Managing projects can feel overwhelming without the right tools to keep your team organized and collaborative. Monday.com is a popular choice for project management, but it may not suit everyone's needs. If you want a tool that offers more flexibility, enhanced features, or better value for your budget, it is time to explore alternatives.
This article highlights the top 10 alternatives to Monday.com. These tools help your team streamline project management and boost efficiency.
Breakdown and review of Monday.com
Image source: Monday
Monday.com is a cloud-based platform to improve team collaboration and streamline project management. It is a centralized hub where tasks are organized, progress is tracked, and teams can collaborate efficiently.
Key features:
Customizable Boards: Monday.com offers fully customizable boards that allow teams to organize projects, track progress, and visualize workflows.
Automation: Save time by automating repetitive tasks such as status updates, notifications, and deadline reminders, enabling your team to focus on more critical work.
Multiple Views and Dashboards: Visualize your work with various views like Kanban, Gantt, Calendar, and more, allowing you to monitor projects in the format that suits your workflow.
Collaboration Tools: Centralize communication with features that allow for updates, comments, and file sharing directly on tasks, reducing the need for endless email threads.
Integrations: Connect Monday.com with popular tools, including Slack, Zoom, and Google Workspace, to streamline processes and create a unified workflow.
Templates: Get started quickly with pre-built templates for a variety of use cases, including marketing, sales, HR, and product development.
Why do you need an alternative to Monday for project management?
Monday.com is a great project management tool, but despite its fantastic features, it may not work for all teams. Common challenges include:
Lack of flexibility: Teams with unique workflows may struggle with Monday.com’s rigid structures.
Complex pricing: Monday’s pricing structure can be difficult for growing teams with specific needs to navigate.
Limited customization: Many users find it hard to align the platform with their processes.
Steep learning curve: New users often need help navigating the platform, which can slow productivity.
These challenges make it essential to explore alternatives. Tools like Lark offer better flexibility, affordability, and ease of use for more efficient project management.
Top 10 Monday alternatives for project management
Finding the right project management tool can boost productivity, teamwork, and efficiency. This list will help you choose the best tool for your needs.
1. Lark
Image source: Lark
Lark is an all-in-one platform designed to simplify teamwork and communication. It combines messaging, video conferencing, document collaboration, and scheduling into one workspace.
Within the Lark ecosystem lies Lark Base, a versatile project management platform designed to help teams plan, execute, and track projects with precision. It is also built to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and deliver actionable insights.
Image source: larksuite.com
Key features:
Build and organize flexible databases to match specific project needs, using advanced permissions to control access to sensitive project data.
Convert project tables into forms to gather input from stakeholders or teams and sync multiple project tables into a single view for cross-project insights.
Use the Base X OpenAI integration to simplify project documentation. With a single prompt, you can easily generate status updates, meeting minutes, and other deliverables.
Instantly convert project metrics into actionable insights with easy-to-read graphs and charts. Visual dashboards allow teams to track KPIs, resource utilization, and team performance.
Automate task assignments and status updates to keep projects moving forward and schedule automated notifications and reminders to ensure deadlines are met
Import project data from Excel in one click and transform it into intuitive dashboards.
Easily switch between views such as Kanban, Gantt, and Grid to match your workflow and project requirements.
Other features of Lark Base
Share data, dashboards, and updates effortlessly within and across teams.
Manage both small tasks and large-scale projects within the same platform.
Use Lark Base on desktop or mobile for on-the-go project management.
Seamlessly integrates with other Lark apps to create a unified project management solution:
Lark Messenger is used to communicate and coordinate with teams.
Lark Calendar is used to plan project milestones and set deadlines.
Docs and Wiki to share and collaborate on project documents and resources.
Lark OKR for tracking the company’s objectives and key results
Approval to simplify the approval process for project deliverables.
Pros:
Improved communication and collaboration with integrated messaging, scheduling, and file-sharing tools.
Reduces manual work with automated workflows and task reminders.
