10 Best Workflow Management Software Of 2023

The Best Workflow Management Software

Here’s my selection of 10 of the best workflow tools for creating repeatable process and keeping your teams and tasks on track.

1. 1.

   monday.com

   — Best for automating manual processes

   

2. 2.

   Wrike

   — Best for reconnecting siloed teams

3. 3.

   Height

   — Best for engaging team collaboration features

4. 4.

   Smartsheet

   — Best workflow management software for spreadsheet lovers

5. 5.

   Kissflow Workflow

   — Best with a large workflow template database

6. 6.

   Pneumatic Workflow

   — Best for accessing a pre-built workflow template library

7. 7.

   Lucidchart

   — Best diagramming application for workflow management

8. 8.

   beSlick

   — Best workflow management software to identify and improve work processes

9. 9.

   SysAid

   — Best for internal service departments

10. 10.

    Kintone

    — Best for designing custom workflow apps

Workflow management software is a must-have to keep teams unified and on track, especially with the increasing complexity that comes with rapid growth. This software can support you as you schedule tasks, collaborate with your team, manage workloads, and evaluate progress—to help ensure that your project is delivered properly and that the quality of the project is maintained.

While the benefits of this powerful software are plenty, it’s critical that you choose the best workflow management for your team, your business goals, and your budget.

Need expert help selecting the right tool?

With one-on-one help, we guide you to your top software options. Narrow down your software search & make a confident choice.

Get free tool advice

The 10 Best Workflow Management Software

Discover what the best workflow management platforms have to offer. Feel free to check out how I picked the software on this list at any moment.

1

monday.com

Best for automating manual processes

monday.com is a project management software used across diverse industries, rapidly growing teams, and enterprise organizations. monday.com sits at the intersection of project management and workflow management software. It simplifies complex workflow processes by streamlining management to focus on structure and transparency.

Why I picked monday.com: you can create tasks on a board and then add the steps required to reach task completion. monday.com is highly customizable and easy to use right out of the box. I also find that it’s incredibly easy to import data from other workflow management software, and even spreadsheets!

Its workflow management software also offers various workflow views that can be arranged by list, geographical map, kanban board, or Gantt chart. These workflows can then be visualized in dashboards to create a bird’s-eye view of the progress and data workflow managers need to monitor. I find information especially useful for workflow managers that sit between their teams and the executive suite and need to communicate complex data sets through visual dashboards.

monday.com Standout Features & Integrations

Features include workflow templates inside of their workflow operating system (Work OS), with workflow automation, data visualization, robust workflow customization for task boards, managing task status, assignees, due dates, hours spent, and more.

Integrations through Zapier include Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform, and others.

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)

Visit Website

Pros

• Large workflow template library to jumpstart planning
• Work OS—A specifically designed workflow system for custom workflow apps
• Lots of integrations to support 3rd party data
• Out-of-the-box workflow automation recipes

Cons

• Initial customization takes time
• Limited export functionality for reports
• Minimal multi-lang support

Visit Website

2

Wrike

Best for reconnecting siloed teams

Wrike is an intuitive workflow management software suitable for teams of five or more, and offers an unlimited number of users. The software enables mangers to customize workflows, dashboards, reports, and request forms.

Why I picked Wrike: The software’s interface enables users to visualize priorities as Kanban boards, interactive Gantt charts, and traditional workload views. Wrike also features automation such as custom request forms that auto-assign tasks, push notifications, and deadline tracking.

Managers can access insightful data through KPI reports, resource management and allocation, and more. The workflow management software also offers a variety of different solutions depending on the type of team or organization, including marketing teams and professional service teams.

Wrike Standout Features & Integrations

Features include personalized app experience via AI Work Intelligence, user and team workload management functionality, account-wide work schedules, shareable dashboards, interactive workflow views, and more.

Integrations are offered natively for over 400 popular platforms including Microsoft, Google, Dropbox, Salesforce, and Marketo.

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

Visit Website

Pros

• In-app chat to reduce switch cost for collaboration
• Easily visualize workflow performance
• Individuals and teams can track workloads
• Comprehensive workflow modeling

Cons

• Limited to 10 workflows per space
• High learning curve to fully utilize
• Not suitable for small organizations

Visit Website

3

Height

Best for engaging team collaboration features

Height is a workflow management software that enables users to create and manage multiple projects within the same workspace, making it ideal for businesses with multiple teams or departments working on different projects simultaneously. Their software acts as a central repository for all your tasks and monitors each task’s progress to see how close you are to completing a project at any given time.

