15 Best Project Scheduling Software Of 2023
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The Best Project Scheduling Software
Here are the top 15 project scheduling tools I’ve included in this review:
-
1.
Parallax
— Best for predictive resource analysis for scheduling enablement
-
2.
monday.com
— Best for ready-made templates
-
3.
Kantata
— Best project scheduling tool for workflow automation
-
4.
Smartsheet
— Best for matching resources and team members to specific projects
-
5.
Wrike
— Best project scheduling tool for teams of all sizes
-
6.
Resource Guru
— Best for beginners who want to scale from a low-cost option
-
7.
Hub Planner
— Best for medium and large enterprises
-
8.
Zoho Projects
— Best all-in-one project scheduling platform
-
9.
Forecast
— Best project scheduling software for capacity planning
-
10.
Paymo
— Best project scheduling software for freelancers
-
11.
Microsoft Project
— Best for general users
-
12.
ProjectManager.com
— Best project scheduling software for multiple projects
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13.
Hive
— Best project scheduling tool for startups and scaling teams
-
14.
ActiveCollab
— Best for project scheduling for small teams
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15.
Adobe Workfront
— Best for robust feature set
Project scheduling is one of the basic skills any project manager should have and being able to use project scheduling software is part of that. In a VersionOne study, 29% of survey participants noted that fragmented project data is one of the biggest challenges they face in project management today. Project scheduling is one way to remedy this by containing and controlling all aspects of a project in a single source of truth.
That’s the reason why it’s important to have software that properly supports your scheduling, from task management to resource loading. In this article, I outline the best project scheduling software on the market and outline what each does best, some key features and functionality, as well as pricing and free trial details. If you have general questions about this topic, head to the FAQ section at the bottom of this article.
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Overview of The Best Tools For Project Scheduling
Here are the juicy details on what each tool offers, their pricing information and standout features. Feel free to check out how I picked the software on this list at any moment.
1
Parallax
Best for predictive resource analysis for scheduling enablement
Parallax is a project scheduling software that offers an intuitive way to create project plans quickly and easily by connecting tasks with timelines. Parallax uses data points to connect tasks with dates, helping users make more accurate plans without manual calculations. It simplifies task management by providing users with a detailed schedule that can be customized.
Users can adjust tasks based on start and end dates, budget constraints, or other variables. This allows teams to execute their projects more efficiently while avoiding costly delays or overruns. Parallax offers features like task view and resource view, which provide a real-time overview of the project’s progress. Task view shows who is responsible for each task and who needs the task completed first or last; resource view shows who has been assigned the most tasks or requests for additional resources if needed.
Why I Picked Parallax: With Parallax’s forecasting feature, users can track their current project activities, establish and modify future tasks, and understand the overall trajectory of their projects—all in one comprehensive view. Additionally, Parallax leverages predictive analytics to adjust timelines and cost estimates as changes occur, helping organizations stay proactive and minimize risk.
Parallax’s capacity management system lets users easily create profiles for each resource and use them to plan for week-by-week workloads as projects are created. The software allows users to compare proposed changes against the exact resource capacity, eliminating the possibility of overloading resources and improving on-time delivery. Additionally, it provides strategic planning tools so that adjustments in workloads can be made accordingly when necessary.
Parallax Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource management, budgeting, dashboards, notifications, API, data visualizations, external integrations, forecasting, multi-user, and scheduling.
Integrations include Harvest, Clockify, Toggl, Kimai, Evenhour, Netsuite, Noko, Tempo, Replicon, Hubspot, Salesforce, Copper, and Pipedrive.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.5
2
Free demo
Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Pros
- Access to experts and best practices
- Easily visualize team’s time & capacity
- Strong predictive data analytics functionality
Cons
- Not appropriate for startups/small biz
- Steep learning curve
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2
monday.com
Best for ready-made templates
monday.com is a project management platform with intuitive collaboration features that are easy to learn and quickly understand. It’s a highly customizable tool that helps you clarify the sequence of work and see the progress and status of your projects at a glance.
Why I picked monday.com: Most of the project scheduling features in monday.com are in the “timeline” feature—this is where you can plan projects, set deadlines, assign team members, break down tasks, and set dependencies. You can reassign tasks by simply clicking and dragging, and you can view your timelines as spreadsheets, as lists, on a map, on a Kanban board, and other views.
