13 Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses

Small project managers don multiple hats—from managing the marketing to handling questions from the product team. Granted, there are smaller projects to handle, but together, the work can pile up quickly. Finding the right project management software for small businesses can empower project managers to work productively, maximize output, and multitask like a pro.

In this guide, we’re covering the 13 best project management software for small businesses and comparing their standout features, pros and cons, and pricing.

A Look at Powerful Small Business Project Management Software

Project Management Software	Best For	Standout Feature	Pricing (when billed annually)	Our Score
1. Nifty	Notion and project planning lovers	Automation of project milestones and time-tracking	Free: $0 Starter: $39 per month Pro: $79 per month Business: $124 per month Unlimited: $399 per month	10/10
2. Teamwork	Customization options	Allows users to break projects into smaller tasks easily	Free: $0 (up to 5 users) Deliver: $9.99/user/month (3 user minimum) Grow:$19.99/user/month, (5 user minimum) Scale: Custom pricing	9/10
3. Any.do	Simple task management	Different workflows offer an overview of project progress	Personal: $0 Premium: $2.99/month, Family: $8.33/month for 4 members Teams: $4.99/month/member,	9/10
4. ClickUp	Customized project views	Workload view enables the team to manage team capacity and delegate tasks evenly	Free forever: $0 Unlimited: $7/user/month, Business: $12/user/month, Enterprise: Custom pricing	8/10
5. Trello	Kanban boards	Feature-rich boards, cards, and lists for project management	Free: $0 Standard: $5/user/month, Premium: $10/user/month, Enterprise: $17.5/user/month	8/10
6. Basecamp	Managing work and communication	Unlimited projects with centralized project boards	Basecamp: $15/user/month, Basecamp Pro Unlimited: $299/month	8/10
7. TeamGantt	Real-time collaboration	Best Gantt chart maker	Pro: $49/month/manager, Unlimited everything: Custom pricing	7/10
8. Chisel	All kinds of product requirements	Multiple roadmap views to accelerate product delivery	Essential: $0 per month Premium: $49 per maker/month	6/10
9. Monday	Work management across industries	Customizable project and task management	Free: $0/user/month Basic: $27/seat/month, Standard: $36/seat/month Pro: $57/seat/month, Enterprise: Custom pricing	5/10
10. Paymo	Managing multiple projects	Rich task management functionality	Free: $0/user/month Starter: $5.9/user/month Small Office: $10.9/user/month Business: $16.9/user/month	5/10
11. Wrike	Spreadsheet enthusiasts	Collaborative functionalities in an intuitive user interface	Free: $0/user/month Team: $9.8/user/month Business: $24.8/user/month Enterprise: Custom pricing Pinnacle: Custom pricing	5/10
12. MS Project	Powerful scheduling capabilities	Co-authoring allows teams to edit schedules and tasks simultaneously	Planner Plan 1: $10/user/month Project Plan 3: $30/user/month Project Plan 5: $55/user/month	5/10
13. QuickBase	Simple project management	Automated, customizable processes	Free trial: $0 Team: $35/user/mo, Business: $55/user/mo, Enterprise: Custom pricing	5/10

13 Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses

Let’s now deep dive into the 13 best project management software for small businesses:

1. Nifty 

If you want a sophisticated yet user-friendly project management solution, Nifty should be your top choice.

The tool boasts a rich feature set, including customizable views, detailed user permissions and controls, and integrated time tracking. What sets Nifty apart is its seamless functionality—it simply works.

If you’re a fan of Notion but want a more project-focused platform, Nifty offers a similar experience. With a variety of project templates spanning different departments and use cases, you can get started quickly.

Additionally, you can import projects and tasks from your current project management software. The streamlined project dashboard provides a comprehensive overview and displays project outlines, members, and recent activity.

Plus, you can navigate to the Roadmap section for detailed insights into project milestones, scheduling, and completion status:

Pros:

• Offers a range of views such as Kanban, list, calendar, swimlane, timeline, report, and roadmap, which are both clean and functional
• Provides great communication and collaboration features, ensuring project-related conversations are kept together
• Team members can comment on individual tasks and engage in discussions about the project as a whole within the platform

Cons:

• Some users want more native integrations

Incorporating project management solutions like Nifty into your workflow can significantly enhance planning, task allocation, and team organization, ensuring deadlines and goals are met efficiently.

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2. Teamwork

Teamwork is a fantastic choice for small teams looking for project management software. It’s super user-friendly, which is great because you don’t want to spend hours trying to figure out how to use it.

With Teamwork, you can easily collaborate with your team, assign tasks, and keep track of everything in a centralized tool. Teamwork’s suite of collaboration tools, including real-time document collaboration, comments, @mentions, in-app chats, and guest collaborators, enhances project management by facilitating seamless communication.

One of the best things about Teamwork is its flexibility. You can customize it to fit your team’s unique needs and workflow. Whether you prefer Kanban boards, Gantt charts, or a simple to-do list, Teamwork has got you covered.

