The best project management software for small business
A small business wants software the whole team will actually use, priced for a tight budget and easy to run without an admin. We ranked six tools on ease, value and the features that matter once a few projects run at once.
Reviewed by M. HALLORAN·Updated JUNE 2026·How we vet
Tools compared6
Criteria weighted5
Last reviewedJune 2026
Paid placements0
How we ranked the field
Each tool is scored on how quickly a small team adopts it, what it costs to run, and whether it holds up as projects multiply. See the full rubric →
Ease of use25%
Value for money25%
Features and depth20%
Support and onboarding15%
Scalability15%
01
RANK
★ Editor’s Choice
Asana
Best overall for small teams
For most small businesses Asana hits the sweet spot: easy enough that everyone adopts it, deep enough to run real projects, and backed by a free plan for up to ten people. The main cost is no native time tracking and a noticeable jump to the Advanced tier.
monday makes work visible in a way owners love, with boards, dashboards and automations anyone can build. Watch the three seat minimum and the way the most useful features sit a tier or two up.
ClickUp packs the most into the lowest bill, bundling docs, time tracking and dashboards a small team would otherwise buy separately. The density is the price of admission, so budget time to set it up well.
If your business already lives in spreadsheets, Smartsheet upgrades that habit into managed projects with Gantt charts and automation. The interface feels utilitarian and the Business tier is a steep jump from Pro.
Trello keeps things refreshingly simple and cheap, ideal when projects are light and the team is small. Reporting and timelines are thin, so growing companies tend to outgrow it within a year or two.
Wrike rewards a small team that expects to scale, with request forms, proofing and solid reporting. The Business tier is annual only with a five seat floor, so it suits committed teams over casual users.