With monday.com you can create summary charts and export and share project plans in a variety of formats (XML, PDF, etc). Apart from that, the platform enables big-picture views using reporting dashboards that collect data from multiple boards, allowing better progress tracking.
All said and done, monday.com technically doesn’t enable you to make Gantt charts in the very traditional sense (nor can you import or export MPP files). However, it’s a flexible, intuitive schedule management software tool that helps you see where tasks are bottlenecking, understand who’s currently working on what, etc. What’s more, the customizable fields and the drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to quickly set up and start using.
monday.com Standout Features & Integrations
Features include automations, shared documents for real-time collaboration, file management, dashboards, Gantt charts, and 5+ views so you can see your project information the way you want to.
Integrations include apps like Slack, Excel, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform, and thousands more accessible via Zapier.
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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Pros
- Resource scheduling tools included
- Easy to use calendar and task scheduling
- Colorful, graphically pleasant schedule interface
Cons
- Complicated pricing structure
- Steep learning curve for beginners
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3
Kantata
Best project scheduling tool for workflow automation
Kantata is a resource management & PSA software with modules for project scheduling and management, accounting, resource management, business intelligence, and team collaboration.
Why I picked Kantata: It offers a system of dashboards, live time and expense tracking features, and a great document management system. All of these best-in-class features are delivered through straightforward and minimalistic design.
For project scheduling specifically, Kantata offers a complete set of useful features. As you make detailed project plans, the tool support a multi-level work breakdown structure that lets you define the project by a series of granular tasks and subtasks. Other scheduling features include: Gantt chart-based project plan capabilities, schedule management, multi-level WBS, workflow planning, task assignment and scheduling, and critical path and variance analysis.
It also has some good contextual collaboration features to communicate around tasks, projects, and many other project objects. It’s a full suite that takes time to truly master, but the simple, streamlined UI shortens the learning curve significantly.
Kantata Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource management features (real-time utilization, resource forecasting, capacity management), analytics (built-in reports, custom reporting, trend analysis) and accounting tools (project costing, budget management, invoicing).
Integrations include pre-built integrations with tools like Expensify, G Suite, Xero, Salesforce, Netsuite, Jira, Hubspot, Slack, Concur, Dynamics 365, Qualtrics, and Quickbooks. They also provide an integration platform called M-Bridge to help you build your own integrations.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.1
715
Free demo available
Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Pros
- Improved task tracking since older versions of the software
- Drag-and-drop Gantt chart timeline
- Various scheduling data views
- Aesthetic, simplistic calendaring
Cons
- Pricing form does not display pricing information
- No schedule sharing without log-in
- Lack of global search function
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4
Smartsheet
Best for matching resources and team members to specific projects
Resource Management by Smartsheet is a high-level resource management and scheduling software that helps modern teams make confident decisions about project planning, team capacity, budget forecasting, team utilization, and hiring needs in real time.
Why I picked Resource Management by Smartsheet: Built-in timesheets, mobile time tracking, and expense tracking, enables you to create rich project reports by filtering project data with just a few clicks. Reports can give insight into historical data or offer a forecasted view of team utilization, actual vs. planned time reports, budget tracking, expense reports, and projects in the pipeline.
Over 1,000 of the most innovative companies in the world rely on Resource Management by Smartsheet, from 10-person shops and 100-person teams within global brands to 1,000+ person professional services firms. Resource Management by Smartsheet has been recognized for its design excellence with awards from FastCo, SXSW, IxDA + IDSA.
RM by Smartsheet Standout Features & Integrations
Features include project and resource matching, dynamic reporting, time tracking, a resource management panel, and a resource timeline for projects.
Integrations include apps like Slack, Brandfolder, Workplace, Microsoft Teams, and Facebook Ads. It additionally has a flexible API you can use to build custom integrations with the tools you use and automation through Zapier where you can connect to 1000+ apps.
Resource management is a premium add-on that you need to purchase on top of your Smartsheet plan.
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
- Intuitive for keeping timesheets and assigning hours
- Skills database helps resource allocation
- Able to forecast resource utilization
- Combines time tracking and resourcing
Cons
- Bulk project edits don’t apply to resource field
- Could use better data visualization
- Initial resource set-up takes time
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5
Wrike
Best project scheduling tool for teams of all sizes
Wrike is an award-winning, easy-to-use project scheduling software trusted by 20,000+ organizations worldwide. It’s suitable for teams with anywhere from five members to an unlimited number of team members. The tool is highly configurable and allows users to customize workflows, dashboards, reports, request forms, and more.
