The 4 Best Apps for Managing Tasks and Improving Team Productivity

Now, more than ever, staying focused on work is becoming more and more challenging. However, that’s not to say it was easy to begin with. The time it takes to gather resources and compile data, hold or attend meetings, make and receive phone calls, and provide ongoing support has always taken a big bite out of most people’s work day. And that has almost always resulted in slowed productivity and stressful, last-minute hustles to get actual work done.

But, with our attention now being pulled in multiple directions outside of the workplace, prioritizing workflow and maintaining focus are requiring more time and energy. Many teams are on overload, and projects are at risk of falling behind, if they haven’t already. 

But turning things around quickly, and even getting ahead, is easier than you might think. In fact, some of the best apps for managing tasks can boost your team’s overall productivity and even help them get back to loving their work. Since your team’s success benefits from both, we’ll take a look at which apps to consider giving a try.

The Four Best Apps for Managing Your Team’s Tasks

Here are four of the best apps designed to manage a variety of tasks for any team size:

Instagantt

Designed by Henry Gantt in the early 1900s, the Gantt chart was originally conceived as a way to provide an easy-to-reference visual of a project’s timeline. As time passed, and the need for more comprehensive productivity tools emerged, these simple bar charts inevitably evolved. Instagantt is one such evolution—and it can be very helpful for managing work. 

Below are a few pros and cons of using the Instagantt app:

Pros	Cons
Easy to plan and track a project’s scheduleCharts are drag-and-dropCan analyze data at a glance and predict productivity delaysEstimating work hours and shifting workloads is a cinchCharts can be exported for printing or embedding	Lacks an in-task chat toolDifficult to keep track of critical team communication and project-related documentsDetailed task management limited, so integration with other apps necessary

Unfortunately, as helpful as this niche app can be, Instagantt is clearly limited in its task-management and communication capabilities. That means, if you rely on this app alone, critical information about a project could get lost—or simply never get done. 

Todoist

Todoist is an impressive upgrade from more traditional “to-do” lists that help teams stay clear-headed about upcoming tasks. So, if you need to reduce stress on your marketing team or streamline the workflow in product development, it could be worth trying this app.

Here’s a quick overview of the pros and cons of Todoist:

Pros	Cons
Great for simple projectsEasy to add and prioritize projects from multiple platformsAssigning tasks is straightforwardCan create recurring due dates and remindersHas file-sharing capabilitiesIn-app chat tool available	Features are limitedLacks essential tools for managing tasks, like calendars or visual timelinesHave to supplement missing functionality with additional apps

It’s clear that using Todoist is better than using nothing at all, especially for simpler projects and straightforward tasks. But, because the app lacks many features that most other project management tools offer, your team may still struggle to stay on top of it all. 

Basecamp

Basecamp does a great job of providing several tools that benefit team collaboration and task management. Designed by, and primarily for, remote workers, Basecamp has also been around a while—for a couple of decades, in fact. So, everything that it does, it does pretty well.   

The biggest pros and cons of Basecamp are: 

Pros	Cons
Can be accessed from almost anywhereIncorporates features of niche apps like progress charts, to-do lists, and calendarsHas file sharing capabilitiesGroup chat functionalityLong history of being a dependable product	Lacks customization—what you see is what you getGenerating and exporting reports is limitedFew options to integrate with other appsOversimplified features can reduce team engagementNot designed for finance-related tasks

Since Basecamp doesn’t work for everyone—like finance teams that need to track budgets and payroll—it may not have all the features you or your team needs. And, since you can’t customize the app or refine user experience, managing tasks for your entire team won’t be as simple as it should be.

Flow

Not only is Flow one of the best apps for managing tasks, but it’s also one of the best workspace tools for improving the overall productivity of a team. This all-in-one platform is also beautiful, intuitive, and customizable. So, whether you—or your team members—prefer to map out tasks along a timeline, organize work within to-do lists, or reference assignments from the project dashboard, this app makes it easy for everyone to perform at their best. 

Within tasks, you can attach files, make notes, add comments, and tag team members. You can also subscribe to tasks to receive notifications when they’re updated, pin what’s important to you on your own dashboard, and export information for easy sharing. All of a task’s activity is organized in one place—and can be found quickly with the search-and-filter function.

And Flow works for a variety of organizations no matter what services or products they provide, helping teams stay focused, even when times get tough. If you supply educational or food services, provide critical health information or marketing support, or just need a way to keep team members connected if they work remotely, this app won’t limit the good work you can do. In fact, Flow can help you do it smarter and faster.

The All-in-One Solution That Benefits Every Team Member

In the end, the best apps for managing tasks should provide an all-in-one solution that gives you access to all the tools your business needs. Trying to implement, learn, and coordinate multiple apps only wastes valuable time and energy. Critical tasks can slip through the cracks, causing stress on your team and unhappy clients or customers.

However, few apps can do it all. Even if they get close, they’re not always elegantly designed or easy to learn. That alone can be a distraction, which is something you and your team likely need less of these days. 

But a comprehensive app like Flow can help your team accomplish their current tasks and even start to get ahead. Nothing can motivate your team more than a shared sense of achievement, especially when everyone is accomplishing goals together.

Flow can help your team manage their tasks and achieve more together. Start your free trial today!