Project Management by Team · Researched comparison

Best Team Management Software for Teams

TaskReports may earn a fee from some links on this page, and some placements are paid and labelled. Neither one decides the order. See our disclosure.

The short answer

monday.com is our top pick for most teams because it combines clear boards, timelines, workload views, and automations in one place at $9 per seat per month when billed annually. It suits teams that need shared visibility, simple setup, and room to grow without moving to a separate system as headcount rises.

On this page

Key takeaways

  • monday.com leads for shared visibility, workload planning, and automations.
  • Asana suits teams that need strong task structure and portfolios.
  • ClickUp and Trello offer low starting prices, at $9 and $5 per user per month.
  • Basecamp charges a flat $29 per month on its Freelancer plan.
  • Check free plan limits, seat minimums, and the plan that holds key features.

Comparison

Monthly cost by team size

The table uses the starting price for each tool, billed annually, times team size. Basecamp is flat $29 per month, not per user, and its Freelancer plan caps at 3 projects and 5 users, so teams above 5 people need a higher plan.

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
monday.comVisual team boards and workload$9 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes
AsanaStructured tasks and portfolios$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
ClickUpLow cost all in one workspace$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
WrikeCross-team project tracking$9.80 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TeamworkClient work and project delivery$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TrelloSimple kanban boards$5 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
BasecampFlat rate team hub$29 per month (flat, Freelancer plan)Yes
NotionDocs, wikis, and tasks together$10 per member/month (billed annually)Yes
AirtableFlexible databases and views$20 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
SmartsheetSpreadsheet style project plans$9 per member/month (billed annually)Free trial (30 days)
Tool5 people10 people25 people50 people
monday.com$45$90$225$450
Asana$54.95$109.90$274.75$549.50
ClickUp$45$90$225$450
Wrike$49$98$245$490
Teamwork$49.95$99.90$249.75$499.50
Trello$25$50$125$250
Basecamp$29$29$29$29
Notion$50$100$250$500
Airtable$100$200$500$1,000
Smartsheet$45$90$225$450

How we choose

We reviewed vendor pricing pages, product docs, and feature pages for each tool, and we compared starting prices, free plans, views, workload tools, and reporting. We checked which features sit in each plan, such as workload, timelines, time tracking, and permissions, so the guide shows the real cost of the features a team will use. We did not claim hands-on testing, and we did not use scores or ratings. Prices come from the vendor pricing pages in Sources, and they reflect the annual billing price shown on 2026-11-13.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

monday.com

Best for Visual team boards and workload

  • Clear boards, timelines, and workload views
  • wide range of templates and automations
Price$9 per seat/month (billed annually)
See monday.com pricing

monday.com gives teams a visual way to track work, with boards that show tasks, owners, dates, and status in one view. Managers can switch to a timeline or workload view to see who has too much work and where dates clash. Templates cover marketing, sales, product, and operations, so a team can start from a shape that matches its work.

Automations move items, send reminders, and update status when a date or owner changes, and dashboards pull progress from several boards. Pricing starts at $9 per seat per month when billed annually, and a free plan is listed for up to 2 seats. Teams should check which views sit in each plan, since some useful features need a higher tier.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: monday.com

Watch out for

  • 3-seat minimum on plans
  • free plan limited to 2 seats
2

Asana

Best for Structured tasks and portfolios
$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Asana organises work into projects, tasks, subtasks, and sections, with an owner, due date, description, comments, and files on each task. Timeline view shows how tasks connect, and portfolios group projects so a lead can track several workstreams and spot delays early. Goals link team work to wider aims, and reporting shows progress and overdue work.

Templates help teams start a campaign, launch, or onboarding plan without building each step from scratch. Pricing starts at $10.99 per user per month when billed annually, and a free plan is listed. Workload and portfolios need the Advanced plan, so teams that want capacity planning should budget for that tier.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: asana.com

What we like

  • Strong task structure, timelines, and portfolios
  • clear goals and reporting

Watch out for

  • Workload and portfolios need the Advanced plan
  • some features need a higher tier
3

ClickUp

Best for Low cost all in one workspace
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

ClickUp brings tasks, docs, goals, chat, and dashboards into one workspace, which can reduce the number of separate tools a team needs. Teams can view work as a list, board, calendar, timeline, or Gantt chart, and custom fields and statuses let a team shape the workspace to its own process. The free plan gives a team a way to test core task features before choosing a tier.

The breadth of features is a strength and a risk, so start with one project, one view, and a small set of fields. Pricing starts at $9 per user per month when billed annually. Advanced features such as goals and workload need the Business plan, so teams that need capacity planning should check that tier first.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: clickup.com

What we like

  • Low starting price with many views
  • docs, goals, and chat in one place

Watch out for

  • Advanced features such as goals and workload need the Business plan
  • setup can take time
4

Wrike

Best for Cross-team project tracking
$9.80 per user/month (billed annually)

Wrike suits teams that manage work across departments, with projects that pass between marketing, product, operations, and support. It offers Gantt charts, kanban boards, calendars, and dashboards, plus request forms that turn incoming work into tasks with a clear owner and due date. Approvals help teams review creative work and plans without long email threads.

Folders, custom fields, and reports group work by team, client, or priority. Pricing starts at $9.80 per user per month when billed annually, and a free plan is listed. The Team plan lacks time tracking and resource management, so teams that need those features should look at a higher tier.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: wrike.com

What we like

  • Strong project tracking across teams
  • request forms and approvals built in

Watch out for

  • Team plan lacks time tracking and resource management
  • higher tiers cost more
5

Teamwork

Best for Client work and project delivery
$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Teamwork is built for teams that deliver work for clients, with projects that hold tasks, milestones, files, time, and budgets in one place. Each project can show its status, owner, and due date, and a team can track time against tasks to see how much work a client job has used. That link between tasks, time, and budget helps agencies keep a project on track.

Portfolios and dashboards show workload across a team and progress across clients. Pricing starts at $9.99 per user per month when billed annually, and a free plan is listed. The free plan caps at 5 projects and 5 users, so a growing team will need to move to a tier with more room.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: teamwork.com

What we like

  • Clear client project tracking
  • time tracking and invoicing links

Watch out for

  • Free plan caps at 5 projects and 5 users
  • some reports need a higher plan
6

Trello

Best for Simple kanban boards
$5 per user/month (billed annually)

Trello uses boards, lists, and cards, which makes it one of the easiest tools in this guide to learn. A team can create a board for a project, add lists for stages such as To do, Doing, and Done, and move cards as work moves forward. Each card can hold a checklist, due date, owner, comments, and files, so the detail stays with the task.

Trello suits small teams that need a light system for tracking tasks without a complex setup, and it also works for content calendars and support queues. Pricing starts at $5 per user per month when billed annually, the lowest starting price in this guide. The timeline view needs the Premium plan, so teams that want a Gantt style view should budget for that tier.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: trello.com

What we like

  • Very simple kanban boards
  • low starting price and easy to learn

Watch out for

  • Timeline view needs the Premium plan
  • limited reporting on lower tiers
7

Basecamp

Best for Flat rate team hub
$29 per month (flat, Freelancer plan)

Basecamp gives a team one hub for message boards, to-do lists, schedules, files, and group chat, which keeps project talk in one place instead of in email. Each project has its own space, with a clear list of tasks, a calendar of dates, and a board for updates. The design is simple, and the focus is on clear communication rather than complex charts.

The flat pricing is a key difference, since the Freelancer plan costs $29 per month, not per user. Pricing starts at $29 per month on that plan, and a free plan is listed. The Freelancer plan caps at 3 projects and 5 users, so a team that grows past those limits will need a higher plan. Basecamp has no Gantt view.

Price: $29 per month (flat, Freelancer plan)

Free plan: Yes

Website: basecamp.com

What we like

  • Flat monthly price for small teams
  • message boards, to-dos, and files in one hub

Watch out for

  • Freelancer plan caps at 3 projects and 5 users
  • no Gantt view
8

Notion

Best for Docs, wikis, and tasks together
$10 per member/month (billed annually)

Notion combines docs, wikis, databases, and tasks, so a team can keep its notes, plans, and project lists in one workspace. Pages can hold text, tables, checklists, and files, and databases can show the same work as a table, board, calendar, or timeline. Templates cover meeting notes, project plans, hiring, and product docs, which helps a team start with a clear structure.

Notion works well for teams that write a lot and track tasks alongside docs, such as product and marketing teams. Pricing starts at $10 per member per month when billed annually, and a free plan is listed. The Plus plan lacks advanced permissions and SAML SSO, so larger teams with strict access needs should check the Business plan.

