Running a business is not just one person’s tasks. It is a collaborative effort of salespersons, marketers, finance team, project manager, admin, HR personnel, and so on.
Having said that – achieving business goals is not a cakewalk. It requires all teams to be disciplined, to be systematic in their approach and work in complete sync with one another.
Optimizing productivity is a real task, and professionals from across the globe are on their way to realize they need specific tools to manage work more constructively and in less time.
In a time and age where we are on our way to find ways to do more work but in a limited period, there is a need for robust tools and platforms to help us fulfill this endeavor.
That’s where Asana enters the picture.
About Asana
About Asana
Asana is an online team collaboration tool that specializes in workflow management. It is an excellent platform for businesses to track their day-to-day tasks.
Please note that Asana must not be confused with any project management software. It allows you to follow the status of your jobs – which is far more efficient than saving email threads.
But Asana doesn’t “manage” any projects as such. Coming to think of it, Asana lacks the tactical features that any project management software may have.
Consider Asana has the step towards learning to use a complicated tool for team collaboration.
You can share notes, upload various formats of attachments and organize checklists that are reflected on the timeline.
Whenever a task is assigned, the concerned people get a notification so that they can like, comment or share. You can even mention a particular team member in comments.
The UI follows the minimalistic approach. It is easy to navigate and use, and makes use of minimal colors in the design layout. Asana’s technical team is superb.
It is always ready to help. You can always be assured to receive instant support – in case you get stuck.
Update: Cloud-based project management software Asana has grown into a publicly traded company. It saw revenue increase at a double-digit rate over the last six quarters in 2021.
Features
For those who have used Asana will be aware of its features but those who haven’t, here is a gist of the marvelous things that Asana can do for you:
1) Organize your tasks
Asana can help you quickly create tasks for yourself or assign tasks to a team member. You can categorize those tasks under shared lists or boards for meetings, programs or any other initiatives.
2) Create workflows
This is the fun part – you can add structure to your projects and create workflows as per your convenience. There are also pre-made project templates that you can use if the tasks are not that complicated.
3) Manage tasks and projects
Asana allows you to break up a daunting task into smaller parts or divide them among multiple team members. If a job gets too big in size and complexity, turn into a project. Asana also makes sure you never miss a deadline!
4) Easy dashboard
The Asana dashboard allows you to check the progress of all the projects and related tasks you are a part of easily. You can even create dashboard reports in Google Sheets. Use the Search option in the tool to find a particular task quickly.
5) Multiple app integrations
One of the best things about tools like Asana is that it can integrate with a string of tools to help you and your team do your jobs better.
Dropbox, Slack, Chrome, Okta, GitHub, Google Drive, Instagantt, Zapier, GetResponse, MailChimp, Evernote, Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Campaign Monitor, JIRA, Hubstaff, and more can be integrated with Asana.
Pricing
There are three packages offered by Asana. If you’re looking for a tool for a really small business with a restricted budget, then first try the tool for free.
If you feel it is right for you, go for the Premium version ($10.99 p.m.) as Asana offers small team discounts.
If you want a package that can sustain a larger team, then contact the Asana team to know more about its Enterprise package.
Asana Alternatives
Asana alternatives
Asana is well-designed for managing task management and team workflows. It has a lovely HTML5 design. The only con about Asana is that it doesn’t come with offline capabilities, and it is not ideal for graphics-intensive projects.
Having said that – Asana is not the only productivity tool in the market. Following are two such collaboration tools you can pick to manage projects if Asana doesn’t turn out to be your cup of tea:
Teamwork Projects – Reliable Asana Alternative
Teamwork Projects ( Asana alternative ) is considered as a project management tool apt for businesses – irrespective of size and industry.
Teamwork Projects is currently being used by more than 40,000 creative teams, agencies, and enterprises. There are three core products:
- Teamwork Projects – which is a project management tool. This is also the company’s primary offering.
- Teamwork Desk – which is a customer support helpdesk
- Teamwork spaces- For content collaboration amongst team members
- Teamwork Chat
Teamwork Projects is the web based and app-based project management tool. It is a subscription-based service – available on the cloud and fully hosted. There are six major features of this tool:
1) Project organization
A project is the highest form of organization on Teamwork. The access of users and company is managed at the project level.
Every project comprises task lists, notes that resemble wiki-like documents, milestones, time tracking and file sharing/uploads. An unlimited number of users and companies can be added to a project.
2) Time tracking
Unlike Asana, Teamwork Projects has a feature that allows the users to bill the number of hours they work for. On this project management tool, you can log time that you spend to do a particular task or project.
Logged in work can be marked as billable. This feature makes it easier to invoice clients at the end of each month.
