Trello Standard at $5 per user per month is the lowest entry price here, while Asana, ClickUp, Notion, Wrike, and Smartsheet start at $9 to $10.99 per user per month. Seven of the eight tools offer a free plan, and Smartsheet instead offers a 30 day trial with no credit card required. Asana and monday.com suit teams that need timelines, dashboards, and reporting, while Trello and Notion suit smaller teams that want a light start.
We compared 8 options for best project management software reviews. Each profile below lists the price, free plan, pros and cons as published by the company.
On this page
Best project management software reviews: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asana | Timelines, dashboards, and team reporting | $10.99 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 2 | monday.com | Visual boards and team workflows | $9 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 3 | ClickUp | All in one tasks, docs, and chat | $9 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 4 | Trello | Simple Kanban boards for small teams | $5 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 5 | Notion | Docs, wikis, and project pages in one place | $10 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 6 | Wrike | Structured work, Gantt charts, and approvals | $10 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Smartsheet | Spreadsheet style sheets and reporting | $9 per user/month | No | Visit |
| 8 | Teamwork.com | Client work, time tracking, and invoicing | $9.99 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best best project management software reviews, in detail
Asana
Best for: Timelines, dashboards, and team reporting
Asana gives a team one place to turn a goal into tasks, owners, and due dates. The Starter plan adds Timeline and Gantt views, reporting dashboards, forms, custom fields, and unlimited automations, which covers the planning work most small and mid size teams need. The free Personal plan covers 2 users with unlimited tasks and projects, so a pair can test the core workflow.
- The main trade off is the jump between plans.
- Portfolios, goals, resource management, approvals, and proofing sit on Advanced at $24.99 per user per month billed annually, so a team that outgrows
- Still, Asana is a clear pick for teams that plan by dates, report upward, and want a clean path from a task list to a timeline.
Pros
- Timeline and Gantt views on Starter
- Unlimited automations on Starter
Cons
- Free Personal plan covers only 2 users
- Portfolios and goals need Advanced at $24.99 per user/month
monday.com
Best for: Visual boards and team workflows
monday.com builds work around boards, columns, and status labels. The free plan covers up to 2 seats with up to 3 boards, up to 3 Docs, and 8 column types, so a solo user or a pair can learn the layout. Basic starts at $9 per seat per month billed annually, while Standard at $12 per seat per month adds Timeline and Gantt views, guest access, and 250 automation actions and 250 integration actions per month.
- Pro at $19 per seat per month adds private workspaces, time tracking, and 25,000 automation actions per month.
- The pricing detail that matters most is the seat rule.
- Plans start at 3 seats and then move in groups of 5, so a team of 4 buys 5 seats and a team of 6 buys 10 seats, which lifts the real monthly bill abov
- Basic also has no automation or integration actions, so many teams will need Standard at least.
Pros
- Flexible boards with many column types
- Timeline and Gantt views on Standard
Cons
- Plans start at 3 seats and use seat groups
- Basic has no automation or integration actions
ClickUp
Best for: All in one tasks, docs, and chat
ClickUp packs tasks, docs, chat, whiteboards, sprint tools, time tracking, and dashboards into one workspace. The Free Forever plan costs $0 with 60 MB of storage, unlimited tasks and subtasks, unlimited free members, Kanban boards, calendar view, sprint management, and one form, which is generous for a free tier. Core starts at $9 per user per month billed annually and adds custom fields and task types, unlimited storage and spaces, unlimited forms, unlimited Gantt charts, unlimited ClickUp Chat, and 1,000 automations per month.
- Business at $17 per user per month billed annually adds advanced dashboards, webhooks, 10,000 automations per month, resource management, Google SSO,
- The limit to plan around is the workspace rule.
- An upgrade applies to the whole workspace, and guest seats are limited on Core and Business.
- ClickUp suits a team that wants one tool for planning, writing, chat, and time.
Pros
- Free Forever plan has unlimited tasks and members
- Core adds unlimited storage, Gantt charts, and custom fields
Cons
- The whole workspace must upgrade together
- Guest seats on entry plans are limited
Trello
Best for: Simple Kanban boards for small teams
Trello is the simplest tool in this list, and that is its main strength. Work sits on boards made of lists and cards, with members, due dates, checklists, and comments on each card. The free plan costs $0 for up to 10 collaborators per workspace, with 10 boards per workspace and 250 automation runs per month.
