My recommended Project Management tools
Last week, I wrote an article ROASTING Monday.com.
I received several responses by email and LinkedIn that validated my theories and claims 😎
“I worked at a non-tech company, and everyone was talking about Monday.com at one point or another. Even the C-suite had heard of it, so we/marketing tried it, aaaaaaand everyone on my team stopped logging in”
“I had a client that used Monday.com, and it was the absolute WORST. (The platform, not the client)”
“You know what Monday doesn't make easy? Recurring tasks. You have to set up an automation for each one, or some nonsense like that.”
I also received a few emails like this one, asking me what project management tool I DO recommend:
“Curious, what project management tool do you recommend to your clients?”
FAIR.
The unsatisfying answer: it depends.
(You knew I was going to say that, huh?)
Like all tools, it depends on a ton of factors, like:
The size of your team
The type of work you do
Your budget
Your goals
And honestly, your vibes.
BUT I won't leave a pal hangin' - so here I'll list the Project Management tools I recommend and the ones I stay away from so you can make a decision for yourself.
The Project Management tool I recommend most often: Asana.
Asana has been my ride-or-die for many years, and it is the one I use personally. It's reliable, looks good, and has all the basic features one needs in a Project Management tool:
Multiple lists with various options for views.
A "My Tasks" page where all of your tasks across the platform are aggregated.
Team communication features.
A decent number of automations.
A place to take notes.
Dashboards, portfolios, and goal setting features.
Fun animations when you mark a bunch of stuff complete all at once.
TBH there are many features in Asana that ClickUp does better, but it's more accessible to use than ClickUp (more on that in a moment) and it's just more aesthetically pleasing.
Because of all of this, it's my go-to pick for my creative agencies that need something easy to jump into.
When compared to ClickUp, however, Asana's mirrored features are just not as complex. And Asana costs more!
So why not ClickUp??
Well, let's talk about...
My number two choice: ClickUp.
ClickUp does everything Asana does, but better.
So why don't I recommend ClickUp more?
Because ClickUp is just doing too much!
A tool should be shallow by default, complex by choice - and ClickUp wants to GIVE YOU EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE!!!!!!
And it's very overwhelming for the newbies - which becomes a problem for me, the person guiding your team to use this new tool and create new habits around it.
I even once had an especially sweet and sensitive team switch from Asana to ClickUp, then back to Asana because ClickUp's design felt "too corporate".
This is where vibes 100% come into play.
If you have a large team that needs the more advanced features that ClickUp provides, I will make the case for ClickUp and work diligently with your team to get you there.
But if I know the team is more visual and already struggles with change, Asana will do the trick.
At the end of the day, the best Project Management tool is the one your team uses.
So what tools do I stay away from for Project Management?
Trello.
Trello is just a glorified Kanban board. If you have a team, you will be limited by the lack of other features.
ALSO - You can utilize Kanban board views in Asana or ClickUp. In my mind, there's no reason to use Trello when the free tier of Asana and ClickUp exists, because you can grow into them as you build a team.
Basecamp.
Why is Basecamp even here??????????
Basecamp is just the bane of my Project Management existence. The task management is clunky and takes too long to dig into the individual tasks. There's not a good way to get visibility over projects or your company as a whole. It looks cute and that's about it.
Notion.
Notion lovers - don't come for me!
Look, I get it. Notion is super cute, and if you love to nerd out on getting it super custom, do your thing. I have a lot of designers who like to use Notion to set up beautiful portals and client-facing pages. I love that for you!
I just don't think Notion is a very good tool for Project Management. It lacks too many basic features, and why put in the work of building a project management tool from scratch when others already exist?
Airtable / SmartSuite.
Airtable and SmartSuite are sometimes used as project management tools, but that is not their primary function. Those are databases, not project management tools. Can you configure them to be project management tools? Technically, yes, and I've seen it work for some small teams.
But if you have a team, you want a tool that is born to manage projects - not doing it as an afterthought.
The minds behind Asana and ClickUp are rubbing their hands together all day going "oooh how can we build more features to help our customers manage projects better????"
SmartSuite does this as a side quest but again, it's not its main priority.
Airtable just sold to Bending Spoons (RIP).
I work with Creative Agencies that are scaling. They need robust platforms to manage their projects well.
We're not duct-taping some spreadsheets together anymore and calling it a day.
Made it this far?
Respond to this email and let me know:
What Project Management tool YOU use and...
How do you like it?
And if you’re a creative agency looking to make 2027 the year your team actually uses your project management tool (and maybe even likes it), I’m booking new clients for January.
Over 6 months, I map how your agency runs today, from sales and onboarding through delivery and offboarding. I pick the tool that fits your team’s size, budget, goals and yes, vibes. Then I build the central hub where all your work lives, and I train your team until the new habits stick.
The result is a team that knows what to do next without checking with you first. And you get your hours back for the creative work.
