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Project Management Software Directory

Compare 25 widely used project management tools, from work management apps and agile boards to enterprise scheduling and open-source options. Filter by features, get a shortlist for your team, and compare up to three side by side.

How to choose project management software

  1. Start with how you work. Predictive projects need schedules with dependencies and a critical path; agile teams need backlogs, boards and sprints; many teams need both.
  2. List your must-haves. For example Gantt charts, time tracking, portfolio dashboards, or approval workflows.
  3. Check where it must run. Cloud, a desktop app, or your own servers for security or compliance reasons.
  4. Fit your ecosystem. Tools that connect to the email, chat and documents your team already uses get adopted faster.
  5. Trial with real work. Run one small project or a sprint in your top two choices before you commit.

Tools in the directory

Work management

  • Microsoft Planner (Microsoft): Teams already using Microsoft 365 and Teams who want task boards, with premium plans for schedules and dependencies.
  • Trello (Atlassian): Simple visual Kanban boards for small teams and personal task tracking.
  • Asana (Asana): Cross-functional teams that need lists, boards, timelines and portfolio views in one place.
  • monday.com (monday.com): Teams that want customizable boards, timeline views and dashboards without much setup.
  • Smartsheet (Smartsheet): Spreadsheet-minded teams that want Gantt charts, dependencies and roll-up reporting.
  • ClickUp (ClickUp): Teams that want tasks, docs, goals and time tracking in one configurable app.
  • Wrike (Wrike): Growing teams and enterprises that need Gantt charts, resource planning and request intake.
  • Airtable (Airtable): Teams that want to build their own tracker on a flexible database with board and timeline views.
  • Zoho Projects (Zoho): Small and mid-sized businesses that want Gantt charts, timesheets and issue tracking, especially if they use other Zoho apps.
  • Teamwork.com (Teamwork.com): Agencies and client-service teams that need project tracking with time tracking and billing.

Agile and software

  • Jira (Atlassian): Software and IT teams running Scrum or Kanban, with issue tracking and timelines.
  • Linear (Linear): Product and engineering teams that want fast issue tracking organized into cycles.
  • Azure DevOps (Microsoft): Development teams in the Microsoft ecosystem running Scrum or Kanban alongside code and pipelines.

Scheduling

  • Microsoft Project (desktop) (Microsoft): Detailed predictive schedules with dependencies, critical path and resource assignments.
  • Primavera P6 (Oracle): Large construction, engineering and infrastructure projects that need detailed CPM scheduling.

Portfolio management

  • Planview (Planview): Enterprises and PMOs managing portfolios, capacity and strategic planning across many projects.
  • Adobe Workfront (Adobe): Large organizations, often marketing teams, managing work intake, approvals and portfolios.

Docs and collaboration

  • Confluence (Atlassian): A team wiki for project documentation, meeting notes and requirements, often paired with Jira.
  • Notion (Notion Labs): Teams that want docs, wikis and simple project databases in one workspace.
  • Basecamp (37signals): Small teams and client projects that value simple to-dos, message boards and schedules over detailed planning.
  • Miro (Miro): Visual collaboration: planning workshops, retrospectives, process maps and story mapping.

Construction

  • Procore (Procore): General contractors and owners managing construction documents, RFIs, submittals and field work.

Open source

  • OpenProject (OpenProject): Organizations that want open-source project management with Gantt charts and agile boards, hosted on their own servers or in the cloud.
  • ProjectLibre (ProjectLibre): Individuals and small teams who need a free desktop scheduler similar to Microsoft Project.
  • GanttProject (GanttProject): Anyone who needs a free, simple desktop Gantt chart.

Common questions

What is the best project management software?

There is no single best tool. Teams running detailed predictive schedules usually want Gantt charts and dependencies, agile teams want boards and sprints, and PMOs want portfolio reporting. Start from how your team works, then trial two or three tools with real work.

Is there free project management software?

Yes. Open-source tools such as OpenProject, ProjectLibre and GanttProject are free to use, and many commercial tools offer free plans or trials. Plans and limits change often, so check each vendor's pricing page.

What happened to Microsoft Project Online?

Microsoft retired Project Online on September 30, 2026 and points cloud users to Microsoft Planner with premium capabilities. The Microsoft Project desktop app and Project Server Subscription Edition are not affected.

Do I need to know a specific tool for a project manager job?

Job ads often name a tool, but employers mostly care that you can plan, track and report work. Learn one scheduling tool and one board-based tool well, and the rest transfer quickly.

Building your plan? Use the free PM templates and PM calculators alongside any tool.

Listings are for information only and are not endorsements. Descriptions are general summaries written by PM Exam Lab. Features, plans and prices change often, so check each vendor's site. Project Online retirement date from Microsoft's announcement; Atlassian Data Center dates from Atlassian's announcement. Last reviewed: October 8, 2026. Product names are trademarks of their owners.

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