Unlike small businesses, startups need the fastest internal channels from the get-go. Due to the fewer manpower and unique challenges in team communication, task management, and project planning work differently. Hence, the member needs effective collaboration tools and project management tools to fulfill their parts, ensuring goal setting and tracking is in place.
Time tracking and time-saving is the order of the day in most cases. To ensure an error-free workflow and risk management, startups use various apps and productivity software without sacrificing speed. In other words, they utilize cloud-based management and project management software for startups, often with features like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and real-time collaboration.
Workflow automation and task prioritization play a crucial role in ensuring tasks are handled efficiently. With fewer resources and manpower, startups often lean on scalable software solutions that offer document sharing, milestone tracking, and user-friendly interfaces to streamline their operations.
The Most Popular Project Management Software for Startups
Here are the best 3:
And there are these three presented in detail along with more apps below:
Wrike
This free project management software for startups changes as the brand keeps on scaling. Hence, you can alter the pool of available features and tricks. As such, Wrike is suitable for any collaborative effort. It’s optimal for product development, marketing, sales, etc.
Other highlights include the app’s time tracking and portfolio management aspects. Also, there are many templates for your project, compatible with most visual tools. Plus, you can connect Wrike with Outlook, Google Apps, MS Project, and other business apps.
The free version can fit an unlimited number of users, though with limited features. The paid service sits at the cost of $9.80 per month, but it also comes with a 14-day free trial period. You can avail of further discounts once you reach 20 collaborator seats. For example, you get a free collaborator seat at that point.
Wrike treats collaborators as a different user type. As such, you can grant that role to a contractor or a stakeholder – or anyone outside your core team. Then, you can specify how often they’ll get task reminders and notifications from the app. Currently, titans like Google, Lyft, and Okta use Wrike for their project planning and management.
Pros
- Fully-functioning free plan
- Secured app with user-friendly interface
- Easy to learn with multiple upgrade plans
- Integration capabilities with other apps
Cons
- Vague plan description
- Confusing privacy notes
ClickUp
ClickUp is another popular project management software for startups. It comes packed with functions that any startup would welcome, including task delegation and milestone tracking. Also, the free version is what most brands end up sticking to for a long time, showcasing how much ClickUp values its customers and their project timelines.
You can set up this modern app with a plethora of tools (Slack, Dropbox, G Suite) right away. If you use Zapier, that number grows to more than a thousand. Either way, you could easily craft a one-pager or a partner agreement for free, ensuring goal setting and tracking.
The free version also allows for real-time collaboration and instant messaging between members. On the other hand, ClickUp also offers a free trial for the paid version. Otherwise, that option is available for $5 per month.
Lastly, the app’s storage is limited to 100MB in the free version. Yet, you can negotiate the upgrade price depending on the number of users. So, there are many scalable software solutions and small team plans when using ClickUp.
Pros
- Affordable plans
- Unlimited storage with the paid packages
- Multiple task management templates to choose from
- Neat ways to utilize comments
- Easy to track task dependencies
- Quick data export and import
- Supports Scrum and Agile methodologies
Cons
- Certain features are underdeveloped
- The UI needs an update
- Works slower than similar apps
Monday.com
Monday.com is a project management software with a wide range of applications. Its structure allows for making effective projects for all stages of commerce, ensuring task management and workflow automation are streamlined. Hence, you can focus on HR, operations, sales, marketing, etc., and even project scheduling. Plus, you can stick only to the free plan forever, which is a boon for startups looking for cost-effective solutions.
As for this software’s basic features, they focus on productivity and team communication. This OS ensures your team’s collaboration remains at a high level at any point. Plus, it promotes qualities like accountability, task prioritization, and efficacy. At the same time, the lead can teach the overall team productivity on the user-friendly dashboard.
For a more detailed picture of the current campaign’s metrics and project timeline, you can integrate the app with a number of productivity software tools. So, pair Monday.com with your Slack channel, Google Calendar, GitHub, and many others for enhanced real-time collaboration. However, to ensure integration capabilities with a broader range, you’ll need a paid service with Zapier to do so.
As for the Monday.com app, it comes with a 14-day free trial period for up to two users, ensuring startups can test its task delegation and other features. Afterward, the plan costs $6 per user per month, with options for scalable software solutions as the team grows.