Why I picked Height: Their collaboration features allow organizations to combine their members’ perspectives, insights, and ideas into one collective space. In any given group, multiple users can simultaneously chat with each other to brainstorm ideas or complete tasks. When collaborating in real-time, users can @mention another user to get someone’s attention and share files directly within the conversation.

Height also offers reacjis, GIFs, and stickers within chats, adding style and personality to each conversation—further customizing the user’s messaging experience in whatever way desired. Height’s customizable keyboard shortcuts give users the power to do more with their existing keyboards. They can create commands and hotkeys quickly while avoiding the need to memorize keystrokes or fumble with menus.

Height Standout Features & Integrations

Features include automated workflows, task assignments, deadlines, progress tracking, and real-time updates. These features work together to ensure your tasks are completed on time and that your projects stay on track. Height also helps identify potential issues early on so they can be addressed quickly, and offers user or role-based permission settings.

Integrations are available with Discord, Figma, Fivetran, Git Hub & Git Lab, Notion, Sentry, Slab, Slack, and Zendesk. You can also connect your Height workspace with other third-party applications like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

30-day free trial available

From $8.50/user/month

Visit Website

Pros

• Workflow pipeline from development to deployment
• Shared inbox for incoming tasks & requests
• Freemium plan available with unlimited users

Cons

• No Android app
• Security log + attribute activity logs locked to Enterprise plan

Visit Website

4

Smartsheet

Best workflow management software for spreadsheet lovers

Smartsheet is a work management platform modeled after spreadsheets that enables users to organize tasks, schedules, processes, and more. It is an excellent workflow management software solution for managers currently using Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel for workflows and looking for an upgraded experience.

Why I picked Smartsheet: One of my favorite aspects of Smartsheet is that it automates calculations, even across multiple sheets. That automation enables workflow managers to gather data across multiple workflows and spaces without needing to write complex formulas.

Reporting is a strong feature of this workflow tool, with editable summary reports that can be easily exported to Excel or Sheets. The Critical Path feature highlights all the tasks that directly impact a project completion date so workflow managers can easily keep an eye on important milestones.

Smartsheet Standout Features & Integrations

Features include custom spreadsheet import, workflow automation, data visualization, custom branding, and workflow automation with built-in formula calculations.

Integrations through a REST API and webhooks include Microsoft Office and Teams apps, Google Drive, Jira, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Slack, Box, and Tableau.

Learn more about this workflow management software in my in-depth review of Smartsheet

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.4

7399

Freemium version available

From $7/user/month

Visit Website

Pros

• Workflow process notifications keep users on track
• Cross-sheet data sharing for holistic reports
• Great alternative to Google or Excel spreadsheets
• Low/no-code workflow automations

Cons

• Can be difficult to access support resources for answers
• Limited change-tracking functionality
• Set limit to rows per spreadsheet

Visit Website

5

Kissflow Workflow

Best with a large workflow template database

Kissflow Workflow is a workflow management software with automation features and a no-code interface.

Why I picked Kissflow Workflow: Users can build out their existing workflows in the software, or select from the large bank of templates available in the platform. Ready to use templates for sales teams, HR departments, as well as procurement, finance, and operations processes are available to get business processes up and running. Users can collect and store data with the drag-and-drop form builder, and stay up to date on workflow progress with automated notifcations.

Kissflow Workflow Standout Features & Integrations

Features include workflow templates, WYSIWYG form builder, predefined steps (linear and branched), stakeholders, conditions, pre-built reports, automatic task assignment, and a mobile app.

Integrations include the Google Workspace suite, and additional integrations can be configured using the software’s API.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.3

509

Free demo available

From $15/user/monthly

Visit Website

Pros

• Friendly and intuitive user interface
• No coding knowledge needed to build workflows
• Part of the larger Kissflow ecosystem (project management and app builder)

Cons

• Limited reporting and analytics
• Migration from other tools can be cumbersome

Visit Website

6

Pneumatic Workflow

Best for accessing a pre-built workflow template library

Pneumatic Workflow is a workflow management solution that helps teams identify, organize, and coordinate sets of tasks. You can use it to streamline your organization’s processes into workflows with automatic task assignments.

Why I picked Pneumatic Workflow: Their software helps teams effectively minimize routine errors, improve communication between teams, boost productivity, eliminate redundancy, and automate task management. Their workflows can be launched in four ways, namely running the workflow manually, sharing kick-off forms, using external SaaS systems, and using the Pneumatic public API.

