As we have promised in the previous article, this time we will review the main options for Task and Project Management. Our goal will be to help you find the right balance between those three factors you see above.
I would have to clarify something, though. This is my opinion based on my personal experience on this topic. It may not be considered as a 100% factual truth, since it is subjective.
“I want THE best possible tool for my company”
It is an amazing decision. Obviously, the tool that you would get is aimed to be perfectly optimized for your business. It will not come cheap at all but it will be reliable, smooth, and future proof (that should be out of question).
Pros and cons of this model:
➤Exclusive rights – since it is personalized for your company, you are the owner of your project management tool and can decide who will have access to use it. That even gives you the option to sell it as a product;
➤Unique design – having a dedicated team of professionals can customize the software with the corporate fonts, logo, etc.;
➤Integrity – since most of the custom-made project management tools are made to work both offline and online, it becomes easier to operate even in case of a bad connection.
➤Price – since it is tailor-made for the client, your product will come at a significantly higher price tag.
➤Time-consuming – designing a brand new product consumes many hours, days, and even months, depending on the circumstances.
➤Maintenance – for security purposes and to keep it up to date, your project management software requires additional human resources. That brings the costs up.
“Price matters the most. Please, give me the cheapest option that will do the work”.
Hey, you are opening a startup and you are looking for a cheap solution? There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Many companies find it hard to find clients at the beginning and are seeking bargains. If you are an individual who does consulting, or you are a freelancer, why go for something pricey? A cheap (or even better – free of charge) tool will do the work.
In this case, we have two possible scenarios:
CHEAP & FAST and CHEAP & RELIABLE
Case 1: There are plenty of companies offering their services for a small amount of money, or even for free. Since the businesses do not have incentive to offer you a cheap product that will be optimal, they give you a “demo account” or basic kit which is limited in options, and cannot be counted as reliable.
Pros and cons:
➤It costs you (almost) nothing to try – every product has a different user interface. Trying a cheap company gives you the option to see if you can work with their software, or not.
➤Fast – task management tools of this kind might not be as smooth as their expensive counterparts but come at a high value for money.
➤Limited options – the company owners are not willing to offer you enough options free of charge. This would make their paid subscription irrelevant.
➤Reliability – it is expensive to build a high-end product out of nothing. In some cases, the providers might still offer reliable services which however come at higher plans.
Case 2: Quite honestly, finding a cheap and reliable project management product might be a hard task to achieve. Reliability demands serious investment in hardware and software which has to be paid by the end client. That is why this scenario is rather a no-go, than a viable option.
If you are seeking a cheap service, then this is neither cost-efficient nor reliable.
“Balance is the way to go”
Ultimately, we are all looking for the best option. That is our nature. However, striving for perfection is a cumbersome process. Did I mention how expensive it might become, too?
Often in business, people are forced to adjust to changing conditions, and settle for less. This doesn’t necessarily mean you are up to making a huge compromise in terms of the product you get. At the end of the day, is it a must to buy a Ferrari to drive around town?
Project management companies offer a variety of products. You will have to select which of the features you will be using and which will be an unnecessary cost.
Summary:
Each company has different needs. You will have to identify yours and decide which option fits you best.
If you have a business of 100+ people or can afford a dedicated IT department, creating a product of your own is the best alternative in the long run. You do not rely on third party products, and have the design and functionality you wish.
If your priority is to have something to mark your tasks and the progress on them, or you have a small team to monitor – then seek for a cheap (or free) decision. There are tons of available tools that will do the job.
However, if your purpose is to find usable tools with great functionality, you can look below. Bear in mind that
| Tool | Plan* | Monthly fee per user /if paid annually/ |
| ClickUp | Business | $9 |
| Asana | Business | €24.99 |
| Monday.com | Pro | $16** |
| Scoro | Work Hub | €29*** |
| Basecamp | Business | $99**** |
*-all plans include different functions. The ones chosen are the most comparable ones.
**-On Monday.com the minimum amount of users is 3, so even if teams that consist of 1 or 2 members use the platform, they’ll pay $48 monthly
***-Scoro charges €145/month, as the bare minimum of users is 5
****Basecamp has unlimited users but the fee is flat.
Given the circumstances, I would rate ClickUp as best for performance, overall value for money, and functionality. Despite its price, it’s feature-rich and constantly improving. According to TechCrunch’s article, ClickUp has reached $1bn in valuation, and has acquired almost 2 million clients since it was launched in 2017.
Our team is specialized in integrating and automating your business processes with ClickUp. If you are up for the challenge, contact us, and we will see how we can help you connect the dots.