Have you tried every productivity hack under the sun? Same.
Here’s what I discovered: a one-size-fits-all approach to workflow simply doesn’t exist. The key is finding the right fit for you and your specific needs.
Anyway, I decided to explore tons of workflow management tools, and guess what? There are many incredible options with features I never knew I needed.
In this article, I’m spilling the tea on these top contenders. We’ll see their features, uncover their strengths and weaknesses, and help you find the perfect match.
Let’s get straight to it!
What Are the Best Workflow Management Software?
Your quest to find the best workflow management software ends here. Below is my lineup of exceptional workflow managers, each subjected to rigorous evaluation.
You’ll find familiar names alongside some hidden gems. Rest assured, you’ll want to add these tools to your “to-try” list.
Shall we?
1. Asana
Asana is one of the first workflow management tools I fell in love with, and for good reason. It is a heavyweight workflow management solution with an intuitive interface and powerful collaboration features.
Asana keeps things clear and organized, a lifesaver when juggling multiple projects. Delegating tasks is stress-free, and it eliminates the endless email chains. Everyone can discuss tasks and projects right within the platform. Plus, it integrates with all your favorite tools, so no more jumping between a million tabs.
Whether you’re a freelancer, a small team, or a large enterprise, Asana’s scalability and adaptability make it a strong contender on this very list.
Key Benefits
- Built-in chat and task assignments keep everyone in sync.
- Organize projects of all sizes with intuitive lists, boards, and timelines.
- Assign tasks with deadlines and track progress in real time.
- Easy to learn and use.
- Offers unique features like dependency management for sequenced tasks.
- Includes custom fields for tailoring the features to your specific workflow.
- Integrates with your essential apps like Zoom and GitHub.
Pricing
Asana offers flexible pricing plans for everyone. They offer a free tier, options for small teams, and even enterprise solutions. Overall, Asana’s pricing feels fair for the value you get. It’s an investment that can pay off in spades.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
2. Monday.com
Monday.com isn’t your average task management software. It’s a visual feast for project organization. There are customizable boards that transform to fit any project, team, or even your own unique way of working.
Need a clear Kanban board for tracking tasks? Monday.com has you covered. Want a calendar view for deadlines? It’s there, too. Plus, its intuitive interface means no tech headaches. You can be up and running in no time, creating your own personalized masterpiece of project management.
Key Benefits
- Customizable templates that fit your project and your thinking style.
- Kanban Boards, Gantt, and more for visual task tracking.
- It integrates over 200 apps for easy access to tools already in use.
- Collaborate with teammates within the platform.
- Plan, create, and manage project progress with excellent project management tools on Monday.com
- Assign, manage, and prioritize tasks with task management features.
- Distribute and monitor resources to save time and cost.
- Gather insights from project overview with portfolio management features.
Pricing
You may get a little confused by Monday.com’s pricing. But don’t be. Each plan shows the fee per seat and the total, depending on how many seats you choose. For instance, if the basic plan shows $9 seat/mo and a total of $27/mo. That means the seat is set to 3. You can change the number of seats just above the pricing plan according to your team size.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
3. Jira Software
Jira Software is a heavyweight in agile workflow management, specifically designed for software development teams. It might be a perfect fit if you and your team work in sprints, prioritize tasks based on user stories, and constantly track bugs. Jira allows you to create and manage sprints, visualize workflows, and assign tasks to team members. Collaboration is a breeze with built-in communication features and real-time reporting.
While Jira Software caters to the development world, its core functionality can be valuable for any team that embraces agile methodologies. It might have a learning curve, but its powerful features can streamline your workflow and boost team communication. Ultimately, it will help you deliver projects on time.
Key Benefits
- Plan and manage sprints with productivity tools like time tracking, progress monitoring, release for casting, and budgeting.
- Create and visualize your workflow with customizable Scrum and Kanban boards.
- Identify, prioritize, and fix bugs with Jira Software’s robust bug-tracking features.
- Collaborate with teammates through built-in chat and discussion features.
