Best Project Management Software Australia – Top 12 for 2024

No matter what industry you’re in, things can get extremely complicated and messy if you don’t keep track of your projects — especially if you’re working with many people. The good news is that many project management tools offer various features to make our lives easier.

Our team embarked on a journey to find the best project management software in Australia. The majority of featured tools in this article can be used across industries. However, as you’ll see, some platforms are better for some industries. For example, you want to pick the best interior design project management software if that’s your line of work.

We used a ranking system, paying particular attention to key features, pricing, integrations, overall functionality, ease of use, mobile availability, popularity in Australia, and much more.

As businesses grow, projects get more complex, so it’s vital to pick your project management software’s best option. Without further ado, let’s see our #1 pick.

Our Pick for Best Project Management Software Australia: Monday

Finding the best project management software in Australia wasn’t easy, so we included a top 12 list in this project. Still, we wanted to feature just one as our favorite, as it has proven the most useful for managing projects in almost all industries.

Our project management best software award goes to Monday.com, and here’s why.

• You can use many visualization tools to track your projects just how you like them. In other words, you can use Kanban boards, Gantt charts, the timeline and calendar overview, and much more.
• Monday.com provides detailed insight into daily tasks and the big picture. The best thing is that you can customize the view entirely and meet your project needs regardless of the industry.
• Monday.com has built-in time tracking, which is not common in project management tools. In other words, you don’t have to pay extra or use a time-tracker add-on to track time for tasks and projects. Your time tracker can provide in-depth insight into valuable analytics for your project and help you take the necessary steps to improve it. Most importantly, using the time tracker takes but a single click.
• Integrations play an integral part with Monday.com. You can integrate quite a few tools to manage your project better, automate workflow, and eliminate repetitive and boring steps in the process. You can integrate Monday with 40+ tools, including Slack, Dropbox, Spotify, Google Calendar, Gmail, Todoist, and more.

The list doesn’t end here, as Monday features a wide range of capabilities that make it the best project management software in Australia and beyond. These features include customizable templates, automation, an intuitive interface, dashboard reporting, workload management, and more.

Best Project Management Software and Tools in Australia

Let’s look at our ultimate list of the best project management software and tools in Australia. Our team came up with this after a long and thorough research and testing process: 

1. Monday  — Best project management software Australia
2. ClickUp  — Excellent software for project management with a free plan
3. Smartsheet — Flexible project management software with workflow automations
4. Hive  — Project management best software for collaboration and messaging
5. Awork  — Up-and-coming project management tool
6. Teamwork  — Leading Kanban-based project management tool
7. Zoho Projects  — Perfect for those looking for unique collaboration features
8. Bonsai — Leading Australian project management tool for freelancers
9. GanttPro  — Remarkable project management software solution based on Gantt charts
10. Basecamp — Excellent project management tool for beginners  
11. Kintone  — Top-notch tool for customizing workflows
12. LiquidPlanner  — Best project management software for time and budget tracking

All project management tools had to undergo a detailed assessment test, and only those that passed with the highest mark were included on the list.

More importantly, our team interviewed long-time users of dozens of popular project management tools to learn about overall customer satisfaction and gain insight into every platform’s strengths and weaknesses.

Best Project Management Software Australia — Compared

In case the list above isn’t enough, feel free to read our reviews of each featured project management tool below and find out more about their advantages and disadvantages.

1. Monday — Best Project Management Software Australia

Monday is our #1 choice. We’re confident that it’s the best project management software in Australia. Plus, it’s also considered one of the best project management apps in the UK.

Its main strength is the ability to customize workflows — plus how they’re presented visually. Monday offers a wide array of unique features that make collaboration and communication much more accessible while working on a project. 

It helps you keep track of the big picture without compromising the overview of small tasks. Monday supports various integrations, including popular ones like Slack, Dropbox, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and more.

Moreover, it allows you to automate workflows as you see fit — a must-have for any business.

 Project Management Features:

• Several types of project views, including Kanban, Gantt, and more
• Built-in time tracking 
• Customizable templates 
• Custom automated workflows
• Detailed workflow management
• Dashboard reporting

2. ClickUp  — Best Software for Project Management With a Free Plan

ClickUp is marketed as an all-in-one project management tool, which it is, offering an array of useful features to make your management efforts easier and eliminate unnecessary steps.

It’s also one of the best Gantt chart software. What makes ClickUp stand out from the crowd is the Click Apps section which features a wide range of add-ons that can be added to the platform and help you further improve your project. 

ClickUp also comes with a great free plan that doesn’t impose a cap on the number of tasks or members. Unfortunately, there’s a storage cap, which is only 100 MB.

The paid plans are also great and offer additional features to help you reach management goals faster.

Project Management Features:

• Offers ample add-ons
• Nested subtasks and checklists
• Automation
• Integrations
• Plenty of templates
• Relationships
• Excellent project management app

3. Smartsheet — Flexible Project Management Software With Workflow Automations

Smartsheet is an ideal project management solution for companies running multiple project simultaneously. It lets you create fully customizable spreadsheets for each project, set task dependencies, facilitate cross-department communication and collaboration, and easily keep track of all the work done through detailed activity logs.

