Product management tools are a dime a dozen, all claiming to be the one that will change your life. How are you supposed to know which one is right for you and your team? One person will tell you that they live and die by one, and another will say that same tool is the worst they’ve ever used. It all comes down to what your needs are and how you intend on using the tool. So let’s dive into the top five most recommended tools and why you should (or shouldn’t…we don’t judge) use them. 

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Asana

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Meet Asana. It’s quite popular among both product and marketing teams. Which makes it ideal for a large user base. It is adaptable to most agile methodologies and doesn’t significantly interrupt your workflow. 

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When first signing in, there is a slight learning curve. The navigation is initially a little confusing but they have helpful tutorials on their website to help you maximize the value you are hoping to get. That being said, it’s worth putting in the effort to learn because the tool is really great to visualize future project plans.

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They do have a desktop app which can be helpful if you are a tab hoarder like myself. The basic free version is marginal so if you really want to get the most out of it on a team base, you’ll want to pay. And their pricing is on the higher end of these tools. 

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ClickUp

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If you’ve driven down any major highway in the western US, you may have seen billboards for ClickUp. This company has taken the product management area by storm. And for good reason! It’s really easy to use and the free tier of the platform is great! You won’t need to pay for anything unless you are a slightly larger team or looking to scale. 

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As far as ease of use, it’ll take you about 15 minutes to get your bearings enough to make the tool really work for you. The set up is easy to understand and can be customized (nearly) to your heart’s content. The most convenient part of the tool is that you can add a task from any page. Simple, but helpful. That being said, you can get a little lost in the list jungle. 

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Overall, the free tier is actually worth your time, teams can easily align, and the UX is friendly and understandable. 

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Jira

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You would have to be living under a rock to not know about Jira. It’s the well-known beast of product development. This tool is extremely powerful and can be customized to your heart’s content. 

While the learning curve and user experience is more complicated than most, Jira makes up for it in it’s ability to scale with you. Taking the time to train yourself and your team will pay off in the long run. There is a reason Jira is so common, especially among larger companies with many teams and projects. The power and capabilities of Jira are nearly unmatched.

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The first ten users are free which is great for small start ups but generally teams of that size don’t need to start out on something that powerful outside of the software development space. The pricing afterwards is comparable to all of the other tools. Where it can really get pricey is through additional add-ons that may be necessary if you are looking to fully customize the tool. 

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monday.com

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If you want an all-arounder, monday.com should be high on your list. Easy to customize, highly visual, relatively easy to understand, and set up. The onboarding process is one of my personal favorites. They ask you easy questions to help you with the initial setup but the whole process leaves you still feeling in control. 

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Pricing varies. The free version only allows for two seats and the price goes up from there. So consider doing a trial run first before committing to it. 

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Monday.com is where you can keep files, conversations, and checklists in one place. While there is no portfolio management, if you are looking for one tool to solve the majority of your pm tool needs, monday.com would probably be it. Bonus that you can use them off wifi in the app. 

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Trello

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Trello is the workhorse that does what it’s meant to do. It’s not the fanciest, it’s not the most powerful, but it’s simple and effective. Especially if you are using kanban or some version of scrumban. The learning curve is next to nothing. The only draw back is the free version will only get you so far with a small team. Obviously every free version is going to have limitations but there are other tools that will get you further if you are on a budget.

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That being said, Trello is a real winner if you know that you want to work with boards and have high collaboration. Tagging is simple and the notifications are great. It’s an easy tool to  pick up and will create great value for you and your team. 

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Naturally, there are pros and cons to every tool. But it’s nice to know what you’re getting into before you sign the dotted line. I have my personal favorite when working one way but I have another favorite when I work another. So it all comes down to what process  you want to or already use and which tool fits into that best. From there, the choice is pretty simple! And once you’ve got that figured out, come talk to us. We’ll make what you already have in place better!

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Kyra Menzel

Director of Accounts and Products