- Use real-time reporting to get feedback and insight from your projects.
Pricing
Jira’s pricing is competitive, with its starting fee of $8.15 per user. It also offers a robust free account suitable for teams just starting out.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
4. Wrike
Wrike is one of my favorites on this rich list. I particularly love its flexibility. It adapts to the needs of various teams, including marketing, creative, and project management.
The beauty of Wrike is in its adaptability. It offers multiple ways to view your work, allowing you to visualize your workflow however you see fit. You can use interactive Kanban boards to track project stages for a visual approach. There is also the to-do list feature for simple tasks. Wrike even offers detailed Gantt charts, which are ideal for complex projects. Collaboration is also Wrike’s strong forte. Built-in features like file sharing, in-app discussions, and real-time updates keep everyone aligned.
Wrike may not be as hyped as apps like Asana and Jira, but it is an exceptional workflow management tool.
Key Benefits
- Adapts to marketing, creative, or project management teams.
- Choose from multiple viewing options, including to-do lists, Kanban boards, and Gantt charts.
- Assign tasks, track progress, and keep everyone informed – all in one place.
- Keep the team connected with collaboration features.
- Manage resources maximally through timesheets, workload charts, time-tracking, and other effort allocation tools.
- Pro AI tools offer recommendations, predictions, and assistance.
- Advanced security to protect sensitive data.
Pricing
Wrike’s pricing plans are tailored for businesses of all sizes and complexities. The free plan is adequate for teams just starting out. Then there’s the Team Plan for growing businesses and Business, the wholesome plan for all teams in an organization.
The Enterprise plan packs all the essentials for large teams and, finally, Pinnacle for teams with Complex projects.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
5. ClickUp
ClickUp is a full-fledged project management powerhouse for all work-related tasks. It includes organizing projects of all sizes, assigning tasks, and tracking progress.
ClickUp’s key strength lies in its flexible hierarchy system. It allows you to structure your workspace based on your specific needs. It boasts unique features, like Spaces for your departments or teams, Folders for group-related projects, and Lists to break down projects into actionable tasks. Because it’s customizable, ClickUp can scale with your organization and project complexity.
ClickUp also offers a wide range of features to boost productivity. Plus, it integrates with many popular tools, allowing you to connect your entire workflow ecosystem.
Key Benefits
- Manage projects of all sizes, assign tasks, and collaborate with your team – all in one place.
- Adapt ClickUp’s Spaces, Folders, and Lists structure to fit your team and project needs.
- Grows with your organization, handling simple to-do lists and complex team projects.
- Built-in mind maps help brainstorm ideas visually.
- Chat functionality facilitates seamless team communication.
- Offers over 10 views, including Gantt, list, board, box, and calendar views.
- In-app video recording for better communication
Pricing
ClickUp’s free forever plan offers much, yet it’s limited to projects above personal use. Upgrade to the paid plans to enjoy unlimited access to everything, from storage to dashboards and projects.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Robust task management tools
- Frequent updates with improved features
- Cheaper option compared to Write and Monday.com
- Has agile project management tools
- A+ collaboration features
- AI assistance
- Customizable templates
Cons
- Sprint update needs improvement
- Learning curve
- Slow load speed
6. Proofhub
ProofHub focuses on bringing teams together and making collaboration smooth. It emphasizes clear communication and streamlined workflows, making it an excellent fit for teams that work closely together.
ProofHub has built-in discussion boards, file-sharing capabilities, and real-time updates. This allows everyone on the team to stay on the same page, ask questions, and provide feedback directly within the platform. No more hunting down information or getting lost in email threads! ProofHub offers features like Gantt charts and time tracking, giving you the tools to stay organized and efficient. Its rich features and flat pricing make it a number-one choice among large teams. If you run a business with 15+ users, it might be a great option to save money!
Key Benefits
- Centralized project planning, task management, and communication.
- Robust collaboration features to keep everyone on the same page.
- Notebook system with color codes to mark tasks’ importance.
- Customizable features to structure your projects.
