Project Management by Team · Researched comparison

Best Project Communication Software

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The short answer

ClickUp is the top pick for most teams because it combines chat, comments, docs and tasks in one workspace at $9 per user per month billed annually, with a free plan for small teams. Asana is the better choice when a team wants calm, structured updates with timelines, with Starter at $10.99 per user per month billed annually.

On this page

Key takeaways

  • ClickUp leads for teams that want chat, comments, docs and tasks in one workspace at $9 per user per month billed annually.
  • Asana suits teams that value structured status updates and timelines, with Starter at $10.99 per user per month billed annually.
  • monday.com fits visual teams, with updates, mentions and boards from $9 per user per month billed annually.
  • Zoho Projects offers the lowest entry price here at $4 per user per month billed annually, with a free plan for up to 5 users.
  • Trello is the cheapest entry point for simple card comments, with Standard at $5 per user per month billed annually.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
ClickUpChat and comments in one place$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
monday.comUpdates on visual boards$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
AsanaStructured updates and timelines$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
NotionComments on docs and tasks$10 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TrelloSimple card comments$5 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
Zoho ProjectsLow-cost team chat and forums$4 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TeamworkClient updates and messages$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
WrikeComments and approvals in workflow$10 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
SmartsheetComments on sheets and rows$9 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (30 days)
LinearFast updates for software teams$10 per user/month (billed annually)Yes

How we choose

We reviewed the vendor pricing pages, feature lists and plan comparison tables for each tool in this list, and we compared how chat, comments, mentions and status updates work in each product. We looked at the starting price on annual billing, the free plan or trial terms, the range of views, and the limits that move a feature to a higher plan. We did not claim hands-on testing, and we treated vendor documentation as the source for each price and limit. Prices change, so open the pricing page in the Sources section before you buy.

Written by the Taskreports Editorial Team.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

ClickUp

Best for Chat and comments in one place

  • Built-in chat and comments
  • docs and tasks share one workspace
Price$9 per user/month (billed annually)
See ClickUp pricing

ClickUp brings tasks, docs, whiteboards, goals, chat and time tracking into a single workspace, so a discussion can live next to the task it refers to. Chat threads, comments and mentions keep updates in context, and the inbox groups notifications by project so a person can catch up without opening each task. The timer sits inside each task, so the hours spent on a piece of work are recorded where the work happens.

The Core plan starts at $9 per user per month billed annually and includes unlimited storage, Gantt charts, custom fields and guest permissions. The free plan covers small teams that want to try the core task, doc and chat features before committing. Teams that need timesheets, resource management and advanced dashboards should check the Business plan at $17 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: clickup.com

Watch out for

  • Many notification settings can take time to tune
  • advanced reporting sits on higher plans
2

monday.com

Best for Updates on visual boards
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

monday.com organises work on boards with columns for status, owner, dates and time, and each item has an updates feed where people can comment, mention a colleague and attach a file. The timeline and Gantt views show how work spreads across weeks, and dashboards can sum progress by person or project. Templates cover marketing campaigns, product launches, client onboarding and hiring, so a team can start from a structure that already fits its work.

The Basic plan starts at $9 per user per month billed annually and includes unlimited items, docs and more than 200 templates, with a minimum of 3 seats. The free plan covers up to 2 seats with 3 boards. Teams that need automations, integrations and Gantt views should check the Standard plan at $12 per user per month billed annually, since Basic includes none of those.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: monday.com

What we like

  • Updates and mentions sit on boards
  • many templates for common workflows

Watch out for

  • Automations are missing from the entry plan
  • notification rules need a higher plan
3

Asana

Best for Structured updates and timelines
$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Asana keeps tasks, subtasks, milestones and timelines in a calm layout that suits teams of 5 to 200 people. Comments on tasks keep discussion next to the work it refers to, and project status updates give managers a regular summary of progress, blockers and next steps. Portfolios on the Advanced plan group related projects so managers can see status, dates and workload across a whole programme.

