Bitrix24
Offers an unlimited number of users completely free, on top of that, 5GB of storage space. Bitrix24 is a business ecosystem full of solutions that will help run your business.
As soon as you install Bitrix24, discover sections devoted to CRM, communications, contact center, tasks and projects, and websites.
Switch to different view modes and fully customize your company social timeline. Import prior contacts, leads, deals, invoices, and other types of records and customize how they are displayed and who can see what information.
To get started, newbies can select the more comprehensive versions of the system's components (such as Simple CRM) and then switch to full-fledged ones (Classic CRM). All team members can check the current tasks in the Activity Stream.
Of course, if this is your first time working with a CRM system or any business management software you will need to spend some time reading and watching educational materials. But once you understand how it operates, you will appreciate the ample functionality of Bitrix24.
Bitrix24 Pros
- 35+ extensive business tools
- No per user pricing
- Gannt chart + Kanban
- IOS + Android mobile app
- Free storage for document management
Bitrix24 Cons
- Sluggish support
- Learning curve
- Overwhelming number features
Who should use Bitrix24?
Bitrix24 is built for scalability, so no matter the size of your company Bitrix24 will do the job.
Fully deploy Bitrix24 on-premise on your own server or cloud-based.
The on-premise version of Bitrix24 might come as a game-changer for organizations that need maximum privacy and confidentiality.
Asana
Free plan gives you access to unlimited tasks, projects and messages. It enables you to add up to 15 users.
Those who have a larger collective and require more extensive functions will need to purchase a paid version starting from $10.99 per individual per month.
Apart from being a piece of project management software, Asana also comes in handy for task management.
Create tasks and fragment them into subtasks, leave comments, assign tasks to different team members, and tasks in Gantt chart or Kanban.
The interface and functionalities of asana enhance team collaboration. Members can easily check each other's status updates and monitor each other's real-time progress on diverse tasks and projects. Customized dashboards are probably the optimal tool for monitoring project milestones.
Even if you only use the basic free plan, you will be able to integrate Asana with over 100 third-party apps.
Asana Pros
- Powerful free version
- Abundance of features
- Mobile App
- Interactive timelines
Asana Cons
- Limited calendar functionality
- Lack of budgeting and expense tracking instruments
- Lack of analytical tools
- No private chat for messaging
Who should use Asana?
Asana is primarily known as project management software for marketing.
But it comes in equally handy for organizations of all scales and sectors that want to increase their performance.
Besides, Asana is very popular among non-professional groups. Families and friends use it to plan their daily routine, trips and leisure activities.
Basecamp
This option limits you to a maximum of 20 users, 3 projects and 1GB of storage memory. After you switch to the business plan, you will be required to pay a flat $99 monthly fee regardless of how many members there are in your team.To get started, you will be invited to a 30-day trial period.
Teachers and students have the right to ask for a free account.
Basecamp is famous for its intuitive set-up and flexibility. Some users prefer to not call it project management software, but a collaboration app.
Basecamp is the perfect platform for group discussion, but it might be not as efficient in tracking the team's progress as other solutions from this review. Still, it enables you to create tasks and assign them to specialists, schedule your events and sync them with third-party apps.
Upload documents using the drag-and-drop technique and share your thoughts on a message board. If you create several projects, you can compile an individual task list for each of them.
You can set a deadline for a task — but the system will not let you know how much time passed or how much is left. You would need to either monitor it manually or link Basecamp with a third-party app.
When you need to invite some outsiders to have a look at your workflow, they will not need to create an account in the system. They can view it as guests and leave comments on your tasks and messages. Basecamp allows you to fine-tune your privacy settings with great precision. The guests will be able to access only those tasks and documents that you are ready to share with them.
Basecamp Pros
- Simple interface
- Easy learning curve
- Flat monthly rate
- Dealing with multiple projects
Basecamp Cons
- Poor time-tracking capabilities
- Mediocre reporting and analytical functions
- No Gantt charts
Who should use Basecamp?