3) Task lists management
To-do lists are grouped under Tasks. Lists are tied to a milestone. The members of a particular project can quickly comment on the jobs.
If a function grows into a more complex action item, the ability to leave comments and progress reports makes it a lot easier to see its completion. You can even make use of their standard task lists templates as per your requirement.
4) File sharing
Depending on the plan you choose, you can upload and share files within projects. You can manage files of various formats, and that increases its usability quotient.
The users don’t have to resort to using emails to send a file of a particular format. Teamwork Projects takes care of everything as easy as just one click.
5) Risk register
This is a one-of-a-kind advanced features of Teamwork Projects. This is where you can post the potential problems attached to a project. In each case, you can assign a timescale during which the problem is most likely to appear.
This way, it gives a heads up to the team working on that project about the risks that can potentially derail them from completing the tasks on due dates.
6) Email integration
This is a standard feature and is one of the primary needs to manage projects successfully. Here – the users get emails if an activity takes place related to their project. But what’s fantastic is that you can reply to these emails, and your messaging will automatically get reflected on the message board of that project!
7) Customer service
Fantastic customer service includes talking and listening to your clients and Team Projects passes this test with flying colors. If you send them feedback, they will respond to you with a genuinely written email letter within 12 hours!
8) Messaging
Each project has a message board to allow clients and team members to communicate smoothly. Messages can be emailed to people working on a project. The email replies automatically get added to the message board.
Teamwork Desk
This helpdesk service from Teamwork allows the companies to manage all inquiries effortlessly. With features such as customer portal, ticket assignments, customer portal and others, it is easy to administer the support desk.
The best thing about Teamwork Desk is that all communication between the business and its customers look like regular emails instead of looking like automated support desk responses (which is the reality in most cases).
You can even build a knowledge hub for your customers who want to get quick answers to FAQs. If you want a comprehensive customer support functionality that is affordable and has multiple integration options, then Teamwork Desk is a God-send!
Teamwork Chat
To achieve goals, it is significant for team members and clients always to maintain utmost transparency while discussing the project (at any stage) to get the job done. With Teamwork Chat one solution, it is possible to keep a check on the intricate details of a project.
It is available on desktop, mobile, and web. You can create tasks within Teamwork chat rooms. All actions are synced across all apps. Teamwork Chat is extremely safe to use, and the company has a policy of never sharing, modifying or copying your data.
You can even send video links within the messages. These links will appear as cards which mean the users can view the videos without having to leave the chat rooms.
And don’t worry – it is not your typical boring chat facility. You can even make use of emoji and GIFs to add interactives to a conversation.
Integration
The Teamwork offerings are designed to connect seamlessly with multiple applications and platforms to make you and your team’s jobs easier and to ensure transparent communication.
Hubspot, Zendesk, Taco, Xero, Atlassian Jira, Hubstaff, Yammer, Podio, Highrise, Grow, Gmail, Slack, Freshbooks, Intuit Quickbooks, OneDrive, Youtube, Evernote, and Outlook are some of the popular applications that can be easily integrated with Teamwork.
84,000 organizations use Teamwork. Naturally, with so many integration options, this large number is justified indeed!
Pricing
One of the best features about Teamwork is that all of its plans come with unlimited users and companies, 256-bit SSL security and the complete list of key features. So no matter which plans you choose, you get access to everything.
You can start with a 30-day free trial without sharing your credit card details. Once you have tried it for a month and decided to buy it, you can choose a plan which can be paid on a month-to-month basis or annually. Below are the pricing options – month-wise and year-wise for the Teamwork Desk:
Teamwork also have a 30-day trial period. Of course – you can also downgrade, upgrade or cancel your plan anytime. This kind of flexibility just makes it easier for companies to try out Teamwork and check its project management features.
Asana vs Teamwork Comparison
Asana tool is an incredible platform for productivity enthusiasts. It has various features that benefit businesses, but it is not everyone’s cup of tea. There are many reasons why people prefer Teamwork over Asana:
1) You can keep all your ideas, notes, files and messages in one place. Teamwork allows project management, while Asana doesn’t.
2) Teamwork’s plans come with unlimited users and companies. There is no per-user fee.
3) Teamwork makes it easy to bill clients as per the number of hours worked. You can even pause the time if you take a break only to un-pause it once you resume work. Asana doesn’t allow that.
4) You can see all your projects and tasks in a single dashboard. Teamwork’s Gantt chart feature allows you to track the progress of the project. There is no such feature in Asana.
