Online project management tools are becoming the norm for obvious reasons - data is held centrally, it can be updated in real-time by lots of people, and they handle version control, back-up and archiving automatically.
There are lots of options out there - this is just an overview of eight of the most popular. If you find others which you think I should list here, please let me know using the comments field at the bottom of the page.
- Nick
Basecamp
Website: http://www.basecamphq.com
"Every day the world’s most respected brands, small businesses, non-profits, and entrepreneurs depend on Basecamp to make their projects run smoothly. Safe, secure, and reliable. Since 2004."
My view: From 37signals, who also provide Highrise (online sales process tool), Basecamp is the benchmark for all other online tools. It keeps on getting better, and is a cinch to set up and get started. The only note of caution is that XML / iCal feeds put authentication in the URL, so these should be used very carefully. Overall though - with 3 million users and almost all good feedback, very few people have bad things to say about it. Definitely worth a try if you don't mind paying for it.
Cost: $$$ - 30-day free trial, then $24 - 149/month depending on number of projects, online storage, time tracking and security options.
Edit 13/03/09: an option I inexplicably missed...
5pm
Website: http://www.5pmweb.com
"5pm can be your central location for project and task management, team collaboration, time tracking, reporting and more... "
My
view: Somehow I'd never come across 5pm before, but it looks great,
with clear, intuitive menus and some nice advanced features. Offering a
one-step data migration from Basecamp is clearly a great feature, as it
undercuts its larger competitor. User reviews are very positive, so
this seems a 'must-consider' alternative to Basecamp.
Cost: $$$ - Free trial then $18 - $175 / per month depending on number of projects, online storage and number of users.
Zoho Projects
Website: http://projects.zoho.com/
"Online Project Management & Collaboration: Plan, Track, Collaborate and Manage your Projects Online"
My view: Part of the much larger Zoho product family, it's the obvious choice if you already use Zoho. Cheaper than Basecamp and you can use it for one project for free if you fancy trying it at no risk.
Cost: $$ - 1 project for free, $12/month for 10 projects / 2GB, $80/month for unlimited projects & 25GB space
Workamajig
Website: http://www.workamajig.com/
"As web-based job tracking and integrated project management software, Workamajig® streamlines entire ad agencies and creative firms, from new business and sales leads to staffing and creative execution, and all the way through a project's cycle to accounting and financial reporting."
My view: Squarely aimed at the creative environment, Workamajig is more specialised than some other tools, which may be an advantage for some users. Bespoke costing though, which presumably means spending tens of thousands of dollars, may be a drawback!
Cost: $$$$$ - bespoke, call for a quote
activCollab
Website: http://www.activcollab.com
"activeCollab is a project management and collaboration tool that you can set up on your own website. Have an area where you can collaborate with your team, clients and contractors and keep projects on track while retaining full control over access permissions and your data."
My view: A different take on the 'online project management' theme, activCollab is analogous to WordPress in that you install it on your own website and then use it online from there. It's not too pricey but will require some work in getting set up.
Cost: $$$$ - two options: Small Biz ($199 initially, $99/year from second year) and Corporate ($399 initially, $199 from second year).
LiquidPlanner
Website: http://www.liquidplanner.com
"LiquidPlanner is the only project management tool that lets you easily adapt your project plan based on real-life change and uncertainty. The result? Realistic schedules that make planning, collaborating, and hitting deadlines a breeze."
My view: Seems to require a lot of input to make the advanced features work. However 'per user' pricing structure will certainly be offputting for some - with 50 users would be £1250/month!
Cost: $$$$ - 30 day free trial, then $25/per month/ per user thereafter...
goplan
Website: http://goplan.info/
"Manage multiple projects with ease using Goplan's intuitive user interface. No click-trickery to get to the information you need to work on - all your projects are immediately accessible from your account dashboard, next to your assigned tasks, issues and calendar events."
My view: Neat-looking app with all the basic features executed well. Cheap and cheerful, with more good features coming in goplan 2 (active blog and engagement from the developers, always a good sign).
Cost: $$ - free to try, $10-$100 per month depending on options.
Project2Manage
Website: http://www.project2manage.com/
"Project2Manage is a free hosted project management solution that virtually anyone can use. It’s free so sign up today."
My view: Super-simple, free tool - lacks some of the polish and advanced functionality of the competitors, but being free is a major selling point!
Cost: n/a - it's free :-)
Wrike
Website: http://www.wrike.com/
"Wrike is an integrated online project management solution that helps you manage projects, teams and businesses."
