Best Project and Task Management Tools

Microsoft Planner brings task management into the Microsoft 365 environment, including web and Teams experiences. It is relevant to Australian businesses already using Microsoft tools for communication and documents. Basic Planner access depends on an eligible subscription, while premium plans provide additional project planning capabilities for teams needing more structure.

• Organise assignments, checklists, labels and deadlines in shared plans. Board and grid views help employees see responsibilities without moving everyday work into a completely separate software environment.
• Premium licences add features such as timelines, dependencies and milestones. Review the precise licence required for advanced planning, portfolio functions or related Microsoft Project capabilities before purchasing.
• Compare existing Microsoft 365 entitlements with additional user licences and any automation or AI costs. Test guest access, permissions, notifications and reporting using a real team project.

Our view: A logical starting point for Microsoft 365 users seeking connected task coordination.

Trello uses boards, lists and cards to organise work visually. Australian businesses can use it for everyday tasks, content schedules and straightforward project tracking. Its free offering provides a starting point, while paid tiers expand functionality and allowances. Teams should compare workspace limits and collaboration requirements before choosing a subscription.

• Move cards between workflow stages, add checklists and attach supporting information. Comments, due dates and assignments help small teams coordinate responsibilities without designing a complex project management process.
• Built-in automation can reduce repetitive board updates. Additional views and planning tools depend on the tier, while Power-Ups connect boards with other applications or extend their functionality.
• Check collaborator limits, automation allowances and the cost of required Power-Ups. Test whether the board approach supports dependencies, cross-project reporting and the level of scheduling detail you need.

Our view: A practical shortlist option when clear visual task tracking is the main requirement.

Asana helps teams organise projects, assign work and track progress across business functions. It suits Australian organisations coordinating activities such as marketing, operations and client delivery. The Personal tier offers limited free access, while paid plans expand planning and administration. Choose according to team size and the complexity of shared projects.

• Use tasks, subtasks, due dates and project views to clarify responsibilities. Comments and supporting files keep discussions close to the work, helping reduce scattered updates across separate channels.
• Paid capabilities include more advanced planning, rules and reporting, with portfolios and workload tools depending on the selected tier. Demonstrate your recurring processes before relying on workflow automation.
• Compare seat requirements, guest rules, integrations and optional extras. Review how deadlines, dependencies and project ownership will be maintained, and test reporting with the people responsible for delivery.

Our view: A useful comparison when several teams need shared visibility over project responsibilities.

monday.com offers flexible boards for tracking projects and business processes. Its work management product is relevant to Australian teams wanting to adapt fields, views and workflows to their own operations. The free plan has limited scope, while paid tiers expand capabilities. Compare work management separately from monday CRM and development products.

• Build boards around tasks, owners, dates and project information. Different views can help teams understand progress, although timeline, Gantt and other capabilities depend on the subscription selected.
• Automation and integrations support repeatable workflows, subject to action allowances. Dashboards and workload tools can combine information across projects when the appropriate tier and configuration are available.
• Compare seat bundles, minimum commitments, AI credits and the cost of required integrations. Trial your actual workflow rather than relying only on templates, and establish who will maintain boards.

Our view: Worth considering for teams wanting adaptable work tracking across several business processes.

Jira is an Atlassian work tracking platform commonly associated with software and agile teams. Australian businesses can use its configurable workflows to manage issues, tasks and delivery processes. Its free and paid cloud tiers provide different allowances and administrative capabilities, so the right choice depends on team size and project complexity.

• Organise work items through boards, backlogs and sprints. Configurable statuses and fields help teams represent their delivery process, including responsibilities, priorities and the information required before work progresses.
• Timelines, dashboards and agile reports support planning and progress reviews. More extensive cross-team planning and governance depend on the selected tier and any additional Atlassian products or apps.
• Compare user charges, automation allowances and marketplace app subscriptions. Test permissions, issue structure and reporting early, since a clear configuration and ongoing administration help keep the system useful.

Our view: A strong shortlist option for technical teams needing structured delivery workflows.

ClickUp combines task and project management with documents and collaboration tools. Australian businesses can use it to centralise several work processes in one workspace. Its Free Forever tier offers limited access, while paid plans expand functionality and allowances. The breadth of features makes a clear setup and team onboarding useful.

• Manage tasks, subtasks and custom statuses through lists, boards and other views. Templates can help establish repeatable projects, but the structure should reflect how your team actually works.
• Planning, time tracking, dashboards and automation are available across the product range with tier limits. Documents and communication features can connect supporting information with project tasks and decisions.
• Compare paid member and guest rules, storage, automation allowances and optional AI services. Trial notifications, permissions and reporting, and nominate someone to maintain a consistent workspace structure.

Our view: A useful comparison for teams seeking a broad set of connected work tools.

Notion combines documents, databases and collaborative workspaces, making it relevant to Australian businesses managing projects alongside internal knowledge. Teams can build task systems using templates and database properties rather than adopting a fixed workflow. Its free and paid plans differ in collaboration allowances and features, so check requirements before rollout.

• Create project pages and task databases with owners, dates and statuses. Board, calendar and timeline views provide different ways to organise information for team members.
• Connect project work with meeting notes, procedures and shared reference material. Database automation and advanced workspace controls depend on the plan, while specialist reporting or time tracking may require integrations.
• Compare member and guest limits, permissions, file allowances and any AI usage costs. Test database relationships and template maintenance, and confirm that the setup provides sufficient planning detail for your projects.

Our view: A practical choice when shared documentation is as important as task tracking.

Wrike offers project and work management tools for teams coordinating structured delivery. It is relevant to Australian organisations managing operational projects, client work and creative production. Free access provides essential task management, while paid packages expand planning and control. Buyers should compare features and deployment requirements of the proposed subscription.

• Organise tasks, subtasks and project information through different views. Scheduling and dependency tools can help managers coordinate connected work when paid capabilities are included in the plan.
• Dashboards, reporting and resource tools support wider visibility across projects. Approval and creative review requirements should be demonstrated explicitly, including any functionality that depends on a higher tier or add-on.
• Request a trial or demonstration using your actual delivery process. Compare user commitments, integrations, professional services and support, and establish the effort required for migration and consistent team adoption.

Our view: Worth comparing when project structure and delivery oversight are central requirements.