Parameters | Asana vs | Teamwork |
---|---|---|
What do we like? | Great task management tools for small to medium-sized businesses. Generous free plan | Project management features Feature-packed tool |
What we don’t like? | Not a comprehensive tool | It doesn’t offer features to create a landing page. |
Best for | Small to medium businesses | Big businesses |
Pricing | Paid plan starts @ $10.99/mo | Paid plan @ $10/user/mo |
Wrike
Wrike – Certified Asana Alternative
Wrike is an award-winning software for online project management that aims to help every team, across businesses and industries, to perform their best through enhanced communication and smoother teamwork.
Wrike (Asana alternative) is apt for various kinds of groups such as project management, marketing, and product development among others.
Task management, document collaboration, workload management, time-tracking, email integration, iPhone and Android mobile apps, customized reports and real-time newsfeed are some of the features that the tool offers to its customers.
Features
Wrike is loaded with business collaboration and communication management features that help companies reach higher levels of success. There are six major features of Wrike:
1) Single dashboard
There is just one dashboard for all of your work. You don’t need to keep hopping from one window to another to chase project progress. Everything is right there in your eyes making even the management of complex projects easy.
2) Simple website navigation
Wrike has a user-friendly navigation that makes it easy for you and your teams to work, communicate and get things done.
3) Extremely secure
Wrike takes excellent security measures to ensure that unauthorized personnel can’t access your sensitive information.
4) Available across platforms
This solution is also available as mobile apps on – Android and iOS – which makes it easier for you to stay connected with your team and keep a check on tasks even while you are on the go.
5) Robust APIs
Wrike APIs are easy-to-use and well document, which makes it simple to quickly connect the solution to the current tools and workflow of the customer.
6) AI tools to keep track your projects
Wrike offers AI and machine learning capabilities to track the project’s progress. This feature can be further sectioned into three parts that are: project risk prediction, task prioritization, and tools for speeding up the overall project management workflow.
Wrike revolutionizes project management by incorporating AI and machine learning to optimize processes and enhance workflow efficiency. Key AI-driven features include smart task prioritization, advanced risk detection, voice-controlled digital assistants, conversion of handwritten documents, and auto-generated subtasks.
These innovative capabilities help users stay organized, focus on high-priority tasks, and ensure timely project completion.
7) Integration
Just like Teamwork tool, Wrike can also be integrated with a number of tools, including but not restricting to Salesforce, Slack, Google Drive, Extension for Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Teams, Box, Jira, GitHub, Bitium, Dropbox, iCal Sync, Evernote, Zapier, Quickbooks, Hubspot, LinkedIn, ProofHQ and SurveyMonkey.
Pricing
Wrike provides a plan for every team. The Free plan is for small groups dealing with shared tasks. The Professional plan is for full project planning and collaboration.
The Business package includes executive reporting and robust work management that can be customized as per project or company.
You can have a look at the pricing below:
Then, there is a tailor-made solution for marketing and creative teams. That, of course, comes with a cost. The Enterprise Suite offers comprehensive solutions, complete with advanced security controls.
Update: Citrix, a unified digital workspace, has acquired Wrike to make the use of distributed work environments comfortable. The partnership of these two platforms will help organizations overcome the hurdles that accompany distributed and hybrid infrastructure and accelerate the overall business results.
Asana vs Wrike
Wrike’s free version can sustain unlimited collaborators and 5 Power users. Asana doesn’t have this capability. Gantt chart is a significant part of project management. Asana doesn’t have this management feature, but Wrike does.
The users can do real-time collaborative document editing, prioritize projethat cts, share pictures in task descriptions, and so much more.
Asana has just the basic versions of all these features. Asana is also a tad pricey as compared to the management solution of Wrike. You can find a detailed report of Asana vs Wrike.
Parameters | Asana vs | Wrike |
---|---|---|
What do we like? | Great task management tools for small to medium-sized businesses. Generous free plan | Project management features Feature-packed tool |
What we don’t like? | Not a comprehensive tool | It doesn’t offer features to create a landing page. |
Best for | Small to medium businesses | Big businesses |
Pricing | Paid plan starts @ $10/mo | Paid plan @ $9.80 /user/mo |
Hive
Hive – Strong alternative to Asana
Hive project itself as a powerful project management tool and great collaboration software that is an excellent option for small as well as large businesses. Hive offers several features such as messaging, analytics, resourcing and files, to name a few.
Let’s dive into what Hive has to offer:
Features:
Hive has listed its features into four broad categories i.e. plan, execute, communicate and monitor.
1.) Plan
- Project layouts: You can create a project in any of the layouts be it in a Kanban board, Gantt chart, calendar and the changes are visible across all of the layouts.
- Automated workflows: Create custom workflows and automate the routine processes.