Flexible database structures adapt to a wide range of project needs.
It helps businesses enhance productivity and organize workflows with a range of streamlined features.
Secure and scalable for businesses of various sizes.
Alt text: Lark Base automated workflow
Image source: https://www.larksuite.com/product/base
Cons:
Advanced features and customizability may require time to master.
Pricing:
Free with paid plans starting at $12/user/month.
Review rating:
4.5/5 on G2
Use case:
Lark is ideal for:
Large businesses that require real-time communication to share documents and coordinate tasks efficiently.
Startups and small to mid-sized teams aiming to boost collaboration and communication.
Organizations focused on operational excellence look to organize workflows and ensure seamless execution of plans.
Frontline and retail teams that need to access project information on the go.
Diverse teams that benefit from automatic translation features, ensuring smooth communication across language barriers.
2. Airtable
Image source: Airtable
Airtable blends project management with business processes, enabling teams to track progress, allocate resources, and standardize workflows efficiently.
Key features:
Project tracking to monitor tasks, projects, and programs seamlessly.
Resource management to gain insights into resource allocation to prevent burnout and maximize productivity.
Customizable workflows to create repeatable processes and tailor them to your business needs.
Collaboration tools to keep teams aligned, even across global operations.
Pros:
Customizable templates for various functions.
Intuitive interface and easy integration with existing workflows.
Facilitates collaboration across diverse teams.
Cons:
Pricing may be steep for small teams.
Review rating:
4.6/5 on G2
Pricing
Free for basic features, with paid plans starting at $20/user/month.
Use case:
Airtable is best suited for the following types of teams:
Marketing to design and track campaigns effectively.
Product development to streamline product launches.
Operations to organize workflows for operational excellence.
HR & Finance for simplify hiring, payroll, and financial planning processes.
3. Asana
Image source: Asana
Asana is a versatile project management platform designed to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and improve team productivity. It enables teams to organize tasks, monitor progress, and meet deadlines effectively.
Key features:
Break work into manageable tasks with clear owners and deadlines.
You can access multiple visualizations, including lists, calendars, timelines, Kanban boards, and Gantt charts.
Add labels for sorting, filtering, and automating reports.
Automate workflows to save time and focus on strategic tasks.
Connect with 270+ apps, including Slack, Zoom, Gmail, and Google Calendar.
Seamlessly manage work across devices.
Pros:
Ease of use for beginners and professionals.
Effective task and project management tools.
It promotes team collaboration and organization.
Cons:
Missing advanced features in lower-tier plans.
Some features are limited or not intuitive.
Pricing:
Free for basic features, with paid plans starting at $12/user/month.
Review rating:
4.4/5 on G2
Use case:
Asana supports various industries and workflows like:
Project management and goal planning for streamlined workflows.
Marketing campaigns and content calendars for creative teams.
Product development and sprint planning for engineering teams.
Employee onboarding and candidate tracking for HR teams.
4. ClickUp
Image source: ClickUp
ClickUp is an all-in-one platform designed for project management, offering connected workflows, real-time dashboards, tailored views, and automation to help teams work smarter, faster, and more efficiently.
Key features:
Centralized knowledge and work management
Customizable views for cross-functional projects
Automation and advanced reporting
Scalable project management best practices
Pros:
Versatile and feature-rich
User-friendly interface
Strong automation capabilities
Cons:
It can feel overwhelming for beginners
Advanced features may require a learning curve
Pricing:
Free for basic features, with paid plans starting at $7/user/month.
Review rating:
4.7/5 on G2
Use case:
ClickUp is ideal for:
Digital agencies for streamlining workflows and managing client projects efficiently.
Marketing teams to support planning campaigns, tracking performance, and collaborating on creative tasks.
Software teams managing product roadmaps, sprint planning, and bug tracking.
5. Notion
Image source: Notion
Notion is an all-in-one workspace that combines project management, note-taking, and collaboration features to help teams and individuals stay organized.
