Project management · 8 tools compared
What is the best project management tool in 2026?
Short answer
Basecamp ranks first on published facts: a free plan (1 project), paid plans from $29 / mo. 6 of 8 have a free plan.
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | From | 1st year, 5 users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Basecamp | Small teams wanting simple project hub | Yes | $29 / mo | $348 |
| 2. monday work management | Visual, customizable team workflows | Yes | $9 / seat / mo | $540 |
| 3. ClickUp | All-in-one project work platform | Yes | $7 / seat / mo | $420 |
| 4. Jira | Software and agile teams | Yes | $8.48 / seat / mo | $508.80 |
| 5. Wrike | Mid-size teams with complex workflows | Yes | $10 / seat / mo | $600 |
| 6. Asana | Cross-team work tracking | Yes | $10.99 / seat / mo | $659.40 |
| 7. Smartsheet | Spreadsheet-style project and portfolio work | No | $9 / seat / mo | $540 |
| 8. Microsoft Planner | Microsoft 365 teams | No | $10 / seat / mo | $600 |
From = cheapest paid plan, billed yearly where offered. 1st year, 5 users = that plan for 5 users, 12 months.
How did we rank these 8 project management tools?
On published facts only, scored out of 7: free plan (2, or 1 for a trial), first-year cost against the others (up to 3), three or more paid plans (1), mobile apps (1). We do not test tools hands-on.
| Tool | Score / 7 |
|---|---|
| Basecamp | 6 |
| monday work management | 4.7 |
| ClickUp | 4.6 |
| Jira | 4.1 |
| Wrike | 3.9 |
| Asana | 2 |
| Smartsheet | 1.7 |
| Microsoft Planner | 0.9 |
The 8 best project management tools, ranked
Basecamp
Best for: small teams wanting simple project hub
- Free plan
- Yes, 1 project
- From
- $29 / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $348
monday work management
Best for: visual, customizable team workflows
- Free plan
- Yes, 2 seats
- From
- $9 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $540
ClickUp
Best for: all-in-one project work platform
- Free plan
- Yes, Free Forever
- From
- $7 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $420
Jira
Best for: software and agile teams
- Free plan
- Yes, up to 10 users
- From
- $8.48 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $508.80
Wrike
Best for: mid-size teams with complex workflows
- Free plan
- Yes, Free plan
- From
- $10 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $600
Asana
Best for: cross-team work tracking
- Free plan
- Yes, Personal plan
- From
- $10.99 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $659.40
Smartsheet
Best for: spreadsheet-style project and portfolio work
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $9 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $540
Microsoft Planner
Best for: Microsoft 365 teams
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $10 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $600
Which project management tool is cheapest for a team of 5?
Basecamp, at $348 for the first year, then ClickUp at $420.
| Tool | Cheapest plan | 1st year, 5 users |
|---|---|---|
| Basecamp | Freelancer | $348 |
| ClickUp | Unlimited | $420 |
| Jira | Standard | $508.80 |
| monday work management | Basic | $540 |
| Smartsheet | Pro | $540 |
| Wrike | Team | $600 |
| Microsoft Planner | Planner Plan 1 | $600 |
| Asana | Starter | $659.40 |
Which project management tools have a free plan?
6 of 8: Basecamp, monday work management, ClickUp, Jira, Wrike, Asana.
- Basecamp: 1 project
- monday work management: 2 seats
- ClickUp: Free Forever
- Jira: up to 10 users
- Wrike: Free plan
- Asana: Personal plan
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Basecamp pricing | basecamp.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| monday work management pricing | monday.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| ClickUp pricing | clickup.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Jira pricing | atlassian.com/software/jira/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Wrike pricing | wrike.com/price/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Asana pricing | asana.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Smartsheet pricing | smartsheet.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Microsoft Planner pricing | microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/planner/microsoft-planner-plans-and-pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare