How does ToolGPA rank project management tools?

From what each tool's own pages show (price, free plan, platforms, features and limits) and from what people say about it in public reviews and discussions. Not from our own testing. First place goes to the tool that suits the most people, and second and third to the best choices for the readers it leaves out.

Project Management

Q: What are the best project management tools?

ToolGPA ranks ClickUp first (for: most teams), Jira second (for: software teams tracking bugs and development work), OpenProject third (for: teams that want the software on their own servers). These three serve different teams more than they compete. ClickUp comes first: it covers general project work in one workspace, its free plan has no member limit, and its paid plan costs less than Asana's or monday.com's. Jira is second for software teams, and OpenProject is third for teams that want the software on their own servers. Asana is the nearest rival to ClickUp and sits outside the three because its free plan stops at 2 users. Linear is the alternative to Jira, held back by a free plan that ends at 250 issues.

Shared workspaces for planning projects, tracking work and keeping a team aligned.

Our top three project management tools

These three serve different teams more than they compete. ClickUp comes first: it covers general project work in one workspace, its free plan has no member limit, and its paid plan costs less than Asana's or monday.com's. Jira is second for software teams, and OpenProject is third for teams that want the software on their own servers. Asana is the nearest rival to ClickUp and sits outside the three because its free plan stops at 2 users. Linear is the alternative to Jira, held back by a free plan that ends at 250 issues.

First: ClickUp
Free plan · from $7/mo
For: Most teams
ClickUp puts tasks, docs, chat, whiteboards and dashboards in one workspace and shows the same tasks as a list, board, Gantt chart or calendar. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. The Free Forever plan has unlimited tasks and members, and Unlimited is $7 per user a month, billed yearly, with Gantt charts and time tracking. Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from about 9,800 ratings. Know the limits: the free plan stops at 60MB of storage and 5 spaces, timeline view and unlimited dashboards need Business at $12 per user a month, billed yearly, and AI is billed separately.
iPhone and iPad app: 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store
ClickUp pricing and details
Second: Jira
Free plan · from $9.05/mo
For: Software teams tracking bugs and development work
Jira tracks bugs and development work through a workflow each team defines for itself, shown on boards, in lists, on a timeline or on a calendar, with connections to code hosts such as Bitbucket and GitHub. Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from about 41,000 ratings. Standard is $9.05 per user a month, billed monthly, rising to $9.70 on October 13, 2026. It is second because it is aimed at software teams first, its Free plan stops at 10 users and 2 GB of file storage where ClickUp's has no member limit, and it is listed for the web, iPhone and Android only.
iPhone and iPad app: 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store
Jira pricing and details
Third: OpenProject
Free plan · from $7.25/mo
For: Teams that want the software on their own servers
OpenProject is open source, and its free Community edition installs on your own servers with no user minimum. That edition includes Gantt charts, agile boards, Scrum backlogs, time tracking, a wiki and meetings. If you would rather not run a server, the vendor hosts it in the EU from $7.25 per user a month, billed yearly, with a 5-user minimum. It is third because fewer teams can take it as it comes: the free edition has to be installed and run on your own Linux servers with community support only, and its iPhone and Android apps are in beta. Single sign-on needs the Professional plan, which starts at 25 users.
OpenProject pricing and details

Ranked on Oct 5, 2026 from what each listing shows and what people say about the tool, not from our own testing. How we rank