Why I Picked Wrike: Wrike’s simple project scheduling software enables users to plan and schedule projects on Kanban boards, interactive drag-and-drop Gantt charts, or traditional workload views, as well as switch between them. Wrike also features task lists, subtasks, calendars, and real-time collaboration. Unlock advanced insights with performance reporting tools, time tracking, and more.
Wrike has an easy-to-use, intuitive interface and navigation with distinct spaces, folders, and tasks. Toggle quickly between the home screen and timesheets, dashboards, calendars, reports, and the activity stream. Wrike has a dedicated help center with interactive training, videos, a ‘Getting Started’ guide, and a thriving community.
Wrike Standout Features & Integrations
Features include project management, task scheduling/tracking, resource management, expense tracking, API, budgeting, Gantt charts, marketing automations, collaboration support, and reporting.
Integrations include 400+ pre-built native integrations, including integrations with the most popular file management software from Microsoft, Google, and Dropbox, along with sales and marketing software from 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
- Plenty of collaboration features, from proofing tools to @-tagging
- User-friendly, visually appealing Gantt chart schedules
- The free plan is good for basic task list scheduling
Cons
- Time tracking only included in Business and Enterprise plans
- Full scheduling capabilities have a bit of a learning curve
- Subtask management and scheduling is limited to paid plans
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6
Resource Guru
Best for beginners who want to scale from a low-cost option
Resource Guru is a dedicated resource management software. The tool allows team members to visualize tasks on calendars, shows what everyone is working on, and clearly displays availability so project managers can maximize utilization.
Why I picked Resource Guru: Project managers can make resource bookings simultaneously while ensuring they aren’t overbooking resources.
Resource and project clashes are automatically prevented. Bookings can be added to a waiting list and used for capacity planning later. Each staff member gets their own resource dashboard so they can log in and know exactly what they should be working on. Powerful reporting features allow users to monitor utilization and business performance, as well as help with capacity planning.
Resource Guru Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource scheduling, resource management, leave management, project scheduling, capacity planning, and forecasting reports.
Integrations include calendar apps like Outlook calendar, Calendly, and Google calendar. Thousands of additional apps are accessible through Zapier.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7
173
30-day free trial
From $3/user/month
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Pros
- Powerful resource filters
- Clash management capabilities to prevent overbooking
- Availability bar feature for capacity planning
Cons
- No copy-paste of resource tasks
- Integrations are mainly via Zapier, rather than as native integrations
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7
Hub Planner
Best for medium and large enterprises
Hub Planner is a resource management software with a full suite of project scheduling, time entry, and reporting features.
Why I picked Hub Planner: The core feature is the simple and usable Scheduler, which allows for project and resource planning and visualization. Users can drag and drop to plan projects and schedule resources. The tool also offers a multi-function menu, powerful filtering, and a dynamic team capacity bar. Multiple view modes allow for both high-level birds-eye views and granular views of projects.
Hub Planner has a powerful reporting engine with 70+ pre-formatted templates. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in a template, you can create reports from scratch.
Hub Planner also has a number of inline workflows for timesheets, requesting vacation time, and a slick resource requesting & approval option. Their Unassigned Work feature is great for scheduling and forecasting ahead of the pipeline, and users can create custom fields at the resource or project level. Users can also customize schedule notifications and reminders.
Hub Planner Standout Features & Integrations
Features include timesheets and approval, vacation and lead management, reporting, skills matching, and resource management.
Integrations include apps like Basecamp, Slack, and iCal. Thousands more can be accessed using Zapier, and its REst API can help you build custom integrations.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.2
16
30-day free trial
From $7/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Pros
- Good overview of staff task/time allocations and availability
- Easily track several projects and generate reports
- Filter planning & forecasting data by project, resource, group or skill set
Cons
- Would be nice to view more project booking information like custom fields in iCal
- To customize views and schedule layout you need to edit settings
- Need to click into modal for more details on events/projects bookings
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8
Zoho Projects
Best all-in-one project scheduling platform
Zoho Projects is a project management and project scheduling software from Zoho. It offers flexibility and customizations to suit the needs of traditional project managers as well as agile teams.