Basecamp project management software is optimal for small and medium-sized organizations that often need to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
Monday.com
Monday.com lacks a free plan but does offer a free 14-day trial period. One of the more affordable plans costs $8 per individual per month.
Originally, this product was released as DaPulse but underwent a rebranding afterwards.
The interface consists of multiple spreadsheets that each staffer can customize and save for future use. Later on, they might use these templates when handling similar projects. Members can add tasks to the spreadsheets, update their statuses, plan timelines and track task progress.
Collaborate with colleagues, specialists can add messages to tasks. Plus, it is very easy to pass over a task to another professional.
All staff can check which tasks are currently active and what their status is. Guests can watch your tasks without creating an account in the system if you send them an invitation.
Monday.com permits users to integrate it not only with third-party apps but also with smart home solutions.
The system is also famous for its automation abilities. Once you start using it, you will discover automation templates that you can fill in, for instance: "Every Tuesday, create a task called Revise the Sales Forecast".
Monday.com Pros
- Flexible and intuitive customization
- Analytical tools
- Useful variety of templates
- Third party integration
Monday.com Cons
- Cluttered interface
- Rigid pricing
- No free Version
Who should use Monday.com?
Monday is recommended for customer-facing marketing teams and marketing agencies because it features excellent client interaction functionality.
The marketing departments of small and medium-sized organizations will find it useful.
Wrike
The free plan allows you to add up to 5 members and access 2GB of storage space. The most affordable paid plan costs $9.80 per individual per month.
For an extra fee, users can add advanced functionality. With the help of additional instruments, they can encrypt their data, manage their digital assets, use business intelligence and so on.
Initially, Wrike was not focused exclusively on project management. Its mission consisted of enhancing team collaboration and optimizing all the aspects of the workflow. Today, you can still feel the influence of this approach. The system permits users to create tasks, establish dependencies between them, compile Gantt charts and so on. But you can also create folders for tasks that lack deadlines. These can be ongoing tasks, such as writing a new blog post each Wednesday.
Not all plans feature time management instruments. Those that do combine them with work management tools.
However, the algorithm of warning users about approaching deadlines is remarkably forward-thinking. Most Wrike rivals would send users a notification when a project is about to hit the deadline. But this system relies on artificial intelligence. It automatically detects the weak points of the problematic project and offers suggestions on which measures to take. Over time, this algorithm will become smarter and more powerful. It might save you plenty of time and effort.
Another competitive edge of Wrike is called Document Processing. Not all scanning apps on smartphones and tablets enable users to scan a document and rapidly convert it into a "ready-to-edit" format. The conversion will be very accurate regardless of whether this is a printed or hand-written document.
Finally, the third cutting-edge feature is autofill in messages. You start typing a message and the system suggests relevant phrases.
Wrike Pros
- Easy to use interface
- Special accounts for creative teams
- Manage projects and workflows
- Free plan
Wrike Cons
- Limited mobile app
- Per user pricing
- Lack of analytical tools
Who should use Wrike?
Large enterprises love Wrike because it provides them with all the necessary functionality. But small organizations can make good use of it too.
When selecting a plan, it would be reasonable to talk to the support team. They will compile a tailor-made package for your business, using one of the paid plans and useful add-ons.
Which one will you choose?
Hopefully, this overview came in handy and now you have a better vision of project management systems that you can use in marketing. All the products described in this text are cloud-based. You will not need to pay for a costly license or attend training to figure out how they function.
Only Bitrix24 and Monday.com have on-premise versions in addition to the cloud.
Besides, each project management software from this review has a mobile app. Feel free to select any product from this article and test it at no cost first.
Once you install it, it will take you just a couple of days to get used to it. Soon, you should be able to detect the one that caters best to your demands and preferences.
Remember the best marketing project management software should make your life easier, not more complicated.