- Gantt charts and time tracking features for better organization and efficiency.
- Flat-rate pricing plans make ProofHub a budget-friendly option for large teams.
- Reporting feature for project overview
- Instant chat and online proofing feature for better communication
Pricing
With ProofHub, there’s no pay-per-user. It’s a flat fee that accommodates everyone on your team. Also, unlike other software, ProofHub does not offer a free plan. However, you can enjoy a free trial on the two available plans.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
7. Process Street
Process Street is an AI workflow automation software that tackles repetitive tasks head-on through workflow automation. It allows you to define clear, step-by-step procedures for any process. Its user-friendly interface uses pre-built templates and drag-and-drop functionality. This means you can customize workflows for anything, from simple onboarding checklists to intricate marketing campaigns.
Process Street allows you to create a digital instruction manual for your team. Everyone follows the same steps in the workflow, ensuring consistent execution and reducing errors. It offers automated notifications, data collection forms, and integrations with your favorite tools. These features allow you to track progress in real time and gather valuable data for improvement.
With Process Street, you can connect your workflow ecosystem for a more streamlined operation.
Key Benefits
- Free your team from repetitive work by creating automated workflows.
- Build workflows with ease using pre-built templates and a drag-and-drop interface.
- Social Collaboration tools for communicating in-app.
- Ensure consistent execution with standardized workflows.
- Use the Process Designer feature to create and customize process models.
- Real-time tracking and data collection to monitor progress and gather valuable data.
- Connect Process Street to your existing ecosystem for a unified workflow experience.
Pricing
Process Street’s pricing plan is as simple as its functionality. It does not offer a free plan but allows a 14-day free trial on available plans.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
8. ProcessMaker
ProcessMaker offers a workflow automation solution catering to both business users and developers. This two-pronged approach makes it a strong contender on my list. Business users can design workflows visually using its drag-and-drop functionality. No coding knowledge is required, making it accessible to anyone within the organization.
ProcessMaker also allows developers to create workflows with low code for complex projects. It goes beyond basic automation by incorporating artificial intelligence and natural language processing. This allows for more intelligent automation, where tasks can be automatically triggered.
Key Benefits
- Build codeless workflows visually with drag and drop function
- The Process Modeler allows business users to design processes faster.
- Capture and manage data efficiently with form integration.
- Automate tasks based on defined criteria using AI and natural language processing.
- Extend functionalities and integrate with other systems using robust developer tools
- Gain insights into process performance through powerful dashboards for optimization.
Pricing
There is little information on ProcesMaker’s pricing. You must contact sales to find out the cost of each plan.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
Let me add that it’s an excellent software for managing your workflow. However, I recommend it only to companies with complex projects. The license is higher than the competitors’. You don’t want to subscribe if you do not maximize its advanced features.
9. Hive
Hive takes a central hub approach to project management, keeping your team managed and connected. It boasts a comprehensive suite of tools to streamline collaboration and keep projects on track.
One of Hive’s strengths is its flexibility in project visualization. You can choose from Kanban boards, Gantt charts, tables, and calendar views. That allows you to see project progress in the way that best suits their needs. Hive also integrates communication with built-in chat, file sharing, and native email integration. This keeps everyone informed and fosters collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.
Key Benefits
- Visualize your projects with Kanban boards, Gantt charts, tables, and calendar views.
- Enjoy collaboration with built-in chat, file sharing, and native email integration.
- Allocate tasks and track team workload to ensure proper resourcing.
- Gain valuable insights into project progress and team performance with customizable dashboards.
- Hive prioritizes user feedback, ensuring the platform continuously evolves to meet user needs.
- Hive’s summary view gives you a bird’s eye view of all current tasks.
Pricing
At first glance, Hive’s pricing is not as high as other tools in its category. However, you must pay for add-ons, increasing its overall cost.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
10. Pipefy
Pipify‘s visual pipeline approach offers a refreshing take on workflow management. Its functionalities are handy for IT and other business teams. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes creating and managing workflows easy. Pipify doesn’t stop at simplicity; it empowers customization.
