Top User-Friendly Picks for Project Management Software

Written for EO by Benjamin Shepardson, founder of content agency NoStop Blog Content. 

Project management (PM) software is a must-have for any company that manages multiple clients and relies on various team members and digital assets to complete work. But many of these programs are bloated with unnecessary features—or downright hard to use! If you want staff members to embrace your next PM software, I recommend you consider these five options.

EASY PROJECTS

Easy Projects is a strong contender for most user-friendly project management software on this list. Good customization and integration options provide plenty of scalability if needed, but the standard tools and resources built into the program are likely to be just right for your needs. 

Easy Projects is noteworthy because it offers a free version side-by-side with its paid version. This no-cost version of its software is pared down slightly, but still offers impressive functionality.

CLARIZEN

Just because you’re paring down on bloat doesn’t mean that you need to sacrifice flexibility and functionality. Clarizen PM software suite shines as a resource to manage many teams, schedules, roles, and financial details.

Especially adept at handling larger companies on an enterprise-level, Clarizen is known its well-developed financial planning tools and for managing multiple teams in an organized manner. This makes Clarizen a solid option for larger companies, but perhaps too much for a smaller organization.

LIQUIDPLANNER

If you’re looking for simple without sacrifice, LiquidPlanner is likely your best bet. Plus, LiquidPlanner’s simplicity is scalable right off the bat—as it offers a free 14-day trial period and then a three-tier paid subscription choice after that.

LiquidPlanner can be considered the anti-Clarizen. Most core PM software functionalities in LiquidPlanner are intact, but there’s little in the way of bells and whistles. If you like your PM software straightforward but functional, this is an excellent choice.

CASUAL

Striking an excellent balance between function and simplicity, Casual was designed to streamline process and project management with visual tools. Projects are created using an intuitive process that involves dragging and dropping elements.

Its intuitive, easy-to-use interface makes using Casual for project management much less stressful, especially for those who are highly visual learners. For small- and medium-sized team management, Casual is solid. For larger teams, however, the limitations of the platform become more evident.

ASANA

Last but not least, Asana is a PM option to consider thanks to its no-nonsense interface. With both an affordable subscription model and a refreshingly functional free version, Asana allows users to monitor project overviews in an easy and comprehensive manner. Team communication is also streamlined and easy to view at a glance.

Asana isn’t perfect. You’ll want to manage the settings properly to avoid unnecessary features. For example, the system defaults to emailing notifications for everything so unless you want to be spammed, make sure you alter your settings accordingly.

Benjamin Shepardson is the founder of NoStop Blog Content, a content agency in Key West, Florida. With a remote staff of eight, Ben is well-versed in the complexities of managing a diverse team.