Creative projects can be challenging to manage, as they can require tons of team collaboration and concept visualization. The right project management software for a creative team can help optimize the process.

SEE: Hiring kit: Project manager (TechRepublic Premium)

We have compiled a list of top project management software for creative teams in 2023. We share the pros, cons, features and pricing of each project management software for Windows and Mac users. You will also find information on our methodology for picking these vendors and some important features to consider when deciding which software to choose for creative teams.

Top creative project management software comparison

This table shows how each of the top creative project management software options compare in some of the core features.

SoftwareKanban boardsExternal file sharingFree trial24/7 supportStarting price (annual plan)
JiraYesYesYesYesFree plan available
Paid plans start at $7.75 per user per month
monday work managementYesYesYesYesFree plan available
Paid plans start at $8 per user per month
ClickUpYesYesYesYesFree plan available
Paid plans start at $5 per user per month
ConfluenceNoYesYesYesFree plan available
Paid plans start at $5.75 per user per month
AsanaYesYesYesYesFree plan available
Paid plans start at $10.99 per user per month
TrelloYesYesYesNoFree plan available
Paid plans start at $5 per user per month

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Jira: Best for technical-minded creative teams

The Jira logo.
Image: Atlassian

Jira is one of the most popular project management solutions for software development teams. Although Jira started as issue-tracking or bug-tracking software, it has evolved into much more and has become top project management for all types of teams and businesses. Creative teams will appreciate the well-organized layout and the variety of real-time visualization tools offered by Jira. This includes its easy-to-use kanban boards.

Pricing

  • Free plan: No cost for up to 10 users.
  • Standard: $7.75 per user per month.
  • Premium: $15.25 per user per month.
  • Enterprise: Customized pricing.

Features

  • Jira Align: This feature is most useful for creative teams that need to connect and align team members, so everyone has real-time project visibility and is on the same page.
  • Bug tracking: The bug tracking and issue management tools of Jira are outstanding. Users can locate, track and record a project issue from start to finish.

Pros

  • Bug tracking and issue management tools.
  • Powerful Agile tools.
  • High level of data security.

Cons

  • Limited collaboration tools.
  • No timeline views.

For more information, check out our full Jira review.

Jira

monday work management: Best for versatility

monday work management logo.
Image: monday work management

monday work management is a scalable and versatile project management software that has positioned itself as one of the leaders in the industry. One of the primary reasons for its popularity is that it offers project management features suitable for all types of teams, including creative teams. monday work management offers file sharing, messaging tools, customizable templates, automation and other features that are useful for creative work.

Pricing

  • Free: No cost for up to two seats.
  • Basic: $8 per user per month, billed annually, or $10 per user billed monthly.
  • Standard: $10 per user per month, billed annually, or $12 per user billed monthly.
  • Pro: $16 per user per month, billed annually, or $20 per user billed monthly.
  • Enterprise: Customized pricing.

Features

  • Industry-optimized experience: When first signing up for monday work management, users can get an optimized version tailored to their industry. Creative teams can further customize the layout and workflows according to their needs.
  • Multiple project views: Creative teams will enjoy the multiple project views offered by monday work management. This includes calendar views, kanban boards, timeline views and Gantt charts.

Pros

  • Highly customizable.
  • Over 200 templates for creating boards and workflows.
  • Extensive list of third-party integrations.

Cons

  • Free trial is only for 14 days.
  • Slow customer support.

For more information, check out our full monday Work OS review.

monday work management

ClickUp: Best for remote workers

ClickUp logo.
Image: ClickUp

ClickUp markets itself as an all-in-one project management tool. It offers workflow templates, customizable layouts, reporting features, multiple views and integrations. Creative teams will appreciate the plethora of project management tools and a user-friendly interface. Further, ClickUp is known for its excellent team collaboration and communication tools that help eliminate bottlenecks and silos, especially for remote workers, who can feel a bit isolated.

Pricing

  • Free: No cost for unlimited Free plan members.
  • Unlimited: $5 per person per month, billed annually, or $9 per person billed monthly.
  • Business: $12 per person per month, billed annually, or $19 per person billed monthly.
  • Business Plus: $19 per person per month, billed annually, or $29 per person billed monthly.
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing.

Features

  • ClickUp Goals: This feature allows creative teams to set up trackable goals, so they can stay focused on the project. Users can link different tasks to a single goal or combine smaller objectives to a larger goal.
  • ClickUp Docs: Using the ClickUp Docs feature, creative teams can make, edit and share documents in real time as well as modify user permissions for each document.

Pros

  • Robust reporting and analytics.
  • Outstanding mobile app.
  • Advanced time tracking features.

Cons

  • Steep learning curve.
  • Requires onboarding.

For more information, check out our full ClickUp review.

ClickUp

Confluence: Best for organizing tasks

The Confluence logo.
Image: Confluence

Confluence is a project management software by Atlassian, which is a well-established name in the software industry. Creative teams often require structure to their work, and that’s where Confluence excels. Confluence also offers a large set of out-of-the-box integrations, which provide the scope to expand its functionality. Other valuable features include 24/7 support, online storage, prebuilt templates and customizations.