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46 tools

ActiveCollab
Project Management
Project workspace with time tracking and invoicing for service teams
Free trial · from $12.50/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Airtable
Project Management
Relational database platform for building team workflows and apps
Free plan · from $20/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Asana
Project Management
Work management for projects, goals and cross-team workflows
Free plan · from $10.99/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Backlog
Project Management
Issue tracking and project management with built-in Git and SVN
Free plan · from $30/moWeb · iOS · Android
Basecamp
Project Management
Flat-priced project management with chat, to-dos and files
Free plan · from $25/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
ClickUp
Project Management
Work platform combining tasks, docs, chat and dashboards
Free plan · from $7/moWeb · macOS · Windows +3
Favro
Project Management
Collaborative planning boards for software and game teams
Free trial · from $5.10/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Fibery
Project Management
Build-your-own work platform on connected databases
Free plan · from $12/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Float
Project Management
Resource scheduling and capacity planning for delivery teams
Free trial · from $7/moWeb · iOS · Android
Freedcamp
Project Management
Project management suite with a free plan for unlimited users
Free plan · from $1.49/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
GanttPRO
Project Management
Online Gantt chart maker for planning and tracking projects
Free trial · from $8/moWeb · iOS · Android
GitHub Issues
Project Management
Issue tracking and project planning built into GitHub
Free plan · from $4/moWeb · iOS · Android
Hive
Project Management
AI-assisted project management with chat, notes and proofing
Free plan · from $5/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Huly
Project Management
Open-source project management with chat, docs and video calls
Free plan · from $19.99/moWeb · macOS · Windows +1
Infinity
Project Management
Customizable work management with flat-rate plans for big teams
From $6/moWeb · macOS · Windows +3
Instagantt
Project Management
Web-based Gantt charts, standalone or synced with Asana
Free plan · from $10/moWeb
Jira
Project Management
Issue and project tracking for software and business teams
Free plan · from $9.05/moWeb · iOS · Android
Linear
Project Management
Issue tracking and product planning for software teams
Free plan · from $10/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
MeisterTask
Project Management
Kanban task boards with shared notes, hosted in Germany
Free plan · from €13.50/moWeb · iOS · Android
Microsoft Planner
Project Management
Task and project planning app built into Microsoft 365
Free trial · from $5.40/moWeb · iOS · Android
Microsoft Project
Project Management
Desktop project scheduling for Windows with Gantt charts
Free trial · from $30.00/moWindows
monday.com
Project Management
Board-based work management with automations and dashboards
Free plan · from $9/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Nifty
Project Management
All-in-one project hub with roadmaps, tasks, chat and docs
Free plan · from $10/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
nTask
Project Management
Project management with meetings, timesheets and issue tracking
Free plan · from $3/moWeb · iOS · Android
OpenProject
Project Management
Open-source project management for classic and agile teams
Free plan · from $7.25/moWeb · iOS · Android
Paymo
Project Management
Project management with time tracking and client invoicing
Free plan · from $5.9/moWeb · macOS · Windows +3
Plane
Project Management
Open-source project management with cycles, wiki and AI agents
Free plan · from $6/moWeb · macOS · Linux +2
Podio
Project Management
Customizable work management built from no-code apps
Free plan · from $11.20/moWeb · iOS · Android
Productive
Project Management
Projects, resourcing and finances for agencies and consultancies
Free trial · from $10/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
ProjectManager
Project Management
Gantt-based project and portfolio management with resource planning
Free trial · from $15/moWeb · iOS · Android
ProofHub
Project Management
Flat-price project management and team collaboration tool
Free trial · from $45/moWeb · iOS · Android
Quire
Project Management
Nested task lists with Kanban boards and a Gantt timeline
Free plan · from $7.65/moWeb · iOS · Android
Redmine
Project Management
Free, self-hosted issue tracker and project management web app
FreeWeb
Resource Guru
Project Management
Resource scheduling for people, rooms and equipment
Free trial · from $5/moWeb
Scoro
Project Management
Modular professional services automation for service firms
Free trial · from $17/moWeb · iOS · Android
Shortcut
Project Management
Issue tracking, sprints and roadmaps for software teams
Free plan · from $8.50/moWeb
Smartsheet
Project Management
Spreadsheet-style project and work management for teams
Free trial · from $9/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Taiga
Project Management
Open-source agile project management with Scrum and Kanban
Free plan · from €5/moWeb
TeamGantt
Project Management
Web-based Gantt chart scheduling priced by project, not seat
Free plan · from $59/moWeb · iOS · Android
Teamwork.com
Project Management
Project and resource management for client service teams
Free plan · from $9.99/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Trello
Project Management
Kanban boards with an inbox, planner and built-in automation
Free plan · from $5/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Wrike
Project Management
Work management with Gantt charts, request forms and proofing
Free plan · from $10/moWeb · macOS · Windows +2
YouTrack
Project Management
Issue tracker and project management tool from JetBrains
Free plan · from $4.50/moWeb · iOS · Android
Zenhub
Project Management
Agile project management built on top of GitHub issues
Free plan · from $4.99/moWeb
Zenkit
Project Management
Project management with switchable Kanban, Gantt and mind map views
Free trial · from $8/moWeb · macOS · Windows +3
Zoho Projects
Project Management
Project management with Gantt charts, timesheets and issues
Free plan · from $4/moWeb · iOS · Android

Guides

Shortlists and alternatives for project management tools.

+4
Alternatives
The best Trello alternatives in 2026
Eight tools that can replace Trello, from a free plan with no member limit to database-backed boards and a flat-priced option. Each pick says who it suits and where it stops.
8 tools · Updated October 2026
+5
Best of
The best project management software in 2026
Nine project management tools, from simple kanban boards to database-backed trackers and issue tracking for software teams. Each pick says who it suits, what it costs and where it stops.
9 tools · Updated October 2026

Our top three project management tools

First: ClickUp

Second: Jira

Third: OpenProject

Tools

Guides