Top 6 Project Planning Software (May 2023)

2023's Best 7 Project Planning Systems

Shlomi LaviShlomi Lavi / May 24, 2023

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1. Costlocker

  • Best for: Start up, Small business, Medium business
  • Price: starts at $12 per user/year
  • Mar 09, 2022
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Costlocker is a cloud-based budgeting solution designed to help the user manage costs and profits for agencies and companies. The solution helps to see the client and project profitability, monitor invoicing & predict cash flow, and learn the types of projects to focus on and more.


2. Proplanner

  • Best for: Small, medium and large size businesses
  • Price:
  • May 15, 2023
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ProPlanner is a cloud-based construction scheduling and planning software that is designed to help construction professionals streamline the project management process. Based in San Francisco, California, the company was established in 2017 and has since grown to become one of the leading providers ...


3. Aphex

  • Best for: Small, medium and large size businesses
  • Price: starts at $36 per user/month
  • May 15, 2023
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Aphex Software Ltd is a UK-based software development company that offers custom software solutions to businesses across various industries. Established in 2015 and headquartered in London, Aphex has quickly become a trusted partner for companies looking to build and implement custom software soluti...


4. GlasshouseBIM

  • Best for: Small, medium and large size businesses
  • Price: starts at $139 per project/month
  • May 24, 2023
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GlasshouseBIM is a cloud-based construction management software that utilizes Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to help streamline and simplify construction projects. It is a software tool designed to help construction project teams manage their projects more efficiently and effectively...


5. Milestone Planner

  • Best for: Start up, Small business, Medium business, Large business
  • Price: starts at $3.21 per user/month
  • Jun 23, 2022
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Milestone Planner is a web based project management and communication solution for small and medium businesses. It offers management of hosted intranet applications, social integration, and other capabilities. The software was developed and launched by SocialOptic Limited headquartered ...


6. Micro Planner X-Pert

  • Best for: Small, medium and large size businesses
  • Price: starts at $999 per license
  • Jul 25, 2022
Compare Micro Planner X-Pert Vs. Costlocker

Micro Planner X-Pert is a project management solution for businesses of all sizes. It offers such services as project planning, resource management, time and expense tracking, and others. The software was designed and launched by Micro Planning International Pty Ltd headquartered in Victori...


Pricing Guide - Project Planning Software:

Project Management Software Price Range

Project management products pricing are divided into three tiers. The prices range between $0 to $7, $7 to $10, and $10 upwards. In addition to this, the prices are set on a "per user, per month" basis or a bulk "per month" basis. However, it is worth noting that these price ranges are mostly for the lower offering found on each vendor website.

Enterprise plans on project management software have more robust features; thus, they cost more but are adjusted to suit each organization based on their number of employees; as a result, their prices are mostly made available upon request. For instance, Asana basic plan costs ₦11, Miro costs $10, and Toggl pricing falls around $8— all per user per month; but their prices for their enterprise plan quotes are not made available.

In addition, project management prices are set based on the size of an organization. Their ranges are as follows:

  • Small Businesses can expect to pay around $5 per user for the basic plan of a project management software. However, small businesses with a very tiny workforce can get many project management products for free because they have free versions that allow between 2-5 employee sizes. Examples of these vendors offering free versions for a small employee size are Candy, Lumeer, and Quire. Some premium project management for small businesses are MetaTask, which starts at $6 per month, FreedCamp pricing starts at $1.50 per month, and Tracked for BaseCamp cost around $3 per month.
  • Medium Businesses can expect to pay between $5 to $25 for project management software, depending on the package type and their number of employees. Todo.Vu costs around $9 per user, per month, Studio Organizer pricing starts at $19.50, and Lumeer costs around $8.
  • Large Businesses can expect to pay less than medium-sized businesses for standard project management packages because their workforce is larger. However, prices for enterprise plans cost more. For example, Agile CRM costs around $80 per month, JotForm pricing is around $100 per month, and Kanbanchi $40 per month.