Your workflows are simply represented in a colorful pipe system, where a distinct pipe represents each process stage. Each pipe can be tailored with specific fields, actions, and automated triggers to reflect your unique business needs. This ensures your workflow’s function is precisely as you require, optimizing and automating processes.
Key Benefits
- Track progress at a glance with a Kanban-style board where processes are mapped as straightforward, visual “pipes.
- Tailor each pipe with specific fields, actions, and automated triggers to match your needs.
- Integrate Pipify with various platforms and services to automate tasks and streamline information flow across your workflows.
- Manage workflows effectively, whether you’re a small team or a large enterprise.
- Stay on top of tasks and workflows from anywhere with Pipify’s mobile app.
- Service management feature to manage customer requests, track orders & delivery, and evaluate satisfaction.
Pricing
Pipefy has a plan for everyone, from starters to large established companies. However, each plan comes with its own limitations. For instance, only the Enterprise and Unlimited Plans cater to complex processes. Overall, value for money checks.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
11. Pro Workflow
ProWorkflow is a one-stop shop customizable workflow management platform for project management and time tracking for businesses of all sizes. It offers a robust feature set that can adapt to various needs. ProWorkflow equips you with the tools to plan, organize, and meticulously track projects. This includes task management, scheduling, resource allocation, and built-in collaboration features to keep your team working in sync.
Beyond simple project management, ProWorkflow offers a wholesome stack of features. It integrates with time-tracking functionalities, allowing you to manage your team and their tasks. It is highly recommended if you prioritize transparency, effective resource allocation, and project cost management.
Key Benefits
- Plan, organize, and track projects effectively using task management, scheduling, resource allocation, and collaboration tools.
- Accurately monitor billable hours, project timelines, and team workload with integrated time-tracking functionalities.
- Facilitate collaboration with built-in messaging tools, file-sharing capabilities, and project discussions.
- Gain valuable insights into project performance through reporting and analytics dashboards.
- Accommodate your team’s evolving needs and project complexity with scalable plans.
- Automate your billing with ProWorkflow’s invoicing feature.
Pricing
ProWorkflow does not offer a free plan, unlike many tools on this list. You can, however, get a 14-day free trial on the paid plans.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
12. ProProfs Projects
ProProfs Projects is user-friendly project management software ideal for teams of all sizes. This cloud-based platform simplifies project organization, collaboration, and communication. Its intuitive interface makes it easy for anyone to get started, regardless of technical expertise.
Collaboration is a highlight, with features like task delegation, clear assignments, and deadlines. Built-in file sharing and discussion boards further promote teamwork. Real-time dashboards and project timelines provide transparency, allowing you to identify roadblocks and make informed decisions. ProProfs Projects empowers data-driven management with reporting and analytics tools. It tracks progress, identifies areas for improvement, and optimizes workflows. It even includes budgeting features to manage project finances effectively.
Key Benefits
- ProProfs Projects prioritizes user-friendliness with a clean design for easy adoption by everyone on your team.
- Timesheet tracking is used to track billable hours on individual projects.
- Streamline teamwork with task delegation, file sharing, and built-in discussion boards.
- Gain instant insights into project progress with real-time dashboards and project timelines for proactive management.
- Make informed choices with tools that generate insightful reports on project performance and areas for improvement.
- Control project finances with budget management features for setting budgets, tracking expenses, and gaining cost insights.
- Use Gantt charts for project visualization.
Pricing
What’s interesting about ProProfs Project is that it offers just one universal price. This is particularly advantageous for larger teams since it doesn’t operate on a pay-per-use basis.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
13. Zapier
Zapier breaks the mold of traditional workflow management software. It offers more than just a single platform for managing projects and tasks. Zapier is a robust connector between the various web applications and services you already use. It allows all your favorite tools to communicate and work together seamlessly.
