15 Best Asana Alternatives You Should Try
Aug. 20, 2019Lashed with a wide assortment of high-end tools, Asana stands out as a top-notch project management software. Be itseamless collaborationor integration with a ton ofproductivity-defining toolsor insightful charts, the software is fully equipped to make a strong case for project planning and management. That said, Asana has its own share of shortcomings like a complex interface that warrants a steep learning curve. And that’s what has led me to line up the 15 best Asana alternatives for the folks who are looking for more competent substitutes or willing to get pretty good project management tools without having to dole out a lot of bucks.
Below is the list of apps that we mentioned in this list. You can click on the links to move directly to the apps.
Without taking any credit away from Asana, I would like to assert that there are more powerful and feature-packed project management and planning software in the market. Not just that, there are also quite a few project management tools that offer pretty good freemium models with all the basic tools, unlike Asana that has a rather limited freemium version.
If your need requires basic project management, look no further than free Asana alternatives. However, if you want to double down on productivity, the premium Asana substitutes for project planning and management would be the right way to go.
Apart from the clunky interface, Asana lacks a proficient time-tracking capability. If you pay your clients by the hour, the absence of atime tracking featuremay be a dealbreaker for you. That aside, it also doesn’t score well on the customization front, which plays a key role in offering a personalized experience.
Though most project managers have the same basic functionalities, there are quite a features that separate them from each other. While some are more skilled at offering in-depth reports, others look much better when it comes to planning and keeping track of tasks. Then, there are the ones that offer full-on customization for desired flexibility.
So, before choosing a particular Asana alternative, take a quick look at where your priority lies i.esmooth-sailing collaboration, astute visualization, perfect planning, etc. Then pick out the one that seems to be ahead of the counterparts on those specific aspects.
To make your task a tad easier, we have pointed out the pros and cons of each project management software. That said, let’s get started with the lineup of the top alternatives to Asana!
Both in terms of efficiency and versatility, Jira is a competent alternative to Asana for project management. So, if you are on the lookout for a project manager that can excel in most aspects, keep in mind Jira. Fromproficient project management to detailed project tracking, it’s got you fully covered.
One of the highlights of Jira is a wide assortment of tools designed to make project management a painless exercise. So, you can create stories that can showcase each aspect of your purpose with precise,plan sprintsthat can pave the way forward, and distribute the tasks across teams without needing to hop from one end to the other.
Another frontier where Jira can challenge Asana is the ability tomake tracking projects a straightforward experience. And that too without cutting down on efficiency. The project management software allows you to keep a tab on every subtle aspect. Therefore, finding the upsides or downsides remain hassle-free.
There are a couple of features that have caught my attention the most in Jira. Theintegration with powerful tools like Confluence and Bitbucketthat play a key role in enhancing your productivity. Plus, it also provides one of the best collaboration features that can go head-to-head with Asana.
Notably, Jira offers amuch better freemium modelwhich consists of features like fully customizable workflows, apps, and integrations as well as 2GB file storage. And its premium version also starts at $10/monthly. Everything considered; Jira is one of the best Asana alternatives for project management and tracking.
Pricing Plan:Free, $10/month for standard (for up to 10 users), and $14/user/month for premium
Platform Availability:macOS, Windows, LinuxiOS, Android, and web
Free Features:10 users limit, Scrum and kanban boards, apps and integration, automation (single project) and 2 GB file storage
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Visit:Website
“Workzone” is what you need to take control of your entire projects and manage them efficiently without putting much effort. Just like Asana, this project management software is alsofeature-packed.But unlike the former, itdoesn’t involve a lengthy learning curvethanks largely to the pretty intuitive user-interface and easy-to-use features.
So, if you are looking for one of the best Asana alternatives that is not only packed with top-of-the-line features but also more convenient to use, you can’t go wrong with Workzone.