Pricing

  • Free: No cost for up to 10 users.
  • Standard: $5.75 per user billed monthly, or $580 per year for one to 10 users.
  • Premium: $11 per user billed monthly, or $1,100 per year for one to 10 users.
  • Enterprise: Customized pricing.

Features

  • Page hierarchy: The page hierarchy feature of Confluence helps provide structure by allowing users to categorize tasks according to different priorities.
  • Clean interface: Confluence is easy to use thanks to its intuitive interface and a built-in assistant to guide users through the tools. The dashboard structure is logical, with users getting quick access to the core features.

Pros

  • Deep integration with Jira and other Atlassian products.
  • Excellent team collaboration tools.

Cons

  • Pages don’t update in real-time.
  • Lacking some security features such as single sign-on.

For more information, check out our full Confluence review.

Confluence

Asana: Best for a balance of simplicity and functionality

The Asana logo.
Image: Asana

Asana facilitates creative teams to manage and review feedback, prioritize tasks, delegate work and use other tools to remove bottlenecks, so they can allow their creativity to flow. Users can also integrate Asana with Slack, Dropbox, Adobe Creative Cloud, Litmus and other applications for creative work.

Pricing

  • Basic: No cost for unlimited tasks, projects, messages, activity logs and file storage.
  • Premium: $10.99 per user per month, billed annually, or $13.49 per user billed monthly.
  • Business: $24.99 per user per month, billed annually, or $30.49 per user billed monthly.
  • Enterprise: Customized pricing.

Features

  • Project portfolios: This feature provides a real-time view into how the project is progressing by piecing together information from different data sets.
  • Approvals: You can configure the approval workflows according to your business needs. For example, you can set up notifications for different stages of the approval process, so everyone is aligned on what tasks have been completed and what needs to be done.

Pros

  • Feature-rich free plan.
  • Powerful integrations.
  • Outstanding collaboration tools.

Cons

  • Limited time tracking tools.
  • No two-factor authentication.
  • More expensive than competitors.

For more information, check out our full Asana review.

Asana

Trello: Best for kanban project management

Trello logo.
Image: Trello

It is crucial for a creative team to collaborate, easily share files and stay on schedule to complete the project. Trello makes this possible through a kanban-style interface that is simple to use. The drag-and-drop style interface makes it quick and easy to manage projects. Trello also offers an outstanding free plan with a lot of features.

Pricing

  • Free: No cost for unlimited cards and up to 10 boards per Workspace.
  • Standard: $5 per user per month, billed annually, or $6 per user billed monthly.
  • Premium: $10 per user per month, billed annually, or $12.50 per user billed monthly.
  • Enterprise: Starts at $17.50 per user per month, depending on the number of users.

Features

  • Trello Butler: The Butler is the automation feature of Trello that allows users to create rules and commands to minimize repetitive work and handle recurring tasks.
  • Trello boards: Using the kanban boards, you can oversee the entire project’s progress, and if you want more detail, you can click on the task card. If you want to change the task status, you simply drag and drop the task card to another status.

Pros

  • Easy to use.
  • Plenty of automation tools.
  • Powerful mobile app.

Cons

  • Not ideal for complex projects.
  • Limited analytics and reporting tools.

For more information, check out our in-depth comparisons of Trello and Asana, ClickUp, monday work management and Jira.

Trello

Key features of creative project management software

Kanban boards

Kanban boards are an Agile project management tool designed to maximize efficiency or flow. It helps users to easily visualize their work, add notes, change task status and more.

Team communication tools

Most project management tools offer collaboration and communications tools, which are crucial for creative teams. These tools allow users to assign tasks, share files, write comments and provide feedback.

Third-party integrations

Integrations make it possible to extend the functionality of the project management software and to allow the software to work coherently with other applications, such as accounting software, customer relationship management and chatting applications.

24/7 support

Having 24/7 support means you can access technical assistance anytime you need it. The prompt response from the vendor means no disruption to operations that can cause project delays or budgetary issues.

Free trial

When you are choosing the project management software for creative teams, you need to allow these team members to get a feel for the software. Through a free trial, the users can identify the benefits and challenges of the product and evaluate how the software fits into their work environment.

How do I choose the best creative project management software for my business?

The best project management software for creative teams have some key features such as kanban boards, file sharing, visual task dashboard and other essential tools for creative work. You can start your search by shortlisting software that offers such features. While creative teams are open to ideas, they might need help organizing their projects, so look for software that adds a bit of structure.

Once you have a few software options short-listed, it is best to ask the vendor for a demo session or free trial, so your team can identify if the software is the right fit. If you are already using business software, you must consider the integration capability of the new software. You would want it to fit into your existing ecosystem rather than work as a stand-alone application. Lastly, you want to ensure the software fits your budget and has the capacity to scale up or down so that if there are any changes to your operations, you don’t have to move to a new application.

Methodology

To compile this list, we evaluated dozens of software on several parameters, such as usability, product features, customer support and pricing. Each software was analyzed in depth, as we looked at the pros, cons, free and paid plans, and standout features. To rate each parameter, we look at expert reviews, user ratings and testimonials, and our hands-on reviews.

Read next: Top project management software for Mac users in 2023 (TechRepublic)