Key features:
Customizable templates for task management
Real-time collaboration
Drag-and-drop interface for organizing tasks
Database management for project tracking
Integration with tools like Google Calendar and Slack
Pros:
Highly customizable interface
Great for small teams and individual use
All-in-one workspace (notes, tasks, databases)
Free tier available
Cons:
Its user interface can get overwhelming for new users
Lacks advanced project management features like Gantt charts
Performance can slow down with large datasets
Pricing:
Free for personal use with a paid plan starting at $8/month.
Review rating:
4.7/5 on G2
Use case:
Great for individuals, small teams, and startups needing a simple, customizable tool for task management, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. Suitable for managing projects, tracking goals, and organizing workflows.
6. Trello
Image source: Trello
Trello is a collaborative project management tool trusted by millions of teams worldwide. It helps manage projects and tasks in flexible and visually appealing presentations, using boards, lists, and cards.
Key features:
Templates for HR and operations (e.g., Recruiting Pipeline, Employee Manual)
Task tracking and project management
Customizable workflows with databases
Real-time collaboration and sharing
Integrates with tools like Slack and Google Calendar
Pros:
Highly customizable and flexible
All-in-one solution for note-taking and project management
Strong focus on collaboration with team members
User-friendly interface, suitable for a range of tasks (e.g., HR, operations)
Cons:
It can be overwhelming for beginners
Limited advanced project management features
Performance may lag with larger datasets or complex pages
Pricing:
It is free for individual use, and the paid plan starts at $8/month.
Review rating:
4.4/5 on G2
Use case:
Popular in HR, software development, marketing, and other industries that need efficient tracking and communication.
7. Jira
Image source: Jira
Jira is an agile project management tool that helps teams manage, track, and release software. It incorporates various agile methodologies, including Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid frameworks. Jira allows teams to plan, track, and manage all aspects of their development process from a single platform.
Key features:
Sprint planning to prioritize and adjust backlog in real-time
Scrum board to track and visualize sprint progress
Set limits to prevent bottlenecks
Coordinate and manage multiple teams effectively
Pros:
Highly customizable workflows, issue types, and permissions to fit team needs.
Seamlessly integrates with many other tools, such as Confluence, Slack, and GitHub.
Advanced reporting features (Burndown charts, Velocity charts) to track team performance and identify bottlenecks.
Suitable for both small teams and large organizations, with features supporting scaling Agile practices.
Cons:
It can overwhelm new users due to its extensive features and configuration options.
It can become expensive for larger teams, with a subscription model based on the number of users.
It may require dedicated resources to maintain and configure, particularly for larger teams.
Pricing:
Paid plans start at $5 per user/month (billed annually)
Review rating:
4.3/5 on G2
Use case:
Jira is ideal for agile teams managing complex projects that require robust tracking, reporting, and collaboration. It is widely used in software development, IT, and product management environments, where teams need to manage backlogs, sprints, and deliverables across multiple projects or teams.
8. Wrike
Image source: Wrike
Wrike is a work management platform designed to streamline workflows, enhance team collaboration, and improve visibility across projects, with features for project planning, task management, automation, and reporting.
Key features:
Customizable views (Gantt charts, Kanban boards)
Task and project management
Time-tracking and reporting
Automation for routine tasks
Enterprise-grade security and 24/7 support
Pros:
Wrike offers an intuitive interface, quick onboarding, and customization options, making it ideal for teams of all sizes.
Provides 360° visibility into workflows, improving team collaboration and aligning strategies with execution.
Automates routine tasks, like approvals and request forms, helping teams save time and improve efficiency.
Offers enterprise-grade security, 24/7 global support, and powerful tools for complex work management.
Cons:
The free version has limited features, particularly task management and team collaboration.
Some users may face a learning curve due to its extensive features.
Pricing:
Wrike is free for new teams, and the paid plan starts at $10 per user per month.
Review rating:
4.3/5 on G2
Use case:
Wrike is ideal for teams and organizations seeking to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and manage complex projects efficiently. It is instrumental in industries requiring high visibility, security, and automation, such as media, tech, and enterprise environments.
