Project Management Software for Small Business: Top Picks

Summary: This blog highlights the best project management software, comparing key features and pricing across various team sizes. It gives businesses the insights to choose the right tool based on their budget and specific needs.

Is your small business struggling with inefficiency and constant project delays?

monday.com reveals that approximately 54% of organizations cannot track their KPIs in real-time, directly impacting project success. 

And this isn’t just an isolated issue.

Without the right project management tools, how can project managers even begin to measure your team’s performance or know where things are going wrong? 

Relying on outdated methods like spreadsheets or ad-hoc tools leads to missed deadlines, wasted resources, and confusion.

If tracking your KPIs is a struggle, managing tasks, allocating resources, or ensuring timely project delivery becomes nearly impossible.

The reality is that without proper tools, your business risks falling behind—losing both time and money in the process.

However, the right Project Management Software for Small Businesses can turn things around.

Built to provide clarity, efficiency, and real-time control, tools like monday.com, ClickUp, and many more are purposefully designed to help you tackle challenges head-on—tracking KPIs or simplifying repetitive tasks.

Curious to learn how this is possible?

Scroll down to explore its features and see why it’s a smart choice for small teams.

Reasons Project Management Tool is Essential For Small Businesses

Project management tools are essential for small teams to stay organized, collaborate effectively, and manage tasks seamlessly despite limited resources.

The right tool can either become the teammate you didn’t know you needed or leave your team struggling to overcome existing challenges.

Here’s why the right project management software works for small teams:

• Centralized Platform: Tools like monday.com or Trello provide a single place for managing tasks, assigning deadlines, tracking progress, and communicating with team members. This ensures that everything is accessible in one view, eliminating the need to juggle multiple apps or tools.
• Task & Time Management: With features like task tracking, time tracking, and task dependencies, these tools help prioritize tasks, monitor deadlines, and stay on top of project schedules. This is essential for small teams that need to maximize productivity and manage complex projects effectively.
• Collaboration Features: Real-time updates and file-sharing features promote communication and visibility across the team. This is especially important for small teams working remotely or in hybrid environments, as it ensures that everyone stays aligned without constant meetings or emails.
• Resource Management: Managing resources effectively is a top priority. Project management tools help teams allocate tasks and resources efficiently, ensuring that each team member works on the right projects at the right time. With resource management capabilities, teams can minimize bottlenecks and distribute work evenly.
• Automation: Task automation is a game-changer for small teams. Automating repetitive tasks like sending reminders or updating task statuses can save valuable time for more strategic work. It’s a feature that ensures consistency and reduces the risk of project management errors.

With the right project management tools, small teams can overcome challenges. 

By offering streamlined collaboration, task automation, and centralized tracking, these tools set the stage for efficient workflows and higher productivity.

However, which features should small business owners or project managers prioritize when choosing a tool? 

Below, we’ve compiled a comparison table highlighting the most essential features to look for, ensuring your team gets the functionality it needs without compromise.

Small Business Project Management: The Features That Matter

For small teams, the right tool isn’t just about managing tasks — it’s about digging that trapped growth of available resources.

Therefore, we’ve highlighted the most important features small business owners or project managers need in a project management tool. 

This breakdown will help you make a confident, informed choice.

Features	monday.com	Teamwork	Zoho Projects	ClickUp	Todoist	Wrike	Notion	Basecamp
Ease of Use	Intuitive and user-friendly	Complex for beginners	Limited flexibility	Customizable but steep learning curve	Very easy to use, minimalist	Flexible but steep learning curve	Lacks some core features	Minimalistic UI but can be limiting
Collaboration	Real-time updates, Workdocs	Good	Limited	Strong	Very Basic	Great communication features	Not enough	Simple
Task Management	Advanced with Automation	Great Project tracking	Basic but Ideal	Advanced	Ideal for Individuals	Task tracking with dependencies	Basic and Note-taking	Limited and Basic
Templates	Extensive, customizable templates	Decent Options	Limited and Basic	Rich template library	Manual Customization	Great Options	Good Options	No Built-in
Time Tracking	Built-in, fully integrated	Available  in paid plans	Available in paid plans	Available	Not Available	Available in paid plans	Available but requires plugins	Limited Features
Integration	1,000+	1,000+	50+	1,000+	Limited	400+	Limited	Limited
Automation	Strong	Basic	Basic	Advanced	Minimal	Advanced	No	Basic
	Try monday.com for FREE

As you can see from the comparison table, each project management tool offers a unique set of features tailored to various team needs. 