Why I picked Zoho Projects: It has multiple ways of viewing information, like lists, kanban, or Gantt charts. With task tags and custom views and filters, you can organize your tasks and find them with ease. In addition to timeline planning, you can plan your resources effectively with the drag-and-drop resource utilization module. Keep everyone in the loop right inside Projects via inbuilt chat, forums, and comments, or take the social route with the project portal feed. Add to that the integrated advanced analytics capabilities to generate more than 50 types of charts and reports. The colorful dashboards are fully customizable so that users can make Zoho Projects their own.
The interface and modules are highly customizable. All aspects of the UI from theme colors to arrangement and visibility of the various modules can be changed to suit a user’s preferences. Zoho projects also offer free onboarding for customers and a comprehensive online help guide for all users.
Zoho Projects stands out in cases where there are multiple hand-offs involved. It is especially popular among IT companies, consultants, and education organizations. The tool is trusted by over three million users and hundreds of big brands across the globe.
Zoho Projects Standout Features & Integrations
Features include task management, task automation, blueprints, time tracking, team collaboration, charts, and reporting.
Integrations. Being part of Zoho’s ecosystem allows Projects to connect to several of Zoho’s own services such as Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, and Zoho’s finance suite. The new Zoho marketplace allows 3rd party integrations as well.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.2
286
10-day free trial + freemium plan available
From $5/user/month
Visit Website
Pros
- Time-track multiple tasks at once
- Robust communication features
- Easy workflow automation
- Unlimited number of projects
Cons
- Lacks some file type export options
- Lacks some reporting features
- Does not integrate with Quickbooks
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9
Forecast
Best project scheduling software for capacity planning
Forecast is a brilliantly simple combination of resource management and project management tool built on the foundation that successful projects require a combination of short and long term planning. It does not dictate how you work so you can mix Scrum, Kanban, and traditional Gantt scheduling.
Why I Picked Forecast: The artificial intelligence (AI) built into Forecast enables you to easily spot projects that are at risk of delay or veering off track. Build and share your own powerful dashboards, reports, and insights so you can put real-time information right at your team or clients’ fingertips. Effortless resource planning enables you to track utilization and capacity. In the upcoming work view, the connection between prioritization and scheduling easily lets team members focus on the most important tasks.
Forecast Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource planning, task management, time tracking, budget tracking, project portfolio management, collaboration, Gantt charts, reporting & analytics, mobile app, customization, and third-party integrations.
Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, iCloud Calendar, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Outlook, Harvest, Trello, Asana, GitLab, Github, and dozens more using a paid plan through Zapier. Higher-tier subscriptions include native integrations with Timelog, Xero, QuickBooks Online, JIRA, Azure DevOps, Salesforce, Okta, OneLogin, and Azure Active Directory.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7
225
14-day free trial
From $29/user/month
Visit Website
Pros
- Combines project management and resource scheduling
- Easy to add notes to specific tasks
- Schedule on high level as well as on task basis
- Allows both retainer and project based scheduling
- Intuitive design of scheduling tool
Cons
- Milestone data is lumped together rather than separated
- Designed for minimum of 10 employees
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10
Paymo
Best project scheduling software for freelancers
Paymo is a project scheduling software for small and medium businesses to help creative and marketing teams own their entire project cycle. Besides planning and resource scheduling, Paymo is strong on task management, time tracking, and invoicing functionality.
Why I Picked Paymo: Paymo allows you to define the critical path by taking lead and lag time into account for project planning. Resource scheduling-wise, you can view your entire team’s workload across several projects, thanks to the multiple views by user/project/ungrouped tasks. Instead of manually setting up bookings, Paymo creates them automatically (ghost bookings) based on your previously entered task details to cut the data entry process in half. The built-in leave planner can also be used to mark leave days directly from the scheduler and save your company precious time and money.
Paymo Standout Features & Integration
Features include time tracking, task management, budget tracking, resource management, collaboration, Gantt charts, reporting & analytics, invoicing, mobile app, customizations, and third-party integrations.
Integrations include Slack, Google Suite, QuickBooks Online, Xero, JotForm, and Shift, to name a few. Other integrations are available through Zapier or by syncing with their fully-documented API.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6
561
Free plan available
From $5.95/user/month
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Pros
- Plenty of features & shortcuts
- Great for SMBs
- Built-in time tracking
Cons
- Storage limits are lower than some others
- Limited native integrations
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11
Microsoft Project
Best for general users
Microsoft Project is a project management software built over 35 years ago to help you keep track of all your work.
