Best Task Management Software for 2024 – Comparison Chart. Prices are subject to change
Task management is the bread and butter of most project management software and tools.
Unsurprisingly, hardly anyone talks about how task management software has evolved.
To-do lists slowly got included in fully-fledged project management tools or simpler task management apps for personal use. On the other spectrum, documents and notes were still the go-to means to get work done, pushing for an upgrade in team collaboration (think wikis and building blocks). While spreadsheet look-alike task trackers were sweeping Excel-loving project managers with customizable columns, automations, and colors, of course!
Given this type of software’s breadth of scope, the present article aims to objectively review the best task management software in the following categories:
- Full-featured project task management tools: Paymo, Wrike, Basecamp, Asana, Teamwork
- Personal task management software Todoist, Trello, TickTick, Any.do
- Low code task management tools: Notion, Coda
- Spreadsheet task trackers: Monday.com, Airtable
Skip to the most desired category or read on what basic and advanced features to look after in a web-based task management software:
- Paymo – best task management software for agencies
- Infinity – best customizable work management software
- Asana – task management software for smaller teams
- Teamwork – best group task management for medium teams
- Wrike – work task management software for enterprises
- Basecamp – best for remote and distributed teams
- Trello – Kanban task management software for bootstrapped teams
- Todoist – best to-do list app with gamification
- TickTick – task prioritization software for personal productivity
- Any.do – Calendar task management for daily to-dos
- Coda – most flexible task management workflow
- Notion – best collaborative task management for product managers
- Monday.com – workflow-oriented task management software
- Airtable – spreadsheet-like low-code platform for marketers
Key features and criteria for choosing task management software
- Inbox/My Tasks area – Can I see all my and/or my team’s tasks organized in a designated area so I can know what’s on my plate at any time?
- Task monitoring – Can I set a task hourly budget and monitor the progress registered for each individual task?
- Multiple task views – Can I view tasks in a calendar, Kanban board, or Gantt chart?
- Recurring tasks – Can I automate repetitive tasks naturally without resorting to workarounds?
- Project templates – Can I plug in a readily available project template instead of manually adding tasks one after another for every new project?
- Export function – Can I export a list of tasks or project plans into a PDF or CSV format to further hand them to a program manager or client?
- Time tracking (optional) – Can I track time against a task and monitor how my and my team’s efforts add up at the task level?
- Ease of use – Is it intuitive enough? Can both the front-line co-worker as well as the executive team take a grasp of it without too much hassle?
- Flexibility – Can I use it for various use cases? Like planning a marketing campaign, web design projects, but also course curricula for university or my grocery list?
- Product update frequency – Is the product development team listening to user feedback and releasing weekly/monthly updates, bug fixes, and/or features?
There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to these features. After all, choosing a simple task management software (or complex one) is all up to you, your team, and your business needs. For instance, although the time tracking feature is optional, you’d have to ask yourself whether you need a standalone time tracking software or opt for a project management solution that has it natively integrated. Again, how complex or simple you need your software is remains up to you.
Note: For a more complex project management app that acts as a generator of task views, be sure to check our Gantt chart software listicle.
A. Top full-featured project management software
Today’s tendency for medium-sized and large businesses is to choose complex project management tools over simple task management ones.
This is due to the hyper-connective character of work, which begs for extra functionalities like a timesheet for common time records or a team scheduler for monitoring workloads. Basically, any multi-user collaborative task management software that’s project-based should do the work.
Smaller teams can do this with much simpler and more affordable tools for assigning users and priorities, resource allocation, task management, and other great features. We’ve compiled a list of the top free project management tools worth a try or this list of the top work management software.
Project management software with time tracking and invoicing are best catering to the needs of consultants, knowledge workers, writers, creatives, and so on – both for small teams or solopreneurs.
91
of 100
Pros
flexible and easy task manipulation
multiple dashboards, task and project views (List, Table, Kanban, Calendar, Gantt chart)
e-mail and in-app notifications, Slack integration
customizable workflows and project statuses
file proofing and versioning
Cons
fewer integration options
90
of 100
Pros
highly customizable user workflows
modern look and feel
multiple task views (Table, Gantt, Calendar, etc.)