Pros
- Up-to-date encryption methods
- Compatible with a lot of project management tools
- Intuitive platform with document sharing capabilities
Cons
- Needlessly complicated paid plans
- Only 14-days of the free trial, limiting project planning tools exploration
Asana
Dustin Moskovitz (one of Facebook’s co-founders) envisioned the Asana project management software for startups. It comes with a free version too, which is also very useful for scalable software solutions. Also, Asana works by sending task reminders, notifications, and alerts, meaning startups won’t need to send hundreds of emails per day, ensuring team communication is streamlined.
When using this app, you can create all types of projects, from product development to marketing campaigns, and split them across up to 15 members. Next, you can set milestone tracking and due dates for each task so that everyone knows when to pitch in. You can also switch the tasks around, ensuring task prioritization is flexible.
Furthermore, you can connect a few tasks in dependencies, a feature crucial for Agile project management. Then, only the right team member will get an alert as to when it is time to do their part. Of course, the managers can inspect the user-friendly dashboard at all times, making sure all goes smoothly and workflow automation is in place.
As for integration capabilities, Asana is compatible with over one hundred apps, promoting real-time collaboration. The list includes Slack, G Suite, Microsoft Teams, etc. In case you need more advanced project planning tools and tricks, you can opt for a premium plan. Those start at $10.99 per month.
Pros
- Works on all portable devices
- Stylish and intuitive with a user-friendly interface
- Allows real-time tracking and project timeline updates
- Various themes included for task management
- Live activity feed for team communication
- Compatible with over 100 productivity software apps
- Advanced task delegation and management tools
- Easy-to-follow dashboard with document sharing capabilities
- Automated notifications and task reminders
Cons
- Above-average pricing models
- Limited security options
- Lack of a system for stakeholder communication and meeting management
- Not many ways to configure a task’s status or task dependencies
Trello
Trello offers one of the most useful free plans among project management software for startups. In practice, Trello acts as a central hub for ongoing projects, task management, and future strategies. Also, the board-like visuals, reminiscent of Kanban boards, communicate a lot of data at a glance, ensuring team communication is efficient. At any point, the user can transfer a card to signify the start of the next milestone tracking or phase.
This app can work alongside useful productivity software tools like Dropbox, Slack, Google Drive, etc., promoting real-time collaboration. When using the free plan, you can perform up to 250 commands per month. Then, all those moves will show on any other integration capabilities or software currently paired with Trello.
As for the paid subscription, they offer 1,000 monthly commands with the standard plan of $5 per month. Also, companies like Squarespace and Fender chose it as their project management methodology of choice, leveraging its task prioritization and workflow automation features.
Pros
- Versatile and popular with a user-friendly interface
- Very practical free plan with scalable software solutions
- Easy to master with document sharing capabilities
- Automated task reminders and email notifications
- Lots of configuration options for project planning
- Useful Gantt chart-like calendar view
- Handy task delegation and checklist management function
- Allows workflow automation and team communication
- Supports unlimited projects and project timeline updates
Cons
- Integration capabilities with other apps are necessary
- Lack of more advanced project scheduling features
- Dependency of third-party apps for time tracking
- No project portfolio management chart view is available
Freedcamp
This popular project management software for startups earns bonus points for style and user-friendly interface. Its iOS and Android versions are fan favorites for a reason, ensuring team communication and collaboration tools are accessible.
As a result, startups who don’t work from an office or rely on remote team management can climb the ladder just as well. Due to Freedcamp’s smart layout, the data flows fluently, even on tablets and smaller screens, making task management and project planning seamless.
Regarding features, this app allows you to make and send invoices, create back up, and edit, ensuring document sharing and workflow automation are streamlined. Also, it comes packed with project templates, milestone tracking, and various labeling tools. Then, there are the useful time tracker, project timeline calendar, and stakeholder communication discussion boards.
Also, you can pair Freedcamp with your Zapier plan to fully utilize its integration capabilities. On that note, the free plan limits the app’s overall usability in terms of scalable software solutions. However, the paid plans, offering more task prioritization and features, start at only $1.49 a month.
