Seven Top-Rated Agile Project Management Tools In 2020

“Being a Project Manager is like being an artist, you have the different colored process streams combining into a work of art.” – Greg Cimmarrusti 

The Agile approach seems to have become one of the most popular and in-demand project management (mainly software development) approaches in use today. Though there are many definitions of “Agile Project Management”, to put it in simple terms, it involves managing a project in several stages via constant collaboration with stakeholders, continuous improvement and taking incremental steps towards project completion. 

An agile approach can be implemented to achieve swift & timely delivery, frequent re-evaluation, adaptive planning, constant improvement and a flexible response to change. 

Why The Agile Approach Is Important To Project Managers 

Surprisingly, I have met some project managers who think that agile project management is something that applies only to software development and not to them at all - a common misconception. The fact is that every project has some level of uncertainty associated with it.

In a new-age environment, trying to implement a traditional plan-driven approach to project management can put project managers at a serious disadvantage. It is a matter of discovering how to blend both traditional and adaptive (Agile) approaches in the right proportions for any given project. 

Are you looking to implement a project based on an agile approach?

Let’s explore some of the notable tools out there that support agile project management. 

1. Monday.com          

Monday.com is an award-winning, visually intuitive project management tool that provides an easily configurable solution for planning, tracking and collaborating on work. Users can track agile projects with project dashboards that accumulate data from multiple boards to view work in progress. 

Key Features

• Automation

• Timeline View

• Kanban View

• Time Tracking

• File Sharing

• Calendar View

Pros 

• Integrates with commonly-used apps

• Effectively manages your team’s workload

• Uses one flexible platform to track remote work 

Cons 

• A mobile app could be better

• Lacks advanced features

Pricing  

• Basic plan starts at $39 per month

• Standard plan starts at $49 per month

• Pro plan starts at $79 per month 

• Enterprise plan available on quote        

2. Atlassian Jira  

Jira is one of the most popular and widely used tools in agile software development. It can be used to efficiently manage any type of project, report on and track issues related to software development. It is mainly ideal for IT professionals, institutional designers and working in a shared environment. 

Key Features

• Customizable scrum boards

• Flexible kanban boards

• Roadmaps

• Agile reporting

• Developer tool integrations

• Rich APIs 

Pros

• Tried and tested product with a large number of global business users 

• Highly customizable as per project needs 

• Can be used by different types of users 

• Very useful for start-ups as it’s reasonably priced for small teams 

Cons

• Takes some time to get used to it

• Cluttered user interface

Pricing 

• Free Basic plan

• $10 per month for 1 to 10 users

3. ProofHub

ProofHub is a unique agile project management tool as it has powerful project features in one centralized location to simplify project management. Users can create tasks and subtasks, assign them and keep track of a project’s progress as it moves through multiple stages. 

Key Features

• Proofing

• Custom Roles

• White Labeling

• Kanban Boards

• Multilingual

• Gantt Charts

Pros

• All the tools you need in one place

• Flat pricing, no per-user fee

• Easy to understand

• Integrates with commonly-used apps

• Powerful file management and generous storage

Cons

• Limited integration

Pricing

• Free 14-day trial plan

• Essential plan at $45 per month

• Ultimate control plan at $79 per month 

ProofHub is offering a free subscription to schools. Click here to learn more about this non-profit initiative for schools. 

4. Kanbanize

Kanbanize is an agile project management software that gives users easy visibility to all projects to track their progress as well as allow teams achieve organizational transparency. Kanbanize helps users break projects into tasks and sub-tasks, assign responsibilities and create multiple workflows for cross-functional teams. 

Key Features

• Kanban Boards

• Multiple Workflows

• Timeline

• Management and Team Workspaces

• Card Links

Pros

• Powerful project collaboration software

• Simple and intuitive interface design

• Top-notch reporting engine

• Workflow improvement

Cons 

• The feature-rich platform can be intimidating to some

• Can lag when many users connect to it

Pricing

• Annual plan is billed at $99/month (billed annually)

• Monthly plan is billed at $119/month

5. Wrike

Wrike is an agile project management tool that offers multiple customizable dashboards to promote collaboration among team members via easy sharing. Wrike is an award-winning online work management platform that delivers accurate information and gives you full visibility and control over your tasks.

Key Features

• Organized file management 

• Collaborative editing

• Visual timelines

• Resource management

Pros 

• Easy to set up and use

• Real-time reporting system 

• Project dependencies

• Task assignments

Cons 

• Analytics doesn't allow a time frame option

• Slows down with heavy files 

Pricing

• A free basic plan

• Professional plan starts at $9.80 per user, per month

• Business plan starts at $24.80 per user, per month

• Enterprise plan available on quote 

6. Taiga

Taiga is a cloud-based, free and open-source project management tool for multi-functional agile teams. It features an intuitive and beautiful dashboard that helps teams to easily manage and complete their tasks. Taiga supports various methodologies – Kanban, Scrum – to meet different preferences. 

Key Features

• Scrum methodology

• Kanban Boards

• Teams and Tasks

• Issues and Wiki

Pros

• Agile, open-source project management platform 

• Low price

• Supports both kanban and scrum modes 

• Built-in issue tracking

• Export/Import feature

Cons

• Restrictive

• No kanban metrics

• Can be overwhelming for new users 

Pricing

• Free basic plan

• Premium plan at $7 per month per user

• Enterprise plan available on quote

7. Basecamp

Basecamp is a cloud-based project management platform that is suited to projects where communication and exchange of information are required. The software helps teams to be more productive and well-organized by using a list of powerful features in a single platform. 

Key Features

• Add admin user to the project

• Create to-do lists

• Manage project calendar

• Create documents

• Hold discussions  

Pros

• Capacity to break down big projects into smaller tasks

• Easy navigation

• Simple, elegant and intuitive tool

• Everything is autosaved

• Offers an open API to users

• Real-time updates to remind users of pending tasks

Cons

• Doesn’t have all the features

• Some security issues with saving data on the cloud

Pricing

• A free 30-day trial

• Fixed plan at $99 per month, flat price

8. Hubstaff

Hubstaff Tasks is a visual project management tool designed to improve task organization and collaboration. The app enables teams to get more done via an intuitive interface with task management and automation features. You’ll be able to organize your tasks with columns and labels, as well as communicate with teammates within task cards.

Key Features

●      Kanban boards

●      Customizable task cards

●      Task assignees and followers

●      Agile sprints

●      Custom workflows

●      Daily stand-ups

Pros

●      Easy to pick up

●      Task management elements like checklists and labels

●      Multiple project views

●      Workflow automation capabilities

●      Comment notifications to help everyone stay updated

Cons

●     Limited integration capabilities

Pricing

●      Free basic plan

●      Premium plan starting at $4.17 per user, per month

Wrapping It Up

There are lots of tools, both free and paid, that facilitate an agile development approach. The key to choosing the best one, however, is considering what works best for your team. Every team has a unique approach to workflow with different product requirements.

In this article, I have listed the top 7 agile project management tools that are most popular and widely used by teams to handle projects efficiently. I hope you found the article informative and would love to hear your view on agile tools.

For more information, explore the 10 Best Project Management Software in 2021.

Author Bio:

Vartika Kashyap is the Chief Marketing Officer at ProofHub — a project planning software for teams of all sizes. She is one of the LinkedIn Top Voices in 2018. Her articles are inspired by office situations and work-related events. She likes to write on productivity, team building, work culture, leadership, entrepreneurship among other topics and contributing to a better workplace is what makes her click.