folder hierarchy for projects
Cons
it lacks integration options
strict roles and permissions create bottlenecks for users
slow load speeds
88
of 100
Pros
multiple task views (List, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Gantt)
tasks allow custom fields
status updates for projects with forms
Cons
does not allow multiple assignees per task
lacks recurrent tasks
e-mail notifications can be spammy
87
of 100
Pros
simple task management
multiple task views (List, Board, Table)
incorporated Forms
automation features
Cons
lacks advanced PM features
users found the API inconsistent or unreliable
occasional snags and errors
86
of 100
Pros
multiple task views (Table, Board, Gantt, etc.)
automation options available
custom fields
customizable dashboards and widgets
Cons
suitable for enterprise and large teams
some users found it unintuitive
poor customer support
84
of 100
Pros
user-friendly task management
Campfire chat room, Pings, Discussion boards for communication
visualization features like ‘Lineup’ (Timeline) or ‘Card Table’ (Kanban)
Cons
limited task and project management features
users complain it gets glitchy
no time tracking, invoicing, timesheets
expensive in comparison to its offering
little to no workflow customization
B. Top personal task management software
When it comes to a business, organizing tasks under projects and task lists is a no-brainer. But what about your personal life? Courses? Grocery list? You name it.
This calls for daily task management software capable of keeping all your tasks organized but not so tightly as to cause anxiety. Most apps are also available on iOS, Android, and Windows phones, so you can bring your goals and chores alike wherever you might be.
86
of 100
Pros
simple Kanban boards
easy card manipulation
custom fields
Power-ups and automation for cards
Cons
lacks advanced project management features
inflexible when it comes to customization
85
of 100
Pros
a wide range of app integrations available
well-optimized for mobile app
workspaces to separate professional from personal tasks
gamification, i.e., Karma points for completed tasks
Cons
lacks advanced task management features
little personalization can be restrictive
it requires a more granular sharing system
84
of 100
Pros
user-friendly interface
voice input and integrations with Siri and Quickball
smart parsing of tasks and reminders
Pomodoro timer and white noise
Cons
limited collaboration features
not as robust as other task management apps
limited customization options
frequent bugs and issues
83
of 100
Pros
personal assistant feature
various task views, including Kanban
daily planner, ‘My Day’
Calendar integrations
Cons
limited integration with other apps
need for more customization options
restrictive free version
inconsistent UX across platforms
C. Low code task management software
Makers (read creators) have a different workflow than most professionals.
For them, tasks are not just tasks. These might act as inventory equipment, step-by-step script scenarios, or wikis. Even include different kinds of creative assets you wouldn’t usually find in a traditional task. I’m talking about tables, charts, buttons, formulas, and anything that is visual and can make their creative jobs much easier.
In their case, task management tools that are a hybrid between docs, wikis, and task trackers are the best fit. Customizable building blocks are a great selling point, but perhaps the largest one is the fact that they are embeddable on web pages and easy to share with collaborators.
It’s like having collaborative systems and a work planner all in one. If you’re looking for creative agency project management software requiring no code at all, look no further—we’ve written over a dozen reviews in this respect thanks to our experience with such apps.
The same goes for tools with invoicing and cost estimation ideal for architectural tasks – you must opt for dedicated software for the more experienced professionals. With engineers as the primary audience, the best software must include billing and task automation.
Let’s take a look at these two low-code task management software:
84
of 100
Pros
multiple views
good for document-oriented use cases
templates for building trackers and apps
AI analytics
Cons
lacks advanced task management features
ineffective permission management
printing challenges
83
of 100
Pros
useful for personal and educational use
user-friendly interface
cross-platform support
rich set of features
Cons
can be overwhelming due to the different types of blocks and templates
limited mobile view
no built-in reporting tool or advanced task management features
task management can be difficult for new users
D. Top spreadsheet task organizer software
Spreadsheets have been here for a long time and for a good reason. Their ability to organize and categorize data into a logical format has charmed many project managers to this day.
In an attempt to win them over, a few online task management software have stripped away their complexity, relying solely on rows and customizable columns. But don’t worry. They make up for what they might lack in complexity with automations and many integrations with third-party apps.
83
of 100
Pros
visual and colorful interface that users find intuitive and fun
customizable building blocks for transparent workflows
easy-to-use flat task structure
Cons
lacks robust support for file storage and version control
limited integration options
glitchy mobile app
hidden costs and expensive for larger teams
81
of 100
Pros
visually appealing interface
template gallery
import feature to bring external data into Airtable
various builders, i.e., script builder
Cons
user dissatisfaction with the platform’s two-way syncing capabilities
limitations in document creation
not suitable for managing large-scale databases
overwhelming for first-time users
What is task management?