- Summary views: You can combine several projects and see a bigger picture of your work progress.
- Action Templates: You can always use action templates to create routine tasks and assign them to your users.
2.) Execute
- Action Cards: Access all the required information about a project through these action cards.
- My Action list: Each user can have their own to-do list where all the tasks assigned to them are listed.
- Forms: Collect all the information related to a project through forms that can also be sent outside to other organizations.
3.) Communicate
- Chat: You can connect with all your team members individually or in groups through the chat functionality.
- Email: You get a fully functional email inbox to send and receive emails.
- Share and view files: Hive allows you to share and send files through Google drive, dropbox or Box account.
- Meeting notes: Create meeting notes where you can also add actionable items.
4.) Monitor
- Analytics: Hive allows you to view how is your team productivity through Hive analytics feature.
- Time tracking: Keep track of how much time is spent on your projects.
- Timesheets: Record time spent on your projects and access these timesheets for project planning and let your team see the bigger picture.
Integrations
Hive project management software also offers plenty of integrations in diverse sectors such as marketing, communication, calendar, file management , email, developer tools etc.
Some of the integrations are Google drive, Salesforce, Marketo, Gmail, Slack, Jira, GitHub, Zoom integration, Intercom and several more.
Pricing
The pricing of the Hive project management software starts at $1 per user per month annually, and the other plan is the Enterprise plan.
Asana vs Hive
What makes Hive one of the best Asana alternatives is that it offers features like Native emails, native messaging, reporting and analysis that you do not get with Asana.
These features are some of the essential ones that not only help with project management but also enhance the overall productivity.
Parameters | Asana vs | Hive |
---|---|---|
What do we like? | Great task management tools for small to medium-sized businesses. Generous free plan | Only Cloud collaborative tool Unique features such as native messaging, reporting, and analysis. |
What we don’t like? | Not a comprehensive tool | Comes with a learning curve. |
Best for | Small to medium businesses | Small to medium-sized businesses |
Pricing | Paid plan starts @ $10.99/mo | Paid plan @ $12/user/mo |
Nifty PM
Nifty PM- Brilliant alternative to Asana
The fourth Asana alternative is Nifty by AppSumo. It markets itself as an affordable Basecamp and Asana alternative. It is a great tool that offers the core project management features that include project tracking, team collaboration, communication and a centralized workspace.
Features
1.) Project Home: This Nifty feature allows you to track your project progress by providing all the project details at one place.
You can prioritize your projects and do the selective overview if needed. Each member can customize their project home as per their role and needs in a task.
2.) Discussion: Nifty has introduced Knowledge Hubs that allow you to connect and communicate with your team members.
With real-time messaging, you can connect with your team members to share your ideas, or create tasks through the messages sent or received.
Nifty also integrates with Zoom collaboration software for audio or video conferencing.
3.) Time tracking feature: This feature ensures that you and your team never lag in meeting the project deadlines. You can also view where your team member is and what’s his progress individually with a detailed breakdown of their logged hours.
4.) Reporting: Nifty provides you with the bird’s eye view of all your project at with the project overview feature. You can dig deep into project detail by inspecting the milestones associated with the project tasks. It is also an excellent way for effective team management.
5.) Project Milestones(Gantt): Milestone categorizes your tasks as in-progress, completed and overdue based on real-time data. You can also create milestones for recurring tasks.
Integrations
Nifty is a robust tool and offers plenty of integrations with other project management tools like Trello, Asana and BaseCamp. You can easily start from where you left off by transferring project data from these tools.
Apart from that, it integrates with other applications like Gmail, Dropbox, Google Drive, Google calendar and many more.
Pricing
NiftyPM is available in 4 plans Starter, Pro, Business and Enterprise. The starter plan is priced at $39 per month for 10 users, and it is an excellent option for solo and small teams.
The Pro plan costs $79 per month, suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. The Business plan will cost you $124 per month where you get access to powerful features recommended for medium to large companies.
You can always connect with the Nifty sales team for a customized solution and opt for the enterprise plan and get things done.
They offer a 14-day trial for each of their plans.
Nifty vs Asana
Nifty is a logical alternative to Asana that help with project management and collaboration. The interface of Nifty is super easy to use, and switching from another platform to Nifty is hassle-free.
Some of the features that are unique to Nifty when compared to Asana are portable team chat, project discussions, document management and workloads timeline view. You do not get these features with Asana.
Parameters | Asana vs | NiftyPM |
---|---|---|
What do we like? | Great task management tools for small to medium-sized businesses. Generous free plan | Project discussions, portable team chats, and document management features. Easy to use |
What we don’t like? | Not a comprehensive tool | It doesn’t offer features to create a landing page. |
Best for | Small to medium businesses | Big businesses |
Pricing | Paid plan starts @ $10.99/mo | Paid plan @ $39/user/mo |
Monday.com
Monday.com – Proven Asana alternative
Monday.com is a project and team management tool that provides you with a centralized hub where your team members can collaborate, discuss and access information together.
It is also an excellent option for teams working remotely regularly. The interface of the Monday is neat and well-organized that makes it even easier to use.
Now let us explore the feature that Monday project management tool has to offer:
Features
1.) Centralized management with board view: Monday.com comes with a customizable board where you can manage your projects and tasks and design workflows. You can also add code-free automation to your boards depending on your needs.
2.) Charts: The charts provide you with an overview of the efforts and time that your teamwork put in to achieve their goals. You also have the option to view consolidated data related to various projects at one place.
3.) Timeline: You can plan out your team’s weekly work schedule and create deliverable, set deadline reminders and increase your overall efficiency. Timeline is calibrated in the form of Gantt charts, so it is easy to visualize the progress.
4.) Invite clients: You can also invite clients as a guest to view a particular board where they can see their project’s progress.
Integrations
Monday.com integrates with several applications such as MailChimp, Slack, GitHub, Zoom, ZenDesk, Salesforce, Outlook, Jira, Asana, Trello, Microsoft Teams, DropBox.
Pricing
Monday.com is available in 4 plans, and the default pricing is for 3 user seats.
The first plan is the basic plan priced at $9 per month with 5 GB file storage; the second is the standard plan at $12 per month with 20 GB file storage, the third plan is the Pro plan priced at $19 per month with 100 GB file storage, and the last one is the enterprise plan that offers customized solutions with 1000 GB storage.
Monday.com vs Asana
The dashboard of Monday.com is more detailed and provides ample of information at a glance when compared to Asana. Also, project templates of Monday.com are pre-filled with real-life content that makes it easy to understand and navigate further.
Monday.com is an excellent option for small businesses who want primary task and team management functionalities.
Parameters | Asana vs | Monday.com |
---|---|---|
What do we like? | Great task management tools for small to medium-sized businesses. Generous free plan | Affordable Everything in the dashboard |
What we don’t like? | Not a comprehensive tool | Lacks some essential features when compared to other tools. |
Best for | Small to medium businesses | Small businesses |
Pricing | Paid plan starts @ $10.99/mo | Paid plan @ $12/user/mo |
Overview
An overview of the Asana alternatives discussed above
Asana Alternatives | Pricing | Features summary |
---|---|---|
Asana | Asana offers 3 plans: Basic: Forever free Premium: $10.99/user/mo Business: $24.99/user/mo Enterprise: Connect with the sales team All the pricing is based on annual billing | Assana is one of the popular “task management” tools for small to medium-sized teams. The free plan is generous where you can add up to 15 users. Not a good option if you’re looking for a comprehensive management tool as in that case you would like something like Wrike. |
Teamwork | Teamwork offer 4 plans: Free: Forever free Pro: $10/user/mo Premium: $15/user/mo Enterprise: Contact the sales team All the pricing is based on annual billing | Teamwork offers plenty of features for team management and collaboration while also being easy to use. Teamwork also allows project management that Asana doesn’t. Another unique feature of Teamwork is that it allows you to track the progress of your tasks and projects in Gantt charts that are not possible with Asana. |
Hive | Hive offer 2plans: Professional: $12/user/mo Enterprise: Call support All the pricing is based on annual billing | Hive is one of those tools that is cloud collaborative. It has several unique features such as native emails, native messaging, reporting, and analysis that you do not get with Asana. |
Wrike | Wrike offers 4 plans: Free: $0 Professional: $9.80/user/mo Business: $24.80/user/mo Enterprise: Contact sales team | Team collaboration with Wrike is one of the best and it also has Gantt charts that help you to track the project progress. This is not possible with Asana. There are several other features that Wrike has but with Asana all of those features are pretty basic. |
Monday.com | Monday.com offer 4 plans: Basic : $12/seat/mo Standard: $14/seat/mo Pro: $24/seat/mo Enterprise Tier: Custom All pricing is based on annual billing | Monday.com has a detailed dashboard where you can have all the information in one glance. It is an excellent option for small businesses who want to get an affordable project management tool. The integrations offered by Monday.com is more when compared to Asana. |
Nifty PM | Nifty PM offer 4 plans: Start : $39 per month Pro: $79 per month Business: $124 per month Enterprise: Contact the sales team The pricing is based on annual plans. | Nifty PM also called a logical alternative to Asana has some unique features to itself that is absent in Asana. Those features are project discussions, portable team chats, and document management. The interface of NiftyPM is super easy to use and switching to its platform is hassle-free. |
More alternatives to Asana
More alternatives to Asana
OK – so now that we have discussed Asana, Teamwork, NiftyPM, Monday.com, Hive and Wrike, it is also important to examine other solutions that may not be big in magnitude but are favourites of companies and specific teams looking to put their work processes in place.
Jira – Proven Asana alternative
Every business has a unique way of working. Jira project management software helps companies create a workflow that matches their needs and requirements.
It has a simple interface that allows enhanced collaboration with team members.
Jira has a customer satisfaction rate of 99%, and has more than 51,000 customers across the globe, some of which include eBay, Cisco, Spotify and LinkedIn.
Freedcamp – Risk- free alternative to Asana
Freedcamp is a web-based project management tool that helps millions of users to organize and collaborate effectively to get work done quickly and stay on top.
Freedcamp offers an extensive set of instruments along with discussion boards, calendar, time tracking, etc.
This project management software is ideal for businesses who want full control of their projects, budgets, time and resources.
It is easy to spearhead corporate campaigns and ensure transparent communication at all times within groups with proper resource management.
Trello – Bonus alternative to Asana
This is one of the easiest task management tools and Asana alternatives available in the market. Since its free version has a lot of offerings and helpful feature set, Trello project management software is a hit among marketers and small businesses.
Trello has a board and card system that allows the users to create lists and schedule the completion dates.
The users are then notified when the deadlines are near. Trello allows users to communicate with one another in real-time.
Its premium version is also reasonably priced. Members can be easily added or removed from the Trello boards.
Glip project management tool and other Asana alternatives offer an excellent way for users to collaborate on projects smoothly.
It is easy to switch back and forth between teams and projects. Since tasks are team specific, Glip support integrations with some applications and solutions across the digital spectrum.
Glip project management allows customization to a certain extent. The users can favorite different conversations and see them quickly in one stream.
Basecamp
Basecamp is a user-friendly project management tool that stands out with its simplicity. With clear and intuitive features, it excels in fostering collaboration and centralizing project information.
Basecamp’s flat-rate pricing, starting at $58/month, offers unlimited users and projects, making it ideal for small to medium-sized teams. Asana, on the other hand, provides more advanced task management capabilities and robust integrations, making it a better fit for larger organizations with complex workflows.
Its pricing starts at $10.99/user/month, which can be costly for larger teams.
Scoro
Scoro is a comprehensive business management software that offers a wide range of features beyond project management. It combines project planning, billing, and time tracking, making it suitable for service-based companies. Scoro’s pricing starts at $28/user/month, which includes project management functionality.
Asana, however, focuses solely on project management, providing more specialized tools and a simpler interface.
Asana’s pricing starts at $10.99/user/month, making it a more cost-effective option for teams primarily seeking project management solutions.
Adobe Workfront
Adobe Workfront, formerly known as Workfront, offers robust project management capabilities with a focus on enterprise-level organizations. It provides advanced features like resource management, custom workflows, and portfolio management.
However, Workfront’s pricing is higher compared to Asana, starting at $30/user/month, which can be a deterrent for smaller teams or budget-conscious organizations.
Asana, while lacking some of the advanced features, offers a more affordable pricing structure starting at $10.99/user/month and caters to a broader range of users.
Airtable
Airtable, a flexible collaboration platform, offers seamless integration with various tools and services, enabling users to create custom workflows and automate processes. Its spreadsheet-like interface makes it easy to organize data and collaborate on projects.
However, when compared to Asana, Airtable lacks some of the advanced project management features. Asana provides a more comprehensive set of project management tools, although it offers fewer integrations.
Choosing between the two depends on the specific needs of the team and the importance of integration capabilities.
Nutcache
Nutcache, a project management and time tracking tool, stands out with its affordable pricing plans. With pricing starting at $13/user/month, Nutcache offers a budget-friendly option for small teams. However, it may lack some of the advanced features and scalability that Asana provides.
Asana offers a more robust project management solution with a wider range of features and scalability options.
While Nutcache is cost-effective, teams looking for comprehensive project management capabilities may find Asana more suitable.
ClickUp
ClickUp is a feature-rich project management tool that excels in customization and scalability. It offers a wide range of integrations, allowing users to streamline their workflows. However, the sheer number of features can make ClickUp overwhelming for some users, and its pricing structure can be costly for larger teams.
Asana, with its intuitive interface and user-friendly approach, provides a more straightforward project management experience.
It offers a tiered pricing model starting at $10/user/month, making it a more cost-effective option for teams seeking a balance between functionality and simplicity.
