16 Best Visual Project Management Tools for 2024

Think back to the time when your team was confused about pre-defined project goals and objectives. Or when you couldn’t trace the path of a project’s workflow and had trouble finding and fixing bottlenecks on time.

The most common reason for this is the lack of a project visualization mechanism. This is where a visual project management tool comes into play. It presents your projects in a visual way, so you don’t get lost in the heap of information. Such tools bring more clarity and visibility in the project management process, ensuring that you spend less energy searching for information and use your time on what really matters.

Visual tools for project management are a respite for project managers and leaders. With better visualization comes more clarity and higher productivity, which in turn leads to better project outcomes.

In this blog, we will look at the top 15 visual project management software along with their features and pricing to help you make an informed choice.

A Quick Look at Visual Project Management Tools & Their Key Features

What is Visual Project Management?

Visual project management is a modern approach that uses visuals to define, plan, track, and analyze projects. It helps project managers get a simple yet comprehensive overview of how the projects are progressing right from initiation to execution.

With visuals like Gantt Charts, Calendars, and Kanban Boards, at the front and center of project management, it gets easier for project managers to manage the workload of their teams, track task progress, identify roadblocks and fix them in time. This ensures that projects are well-executed throughout their life-cycle without any hassles. 

List of the Best Tools for Visual Project Management

Here is a list of the best visual project management tools for you to compare and choose the one tool that perfectly meets your project needs and expectations. 

1. ProProfs Project

ProProfs Project is an excellent tool for visual project management. It offers a powerful dashboard that helps you visualize projects right from planning to execution. It allows you to take control of project workflow with interactive Gantt Charts, Kanban Boards, and Calendar view. 

These views provide a clear picture of how projects are progressing and whether they are moving on the right track. The tool’s beautiful Gantt Charts give an overview of the entire project’s life cycle, while its Kanban boards display the status of project tasks using cards and columns.

The tool lets you visualize a task status as ‘Open,’ ‘Completed’, or ‘On hold’. It also provides an all-in-one shared workspace where you can collaborate with team members via instant messaging, task comments, and file sharing.

Features:

• Gantt charts, Kanban boards, Calendar view, List view
• Workflow customization
• Time tracking
• Task and resource management
• Actionable reports and analytics
• Drag and drop functionality
• Simple and intuitive dashboard

Pricing:

Starts at $39.97/month.

What we liked: The tool offers multiple interactive views, enabling effortless project visualization.

What could be better: Third-party integrations could be improved.

2. Trello

Trello helps you stay organized and manage projects with maximum efficiency. With its Trello board, cards, and lists, you can create, assign, and track tasks easily. It offers checklists and task due dates that help you stay on top of project deadlines. You also get a built-in automation feature called – Butler that automates recurring and time-consuming activities so that you spend more time on the most valuable tasks.

Features:

• Dashboard, timeline, calendar & map views
• No-code automation
• File sharing
• Advanced checklists
• Labeling, tags & comments
• Drag and drop functionality
• Custom fields

Pricing:

Free – $0

Standard – $6/user/month

Premium – $12.50/user/month

Enterprise – $17.50/user/year

What we liked: It’s a great platform to collaborate with team members for achieving set goals.

What could be better: The ability to handle big, complex projects could be improved.

3. ClickUp

ClickUp lets you build customizable views so you can organize your work in a way that fits your workflow. Its Custom Fields allow you to add, view, and filter your views by those small but important details. On top of that, it has a built-in recording feature called Clip that makes it easy to quickly share relevant information with your teams.

Features:

• 15+ customizable views
• Global time tracking
• Real-time Dashboard analytics
• Workflow automation
• Drag and drop functionality
• Customizable templates
• 1,000+ integrations

Pricing:

• Free Forever – Free
• Unlimited – $5/user/month
• Business – $9/user/month
• Business Plus – $19/user/month
• Enterprise – Available on request

What we liked: Flexible views accommodate a wide variety of projects and users.

What could be better: Setting up advanced integrations can take some time.

4. Asana

If you’re looking for a simple tool for project management, Asana is one tool you can rely on. It allows you to track your work across teams and departments. It lets you set task priorities and deliver projects on time and within budget. You can now bid adieu to overlapping tasks with Asana’s solid project management capabilities. Besides, the tool’s project views offer real-time status updates so that you never miss a deadline again.

Features:

• Reporting capabilities
• Unlimited dashboards
• Task templates
• Milestone tracking
• Time tracking
• Custom fields
• Board, calendar, list view

Pricing:

Basic – $0

Premium – $13.49/user/month

Enterprise – $30.49/user/month

What we liked: It is one of the simplest project management tools.

What could be better: User interface.

5. Wrike

Wrike lets you map out a project’s workflow that gives team members a definite path to walk on and lead every task to successful execution. It helps you quickly set up workflows and customize them as per the existing project and team needs. In addition to this, you can also use Wrike to seamlessly manage your tasks and subtasks and allocate work after analyzing the bandwidth of each individual. 

Features:

• Shareable dashboards
• Web, desktop and mobile-friendly
• Interactive Gantt charts
• Custom workflows
• Real-time reporting
• Custom access roles
• Resource management

Pricing:

Free – $0

Professional – $9.80/user/month

Business – $24.80/user/month

Enterprise – Available on request

What we liked: Customizable workflows help you stay on track. 

What could be better: Tool’s flexibility with big and small projects.

6. Airtable

Airtable lets you visualize the entire project progress in a snap. This makes it easier for team members to track and achieve daily as well as monthly project targets. You can create custom interfaces that suit every team member’s workflow needs to achieve higher efficiency and better project results. Besides, its ability to sync project data across multiple devices allows team members to stay up-to-date with project progress.

Features:

• Kanban, grid, calendar, gallery views
• Automatic table syncing
• Unlimited workspaces
• Real-time task comments
• Drag and drop experience
• Automation integrations
• File sharing

Pricing:

Free – $0

Plus – $12/seat/month

Pro – $24/seat/month

Enterprise – Available on request

What we liked: Works well for executing projects with remote teams.

What could be better: Mobile application.

7. Monday.com

Monday.com helps coordinate workflows and teams from one easy-to-use platform. It helps you create tasks, allocate resources, and establish task dependencies all from one single dashboard.  You can manage simple as well as complex portfolios using its creation, organization, and prioritization features. The software also provides the option to analyze project progress and collaborate with team members effectively to achieve smooth-flowing projects.

Features:

• Gantt, timeline view
• Task automation
• Third-party integrations
• Private boards and docs
• Portfolio management
• Advanced reporting
• Customizable dashboard

Pricing:

Individual – $0

Basic – $24/month

Standard – $30/month

Pro – $48/month

Enterprise – Available on request

What we liked: Its interactive project views.

What could be better: Integrations with third-party apps.

Read More: Best Monday.com Alternatives for Project Management in 2022

8. Basecamp

Basecamp provides a crystal clear picture of project tasks and activities at your fingertips. It is an excellent tool for managing remote teams who are working on the same projects but find collaboration a huge challenge. It provides a platform that brings your remote teams together to achieve a common goal. Using Basecamp, you can create tasks and schedule them, allocate accurate resources, and define task deadlines effectively. 

Features:

• Message board
• File storage & sharing
• To-do lists
• Project templates
• Automatic check-ins
• Real-time chat
• Priority support

Pricing:

Basecamp Personal – $0

Basecamp Business – $99/month

What we liked: Managing remote teams is effortless with this tool.

What could be better: Learning curve.

9. Smartsheet Inc

Smartsheet offers project planning, tracking, and instant project visualization. It helps you keep a tab on all your work with interactive Gantt charts and card views. With these views, you can easily monitor the entire project execution process right from the start.  While this ensures that your projects are completed on time, it also helps you surpass your own project expectations in terms of quality.

Features:

• Unlimited automation
• Private sheets and reports
• Activity log
• User merge
• Event reporting
• Report grouping and summarizing
• Task dependencies

Pricing:

Pro – $7/month

Business – $25/month

Enterprise – Available on request

What we liked: It is convenient to track milestones on the go.

What could be better: Tool’s learning curve.