Zapier automates repetitive tasks and streamlines processes by creating automated workflows called “Zaps.” These Zaps trigger actions in one app based on events happening in another. The possibilities are truly endless as Zapier integrates with thousands of popular apps. Those allow you to automate many repetitive tasks and significantly improve workflow efficiency.
Key Benefits
- Zapier integrates with your favorite web applications and services, allowing them to communicate and exchange data.
- Automate repetitive tasks by creating Zaps that trigger actions in one app based on events in another, saving you time and effort.
- Create workflows and eliminate manual data entry with automated processes.
- Free yourself from repetitive tasks and focus on higher-value activities with Zapier’s automation capabilities.
- As your business grows and your tech stack expands, Zapier can continue to connect your new tools and automate workflows.
- Create conditional workflow automation with Zapier paths that trigger actions based on events.
Pricing
Zapier offers pricing plans categorized by feature sets. You must subscribe to the entire category if you’re after specific features. While this may result in a higher price tag, you can expect to receive value for your investment.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
14. Nifty
Nifty is a cloud-based platform that offers a one-stop shop for collaboration and task organization. Whether you’re a small startup or a large, geographically dispersed enterprise, it provides a scalable solution to improve remote collaboration and project management.
Nifty offers functionalities like creating milestones, assigning tasks, and sharing documents within projects. It also has a built-in calendar that keeps deadlines and schedules clear. Direct messaging allows for real-time team communication. At the core of Nifty’s functionality lie visual boards that enable you to organize projects using Kanban boards, Gantt charts, lists, or mind maps.
Nifty prioritizes user experience. It boasts a customizable dashboard that allows you to tailor your view and focus on what matters most for each project. This reduces wasted time searching for information and keeps your team focused.
Key Benefits
- Manage projects, tasks, communication, and teams all in one place.
- Features like milestones, tasks, and document sharing within projects keep everyone organized and on the same page.
- Built-in calendar and direct messaging functionalities ensure clear deadlines, schedules, and real-time team communication.
- Assign tasks to team members, set due dates, and track progress within the boards.
- Prioritize what matters most with a user-friendly dashboard that lets you personalize your project view.
- Quickly move tasks between stages on your Kanban boards, visually representing workflow progress.
- Use client invoicing features to create, deliver, and track payments.
Pricing
Nifty doesn’t bill per user; it offers a flat-rate pricing structure across all its plans. This can be appealing if your business requires minimal features. However, as the feature set expands, so does the price. Therefore, if a larger organization needs advanced features, you’ll have to opt for a more sophisticated plan, which comes at a higher cost.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
15. Kissflow Workflow
Kissflow Workflow is your go-to solution for simplifying workflow automation and boosting business productivity. Whether you’re a small startup or a big corporation, Kissflow has your back with its easy-to-use interface that requires zero coding skills. Just drag, drop, and customize to create workflows tailored to your needs.
Kissflow Workflow isn’t just user-friendly; it’s also smart. With its artificial intelligence and natural language processing capabilities, tasks are automated intelligently. It also excels in form management, ensuring smooth data capture and seamless workflow integration. Plus, its intuitive dashboards provide valuable insights, helping you identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions.
Key Benefits
- Create documents with various customizable templates on Kissflow
- Design your business process and workflow to suit business needs.
- Use the prebuilt workflows instead of starting from scratch.
- Build workflows visually without coding knowledge using a user-friendly interface.
- Automate tasks based on defined criteria with the help of artificial intelligence and natural language processing.
- Create and manage forms within workflows, ensuring efficient data capture and integration.
- Developers can write codes to create forms, user libraries, custom UI, and page sequences
- Gain valuable insights into process performance through a robust reporting system.
Pricing
Kissflow’s pricing plans are straightforward. While it doesn’t charge per user, its flat fee tends to be higher. Small businesses with fewer users might end up paying more than they’d like. Consequently, I recommend it as an enterprise workflow management software.
Pros & Cons
Product Pros
Product Cons
How Can A Workflow Management Software Benefit You?
Workflow management software are designed to transform how you work, individually and as part of a team.
