Monday.com is a popular project management software that targets both seasoned and novice professionals. This broad approach introduces problems, as not everyone’s needs are the same: trying to be one tool for all jobs is problematic, forcing many consumers to look for a Monday.com alternative.

Because shopping for a work or project management software that suits your needs can be overwhelming, we’ve researched and ranked the best Monday.com alternatives. You can see their pros and cons, as well as how much they’ll impact your bottom line. After reading through our list of Monday.com alternatives, you’ll surely find the software that can help all week long.

How Monday.com Works

Before we discuss Monday.com alternatives, let’s take a closer look at how Monday.com works. The company calls itself a work operating system and it’s intuitive and easy to use for those new to managing projects.

The tool offers features to help shape workflows and add efficiencies while being flexible enough to adapt to change as the work unfolds. Transparency provides visibility into processes for all involved and collaborative tools help teams work together. It centralizes communication and file storage while helping cross-functional teams understand what other teams are doing.

Why Seek a Monday.com Alternative?

Users may seek a Monday.com alternative as the tool spreads itself too thin without offering the depth of features to help teams work more productively. In reality, Monday.com doesn’t offer anything unique and many Monday.com alternatives offer the same features with more in-depth functionality.

Even though the software is beneficial for task management, it seems to be its only focus. It offers views such as a table, timeline, kanban, calendar, chart and map, but many of these views act as glorified task lists and are woefully inadequate for managing a project. A simple checklist isn’t powerful enough to successfully deliver your project.

There’s also a weakness in its reporting tools. Project management requires robust reporting features to monitor progress and performance while keeping stakeholders updated; Monday.com’s bulleted lists are not going to cut it. Getting more out of its reporting features requires a steep learning curve and more money for a higher-tier subscription. Why spend more when other Monday.com alternatives have robust reporting features readily available?

Speaking of pricing, it can get expensive to use this tool. For one, you have to buy licenses in blocks rather than buying as many licenses as you need. That’s money spent for no reason. Now you’re paying a significant amount of money for a tool with poor reporting and a Gantt that you have to build into a board. Let’s delve into some of the best Monday.com alternatives.

2023 Best Monday.com Alternatives Software Rankings

1. ProjectManager

The best Monday.com alternative on our list is ProjectManager. Like Monday.com it’s easy to use, but ProjectManager has a full suite of robust project management tools, multiple project views and access to real-time data for more informed project decisions. ProjectManager makes it easy to manage tasks, monitor progress, track time, create reports and more. All features are fully collaborative and powerful enough for a whole portfolio of projects.

Share Plans Made on Interactive Gantt Charts

ProjectManager has an award-winning Gantt chart to help you set goals that you can actually meet. Use the Gantt to share project timelines where you can closely track resources and make changes as details evolve. Unlike many Monday.com alternatives, you can also track your project plan against your actual progress to improve resource visibility and accuracy. Since the Gantt shares data with all other project views, cross-functional teams can use kanban boards or the list view to execute plans. ProjectManager is great for managing multiple types of projects and it’s one of the more flexible Monday.com alternatives on our list. Plus, all data updates in real time across the software; whether your teams are distributed or in the office, they’re all working with the same information.

Track Projects With Real-Time Dashboards

What really sets this Monday.com alternative apart is the great reporting features it offers. Its real-time dashboard delivers a high-level view of the project to help you make fast, informed decisions to save time and money. While the Gantt tracks real-time progress, the live dashboard delves deeper into the data, automatically collecting it and displaying it on colorful graphs that track six metrics. Reports only take a keystroke to create and provide data-rich dives into project status, portfolio status, timesheets, workload, time, costs and more. All reports are filterable and easily shared as a PDF or can be printed for stakeholder presentations. Managers can even track team workload by examining secure timesheets to determine how far a team member has gotten in completing their tasks. Monday.com promises this same level of productivity but fails to deliver.

On top of everything, the impressive collaboration tools that ProjectManager offers make it easy to comment and share files while notifications keep you updated along the way. If you’re working on the go or in the field, take advantage of the mobile app so you don’t miss a beat. Its subscription model is competitive, its feature suite is expansive and its customer service is receptive to suggestions on improvements. It’s an evolving tool that continues to elevate functionality and offerings. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

Pricing

• Team: $13.00 user/month
• Business: $24.00 user/month

Q&A

• Does ProjectManager offer a free trial? Yes, ProjectManager has a 30-day free trial
• Does ProjectManager have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS

2. Asana

Next on our Monday.com alternative list is Asana, an easy-to-use project management tool. One positive is that it offers many integrations with third-party apps such as Google Drive, Microsoft Teams and Slack. It’s a collaborative software that lets you invite others into the workspace, notifies users of changes to tasks and allows comments at the task level. In fact, Asana’s task management is all well-done as it offers prioritization and real-time information for superior task management.