Times when you want totake a close look at the status of every projectwithout needing to dive deep into specific ones, a neatly designed dashboard comes in super handy. And this project management ensures you can quickly find out where your projects stand at a glance.
Withtons of predefined templates,the software makes it a lot easier for you to get started – which not only enhances your productivity but also saves plenty of valuable time. In terms ofvisualizing projects, I find Workzone a touch better than Asana.
Thanks to insightful Gantt charts, you can comfortably keep a track of timelines, tasks, and responsibilities. Not to mention, thepersonalized to-do liststhat can go a long way in helping you carry out your tasks proficiently and also enable you to pay the desired focus on what matters most.
When it comes to collaboration, it has a clear edge over Asana with a bit more seamless communication. While everything about Workzone sounds impressive, it doesn’t offer a full-fledged free tier – which is certainly a disappointment.
Pricing plan:$24/user/month standard, $34/user/month professional and $43/user/month enterprise plans
Platform Availability:iOS, Android, and web platform
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Visit:Website
Frankly speaking, “Wrike” has never failed to charm me as a project management app. In terms of functionality, I find it very close to what Asana offers. The best part about this software is themore user-friendly interface coupled with interactive Gantt charts.
You can quickly check out your project schedules and be able to set dependencies as per needs. Thanks to thefull-on customization, it offers you the required flexibility to adjust everything in line with the demand – which is yet another plus and can play a decisive role in the way you handle your projects.
On the visualization front, I find “Wrike” up to the mark and way better than Asana. As the calendars arefully integrated with the underlying tasks and projects,you will be able to get up-to-date plans and schedules. Therefore, you can keep an eye on what needs to be done without breaking any sweat at all.
Depending on requirements, you canprioritize your tasksso that the most important ones get more emphasis and are done before the deadline. Don’t want your dashboard to look cluttered with unwanted information?Personalize it so that it shows only the info that’s relevantto you.
Just like Asana, Wrike is also available for free with basic functionalities. But if you want to go beyond the limitations, you will need to upgrade to the premium version which starts at $9.80/month, which is a bit less expensive than the former.
Pricing:Free, $9.80/user/month standard and $24.80/user/month business plans
Platform Availability:macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and web platform
Free Features:5 users, a simple shared task list for small teams
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Visit:Website
If I were to pick one project management software that excels in most aspects, I would go for “Zoho Projects” – without even thinking twice. Well, that speaks volumes of how efficient this tool is.
Like Asana, it has always beenfeature-rich and offers a wide range of toolsto let you manage your projects with maximum flexibility. And unless you are good at mastering pro tools, you will have to go through some learning curve and also a bit of brainstorming before you can get the best out of this software.
So, if you are someone who finds Asana a tad difficult to handle, I wouldn’t recommend you to give it a try. That’s as straightforward as it can ever get! One of my favorite features of this project manager is the ability to plan projects with ease.
Usingmilestones, tasks, and handy task lists,you can perfectly plan your tasks. And based on your needs, you can create some custom blueprints that enhance the workflow and also play a vital role in getting the work done faster.
When it comes to offeringdetailed insightsinto where your projects stand, Zoho Projects clearly outshines Asana. In fact, I would put it right at the top in this aspect as it provides more insightful charts.
Zoho Projects also comes withmany collaboration tools, allowing the entire team to work together and always stay in sync. One notable feature of this software is the highly useful timesheets that let everyone enter their billable and non-billable hours.
With thebuilt-in integration with Zoho Invoice, it can create invoices from timesheets both accurately and automatically. Overall, it’s a top-notch tool and can prove to be a much-needed shot-in-the-arm for your project management.
Pricing plan:Free, $3/user/month standard, $4/user/month express, $5/user/month premium, and $6/user/month enterprise
Platform Availability:iOS, Android, and web app
Free Features:3 Users, 2 Projects, File storage 10MB, Gantt chart viewer
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Visit:Website
Should your priority lies with smooth-sailing collaboration (more than anything else),Trellois for you. Though not as feature-packed as Asana, it’s got everything to make project management hassle-free for you.