Now, task mgmt is not as fancy as it sounds. It’s essentially a way of handling tasks from the moment you create them until completion.
This method as a whole refers to:
- Task creation: Set your project goals, turn them into actionable tasks, and add relevant details such as task duration, time estimates, dependencies, status, etc.
- Organization and prioritization: Consider all factors that could influence them and their deadlines and establish the order in which you will be working on them.
- Task monitoring and updates: The real task management process begins after you’ve created a task. Any activity must be monitored from its creation throughout the entire development process to ensure that it’s correctly documented until completion.
Note: Planning is not something you do only at work. Whether planning your next trip or a shopping spree, you’re managing tasks outside the workplace.
Why is task management important?
Because task management provides steady clarity regarding everything you’ve worked on. Knowing how to tackle your work comes with practice and experience. Task management is crucial when managing your team and employing efficient systems, even more so when working remotely.
You’ll always know exactly what needs to be done and in what order. This also implies reduced task aversion, stress, and anxiety levels that can help you overcome procrastination.
The other main benefits of software to keep track of tracks are:
1. Work efficiently and keep your daily activities organized
With task management, work resides in single-task units, not emails or piles of paper. This means you can organize tasks the way you want them to be through a simple to-do list, advanced task lists, Kanban boards, Gantt Charts, or other task visualization methods.
Note: We previously ran a search through over 200 job listings from Indeed, a prime job website in over 50 countries. The results showed that effective task management was one of the top skills employers were expecting from a project manager. This shows just how important task management is for employers when it comes to achieving results and working effectively. It also depends on what are the project management methodologies they use and how they plan out their work and project delivery.
2. Meet your deadlines
Nobody wants to waste endless hours on admin tasks like checking emails or sending invoices. That’s why you need to set time limits for your tasks. These boundaries help you focus on what matters most.
By restricting the hours spent on low-priority or time-wasting activities, you can direct the largest part of your day towards more productive tasks and become less likely to waste your day.
3. Stay within budget
Whether you need money to buy new software or make a promotional video for your client, your work is always tied to a set budget.
To ensure you don’t exceed that sum of money, you can divide your full budget according to each task and attribute part of it to individual activities based on your estimates.
4. Set clear priorities
Outlining your priorities is crucial for maintaining a balanced workload while hitting your deadlines. That’s why keeping all your tasks grouped after their urgency helps you set clear priorities. Imagine feeling productive in the morning and then losing motivation because you don’t know where to start work.
But you might feel like everything is a priority. So read on to find out what methods you can use to prioritize and organize tasks with minimum effort.
5. Manage your team
When it comes to managing tasks at a team level, it’s all a bit different.
Remember that task management is also about team management. You need to talk to the team member responsible for a certain task to get feedback on any aspects that have influenced the completion of a task (duration, roadblocks, conflicting priorities, etc.)
This ensures that team resources are used correctly and will help you reach your goals while involving your team in the project’s success.
How to Organize and Prioritize Tasks Efficiently
Regarding personal task lists, coming up with a task and completing it is straightforward. Task management at a project level is a bit more demanding, though.
Now, I don’t want to scare you and make you think that managing your project’s task is painful. It’s really not.
Depending on the complexity of your tasks, there are a couple of clear and easy-to-implement ways to organize all project activities.
Here’s how to organize your tasks at work.
1. Simple to-do lists
Every task management process starts with a to-do list.
All you need is a sheet of paper or a to-do list app. Brainstorm your goals, then write them down in the order you need to complete them. You can even break larger tasks into smaller ones, so you can make progress much more visible.
The secret to a to-do list is to keep it short. Limit yourself to the tasks you have the right resources for if you don’t want to feel overwhelmed.
Paymo’s ‘My Day’ view helps focus only on the tasks at hand:
Completing tasks from a to-do list is just as simple as making one.
Just strike them through or tick them off as soon as you finish them. Trust me, this is vital. I can’t tell you how often I skipped this part and then forgot what I had left to do once I returned to work, especially after a longer period of inactivity.
2. Detailed task lists
To-do lists might be enough for personal or less complex projects. Yet, if you’ve got multiple team members, resources, and projects to juggle with, try detailed task lists.
Although similar in structure, each task list acts as a bucket and contains considerably more details than a task. This includes people in charge of them, due dates, priorities, billing type, estimated hours and costs, task descriptions, files, and so much more.