But other features are missing or lacking. For example, there are no time tracking capabilities, an essential tool for keeping projects on schedule. Without time management, you have no visibility into workload and can quickly find yourself sidelined. While the software is easy to use, those looking for a Monday.com alternative that’s as intuitive will be disappointed. Asana’s interface is more familiar to seasoned project managers than novices. Even with a focus on task management, there are problems. The biggest among them is that assignments are limited and that only one user can be assigned to a task at a time. Anyone with experience working on a project knows this is unrealistic, especially for a tool that cites itself as a collaborative platform.

Pricing

• Basic: Free forever
• Premium: $13.49 user/month
• Business: $30.49 user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Q&A

• Does Asana offer a free trial? Yes, Asana has a free 30-day trial
• Does Asana have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS

3. Airtable

Airtable is another Monday.com alternative for managing projects that offer more features. This project management tool has team collaboration, task management and resource management features. It has a customizable interface and a calendar with form and stacked card views. Airtable works on a spreadsheet-like structure which makes it familiar to those who have been managing projects on Excel. There are multiple views, though, including a kanban board.

There’s also a Gantt but it’s not as powerful as other Gantts featured in this Monday.com alternatives list. Airtable offers limited automation and integrations, none of which fill in the holes of the software. If you’re planning to scale, the pricing structure isn’t ideal; it charges per user but not every user is going to require as much of the software. This means you’re paying top dollar for those who might only need data access instead of the tools.

Pricing

• Plus: $10 user/month
• Pro: $20 user/month

Q&A

• Does Airtable offer a free trial? Yes, Airtable has a 14-day free trial
• Does Airtable have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS

4. Trello

If you’re looking for a Monday.com alternative that revolves around kanban boards, then Trello is going to interest you. It bases its project management on boards and cards, which are particularly appealing for newcomers in the project management space. Trello has tracking lists that prioritize tasks and allow you to follow the progress and status of your team. There are communication tools such as a private channel for teams to chat in real time while notifications keep everyone on the same page.

However, this is also one of the narrower Moday.com alternatives on our list as there’s a huge gap in features: no Gantt charts. Instead, Trello offers a bar chart that tries to be a Gantt chart but fails to link dependencies, set a baseline or track progress in real time. Even the board view is limited to only one board per project, which can lead to complicated boards that quickly get confusing. Smaller teams might still benefit from this tool, but if you’re working with larger teams, you’ll undoubtedly want to look elsewhere.

Pricing

• Free plan: $0 user/month
• Standard plan: $5 user/month
• Premium plan: $10 user/month
• Enterprise plan: $17.50 user/month (min 25 users)

Q&A

• Does it offer a free trial? Yes, Trello has a 14-day free trial
• Does it offer a free version? Yes, Trello has a free version

5. Taskworld

Taskworld is a collaborative task management and planning software that’s ideal for distributed teams. This Monday.com alternative features advanced security, project analytics and burnup and burndown charts. It uses boards and lists for task and workflow management and has collaborative features to connect teams. You can also set recurring tasks so you’re not always starting from scratch. The software offers file sharing and chat features to help teams work better together. Tasks can be updated anywhere, even from mobile devices, and there are tracking tools that can be filtered by assignee, dates and status.

While these are necessary features, Taskworld might not be the best project management software. For example, the app can be slow to refresh on your browser, especially if you use Safari, and the mobile version feels more like a work in progress than a useful accessory. Users report that sharing projects with other team members for visibility can be difficult and needs improvements. Others have complained about the need for additional training compared to other Monday.com alternatives. There has also been some chatter about its confusing layout that requires training and tutorials to clear up. Finally, the cost is more expensive than many of its competitors.

Pricing

• Premium: $8 user/month
• Business: $15 user/month
• Enterprise: $22 user/month

Q&A

• Does Taskworld offer a free trial? Yes, Taskworld has a 14-day free trial
• Does Taskworld have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS

6. Microsoft Project

On the opposite side of the spectrum of our Monday.com alternatives is Microsoft Project. Where Monday.com is trying to be a one-size-fits-all solution that simplifies processes, Microsoft Project is targeting professional project managers with a complex and powerful tool that likely alienates anyone who isn’t PMP certified. If you’re managing big projects, Microsoft Project offers multiple project views and it integrates with a suite of other Mircosoft apps such as Teamwork and provides visibility to users.

A lot of the pros are also cons, though, as the software requires significant training even if you’re a seasoned professional. It’s also expensive, and the more licenses you buy, the more it’ll cost. Since you’re paying so much, the proprietary files it uses can be frustrating. You can’t share them unless you use one of the workaround apps that have sprung up in Microsoft Project’s wake. If all of this isn’t frustrating enough, there’s the fact that Microsoft is only available on PCs. That’s right, there are no compatible iOS versions. That means if you work with any Apple product, you’re locked out of the software. There’s little sense that we can find in the business approach of this Monday.com alternative, but when you’re the 800-pound gorilla in the project management room, it’s easier to get away with more shortcomings.