10. Proofhub

For projects that demand solid project visualization software, Proofhub is the right choice.  It helps you visualize projects and manage deliverables with ease. With a short learning curve, you can easily get familiar with the tool and use it to track multiple projects simultaneously. The tool allows you to bring all your project data together, enabling better team collaboration and efficient organization of project tasks and activities.

Features:

• Custom workflows
• Time tracking
• Task management
• Group chat
• Ready-to-use templates
• Advanced activity logs
• Project and resource reporting

Pricing:

Essential – $50/month

Ultimate control – $99/month

What we liked: Excellent task organization and visualization.

What could be better: Resource management.

11. Podia

Podia imparts a bird’s eye view of all your projects in one place. Its powerful project visualization features are carefully designed to get the job done in less time. Simple and intuitive, the tool allows you to streamline your work across projects in just a few clicks. You can rely on its project management capabilities to take your projects smoothly from one stage to the next. 

Features:

• Activity dashboard
• Project progress tracking
• Easy-to-use interface
• Certification & licensing
• Email management
• Video management
• Third-party integrations

Pricing:

Mover – $39/month

Shaker – $79/month

Earthquaker – $179/month

What we liked: User experience.

What could be better: Tool customization.

12. LiquidPlanner

LiquidPlanner gives complete visibility into a project’s health. It is all you need to stay on top of your tasks from anywhere and at any time you want. With this tool, you can align people and processes to achieve smooth-flowing projects. The tool offers predictive scheduling that helps you forecast and implement the best strategies for project management. The tool’s data-driven insights support important business decisions. This means you don’t have to spend hours trying to analyze project progress.

Features:

• Portfolio view
• Timesheet view
• Predictive scheduling
• Time tracking
• Alerts and notifications
• Change tracking
• Task management

Pricing:

Free – $0

Essential – $15/license/month

Professional – $25/license/month

Ultimate – $35/license/month

What we liked: Flexible and versatile tool for visualizing projects.

What could be better: Its user interface can be improved. 

13. Clarizen

Clarizen is packed with robust features that are intelligently designed to simplify your project management process and make it more transparent and chaos-free at the same time. It offers reports that give reliable insights into project processes and team performance, helping you identify gaps and address them on time. You can utilize these reports to gain a 360° view of your project progress, task schedules, time spent on projects, and much more. 

Features:

• Portfolio management
• Resource management
• Insightful reports and analytics
• File storage
• Custom fields and actions
• Intuitive UI
• Mobile friendly

Pricing:

Enterprise Edition – Available on request 

Unlimited Edition – Available on request

What we liked: Great tool to track multiple projects simultaneously.

What could be better: Integration capabilities.

14. Freedcamp

Freedcamp offers beautiful Gantt charts and Kanban boards for effortless project visualization. Using these visuals, you can create, track, and manage project tasks from a single dashboard. You can split large and complex tasks into smaller ones and ease task management tenfold. Also, you can visualize milestones and track all your tasks in one place without wasting time switching screens. More time saved means more productivity and efficiency.

Features:

• Milestone tracking
• Task management
• File sharing
• Issue tracker
• Invoicing capabilities
• Project reporting
• CRM capabilities

Pricing:

Free – $0

Pro – $2.49/user/month

Business – $8.99/user/month

Enterprise – $19.99/user/month

What we liked: Awesome Kanban boards.

What could be better: Intuitiveness of the tool’s interface.

15. Mavenlink

Mavenlink allows your projects to move faster with better data visualization. With its resource-first approach, it helps you forecast projects accurately, allowing you to maximize productivity and simplify processes. You can view project progress anywhere and anytime while streamlining workflows for better project outcomes. The tool is excellent for bringing transparency in projects and incorporating best practices for overall project management.

Features:

• Resource optimization
• Operations management
• Simple and intuitive interface
• Actionable reports and analytics
• Project accounting
• Project forecasting
• Third-party integrations

Pricing: Available on request

What we liked: The tool is a relief for visualizing and managing agile projects.

What could be better: Mobile application.

