8 Top Task Management Tools & Software – Ultimate Guide

Productivity in the digital age means focusing on people, projects, and tasks by having all the tools you need in one piece of project management software. Here, we look at some of the most popular task management tools so you can keep all your personal and collaborative work front and center!

Which Task Management Tools Should You be Looking For?

The most important tools in any task management software are going to depend largely on your business and team, but some of the features you might be looking for include:

• Calendar / Scheduling
• To-Do List
• Real-time Chat
• Reminders
• File Sharing
• Groups / Teams
• Collaborative Notes
• Cross-Platform Compatibility
• Native Email Tools
• Cloud Integration
• Read Receipts
• Dark Theme
• Email Encryption
• Multimedia Messaging
• Calls

Communication is the Task Management Tool Group

Communication tools, which can include internal and external real-time chat as well as email integration for folding in more traditional lines of contact, are the foundation of any paid or free task management tool. This also extends to video and voice calls, which are increasingly overtaking in-person meetings.

While these are heavily dominated by platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Teams, and Meet, having these tools integrated into task management software can make team communication smoother than ever. If your business handles sensitive data (or you just like your privacy) it’s also worth looking at how communication is happening and checking for the option of encrypting messages at will or integrating encryption software into task management software.

Collaborating via Your Task Management Software

Collaboration has always been important for productivity, and much like communication has shifted online in recent years. Shared documents, whether integrated into project management software or through cloud providers, are key for program management tools. This should be in addition to file sharing, with some of the best task management software offering considerable storage even on free accounts.

In addition, task management tools should now include collaborative notes with multimedia input. What’s more, being able to split organizations into smaller teams or groups so as to keep collaboration focussed is another tool that you should be looking for when selecting your task management software.

Calendars and Task Trackers are Key Tools for Project Management

Another integral aspect for task management software is scheduling. This can, and should, include tools such as a calendar, task trackers, notifications, and preferably milestones. Additionally, there is actual task tracking, which as the name would suggest is often at the core of the software.

This should allow you to create and manage tasks, integrate them with the other aspects of the software such as scheduling and collaboration between team members. Being able to annotate and prioritize tasks should also be considered when looking for the best task management software for you.

Comparison of Task Management Software Tools

Spike

In a world where every company is trying to create yet another siloed app for chat, Spike does the opposite. Spike builds all of the benefits of an app like Slack or Teams right into your email Inbox. Spike takes email, turns it into a chat app, but that’s not all it does.

Spike also lets you manage

• Tasks/to-dos
• Hold video meetings
• Send voice messages
• Manage your calendar

and much more. It’s a complete digital workspace inside of a single application. It’s the perfect place for freelancers and remote teams to connect with their customers and coworkers.

As many teams remain in hybrid and remote work environments, Spike is the best way to stay on track with projects, meet deadlines, and stay connected. Instead of trying to have an email app and a team chat app, Spike handles both. For those people that aren’t using Spike, they’ll get your messages like a normal email, so it’s the best of both worlds.

Pros

• Integrated email allows for internal/external communication
• Full team migration is not necessary
• Customizable groups allow for efficient teamwork
• Video meetings without requiring a login for users not using Spike
• Video messages enable asynchronous work
• Search functionality enables you to quickly find files, threads, and comments

Cons

• Business email accounts are charged per user
• Tagging in notes needs to be developed

Clickup

Clickup offers multiple views and options to structure your team’s workflow depending on your preferred style. It is a cloud-based project management tool focussed around stacking tasks in to-do lists, with statuses, alerts, and collaborative tools to get work done, whether as a single content creator or a large-scale company.

Considered one of the best free task management tools, it offers unlimited users and tasks forever. However, the free version only allows 100MB of storage as well as having other limitations such as a maximum of five workspaces.

Pros

• Numerous integrations (inc. Slack, GitHub, Zapier)
• Multiple viewing options including calendar, Gantt, lists, and box view.
• Easy integration of popular Agile task management approach with Sprints.

