Best Project Management Software for Small Teams in 2025

Small teams (5-20 people) have unique project management needs. Enterprise tools like Jira are overkill—too complex, too expensive, too much overhead. But simple to-do lists aren't enough when managing multiple projects with dependencies, deadlines, and collaboration needs.

The right project management software for small teams must be: simple enough to adopt quickly, powerful enough to handle real projects, affordable, and actually improve productivity rather than creating more administrative burden.

This guide evaluates the best PM tools for small teams in 2025, comparing features, pricing, and real-world usability.

What Small Teams Need in PM Software

Must-Have Features:

• Easy to use: If it requires extensive training, adoption will fail
• Task management: Create, assign, track tasks with deadlines
• Multiple views: List, board (Kanban), calendar, timeline options
• Collaboration: Comments, file attachments, @mentions
• Deadlines and reminders: Don't let things slip through cracks
• Project visibility: Everyone sees status, progress, blockers
• Mobile access: Work from anywhere
• Affordable pricing: Budget-friendly for small teams

Nice-to-Have Features:

• Time tracking
• Gantt charts / timelines
• Custom fields and workflows
• Automation rules
• Integrations (Slack, Google Drive, etc.)
• Reporting and analytics
• Resource management

Top PM Software for Small Teams

1. Trello Easiest to Start

Overview: Visual, Kanban-style boards. Drag-and-drop cards. Simple and intuitive.

Best For:

Teams wanting visual simplicity, light project tracking, quick adoption.

Key Features:

• Kanban boards (Lists and Cards)
• Drag-and-drop interface
• Checklists, due dates, attachments
• Labels and filters
• "Power-Ups" for extended functionality
• Mobile apps

Pros:

• ✓ Extremely easy to learn (minutes, not hours)
• ✓ Visual and intuitive
• ✓ Free tier is generous
• ✓ Great for simple workflows
• ✓ Lots of templates

Cons:

• ✗ Can become messy with complex projects
• ✗ Limited reporting
• ✗ Best features require Power-Ups (paid)
• ✗ Not ideal for dependencies and advanced project planning

Pricing:

Free (10 boards, basic features). Standard: $5/user/month. Premium: $10/user/month.

2. Asana Best Overall

Overview: Flexible, powerful PM tool that scales from simple to complex projects.

Best For:

Growing teams needing flexibility, multiple project views, and room to scale.

Key Features:

• Multiple views: List, Board, Timeline, Calendar
• Task dependencies
• Custom fields
• Subtasks and sections
• Project templates
• Workload view (resource management)
• Goals and portfolios
• Strong integrations

Pros:

• ✓ Excellent balance of simplicity and power
• ✓ Multiple views for different work styles
• ✓ Scales well as team grows
• ✓ Free tier supports up to 15 people
• ✓ Clean, modern interface
• ✓ Good mobile apps

Cons:

• ✗ Some features hidden behind paid tiers
• ✗ Can be overwhelming with all the features
• ✗ Timeline view requires paid plan

Pricing:

Free (basic features, up to 15 people). Premium: $10.99/user/month (timeline, advanced features).

3. Monday.com

Overview: Colorful, highly customizable work OS with visual project tracking.

Best For:

Teams wanting high customization and visual project tracking.

Key Features:

• Highly customizable boards
• Multiple views (Board, Timeline, Calendar, etc.)
• Automation rules
• Integrations
• Time tracking
• Visual dashboards

Pros:

• ✓ Very visual and colorful
• ✓ Extremely customizable
• ✓ Good automation features
• ✓ Nice dashboards

Cons:

• ✗ More expensive than alternatives
• ✗ No free tier (only trial)
• ✗ Minimum 3 seats
• ✗ Can be overwhelming with customization options

Pricing:

Starts at $9/user/month (minimum 3 users = $27/month). Most features require higher tiers.

4. ClickUp

Overview: "All-in-one" PM tool trying to replace multiple apps. Feature-rich but complex.

Best For:

Teams wanting one tool for everything (docs, tasks, goals, time tracking).

Key Features:

• Multiple views (15+ including List, Board, Gantt, etc.)
• Docs and wikis
• Goals and OKRs
• Time tracking built-in
• Automation
• Custom fields and statuses
• Mind maps

Pros:

• ✓ Incredibly feature-rich
• ✓ Generous free tier
• ✓ Can replace multiple tools
• ✓ Highly customizable

Cons:

• ✗ Overwhelming complexity (steep learning curve)
• ✗ Interface can feel cluttered
• ✗ Performance issues reported by some users
• ✗ Too many features can be distracting

Pricing:

Free (limited features). Unlimited: $7/user/month. Business: $12/user/month.