The price ranges for project management best of breeds are as follows:

  • Collaboration Software Most of the collaboration tools in the market are priced per month and per user, and their pricings are usually divided into three tiers, which range from $0 to $4, $4 to $16, and $16 upward, respectively. However, these are the entry-level plans; premium and enterprise plans cost more depending on the vendors. An example is Pobuca Connect, which costs $2 monthly per user for its standard plan and $8 monthly per user for its enterprise plan. Others are Loop email, which costs at $8 monthly per user; HeySpace pricing starts at $4 monthly per user.
  • Time Tracking Software Vendors of most time tracking software charge on a per user, per month basis, and the prices are divided into three tiers; they range from $0 to $3, $3 to $9, and $9 and above. Note that these are prices for the entry-level plans. For instance, Time Doctor pricing starts from $5 per month, TimeCamp pricing from around $6 per month, and Elorus costs up to $9 per month.
  • Workflow Management Software Like other products related to project management, workflow management software are usually priced on a per-user, per-month basis, and the prices range from $0 to $13 and above. For example, Forms on Fire pricing starts from $20 monthly per user, Formstacks Form starts from $19 monthly, and KissFlow Digital Workplace from $360 per month for 30 users.
  • Time & Expense Software Time and expense products in the market have pricings that range from $2 and $11 upwards, depending on the type of plan and number of users. Examples are EverHour, which starts from $5 monthly per user, Microsoft Dynamics GP costs for less than $1, and WorkTime Professional pricing starts from around $12 per month.
  • Professional Services Automation Software Users can expect to be charged per month for most products in this category. The prices can be divided into three sections, and they range from $3 to $50 and above. For example, TigerPaw Software pricing is priced around $80 per user, per month, Business VoiceEdge costs around $30 per month, and Coaches Console pricing is around $150 per month.


A Buyer's Guide to Project Planning Solutions

Project Planning Software Buyer’s Guide
 
The Project Management software industry is on the rise. Estimated to be around $10B worth today, the global demand for Project Management solutions has been rapidly increasing over the last ten years. In the Middle East and China alone, hundreds of thousands of project managers have been trained to handle large and complex projects. Project Management (PM) has truly gone beyond the boundaries of the traditional planning, organizing and managing of resources. In almost any kind of business, small or large projects, local or international scale, project management software redefined the approach in handling project during its entire life cycle – conception, definition, execution, and operation.
 
Today, companies have a wide array of PM solutions to choose from. But such scenario should not confuse project managers from selecting the right software for their projects because there are sure and smart ways in doing it. And through this Buyer’s Guide, we at ITQlick.com are encouraging you and your Project Management Office (PMO) to strengthen more your knowledge in selecting and implementing the right PM solution for your organization.
 
Types
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Gantt Charts, and Matrix Management are critical tools in managing projects. These methodologies cannot be taken out from a manager’s list of options in completing his every project. Project management software helps managers by integrating these methods into one solution. These are the types of PM solutions where managers can fully benefit from when using those methods.
 
Desktop or Client-server
Desktop package project management software allows multiple users to share file-based project plans or data on a central database.
 
Web-based or online
Connect to the worldwide web, launch the web application and you can now convert data into reports. SaaS is a powerful web-based computing platform.
 
Single-user
For small company with two or three project managers, a single-user type of project management software is sufficient enough to promote collaboration relevant to project planning.
 
Collaborative
For large companies that are managing complex projects, collaborative type software is the right solution. It is project management software with web-based and desktop features. Synchronization and configuration are among of the unique features of collaborative type software.
 
Integrated or Enterprise
On this type of software, project management system is integrated with other management information system within the company. It can be an ERP system where project management is one of the core modules.
 
Features
Multi-disciplinary body of knowledge like project management requires intensive training, practice, and continuous learning on part of the personnel who wants to be in this profession. This is also true when selecting project management solution. From fundamentals to high-level features, a PM solution’s buyer must be rigorous in knowing and understanding the capabilities of the solution that he is going to implement in his organization.
 
