10 Best Project Management Software For Architects In 2023
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The Best Architecture Project Management Software Shortlist
Here are the 10 tools that made my shortlist as the best overall project management software for architects:
1.
Asana
— Best for visual project plans
2.
Mosaic
— The must-have planning software for architecture firms
3.
Notion
— Best for customization options and capabilities
4.
Deltek Ajera
— Best for an all-in-one solution
5.
Taimer
— Best for CRM capabilities
6.
TeamGantt
— Best for creating and maintaining Gantt charts
7.
monday.com
— Best for automation capabilities
8.
Teamwork
— Best for resource management and planning
9.
Wrike
— Best for mid-size and enterprise organizations
10.
Basecamp
— Best for communication and collaboration
Architectural projects require coordination across a broad array of stakeholders, which is why using a central software to record the activity, notes, changes, approvals, and key dates for a project is so useful for architect firms.
The best programs have a lot of crossover with general contractor (GC) tools and construction management software, except that architects generally don’t need to manage subcontracts, estimates, and RFIs to the extent that a GC does.
For that reason, I’ve included some specialized software as well as general project management software that comes with templates and features that are useful for managing architecture projects.
Overviews Of The Best Project Management Software For Architects
Here’s my take on the key features and best use case for my list of best project management software for architects.
1
Asana
Best for visual project plans
Asana is a project management tool that helps lead architects to create visual project plans for complex projects. The tool has all the project management features that are required or important for keeping projects on track, including tasks and subtasks, due dates, approvals, dependencies, and project templates.
Asana also has a strong portfolio and workload reporting, as well as a suite of admin tools for security, access, and team management.
While Asana has features for communication and collaboration, some users note that it’s easy to lose track of conversations and communications.
Pricing starts at $10.99/user/month.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3
8324
Free plan available
From $10.99/user/month
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2
Mosaic
The must-have planning software for architecture firms
Ideal for firms with 10 or more staff members, Mosaic is the next-generation project and resource management software purpose-built for architecture, engineering, and design firms. Integrating with the firm’s existing ERP or financial software, Mosaic shows you who is doing what, when in one beautiful interface.
Understand what your team can and can’t get done, and balance work across the team to prevent burnout. Identify winning—and losing—projects and clients, so you can do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. Get AI-powered suggestions to instantly assemble project teams with the right skills, availability, and more. Mosaic even forecasts workload to inform hiring and offers the most robust suite of project reporting to enable data-driven decision-making.
Priced at $14.99 per user per month, Mosaic provides a free 30-day free trial. Request a customized product demonstration today.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.4
14
30 days free trial
From $9.99/user/month (billed annually)
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3
Notion
Best for customization options and capabilities
Notion is a workspace app that includes boards, tables, lists, document templates, and 30+ types of content that can be manipulated to fit the needs of any architecture project.
The tool is highly customizable, so you can create Kanban boards, to-do lists, and company wikis, as well as catalog design assets and set up projects and tasks in a way that works for you and your team.
Notion is missing a few features that architects might find useful, including Gantt charts, communication tools, and reporting and analytics features.
Pricing for Notion starts at $8/user/month.
Free for 1 admin + 5 guests
From $10/user/month
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4
Deltek Ajera
Best for an all-in-one solution
Built specifically around architecture and engineering best practices, this cloud platform is a robust project-based ERP.
Functionalities include project planning, project management, and Business Intelligence (BI). Deltek Ajera is intended for managing the entire project lifecycle, all the way through invoicing and accounting.
Deltek Ajera is known to have a bit of a learning curve, so it lost a few points in the usability section of the evaluation criteria.
Pricing for Deltek Ajera is available upon request.
Pricing upon request
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5
Taimer
Best for CRM capabilities
Taimer has capabilities in sales, project management, finance and accounting, and BI, which makes it a solid option for keeping all your business software and processes in one place.
Additional features relevant to architects include task management, resource scheduling and management, and document management.
As this tool is not specifically created for architects and architecture firms, not all of the features and functionalities are relevant or useful for architects, and it can take some time to sift through the many features to find the information or feature you are looking for.
Taimer starts at around $15/user/month (€13/user/month).
From $16/month/user
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6
TeamGantt
Best for creating and maintaining Gantt charts
TeamGantt is a web-based tool with a simple interface for making Gantt charts that can be easily applied to architecture projects. The tool is to drag and drop, which makes it very usable.
TeamGantt also has features for resource and workload management and collaboration, including the ability to view team workloads at a glance, adjust team member availability, track time, and communicate between team members within the software.
TeamGantt works best for smaller and less complex projects, so you may run into some limitations for more complicated projects with lots of phases and task dependencies, or for projects with more team members involved.
TeamGantt starts at $24.95/month.
