Best Project Management Tools

At some point in your career, there's a good chance you'll need to do some project planning and management. While the project management software out there seems to be limited to Microsoft Project, believe it or not, there are dozens of powerful alternatives.

Not that you shouldn't use or continue to use MS Project. Far from it! But, if you are intimidated by the learning curve, price, or overabundance of functionality, you might find that other software might be of more use.

Here are some tools that I have found of use.

Desktop Software Project Management

Project Kickstart - One of my favorites, it provides a lot of high-end functionality for a fraction of the cost of other packages. It includes Gantt charts, resource allocation, and a host of other features. The best thing about it, in my opinion, is that it walks you through your project with a series of questions. Sort of like having a trusted friend help you brainstorm your project. Project Kickstart also includes pre-designed templates for dozens of project types and you'll find lots of valuable tips on the website. Windows

SharedPlan - An interesting approach to project planning. Very robust feature set. What I find interesting about this program is that you create plans by drawing a network diagram of tasks, which give you a nice graphic overview of your project. Windows, Mac, Linux

OmniPlan - Another visually engaging tool from the Omni Group. This Mac-only software provides all of the functionality you look for in a project planning and management tool, including time and resource scheduling, Gantt charts, timelines, and sharing of plans via XML export. Also priced reasonably. Mac OS X

Merlin2 - An interesting entry into the mix is Merlin2, another Mac OS X product that gives you all of the critical functionality you need in a powerful project planning and management tool. A little more expensive than some of the others, but still far below the price of the market leader. Mac OS X

Web-Based Project Planning Software

So far, I like what I see with Web 2.0 applications on the web. Be forewarned, however, that they are not like the traditional desktop project planning and management tools you might have seen. Web-based tools tend to be more about collaboration and less about planning, in my opinion. Lots of ways to create tasks, make notes, and communicate with team members. In this regard, I view these tools as closer to requirements planning tools. Still, these might be exactly what you're looking for and with the free or low-cost offerings provided by many of these tools, you can't beat the price!

BaseCamp - Clearly the early-stage winner in this market, BaseCamp practically defines the look, feel, and navigation of Web 2.0. Initially designed for use by web designers and web developers, it provides a set of highly intuitive screens for task definition and communication. The screens are linked and you can easily set up notification mechanisms. Includes time tracking, to-do lists, file sharing, and lots more. The only problem I have with BaseCamp is that there is no simple way to find the sign in page, once you've signed up, from their home page. That's a bit strange, given their focus on usability.

GoPlan - Much of the same functionality and approach as BaseCamp, though maybe not as mature a product. Still, worth a look. I like the very quick way to get into the product.

@task - An incredibly robust toolset that provides major project planning and management capbilities, collaboration, and even help desk functionality. This is worth a look if you have complex projects with team-based requirements.

Smartsheet.com - A much simpler web-based task management tool, Smartsheet may be all you need, even if you have a team. Primarily based on a spreadsheet model, the tools are easy-to-use. One thing I like is the ability to update the task list and schedules via email.

There are many online products that I don't really know anything about, but which might be worth checking out. Here are two that looked promising:

ViewPath

Wrike

OpenSource

If you're interesting in Open Source software, check out these products. All of them provide different levels of service and support.

Open Workbench - Seems to be the most popular Open Source project management software out there.

activeCollab - You can still download this one, though it looks to me as though they are trying to move into a more commercial model. From what I've seen, it's very much like BaseCamp and GoPlan in style and functionality.

Project.net

dotProject

Really Simple Tools for Simple Tasks

For getting organized in really simple ways, with personal tasks or even small projects, check out:

30Boxes - Free, web-based tool that lets you create tasks and share them! Fun and useful.

Ta-da List - A brilliantly simple and free web-based tool from 37Signals, the folks who brought you BaseCamp.

Voo2Do - Another simple but effective to-do list organizer.

More Resources

For more information, check out this Wikipedia article on project management software:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_project_management_software

http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Best/planner-desktop.html - great list of special purpose shareware and freeware products, such as a wedding planner package.

http://5thirtyone.com/archives/791 - Excellent review of three web-based packages, BaseCamp, GoPlan, and activeCollab.