- Standard starts at $5 per user per month billed annually, or $6 billed monthly, and adds unlimited boards, card mirroring, advanced checklists, custom
- Premium at $10 per user per month billed annually adds Calendar, Timeline, Table, and Dashboard views, plus unlimited automation runs.
- Trello stays light by leaving deeper planning to higher tiers.
- A team that needs timeline planning, workload views, or formal reporting will need Premium, and a team that needs portfolios or resource planning will
Pros
- Free plan covers up to 10 collaborators per workspace
- Standard adds unlimited boards and more automation runs
Cons
- Calendar, Timeline, and Dashboard views need Premium at $10 per user/month
- Free plan allows only 10 boards per workspace
Notion
Best for: Docs, wikis, and project pages in one place
Notion blends notes, docs, wikis, and project tracking in one workspace. The free plan costs $0 and includes a trial of Notion AI, basic forms, basic sites, Notion Calendar, and databases with subtasks, dependencies, and custom properties. Plus starts at $10 per user per month billed annually, or $12 billed monthly, and adds custom forms, custom sites, charts, collaborative blocks, file uploads up to 5 GB, and 30 day page history.
- Business at $20 per user per month billed annually adds Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes, Enterprise Search in beta, SAML SSO, private teamspaces, and 9
- Notion is less of a pure project tracker than Asana or Wrike, and that shows in its limits.
- The free plan allows unlimited blocks for a solo user but limits blocks when 2 or more members share a workspace, so a growing team will need Plus.
- Full AI also sits on Business, while Free and Plus get only a limited trial.
Pros
- Databases with subtasks, dependencies, and custom properties
- Guests are free on pages they are invited to
Cons
- Full Notion AI needs Business at $20 per user/month
- Free plan limits blocks when 2 or more members share a workspace
Wrike
Best for: Structured work, Gantt charts, and approvals
Wrike suits teams that need structure, with folders, projects, tasks, and Gantt charts. The free plan costs $0 with unlimited users, basic task management, board and table views, and 2 GB of storage per account, but it caps active tasks at 200. Team starts at $10 per user per month billed annually for 2 to 15 users, and adds interactive Gantt charts, shareable dashboards, and AI Essentials.
- Business at $25 per user per month billed annually for 5 to 200 users adds approvals, request forms, proofing, resource management, time tracking, tem
- Pinnacle and Apex are priced by quote.
- The two limits to check are seat groups and billing terms.
- Wrike sells seats in groups of 5 up to 30 seats, then groups of 10 up to 100 seats, then groups of 25 above 100 seats, so a team of 16 buys 20 seats.
Pros
- Team plan adds Gantt charts and shareable dashboards
- Business adds approvals, request forms, and time tracking
Cons
- Business and above are annual subscriptions only
- Seats are sold in groups of 5 up to 30 seats
Smartsheet
Best for: Spreadsheet style sheets and reporting
Smartsheet will feel familiar to anyone who likes spreadsheets, with sheets, rows, columns, and Gantt, board, calendar, and table views. Pro starts at $9 per member per month billed annually, or $12 billed monthly, for 1 to 10 members with unlimited contributors, unlimited sheets, forms, reports, 250 automations per month, and 20 GB of attachment storage. Business at $19 per member per month billed annually, or $24 billed monthly, for 3 or more members adds timeline view, workload tracking, admin tools, unlimited automations, external AI connections, and 1 TB of attachment storage.
- Enterprise and Advanced Work Management are priced by quote.
- The clear limit is the lack of a free plan.
- New users get a 30 day trial with no credit card required, but there is no free tier to stay on after the trial ends.
- Pro also caps members at 10, so a team that grows past that cap must move to Business at more than double the entry rate.
Pros
- Pro includes Gantt, board, calendar, and table views
- Business adds timeline view, workload tracking, and 1 TB of storage
Cons
- No free plan, only a 30 day trial
- Pro is limited to 1 to 10 members
Teamwork.com
Best for: Client work, time tracking, and invoicing
Teamwork.com is built for agencies, consultancies, and professional services teams that bill clients for time. The free plan costs $0 for up to 5 users and 5 projects, with task, list, board, Gantt, and table views, time logging, client organisation, and 100 automations per month. Basics starts at $9.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.99 billed monthly, with a 3 seat minimum, and adds unlimited templates, 300 projects, 100 GB of storage, 5,000 automations per month, and billable time reporting.