Whether you’re a small business looking for ease of use, task management, or seamless collaboration, understanding these features is key to selecting the right tool for your team. 

Continue reading below for a detailed breakdown of each tool so you can confidently choose the one that aligns with your specific needs and goals.

Top 8 Best Project Management Software for Small Business

Growth or stagnation—managing projects can make all the difference, regardless of business size.  

Here are 8 project management tools designed for small businesses, offering simplicity, collaboration, and cost-effective task management.

1. monday.com 

When it comes to project management, small business owners need tools that not only help manage tasks but also scale alongside their growing teams. 

Small business owners often wear multiple hats, so using project management software for small businesses must be powerful and easy to navigate. monday.com tops in this area, offering a clean, drag-and-drop interface that ensures seamless task and project management. 
monday.com is designed with small businesses in mind, offering a variety of features that help streamline operations, improve team collaboration, and boost efficiency.

Here are the salient points of monday.com:

a) Task management and organization

monday.com is a powerful project management software for small businesses that helps you break down your projects into manageable tasks, assign them to team members, and track progress seamlessly. 

With clear task deadlines, dependencies, and priorities, you can easily keep track of everything on your to-do list. The ability to manage multiple projects at once, with a clear visual overview of each task, helps small business owners stay organized and efficient. 

This streamlined approach is key for teams to stay aligned and productive while keeping everything on schedule.

b) Collaboration and communication

Effective collaboration is essential for small teams, and using project management software for small business like monday.com makes it easy. The platform allows users to communicate directly within tasks, share files, and tag team members for quick updates. 

Additionally, monday.com offers Workdocs, like Google Docs, for real-time collaboration. With built-in commenting, @mentions, and instant notifications, staying on the same page has never been easier.

This ensures your team works smoothly, regardless of location, and stays productive throughout the process.

c) Time tracking and reporting

Small business owners need to keep an eye on how time is being spent across various projects. monday.com includes time-tracking features that allow team members to log hours directly within tasks. This helps improve productivity by providing insights into where time is being allocated. The built-in reporting tools also give you real-time data on project progress and task completion, ensuring you can make informed decisions without losing valuable time.

d) Automation for repetitive tasks

Small business owners understand that time is precious, so project management software for small business like monday.com can be a game-changer. With monday.com’s automation feature, you can set up custom rules to manage repetitive tasks—sending deadline reminders or moving tasks through workflow stages. 

This automation significantly reduces manual effort and human error, allowing your team to stay on track without constant oversight. By minimizing administrative work, monday.com helps small businesses focus on what matters most: growth and efficiency.

e) Integrations and scalability

As small businesses grow, you’ll need tools that can integrate seamlessly with the apps you’re already using. monday.com supports many integrations with popular tools such as Google Drive, Slack, Zoom, and more. This means you can connect your project management with other aspects of your business, creating a centralized platform for all your operations.

f) Templates for quick setup

To help small businesses get started quickly, monday.com offers various customizable templates. Whether it’s for project management, team workflows, or client management, these templates help you get up and running quickly, saving you time on setup and ensuring that your projects start on the right foot.

These features provide a strong foundation for small business owners to manage their projects more efficiently, improve collaboration, and scale their operations easily.

Pricing Plans of monday.com:

Here’s a glance at monday.com’s pricing plans and the features available at each level:

Features	Basic Plan	Standard Plan	Pro Plan	Enterprise Plan
Cost	✅	✅	✅	✅
Unlimited Boards	✅	✅	✅	✅
Time Tracking	❌	✅	✅	✅
Automation	❌	250 Actions/Monthly	25000 Actions/Monthly	Advanced & Custom
Integration	❌	250 monthly	250 monthly	Advanced Integration
Reporting	❌	✅	✅	Advanced
Dashboards	❌	✅	✅	Advanced
Guest Access	✅	✅	✅	✅
Security	Standard	Standard	Advanced	Enterprise-grade

Note: monday.com offers a 14-day Free Trial and does not require a credit card to sign up.

One of the Capterra Reviews by small business members mentioned that the monday.com onboarding process was seamless.