Why I picked Microsoft Project: It can be purchased with Office 365 (which many companies use) or as a stand-alone item. Microsoft Project has the honed functionality of an Excel file with scheduling-specific tools for project management pros. If you need project scheduling help, try their intuitive and robust Gantt chart generator to navigate product timelines.
Adapting to our current needs, MS Project is available in both cloud-based and on-premise flavors.
MS Project Standout Features & Integrations
Features include three types of views, coauthoring on project schedules, pre-built reports, interactive roadmaps, resource management, portfolio modelling, and communication using MS Teams.
Integrations include other Microsoft software, like Outlook, Excel, Skype, and more.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.5
18
30-day free trial
From $10/user/month
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Pros
- Easy integration with other Microsoft software
- Driver prioritization module for ranking strategies/objectives
- Helpful project template descriptions for guidance
- Can generate a Gantt chart from a spreadsheet
Cons
- Few customization options
- Steep learning curve
- Limitations on collaboration tools
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12
ProjectManager.com
Best project scheduling software for multiple projects
ProjectManager.com is a well-rounded, award-winning software used by some big names including NASA, Volvo, Brookstone, and Ralph Lauren. This is a great solution, especially for managing multiple projects at once.
Why I Picked ProjectManager.com: ProjectManager.com delivers a ton of useful project planning and scheduling features: using this tool, you can create project plans (Gantt charts), manage tasks, create reports, and manage timesheets, expenses, and workloads. This project planning application also provides a useful feature that lets you easily switch between views—between Gantt chart, task list, and Kanban board views. You can use the in-app communication features to comment on tasks and assign them to team members.
Their real-time reports are easy to use—get pre-set reports (project status, timesheets, expenses) in a single click, or set up your own custom reports. You can also use the real-time dashboard to get a glimpse of your current project stats. And you can use all of these features to schedule and report across multiple projects, as well.
ProjectManager.com Standout Features & Integrations
Features include project management, Gantt charts, resource management, time tracking, collaboration, reporting, customizable dashboards, mobile app, Agile processes, and third-party integrations.
Integrations include MS Project, Excel, Office 365, Salesforce CRM, QuickBooks, Xero, Dropbox, Desk.com, JIRA, Hubspot, Slack, Zendesk, Evernote, OneLogin, OneDrive, and the complete Google Suite. They also have a powerful REST API to help you build against internal or external tools.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.4
76
30-day free trial
From $16/user/month
Visit Website
Pros
- Multilingual and very flexible
- Time and expense tracking
- Customizable schedule templates
- Excellent high level view of project
Cons
- Doesn’t output schedule files to .mpp
- No way to update partially complete tasks
- No mobile app
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13
Hive
Best project scheduling tool for startups and scaling teams
Hive is a project management and collaboration platform that powers companies like Starbucks, Uber, WeWork, and IBM. With AI-based analytics, thousands of integrations, flexible project views, and more, Hive streamlines your work in one centralized platform. Used by teams of varying sizes, from 10 people to 1,000, Hive is a great option for a diverse range of companies and work styles.
Why I Picked Hive: Hive’s time-tracking, analytics and flexible view capabilities allow for transparent understanding of other team-members work and upcoming projects, which can be tracked through action cards.
And much more than a project planner software, Hive’s AI and analytics component also leverages machine learning to provide interactive and customizable dashboards to gain insights on team productivity, and proactively spot risks or areas that need improvement.
Choose Hive if you’re in the market for a well-laid-out, comprehensive project scheduling and management tool that can be scaled up or down based on team needs.
Hive Standout Features & Integrations
Features include customizable dashboards, task management, collaboration, resource management, time tracking, mobile app, Agile methodologies, reporting & analytics, file sharing, and third-party integrations.
Integrations include over a thousand third-party apps but requires a paid plan through Zapier to do so.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6
417
14-day free trial
From $16/user/month
Visit Website
Pros
- Scheduling with asset sharing (briefs, notes, comps)
- Flexible project scheduling layouts
- Forms feature for standard or weekly tasks
- Has infinite sub tasks
Cons
- Mobile app sometimes runs slow
- Inability to create dependent tasks within recurring project actions
- Lacking in tutorials and support
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14
ActiveCollab
Best for project scheduling for small teams
ActiveCollab is a project management software with a simple interface approach to helping you keep track of work.