Pros:

• Includes task management, time tracking, file sharing, and reporting features
• The user interface is easy to use
• The customer support team is helpful

Cons:

• The pricing is steep for smaller businesses
• According to some users, the mobile experience lacks certain features as compared to the desktop version

3. Any.do 

 Any.do, renowned for individual task management, has expanded its offerings with Any.do Workspace—a comprehensive project manager tailored for teams.

While not the most intricate project management app available, Any.do Workspace encompasses essential team features such as chat, file sharing, multiple view options (list, column, calendar, and table), and straightforward if/then automation. It retains the simplicity and productivity focus synonymous with Any.do’s task manager.

Pros:

• Allows users to keep track of operations and responsibilities easily
• Offers multi-platform support such as easy access to Android phone, desktop, and iPad versions

Cons:

• Entering task details within the iOS app is challenging, as per some users
• Is good for only light task management and personal use

4. ClickUp

Want a more comprehensive project management software for small businesses to create project plans, manage tasks, and enhance team collaboration? Look no further than ClickUp. This user-friendly and cost-effective solution is perfect for small and growing businesses.

ClickUp is also highly effective for managing projects. It offers visual and intuitive ways to oversee your work, from Kanban boards to automation that streamlines repetitive tasks.

ClickUp’s Project Management Suite simplifies tracking your entire project with ease. It offers over 15 project views to visualize and manage workflows.

For instance, you can organize tasks as draggable cards using Kanban Boards or track milestones and dependencies with the extensive Gantt Chart, Timeline, and Workload views.

Pros:

• Allows you to navigate through tasks, set up projects, etc. intuitively
• Helps project managers to collaborate with team members virtually using Mind Maps, whiteboards, etc.
• ClickUp Brain enhances project delivery by streamlining workflows and providing a writing assistant for improved communication and documentation

Cons:

• Some users report that the customer service can be a bit better
• Does not offer reports for subtasks

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5. Trello

Trello stands out as a free project management tool renowned for its Kanban boards, where tasks are represented as customizable cards. These cards can include due dates, assignees, labels, attachments, and comments, allowing for seamless reorganization and visual collaboration.

Its intuitive interface makes Trello especially suitable for small businesses with limited training resources. You can choose from a variety of templates covering marketing, sales, design, and team management or start from scratch with a new board.

Pros:

• Allows users to create flow charts, generate reports, and add tags with ease
• The mobile app is great, allowing users to access work on the go
• Helps users to create tasks for various stages like planning, completion, etc. on the Trello board

Cons:

• Some users report that searching for cards and specific tasks can be time-taking
• The free version accommodates only a few team members

6. Basecamp

Basecamp stands out as the top choice for smaller businesses who want more collaboration. Teams can leverage Basecamp for seamless project management, communication, and organization, whether they’re collaborating with colleagues nearby or clients across the globe.

Users can also effortlessly track progress, collaborate on documents, schedule projects, and more—all without the need for endless meetings or emails.

Pros:

• The tool is easy to use, and some users report that the mobile version is easy to update
• Offers different boards and chat rooms for catering to diverse clients and project
• Allows users to move tasks easily and track progress

Cons:

• The quality of customer support can be better
• The Activity log can be improved upon as it does not allow users to keep track of changes in real-time

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7. TeamGantt

TeamGantt is efficient and straightforward project management software for small businesses. Its intuitive drag-and-drop functionality allows for seamless project management.

Users can keep their projects profitable and on track with features like Gantt Charts, Calendars, Workloads, Time Tracking, Portfolio Views, Dependencies, and more.  TeamGantt can be used by teams of all sizes, whether working in the office or remotely, to plan and collaborate on projects effectively.

Pros:

• Allows users to access information easily and quickly for projects from one place
• Setting deadlines for the team is fairly easy
• Helps users to set up Gantt charts quickly
• Flexible and easy to use as compared to other project management tools

Cons:

• Doesn’t allow users to create repeat tasks easily
• The free plan has a limited number of tasks
• Some users also want more templates

8. Chisel: Innovative project management software for small business

Chisel is known as the best project management software for small businesses because of its focus on simplicity, efficiency, and collaboration. The tool offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. It also offers robust collaboration features, allowing team members to communicate easily, share files, and track progress on tasks.

Pros:

• The Timeline view offers a high-level overview of the roadmap and shows the plan neatly
• Roadmaps feature offers a bird’s-eye view of the product’s lifecycle
• Chisel AI’s idea summarization and classification features allow users to categorize thousands of customer ideas in seconds, identify trends and tags across all data, etc.

Cons:

• The project management features can seem too basic to some users
• Some users want the UX to be improved and become more explanatory
• Lacks deeper integrations with several tools

9. Monday

Monday.com is a game-changeing project management software for small businesses. With free and affordable plans, it’s budget-friendly and easy to use, reducing training and onboarding costs.