The main advantage of Smartsheet over other tools on our list are its advanced automations. Even if you have no previous experience, you can easily connect if/then statements to specific triggers and have the tool automatically:

• Send notifications to the right people
• Assign tasks to the correct owners as soon as you create them
• Send reminders when tasks approach their due dates

You can also set up and view critical paths for different projects, compare estimates vs actuals, and optimize resource utilization using the timeline view.

Smartsheet offers a free forever plan for a single user and up to two editors, so you can take your time and test out the tool in practice to see if it’s the right fit for your organization before upgrading to one of the paid plans.

Project Management Features:

• Spreadsheet, Dashboard, Timeline, and Grid views
• Gantt charts
• File attachments and task comments
• Task dependencies
• Workflow automations
• Daily reminders and notifications
• Time tracking and resource utilization
• Activity logs

4. Hive  — Project Management Best Software for Collaboration and Messaging

Hive isn’t marketed only as a project management tool. There’s an emphasis on collaboration and messaging, as Hive is particularly handy in that regard.

Hive is the project management software behind companies such as Uber, Starbucks, and IBM.

The tool cannot be described as the best project management software for individuals, as you can unlock its true power only when you consider using paid plans for more people. So, Hive is available for free, but the upper limit is two users.

The platform offers flexible project views and features like time-tracking, detailed analytics, integrations, and more. The paid plans start at $12 a month per user.

Project Management Features:

• Unlimited tasks and projects
• Flexible views
• Agile tracking
• In-app messenger
• In-app email
• Analytics

5. Awork — Up-and-Coming Project Management Tool

Awork might not be that familiar to English-speaking project managers, as it’s a company from Germany that has been mainly targeting German organizations and individuals who needed a project management tool.

However, it’s also available in English as Awork aims to expand globally. The only big downside of Awork is the lack of a free plan, meaning once you’re past the 14-day free trial, you’ll have to pay €10,99 per user per month.

Awork offers many project management options, including project planning, task management, teamwork tools, time tracking, integrations, and more. It’s a pretty decent tool that needs more international recognition.

Project Management Features:

• Project templates
• Time budgets
• Custom dashboards
• Custom automation
• Dependencies
• Various integrations

6. Teamwork — Best Kanban-Based Project Management Tool

Teamwork is excellent at making complex projects seem easy, which is exactly what these tools are designed to do.

Even though we wouldn’t call it the best project management software for digital agencies, it’s one of our top choices, thanks to great customization options and an easy-to-use interface. Even though it features several project views, Teamwork is most famous for its Kanban view.

Price-wise, Teamwork also ranks rather well, as it offers a free plan, even though it has several restrictions — it’s available only for up to five people and has a storage limit (100MB).

As for Teamwork integrations, we couldn’t find the exact number of apps you can integrate with the platform, and we gave up counting after 100. What’s important is that all essential tools are on the list.

Project Management Features:

• Easy automation
• Time tracking
• Several board views
• Billing and invoicing
• Teamwork chat

7. Zoho Projects — Best Software Project Management With Unique Collaboration Features

Zoho Projects is a tool by Zoho that focuses on tracking tasks, collaboration, making intuitive reports, and even bug tracking. It’s a simple yet powerful tool with features such as simultaneous billable time tracking on several projects.

The platform also pays much attention to communication and collaboration, introducing the live chat feature and forum pages. It may not be the best project management software for small teams, but it’s definitely among the top options if you work alone or have a small organization.

Big teams may not find Zoho Projects particularly helpful due to their inability to handle large workloads. However, Zoho Projects offers a free plan that three users can use. For more, you’ll have to choose a paid plan starting at $7.75 per user per month.

Project Management Features:

• Task management
• Task automation
• Blueprints
• Time tracking
• Charts and reporting
• Team collaborations

8. Bonsai — Leading Australian Project Management Tool for Freelancers

Bonsai’s popularity is unsurprising. Not only does it accommodate project management needs, but it boasts CRM capabilities as well as built-in time tracking, accounting tools, and more — all under one umbrella.

In terms of project management, you can organize and manage all your clients, projects, and tasks into folders, create reusable task templates, add comments to tasks, and track the time spent on each one to ensure you’re billing clients accurately.

All of this combined is what makes Bonsai a popular project management solution for freelancers and small business owners. Test it risk-free today with the 14-day free trial and money-back guarantee.

Project Management Features:

• Client portal
• Free collaboration
• Document management
• Built-in time tracking
• Ample business templates
• Invoicing and automation
• Accounting and tax tools
• Reusable task templates

9. GanttPro — Best Project Management Software Australia Based on Gantt Charts

GanttPro is a project management tool mainly based on Gantt charts, which are often regarded as the most intuitive and useful way to track a project and individual tasks.