What has always appealed to me in this software is the amount of flexibility it provides toorganize and prioritize your projectsin a way that works best for you and your entire team.
You can take advantage ofseveral boards, cards, and liststo create projects faster. And that too, without any compromise. Another important feature of this app is theintegration with the appsthat your team uses. Thus, you can further amp up the workflow, which could result in much better productivity and also cut down quite a lot of slack.
So, if Asana is not able to ramp up productivity, it would be wise to give a shot to Trello. On top of all, this project and task manager comes withsupport for 21 languageswhich ensures everyone has got the freedom to express in their favorite language.
Pricing plan:Free, Trello business class comes at $9.99/user/month, while the enterprise variant is available for $17.50/user/month
Platform Availability:Web platform, Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows
Free Features:Unlimited personal boards, unlimited cards, 10MB per file attachment, 10 team boards, 50 commands/month, 2-factor authentication
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Visit:Website
Simply put, “ClickUp” is specifically designed for those who want to manage projects without being embroiled into too many dos and don’ts. I mean it providesmore personalized project managementand would suit the taste of those who want to have their own way of dealing with projects. Therefore, if you are willing to have an Asana alternative that can offer a more personalized experience, it has to be your top bet.
Byputting reminders, notes, and calendars in one place, it allows you to quickly access all the essential information; thereby saving a lot of time. Regarding integration with services, ClickUp clearly beats Asana (or has a clear advantage).
The app isintegrated with over 1000 apps and servicesincluding Dropbox, Google Drive, GitHub, and more. Better yet, it also has support for almost all platforms like iOS, Android, Linux, etc.
Pricing plan:Free, premium version is available for $5/user/month
Platform Availability:iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Amazon Fire TV
Free Features:100MB Storage, Unlimited Tasks, Unlimited Users
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Visit:Website
How long can you keep a robust project manager like “ProjectManager” out of your sight? The software can live up to your mark both in terms of making project management easy-going and also boosting your productivity to a great extent just like Asana.
As compared to Asana,PM’s user-interface looks less appealing but it’s more convenient to master.Besides, it features a clutter-free dashboard where you can check out all the vital information about your projects.
Being fully customizable, the dashboard can also let youput the unwanted information out of sight.On the task management front, PM works just as effectively as Asana.
You can easily assign tasks to your team and view the ones that are lined up for you. Whenever the need arrives to take a close look at everything, you will be able tocreate an in-depth reportand also be able to export it as a PDF, Word, or Excel file.
Pricing plan:Free-trial, Premium version starts at $15/user/month for the standard version. While the team version is available for $20/user/month, the business variant comes for $25/user/month.
Platform Availability:Web platform
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Visit:Website
Microsoft Project has always been one of the most loved project managers on the market. And with a range of top-notch features, it didn’t have to work hard to find a safe spot in this roundup of the best alternatives to Asana.
The app has best-in-class templates that can cater to your different needs with aplomb. But what has called for my attention in this project manager is thesmart automation that can bolster your efficiency big time.To save your precious time, it automatically fills in the start and end dates as per dependencies.
Plus, there is atask inspectorto quickly find out all the pivotal tasks so that you don’t have to spend a lot of time to figure out which tasks need immediate or more attention. As compared to Asana, Microsoft Project has amore intuitive timelinewhich allows you to comfortably find out all important aspects of a project.
If you are a Microsoft Office user, you can alsoshare your timelines using handy Office toolslike PowerPoint. Another feature that gives Microsoft Project an edge over Asana is the baseline that works immaculately in tracking and comparing the progress.
Pricing plan:Free-trial, $10/30/55/month (per user)
Platform Availability:macOS, Windows, Linux, works with web browsers
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Visit:Website
“ProofHub” is the sort of project manager that seems to be an obvious choice especially when you want to have a notable replacement for Asana. The app boasts all the features to enhance your project management skills.