30-day free trial
From $24/manager/month
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7
monday.com
Best for automation capabilities
monday.com is an intuitive tool for planning, tracking, and collaborating on projects.
The tool includes a robust set of options for automating repetitive and admin tasks, dashboards for tracking and reporting data, and multiple ways to view tasks and projects, including a timeline view, Kanban board view, and calendar view.
Task management features include setting deadlines and dependencies. The tool also includes file sharing capabilities.
This software is missing a few features that architects rely on, including forecasting for future projects and work; version control, which is critical for design; and billing and invoicing features.
monday.com starts at $14/month.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7
6745
14-day free trial + freemium plan available
From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats)
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8
Teamwork
Best for resource management and planning
Teamwork is an agency management system with triggers to automate your admin and keep projects moving towards completion. Teamwork is great for project planning and team collaboration right in the software.
The tool’s reporting features are helpful for resource planning as you can see reports on projects and individual tasks, which lends itself to forecasting future resources for projects and tasks.
Teamwork has a steep learning curve, as finding the feature or function you are looking for can be difficult amidst the sheer number of them. Some integrations don’t necessarily provide the value that users may be looking for.
Pricing starts at $10/month for 5 users.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.4
1050
30-day free trial
From $13.99/user/month
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9
Wrike
Best for mid-size and enterprise organizations
Wrike is a collaborative work management platform designed for creative agencies to plan, manage, and complete work at scale.
Project management features include custom workflows, custom dashboards, process streamlining, and collaboration functionalities such as discussion boards, document management, and version control.
One feature Wrike is missing is billing and invoicing capabilities, although it does have a time tracking tool built-in.
Wrike starts at $9.80 per user per month.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.2
2544
Free plan available
From $9.80/user/month
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10
Basecamp
Best for communication and collaboration
Basecamp is a project management and internal communication tool with features like project boards, file storage, and task check-ins.
The tool has many collaboration, document management, and task management features and functions, including to-do lists, message boards, calendars and schedules, file and document storage, and client access options. Its signature hill charts are great for visualizing project progress and noting issues or risks.
Basecamp doesn’t include time tracking or billing features, which may be inconvenient for architectural firms. Also, the tool has very limited direct integration options, although it does offer some through third-party tools such as Zapier.
The Basecamp Business tier costs $99/month.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.1
5034
30-day free trial
From $15/user/month (billed annually)
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Other Tools
Here’s a few more that didn’t make the top list. If you need additional suggestions, take a look at these:
- WorkflowMax
WorkflowMax is a cloud-based project management software from Xero. It also has lead management, document management, and invoicing capabilities, as well as a good number of integrations.
- ArchiOffice
ArchiOffice is a project management software created specifically for use by architects and architectural firms. It includes time tracking capabilities and works on desktop and mobile.
Selection Criteria For Architect Project Management Software
Here’s what I considered when evaluating each program:
Key Features
Design elements – Does the tool let you brainstorm, collaborate, make notes, and wireframe as you build upon ideas and plans?
Budgeting and accounting – Are there money management features included in the project management tools that architects could benefit from, such as invoicing functionalities? Does the tool allow for tracking billable hours and timesheets to keep track of how much time is being spent per project?
Versioning and document management – The software should enable you to an see historic versions of a design or of blueprint files before changes, and easily import and export files from tools like Dropbox or Google Docs.
Asset storage – I looked for software that lets you digitally store and compile different visual, video, and text assets.
Collaboration – This is fairly standard in project management software, but still important. The tools need to include commenting and the ability to mention coworkers at a minimum.
Resource management – The tools I looked at needed to offer, at a minimum, tools to set and view project deadlines and dependencies. I also looked for tools that had strong resource planning features, like the ability to view team members’ capacities and forecast resource gaps.
Task management – Does the tool include functionalities for keeping track of tasks and deliverables? Can users set due dates and deadlines, task ownership, and task dependencies?
Integrations: Is it easy to connect with other tools? Any pre-built integrations or add-ons with software that your firm already has in use, such as accounting software or time management software?
Value for $: How appropriate is the price for the features, capabilities, and use case? Is pricing clear, transparent, and flexible?
People Also Ask
I’ll cover off some essential questions and answers about architect project management software below.
What software do architects use?
Architects at architecture firms and other AEC firms will use a range of software, like project scheduling software (Trello, Asana, Basecamp), accounting for architects (Quickbooks, Sage), and/or design software (AutoCAD, Rino 3D, Sketchup).
What Architecture Project Management Software Do You Use?
Have you tried out any PM software for architects listed above, and if you’ve used it, what did you think of it?
Do you have anything you would add to the list? Let me know in the comments below, and I’ll look into adding it to the list!
