Best PM Tools for Small Business
The best project management tools for small businesses in 2026. Easy to use, affordable, and effective for teams of 5-50.
What We Look For
Our Top 5 Picks
Monday.com
#1Work OS for teams of all sizes
Monday.com is a cloud-based Work OS that lets teams create workflow apps to run processes, projects, and everyday work.
Pros
- Highly visual and colorful interface
- Very flexible and customizable
- Strong automation engine
- Great templates marketplace
- Good CRM integration
Cons
- Pricing adds up quickly
- Free plan very limited
- Can be slow with large datasets
- Steep learning curve for advanced features
Trello
#2Visual tool for organizing work
Trello is a visual collaboration tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to organize projects and tasks.
Pros
- Dead simple to use
- Great free plan
- Perfect for Kanban
- Strong Power-Up ecosystem
- Fast and lightweight
Cons
- Limited for complex projects
- No native Gantt chart
- Reporting is basic
- Not ideal for large teams
Asana
#3Work management platform for teams
Asana is a web and mobile work management platform designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work and projects.
Pros
- Intuitive interface
- Strong automation features
- Excellent integrations
- Good free tier
- Multiple project views
Cons
- Expensive at scale
- No built-in time tracking
- Limited customization on free plan
- Can be overwhelming for simple projects
ClickUp
#4One app to replace them all
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform that combines project management, docs, goals, and chat in a single application.
Pros
- Most features for the price
- Generous free plan
- All-in-one platform
- Highly customizable views
- Built-in docs and whiteboards
Cons
- Can feel overwhelming
- Performance issues with large workspaces
- Frequent UI changes
- Mobile app less polished
Basecamp
#5All-in-one project management & team communication
Basecamp is a real-time communication and project management tool that provides a simple, organized way for teams to collaborate.
Pros
- Simple and opinionated
- Flat pricing for teams
- Built-in chat (Campfire)
- No per-user pricing (Business)
- Great for remote teams
Cons
- No Gantt charts
- Limited customization
- No time tracking
- Basic reporting
- No kanban boards
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Tool | Rating | Free Plan | Starting Price | Integrations | Time Tracking | Sprints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday.com | ★ 4.4 | ✓ | Free | 200+ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Trello | ★ 4.4 | ✓ | Free | 200+ | — | — |
| Asana | ★ 4.3 | ✓ | Free | 200+ | — | — |
| ClickUp | ★ 4.2 | ✓ | Free | 1000+ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basecamp | ★ 4 | — | $15 | 50+ | — | — |
How We Rank Tools
Our rankings are based on hands-on testing, feature analysis, pricing evaluation, and real user feedback. We re-evaluate tools quarterly to ensure our recommendations stay current. Affiliate partnerships do not influence our rankings or editorial decisions.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our editorial independence.