Whether it’s creating projects fast or monitoring their status with ease, it can live up to your billing on most fronts. But there is one department whereProofHub is far better than Asana – managing workflow.
You can easily add tasks and edit them. For more flexibility, it also lets you add recurring tasks. As for the calendar, it’s just a click away and allows you to view all the milestones so that your planning is perfect. You can alsodownload the calendarto access it without any interruption.
While the default reports keep you updated about all the major things, the comprehensive charts offer you the bird’s eye view of your projects, unlike Asana’s very basic reporting features. What’s more, you will also be able toadd notes so that you don’t forget important points.If you can afford to pay $50/month (starting price), it’s worth having at the disposal.
Pricing plan:Free-trial, $50/month essential and $99/month for unlimited control
Platform Availability:iOS, Android, and Web
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Visit:Website
When it comes to making project management a pleasing experience, “Basecamp” ranks at the top – along with the best in the business like Asana. The appgoes well beyond the basic project management,offering you exceptionally handy tools to plan, organize, and track your projects without having to run from pillar to post.
Times when you want to amplify productivity without putting crucial aspects on the backburner, you need a competent tool like this one.
Basecamp comes with a highly effective way of managing to-do lists. Thus, you can sort out the mess with ease and be able to focus on what needs to be done at the earliest.
It also lets youassign tasks and set due datesso that they are done on time. One of my favorite features of this app is that itsmartly follows up on overdue tasksin order that they do not get any more delay. At $99, Basecamp is definitely a lot pricey but if you take a close look at what it has in store, you would find it a fairly good deal. That’s for sure!
Pricing plan:Free-trial, $99/month business plan
Platform Availability:iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and web
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Visit:Website
No matter whether you are a pro at managing projects or have just taken it on, you will enjoy using “ProWorkflow”. It’s becausesimplicity is one of the core aspectsof this powerful project manager.
To ensure you are able to keep a track of all the essential things with ease, the appputs all of your notes, tasks, and projects just a glance away. Using the timeline, it’s much easier to review projects and also reschedule them. Talking about the collaboration, ProWorkflow has got enough tools to let everyone from staff to clients to contractors to stay connected and share information without any roadblock.
Though it’s not as intuitive as the one offered in Asana, you wouldn’t have any reason to complain. With theintegration of timesheet, it allows you to track time more conveniently.
Beyond comfortable time tracking, it has agood collection of customizable templatesthat provide the required flexibility and also save plenty of time. What’s more, ProWorkflow has got a more productive invoice manager than Asana. So, if you often have to deal with invoices, you would really appreciate the useful plugin.
Pricing plan:Free-trial, Starts at $20/user/month
Platform Availability:iOS, Android, and web
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Visit:Website
Project management is all about effective planning and perfect execution. Should you think that Asana doesn’t offer you enough tricks to manage your projects elegantly, give a chance to Scoro. Though the appfeels very close to its more famed counterpart,it’s a bit easier to handle. Besides, all of its hacks don’t require you to go through an exhaustive learning curve.
Based on your workflow, you cancreate a variety of projectsusing a number of impressive tools. As someone who always likes to have neat organizing tools to keep everything in the right order, I’m really pleased with the features thatmake organizing projects very straightforward.
As far as offering detailed reports is concerned, I would rate Scoro very highly as compared to Asana which is often criticized for not providing comprehensive reports.
Pricing plan:Free-trial, starts at $26/month (minimum 5 users)
Platform Availability:Web platform
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Visit:Website
Though not as popular as Asana, Nutcache is more than capable to be a fairly good substitute forcollaborative project management. The highlight of this software is a notable suite of collaborative tools that ensure you can work together with your colleagues without having to take roundabout ways.
Another department where Nutcache has looked quite efficient to me is the planning and tracking projects. Featuringa large collection of pre-defined templates, it allows you to plan your projects with ease. In terms of the quality of the templates, I find Nutcache going head-to-head against Asana’s famed library of professionally designed templates.