16. MeisterTask
MeisterTask is a visually pleasing and user-friendly project management tool. With its Kanban-style interface, it simplifies task management and offers a seamless user experience. MeisterTask’s pricing starts at $8.25/user/month, making it an affordable choice for small to medium-sized teams.
However, when compared to Asana, MeisterTask lacks some of the advanced project management features and scalability options.
Asana provides a more comprehensive set of tools and customization capabilities, catering to a wider range of users and larger teams.
SmartTask
Value for money, SmartTask shines with its cost-effective plans and comprehensive features.
The platform offers task tracking and time logging tools that outshine Asana. With a flexible pricing model, it appeals to businesses of all sizes.
nTask
nTask, a budget-friendly choice, trumps Asana with its free plan offering advanced features. While comparable to Asana, its feature-rich plans often come at a fraction of the cost, making nTask a value proposition for small businesses.
ProofHub
ProofHub’s strength lies in its simplicity and straightforward pricing. It might lack Asana’s depth in integrations but triumphs with unlimited users and projects. However, Asana edges out in task management features.
20. Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project shines in its robust resource management and Gantt chart features, unlike Asana’s task-centric approach.
Pros & Cons: Microsoft Project has deep feature sets for complex project planning, but it can feel overwhelming for simple tasks. Asana, on the other hand, is user-friendly but lacks in-depth resource management.
Integration: Both platforms integrate well with other Microsoft tools, but Asana has broader third-party app integration.
QuickBase
QuickBase excels with its customizable workflows and data management, while Asana focuses on task management and collaboration.
Pros & Cons: QuickBase offers excellent customization but comes with a steep learning curve. Asana is easy to use, though less flexible.
Pricing: QuickBase’s pricing leans towards the high-end. Asana offers budget-friendly options but fewer data management tools.
Apptio Targetprocess
Apptio Targetprocess, designed for Agile project management, boasts strong visual reporting, compared to Asana’s broader task management focus.
Pros & Cons: Targetprocess excels in Agile workflows, but its complexity can be a downside. Asana’s simplicity is a boon, but it lacks Targetprocess’s Agile strength.
Integration: Targetprocess has limited third-party integrations, while Asana offers a wider range.
Podio
Podio offers a flexible, app-based approach to project management, unlike Asana’s task-oriented design.
Pros & Cons: Podio’s app-based design is customizable but may require tech-savviness. Asana is simpler but less adaptable.
Pricing: Podio offers competitive pricing, but extra features come at a cost. Asana offers more features in its basic plans.
Quip
Quip combines project management with collaborative document creation, whereas Asana is strictly a project management tool.
Pros & Cons: Quip is great for document collaboration, but lacks task management features. Asana excels in task management, but lacks document creation tools.
Pricing: Quip’s pricing can be steep for small teams. Asana offers more affordable plans but lacks Quip’s collaborative writing features.
LiquidPlanner
LiquidPlanner prioritizes projects based on best-case and worst-case scenarios, while Asana emphasizes individual tasks.
Pros & Cons: LiquidPlanner is perfect for dynamic project timelines but can feel complex. Asana is user-friendly, but less dynamic.
Integration: LiquidPlanner has less integrations compared to Asana’s wide array of third-party app integrations.
Bitrix24 Project Management
Bitrix24 merges project management with CRM and communication tools, unlike Asana’s pure project management approach.
Pros & Cons: Bitrix24 is a versatile all-in-one platform but might be overwhelming. Asana is straightforward but lacks Bitrix24’s versatility.
Pricing: Bitrix24 has competitive pricing but could get costly with add-ons. Asana’s pricing is simpler and more predictable.
Project Management Selection Grid:
Our Experience
Our Experience with Asana and it’s alternatives
As you can see, there is no dearth of online management tools across the globe. But just as no two businesses are same, their requirements and way of working will also differ.
What one software development company may use won’t fetch an ideal result for the second company.
But if you’re looking to switch your project management solution or are starting the workload management process from scratch, then it is not a bad idea to use Teamwork.
You get a 30-day trial period – complete with all features and functionalities – to check if Teamwork is something you are looking for.
What are your thoughts?
FAQs
What are some popular alternatives to Asana?
Popular alternatives to Asana include Hive, Trello, Monday, NiftyPM, Jira, and ClickUp. Each offers unique features like Trello’s card-based layout and Jira’s agile project management capabilities, catering to different project management needs.
What makes Asana so widely used?
Asana popularity stems from its intuitive interface, robust collaboration tools, and flexible project views, such as lists, timelines, and boards. This versatility makes it suitable for various team sizes and project types.
Is Asana still popular in the market?