Using Pneumatic Workflow, you can build assembly lines to pass the results of certain tasks along to the next team member quickly and efficiently. You can also select pre-built workflows from their free template library, or run unlimited workflows from one template. Their free template library includes all the popular workflows you’d expect, including employee onboarding, content development, purchase approval, customer retention, feature release, and more.

Pneumatic Workflow Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a workflow template builder, workflow variables & tools, a tasks interface, highlights, shareable kick-off forms, automations, activity highlights, urgent prioritization, video-based workflows, informative data dashboards, comments and mentions, and a WYSIWYG editor.

Integrations are available through their API or by connecting a paid Zapier account.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.5

4

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $10/user/month

Visit Website

Pros

• They offer a 30-day money back guarantee if you are unsatisfied with their platform
• You can easily collaborate with guest (external) project stakeholders
• Their freemium plan includes enough features to get small teams started

Cons

• Limited chat support window (9 am to 5 pm CST)
• Not many built-in software integrations

Visit Website

7

Lucidchart

Best diagramming application for workflow management

Lucidchart is a cloud-based workflow management solution. This centralized platform helps you create flows of business processes, then share process maps with colleagues. Key features include feedback management, graphs, data import, customizable templates, and an infinite canvas for building out intelligent diagrams of your most critical workflows.

Why I Picked Lucidchart: You can also use the software to build organizational charts and upload employee data, identifying the requirements of various team members. Critical documents can be managed by configuring user access and providing view-only licenses.

Lucidchart provides a range of tools and features for creating a variety of diagrams, such as flowcharts, wireframes, network diagrams, and more, and allows multiple users to collaborate on the same document in real-time. Additionally, it offers integrations with popular tools and services, team management features, and mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Lucidchart Standout Features & Integrations

Features include real-time collaboration, diagram templates, shape library, interactive designs, data import & export,mobile app, automated diagramming, commenting, reviewing, and third-party integrations.

Integrations include Slack, Salesforce, GitHub, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and fits within a suite of additional Lucid Software products for collaboration and ideation (Lucidspark) and cloud visualization (Lucidscale).

Lucidchart has a limited free version where you can create up to 3 documents.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.6

1575

Free trial available

From $7.95/user/month

Visit Website

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Mobile apps available
• Wide range of diagrams, shapes, & templates

Cons

• Revision history with versioning limited to Team plan & above
• Some customization limitations

Visit Website

8

beSlick

Best workflow management software to identify and improve work processes

beSlick is a workflow management software for small to mid-sized businesses. The software has an excellent workflow builder that supports decision branching, loops, and dependent due dates within a familiar process flowchart view.

Why I picked beSlick: Creating workflows is as easy as selecting the workflow builder, choosing from their robust template library, and assigning task owners and due dates. Teams can set different owners for each step in a task, as well as customize notifications for owners. Tasks can also be automatically scheduled as recurring to ensure they’re not missed.

My favorite aspect of beSlick is the built-in workflow process management reporting. By serving up process quality analytics, feedback, and when steps can’t be completed, managers can measure and improve workflows.

beSlick Standout Features & Integrations

Features include workflow performance insights, guest access to tasks and projects, group and individual task management, and task process tracking.

Integrations include common platforms available through Zapier.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.7

9

14-day free trial

From $10/user/month

Visit Website

Pros

• Workflow implementation and support
• Discounts available for yearly subscribers and Good Causes
• Ability to identify workflow improvement opportunities
• Powerful workflow builder

Cons

• No public API (is on the roadmap)
• Workflow time tracking not native
• Can’t batch export workflow data

Visit Website

9

SysAid

Best for internal service departments

SysAid is an IT service desk solution with workflow management and automation capabilities. It combines the functionalities of help desk and asset management tools to facilitate internal service management.

Why I picked SysAid: Users can build no-code, automated workflows with the software’s drag-and-drop interface. It has the power to incorporate service orchestration capabilities that allow specific aspects of the workflow to be optimized and automated. This approach can help eliminate unwanted human errors and delays, minimize costs, and deliver high-value service to end users.

The platform has ticket automation, task automation, and self-service automation features in addition to its workflow automation capabilities. Ticket, task, and issue management keep agent workloads prioritized. A self-service help desk can also be set up to support internal teams seeking services from other teams like IT, HR, legal, or procurement.

SysAid Standout Features & Integrations

Features include task automation, ticket automation, incident management, self-service portal, knowledge base, password reset, digital automated workflows, no-code workflow builder, service orchestration, and data management.