9. Smartsheet
Image source: Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a project management platform that connects people, processes, and information. It empowers teams to collaborate, automate tasks, and deliver projects efficiently.
Key features:
Project planning with Gantt, Kanban, and Grid views
Resource and budget management
Workflow automation
Analytics and real-time reporting
Seamless integrations with platforms like Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams
Pros:
Easy project management with different views (Gantt, Grid, Board, Calendar).
Unlimited viewers and team collaboration
Helpful automation and formulas.
Real-time reporting and customizable templates
Cons:
It can be expensive for small teams.
Some features like AI formulas and SSO are only available in the Enterprise plan.
Pricing:
The plan starts at $9/member/month.
Review rating:
4.4/5 on G2
Use case:
Smartsheet is ideal for project management, resource planning, budget tracking, and automating workflows in technology, marketing, and healthcare industries.
10. Basecamp
Image source: Basecamp
Basecamp is a project management and team collaboration tool that simplifies team workflows, communication, and tracking. It offers a single, organized platform where teams can manage tasks, schedules, documents, discussions, and more. Basecamp is known for its simplicity, user-friendly interface, and ability to consolidate all project-related activities in one place, reducing the need for multiple tools.
Key features:
Includes features for managing to-dos, tracking progress, and assigning responsibilities.
Integrates a project calendar to track deadlines, milestones, and events.
Works well with tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Adobe for seamless file sharing.
Pros:
Simple, one-page project organization with everything in one place.
Unlimited guest invites (for Basecamp).
Easy integration with tools like Google Drive and Dropbox.
Great for freelancers, startups, and small to medium teams.
Cons:
Limited storage (500 GB) for the regular Basecamp plan.
There are no advanced customization options compared to other platforms.
Pricing:
Basecamp offers two plans, each with a 30-day free trial and no credit card required. Pricing starts at $15 per user per month.
Review review:
4.1/5 on G2
User case:
Basecamp is ideal for freelancers, small teams, startups, and businesses looking for an easy-to-use platform that simplifies project management and team collaboration.
Criteria for choosing the best project management software
Choosing the best project management software requires considering several criteria to ensure it meets the needs of your project and team. Here’s a breakdown of the key factors:
Ease of use: Your choice of software should be easy to use and not too complicated. A tool that’s hard to navigate can slow down the team and reduce productivity. Look for a simple, clean interface with easy-to-find features. Lark is a good example, offering a simple interface where team members can easily create tasks, update progress, and communicate with each other.
Price: Remember that effective project management software should fit your budget, especially when managing many projects or large teams. The price should match the features it offers.
Functionality: An efficient project management software should have the essential tools for your projects, like task tracking, timelines, Gantt charts, collaboration tools, and reporting.
Security: Security is important, especially when dealing with sensitive data. Find software that has strong protection to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
Integration: The software should integrate well with your existing tools, such as email, calendars, communication apps, and file-sharing tools. It should also support custom integrations if you need them.
Customer support: Good customer support is key, especially when encountering issues. Your software should offer responsive customer support through multiple channels and have a helpful help center, user guides, and community forums to assist with any questions or problems.
Manage your projects using Lark
Managing projects can be challenging without clear communication, defined priorities, and organized workflows. When these elements are missing, tasks get overlooked, deadlines slip, and teams lose focus—leading to delays and inefficiencies.
Confusion over priorities wastes time, while miscommunication and a lack of structure result in neglected or duplicated tasks. Without a clear system, it’s hard to track progress or know what still needs attention.
Lark, with its powerful features including Lark Base, solves these problems by keeping teams aligned and organized. Real-time updates ensure every task is tracked, while shared documents enable seamless collaboration in one place—eliminating scattered files and endless email chains. With Lark, project management is simple. You can assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress easily, all without relying on multiple tools or complicated processes. By streamlining workflows, Lark saves time, reduces confusion, and keeps projects moving forward effortlessly.