Pros
- The free plan supports an unlimited number of users and project scheduling
- Neat task delegation list to interact with
- Separate tracker for software bugs and risk management
- Varied project management tools and features
- Cheap paid plans with cost-effective solutions
- Calendar powered by Google for project planning
- Proper document sharing and file-sharing features
- Practical team communication discussion board
- Integrated sub-task and task management
- Kanban board and Gantt chart included for project timeline visualization
Cons
- Some features are redundant or less user-friendly
- Slower than most other productivity software
- Limited task status bar for task prioritization
- No option for a custom workflow automation
Teamwork
Teamwork aims to provide a useful overview of multiple project management and product development projects, catering specifically to the needs of startups.
Yet, it’s far from a feature-poor software. Instead, users can tailor the Teamwork app, leveraging its scalable software solutions, in many ways to suit their project planning and task management needs.
At its core, Teamwork is a data visualization and project timeline tool. Hence, users can inspect the data, ensuring team communication and work on improving their performance.
Also, they can craft invoices, switch to another project template, and utilize document sharing capabilities. In that way, they can make the most out of this workload management and workflow automation app.
For further convenience and real-time collaboration, users can pair it with Gmail and get task reminders and notifications as they go.
Other usable integration capabilities include Xero, Hubspot, Zapier, etc. Aside from them, you can also connect with YouTube, Trello, and QuickBooks for enhanced project scheduling.
The Teamwork paid plan comes at $10 per month and with a 30-day free trial, offering a comprehensive project management methodology. As for the free plan, up to 5 people can use it forever, albeit with limited productivity software features.
Pros
- Task delegation manager usable right out of the gate
- Switch between task prioritization statuses
- Compatible with Excel for data export and import
- Practical time-tracking feature for resource allocation
- Group the daily task list into numerous sub-tasks
- Easily apply filters, labels, and tags
- Gantt chart for better project portfolio management visibility
Cons
- Cumbersome import process for project templates
- Lack of a way to track issues and risk management
Basecamp
Besides its focus on team communication, Basecamp is a useful project management software for startups as well. In practice, managers can use this app to follow the members’ activities, ensure task delegation, and issue orders. They can keep an eye on things, ensuring workflow automation, simply via the message boards, stakeholder communication, and the many to-dos and task management features.
On the flip side, this app lacks some of the most common productivity software strong suits and scalable software solutions. Regardless, you can use it to monitor your team, ensure real-time collaboration, and quickly set a new project planning direction.
Basecamp works very well with other apps, providing time trackers, Gantt charts, and data visualization tools. Lastly, the most feature-packed Basecamp Business plan, offering comprehensive project management methodologies, will cost you $99 per month.
Pros
- Excellent team communication software
- Integration capabilities make it compatible and easy to integrate
- Several cost-effective paid plans
- Separate team communication chat-room features
- Built-in document sharing facilities
- A way to sort tasks by task prioritization
- Create categories, milestone tracking, and sub-tasks
- Detailed project timeline progress reports
- Actionable charts and data visualization tools for project scheduling
Cons
- Steep prices for startups
- Rough UI with less user-friendly interface
- Only a few comprehensive project management tools
- No way to fully customize the app for task prioritization
- Lacks a time-tracking method for resource allocation
TeamGantt
This is another app worthy of a place among the best project management software for startups and tools available today. TeamGantt manages to be unique due to the suave Gantt chart view that hastens all project planning and management efforts.
With it, you can easily organize the tasks by their start and due dates, ensuring task prioritization, before adding milestones to mark progress and milestone tracking better.
Next, users can utilize the single-screen feature to hone in on an issue, promoting risk management, as soon as it appears.
In that way, they can make several key changes, ensuring workflow automation, and avoid a downward slope. They can also use that project timeline view to not repeat the same mistakes in the future, ensuring team communication and feedback loops.
You can use this app with productivity software tools like Dropbox, Basecamp, Trello, etc., promoting real-time collaboration.
TeamGantt is free for up to three users, offering a cost-effective solution, while the full version, with more project management methodologies, costs $24.95 per month.