Yes, Asana remains popular for its comprehensive task management and collaboration features, which facilitate efficient workflow management across teams, keeping projects on track and enhancing productivity.
What are the high costs associated with using Asana?
Asana higher pricing tiers provide advanced features like unlimited dashboards, custom fields, and advanced search, which can increase costs for businesses seeking these sophisticated project management tools.
What led to a decline in Asana popularity?
Factors like increasing competition from newer, more affordable tools, and some users finding the feature set either too complex or insufficient for their specific needs have slightly impacted Asana’s popularity.
What features is Asana missing?
While Asana is rich in features, it lacks built-in time tracking and a more comprehensive range of integrations, which some users find critical for seamless project management.
Which is more efficient, Slack or Asana?
Slack excels in real-time communication, while Asana is superior for task and project management. The choice depends on whether the priority is communication or project tracking.
Is Trello a better project management tool than Asana?
Trello is simpler and more visual with its Kanban boards, making it ideal for smaller projects and teams. Asana, however, offers more depth in task management, making it better for complex projects.
How does Asana compare to Jira in functionality?
Asana is user-friendly and great for general project management, while Jira is tailored for agile software development teams with features like sprints, issue tracking, and release management.
Is Asana a tool used by NASA?
There is no public record of NASA using Asana; organizations like NASA typically require highly specialized, secure, and customizable project management tools to handle complex projects.
Has Asana changed from being a free service?
Asana still offers a free tier, but it’s limited in features compared to its premium and enterprise plans, which provide more advanced functionalities and customization options.
What are some other tools like Asana?
Tools similar to Asana include Hive, NiftyPM, Basecamp, ClickUp, Wrike, and Smartsheet. Each offers unique project management functionalities that cater to different types of business needs and team dynamics.
Is Asana free to use without limitations?
Asana free tier offers basic features suitable for individuals and small teams, but it includes limitations like task and project caps that prompt many users to upgrade for more extensive features.
What is the cost of Asana per month?
Asana pricing starts around $10.99 per user per month when billed annually for the Premium plan, with costs increasing for additional features and capacities in the Business and Enterprise tiers.
Is Asana a company based in Israel?
No, Asana is based in San Francisco, California. It was founded by Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein in 2008.
Which version of Asana is considered the best?
The best version of Asana depends on your needs. The Business plan is highly regarded for its depth of features like advanced reporting and custom rules, catering to larger teams and complex projects.
What issues does Asana address?
Asana helps with team collaboration, project tracking, and work management. It addresses issues like missed deadlines, disorganized tasks, and communication breakdowns, making team workflows smoother and more transparent.
Why do people look for alternatives to Asana?
People seek alternatives to Asana for reasons like cost, a need for specific features like time tracking or advanced reporting, or a preference for a different user experience.
Who are Asana main competitors?
Asana main competitors include Hive, ClickUp, NiftyPM, Microsoft Planner, Trello, Monday.com, and Jira. These tools offer varied features that cater to different segments of the project management market.
What is the equivalent of Asana in Microsoft product lineup?
Microsoft Planner is the closest equivalent to Asana in Microsoft’s suite, offering task management and collaboration tools integrated with the Office 365 platform.
Does Google offer a product similar to Asana?
Google Tasks and Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) offer task management features, but they are less comprehensive compared to Asana specialized project management tools.
Can Asana be used indefinitely for free?
Asana can be used for free indefinitely, but with limited features. For expanded capabilities, upgrading to a paid plan is necessary.
Why do users choose Asana over other project management tools?
Users choose Asana for its intuitive design, robust task management capabilities, and excellent integration options, which enhance team collaboration and project visibility.
How is Asana positioned within the project management software market?
Asana is positioned as a premium, flexible tool in the project management software market, known for its ability to scale with businesses as they grow, from startups to large enterprises.
Awesome blog Ankit very informative. I really love it
Hai!
I must admit that I am a big fan of this blog now. We started using Asana some time back. Though we directly bought the Premium version without even trying, we never regretted it. The usage was smooth and very easy. I recommend it to everyone who prefers a smooth workflow.
Ankit, I would really enjoy if certain more innovations and features are added to Asana. Some of them would be online chatting, an announcement board for both the team members and management and desktop notifications. I guess if we get to see these features in the future then it will be really very helpful.
Thanks for the suggestion Sara. Asana is simple and clean task management tool.
I started encountering problems with Asana when my team size started increasing. There were certain features that I wanted like resource and workflow management, project budgeting and other planning tools. These were missing in Asana but available with Wrike so for me Wrike is now my go-to tool.
Yes, Gary Wrike is more suitable for bigger team, compared to Asana.