5. Notion

Overview: Flexible workspace combining docs, wikis, databases, and project management.

Best For:

Teams wanting flexibility to build custom PM systems and combine documentation with project tracking.

Key Features:

• Pages and databases
• Multiple database views (Table, Board, Calendar, etc.)
• Rich text editing
• Templates
• Relations and formulas
• Wikis and documentation

Pros:

• ✓ Extremely flexible
• ✓ Great for documentation + PM combined
• ✓ Beautiful interface
• ✓ Active community with templates
• ✓ Free tier is generous

Cons:

• ✗ Requires setup time (blank canvas problem)
• ✗ Learning curve for databases
• ✗ Not specifically designed for PM
• ✗ Can be slow with large databases

Pricing:

Free (individuals). Plus: $10/user/month (teams). Business: $18/user/month.

6. Basecamp

Overview: All-in-one project collaboration with focus on communication.

Best For:

Teams prioritizing communication and simplicity over advanced PM features.

Key Features:

• Message boards
• To-do lists
• Schedules (calendar)
• Docs & files
• Group chat ("Campfire")
• Automatic check-ins

Pros:

• ✓ Simple, opinionated design (few decisions needed)
• ✓ Good for communication-heavy teams
• ✓ Flat pricing (unlimited users)
• ✓ Includes everything (no add-ons needed)

Cons:

• ✗ Limited customization
• ✗ No Gantt charts or advanced planning
• ✗ Not ideal for complex projects
• ✗ Less flexible than alternatives

Pricing:

$15/user/month or $299/month flat (unlimited users, projects).

Quick Comparison Table

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Trello if:

• Your projects are simple and visual
• You want fastest time-to-value (set up in minutes)
• Kanban board workflow fits your needs
• Budget is very tight (free tier works)

Choose Asana if:

• You want best balance of power and simplicity
• Your team needs multiple view options
• You plan to grow and need tool to scale
• You want proven, reliable PM software

Choose Monday.com if:

• You love visual, colorful interfaces
• You need high customization
• You want strong automation
• Budget isn't the primary concern

Choose ClickUp if:

• You want to replace multiple tools with one
• You need extensive features (docs, time tracking, goals)
• You're willing to invest time in learning/setup
• You want generous free tier

Choose Notion if:

• You want documentation + PM in one place
• You enjoy building custom systems
• Flexibility is more important than PM-specific features
• Your team is comfortable with databases

Choose Basecamp if:

• You value simplicity over customization
• Communication is as important as task tracking
• You want flat pricing (unlimited users)
• Projects are straightforward

Don't Forget Time Tracking

Most PM tools either don't have time tracking or have basic versions. For accurate billable hours, project budgeting, and productivity insights, you'll need dedicated time tracking.

Implementation Tips for Small Teams

1. Start Simple

Don't enable every feature day one. Start with basic task lists, add complexity gradually as team gets comfortable.

2. Choose One Person as "PM Tool Champion"

Someone should own the tool setup, training, and answering questions. Not everyone needs to be an expert.

3. Create Templates

For recurring project types, create templates. Saves setup time and ensures consistency.

4. Set Clear Conventions

• How to name tasks?
• When to use subtasks vs. separate tasks?
• How to indicate priority?
• Who assigns tasks?
• Expected response time for comments?

5. Review and Adjust Weekly

First month: Check in weekly. Is team actually using it? What's confusing? What's working? Adjust accordingly.

Red Flags: When to Switch Tools

Consider switching if:

• ✗ Team constantly says it's too complicated
• ✗ People revert to email/chat instead of tool
• ✗ Setup takes longer than actually doing work
• ✗ Important features require expensive upgrade
• ✗ Tool is slower than your workflow

Tool should enable work, not obstruct it.

Conclusion

For most small teams, Asana offers the best overall balance: powerful enough for real projects, simple enough for quick adoption, generous free tier, room to grow.

If you want maximum simplicity: Trello
If you need all-in-one with docs: Notion or ClickUp
If visual customization is key: Monday.com
If communication is primary: Basecamp

The "best" tool is the one your team will actually use consistently. Start with a free trial, involve the team in the decision, and give it a real 2-3 week test before committing.

And remember: PM software manages projects, but time tracking software shows you where time actually goes. Use both for complete visibility.