Why I picked ActiveCollab: You know when every stage of the project is due and establish your own processes that work well both for your team and your clients with features like drag-and-drop task lists, collective updates across gamified social feeds, time and cost estimation tools, and billing solutions.
ActiveCollab is a simple tool at its core. They even have sample projects that cover anything from web design to editorial calendars to help project management newbies thrive.
ActiveCollab Standout Features & Integrations
Features include time and resource management, notes, discussions and real-time chat for collaboration, client management, and billing.
Integrations include Google Drive, Dropbox, Trello, Basecamp, Asana, Wrike, Slack, Hubstaff, TimeCamp, Quickbooks, Xero, Authorize.Net, Braintree, PayPal, Stripe, and hundreds of other third-party apps using Zapier.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3
80
14-day free trial
From $6.25/user/month (free up to 3 users)
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Pros
- Fully customizable API
- Chat available in mobile app
- Easy to invite collaborators
Cons
- Payment-related features only available in top plan
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15
Adobe Workfront
Best for robust feature set
Adobe Workfront is a project management software that helps enterprises connect projects and tasks to strategic goals.
Why I picked Workfront: One of the strongest points of this tool is its ability to sync with other products in the Adobe ecosystem.
It has an impressive project scheduling tool that can create tasks, milestones, and predecessors, and allocate resources while monitoring progress within set time frames. It is a great collaboration tool where team members stay in sync through threaded conversations, status updates, and comments. They can even assign milestones to each other and get live notifications of any changes taking place. For reporting, Workfront offers 50 report templates to analyze and share the status of your project. You can even create your own dashboard and combine multiple reports into one.
Workfront Standout Features & Integrations
Features file sharing, goal alignment, scenario planning, customizable reports, workflow automation, resource management, capacity planning, and collaboration tools, reporting dashboards.
Integrations include out-of-the-box software, like Adobe Creative Cloud & Experience Manager, Jira, Slack, Salesforce, and MS Teams. You can also build custom integrations using Workfront Fusion, an integration platform for any web-based application.
Workfront Plans & Pricing
There are three plans and pricing is available upon request.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.1
896
Free demo available
Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Pros
- Thorough documentation
- Multiple time-logging options
- Suitable for corporations and enterprises
Cons
- Slow at the time of updates
- More complex navigation
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Other Options
Here are a few extra project scheduling tools that did not make it to the top 15 but are worth your consideration.
- KeyedIn
Best project scheduling software for international enterprises
- ProWorkflow
Best project scheduling software for beginners who want simple UI
- TeamGantt
Best project scheduling tool for beginners
- Notion
Best project scheduling tool for small businesses
- ClickUp
Best for DPMs looking for one tool to centralize their project scheduling.
- Jira Software
Best for built-in communication & collaboration tools
- Celoxis
Best for complex project scheduling
- Runn
Best project scheduling tool for growing IT and software teams
- Teamwork
Best for team workload management
- FunctionFox
Best for creative businesses and teams
How I Picked The Best Project Scheduling Software
If you’re wondering how I selected the best project scheduling software, here’s where I’ll break it all down for you. First of all, I started with project scheduling software that have high user review and satisfaction ratings. Then, using my experience in project management, I discerned what key criteria were most important for project scheduling software and compared how each of them stacked up against the rest.
I empathise with how much time it takes to source the right software for a job. I do this work so that you don’t have to. I’ve been using and reviewing project management software for years so you can trust me to do the heavy lifting and compile all the facts you need to make your final decision.
Selection Criteria
After careful consideration, I’ve determined that these are the most important criteria when selecting the best project scheduling software. Here’s a brief list outlining the whats and whys of my selection.
User Interface (UI)
I look at the distribution of elements on screen as well as how attractive the design is. Having ‘pretty’ software is important if you see it every day, in my opinion.
Usability
I experience the tool as a new user and try to analyze how intuitive it is. Also, I approach it as someone who would need to teach others how to use this tool to other people. Is it easy to learn?
Integrations
At a minimum, most project management software will have pre-built integrations with Google Suite, Dropbox, and Box. Something to watch for is integrations with or the ability to sync with calendar apps—while it may seem like a no-brainer, not all tools have pre-built integrations with calendar apps that you’re already using (or you have to upgrade your plan to access that functionality).
