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Today’s range of cloud project management software solutions allow organizations of all sizes to leverage enterprise-grade project management features, including streamlined project workflows, enhanced collaboration tools, real-time project data access from anywhere, and generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. We evaluated the top products on the market to see how they compared on pricing, features, integrations, and customer support—here are picks for the top cloud project management solutions for 2024.
- Wrike: Best for Gantt Charts
- Asana: Best for Support, Integrations
- Monday.com: Best for Core Features, Support
- Smartsheet: Best for Customizations
- Trello: Best for Kanban
- Jira: Best for Software Teams
- Zoho Projects: Best for Pricing, Core Features
- TeamGantt: Best for Core Features
- YouTrack: Best for Pricing, Integrations
- Basecamp: Best for Core Features
Featured Partners: Project Management Software
Top Cloud Project Management Software Comparison
At a glance, here’s how the top cloud project management software solutions stack up in terms of their key features, benefits, and pricing:
| Core Features | Additional Features | Support | Integrations | Pricing (user/month) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asana | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | $24.99 |
| Basecamp | 5/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | $15 |
| Jira | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | $8.15 |
| Monday.com | 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | $8 |
| Smartsheet | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | $7 |
| Team Gantt | 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | $49 (per manager) |
| Trello | 4/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | $5 |
| Wrike | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | $9.80 |
| YouTrack | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | $4.40 |
| Zoho Projects | 5/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | $5 |
Table of Contents
Wrike
Best for Gantt Charts
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
- Core Features: 5/5
- Additional Features: 3/5
- Integrations: 3/5
- Support: 3/5
- Vendor Profile: 3/5
As a project management tool, Wrike is most well-known for its strong Gantt chart creation features and options. The veteran project management player has managed to stack up an impressive list of industry awards and citations over the years for its user-friendly interface, real-time collaboration tools, automation capabilities, and features for helping manage complex projects more efficiently.
Recent Wrike updates include a refresh of its dashboards and user interface (UI), including a new look and feel for widgets and new automation and generative AI capabilities.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comes with a variety of Gantt charts and forecasting features. | Users have reported notification delays/latency with some integrations. |
| Automation and AI features. | Lacks some standard features present in competing offerings (e.g., chat and note-taking tools). |
| Comes with a myriad of integrations. | Can be difficult to navigate/view tasks. |
Pricing
- $9.80 per user, per month
- Free tier available
Features
- Includes interactive project timelines for easily visualizing timelines and dependencies
- AI powered features like project risk predictions/recommendations (i.e., Wrike’s Work Intelligence™ solution) save time by automating tasks
- Integrates with popular tools like Salesforce and Adobe Creative Cloud
Asana
Best for Support, Integrations
Overall Rating: 4/5
- Core Features: 4/5
- Additional Features: 4/5
- Integrations: 5/5
- Support: 4/5
- Vendor Profile: 3/5
As a “born-in-the-cloud” offering, Asana was one of the to break the mold of traditional desktop project management software applications like Microsoft Project. To this day, the leading cloud-based project management platform is a favorite among large and small teams alike.
Asana may be focused on delivering an intuitive, user-friendly mobile/cloud-first interface, but under its hood is a powerful and comprehensive feature set for effectively managing tasks, projects, and collaborations that rival most desktop-only project management solutions. And as of late, Asana has developed tighter third-party integrations with leading CRMs like Salesforce and Hubspot—and even competing project management tools like Jira.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Allows for streamlined integrations with existing workflows and processes | Not an intuitive tool for non-project management professionals |
| Variety of third-party integrations | Limitations in task assignment capabilities/options |
| Comprehensive toolset—from project planning, task delegation, and project status monitoring, to real-time communication/collaboration features | Numerous extraneous features and options make for a cluttered user experience |
Pricing
- $24.99 per user, per month
- Free tier available
Features
- Lets users view tasks individually and within overarching project schedules
- Comes with a wide range of pre-built project templates
- Integrates with other office and business productivity tools/platforms like Google Workspace, Slack, and Salesforce
Monday.com
Best for Core Features, Support
Overall Rating: 4/5
- Core Features: 5/5
- Additional Features: 3/5
- Integrations: 3/5
- Support: 4/5
- Vendor Profile: 2/5
Monday is another born-in-the-cloud project management solution geared for enterprise and corporate users, with both Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) modes as well as a local/on-premises Windows/macOS version.