Pricing

• Project Plan 1: $10 user/month
• Project Plan 3: $30 user/month
• Business plan: $55 user/month

Q&A

• Does Microsoft Project offer a free trial? Yes, Microsoft Project has a 30-day free trial
• Does Microsoft Project offer a free version? No, Microsoft Project doesn’t offer a free plan
• Does Microsoft Project have a mobile project management app? No, it doesn’t offer a mobile app

7. Mavenlink

Mavenlink is another Monday.com alternative that’s used to foster better project management. It’s especially useful for service organizations, which make up about 80 percent of the US economy. The tool not only hosts projects but helps with financials, collaboration, resource management and business intelligence. It has Gantt charts, automation for business processes and accounting features with timesheets and expense reports.

The problem is that many in the services industry work with tight margins. Although this Monday.com alternative is expensive, smaller businesses are likely going to find themselves priced out. Another difficulty for people in service organizations is the lack of a mobile app. The software might be great in the office but that’s limiting. There’s no chat app, either, which reduces collaboration. Finally, Mavenlink’s website hub isn’t the easiest to navigate. Until Mavenlink can clear up these roadblocks, you’re stuck with its current offerings.

Pricing

• Enter your company info to see custom pricing

Q&A

• Does Mavenlink offer a free trial? No, it doesn’t offer a free trial
• Does Mavenlink have a mobile project management app? No, it doesn’t offer a mobile project planning app

8. Wrike

One of the better-known Monday.com alternatives is Wrike, a cloud-based project management software. Some feature that makes it stand apart from others on this list is time tracking. With timesheets and resource management tools, managers are able to stay on schedule. Of course, there are Gantt charts, which do the basics of organizing and assigning tasks. It also has kanban boards for agile teams to manage their workflow in a visual tool.

That sounds appealing, but a closer look shows a few chinks in the armor. For instance, Wrike’s Gantt charts can’t filter for the critical path. Instead, you have to take the time to make those complicated calculations. Its Gantt charts also don’t show you the percentage of completion for tasks, which can delay projects if you can’t stay on top of what your team is doing. Unlike other Monday.com alternatives which are intuitive and quick to pick up, users have complained about the time it takes to understand how to use the tool.

Pricing

• Professional plan: $9.80 user/month
• Business plan: $24.80 user/month

Q&A

• Does Wrike offer a free trial? Yes, Wrike has a 14-day free trial
• Does Wrike have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS.

9. Adobe Workfront

Adobe Workfront is a Monday.com alternative with popular features including task management, team collaboration, resource management and document management. Users can set project scope, prioritize and assign tasks, automate workflows and use reporting tools to view project status. It also integrates with third-party apps, which expands the breadth of its features. It uses real-time data to help with more insightful decision-making and is great for larger, more complex organizations.

Smaller businesses might not be as happy with the pricing and many have complained that the layout isn’t easy to use. Setting up a project is both confusing and time-confusing. It can take a big chunk of your time to get up to speed, which is time you’re not devoting to the project. Even the Gantt charts aren’t as robust as you’d want in project management software as they’re hard to use and modify. Search functionality is also a problem, especially if you’re looking for a task among a portfolio of projects.

Pricing

• Enterprise, business and pro license types available, pricing upon request

Q&A

• Does Workfront offer a free trial? No, they don’t offer a free trial
• Does Workfront have a mobile project management app? Yes, Workfront offers a mobile project planning app for both Android and iOS

10. Quickbase

The last of our Monday.com alternatives is Quickbase, a project management software that’s especially helpful for those in software development. It has features that help with platform security, platform scalability, reusability and platform user management. Yes, this is a long way from the general use of Monday.com, but that’s one of the reasons people are seeking an alternative. Add real-time analytics and filtering information and you can see why Quickbase is the preferred choice in the software development industry.

Quickbase is not great with large data sets—if that’s what you’re looking for, then you’ll likely be looking elsewhere. There’s not a great deal of customization available, but this software likely chose speed over customization. The UI is dated, but that’s probably not a deal-breaker for the type of customer it’s going after. The software’s cost is more of a problem, however, which is almost equal to all of the other Monday.com alternatives on this list combined. That sticker shock is sure to send many potential customers packing.

Pricing

• Team: $600 per month, priced annually
• Business: $2,000 per month, priced annually

Q&A

• Does QuickBase offer a free trial? Yes, QuickBase has a 30-day free trial
• Does QuickBase have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS

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It’s clear that ProjectManager is the best Monday.com alternative. It has all the features that Monday.com has and then some, and it’s even easier to onboard and use. Add automation, resource management, planning, scheduling and reporting features and integrations to the package and you finally have all your work under one digital roof. Get started with our collaborative-to-the-core software for free today.