A seamless onboarding process is the first step toward welcoming a new team member for small businesses. Learn more about the monday.com onboarding process.

Thinking of Using monday.com?

Check out our monday.com Review for a detailed breakdown of its features, benefits, and why it stands out as one of the best project management tools for small teams. 

Learn how it simplifies task management, boosts collaboration, and transforms project planning for growing businesses.

If you are already using monday.com, here are some top tips & hacks to level up: 

1) Optimize resource management

Use your dashboard’s “Workload” widget to monitor team capacity and avoid burnout.

2) Track task timelines effectively

The Time Tracking column helps calculate task durations, making planning schedules or client billing easier.

3) Custom metrics in action

Set up the Formula column for calculations like budget tracking or milestone progress percentages directly on your boards.

4) Centralize documents for quick access

Organize project files, client contracts, or creative assets in the Files view. This keeps everything handy without jumping between tools.

Best Hack: Automate Task Dependencies

Let automation take charge of task follow-ups. 

For example, When a “Marketing Campaign” task is marked as complete, trigger an “Analytics Review” task with key details like campaign name, performance metrics, and the assigned reviewer. This keeps workflows smooth and ensures nothing gets overlooked.

2. Teamwork

Teamwork offers a straightforward project management solution aimed at small businesses. While it doesn’t rival the comprehensive versatility of monday.com, it still provides solid features that cater to growing teams and client-centric workflows.

Key Features: 

• Client-focused task management: 

Designed with service-based businesses in mind, Teamwork lets you manage projects while keeping clients in the loop via shared dashboards and client collaboration tools.

• Time tracking built-in: 

Track billable hours directly within the platform, making invoicing and client reporting seamless for agencies and consultants.

• Templates for faster onboarding:

Save time with reusable project templates tailored for marketing campaigns, product launches, or creative workflows.

• Limited integrations: 

While integrations exist with tools like HubSpot and Slack, Teamwork lacks the extensive ecosystem of monday.com.

Teamwork Pricing Plans

Here’s a breakdown of what each Teamwork pricing plan offers:

Plan	Price	What does it offer?
Free Forever	$0/month	Basic task management, limited projects, up to 5 users
Starter	$5.99/user/month	Client collaboration, basic time tracking, and task templates
Deliver	$9.99/user/month	Unlimited users, project templates, and integrations with HubSpot/Slack
Grow	$19.99/user/month	Advanced reporting, portfolio management, and resource allocation

Note: Monthly billing is available but costs slightly more.

Teamwork provides a cost-effective starting point for small businesses with its free forever plan, covering up to five users and basic task management. 

As you scale, the starter plan at $5.99/user/month (billed annually) offers client collaboration tools and time tracking.

The Deliver plan ($9.99/user/month) has unlimited users, integrations, and advanced templates. 

The Grow plan at $19.99/user/month for more robust needs introduces advanced reporting and portfolio management.
But here’s a turn: monday.com’s smarter workflows and flexibility often make it a better choice for scaling teams.

To verify: We recommend you check out our monday.com vs Teamwork breakdown!

3. Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is a project management software that’s easy to start and offers all the basic tools for small businesses. Its seamless integration with other Zoho products stands out, which is a huge advantage for businesses already using its suite of applications. The platform allows you to manage your projects, teams, and tasks but doesn’t offer as much customization or advanced features as other tools like monday.com.

If you’re looking for something simple and cost-effective, Zoho Projects can be a great starting point. However, for teams that need a more dynamic solution, you may find its limited feature set somewhat restrictive as your business scales.

Key Features:

• Task management: 

Easily create tasks, assign them to team members, and track their completion.

• Gantt charts: 

Get a visual overview of project timelines and dependencies, helping you stay on track.

• Time tracking: 

Log time spent on each task is excellent for billing and improving resource management.

Zoho Project’s Pricing Plans

Plan	Price	What does it offer?
Free	$0 (up to 3 users)	2 projects, task tracking, basic reporting
Premium	$5/user/month	Gantt charts, task automation, integrations
Enterprise	$10/user/month	Advanced customization, project budgeting, analytics

Want to know more about how Zoho Projects compares to monday.com? Check out our Zoho vs monday.com comparison for clarity.