The solution offers a visually appealing UI, intelligently-designed dashboards, and unified workflows and collaborative spaces for planning, executing, and tracking projects.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lots of customizable Interfaces, automation, and workflows | Time and expense tracking is difficult |
| Ready-made templates and assets | Users have reported issues with integrations (and a suboptimal API experience) |
Pricing
- $8 per user, per month
- Free tier available
Features
- UI allows for customizations and unique workflows/project timelines/progress indicators
- Automation capabilities streamline common and repetitive tasks
- Ample pre-built, ready-to-use project management assets: visual boards, over 200 ready-made templates, no-code automations snippets, integration connectors, and more
Smartsheet
Best for Customizations
Overall Rating: 4/5
- Core Features: 5/5
- Additional Features: 4/5
- Integrations: 5/5
- Support: 4/5
- Vendor Profile: 3/5
Smartsheet is a flexible, highly configurable project management software as a service (SaaS) for business users who need access via multiple devices. The solution provides task management and content collaboration tools, as well as spreadsheets and dashboards for bolstering office productivity.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lots of integrations | Novice project managers may encounter a steep learning curve. |
| Highly customizable for special use cases. | Users have reported issues with real-time data updates. |
Pricing
- $7 per user, per month
- Free trial available
Features
- Includes specialized applications for different industries (e.g., retail barcode scanning feature to quickly track items and automatically input them into a spreadsheet)
- Integrates with popular applications for streamlining project management workflows
Trello
Best for Kanban
Overall Rating: 3/5
- Core Features: 3/5
- Additional Features: 1/5
- Integrations: 4/5
- Support: 3/5
- Vendor Profile: 3/5
For years, Trello’s no-nonsense, effective Kanban solution has been the project management tool of choice for teams looking to ramp up quickly with minimal user training. The tool’s visually minimalistic system of boards, lists, and cards for organizing tasks and projects makes it easy to get up to production speed.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Power in simplicity (i.e., basic Kanban)—with a low learning curve | Lacks many advanced features |
| Tool renders well across devices (e.g., tablet, phone, desktop) | Offers limited customization options |
| Strong notification features | Users have reported scalability issues for larger organizations |
Pricing
- $5 per user, per month
- Free trial available
Features
- Card covers can be customized to spruce up UI
- Advanced checklists allow for more granular task tracking
- Automations via Butler, Trello’s AI help bot
Zoho Projects
Best for Pricing, Core Features
Overall Rating: 4/5
- Core Features: 5/5
- Additional Features: 2/5
- Integrations: 4/5
- Support: 4/5
- Vendor Profile: 5/5
Zoho has long been regarded as an affordable, enterprise-focused alternative to many of Microsoft’s Office tools. These days Zoho Projects offers a full-featured cloud project management platform ideal for small and medium sized organizations.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy to set up and learn with extensive configuration options | Does not include readymade templates out-of-the-gate |
| Strong time-tracking and in-app communication tools | Slightly unusual resource management view |
Pricing
- $5 per user, per month
- Free tier available
Features
- Offers built-in time tracking and resource management reports
- Tracks and alerts on project budgets
- Project templates and workflows are customizable
Team Gantt
Best for Core Features
Overall Rating: 4/5
- Core Features: 5/5
- Additional Features: 3/5
- Integrations: 3/5
- Support: 4/5
- Vendor Profile: 3/5
TeamGantt is an easy-to-use project management tool that, like Wrike, centers around the Gantt chart model. The solution has a low learning curve and is ideal for small to medium sized teams.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Intuitive and easy to use | Features for discussions, notifications, and uploaded files could be improved |
| Interactive Gantt charting functionality | No budgeting or invoicing tools |
| Simple drag-and-drop interactions | Reporting capabilities limited. |
Pricing
- $49 per month, per manager
- User-level access is free
Features
- Allows simple Gantt charting with a minimal learning curve
- Extensive tutorials make getting up to speed easy
- Provides visibility for workloads and team availability
YouTrack
Best for Pricing, Integrations
Overall Rating: 4/5
- Core Features: 4/5
- Additional Features: 4/5
- Integrations: 4/5
- Support: 3/5
- Vendor Profile: 5/5
Czech software vendor JetBrains is perhaps best known for its software development integrated development environment (IDE), intellij, and the Java-compatible Kotlin programming language. The company also develops YouTrack, a universal project management system used by over 85,000 teams across the world.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| All-in-one workspace, strong dashboard widgets and agile boards | Users have reported various UI/software bugs and glitches |
| Tool offers many customizations and collaboration tools. | Can be difficult to configure. |
| Ample integrations and automations. | UI is dated |
Pricing
- $4.40 per user, per month
- Free tier available
Features
- Easy to use task manager
- Strong permissions management and agile workflow tools
Basecamp
Best for Core Features
Overall Rating: 3/5
- Core Features: 5/5
- Additional Features: 2/5
- Integrations: 3/5
- Support: 3/5
- Vendor Profile: 4/5
Chicago-based 37signals first released Basecamp back in 2004 with the intent of bringing project management to the web. Today, the platform continues to lead in the cloud project management space—currently at version 4, Basecamp continues its reputation for clean and sensible interfaces, as well plentiful and easy-to-use integrations.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong communication features | Lack of advanced features and analytics |
| Intuitive and easy to learn | Could use more customization options |
Pricing
- $15 per user, per month
- Free trial available
Features
- Straightforward, minimalist UI is designed for simplicity
- A range of premium features include task, project, milestone, and timesheet management
Jira
Best for Software Teams
Overall Rating: 4/5
- Core Features: 4/5
- Additional Features: 4/5
- Integrations: 5/5
- Support: 4/5
- Vendor Profile: 5/5
Like Trello and YouTrack, Jira is primarily geared for software project management. However, the leading project management platform has also gained a following outside of software circles. The solution features a customizable workflow, multi-faceted issue tracking system, and other features that help to streamline the management of complex projects.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ideal for managing application development projects | Some organizations may find the solution too specific for software teams |
| Strong task and activity tracking features | User interface can be confusing for some users |
Pricing
- $8.15 per user, per month
- Free tier available
Features
- Integrates seamlessly with popular code versioning tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket
- Support for Agile software development and modern software engineering practices like Scrum and Kanban are fully supported
- Backlog grooming/management, sprint planning, and release tracking available on top of standard task and project tracking features
Key Features of Cloud Project Management Software
Project managers have myriad options for cloud project management at their disposal these days with competent offerings that address any number of unique requirements, use cases, and environments. In general, cloud project management software should allow for project creation, planning, management, and reporting, with tools that support the following activities and processes.
