Best Project Management Tools For Startup Teams Reviewed (Features & Pricing Compared)

10 min readMar 3, 2022

Building cross-functional remote teams is one of the best ways to drive innovation and collaboration in a modern workplace. The only problem? Many of those aspiring organizations don’t have the right workflows and tools to reap the benefits. So, why not fix that with the best project management software for cross-functional teams?

Contents [hide]

🤔 Functional vs. Cross-Functional: That’s the Question

In traditional “functional” units, team members come from the same part of the company or cover a similar field of expertise. That can translate to a tight-knit team of UX designers or, on the macroscale, entire finance, human resources, or engineering departments.

On the other hand, cross-functional teams are more like a Matryoshka doll, with each member contributing unique skills and expertise. A good example of a cross-functional unit is a marketing agency employing designers, copywriters, and social media pros.

Cross-functional teams excel at thinking outside the box and working autonomously, with little external supervision. Hands-on involvement and rich knowledge pools shorten production cycles, provide faster feedback, and reduce communication silos.

Here are a few project management tips for new cross-functional teams.

🌟 Productivity 101 in Cross-Functional Teams

Creating a well-synced cross-functional team isn’t easy.

You need apt leadership, a balance of hard and soft skills, as well as the right communication and collaboration dynamic. Equipping your team with the best project management software is also key, but we’ll get to that in a moment. So, what else do you need to get your squad off the ground?

💬 1. Sustainable Communication Dynamic

Communication expectations tend to differ across teams and departments. Mike from sales and Emma from design may use chat and email daily, but their communication cadence — frequency and rhythm — are vastly different. When you bring those two on board, you need to figure out a new cadence and communication dynamic so team interactions don’t interfere with the actual work.

✅ 2. Manage Workflows Holistically

A cross-functional environment can (and often does) get chaotic. Sure, everybody technically works on the same project, but they do so using unique techniques and domain-specific sets of tools. The overarching goal is to unify workflows, tools, and business intelligence to increase trust and transparency.

🌟 3. Create a Single Source of Truth

Knowledge management is king in cross-functional organizations. The ability to effectively store, organize, and share information lets teams increase velocity, which is paramount in a remote setting. Create a single source of truth — a knowledge base or a team wiki — and make sure your team has 24/7 access to critical business intelligence.

The good news?

All of the tools we compare below (you’re welcome!) will help you check those boxes. So, what do you say we take a look at prices, screenshots, and features to find the perfect match? 👇

🧘‍♂️ Best Holistic Project Management Software

Taskade

Have you ever wondered why so many PM tools are so darn confusing? After all, how many features, tabs, and menus do you need to get stuff done? If you’re looking for powerful software that won’t give your users a headache, Taskade has you covered.

Taskade boosts transparency and project visibility by bringing your tasks, documents, communication, and of course, your team, under one roof. Now you can finally work and chat in the same app, in the same window, without jumping between platforms.

Your cross-functional team is a unique blend of subject matter experts, all with strong workflow preferences. So, why not give them the freedom to work the way they want? Cycle between flexible project views that include lists, boards, mind maps, and more.

Every project manager worth their salt knows communication is everything in the project management world. That’s why Taskade comes with free, integrated video conferencing, chat, comments, and VoIP calls so your team can stay connected 24/7.

Project Management in Taskade 🌟

Workspaces, Folders, and Projects to organize anything
Flexible workflows (Kanban, Org Chart, Mindmap, Table, List)
500+ customizable templates across 26 categories
Team permissions and workspace management features
Shared team calendar with Google, Outlook, and Microsoft sync
Countdown timers, recurring tasks, and assign with @mention
Bulk assign, bulk due dates, and multi-select for quick editing.
Activity feed, project history, and notifications to stay in the know
Branding options (logo, custom backgrounds) to make you feel comfy
And much more…

