- Limited reporting and analytics
- Not built for complex, multi-phase projects
- Can get messy with large teams or many boards
- Lacks built-in time tracking
Wrike: Best for Enterprise Complexity
Wrike is built for larger organizations with complex, multi-phase projects across departments. It offers deep customization with dynamic request forms, templates, and custom item types that are suited for unique processes.
Wrike Pricing
- Free: Limited users, basic task management
- Team: $10/user/month – full project planning, interactive Gantt charts
- Business: $25/user/month – cross-tagging, request forms, reports, time tracking
- Enterprise: Custom pricing – SAML, branded workspaces, advanced reporting
- Pinnacle: Custom pricing – advanced analytics, locked spaces, performance dashboard
What's Good About Wrike
- Scales well for enterprise needs
- Strong proofing and asset management
- Handles complex, cross-functional workflows
- AI-powered tools for drafting and summarizing
What Sucks About Wrike
- Expensive compared to alternatives
- UX isn't as intuitive as Monday.com or Asana
- Overkill for smaller teams
- Some users report adoption challenges
Other Tools Worth Mentioning
Budget Options
- nTask: $3/user/month for the Premium plan—solid value for basic project management
- Zoho Projects: $4/user/month—works well if you're already using other Zoho apps
- Nifty: Highest value-for-money rating according to Software Advice analysis
Specialized Options
- Microsoft Project: Best if you're already deep in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem
- Smartsheet: Powerful spreadsheet-like interface for data-heavy teams
- ProofHub: Flat-fee pricing (unlimited users) for teams worried about per-seat costs
If you're looking for free options specifically, check out our free project management software guide.
How to Choose the Right Tool
Stop looking at feature lists. Here's what actually matters:
For Small Teams (Under 10 People)
Go with Asana's free plan or Trello. Asana gives you up to 10 users free with solid core features. Trello is even simpler if you just need kanban boards. Don't pay for features you won't use.
For Growing Teams (10-50 People)
Monday.com Standard or Asana Starter. Both offer the timeline/Gantt views and automations that medium-sized teams actually need. Monday.com is more visual; Asana has better integrations. Your call.
For Large Organizations (50+ People)
Wrike or Enterprise plans from Monday.com/Asana. At this scale, you need advanced permissions, security features, and dedicated support. Budget for Enterprise-tier pricing.
For Customization Junkies
ClickUp. If you want to tweak every detail and don't mind the learning curve, ClickUp offers the most flexibility at a lower price point.
For Simplicity Above All
Trello. Some teams just need boards and cards. Trello does that better than anyone, and the free plan is genuinely useful.
What Most Buyers Budget
According to industry analysis, 58-59% of project management software buyers budget $20-$40 per user per month. Entry-level plans average around $200-230/month for teams with under 50 users.
If your budget is tight, start with free plans from Asana or Trello. Upgrade when you hit limitations, not before.
The Bottom Line
There's no universally "best" project management tool. But here's my honest take:
- Most teams should start with Monday.com or Asana. They're proven, well-supported, and intuitive enough that your team will actually use them.
- Don't overpay for features you won't use. Start with the cheapest plan that meets your needs and upgrade later.
- Trial everything. Most tools offer free trials—use them before committing to annual billing.
For more detailed comparisons, see our project management software comparison and best project management software guides.