Collaboration
Collaboration features include tools that facilitate communication and the sharing of project information among team members.
Task Management
Task management features include tools and functionality for creating tasks lists and controls for project/item tracking.
Time Tracking
Time tracking tooling includes utilities for tracking time allocated/in-use/expended for items and tasks and overall projects.
Scheduling
Scheduling features encompass functionality for assigning due dates, creating forecasts and projections, and managing project deliverables.
Scalability and Localization
Scalability and localization features include built-in support for distributed/international teams and locations.
How to Choose the Best Cloud Project Management Software for Your Organization
To select the best product management software for your organization, determine which key features mean the most for your teams: flexibility, scalability, and accessibility, as well as specific features that facilitate project collaboration, planning, execution. For example, software teams may benefit more from a solution like Jira, while creative/design teams may prefer a solution like Basecamp.
How We Evaluated Cloud Project Management Software
To evaluate the top cloud project management solutions, we scored them on a weighted scale of zero to five on how well they met the criteria outlined below and then ranked them based on their aggregated scores.
Core Features | 20 percent
These include essential project management tools like scheduling, task creation/management, and project tracking, to name a few.
Additional Features | 15 percent
These include features and functionality that enhance and supercharge the tool’s core features, such as artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) and social networking.
Integrations | 15 percent
These include connectors and hooks into third party applications (existing or new) like CRM platforms, finance applications, file sharing tools, and more.
Pricing | 20 percent
These include options to leverage cloud project management software via different pricing structures beyond the typical consumption models.
Vendor Profile | 15 percent
This category represents the track record, reputation, and longevity of the vendor.
Support | 20 percent
This includes available documentation, vendor-provided support options, self-support, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are cloud project management tools?
Cloud project management tools are online platforms that facilitate planning, collaboration, and organization of tasks, resources, and timelines for projects, enabling teams to work efficiently and access project information from anywhere with internet connectivity.
How do they differ from traditional project management tools?
Cloud project management tools are web-based platforms accessed via the internet, providing real-time collaboration and data storage, whereas traditional project management tools are locally installed software, limiting accessibility and necessitating manual updates for collaboration.
What key features should I look for in a cloud project management tool?
When selecting a cloud project management tool, it’s crucial to prioritize features such as user-friendly interface, robust collaboration tools, task tracking, customizable dashboards, and seamless integration capabilities for optimal project planning and execution.
Can these tools integrate with other software commonly used in project management?
A highly effective cloud project management tool should possess strong integration capabilities with third-party software, streamlining workflows by seamlessly connecting with tools like communication platforms, document management systems, and other essential applications.
How much should I expect to pay for cloud project management tools?
The cost of cloud project management tools varies widely, ranging from free or entry-level plans with basic features to premium subscriptions that can cost anywhere from a few dollars to several hundred dollars per user per month, depending on the platform and the level of functionality required.
Bottom Line
Cloud project management software has come a long way already, and the market can expect to see accelerated innovation in the space over the coming months—especially in the domain of project analytics and data-driven optimization.
And of course, AI/ML features and enhancements will continue to automate manual processes, enhance project managers’ decision-making capabilities, and improve overall project performance and delivery.
All of the tools included in this product guide are feature rich, powerful solutions; selection will come down to the organization’s specific needs. Read about other enterprise cloud products and services or the top 75 SaaS companies to learn more about the best online solutions for organizations.