Taskade (Super-Simple) Pricing Tiers 💰

🟢 Free (forever!)
Real-time multiplayer syncing and collaboration
Unlimited Projects, tasks, and team members
Automation via customizable templates
1 GB of storage for files and documents per Workspace (25 MB per file)
Integrated chat, calls, commenting, and video conferencing
Task List, Kanban Board, Action Sheet, Mindmap, and Org Chart view
Pomodoro countdown timer, and screen sharing
@mention, #tags, reminders, and due dates
Project + version history (7 days) and activity feed
Shared team calendar with a Roadmap and Agenda
Embed YouTube, Figma, Invision, Typeform, and more
Data encryption, regular backups, Google/Twitter/Meta SSO
24/7 support and 99.9% uptime guarantee
🔵 Unlimited ($5/month per user)
Everything in the Free plan +
Unlimited storage space (up to 250 MB per file)
Repeat tasks, bulk assign, and bulk due dates
Workspace branding and customization options
Unlimited project history and version history
Email, Google, Dropbox, and One Drive integrations
Priority support and custom onboarding

Check the full list of Taskade features here. 🐑

Notion

Notion aspires to be many things. But it also turns out to be a solid collaboration and communication tool for cross-functional teams. The platform offers a holistic approach to project management, even if its customizability may be a bit overwhelming at first. Give Notion a go if you want to spend some extra building workflows from scratch.

Project Management in Notion 🌟

Good for knowledge bases and team wikis
Includes List, Board, Calendar, Table, and Gallery views
100+ project templates and a databased-oriented workflow
Real-time collaboration with team permissions
Task/project management, chat, and comments

How Much Does Notion Cost? 💰

🟢 Personal (free)
Unlimited pages & blocks, 5 guests editors
Multi-platform synchronization
🔵 Personal Pro ($4 per month)
Everything in the Personal plan +
Unlimited file uploads and guests
Access to version history
🟡 Team ($8/month per user)
Everything in the Personal plan +
Unlimited team members, advanced permissions
Collaboration tools and admin toolkit

Want to know why Taskade is the best free Notion alternative? Check our comparison here. 👈

Asana

As far as looks are concerned, you can easily mistake Asana for Monday’s (older) sibling. Launched almost 10 years ago, Asana supports cross-functional collaboration with a competent lineup of PM features. That includes everything from flexible workflows through work automation to real-time reporting.

Project Management in Asana 🤝

List, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Progress, and Forms views
Projects organized into tasks, subtasks, and milestones
Document sharing, automation, and approvals
Custom templates, project export, and integrations
Workload tracking, team management, and private messages

How Much Does Asana Cost? 💰

🟢 Basic (free)
Unlimited tasks, projects, and storage (up to 100MB per file)
Activity log, up to 15 collaborators, 100+ integrations
List, Board, and Calendar views
🔵 Premium ($10.99/user per month billed annually)
Everything in the Basic plan +
Unlimited dashboards and guests
Custom fields, private projects, and admin console
🟣 Business ($24.99/user per month billed annually)
Everything in the Premium plan +
Custom rules, customization, advanced integrations
And more…
🟡 Enterprise (custom)
Everything in the Business plan +
Advanced security and priority support
Custom branding options

Want to know why Taskade is the best free Asana alternative?.Check our comparison here. 👈

👁️ Best Visual Project Management Software

ProofHub

ProofHub is another interesting all-in-one platform that delivers in all key PM areas. That includes a strong communication component with chat, comments, @mention, and announcements on board. ProofHub is also a powerful proofing tool (no surprise there), complete with markup, threaded comments, and file versions.

Project Management in ProofHub 🤝

Chat, group discussions, and team announcements
Flexible workflows (Table, Kanban, Gantt)
Calendar, daily agenda, project progress report
Timesheets, version control, document uploads
Customizable templates, integrations, and more

How Much Does ProofHub Cost? 💰

Smartsheet doesn’t have a free plan
🟢 Essential ($45/month flat fee billed annually)
Time tracking, proofing, and file approval
Task management, Gantt, calendar, and integrations
Group chat, announcements, and discussions
Note-taking, project templates, file sharing
🔵 Ultimate Control ($89/month flat fee billed annually)
Everything in the Essential plan +
Custom roles and workflows
API, project reports, and activity logs
Data export and priority support

GoVisually

GoVisually stands out from the competition as a great visual-oriented solution for cross-functional creative teams. The platform will help your team manage multiple projects, submit them for review, and secure approvals the easy way. Consider GoVisually if you’re looking for a user-friendly but powerful online proofing tool.

