Updated May 2026 · 28 tools tested · see methodology →
Find the project management tool
your team will still use in 6 months.
Decision rule: do not shortlist by feature count until you know the import burden, admin model, and seat cost your team will actually live with.
How big is your team?
No email required. 5 questions. Takes ~60 seconds.
Realistic year-1 cost for a 15-person team: £5,000–£7,000 all-in. We use that cost range as the floor for every recommendation.
The 8 PM tools that survived our 28-tool shortlist
Tested with identical 12-project imports. Scored on UX, pricing transparency, automation depth, integration breadth, and — most importantly — import friction on day 1.
| # | Tool | Best for | Price/seat | Y1 TCO (15 ppl) | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | monday.com | Design + marketing teams (20–200 people) | £10/seat/mo Standard | £2,500–£3,800 | 9.0 | |
| 2 | ClickUp | Budget-conscious teams, deepest free tier | £10/seat/mo Business | £2,300–£3,500 | 8.7 | |
| 3 | Asana | Cross-functional teams needing Goals + Portfolios | £10.99/seat/mo Starter | £2,400–£3,600 | 8.5 | |
| 4 | Jira | Agile software development teams | £6.50/seat/mo Standard | £1,170–£2,500 | 8.2 | |
| 5 | Wrike | Agencies with client billing + resource management | £8.21/seat/mo Team | £1,720–£2,800 | 8.0 | |
| 6 | Smartsheet | Spreadsheet-fluent ops teams, enterprise portfolios | £6.20/seat/mo Pro | £1,620–£3,000 | 7.8 | |
| 7 | Basecamp | Flat-fee simplicity for small teams | $349/mo flat (Pro Unlimited) | $4,188 flat-fee year-1 | 7.5 | |
| 8 | Teamwork | Client-facing agencies with time tracking + billing | £9.99/seat/mo Deliver | £2,000–£3,200 | 7.9 |
monday.com
Best for: Design + marketing teams (20–200 people)
Y1 TCO (15 ppl): £2,500–£3,800
ClickUp
Best for: Budget-conscious teams, deepest free tier
Y1 TCO (15 ppl): £2,300–£3,500
Asana
Best for: Cross-functional teams needing Goals + Portfolios
Y1 TCO (15 ppl): £2,400–£3,600
Jira
Best for: Agile software development teams
Y1 TCO (15 ppl): £1,170–£2,500
Wrike
Best for: Agencies with client billing + resource management
Y1 TCO (15 ppl): £1,720–£2,800
Smartsheet
Best for: Spreadsheet-fluent ops teams, enterprise portfolios
Y1 TCO (15 ppl): £1,620–£3,000
Basecamp
Best for: Flat-fee simplicity for small teams
Y1 TCO (15 ppl): $4,188 flat-fee year-1
Teamwork
Best for: Client-facing agencies with time tracking + billing
Y1 TCO (15 ppl): £2,000–£3,200
Find the right tool for your context
Construction teams
Procore, Buildertrend, Fieldwire — tools that speak RFIs and submittals.
💻Software development
Jira, Linear, ClickUp — Agile-native with GitHub integration.
🎨Agencies
Teamwork, Wrike, ProofHub — client portals + time tracking.
🆓Free tools
ClickUp Free, Asana Personal, Trello Free — what actually works at £0.
📊Enterprise PMO
Smartsheet PPM, Microsoft Project, Planview — portfolio-level control.
👤Solo + freelancers
The free tools that won't trap you in a migration when you grow.
PM terminology — actually explained
All 85 terms →No other review site has a glossary. We built one because knowing the terms is what separates a confident buyer from a confused one.
How we test
14-day free trial on each tool. Identical 12-project sample (4 Kanban, 4 Scrum, 4 Waterfall). Imported from Trello, CSV, and Asana — timed with a stopwatch, screen-recorded. Import friction is weighted at 30% of the score because it determines whether your team is still using the tool in week 6.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best project management software in 2026?
monday.com is top pick for design and marketing-led teams (20–200 people) at £10/seat Standard. ClickUp wins on value — deepest free tier, most features at £10/seat Business. Asana leads on cross-functional workflow (Goals + Portfolios). For software engineering teams, Jira or Linear. For construction, Procore or Buildertrend. Take the 60-second quiz for a personalised answer.
How much does project management software really cost?
Marketing pages show £8–£10/seat. Realistic year-1 cost for a 15-person team is £5,000–£7,000: 15 seats × £10/mo Standard (£1,800) + 3 guest seats (£360) + automation overage (£600) + 1 paid integration (£600) + SSO if IT requires it (£1,200) + optional implementation help (£1,600). The advertised seat price is 40–60% of the real invoice.
Is Monday.com better than ClickUp?
monday.com wins on UX polish, automation ease-of-use, and template quality. ClickUp wins on price (same £10/seat, deeper feature set at that tier), free-tier generosity, and developer integrations. monday.com's automation cap (250/month Standard) bites design and marketing teams in month three. ClickUp's UI is slower on mid-spec laptops. Full scorecard: monday.com 42.2/50, ClickUp 40.4/50 in our scoring model.
Can I use project management software for free?
Yes — but the trade-offs are real. ClickUp Free Forever: unlimited tasks, unlimited members, 100MB storage (hits limit fast). Asana Personal: up to 15 users, no Gantt timeline, no automation. Trello Free: 10 boards, unlimited cards, no Gantt or automation. All three force an upgrade within 9–12 months for any active commercial team.
Affiliate disclosure: We earn a commission when you sign up via "Try free" links on this page. Editorial verdict and scoring were made independently before affiliate programmes were applied — see our full methodology. UK CMA / ASA compliant.