The software offers excellent modularity, meaning you can quickly break down tasks into various subtasks, projects to subprojects, and more. You can add dependencies, milestones, and many other things.

Another exciting feature is the Gantt chart marker which can assist teams with real-time collaboration. Moreover, GanttPro can integrate various valuable tools to help you further streamline the workflow.

GanttPro isn’t available for free, but there’s a free trial. However, after it expires, you’ll have to pay at least $7.99 per user per month.

Project Management Features:

• Great Gantt charts
• Time tracking and logging
• Duration and estimation
• Custom and pre-configured templates
• Budget tracking tools
• Analytics and reports

10. Basecamp — Best Project Management Tool for Beginners

Basecamp is one of the most popular tools for project management. It’s also the best project management software in Australia if you’re a beginner, as the platform features an easy-to-use interface that can help you keep track of projects and organize workflows.

Basecamp is more of a collaboration app than a project management tool because it is primarily designed to facilitate collaboration among team members.

The platform has one of the most generous free plans. As a free user, you can have up to 20 team members, 1 GB of storage, and three projects.

Project Management Features:

• To-do lists
• Message boards
• Schedules
• Document and file storage
• Group chat
• Check-in questions
• Client access
• Hill charts
• Reports
• Search

11. Kintone — Best Tool for Customising Workflows

Kintone is used by more than 23,000 organisations worldwide, including some huge ones, such as Volvo Trucks North America, Japan Airlines, and more. Some claim it’s the best project management software for engineering, but it can also be used in many other fields.

Kintone has a unique approach to task management, allowing users to build their own apps from scratch or use one of the available templates.

These apps can be developed for various purposes, including data management, workflows, business process management, spreadsheets, and more.

This is a no-code tool, which means you don’t need to be a coder to create the apps. However, you’ll still need exceptional project management knowledge, making Kintone a tool for advanced users.

Project Management Features:

• 1000+ pre-built applications
• Action triggers
• Certificate authentication
• Collaboration
• Custom filters
• Database management
• Granular permissions
• Integrations and add-ons

12. LiquidPlanner — Best Project Management Software for Time and Budget Tracking

LiquidPlanner is a powerful tool — perhaps the most powerful of all project management tools mentioned here. Still, that doesn’t make it the best project management software in Australia because it’s very complex, which is why some users don’t enjoy it. The platform underwent a massive overhaul in 2021 and was simplified, but it’s still challenging to use.

The good news is that it has features galore, as you’ll stumble upon vibrant and intelligent solutions that might not be available in other tools. This is especially true for LiquidPlanner’s time and budget tracking options.

Overall, LiquidPlanner has a steep learning curve and takes time to set up. However, you’ll be ahead of the game if you do it right.

Project Management Features:

• Various project management tools
• Time tracking
• Predictive scheduling
• Custom filtering 
• Timesheet review
• Workspace dashboard

Best Project Management Software Australia — Comparison Table

What’s the Best Free Project Management Software in Australia?

The good news is that the majority of tools featured in this guide are available for free. Therefore, it’s up to you to review the tools with the free option and see which one suits you.

If you have a large team, you should probably start with Basecamp or ClickUp, as they accept more members in the free plan. In fact, ClickUp doesn’t have an upper limit on the number of free members. 

What’s the Best Construction Project Management Software in Australia?

Choosing the best project management software for construction wasn’t easy because none of our team members worked in construction.

However, based on the research, we’d go for Kintone, as it has some great features and lets you build your own apps, meaning you can customize it for the construction industry.

What’s the Best Project Management Software for Small Teams in Australia?

Most of the platforms we selected in this guide work well for small and big teams. If we had to pick one, we’d go for Monday, as it’s relatively simple, intuitive, and offers everything a small team may require. Monday is extremely easy to learn but can also be used for more complex projects.

Our team created a list of the best project management software for small teams, so feel free to read more.

How to Choose Project Management Software | Factors to Consider

There are several things to take into consideration before settling for a project management tool.

• Your budget — If you’re unsure about the budget, you can always try these tools for free. Even the platforms without a free plan at least have a free trial.
• Your industry — Some project management tools might be more suitable for certain industries than others. Sometimes, several tools are equally good. For example, there’s an ongoing debate on the best marketing project management software.
• Your team size — Some tools are more suitable for small teams, while others are usually aimed at big organizations.
• The complexity of your projects — Complex projects require a more comprehensive tool with more options and features.
• Required features — Analyse your business processes carefully to understand which features you will use the most.
• Available devices — Learn more about the devices and systems supported by each platform. For example, if you intend to access it via your mobile phone, it’s essential to check the quality of the mobile apps.

Please note that project management is a comprehensive process, and you might not need a project management tool for your work. Check out our review of the best task management tools (some are already featured here) if you only need to handle your tasks better.

Conclusion: What’s the Best Project Management Software in Australia for 2024?

We have already determined that Monday.com is the best option for Australians, but you won’t go wrong if you pick any of the featured platforms from this guide. Feel free to carefully explore our list and study our comparison to learn more.

FAQs