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

Free plan: Yes

Website: notion.com

What we like

  • Flexible docs, wikis, and databases
  • strong templates for teams

Watch out for

  • Plus plan lacks advanced permissions and SAML SSO
  • task features are lighter than rivals
9

Airtable

Best for Flexible databases and views
$20 per user/month (billed annually)

Airtable works like a spreadsheet with the power of a database, which suits teams that track structured work such as content, assets, or campaigns. Each base can hold tables for projects, tasks, people, and files, and linked records connect them without duplicate data. Views show the same data as a grid, kanban board, calendar, timeline, or gallery, and filters help a team find overdue work or work by owner.

Automations can send alerts and update records when a field changes, which saves manual work. Pricing starts at $20 per user per month when billed annually, the highest starting price in this guide, and a free plan is listed. The Team plan caps records per base and limits automations, so check those limits before you commit.

Price: $20 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: airtable.com

What we like

  • Powerful database views and filters
  • good for content and asset tracking

Watch out for

  • Team plan caps records per base and limits automations
  • highest starting price here
10

Smartsheet

Best for Spreadsheet style project plans
$9 per member/month (billed annually)

Smartsheet uses a spreadsheet grid as the base for project plans, which suits teams that already work in sheets and want a familiar layout with more project features. Rows can hold tasks, owners, dates, and status, and the grid can switch to a Gantt chart, card view, or calendar. Formulas, dependencies, and reports help a team track dates and progress across many sheets.

Dashboards pull together key numbers from several projects, so a lead can see status without opening each sheet. Pricing starts at $9 per member per month when billed annually. There is no free plan, only a free trial of 30 days, and the Pro plan caps at 10 editors, so larger teams should check the Business plan.

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

Free plan: Free trial (30 days)

Website: smartsheet.com

What we like

  • Familiar spreadsheet grid with Gantt and reports
  • strong for plans and schedules

Watch out for

  • No free plan
  • Pro plan caps at 10 editors

What to check before you buy

Test the free plan or trial with real work, and check the seat minimum, since monday.com needs 3 seats and Basecamp caps its Freelancer plan at 3 projects and 5 users. Check which plan holds workload, timelines, time tracking, and reporting, since those features often need a higher tier. Count the total monthly cost for your team size using the table above, and add tax and any add-ons. Check guest access, data export, and integrations with your email, chat, calendar, and file tools. Agree on a trial owner and a review date, so the trial ends with a clear choice. Also check how the tool handles notifications, because a team that gets too many alerts will start to ignore them, while a team that gets too few will miss due dates. Check mobile apps if your team works away from a desk, and check support hours and help docs, since a small team may need clear guides when it sets up its first boards and views.

FAQ

Which team management software is best for a small team?

Trello is a strong choice for a small team that wants a simple board and a low starting price of $5 per user per month when billed annually. monday.com also suits small teams that want boards, timelines, and workload views in one place. Start with the free plan, test it with real tasks for two weeks, and check the seat minimum before you choose a tier.

How much does team management software cost per month?

Costs in this guide range from $5 per user per month for Trello to $20 per user per month for Airtable when billed annually, plus a flat $29 per month for Basecamp on its Freelancer plan. A team of 10 people would spend $50 per month on Trello, $90 on monday.com, and $200 on Airtable at starting prices. Always confirm the total on the vendor pricing page.

Does team management software offer a free plan?

Yes, nine of the ten tools in this guide list a free plan, and Smartsheet offers a free trial of 30 days instead. Free plans often limit seats, projects, views, or storage, so they suit a test or a very small team. Check the free plan cap for users and projects, and check which features need a higher tier before you rely on it.

What is the difference between Asana and monday.com?

Asana focuses on structured tasks, subtasks, portfolios, and goals, which suits teams with complex work and many projects. monday.com focuses on visual boards, timelines, workload views, and automations, which suits teams that want shared visibility at a glance. Both start near $10 per user per month when billed annually, so the choice often comes down to layout and workflow.

Can I switch team management software later?

Yes, most tools in this guide offer import from spreadsheets and export to spreadsheets or CSV files, which helps a team move tasks, dates, and owners. Plan the move in stages, export a full copy first, and test the import with one project before you move the rest. Check export limits on the free plan, since some tools limit export on lower tiers.

Do I need a higher plan for workload and time tracking?

Often yes, because workload, time tracking, and resource management often sit in higher tiers. Asana needs its Advanced plan for workload, ClickUp needs its Business plan for goals and workload, and Wrike lacks time tracking on its Team plan. Check the pricing page for the exact plan that holds each feature, and budget for that tier from the start.

Sources we checked

How we score

Need the method behind these picks?

We publish the criteria and the weights, so you can disagree with them.

monday.com#1 PICK
Visit site