Here are the features to look for in Enterprise Solutions:
 
  • Collaboration on Projects with Clients and Staff
  • Multi User Log-ins
  • Project Categorization
  • File Sharing via a Centralized File Repository
  • Project Based Discussion Forum
  • Project Ownership
  • Delegate Project Tasks to Users
  • Automatic E-mail Notification
  • Project Target Dates, Hours, Days and Budgets
  • Dependent Project Tasks
  • Milestones
  • Custom Project Management Web Address
  • Gantt Charts
  • Calendar
  • Client/Company Management
  • Contact List
 
Here are the features that should be checked in Web-based Solutions:
 
  • Basic PM Tools
  • Advance PM Tools
  • Resource management
  • Team Collaboration
  • Client Collaboration
  • Ease of Use
  • Integration and Professional Services
  • Security
 
Solutions per Business Size, per Vendor
The A-Z list of project management software in the market is always available for review and analysis. We at ITQlick.com want to narrow down your search for the right solution by providing you the filtered lists. To begin with, these are five of the most popular project management vendors today.
 
  • Oracle
  • Microsoft
  • CA technologies
  • Planview
  • HP
 
As a standard procedure of most vendors, they will assess your business size and needs and then recommend a solution that they believe will work. But if you’re a DIY kind of manager, searching will be easier if you have basic guidelines to follow. If you’re looking for low-cost solutions, then go for the single-user type. If you’re a small business, then you can choose the collaborative type. If you are in large businesses like construction, aerospace and transportation, integrated types will be suitable for your organization.
 
This time, have a look on these project management software solutions.
 
  • PM Aura
  • 24Seven Office
  • Apio
  • Apptivo
  • BlueKey
  • DevPlanner
  • Dreamteam
  • Liquid Planner
  • SAP
  • Vorex
 
We at ITQlick.com ensure that our clients can arrive on the right Project Management solution whenever they ask us for it. Whether you’re a start-up, SMB, or an enterprise seeking for the right solution, we have the equivalent desktop, web-based, or integrated type of solution to recommend.
 
Pricing Considerations
So how much really is a project management solution? Although the cost varies from vendor-to-vendor, size-to-size of business, features-to-features, an ideal way of knowing the cost is by understanding first the software licensing scheme. Here’s what we have for you.
 
Collaboration License – free to $30
This is ideal for any internal or external team members to manage work and gain project visibility to stay on track and on target.
 
Work License $30 to $60
This is ideal for robust work management, advanced capabilities, and greater flexibility.
 
Plan License - $60 to $90
This is ideal for comprehensive project, program and portfolio management with complete visibility and control.
 
Enterprise License $90 to $300
This is ideal for organizations that require enterprise-grade security and support.
 
Remember that these are only estimated cost of licenses and there is a wide range of flexibility when it comes to pricing. For web-based solutions like SaaS, most vendors are offering monthly or yearly subscription-based scheme. For integrated solutions, there is a cost for the integration and implementation and it is always better to inquire this direct to the solution provider.
 
Market Trends
Waterfall, Agile, PRINCE2 and Chain methods are still popular to many Project Management Professionals (PMP). PMPs from the IT industry, which was reported to have more rapid growth than any other industries over the last ten years, are among of the top users of these methods.
 
About 80% of the enterprise software sector has been dominated by a few large firms in the past years. However, smaller firms will continue to enter and succeed in vertical and niche markets.
 
Many companies are expected to move into the cloud over the next five years. The demand for web-based collaboration tools, a feature of PM software, is also forecasted to increase. Visibly, there is a rapid growth and expansion on the web-based sector. 
 
Overall, there is a clear indication that the project management software market will continue to expand. Global economic development, growth in ICT sector, and more advancement in computing technology will all require project managers that will heavily rely on reliable PM software products.
 
Finding the right Project Planning software for your business
Proper Project Planning software selections are the precursor to successful deployment and business growth. Finding the right Project Planning solutions doesnít have to be complicated, and it doesnít have to take days or weeks of your time.

After researching over 5,000 systems, we can identify the best solution for companies of all shapes and sizes. ITQlick.com is 100% free for software buyers.



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Auditor - Shlomi Lavi

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Shlomi Lavi is an entrepreneur and founder of ITQlick.com. He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Information Systems Engineering from Ben Gurion University in Israel. Shlomi brings 17 years of global IT and IS management experience as a consultant and implementation expert for small, medium and large-sized (global) companies. Shlomi’s goal is to share the best knowledge and news about information systems so you can make smarter buying decisions for your business.