Empower your team by assigning tasks, creating schedules, and monitoring progress all in one place. It stands out for managing projects with features that cater to various needs, including handling multiple clients and offering flexible project views.

Pros:

• Offers customized workflows to fit the team’s style
• Users can choose from various project views like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and timelines
• Provides multiple free templates for marketing, editorial, events, CRM, and H
• Offers automation features for tasks like email reminders and project approvals

Cons:

• Provides poor integration with other software products
• Some users find its pricing to be steep
• App loads slowly sometimes

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10. Paymo

Paymo allows users to manage client projects and business tasks, track work time, and invoice clients—all from one place that is accessible anywhere. This project management software for small businesses focuses on guiding teams through every stage of project management, from task assignment and time tracking to collaboration to reporting and workload visualization.

Pros:

• Automates key project and task management features
• Offers add-on features such as billing, invoicing, etc.
• Is easy to use and set up

Cons:

• The MacOS and iPhone applications have a poor user interface
• The time-tracking feature is inconvenient, according to some users

11. Wrike

Looking for the most powerful work management platform? Wrike is here for you. This project management software for small businesses drives collaboration and brings all your work into one place.  

Pros:

• Offers a user-friendly interface and intuitive design, making it easy to learn and use
• Straightforward workflow helps you to create tasks, assign responsibilities, set deadlines, and track progress
• Provides access to multiple views in an online format
• Allows users to see project and task status on the Kanban board or Gantt chart

Cons:

• Lacks effective resource management and time management features
• Some users report that the mobile app and desktop versions have differing features

12. MS Project: Free project management software for small business

MS Project offers a centralized tool for viewing all project tasks and supports multi-project management.  You can choose from a variety of workflow approaches and time-track the duration of projects by allowing team members to fill out time cards easily. It is particularly well-suited for managing complex projects for large organizations.

Pros:

• Great collaboration for remote teams
• Provides comprehensive Portfolio management feature, allowing team members to see all the ongoing enterprise projects at one glance
• Offers great budget tracking feature
• Helps assess resource dependencies and constraints and allocate them optimally

Cons:

• Users report the pricing to be too steep
• Some users also claim that there’s a lack of visibility into project progress and status
• Does not allow users to prioritize projects based on business goals

13. QuickBase

Quickbase, as a project management software for small business, empowers users to control complex projects at an organizational level with highly customized workflows. It offers powerful integration features, reporting, Gantt charts, and AI features. 

Pros:

• Offers comprehensive clinical data-tracking functionality
• Great for users who are not tech-savvy
• Prompt customer support and speedy issue resolution
• Triggers emails and automates notifications as needed
• Data-driven dashboards and KPIs help track different data sets

Cons:

• The tool becomes slow-loading if you’re dealing with large datasets
• Lacks in-depth visibility into integrations

How to Choose Project Management Software For Small Business?

Here are a few features to consider when selecting the best project management software for small businesses:

• Communication: Question if the software allows you to coordinate with teams and clients effectively. Does it have an in-built chat for sharing files, tagging team members, etc.? Does it offer integration with communication-friendly tools like Slack, Zoom, and more?
• Integration: Does the tool integrate with your existing tech stack and workflow apps?
• Customizable views: Does the tool offer multiple customizable views and support for your preferred project management methodology?
• Project management: Is the tool an out-an-out project management app, or does it offer task management as a smaller feature?
• Team roles: Does it allow you to set customized project permissions such as view-only access or admin rights?
• Bugs: Is the tool’s development team ensuring the app is updated frequently and is bug-free?
• Learning curve: Is the tool easy to use, particularly for basic features? How intuitive is its user interface?

Considering the importance of project management software tools, especially for small businesses, it’s crucial to evaluate essential features like time tracking, role management, and budget considerations, alongside the need for integrations and testing out software before making a final decision.

Add Flexibility and Productivity to Your Projects With Nifty

Projects don’t occur in a void—multiple teams are involved, stakeholder expectations are ever-changing, and scope creep often finds a way in.

Even the simplest projects are mired in complex issues like cramped resources, time delays, budget overruns, etc. This is where project management software for small businesses like Nifty is a boon. 

With a centralized app, you can streamline your goals, teams, and processes. Power-packed with rich features like time tracking, reporting, project management, etc., you can say goodbye to toggling between tools and use your time more productively. Sign up to see Nifty in action.

FAQs

What is the best project management software for small businesses?

There are many options for project management software for small businesses you can choose from. However, opt for pure project management software like Nifty, ClickUp, Wrike, Monday.com, etc. to get your projects ahead.

Does a small business need a project manager?

Yes, regardless of your business size, every business needs a project manager. They drive project success by overseeing the project’s progress throughout the project lifecycle. They also ensure on-time delivery and help complete projects within the stipulated budget.

What key features should I look for in PM software for small businesses?

Some of the must-have key features to look for in PM software for small businesses include collaboration, project management, integration, customization, reporting, resource management, time management, and more.