Cons

• Requires integrations for some features that come as standard with other software (such as video calls).
• Limited file storage (100MB) on the free plan.
• Teams only available on a paid plan
• Emails can be used to add tasks but aren’t integrated

Basecamp

One of the more established pieces of task management software out there, Basecamp breaks work up into separate projects.

Each of these projects contains all relevant people, discussions, documents, files, tasks, reminders, etc. It is an online project management tool, which means real-time updates across platforms and access from anywhere (that has a connection). Basecamp is mainly aimed at multi-person organizations, but they do offer a free version for personal use with very limited features.

Pros

• Flat monthly fee rather than per-user cost
• Available on iOS, Android, Mac, and PC
• Unique Hill Charts for task tracking

Cons

• Reportedly steep learning curve
• Very limited free version
• Emails can be forwarded to Basecamp but not read from within

Trello

Mimicking the sticky-notes of yesteryear, Trello allows users to create boards with multiple tasks divided into columns. It is a highly visual platform, where users can drag tasks and to-dos to create their workflow. It has various integrations for business plans with calendars, reminders, and more.

Multiple people can be added to each board or as members of a team with multiple boards as well as being assigned specific “cards,” i.e. tasks, which can contain checklists, due dates, attachments, and more.

Pros

• Simple, visual approach to managing tasks.
• Effective due dates and email reminders
• Automations available for repeat actions

Cons

• Very few available integrations without upgrading
• No native chat feature
• Lack of staging can limit the ability to track in-progress tasks

Monday.com

Originally developed in 2010 as an internal management tool for Wix, it broke out as its own project management tool for the organization of tasks and teamwork.

Monday.com offers boards, timelines, and Gantt views as well as automation of repetitive tasks and the integration of external software. The core of monday.com is in its columns, which allow quick overviews of people, timelines, status, and more.

Pros

• Numerous templates for quick startup
• Can share specific information with external guests (such as clients)
• Automation of repetitive tasks can cut wasted time

Cons

• Unable to tag specific users
• Limited ability to track tasks beyond checklists
• The software is not designed for or very usable by individual freelancers

Nifty

Nifty is a cloud-based project management software that includes tools such as Agile methodologies, Gantt charts, file sharing, board view, prioritization of tasks, project scheduling, and a task tracker.

There is role-based user access to shared files and documents along with real-time chat in thread discussions. Nifty allows for the allocations of individual tasks, lists of tasks, and also the option of recurring tasks, which is a requested feature of much other productivity software.

Pros

• Intelligent recurring tasks
• Customizable modules that allow each team member to design their home screen
• Milestones can automate project progression indicators

Cons

• Steep learning curve with a sometimes complicated interface
• Lack of a real calendar view
• Messaging is internal limiting communication to non-team members

Todoist

Todioist has a heavy focus on creatives and will look very familiar to many users since it opts for a “traditional” to-do list aesthetic,  with lists of tasks and subtasks as opposed to more complex layouts.

Within these, tasks can be prioritized, ensuring that important sub-tasks don’t get lost and users are always clear about their next steps.

Pros

• Very clear interface makes onboarding simple
• Gamification of productivity through “karma” can help keep some people on track
• Recurring tasks available

Cons

• Limited functionality compared with other task management software
• The karma points can be a major drawback for some people
• Few opportunities for collaboration or communication

Asana

A very comprehensive task management tool, Asana is aimed at larger teams who manage multiple projects simultaneously.

It offers numerous ways to view and manage people, tasks, and projects including lists, calendar view, and Gantt view as well as automation to take the burden of repetitive tasks. It also offers a quick visual representation of workloads allowing for efficient task delegation.

Pros

• Very good user management thanks to being aimed at larger teams
• Clear prioritization of tasks and visual overviews
• Communication within a task gives users greater focus

Cons

• Emails only used for notifications and task creation
• Very steep learning curve to utilize tools
• Not suitable for single users or small teams

Spike is passionate about productivity, communication, and collaboration. With a 21st-century approach to email, Spike pushes good task management forward. If you’ve got thoughts on what makes for the best project management software, send a tweet @SpikeNowHQ.  For more productivity reviews, guides, techniques, and methods, head over to the Spike blog.