The Starter plan starts at $10.99 per user per month billed annually and adds timeline and Gantt views, dashboards, forms, custom fields and unlimited automations. The free Personal plan covers up to 2 users with unlimited tasks and projects. Teams that need portfolios, goals, workload and approvals should check the Advanced plan at $24.99 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: asana.com

What we like

  • Clean task lists and timelines
  • status updates keep managers informed

Watch out for

  • No built-in chat, discussion lives in comments
  • proofing needs a higher plan
4

Notion

Best for Comments on docs and tasks
$10 per user/month (billed annually)

Notion combines pages, wikis, databases and tasks in one workspace, so a team can keep its briefs, meeting notes and project tracker in the same place. Comments and mentions keep discussion next to the doc or task it refers to, which cuts down on separate chat threads. Databases can switch between table, board, timeline and calendar views, and templates cover roadmaps, sprint plans and content calendars.

The Plus plan starts at $10 per user per month billed annually and adds unlimited guests, 30-day page history and custom database automations. The free plan covers one person with unlimited pages and 10 guest collaborators. Teams that want full AI features, SAML single sign-on and 90-day history should check the Business plan at $20 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: notion.com

What we like

  • Flexible pages and databases
  • comments sit next to docs and tasks

Watch out for

  • No built-in chat, discussion lives in comments
  • alerts need setup
5

Trello

Best for Simple card comments
$5 per user/month (billed annually)

Trello keeps work on boards with lists and cards, and each card has a comment feed where people can mention a colleague, attach a file and add a checklist. Activity logs show who moved a card, changed a date or added a comment, so a team can see what changed without asking in chat. The calendar and timeline views on the Premium plan show when work is due, and the dashboard view sums cards by list or label.

The Standard plan starts at $5 per user per month billed annually and adds unlimited boards, 250 MB per file and 1,000 automation runs a month. The free plan covers up to 10 collaborators per workspace and 10 boards. Teams that need timeline, calendar, table and dashboard views should check the Premium plan at $10 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $5 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: trello.com

What we like

  • Cheapest entry price here after Zoho
  • comments and mentions on every card

Watch out for

  • No threaded discussion, comments stay flat
  • notifications are basic
6

Zoho Projects

Best for Low-cost team chat and forums
$4 per user/month (billed annually)

Zoho Projects covers task lists, milestones, Gantt charts, time tracking and budgets at a price most rivals cannot match. The Feeds view shows project activity in one stream, and forums give a team a place to discuss a topic without starting a separate chat thread. Comments on tasks keep discussion next to the work it refers to, and integrations with Zoho Cliq, Slack and Google Workspace help teams that already use those products.

The Premium plan starts at $4 per user per month billed annually and includes unlimited projects, Gantt charts, time tracking, budgeting and workflow automation. The free plan covers up to 5 users and 3 projects with 5 GB of storage. Teams that need portfolios, critical path and custom roles should check the Enterprise plan at $9 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $4 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: zoho.com

What we like

  • Lowest entry price in this list
  • forums and feeds sit next to tasks

Watch out for

  • Chat features are lighter than dedicated tools
  • some features need the wider Zoho suite
7

Teamwork

Best for Client updates and messages
$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Teamwork is built around client work, with projects, milestones, tasks and time logs kept together. Messages can go to the whole project or to a single task, and the client view keeps external contacts informed without giving them full access. Comments on tasks keep discussion next to the work it refers to, and project templates help agencies repeat the same delivery process for each new client.

The Basics plan starts at $9.99 per user per month billed annually, with a minimum of 3 seats, and covers project delivery, client organisation and billable time tracking. The free plan covers up to 5 users and 5 projects. Teams that need timesheets, workload planning, retainers and invoicing should check the Accelerate plan at $24.99 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: teamwork.com

What we like

  • Built for client projects
  • messages and comments keep clients informed

Watch out for

  • Chat is lighter than dedicated tools
  • workload planning needs a higher plan
8

Wrike

Best for Comments and approvals in workflow
$10 per user/month (billed annually)

Wrike suits teams that need a clear hierarchy of folders, projects and tasks, with approvals and proofing built into the workflow. Comments on tasks and files keep discussion next to the work it refers to, and a file can move through review, comment and approval with a defined owner and due date. Reports can show approval status by project, person and period, which helps managers spot a bottleneck before it blocks a deadline.