4. ClickUp

ClickUp is one of the most versatile project management tools. It offers a broad range of features designed to accommodate all kinds of workflows, making it a great option for small businesses.

It has received praise for its flexibility, customizable views, and wide variety of features, such as task management, time tracking, and integrations. 

However, if you want a more in-depth exploration of ClickUp, check out our ClickUp Review to see if it matches your team’s needs. 

While ClickUp provides robust solutions for task tracking and communication, it might feel overwhelming for teams that prefer a simpler, more intuitive interface like monday.com.

Key Features:

• Task management: 

Create tasks, set priorities, and assign due dates, all while keeping track of progress.

• Customizable views: 

Switch between list, board, calendar, and Gantt chart views to match your preferred workflow.

• Time tracking: 

Built-in time tracking monitors task durations and improves overall productivity.

ClickUp’s Pricing Plans

Plan	Price	What does it offer?
Free Forever	$0 (up to 100MB storage)	Task management, integrations, 2-factor authentication
Unlimited	$5/user/month	Dashboards, Gantt charts, time tracking
Business	$12/user/month	Custom fields, advanced reporting, priority support

Want to explore how ClickUp stacks up against monday.com? Check out our detailed comparison of ClickUp vs. monday.com.

5. Todoist

Todoist is a lightweight task management tool known for its simplicity and ease of use, especially for small teams and individuals. With a focus on to-do lists and task prioritization, Todoist offers just enough features to help teams stay organized without overwhelming them with complex functionalities. 

While it’s not a fully-fledged project management tool like monday.com, it helps small businesses manage daily tasks and improve productivity.

Todoist’s intuitive interface and cross-platform availability make it a popular choice for teams just starting their journey in task management.

Key Features:

• Task prioritization: 

Organize tasks with labels, filters, and priority levels to focus on what matters most.

• Recurring due dates:

Set tasks to repeat daily, weekly, or monthly for efficient time management.

• Collaboration tools: 

Share projects, assign tasks, and communicate seamlessly within the app.

Todoist’s Pricing Plans:

Plan	Price	What does it offer?
Free	$0	Up to 5 projects, task reminders, productivity trends
Pro	$4/user/month	Up to 300 projects, unlimited labels, file uploads
Business	$6/user/month	Up to 500 projects, team billing, priority support

Curious about how Todoist compares to monday.com? Dive into our Todoist vs monday.com analysis to find the best fit for your small business.

6. Wrike

Wrike is a versatile project management software that caters to the dynamic needs of small teams and growing businesses. Its ability to handle complex workflows and provide in-depth insights into project performance stands out. 

Wrike’s strength lies in its customization, allowing users to adapt the platform to their processes, whether marketing campaigns, product launches, or team-wide initiatives. 

However, its advanced features may require a steeper learning curve, making it less ideal for those seeking immediate ease of use.

For more insights into its functionality and impact, check out our Wrike Review.

Key Features:

• Custom workflows: 

Build workflows that align perfectly with your team’s operations, ensuring every task transitions smoothly.

• Advanced analytics: 

Leverage detailed analytics and reporting to monitor project health, deadlines, and team efficiency.

• Seamless Integrations: 

Integrate with over 400 apps, including Slack, Salesforce, and Google Drive, to centralize collaboration.

Wrike’s Pricing Plans:

Plan	Price	What does it offer?
Free	$0	Basic task management, 2GB storage, board view
Team	$9.80/user/month	Unlimited projects, Gantt charts, dashboards
Business	$24.80/user/month	Custom workflows, advanced reporting, time tracking
Enterprise	Custom Pricing	Enterprise-grade security, user permissions

Not sure if Wrike or monday.com suits your business better? Check out our Wrike vs monday.com guide to determine which tool fits your needs.

7. Notion

Notion, a widely embraced platform for small teams, stands out for its exceptional flexibility and ability to unify task management, documentation, and collaboration. If you’re organizing tasks, brainstorming ideas, or managing documentation, Notion offers a clean and highly customizable platform that adapts to your team’s needs.

It’s particularly popular among startups and freelancers for its ability to merge note-taking, task management, and databases into one cohesive system. 

However, its flexibility can be a double-edged sword, often requiring time to set up workflows effectively for project management.

Notion’s robust approach to organizing your workflow may be ideal for some teams, but is it the perfect fit for yours? 