You can divide a larger project into a series of task lists according to the project’s stage or responsible team. Here’s an example of how a web design team split their work into task lists that correspond to the project’s stages:
A web design team’s detailed task list in Table view
3. Subtasks
Now, you might have a bunch of tasks in your list that contain multiple steps or are just too complex for you to call them a single task.
So, instead of creating an entire task list, break the larger task into subtasks. This will help you think more clearly in terms of deliverables and how the task components relate to one another.
A list of subtasks under a general task (task view is docked)
4. Recurring tasks
Whether we like it or not, we all have those tasks that keep coming back on a constant basis: daily status meetings, monthly invoices, quarterly reports, you get it. In short, recurring tasks.
These are automatically generated when marked as complete based on the pattern you’ve set for them. It’s up to you then to set up their frequency and prepare in advance for their deadlines.
The process of task management
To-do lists, complex task lists, subtasks, and recurring tasks are all great for organizing your activities and their details.
But there are also other ways to manage how you interact with the tasks once it’s time to start working on them.
Kanban
Kanban is a project management tool that offers you a visual overview of all personal or project-related tasks and workflows. A Kanban board (or progress board) breaks down a project into stages, highlighting potential bottlenecks for each stage of your project.
Kanban boards can be either physical (post-it notes on a whiteboard) or digital.
Nevertheless, their typical structure involves:
- Board: a workspace where tasks are managed throughout the project lifecycle
- Lists (or columns): represents the project stage through which a card can pass
- Cards: represent a project-related task or idea
The structure of a simple Kanban board
Each task is commonly added to a section called the Backlog (a list with all uncompleted tasks soon to be dealt with). These are then moved from one column to another until they are completed. In the screenshot below, the Backlog is hidden to help the team focus on the tasks at hand:
Business consultancy team using a Kanban board to manage their tasks, clients, and workflow
Note: Check out these 11 other Kanban board examples for beginners to see how other teams use this visual organization tool.
Gantt Charts
The Gantt Chart is a technique you can use to plan tasks and track your project schedule against a budget. Briefly put, this visual chart tells you what needs to be done, when, and in which order.
It’s ideal if you’re dealing with a project that faces regular changes, allowing you to make adjustments on the go immediately.
To display tasks against time, Gantt Charts allow you to see tasks that might overlap and the dependencies between them. They also show you who’s in charge of a task and how much time they have to complete it.
Gantt Chart example
Want to take your task management process through Gantt Charts to the next level?
If you need to constantly monitor several different projects, try the Portfolio Gantt Chart. This offers a bird’s-eye view of all your active projects, so you’ll no longer have to toggle between several projects. Not to mention that you’ll also know whether you can take on new projects or not.
Portfolio Gantt Chart example
How to prioritize tasks
Probably one of the most significant parts of task management is knowing how to prioritize your tasks.
The truth is everyone can prioritize their activities effectively.
There are essentially two main types of priorities you can take into account to help you sort your tasks:
- Time-based priorities: These are set according to each task deadline. Activities like this must be completed before the set end date. Examples include a design project that’s due in a week or a mock-up that must be sent by tomorrow. Common types of time-based priority labeling are Past due date, Today, Tomorrow, Upcoming, This week, This month, This year, Later, etc.
- Urgency-based priorities: These are tasks that must be completed to reach a goal, but the order in which they are tackled depends on how soon they’ll impact the final outcome. They’re usually labeled as Critical (Urgent), High, Medium (Normal), or Low. For instance, a web server crash demands immediate attention and should be fixed as soon as possible.
Note: If you’ve postponed a low-priority task for too long and your deadline is approaching, that task will turn into a critical or high-priority one, too.
For simple to-do lists, deciding on the priority of your tasks is fairly easy. Just write them down in the order you want to complete them and go through them accordingly.
But when you’ve got several different tasks, projects, clients, and team members to handle, you’ll need to consider other external factors, too.
Here are a few methods that will help you prioritize the order in which you complete your tasks individually or together with your team:
1. The Eisenhower Decision Matrix
I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent. —Dwight D. Eisenhower
Yes, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President. He is said to have invented and used this method, also known as The Urgent-Important Matrix.
Legend or not, his quote inspired the creation of the Eisenhower Decision Matrix which has been used ever since then as an effective way of prioritizing activities or decisions. This decision matrix can help you distinguish between what is urgent and what is just, well, important.
Urgent tasks are activities that need to be completed as soon as possible, either because they fix an imminent problem or because other tasks depend on them.