The Team plan starts at $10 per user per month billed annually and covers 2 to 15 users, with Gantt charts, dashboards and integrations with common business tools. The free plan covers up to 5 users with basic task and board features. Teams that need resource planning, budgeting and advanced reporting should check the Business plan at $25 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: wrike.com

What we like

  • Strong task hierarchy and approvals
  • comments sit in the workflow

Watch out for

  • No built-in chat, discussion lives in comments
  • setup takes care for large teams
9

Smartsheet

Best for Comments on sheets and rows
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

Smartsheet presents work as sheets, grids, cards and Gantt charts, which suits teams that plan in rows and columns. Comments attach to rows, so a question about a cost item or a date sits next to the row it refers to, and automated workflows can send alerts when a date changes or a task moves stage. Reports and dashboards pull rows from many sheets into one view, which helps when a programme spans several departments.

The Pro plan starts at $9 per user per month billed annually and includes Gantt views, 250 automation runs a month and 20 GB of storage, for 1 to 10 members. A 30-day free trial gives a team time to build a real plan and test the integrations. Teams that need resource management, unlimited automations and proofing should check the Business plan at $19 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (30 days)

Website: smartsheet.com

What we like

  • Familiar grid layout
  • comments and alerts suit large plans

Watch out for

  • No built-in chat, discussion lives in comments
  • entry plan limits some automation
10

Linear

Best for Fast updates for software teams
$10 per user/month (billed annually)

Linear is built for software and product teams that want fast issue tracking with little admin. Issues move through triage, backlog and active work with keyboard shortcuts, and comments keep discussion next to the issue it refers to. Cycles give a team a fixed window for planned work, and the roadmap view shows how issues group into larger pieces of work. Integrations with GitHub, GitLab and Slack connect code and chat to the issues they belong to.

The Basic plan starts at $10 per user per month billed annually and covers up to 5 teams with unlimited issues. The free plan covers unlimited members with a limit of 250 issues. Teams that need unlimited teams, private teams and guest access should check the Business plan at $16 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: linear.app

What we like

  • Fast interface with keyboard shortcuts
  • comments and triage keep work moving

Watch out for

  • Built for software teams, other teams may find it narrow
  • insights need a higher plan

What to check before you buy

Start with a short trial that uses real work, not a demo project. Give 3 to 5 people a live project, ask them to comment, mention and update status for one full week, then check whether the inbox, the comments and the reports show the updates that matter. If people keep falling back to a separate chat app for every question, the tool is not fitting the workflow, and no extra feature will fix that.

The decision table below gives a quick starting point by team size and budget. Use it as a guide, then confirm the price and plan limits on the vendor page.

Before you sign up, run through this checklist. Confirm the starting price on the pricing page and note whether it is billed annually or monthly. Confirm the free plan or trial length and what happens when it ends. Confirm whether chat, mentions and status updates are included in the plan you would buy. Confirm whether notifications can be tuned per project, so people are not flooded with alerts. Confirm how many seats you need, including viewers and clients. Confirm the export options for comments and status updates, since you may need that data if you switch tools later.

FAQ

Which tool replaces a separate chat app?

ClickUp comes closest, since it includes chat, comments, docs and tasks in one workspace, with Core at $9 per user per month billed annually. Most teams still keep a chat app for quick talk, but ClickUp moves project discussion into the task view, which cuts down on separate threads. Asana and monday.com keep discussion in comments instead of full chat.

Does Asana have built-in chat?

No, Asana does not include a full chat feature. Discussion lives in task comments, project messages and status updates, with integrations for Slack and Microsoft Teams for live chat. Teams that need chat inside the project tool should look at ClickUp, which includes chat, or keep a separate chat app next to Asana.

Is Trello enough for team communication?

Trello is enough for a small team that only needs comments and mentions on cards, with an activity log that shows what changed. It has no threaded discussion and no built-in chat, so larger teams with many projects should look at ClickUp or Teamwork instead. Standard starts at $5 per user per month billed annually, with a free plan for up to 10 collaborators.

How do I stop notifications from flooding the team?

Start by turning off notifications for projects a person only watches, and keep alerts for mentions, assignments and due date changes. ClickUp, Asana and monday.com all let a person tune notifications per project, though the exact controls differ by plan. Agree on a simple rule, such as mentions for urgent items and status updates for weekly progress, before the team grows.

Sources we checked

How we score

Need the method behind these picks?

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