Pricing
How does this tool’s price compare to other tools with similar feature sets? I also search for free trials or free versions of the software that allow you to test their functionality for yourself. Small teams with simple project scheduling needs might be able to get by with free project scheduling software.
7 Reasons Why You Should Use Project Scheduling Software
Project scheduling software has many benefits. Especially if your organization is scaling. Here are 7 key benefits:
- Define the project workflow and keep the team focused on the right tasks.
- Identify and track your project’s critical path to leverage flex in the schedule.
- Waste less time rescheduling with priorities & dependencies that automatically adjust.
- Set project baselines to track your project plan against your execution.
- Free up time and energy by setting up the tool to provide automatic deadline reminders.
- Easily visualize, compare, spot holes, and adjust your resource availability.
- Generate reports on utilization, organizational demand, and capacity, and review trends to forecast future hiring needs.
There are many more benefits—and they will continue to grow in number as technology evolves, providing more opportunities to better automate tasks and make smarter decisions.
Project Scheduling Software FAQ
What does project scheduling software do?
Scheduling software helps you plan not only your projects but also get a grip on what’s currently happening as the project unfolds. It also allows you to centralize all work-related activities such as planning, task allocation, resource management, and reporting.
In addition, project scheduling tools create transparency with stakeholders and team members who want to know what’s expected of them.
What is project scheduling in software project management?
Project scheduling in project management is part of project planning. It’s the process of defining a project’s phases, milestones, resources, and workflow. In addition, you plot these key components on a timeline that factors in the dependencies between the different parts.
Throughout the lifecycle of a software project, you refer to the project schedule to understand its critical path and track progress on deliverables and the project as a whole.
When there are changes, a well-made project schedule helps you to factor in the effects of any changes. This can be done through dependencies laid out initially, providing a visual tool to understand the relationship between different roles, tasks, and phases of a project.
Which tool is used for project scheduling?
The most common tool used for project scheduling is the Gantt chart. The reason is that this view gives a large amount of numerical and visual information in one glance.
A Gantt chart view is commonly arranged in 2 panels that live side-by-side. The left panel contains a table with detailed information on the tasks, due dates and dependency between tasks. The right panel contains bars along a timeline that visually represent task duration and show what happens when. Therefore, this right panel is useful to quickly understand the sequence of events that must happen for successful completion.
What key features can I look for when selecting scheduling software?
Let’s review some of the features that we can find in project scheduling solutions.
- Budget planning: Fields or specific modules where you can keep track of the money and how it’s being spent.
- Task management: The software should offer various ways to manage project tasks. Likewise, it should have views that let you see these tasks in different ways, such as Gantt charts, calendar views, table views, and Kanban boards.
- Communication: A lot of PM software has some kind of communication tool built-in. These include team chat, messaging, integrations with email for automatic notifications, a live activity stream or notifications feed, and task comments.
- Resource management: When we schedule tasks, we also schedule resources. Therefore, the software should have a module where we can look at our team, allocation, workload, and some kind of project dashboard where we can track activity.
- Analytics & reporting: One of the main benefits of project scheduling software is its ability to easily provide loads of project data and compile it into reports. The best project planning software offers analytics and reporting features like configurable reports, real-time and interactive reporting features, automatic report generation, and advanced analytics that track time, resource utilization, costs, and other key project metrics.
What are some common project scheduling techniques?
Most project scheduling techniques make use of a Gantt chart or similar chart, and they include:
- The Critical Path Method (CPM): a mathematically-based technique where you create a schedule by using your scope to list tasks, their durations, and dependencies
- Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT or PERT Analysis): a technique similar to CPM. However, you calculate a weighted average duration for tasks based on your confidence level in their timing. These can be optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely duration.
- Fast tracking: a form of Duration Compression where you shorten a project schedule by overlapping tasks that can be done simultaneously
- Crashing: a form of Duration Compression where you get tasks done faster by adding more resources to the project timeline
- Simulation: modeling “what if” scenarios to forecast possible durations of a project
- Resource Leveling: adjusting a schedule so there’s as little over- or under-utilization of resources as possible
What’s Next?
In reference to the last bullet point above, you can learn more about resource leveling, so you can get the most out of your project scheduling software. Also related to scheduling, I would suggest you access our ultimate guide to the critical path method.
Related tool lists:
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