On the other hand, important tasks must be completed at any time until the end of a project for the final goal to be reached. However, these don’t require immediate attention and can be postponed. But only for a short period of time.
All you have to do then is categorize your tasks based on the following criteria:
- Important and urgent: You need to finish these tasks immediately or as soon as possible. They are problems, issues, and deadlines that must, by all means, be completed, or else they could postpone or cancel a project altogether. Examples: project deadlines, tax deadlines, angry clients, etc.
- Important but not urgent: These activities can be rescheduled for a date that’s within your deadline. So even though you don’t need to do them immediately, you’ll still have to take care of them until your project or goal ends. Examples: weekly sprint planning, new business opportunities, team building, etc.
- Not important but urgent: These tasks must be responded to immediately but don’t contribute to your final desired outcomes. Usually, these are interruptions, meetings, or activities meant to help other people and goals unrelated to the project you’re working on. It’s best to just assign them to other people who have free time or expertise for them. Examples: scheduling an interview, booking a flight, sending a pitch, etc.
- Not important or urgent: Now, if you were wondering under which category you’d put the main distractions, here it is. You can delete or leave these non-productive activities aside for the time being. Examples: coworker gossip, scrolling Facebook, changing your desktop’s background, etc.
Tip: You can make your own version of this decision matrix and divide the tasks according to your needs. Don’t limit it to simple activities, though. This Farnam Street version, for instance, divides decisions into irreversible, reversible, inconsequential, and consequential ones.
2. The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)
The Pareto Principle states that only 20% of the tasks belonging to a project account for 80% of the final results.
How can you apply this technique to your task lists? Begin by focusing on your most important tasks.
Don’t really know which are those?
These are usually the ones that generate the most profitable results. The remaining 80% of tasks can be left aside for later as long as you don’t forget to complete them.
Pay closer attention to what your largest goals are. You might already be postponing goals you truly want to attain just because you’re afraid they’ll be more difficult to reach. And I admit I used to do that, too.
Tip: Reverse the process. If you don’t know which tasks are the most important, start by crossing off the least relevant, profitable, or meaningful. You’ll be left with a few on your list, making it easy to prioritize the leftover tasks.
3. Master Lists For Time Prioritization
If you’re still having difficulty deciding which tasks to tackle first, just place each activity according to monthly, weekly, and daily goals or deadlines. This is my favorite way of ensuring all tasks are completed on time.
The best part? You only need to go through four steps:
- Create one master list with all your unprioritized tasks. Make sure you put every idea down so you won’t have any delays for your other lists.
- Make a monthly list where you take all the tasks from the master list that must be completed during the following month.
- Transfer the tasks from the monthly list you must finish throughout the next week to your weekly list.
- Lastly, take the goals you want to achieve on a specific day from your monthly and weekly lists. This will be your daily list.
Tip: To make this method work, remember to number each task in the order you will complete them. Leave room for possible problems that might need to be fixed.
Brian Tracy is one of the most active promoters of this task and time prioritization method. Here are more of his tips on effective time, goals, and task management, including finding the most valuable activities, doubling your productivity, and more:
If all else fails
Just in case the other methods don’t work for you, you can always try making a list of tasks in the order of their deadline or estimated importance. Then, do the first task entirely before moving on to the next one.
So, how do I get started?
We’ve listed example by example how to approach task management. Learn how to manage projects and tasks with ease in Paymo
Put down every goal or outcome you’re trying to achieve and turn them into a series of actionable tasks. Go over your task list as often as necessary to ensure you haven’t missed anything. Don’t leave out your budget and time constraints either.
Also, get your team to review the tasks again and suggest improvements if needed. Remember, you can’t prioritize an entire project task list without them.
Got a task that’s just too complex for one person? Assign multiple people to it or divide it into several other subtasks.
Lastly, ensure you’ve established every aspect of a task and its management process before you get to work. Create a checklist of the elements you want to cover or use task management software that shows what details you can add to a task.
*Although we regularly update this article, tool features and pricing might differ due to constant product changes.
Andrei Țiț
Author
Andrei Țiț is a product marketer at Ahrefs. He has been involved in product marketing at various SaaS companies for over six years, specializing in content marketing and short-form video. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and traveling.
Alexandra Martin
Editor
Drawing from a background in cognitive linguistics and armed with 10+ years of content writing experience, Alexandra Martin combines her expertise with a newfound interest in productivity and project management. In her spare time, she dabbles in all things creative.