Pros
- Very popular free plan with scalable software solutions
- Stylish user-friendly interface
- 24/7 customer support channels for stakeholder communication
- Various project templates and document sharing capabilities
- Allows fast-paced workflow automation
- Well-developed task delegation manager
- Easily categorize the tasks for better task management
- Handy drag-and-drop feature for task prioritization
- Useful project timeline view for team communication
- Printable reports and data visualization charts
Cons
- Integration capabilities work only with a few similar apps
- Not a feature-heavy productivity software tool
- No auto task reminders and notifications system
nTask
This is one of the cheapest project management software for startups companions for any startup. Still, it’s more than a solid option that comes full of worthwhile project planning tools and features.
Via the cool-looking user-friendly interface, the user can track all tasks, task management, and sub-tasks with precision, ensuring task prioritization.
The app comes with Gantt charts for project timeline visualization and a time tracker for resource allocation upon installation.
As a result, even beginners can quickly find their way around their first product development or marketing project. Yet, access to the full product, with its scalable software solutions, comes at an affordable price of $3 per month.
Pros
- Dozens of project management tools and useful features
- Cheap cost-effective pricing models
- Forever free plan for up to 5 users, promoting team communication
- Integration capabilities make it compatible with other similar productivity software tools
- Tag the tasks by due date and relevancy for better task delegation
- Informative project portfolio management progress meter
- Detailed task history for team communication and feedback
- Separate risk management and risk-assessment feature
- Uses Gantt charts for project scheduling
Cons
- Extra steps when changing to a new task, affecting workflow automation
- Subpar privacy options for stakeholder communication
- No dedicated team communication chat room
- A free plan without document sharing and self-hosting features
Jira
Jira is a real fan-favorite in the tech and IT niche, especially for those looking for project management software for startups. Though it’s at its best for software development and product development, this app is useful for any type of project planning and management. However, to fully take advantage of it and ensure workflow automation, you should use the Agile project management methodology.
Furthermore, this tool originates from the Atlassian Marketplace, promoting real-time collaboration. As such, integration capabilities make pairing it with Slack, Trello, and other productivity software a breeze. Plus, it comes with Gantt charts for project timeline visualization and an anti-bug tool for risk management. Therefore, it is a competent and scalable software solution for startups.
Jira’s limited version, with its user-friendly interface, is free for up to 10 users, while the paid plans come with flexible pricing. The basic packages, offering comprehensive project management methodologies, start at $10 per month.
Pros
- Best for tech-savvy startups with team communication needs
- Flexible, cost-effective prices
- Easy to learn with document sharing capabilities
- Useful project dashboard for team communication
- Multiple search filters for task prioritization
- Separate boards for project portfolio management and progress tracking
- Craft a detailed project timeline and road map for your project
- Uses the Agile project management methodology
- Integrated Scrum boards for task management
Cons
- Steep learning curve for project scheduling
- Not ideal for most startups looking for user-friendly interfaces
- Full of specific project management terminology
- Earning a discount is very difficult in terms of cost-effective solutions
How Small Teams Can Benefit From Management Tools
- Save on time and resources, ensuring workflow automation
- Oversee each milestone tracking and completion rate
- Properly fund each leg of the project for resource allocation
- Ongoing team-building and stakeholder communication exercise
Project Management Software for Startups – Tools and Features
Easy to Set-up
Startups need project management software solutions that they can use right away for task management and project planning.
On their end, the software development teams know this and tailor their products in that way.
Hence, most types of team collaboration software and productivity software support unlimited users. Also, installing them, ensuring workflow automation, is often a breeze.
Easy to Learn
A good project management tool is easy to read, so all users can track project timeline progress.
Plus, they wouldn’t need specific training to start working. Instead, thanks to the friendly user-friendly interface, they should know how to manage tasks and ensure task prioritization right away.
A Single Access Point
The best project management software for startups is compatible with all sorts of productivity software apps.
As a result, companies can quickly pair it with Google Drive, Dropbox, etc., promoting real-time collaboration. That means the program comes with a document sharing system already in place. Otherwise, choose one with a proper file management tool to prevent mishaps and ensure team communication.
Actionable Project Templates
Project managers utilize software with advanced features to ensure all users can collaborate and maintain team communication. In that way, they can track any member’s input via the unified project management system and project dashboard.