My view: With some interesting advanced features, Wrike seem to be selling themselves as an enterprise solution - so not the sort of thing that you'd use to build a website or organise a wedding! However that's no bad thing as it offers differentiation versus the competitors. It's priced per user, but this probably wouldn't be a problem for the target market.
Cost: $$$$- $5 - $15 / per user / month
Hi Nick. I'm taking advantage of your invitation to bring up other online project management software you may have missed. Tenrox (www.tenrox.com) is an enterprise level solution so, like Wrike, may not be suitable for the independent consultant. Tenrox has also been nominated for two SIIA awards this year! If you'd like more info, feel free to get back to me.
Posted by: Marty | Friday, 13 March 2009 at 15:37
Thanks for the heads up Marty - I'll check it out, and will add it to the list when I get a chance...!
Nick
Posted by: Nick Seeber | Friday, 13 March 2009 at 15:59
Nick, thank you for mentioning us. This is a nice and short overview of the main PM tools.
5pm is fairly new and not so much in the spotlight, but our clients are very happy with it. So I hope others will give it a try too - it takes a single look to see why our user base is growing rapidly.
And for all Twitters - we have a Friday discount that expires at 5pm EST (20%) today. Email our support to take advantage of it!
-5pm Team
Posted by: Sergei | Friday, 13 March 2009 at 18:11
Our project management tool DeskAway is great for small businesses. We have a free plan that does not expire, and have paid plans at very reasonable rates.
Check it out.
http://www.deskaway.com
Posted by: Priyanka D | Monday, 16 March 2009 at 06:38
Note to self - check http://www.intervals.com/
Posted by: Nick Seeber | Monday, 16 March 2009 at 16:08
Hi Nick, I would add Clarizen to the list - most PM tools focus on the planning aspect of the project rather than execution which is where 90% of time is typically spent. Clarizen has a number of unique collaborative features (notably ProjectMail which leverages the inevitable use of email and allows all stakeholders to receive status reports and updates directly to their inbox and update their progress via email i.e. without the need to have a login to the system). More at www.clarizen.com
Posted by: Matthew Bruggen | Sunday, 22 March 2009 at 16:22
It includes complete set of features for web-based creation, editing, viewing, discussing, versioning, secured sharing and publishing of project plans.
If you need a tool to manage your software development projects,
I can reccommend
http://www.ganttzilla.com
It’s free!
Posted by: Piter | Wednesday, 03 March 2010 at 10:53
I work for an advertising agency, and we use Workamajig. I can say that it provides pretty much everything we need to manage projects, which is great. However, it is not user friendly at all due to the fact that it is built in Flash. It takes a ridiculous amount of time to load each page and is a big time waster. I find myself saying almost everyday, "I hate Workamajig!"
Posted by: Jennifer | Thursday, 25 March 2010 at 13:44
Thanks, Jennifer, that's useful insight :-)
Posted by: Nick Seeber | Thursday, 25 March 2010 at 14:15
Having web based project management software is an asset for any company because it manages the work-flow and projects effectively, as it is a perfect solution for an imperfect work space.
Posted by: Project Management Software | Monday, 17 May 2010 at 13:05
Another system to check out is www.functionpoint.com - it has been designed for the creative industries ... and is not built in Flash!
Posted by: steve | Friday, 28 May 2010 at 19:52
Online project management software allows the project managers to work without excessive workload. As it is online, team members can log in and view the software statistics. With the help of online project management software you can get the things done faster. With it you can share your work plans with your colleagues.
Posted by: IT Support El Monte | Saturday, 29 May 2010 at 12:50
Online project management tools are becoming the norm for obvious reasons - data is held centrally, it can be updated in real-time by lots of people, and they handle version control, back-up and archiving automatically.
Posted by: Web Based Project Management Software | Thursday, 03 June 2010 at 12:15
Hey Nick
You should definitely add Dooster to the list. It's a great online PM tool and would recommend you check it out: www.dooster.net
Posted by: Ted | Wednesday, 20 October 2010 at 17:14
Hello,
Our company directors decided a few months ago that we were to start working with project management software and amongst others Zoho, 5pm and Basecamp were considered. I think cost may have been a factor as we are a small company but the partners chose Dooster.net and it's pretty good. That is to say we have been much calmer but getting more done and revenue has been up for a while which makes the atmosphere more cheery. So I have to say I quite like Dooster.
Posted by: Sandy1963 | Wednesday, 17 August 2011 at 20:51