Integrations include Azure, Google Workspace, Jira Software, Microsoft Teams, Office 365, Onelogin, Oomnitza, PowerBI Extract, and Slack. A Zapier integration is also available, which can unlock additional integrations.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.4

570

30-day free trial

$1211 for 500 assets

Visit Website

Pros

• Video knowledge base available for users
• Facilitates workflow management and help desk in one place
• All internal service departments can use the same platform

Cons

• Functionality goes beyond workflow management, which may not be what some users are looking for
• Not ideal for external-facing help desks

Visit Website

10

Kintone

Best for designing custom workflow apps

Kintone is a customizable workflow management platform used by enterprise teams and organizations worldwide. Users can build a variety of “apps” either from scratch, using templates, or from existing spreadsheets.

Why I picked Kintone: It’s easy to build a custom workflow management app—all you have to do is drag and drop elements onto the app-builder screen and click build! Elements include rich text fields, date fields, drop-down menus, number fields with built-in calculations, spaces for attachments, user or group selection menus, related data from other apps, tables, and more. That flexibility in creating apps carries over to how a team adapts—Kintone’s flexible workflow management platform allows users to improve their workflows and adjust as needs change.

As a workflow management platform, Kintone facilitates the ability to track all facets of your teams’ workflows across all the apps you create. That data can range from individual tasks and projects to multi-step approval processes with branching conditionals.

Kintone Standout Features & Integrations

Features are subjective to the “apps” being used for workflow management (giving you complete control over what you need). Common features include in-app communication, customizable filters, customizable reports and dashboards, and multi-step workflows.

Integrations through either API or Zapier include Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Tableau, Dropbox, Salesforce, HubSpot, Eventbrite, WordPress, QuickBooks, MailChimp, and many more.

Kintone Pricing & Plans

Kintone pricing begins at $24 per user per month with a minimum of 5 users and a 30-day free trial (no credit card required). There are also discounts available for nonprofits and educators. While it doesn’t offer any free plans, Kintone does provide a free custom app build as part of the free trial process.

30-day free trial

From $24/user/month

Visit Website

Pros

• Onboarding support to help you set up
• Comprehensive mobile app
• Low-code customized & automated workflows
• Discounted plans for education, NGO, and government

Cons

• Per-user storage capped at 5GB (all plans)
• Some workflows are dependent on external apps
• Minimum 5 Users per plan

Visit Website

Need expert help finding the right Workflow Management Software?

We’ve joined up with Crozdesk.com to give all our readers (yes, you!) access to Crozdesk’s software advisors. Just use the form below to share your needs, and they will contact you at no cost or commitment. You will then be matched and connected to a shortlist of vendors that best fit your company, and you can access exclusive software discounts!

Other Workflow Management Software Worth Considering

I haven’t had a chance to review these properly, but if the tools included in the review aren’t working for you, consider checking out these additional BPM tools:

1. Kissflow

   Best enterprise workflow management software

2. Quixy

   No-code workflow management software

3. Forecast

   Best for managing your projects, resources, and finances in one

4. Pipefy

   Build shareable forms, portals & actions

5. Cflow

   Best workflow management software for growing organizations

6. Avaza

   iPhone, iPad, & Android friendly workflow app

7. DocuWare

   Best for document management & e-signatures

8. Asana

   Best workflow management software that’s free and easy to use

9. Hive

   Best small business workflow management software

10. Planview Clarizen

    Workflow app for PMOs & professional services

How I Picked the Best Workflow Management Software

To decide which tools to feature in this list, I evaluated and compared the details for a number of popular workflow management tools. I weighed a variety of key factors and functions that would be top of mind for businesses of all sizes.

This is the set of criteria I considered to determine the best and most useful workflow management software:

Automation

I examined each tool’s time-saving automation functionalities, such as automatically assigning tasks, sending push notifications, routing documentation, reducing repetitive processes, sending status updates, and generating reports. The best software should include automation tools with customization options when it comes to workflows, notifications, business rules, process automation, and more. You can support your team with an entire ecosystem of business process management software (AKA BPM tools) for creating efficient, optimized workflows.

KPI reports

KPI and metrics reporting not only gives team members insight into their task or project status but also gives management a quick look at where inefficiencies may be occurring so you can make changes to optimize business processes. The best workflow management software should offer clean and easy-to-interpret KPI dashboards.

Deadline tracking

Even with a dashboard, it’s easy to lose sight of deadlines when you’re juggling dozens of workflows. To be most useful, a workflow tool has to offer a clear system for SLA indicators. each tool’s pricing plan is based on its simplicity, transparency, and value. Workflow management software should add a layer of structure and visibility to your workflow process. I looked for tools that employ notifications, color-coding, and dashboard views that display tasks by the due date in order to help you manage deadlines.