A Step-by-Step Overview
Projects consist of stages, milestone tracking, and dependencies. Thus, every member should clearly know what to do next in terms of task delegation. Yet, certain events can upset that rhythm and affect project scheduling.
In such cases, you should use proper project management methodology software to alert the team leaders. Next, they should come up with a solution, ensuring risk management, and quickly share it with the rest of the team.
Grouping Up the Tasks by Relevancy
Not all legs of the project will have a strict deadline. Some will come to the forefront only after the previous chain completes, ensuring task prioritization. Hence, the software should allow PMs to update the project roadmap and readjust things on the go, promoting workflow automation.
FAQ About The Best Project Management Software For Startups
What are the top project management software options for startups?
Asana, Trello, Jira, Monday.com, and Basecamp are a few of the best project management software choices for startups.
To meet the requirements and financial constraints of various startups, these scalable software solutions provide a variety of capabilities and cost-effective pricing options.
What features should I look for in project management software for my startup?
Task delegation, collaboration tools, project timelines, team communication, document sharing, project monitoring, and data visualization reporting are some key aspects to look for in project management software for startups.
With the aid of these capabilities, startups can ensure workflow automation and handle their projects more successfully and efficiently.
How much does project management software for startups cost?
Depending on the features, the quantity of users, and the plan selected, project management software for startups might cost differently.
For tiny beginnings, many software alternatives include free or cost-effective plans; as a business expands, more feature-rich plans with advanced project management methodologies become available.
Can project management software help my startup be more efficient and productive?
Certainly, project management software can make startups more effective and productive by giving them a central hub for task management, team communication, and project scheduling.
This ensures real-time collaboration and makes it possible to guarantee that everyone is on the same page and pursuing the same objectives.
What integrations does project management software offer with other tools my startup uses?
Project management software offers integrations with other productivity software tools that are frequently used by startups, such as communication platforms, file-sharing services, and accounting software.
This promotes real-time collaboration and can improve workflows, making it simpler to handle every facet of the company from one place.
How easy is it to onboard my startup team to project management software?
While the ease of onboarding varies based on the software, many project management platforms provide intuitive user-friendly interfaces and training materials to assist teams in getting up and running quickly.
Also, some software provides live customer support to assist with any potential problems, ensuring smooth stakeholder communication.
Can project management software be customized to fit my startup’s specific needs?
Many project management software choices for startups provide customization options to meet the particular requirements of various startups.
To meet the requirements of a particular product development or marketing project, custom fields, workflows, and templates may be created, ensuring workflow automation.
How secure is project management software for my startup’s sensitive data?
Data security is taken seriously by project management software suppliers, who frequently provide features like two-factor authentication, SSL encryption, and regular backups to protect sensitive data. Any software’s security features should be thoroughly investigated before use, ensuring stakeholder communication and trust.
Is project management software suitable for remote teams?
Because it offers a central site for team communication, real-time collaboration, and project planning independent of the team members’ physical locations, project management software for startups is appropriate for remote teams.
Can project management software help me track and measure the progress of my startup’s projects?
Using features like project deadlines, project timeline visualization, progress reports, and team job assignments, project management software can assist in tracking and measuring the development of startup projects.
This promotes task prioritization and makes it easier to spot problem areas and make adjustments to keep the project on schedule.
Conclusion
Startup companies often run into walls due to a lack of experience and too many risky moves. Yet, using the right project management tools and project management methodologies can smooth things out.
That way, you can form a strong chain of dependencies, ensuring task delegation, thus not leaving much room for error.
As for which type of project management software for startups is best for a given startup, it depends on the niche.
However, most companies comprising several teams need a centralized project roadmap. At the very least, it will properly direct the efforts of each team member, promoting team communication, and prevent the usual overlaps.
If you liked this article about project management software for startups, you should check out this article about what is crashing in project management.
There are also similar articles discussing project management forecasting, s curve in project management, innovation frameworks, and lag time in project management.
And let’s not forget about articles on primary and secondary stakeholders, gold plating in project management, operations management vs project management, and project management OKRs.
With over a decade in the tech field, Bogdan blends technical expertise with insights on business innovation in technology.
A regular contributor to TMS Outsource's blog, where you'll find sharp analyses on software development, tech business strategies, and global tech dynamics.
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