Comparing Project Management Software for Small Business: What’s Best for Your Team?

At any point, you could take the initiative to re-evaluate and simplify your team’s day-to-day processes to improve productivity. Regardless of size, most businesses eventually need help with managing projects and tasks more efficiently—especially if they’re anticipating growth.

If you work with a smaller team and could benefit from a centralized platform to boost productivity, a project management software that’s designed for small businesses is a great start. The best option will be a tool that can easily scale as your projects and team members multiply and your overall business grows. To help you narrow your choices, we’ve rated a few excellent workspace options here.

Productivity Features That Matter Most to Small- and Mid-Sized Teams

First, let’s look briefly at the features that a project management software should have for small and mid-sized teams:

• Robust task management. A robust task management tool will help organize information, prioritize work, and increase project visibility. These benefits are essential for streamlining individual workflow. By having the functionality to simply attach files, set due dates, and assign or subscribe to tasks, workflow management can become much easier.

• Powerful communication. Communication features that are powerful enough to organize the exchange of ideas and encourage real-time collaboration is a must-have. With the combined ability to chat within tasks, share information in group channels, and message teammates directly, important information won’t be lost or misunderstood.

• Seamless app integration. You may already use a time-tracking tool, like Harvest, or cloud-based storage, like Dropbox. If these tools are already working well for your team, there is no reason to give them up when your platform provides third-party app integration. Of course, seamless compatibility is key to keeping frustration low and engagement high.

• Short learning curve. When the learning curve is steep, project management tools don’t last very long. So, the more intuitive the system, the better, because your team can’t afford workflow interruption. If you aren’t able to dive into the platform and begin familiarizing yourself right away, it’s more likely to cause stress and to be abandoned.

• Scalable pricing. Paying a flat rate for small business project management software can constrict your growth and strain your budget. The size of projects and the number of team members can shift as rapidly as the economy. Scalable pricing helps you adjust to changes without having to find a new platform.

Three Software Options with Key Project Management Features

There are several software options on the market that include some or all of the above features, but we’re going to compare just a few. We want to focus on platforms that work well for small and mid-sized teams that can also grow with your business over time.

On a scale of one to five, with five being the highest, we’ve rated each feature for these top three options. We’ve also included a rating for design because the look and feel of a platform impact team engagement and love of the work, too.

Wrike As a project management system, Wrike offers an impressive list of features for making every stage of a project run smoothly. It also assists with team communication, offers app integrations, and provides tiered pricing based on the features you actually use and how many team members will have access. Unfortunately, the learning curve can be steep, and the design is clean but stark. It’s messaging function is also too lean for optimal team communication. Task Management: 4 Communication: 2 App Integration: 4 Learning Curve: 2 Pricing: 3 Design: 3

Trello Trello is one of the simplest project management platforms out there. For some businesses, teams, and projects, it might even be too simple. If your team finds that to be true, you can pay for additional plugins or opt to work with more than one platform. But that kind of multitasking can undermine your goal of streamlining projects. While it lacks some important capabilities, it is very easy to use at a lower cost. Task Management: 3 Communication: 2 App Integration: 4 Learning Curve: 5 Pricing: 4 Design: 4

Flow Flow brings together all the best features into one elegant workspace that teams of all sizes love to use. It streamlines tasks, inspires collaboration, and works with many of your favorite apps. But the surprising beauty of Flow is that it can be learned in minutes—even by teams with contrasting work styles. This delightful, customizable tool also comes with scalable pricing. Task Management: 5 Communication: 5 App Integration: 4 Learning Curve: 5 Pricing: 4 Design: 5

The Right Project Management Software for Your Small Business

Project management software benefits small businesses in so many ways. Namely, it creates space to focus on the big picture. That’s because getting good work done is not just about work. Passion, connection, and meaning also matter a great deal. The truth is that productivity usually lags when people lack support and context. When they have access to the right tools, it’s easier to achieve more while recognizing the value of their efforts.

So, as you move forward in your research to find the best project management software for your team, consider more than just the ratings we’ve presented. Sign up for free trials to ensure you get a platform you truly love. The system that helps to bring more intrinsic value to your business is the right one for your team.

Flow has all the features that matter most for small teams. Since it’s an elegant, easy-to-use platform that is built to scale, it will continue to support your business even as you grow. To try it on for size, sign up for free today.