What is the best project management tool right now?

ClickUp leads this list — we have mapped more alternatives to it than to anything else here — it is best for small and mid-sized teams that want tasks, docs, chat, and time tracking on one paid seat instead of buying a tracker, a wiki, a chat app, and a timesheet tool separately. Airtable is the strongest runner-up.

Which project management are free?

13 of the 15 tools here have a usable free tier or are fully free: ClickUp, Airtable, Asana, monday.com, Notion and 8 more.

Are there open-source project management?

Yes — Plane, OpenProject are open source.

15 Best Project management tools in 2026

Project management software helps teams plan tasks, track deadlines, and coordinate work across projects, used by managers, agile teams, and cross-functional groups.

Top project management

Ranked by alternatives mapped, then most recently verified

ClickUp
Best for small and mid-sized teams that want tasks, docs, chat, and time tracking on one paid seat instead of buying a tracker, a wiki, a chat app, and a timesheet tool separately
Project managementFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · Linux · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $7/mo
4.6Capterra 8 alternatives
Airtable
Best for Small-to-midsize teams that need a relational database with a spreadsheet UI to run project trackers, content calendars, or lightweight CRMs without writing code.
Spreadsheet-Databases & Work OSBackend and databasesFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $20/mo
7 alternatives
Asana
Best for Cross-functional teams of 10-500 people who need shared timelines, dependencies, and status reporting across multiple concurrent projects.
Project managementSpreadsheet-Databases & Work OSFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $10.99/mo
7 alternatives
monday.com
Best for Mid-size teams that want one configurable platform to run project tracking, CRM, and IT/HR workflows on visual boards instead of stitching together separate point tools.
Project managementCRM and salesFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $9/mo
7 alternatives
Notion
Best for Teams that want to consolidate scattered docs, wikis, and lightweight project trackers into one linked workspace, and are willing to spend time designing their own database structure.
Notes & PKMOffice Suites & DocsFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · Linux · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $10/mo
6 alternatives
Trello
Best for Small teams and individuals who want a simple kanban board to track to-dos without adopting a full project-management framework
Project managementSpreadsheet-Databases & Work OSFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $5/mo
6 alternatives
Jira
Best for software development teams that need deeply configurable issue workflows and tight integration with Bitbucket/GitHub, and are willing to invest in a dedicated Jira admin to manage the configuration
Project managementFreemium
Web · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $7.91/mo
4.4Capterra 5 alternatives
Plane
Best for engineering teams migrating from Jira or Linear who want an AGPL-licensed self-hosting option plus a cloud plan that bundles AI credits into every paid tier
Project managementOpen core
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $6/mo
5 alternatives
SmartSuite
Best for mid-size and enterprise teams that need a governed no-code work platform spanning GRC, IT service delivery, and project management in one tool, not just a lightweight database
Spreadsheet-Databases & Work OSProject managementPaid
Web · iOS
From $15/mo
5Capterra 5 alternatives
Smartsheet
Best for enterprise PMOs, IT portfolio teams, and cross-functional operations teams (construction, healthcare, marketing) that need spreadsheet-familiar project tracking with automation, dashboards, and resource management at scale
Spreadsheet-Databases & Work OSProject managementPaid
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Custom pricing
4.5Capterra 5 alternatives
Wrike
Best for cross-functional teams (marketing, product, professional services, IT) that need shared project visibility across departments, not just a single team's task list
Project managementFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $10/mo
4.4Capterra 5 alternatives
Basecamp
Best for small teams and agencies who want message boards, to-dos, and chat per project under one flat account price rather than per-seat billing
Project managementFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $29/mo
4.4Capterra 4 alternatives
Linear
Best for software product and engineering teams that want a fast, keyboard-driven issue tracker with built-in support for assigning work to AI coding agents, rather than a heavily customizable general project-management tool
Project managementFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Free tier · paid from $10/mo
4.9Product Hunt 4 alternatives
OpenProject
Best for teams and organizations that want a fully open-source, self-hostable project management tool covering both Gantt-chart planning and agile boards, with an option to add paid support and cloud hosting
Project managementOpen core
Web · Linux
Free
5Product Hunt 4 alternatives
Coda
Best for Teams that want to replace a mix of wiki, spreadsheet, and lightweight internal-tool software with one doc-based workspace, e.g. a product team building a roadmap, OKR tracker, and meeting hub in the same file.
Spreadsheet-Databases & Work OSOffice Suites & DocsFreemium
Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android
Pricing not verified
3 alternatives

Find alternatives to a specific tool

Alternatives to ClickUp8 Alternatives to Airtable7 Alternatives to Asana7 Alternatives to monday.com7 Alternatives to Notion6 Alternatives to Trello6 Alternatives to Jira5 Alternatives to Plane5 Alternatives to SmartSuite5 Alternatives to Smartsheet5 Alternatives to Wrike5 Alternatives to Basecamp4 Alternatives to Linear4 Alternatives to OpenProject4 Alternatives to Coda3

Frequently asked questions

What is the best project management tool right now?: ClickUp leads this list — we have mapped more alternatives to it than to anything else here — it is best for small and mid-sized teams that want tasks, docs, chat, and time tracking on one paid seat instead of buying a tracker, a wiki, a chat app, and a timesheet tool separately. Airtable is the strongest runner-up.
Which project management are free?: 13 of the 15 tools here have a usable free tier or are fully free: ClickUp, Airtable, Asana, monday.com, Notion and 8 more.
Are there open-source project management?: Yes — Plane, OpenProject are open source.