TGL Tested: Our Takes on Project Management Tools
We’re back with a new TGL Tested, a blog series where we share our hot takes on popular digital marketing tools and solutions to help your team weed out weak links from winners!
Our friends in marketing and communications understand what we mean when we say there are a LOT of moving parts. Whether you’re a team of one or one hundred, there’s never a shortage of tasks to oversee, which is why we’ve devoted this blog post to reviewing project management tools we love, and others we could leave.
Asana
Asana is a straightforward tool that offers extra features like basic time management and analytics. Available on mobile and web, it features multiple project views, including list, board, and calendar, making juggling tasks a breeze for everyone on your team. It also allows users to filter tasks or group them by due date, project, or assignee, which keeps everyone clear on their assignments, when they need to be completed, and what other team members need to be kept in the loop. With its many functionalities and features, it’s no wonder why Asana is a TGL fave!
Asana offers free and paid plans that can be customized based on team size. Asana’s free Personal Plan offers unlimited project and task management with three project views, basic reporting, and community support. The Starter Plan, at $11.99/user/month, adds five project views, advanced security, 250 automated workflows, and Asana AI. The Advanced Plan, at $27.99/user/month, includes all Starter features plus portfolio views, 25,000 automations, advanced reporting, and resource management tools.
Pros:
Intuitive and user-friendly
Multiple view options (list, board, calendar)
Integrations with various platforms
Robust help section and certification program
Collaboration friendly
Cons:
Requires thoughtful initial setup for optimal use
Some learning curves with advanced features
Lacks time tracking feature
Tested by: Senior Project Manager, Renee Tate
“This is one of the best project management platforms out there, in my opinion. It's intuitive, relatively easy to learn, and completely customizable for any team or industry. I love the ability to templatize projects and tasks that you frequently have. Asana has so many integrations with other platforms and software that it makes it easy to keep everything relevant for a project in one place. Asana also has such a robust help section that you can learn how to use every aspect of the software and even get certified as an Asana expert, which I aim to achieve to make my love and expertise of the platform official.
I will say the main thing to keep in mind with Asana is to be thoughtful of organization before you start creating projects and tasks. Every feature of Asana builds off each other, so if the proper thought isn't put into your initial build, it will make using the platform more challenging, and you may not find it as intuitive.”
Tested by: Boss Lady, Katie Stanton
“Asana has been the most user-friendly and comprehensive of all the platforms.”
Tested by: Slice Author and Social Media Coordinator, Jade Martin
“If you’re a deadline-driven person like me, Asana is super helpful to keep you on track. I love being able to customize my home page with widgets like tasks, a private notepad for any important thoughts you don’t want to forget, forms/links, etc. The best feature hands down has to be the option to view your tasks in different formats such as list (my fave), timeline, board, or calendar.”
Tested by: Consultant, Erin Mishkin
“Asana! It's easy to use (I feel like a broken record!), and I love that it has recurring tasks (and subtasks!), that you can attach files to tasks, add collaborators, have multiple ways to view your tasks, and it has a nifty flying unicorn that goes across the screen when you complete something.”
Trello
Per its website description, Trello allows you to “manage all of your projects in one powerful tool that makes project management magical.” A simple, web-based tool that's good for small teams with basic projects, Trello features a “magical,” bright-colored interface that is pleasant to look at for those who enjoy visualization (but could be distracting to some!), offers multiple view options for project and task status, and integrates with an impressive 200+ tools and services.
Trello’s free plan offers unlimited cards, up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited Power-Ups, and basic features like assignee and due dates, with 250 workspace command runs per month. The Standard Plan, at $5/user/month, includes unlimited boards, advanced checklists, custom fields, and 1,000 command runs per month. The Premium Plan, at $10/user/month, adds multiple project views, unlimited command runs, AI features, and admin and security tools. The Enterprise Plan, at $17.50/user/month, provides organization-wide permissions, multi-board guests, and enhanced security controls.
With its accessible price points, Trello is a plug-and-play solution that's easy to learn, making it a good choice for teams that don't like learning new technology.
Pros:
User-friendly
Free option has basic functionality for individuals/small teams
Web and app-based access (for both iOS and Android)
Versatile visual customization options
Cons:
Collaboration functions are limited
Limited customizability to adapt to your workflow
Tested by: Consultant, Erin Mishkin
“I love Trello for its simple visual workflow to-dos.”
Tested by: Boss Lady, Katie Stanton
“Trello didn't work as collaboratively as I wanted.”
Monday.com
Monday.com is a cloud-based platform that offers more ways to visualize tasks and projects than Trello, making it a good choice for businesses that want to manage their teams efficiently. Monday.com also allows companies to create their own applications and work management software. Some say Monday.com offers superior reporting and analytics than Trello, but that it's not as easy to learn.
Monday.com's free plan offers up to 3 boards, unlimited docs, 200+ templates, and mobile apps for up to 2 seats. The Basic Plan, at $9/seat/month, includes unlimited items, 5GB storage, and prioritized customer support. The Standard Plan, at $12/seat/month, adds timeline, Gantt, calendar views, guest access, and 250 automations and integrations per month. The Pro Plan, at $19/seat/month, features private boards, chart view, time tracking, and 25,000 automations and integrations per month. The Enterprise Plan, which is priced for your individual team needs, includes all Pro features, plus enterprise-scale automations, multi-level permissions, advanced reporting, and exclusive support.
Pros:
Multiple visualization options
Advanced reporting and analytics
Custom application creation
Cons:
Steeper learning curve
Limited integrations
Tested by: Boss Lady, Katie Stanton
“One thing that drove me nuts was that it is much harder to make repeating tasks, and in general, the user interface is a lot simpler on Asana or some other tools. I also don't think the pricing makes sense for small organizations or business owners when there are so many great competitors out there. Monday is pricey, confusing to set up, and I don't know a single person who uses it.”
All told we have to say that Asana has been, far and away, the TGL team’s favorite project management platform to use — both internally and with clients. But, as seen with the other tested options, there are benefits to other solutions, too! The key is to understand what your team needs to operate at its best. If it’s simple, visual task lists, maybe Trello is your go-to. For those who want all the customization they can dream of, Monday.com could be key!
Thanks for checking out this edition of TGL Tested. Be sure to catch up on our last installment, Our Takes on Media Monitoring and Social Listening Tools, and see what else we’ve tested here!