With a smart project tracker at the disposal, it’s much easier to keep an eye on each development and also figure out what needs to be sorted out immediately. Besides, thein-depth reportsmake sure you have better insight into the project management and more importantly whether you are ahead of the expectation or lagging behind in the race.
One of my favorite features of this software is theproject budgeting and cost management. Based on your needs, you can set up different alerts to receive timely reminders when the potential cost will exceed the set budget. Thus, it will become a tad easier to control overspending.
Long story short; Nutcache can be a smart replacement for Asana, if you want to have better control over project budgeting and cost management.
Pricing plan:Free, $6/user/month for pro and $12/user/month for enterprise
Platform Availability:macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and web
Free Features:Maximum 20 users, Unlimited projects & tasks, Board & list views, Simple time tracking, Project overview, and Unlimited clients
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Visit:Website
Touted to be a highly-rated projected management software for teams, nTask deserves a mention in this roundup as the top Asana substitutes. The onlinecollaboration platformputs more emphasis on enhancing collaboration with a range of tools.
As compared to Asana, nTask offers more customization which allows you to set everything in line with your workflow. Depending on what works best for you, you canvisualize project plans and take control of resourceswith the help of the insightful Gantt charts.
To make the task management hassle-free, nTask lets youlink tasks based on their relationshipand organize them perfectly by giving more priority to the most important ones. Not to mention, there is also abudgeting featurethat ensures your spending doesn’t go overboard. In terms of task management, nTask appears to be more competent.
Notable features like the integration withZapier, advanced filters, calendar planner, and quick CSV import and export make nTask a great asset for project management.
Pricing plan:Free, $2.99/user/month premium and $7.99/user/month business
Platform Availability:web
Free Features:100 MB Storage, 5 Members per Team, Unlimited Workspaces, Unlimited Tasks, Meetings, Timesheets, and Issues Tracking
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Visit:Website
Before you begin to wonder why I have included “todoist” in this lineup of the best apps like Asana that’s known as a powerful project manager, let me tell you that it’s one of the most versatile apps.
If you want to have an app tokeep everything – from tasks to lists to projects – fully organized,you shouldn’t miss out on this one. When everything you want is perfectly placed in the right order and in one place, you will enjoy dealing with your tasks.
The app presents aclear view of all the tasksthat are lined up for you so that you can easily take a quick tour and start working on them. Withdue dates and recurring due dates, it keeps you alerted and perfectly in sync, ensuring you never miss the deadline.
You can review the day or week and plan accordingly to stay ahead. Furthermore, the color-coded priority levels also play defining roles in helping you complete tasks before the stipulated time.
Pricing plan:Free, $3/month (billed annually)
Platform Availability:macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, watchOS, and Wear OS
Free features: Basic to-do list management, capture and organize tasks, set recurring due dates, prioritize tasks, and track progress
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Visit:Website
Frequently Asked Questions
Workzone and Trello are quite similar to Asana.
Yes. Asana offers a limited free version.
Yes. Equipped with a wide range of productivity tools, Asana is better than Monday.
Both ClickUp and Asana are one of the best project management software in the market. While ClickUp excels in terms of enhancing productivity by offering pretty simple task management and collaboration, Asana delivers a more detailed insight into projects.
If you prefer simplicity and seamless collaboration, Trello is better than Asana. However, if you want to have top-notch tools, Asna has a slight edge over Trello.
Having explored this extensive lineup of the best apps like Asana, I guess you have found the desired app to take control of your entire projects and deal with them with more flexibility. Do let me know the project management app that has looked more promising for your needs and the features that have caught your eyes. Besides, do not forget to tell the names of the software that seems to be missing from the roundup.
An old school bibliophile who turned a tech nerd out of obsession. When he is not digging into hacks and tracking down stories that are breaking the internet, you may find him reciting poems.
