Google Workspace (formerly known as GSuite and Google Apps) features several platforms for content creation with live editing features: Docs (for word processing), Sheets (for spreadsheets), and Slides (for presentations). It supports team communication with its video conferencing app, Meet, as well as an instant messenger, Chat. Google Calendar is also a comprehensive scheduling solution that allows you to view coworkers' availability. You can also easily sync calendars between your business and personal Gmail accounts (with privacy settings — not everyone needs to know about your podiatry appointment).

Microsoft 365’s best-known programs include Word (for word processing), Excel (for spreadsheets), and PowerPoint (for presentations). For real-time communication, Microsoft Teams offers both video conferencing and instant messaging. Outlook is Microsoft’s all-in-one solution for email, calendar, task management, and contacts. OneDrive, a storage service, automatically syncs documents saved to your computer to the cloud (while Google Drive requires additional add-ons for the same capability).

Just like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, Zoho offers cloud-based software with real-time editing capabilities. It also has the same communication features (video chat, instant messaging, and email). However, unlike Google and Microsoft, Zoho has built-in project management features to streamline productivity. Moreover, its flexible pricing plans are significantly more affordable than these competitors.

So, why isn’t Zoho Workplace more well-known? Common complaints include an email spam filter that prevents legitimate emails from being received, glitchy video conference, and a slow-to-respond customer support team. It’s also possible that this India-based software company just hasn’t got its footing in the United States yet.

Budgeting tools are what sets Teamwork apart from many of its competitors. You can create both time and financial budgets, and tools like time tracking allow you to track real-time costs. It also has built-in billing and invoices, making it easy to work with clients and contractors.

Teamwork offers multiple project management views, including lists, kanban, and gantt charts. This allows for versatile task management and planning. It also integrates with Google Drive and OneDrive, making it easy to collaborate on projects.

However, with so many features, Teamwork sacrifices a little user-friendliness. Your team may need multiple onboarding sessions to get up to speed with implementation. It’s also one of the more expensive team apps we reviewed — though it does offer a free plan. If you run a small agency or SMB, Teamwork may be a worthwhile investment.

Another benefit to Trello is its robust template library. Here, you’ll find templates for common tasks, like employee onboarding, publishing, and office party planning. These can save a ton of time when it comes to scaffolding subtasks.

Compared to its major competitors — Asana and Monday — Trello is a lightweight alternative. Its user interface is intuitive and easy to learn. It’s also extremely popular for personal use because it’s simple to organize tasks and to-do lists

However, its lightweight interface can also cause some problems. Some users find it difficult to organize large projects or projects with a lengthy timeline. That said, experienced users may have no problem with these issues.

When compared to similar project management tools, the main drawback of Trello is its lack of reporting features. It also does not come with time tracking. However, Trello users may add the Time Tracking & Reporting Power-Up to add value to their plan.

Asana tasks are streamlined, yet detailed. Project managers and stakeholders can add project briefs as a task description or attach external documents. Each Asana task allows for comprehensive timelines, granting the ability to assign subtasks with start and end dates. Users can also communicate in-app via comments, helpful for giving project updates.

Asana’s reporting feature is useful for visualizing workloads and planning budgets. When compared to its competitors, the only feature missing is the option to create invoices; however, you can add this feature through the TaskBill.io integration.

Speaking of integrations: Asana has fewer than some of its competitors but still offers more than 1,000 options, which should be comprehensive for most users. It also offers the option for developers to further customize the app via API.

One of the main appeals of using Meistertask is its slick visual interface. Users can upload a custom wallpaper and make other changes to design based on personal preferences. It also allows users to easily expand and collapse kanban boards, a feature that’s unique to this app.

A Meistertask can also be bundled with its companion software, MindMeister. MindMeister is a concepting and brainstorming tool. Integrating the apps together can help bring ideas into fruition and may be especially useful for product roadmapping.

The main drawback of Meistertask is its price point. While its free basic plan offers unlimited user seats, these accounts are limited to three projects. The pro plan starts at $14.49 and excludes individual user licenses. Because of this, it may not be a realistic option for large organizations on a budget. However, it’s a hit with freelancers and independent contractors who feel the product is worth the cost.

Monday offers reporting and tracking for company goals or OKRs. It also offers discounted pricing for eligible nonprofits and startups, making it an attractive option for growing organizations. As a project manager, it has comprehensive features, like flexible task views and time tracking.

Compared to similar products, Monday has a severe lack of outside integrations. It connects to 50 of the most popular varieties of business software. While adequate for most businesses, it lacks the powerful customization of its competitors (though developers may make use of its API).