Project Management in GoVisually 🤝

Share project links with reviewers
Invent clients to add comments on projects
Annotate PNG, JPG, PSD, PDF, and videos
Version control, @mention, notifications
User permissions and client management

How Much Does GoVisually Cost? 💰

GoVisually doesn’t have a free plan
🟢 Solo ($20/month billed annually)
Limited to one user
Limited to 10 projects
Unlimited reviewers
@mention and smart compare
Email support only
🔵 Team ($50/month billed annually)
Everything in the Solo plan +
Limited to 5 users (+$10 per additional user)
1000 projects, private internal comments, project archive
Due dates, deadlines, activity dashboard
Custom branding and emails, Zapier integrations
Chat support

🏢 Best Project Management Software for Large Teams

Hive

Hive is a communication and collaboration hub for buzzing (no pun intended) cross-functional teams. The platform has a solid track record with marketing teams, agencies, startups, and in education. Apart from its rich choice of project management tools, Hive packs proofing and approval features for much shorter feedback loops.

Project Management in Hive 🤝

Task, project, and team management features
Multiple project views including Gantt and Kanban
Time tracking with estimates and timesheets
Chat, comments, proofing, and approvals
Automation, analytics, and project templates

How Much Does Hive Cost? 💰

🟢 Solo (free)
Communication and collaboration (limited to 2 users)
To-Do, Gantt, Kanban, Calendar, and Portfolio views
Unlimited storage
Community support
🔵 Teams ($12/user per month billed annually)
Everything in the Solo plan +
Time tracking and integrations
🟣 Enterprise (custom)
Everything in the Teams plan +
Proofing and approvals with reporting
Analytics, timesheets, and team resourcing
Customer success manager and adoption training
Extended security + SSO

Smartsheet

Smartsheet is one of the older platforms in the cross-functional flock, but it still holds up pretty well against other tools on our list. Branded as a “dynamic workspace,” Smartsheet improves the visibility of projects across teams and departments. It also enables automation, content management, data collection, and team communication.

Project Management in Smartsheet 🤝

Dashboards and activity log for project overview
Calendar, reminders, and work insights
Automation, add-ons, and integrations
Permissions and sharing with external users
Flexible workflows, including Gantt charts and Grids

How Much Does Smartsheet Cost? 💰

Smartsheet doesn’t have a free plan
🟢 Pro ($7/user per month)
For teams with 3–25 users
Unlimited sheets, reports, and dashboards
Grid, Gantt, Card, and Calendar views
250 pre-built automations per month
20 GB of storage for attachments
🔵 Business ($25/user per month billed annually)
Everything in the Pro plan +
Unlimited collaborators
Unlimted automations
Proofing, activity log, and user management
Custom branding
🟣 Enterprise (custom)
Everything in the Business plan +
Unlimited storage
Single-Sign-On (SSO)

Monday. com

Project management software cross-functional doesn’t have to be purely functional (read: ugly). And Monday delivers on the aesthetic aspect. Your team will appreciate a simple and colorful UI, customizable columns, and the ability to handle all kinds of projects. It’s a complete PM package for sales, marketing, and IT teams.

Project Management in Monday. com 🌟

Central dashboard for team management
Visual-first workflow with a simple user interface
Customizable columns and 200+ templates
Communication and collaboration on mobile
Real-time collaboration on files and documents

How Much Does Monday. com Cost? 💰

🟢 Free/Individual
Unlimited boards limited to 2 team members
200+ templates and 20+ column styles
🔵 Basic ($8 per user/month billed annually)
Everything in the Individual plan +
Unlimited viewers and 5 GB for file storage
🟣 Standard ($10 per user/month billed annually)
Everything in the Basic plan +
Timeline, Calendar, and Gantt workflows
250 automations/integrations per month
🟡 Pro ($16 per user/month billed annually)
Everything in the Standard plan +
Private boards and Chart view
Time tracking and more automations/integrations
🟤 Enterprise (custom)
Enterprise automations/integrations
Advanced security features
Reporting and analytics

Want to know why Taskade is the best free Monday alternative? Check our comparison here. 👈

And that’s it! 🥳

🚀 Parting Words

Ready to boost your team’s performance in 2022? Sign up for a free Taskade account or test-drive what we can do for your team by visiting our demo page. Oh, and when you’re done, reach out at 🐑 support@taskade.com if you have any nagging questions.

🧰 Before you go… Best project management software is just a start. Be sure to check these articles next and add other essential bricks to your digital toolbox.