With a flexible workspace that adapts to various needs, Notion allows you to manage documents, track tasks, and collaborate seamlessly. 

But while its rich features stand out, it might only cover some requirements of a growing team. To better understand its capabilities, check out our Notion Review.
Looking for something slightly different? Explore Notion Alternatives to discover options offering unique features or even more specialized functionalities tailored to your team’s needs.

Key Features:

• Customizable workspaces: 

Create personalized layouts to organize projects, track progress, and store team documentation seamlessly.

• Database functions: 

Build structured databases for tasks, content calendars, or resource tracking, all tailored to your needs.

• Collaboration tools: 

Keep teams aligned with shared pages, inline comments, and real-time updates.

Notion’s Pricing Plans:

Plan	Price	What does it offer?
Free	$0	Unlimited pages and blocks, 10 guest collaborators
Plus	$8/user/month	Unlimited file uploads, version history, team spaces
Business	$15/user/month	Advanced collaboration, admin tools, private team spaces
Enterprise	Custom Pricing	Custom permissions, advanced security, dedicated support

8. Basecamp

Basecamp is another notable project management tool that offers a more simplistic approach to team collaboration and task management. It’s ideal for small teams that don’t need all the bells and whistles of more complex tools. 

While it might lack some of the advanced features you’d find in other platforms, its clean interface and ease of use make it an attractive choice for businesses looking for straightforward task tracking, communication, and file sharing all in one place.

However, if your business requires more customization or powerful automation, Basecamp might not offer the depth you want. 

If you’re curious about Basecamp’s full features and how they can benefit your team, check out our Basecamp Review.

Key Features

• Task handling: 

Easily assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. Basecamp lets you manage tasks in a simple yet effective way.

• Collaboration features: 

Keep your team on the same page with messaging, to-do lists, and a central document repository.

• File sharing: 

Share documents, images, and files with your team through Basecamp’s file storage system.

• Team communication: 

Basecamp’s message boards and group chats keep the team connected and updated.

• Hill charts: 

Basecamp’s unique Hill Charts visualize project progress and track tasks more intuitively, helping teams understand where things stand at any given time.

Basecamp’s Pricing Plans:

Plan	Price	What does it offer?
Basecamp Personal	Free	Limited projects, users, and storage. Ideal for smaller teams with fewer requirements.
Basecamp Business	$99/month	Unlimited projects, users, and clients. Includes advanced reporting, team management, and full storage capacity.

Considering its simplicity and ease of use, it’s no surprise that Basecamp is often compared to other project management tools. 

Curious to see how it stands against monday.com? 

Check out Basecamp vs monday.com for a deeper comparison.

After reviewing the top 8 project management solutions for small businesses, it’s clear that each offers unique features designed for different needs. 

Whether you’re focused on task creation, team collaboration, or scalability, choosing the right tool depends on aligning its strengths with your business priorities.

Now, beyond features, pricing is another contributing factor to consider. 

Comparing the cost of different project management software plans will give you a clearer idea of what fits your budget while meeting your team’s requirements.
To help simplify this process, we’ve compiled an Average Pricing Plan Comparison for Project Management Software for small businesses, highlighting key features and costs across common tiers:

Plan Type	Average Price	Common Features
Free	$0	Access for a limited number of users, basic project management features, limited storage space, community support
Basic	$10-20 per user/month	Access for more users, enhanced project management tools, integrations with other tools, basic reporting features, email support
Professional	$20-50 per user/month	Advanced project management features, customizable dashboard and reports, collaboration tools, priority support, increased storage space
Enterprise	Custom Pricing	Customizable to fit organization size and needs, advanced security features, dedicated account manager, onboarding and ongoing training, unlimited storage

Before making your final decision, take the time to evaluate how each platform fits into your workflow, and consider additional resources like the Project Management Software Cost Guide to get a clearer idea of the pricing dynamics. 

Understanding the cost implications will allow you to choose a cost-effective and financially viable solution for your business.

Choosing the right project management software can make a difference for small businesses. From streamlining your processes to enhancing collaboration and productivity, the right tool can significantly impact your day-to-day operations. 

Still uncertain or need a more personalized approach?
monday.com consulting services can help guide you through decision-making, ensuring you implement the most efficient solution for your business operations.