- Accelerate at $24.99 per user per month billed annually adds smart forms, 20,000 automations, workload planning, time budgets, retainers, invoicing fr
- Optimize and Enterprise are priced by quote.
- The gap between Basics and Accelerate is the main thing to check.
- Timesheets, workload planning, time budgets, and invoicing sit on Accelerate, so an agency that bills by the hour will likely need the higher tier, no
Pros
- Basics adds Gantt, table, list, and board views with billable time tracking
- Free plan covers up to 5 users and 5 projects
Cons
- Timesheets and workload planning need Accelerate at $24.99 per user/month
- Basics starts at a 3 seat minimum
How we chose
We opened each vendor pricing page on 2026-11-12 and took the entry rate from that page, with annual billing as the base rate. We then read the plan comparison on the same page to check the free plan, seat minimums, member caps, automation limits, and the tier that holds timeline views, reporting, time tracking, and invoicing. We picked tools that cover the main ways teams plan work: Kanban boards, timelines, spreadsheets, docs, and client billing. Prices change, so check the pricing page link in Sources before you buy.
What 5 and 10 people pay each month
| Tool | Entry plan | 5 users per month | 10 users per month | | Trello | Standard $5 | $25 | $50 | | monday.com | Basic $9 | $45 | $90 | | ClickUp | Core $9 | $45 | $90 | | Smartsheet | Pro $9 | $45 | $90 | | Teamwork.com | Basics $9.99 | $49.95 | $99.90 | | Notion | Plus $10 | $50 | $100 | | Wrike | Team $10 | $50 | $100 | | Asana | Starter $10.99 | $54.95 | $109.90 | All figures use the entry plan rate on annual billing, before tax, and before seat rules. monday.com sells seats in groups, so a team of 4 buys 5 seats and a team of 6 buys 10 seats. Teamwork.com Basics needs at least 3 seats, Wrike Team covers 2 to 15 users, and Smartsheet Pro covers 1 to 10 members.
Frequently asked questions
Which project management software is best for a small team?
Trello is the simplest start at $5 per user per month, with a free plan for up to 10 collaborators. Asana Starter at $10.99 per user per month is better when a small team needs timelines, dashboards, and reporting. ClickUp Core at $9 per user per month is better when one tool must cover tasks, docs, and chat.
Is there a free project management tool in this list?
Yes, seven of the eight tools offer a free plan. Asana Personal covers 2 users, monday.com free covers up to 2 seats, ClickUp Free Forever has unlimited tasks and members, Trello free covers up to 10 collaborators, Notion free covers solo use, Wrike free covers unlimited users with 200 active tasks, and Teamwork.com free covers up to 5 users.
How much does project management software cost per month?
Entry rates in this review run from $5 to $10.99 per user per month on annual billing. Trello Standard is $5, monday.com Basic, ClickUp Core, and Smartsheet Pro are $9, Teamwork.com Basics is $9.99, Notion Plus and Wrike Team are $10, and Asana Starter is $10.99.
Which tool is best for client work and billing?
Teamwork.com is the best fit for client work in this list, because Basics tracks billable time and Accelerate at $24.99 per user per month adds timesheets, time budgets, retainers, workload planning, and invoicing from logged time. Wrike Business also adds time tracking and approvals at $25 per user per month.
Do I need a timeline or Gantt view?
You need one when work has dates, dependencies, and several people, and a board alone cannot show the order of work. Asana Starter, monday.com Standard, ClickUp Core, Wrike Team, and Smartsheet Pro all include a timeline or Gantt view on the entry plan. Trello needs Premium at $10 per user per month for Timeline view.
Can I switch tools later without losing work?
Most tools in this list offer importers for common formats and for rival tools, and Teamwork.com lists one click import from Wrike, Asana, Basecamp, ClickUp, Trello, and monday.com. Before you move, export a sample project, check that owners, due dates, comments, and attachments carry over, and confirm the new plan covers the views and automations you use.
Sources
- https://asana.com/
- https://asana.com/pricing
- https://monday.com/
- https://monday.com/pricing
- https://clickup.com/
- https://clickup.com/pricing
- https://trello.com/
- https://trello.com/pricing
- https://notion.com/
- https://www.notion.com/pricing
- https://www.wrike.com/
- https://www.wrike.com/price/
- https://www.smartsheet.com/
- https://www.smartsheet.com/pricing
- https://www.teamwork.com/
- https://www.teamwork.com/pricing/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.