Integrations

Nearly all projects require using multiple tools. So, your workflow management software absolutely must play nice with other apps that you and your business use. I looked at how each of these workflow management tools might integrate with your calendars, CMS, development tools, databases, email and communication tools, payment processing apps, and more. I also delineate whether integrations are native or require Zapier.

Price

The value that you get from a workflow management tool has to align with the price you’re paying. It also must be within the scope of your budget. The best workflow software for you and your team won’t require you to pay for features you don’t need or users you don’t have. I evaluated the price based on features available at the standard vs. premium plans, based on per-user or feature pricing models, and how the overall offering matched the average seen on the market.

Workflow Management Software FAQs

Find answers to common questions other people ask about this topic.

What is workflow management software?

Workflow management software is a platform or tool that enables users to coordinate the planning, configuring, and tracking of work to accomplish an objective or goal.

What Does Workflow Software Do?

It varies by tool, but most workflow tools are made to help you perform these functions:

• List tasks and organize them (hierarchically, by temporal order, by project, by tag, etc)
• Map dependencies between tasks
• Set deadlines for tasks and monitor them over time
• Create diagrams that show the sequence of tasks

A lot of tools that offer a free version include those basic functions.

More advanced tools are focused around helping you automate the workflows you’ve set up. These use triggers and rules to automatically route tasks, files, and notifications to the right people, according to the trigger and rule.

What is the best workflow management platform?

Some workflow management software—like workflow diagram software or flowchart software—specialize in managing the workflow itself (e.g., assigning tasks, creating dependencies, tracking deadlines, etc.). Others offer a more robust suite of workflow management features as part of broader resource management or project management software (think: creating process forms, handling invoices and payments, modeling data, managing a project portfolio, and more).

The best and most useful workflow management software, though, is the one that matches your needs and budget.

Workflow Management Software Buyer’s Guide

Here’s a buyer’s guide covering 2 use cases and information to help you choose the right workflow management tool.

Use case 1: Coordinating people-centric workflows

This use case focuses on organizing people by bringing their tasks, files, status updates, and comms into one place, with a clear structure to the flow of work.

This is often the case in businesses including:

• Digital agencies, development agencies, creative agencies (etc)
• Project and product teams or departments within companies
• Professional services companies

If you’re among these users, the type of workflow software that’s most useful for you will usually be focused on:

• collaboration
• scheduling
• file sharing

You also will want all these features in a no-code environment that simply organizes your business processes in a central place. Most of the products in my list here fall into this category.

Use case 2: Coordinating system-centric workflows

This use case focuses more on connecting business processes or systems together, integrating their functions and tech systems to create a unified workflow.

This is more common in enterprise companies, as well as in sectors including:

• IT and software
• Manufacturing and logistics
• Transportation

If you’re among these users, the type of workflow software that is most useful is often an enterprise-grade solution. At the very least, you need access to a REST API and SLA manager to help you orchestrate across multiple systems.

At this level, though, many companies may go beyond a workflow SaaS product and use an Integration Platform As-A-Service (iPaaS) such as Make (formerly known as Integromat) offering connectors to unify their business process systems.

Who is going to use the workflow management software?

• How many people are on your team?
• Who is going to use the tool, and do you require role-based access control? What other stakeholders will be involved in using or accessing the tool (ex. clients, management, and others)?
• You’ll also need to ask yourself what types of people will be using the tool in order to decide if you require something code-based or with low code or no code.
• Does this tool fit in with your existing toolkit and integrate with the right tools?
• Does it align with your use cases?
• If this is one of the first tools you’re adding, will it scale and expand in order to meet your needs as you grow? Ask yourself whether your team will use it online, or if they need something that works offline as well.

Cost of workflow management software

Prices fall into a wide range from $0-$40 per user per month. Most SaaS workflow tools are priced per user, which highlights the importance of considering how many team members will use it—as well as how many team members are going to be using it in the future.

Make sure you look at how the cost will increase as you scale—not only will your costs increase with each team member, but you may also need to bump up your plan to a more expensive tier as your business needs increase.

What’s Next?

Tools aside, as a project manager you can quickly align teams and find bottlenecks by scheduling a workflow diagramming session. Our complete guide to workflow diagrams has an example of how one of those sessions helped a team, and all the workflow diagram basics you need (+ templates!).

Other related reads:

Why do vampires make poor project managers? Because they refuse to meet with stake holders. You can find more fun and PM-related content in our Insider Membership Newsletter. Subscribe now.