Best Project Planning Software for Engineering Teams

Asana fits engineering teams that plan work alongside product, design, and marketing, since it is easy for non-engineers to read and use. Every task has one owner and one due date, which keeps cross-functional work clear, and projects switch between list, board, and timeline views as the work changes shape. The Starter plan at $10.99 per user per month includes timeline view, 250 automations a month, and dashboards, which cover most planning needs for a small engineering team.

The free Personal plan covers up to 10 teammates with unlimited tasks and projects, so a small team can start without paying. The gaps are sprint depth and time tracking: Asana has no native time tracking on Starter, and its sprint tools are lighter than Jira, with no burndown charts. Teams that run strict scrum should pick Jira, while teams that value shared planning across departments will find Asana easier to adopt.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: asana.com

Monday.com suits engineering teams that want a visual planning board the whole company can read, rather than a developer-only tool. Status columns, owners, and due dates sit in one row per task, so a product manager can see what engineering finished, what is stuck, and what is due next without opening each item. The Basic plan at $9 per seat per month includes unlimited boards and 5 GB of file storage, which covers a small team tracking a few projects.

The free plan covers only 2 seats, so a full team must pay from the start. Gantt view starts on the Standard plan at $12 per seat per month, and the Basic plan lacks time tracking and offers only 250 automation actions a month. Monday.com has no burndown charts or release tracking, so teams that run strict scrum will miss those. For engineering teams that plan in boards and share progress widely, it is a flexible option.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: monday.com

Wrike fits engineering teams that need structured workflows with review steps, such as design review, QA, and release approval. The Team plan at $9.80 per user per month includes Gantt charts with dependencies, automations, and one shared dashboard, so a team can plan a release, route reviews, and track progress in one place. Custom workflows let a team define its own stages, from backlog to code review to done, which suits teams with a formal delivery process.

The free plan covers unlimited users but only 200 active tasks per account, so it works for a trial rather than daily work. Time tracking starts on the Business plan at $24.80 per user per month, which is a steep jump for teams that log hours. The Team plan also caps at 15 users on self-serve purchase, so larger teams buy through a sales representative. For engineering teams that need structure and proofing, Wrike is worth the price.

Price: $9.80 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: wrike.com

Smartsheet fits engineering teams that plan in spreadsheets and want Gantt charts, dependencies, and critical path without a developer-only tool. The grid layout feels familiar, while the Pro plan at $9 per user per month adds Gantt view, 10 sheets, and basic reports. The Business plan at $19 per user per month adds resource management, advanced reports, and proofing, which suits teams that track labor and capacity across projects.

There is no free plan, only a 30-day free trial, so a team pays from the start. Smartsheet has no sprint boards, burndown charts, or release tracking, so agile teams that run scrum will need Jira or a similar tool for that part of the work. The interface can feel dense for engineers who only need a simple task list. For engineering teams that plan with sheets and need strong reports, Smartsheet is a solid choice.

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

Free plan: Free trial (30 days)

Website: smartsheet.com

Zoho Projects is the budget pick for engineering teams that need Gantt charts, since it includes them on the free plan and on Premium at $4 per user per month. Tasks, milestones, timesheets, and issue tracking come standard, so a team can plan a project, track hours, and log bugs without extra apps. The free plan covers up to 5 users and 3 projects, which fits a small engineering team that is just starting out.

The Premium plan at $4 per user per month adds Gantt baselines, more storage, and more projects, and Enterprise at $9 per user per month adds advanced reports and custom fields. The main drawbacks are the interface, which feels dated next to Asana or monday.com, and limited integrations with code tools next to Jira. For a team that wants full project features at the lowest price, Zoho Projects is the best value in this list.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: zoho.com

LiquidPlanner stands out for predictive scheduling, which shows a range of likely finish dates instead of a single fixed date. That suits engineering teams whose work estimates vary, since the tool recalculates the schedule as priorities and estimates change. Resource views show who is overbooked and who has room, which helps a lead balance work across the team without a separate capacity tool.

Pricing is by quote, with no published rates, so a team must talk to sales to get a number. There is a 14-day free trial, but no free plan. LiquidPlanner has fewer third-party integrations than Jira, and its interface takes a day or two to learn. For engineering teams that plan with ranges and want honest dates rather than fixed promises, it is a distinctive option that no other tool in this list matches.

Price: quote only

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: liquidplanner.com

Kantata, formerly Mavenlink, fits engineering services teams that plan projects and people together, such as consultancies that deliver engineering work for clients. It combines project planning, resource management, time tracking, and financials in one system, so a services lead can plan a project, staff it, track hours, and see margin without separate tools. That breadth suits teams that bill clients for engineering work and need to know which projects make money.

Pricing is by quote, with no published rates, and a full rollout takes weeks of setup and training, so it is not a fit for a small product team. There is no free plan. For engineering services teams that need planning, staffing, and financials in one place, Kantata is the most complete option in this list. Product teams that only need sprint planning will find Jira a better and cheaper fit.

Price: quote only

Free plan: No

Website: kantata.com