16. Easy Projects

Easy Projects provides a 360° view of your projects. It helps you visualize project tasks and activities and get everything done in a faster and better way. You can document a project’s workflow and lead similar projects to the execution stage with minimum hassles. The tool is incredible if you’re looking for something that helps you tap into the best business practices and boost your team’s performance.

Features:

• Portfolio management
• Time tracking
• Gantt charts, Kanban view
• Budget management
• Task dependencies
• Baseline tracking
• Milestone tracking

Pricing:

Team – $24/user/month

Enterprise – Available on request

What we liked: A great tool for tracking project workflow.

What could be better: User interface.

How to Choose the Right Visual Project Management Tool

Selecting an ideal tool involves keeping analyzing the tool on various parameters, such as:  

A. Feature-Rich

The visual project management tool you choose should be packed with key features such as Gantt Charts, Kanban Boards, workflow customization, time tracking, task automation, and many more. With these features, you can easily create and visualize projects, assign resources, and monitor the progress of each activity. 

B. Listed on Top Review Platforms

Top review websites like G2 and Software World bring credibility to a specific tool and its features. They ensure that a tool is genuine and offers the best-in-class features for project visualization. These reviews give a quick overview of a tool’s best features that makes its comparison with other tools easy. 

C. Honest & Recent User Reviews

Look for honest and reliable user reviews while selecting a visual project management tool. Popular review platforms like G2, Finance Online, and Capterra have real users giving a personal account of their experiences of using a tool and its features. Also, make sure that the reviews you refer to are not more than one or two years old.

D. High Ratings

Users often leave ratings on review platforms for a tool that they have used. These ratings give a decent idea of a tool’s capabilities and performance. Thus, go for a tool that has consistently received good ratings on leading review platforms. For selecting a visual project management tool, look for high ratings in terms of visual project management, task management, automation, workflow customization, etc.

E. Trial Version

It is best to go for a tool that offers a free trial version of minimum 15 days. Making a decision hastily without trying a tool’s features even once may cause you to regret wasting your time, money, and effort. The best visual project management tools come with a trial version of 15 to 30 days which is enough to get familiar with the features and scope of a tool. 

Read More: How to Choose the Best Collaboration Software for Your Organization

Must-have Features of Visual Project Management Tools

Here are some key features that a visual project management tool must have:

a. Gantt Charts, Kanban boards, and more

For solid project visualization, tools such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and Calendar view are everything you need to manage projects without spending hours in heaps of information. These tools make managing project activities and monitoring project progress much easier and streamlined. Such project views increase project visibility and transparency, assuring hassle-free project management right from the tool’s intuitive dashboard.

b. Resource Management

Resource management means the accurate allocation of both tangible and intangible resources. These resources may include people, equipment, and facilities that are allocated to a project for successful and timely delivery. The best visual project management software offers powerful resource management features that help you plan and monitor how efficiently each resource in the project is utilized.

c. Project Planning and Scheduling

An ideal visual project management tool offers solid planning and scheduling capabilities. This ensures crystal clear project workflows that allow team members and stakeholders to execute projects better. Besides, this helps everyone working on the project stay in the loop of project timelines, task responsibilities, and approaching deadlines, ensuring timely completion of projects.

d. Insightful Reports

Project reports help you monitor project progress and identify gaps in its execution. With a good visual project management tool, you can access AI-powered reports anywhere and anytime. These built-in reports are reliable and give you a transparent view of what’s going well in a project and what needs your attention. Moreover, you can access these reports as and when you need them – weekly, monthly, or yearly.

e. Collaborative Features

Instant messaging, feedback sharing, and file sharing are indispensable features that a visual project management tool must have for executing projects across teams and departments. Project teams can use these features to stay on the same page, work in sync, give and get feedback on tasks, discuss roadblocks, and much more. This aids in team coordination and smooth project management. 

f. Time Tracking

Time tracking is essential to track employee hours and identify which activity takes how much time. As a project manager, it keeps you informed about where your team members are engaged. It helps you measure a team member’s productivity and identify your top and poor performers. Also, these time tracking reports can be shared with clients and stakeholders to keep things transparent with them. 

Read More: 14 Team Communication Tools for Fast-Growing Organizations

Comparison of Best Visual Project Management Tools