Monday also offers Workdocs. Similar to cloud-based office suites, Monday’s docs are geared toward collaboration with real-time editing. However, this basic tool lacks advanced formatting options. It won’t replace your current word processor, but it is ideal for taking notes.

ClickUp is one of the best team apps because of its extremely comprehensive functionality. Its tasks, goals, and dashboards help boost team productivity. While most users adopt it for project management, its additional features make it a potential all-in-one business solution.

As a project manager, ClickUp offers 15 custom view options, including kanban boards and gantt charts. It also offers prebuilt task management templates to save time on planning tasks. Built-in features, like whiteboards and proofing feedback, help develop concepts to fruition.

ClickUp not only integrates with more than 1,000 outside apps but also has an API that allows developers to build custom features specific to your organization. The drawback? The platform is prone to tech issues, which can definitely throw a wrench into your workday.

As a project manager, Adobe Workfront offers powerful options for resource allocation. Specifically, Workfront helps with budgeting and labor distribution. It’s praised for its ability to streamline production while preventing burnout. It also offers billing and invoicing features, useful for contractors and businesses that work with outside clients.

For workflow management, Workfront competes with other leading project management software. It offers customizable viewing options, including kanban boards, gantt charts, and timelines. Users can view their assigned tasks and track progress, though its interface is less intuitive than competitors like Trello.

Due to its native integrations, Workfront may be the project manager of choice for businesses that rely on Adobe software. But when it comes to outside software integrations, Workfront is extremely limited. Still, it will work with Slack as well as most of Google and Microsoft’s products.

Why is Slack so popular? For starters, it intergrates with 2,400 apps — so it’s extremely easy to use with other existing software. Slack also has a number of chatbots and an API to help automate workflows, making it beloved by developers (though these features have a steep learning curve for the average user).

One of Slack’s most beloved features is its IRC-style channels. Slack channels not only streamline discussion, but also create spaces for workplace fun. After all, who doesn’t love scrolling #petphotos?

The biggest criticism of Slack is its potential for distraction. New Slack users may find themselves induated with notifications, which can quickly become quite annoying. This goes double when starting in a remote office that may not share your working hours or timezone. While users can configure notifications to meet their preferences, these settings may not be intuitive to beginners.

Fellow is a meeting management platform. Designed to make collaborative agendas, the app easily integrates with calendar and communication software. Use it to keep your meetings productive and discussions on topic.

Fellow is not a replacement for project management software. However, it may be a suitable solution for small teams who rely on daily standups to delegate tasks. That’s because the app allows specific action items to be assigned and organized in a to-do list.

The most common criticism of Fellow is its limited integrations, especially with project management platforms. It also does not integrate with Microsoft products. That said, it’s a great tool for Asana and Goolge Workspace users.

One of Miro’s biggest assets is its template library. A variety of designs can be used to jumpstart idea generation. It also includes assets like a kanban framework (though it should be noted that Miro does not have the task management features of project planning software like Asana, Trello, or Monday).

Miro also offers a presentation mode. This can be used to present flowcharts and graphs. For more traditional presentations, you can create slides. That means Miro is an alternative to Microsoft and Google’s presentation software.

The downside of Miro is that there is no offline mode — users must be connected to the internet in order to use it. Another common complaint from users is that the platform may load slowly if too many people are online and collaborating.

While Notion isn’t primarily a project management platform, it offers templates that can be used to organize tasks and track progress. This, combined with its price point, makes it a potential comprehensive business solution. In other words, a Notion subscription offers more than subscriptions to similar platforms.

That said, before you buy, you should be aware that not all of their templates are free. While anyone can create tables and designs in Notion, it has a steep learning curve and may not be accessible to all users. It also lacks an offline mode, and some users criticize the mobile app as being clunky and hard to use.

On ther other hand, Notion has a dedicated fanbase that swears by the app. That means that learning the ropes may be worth it, particularly if you self-identify as having a “type A” personality (or just love a well-organized project).

Unlike Teamwork, OnTheClock does not offer robust project management features. However, it is a cost-effective alternative for time tracking. Paid plans start at $4 per user the month. All plans include a free 30-day trial.

OnTheClock is accessible via browser or mobile device. Its mobile app has live GPS tracking capabilities, useful for preventing time theft. It also offers reporting features to designed for accurate labor budgeting. This time tracking system is ideal for SMBs aiming to maximize profits and streamline payroll processes.