Here’s how workflow management software can benefit you:
- Boost Productivity: Workflow management software helps you ditch the back-and-forth of scattered documents. You can save time with all your tasks, projects, and communication in one place. Plus, many tools offer features like automated workflows and project management tools. They can reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, freeing you up for more strategic work.
- Streamline Business Processes: Is your workflow plagued with repetitive steps and unnecessary approvals? Workflow management software can help you automate those repetitive processes and create custom workflows that optimize efficiency. You can automate tasks like employee onboarding or expense reports, saving you and your team valuable time.
- Improve Team Collaboration: Workflow management software creates a centralized platform for your team. Everyone can see assigned tasks, track project progress, and collaborate. Features like built-in communication channels and data visualization tools can further enhance teamwork.
- Increase Visibility and Control: Workflow management software lets you visualize tasks. You can track progress and gain valuable insights into your team’s performance. This advanced reporting allows you to identify bottlenecks, prioritize, and make data-driven decisions.
- Reduce Errors and Improve Accuracy: Manual data entry and repetitive tasks are prime breeding grounds for errors. Workflow management software ensures everyone follows the same standardized business processes. This leads to improved accuracy, fewer mistakes, and a smoother workflow for everyone involved.
- Boost Employee Onboarding and Training: Onboarding new employees can be time-consuming and complex. Workflow management software can help streamline it by creating automated process flows guiding new hires. You can also use these tools to manage training materials and track progress.
In short, workflow management software invests in your productivity and overall business efficiency.
Buyers Guide: How We Conducted Our Research
Choosing the perfect workflow management software can switch up your business faster than you imagine. To help you on your quest, I have dug into the world of workflow management software, and here’s how I did it:
- Market Investigation: First, I scoured the market to identify the best workflow management tools. This involved researching current trends, identifying the top players, and understanding each solution’s features.
- User Reviews: Next, I went straight to the source – real users! I checked user reviews and ratings on popular software platforms and industry publications. That way, I gained valuable insights into user experiences, both the good and the not-so-good, for different software options.
- Feature Face-Off: I created a detailed feature comparison chart to see how each software stacked up. This allowed me to compare functionalities and identify solutions that fit various business needs.
- Expert Insights: I also tapped into the knowledge of workflow management experts and industry analysts. Their insights on leading software options and key selection factors were like gold!
- Free Trials & Demos: Finally, I took advantage of free trials and demos offered by many vendors. This hands-on experience with the software allowed me to assess its usability and functionality. I also learned how well it suits different workflow management needs.
After blending different research methods, I compiled a well-rounded and fair rundown of the top workflow software options available. Every entry on my list has been handpicked after thorough research. With this guide, you can choose the perfect workflow management system for your business needs. Happy workflow managing!
Wrapping Up
Nailed It! Now It’s Your Turn.
We’ve explored the best of workflow management software and its power to transform your team’s work. These tools can improve your processes and drive business transformation.
So, explore the options I shared, find the perfect fit for your crew, and watch your productivity skyrocket!
Good luck, and happy streamlining!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is workflow management software?
Workflow management software helps businesses automate tasks, streamline processes, and improve collaboration. It is a digital conductor, ensuring projects move smoothly from one stage to the next.
Who can benefit from workflow management software?
Workflow management software can benefit businesses of all sizes. It’s beneficial for teams working on complex projects, remote teams, and those seeking to improve efficiency and productivity.
What features should I look for in workflow management software?
The best features for you will depend on your specific needs. However, some standard features include task management, automation capabilities, collaboration tools, reporting and analytics, and integrations with your other software.
How much does workflow management software cost?
Workflow management software pricing varies depending on the features offered, the number of users, and your chosen plan. Many software options offer free trials and tiered pricing structures.
What software is right for me?
The best software for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. This guide provides an overview of 11 popular options. Still, it’s essential to consider your team’s size, workflow complexity and desired features before deciding.
How can I get started with workflow management software?
Many software options offer free trials or demos. Take advantage of these to try out different options and see which one is the best fit for your team.