10 Task Management Software & Tools in 2024
Looking for the best task management software? Discover our top 10 picks to start, run, and grow your service-based business.
A recent Microsoft study involving 31,000 participants worldwide found that 68% of respondents felt they didn’t have enough time during the workday to complete their tasks.
That’s a lot of people all over the globe!
I remember my office days as a full-time SEO, when up to half of my productive hours were wasted on meetings, emails, chatting with people, and defining priorities.
I’d come to work determined to hit my targets, but by the end of the day, I was left frustrated, with many tasks still unchecked on my to-do list.
Over time, the list only grew longer, forcing me to put in extra hours to catch up.
Can you relate?
This is a clear example of how bad time management can hurt businesses and individuals.
I’m sure those people wonder how to become more productive at work and spend less time on low-value tasks.
They want to improve, but often don’t know how.
As a busy solopreneur, I’ve experimented with various project management strategies, from the Pomodoro Technique to the Eat That Frog approach, and even outsourcing.
Ultimately, what really helped was the introduction of a task management software — Copilot — to handle all my projects, client communications, and billing tasks in one place.
In this article, I’ll discuss my personal experience with task management software and share recommendations for tools that can help you become more productive.
What is task management software?
Let’s start with a simple definition.
Task management software is like a digital to-do list that helps you organize and keep track of your tasks. You can add tasks, set deadlines, and even break down big projects into smaller steps. Its primary goal is to organize your routine and ensure you don’t forget your core priorities.
How to choose the best task management software
Choosing the right task management tool is like finding the perfect pair of shoes – it needs to fit your style and needs.
Ask yourself the following question: Are you a solopreneur, like me, tackling a mountain of to-dos, or leading a complex project?
This will help you define what you want to accomplish.
Once you understand your goals and needs, you can start looking for software that aligns with your workflow.
Next, consider features. Do you need simple task lists, detailed project planning, or seamless team collaboration? Make a list of your must-haves.
Don’t forget about ease of use and your budget. Try out a few free trials or demos to see what feels right.
Since I manage my online business solo, I was looking for software with a clear user interface that would be simple to use, and that would have all the features I’d need to work successfully with my clients.
Copilot has ticked all the boxes since when I started using it in July 2024.
But I’ve also shared more tools that fit small and established businesses below.
10 free and paid task management tools in 2024
Here are 10 software products for task management to consider in 2024:
Copilot
- Best for: Task management software for service businesses
- Free trial: 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Pricing: Starts at $39 per month
I’ve already mentioned briefly why I’ve been using Copilot to manage my online business.
Now, I want to dig deeper and share what the platform can do, how much it costs, and why I believe it’s one of the best task management tools for entrepreneurs and service businesses.
Benefits of Copilot
Copilot is a complete client portal that lets you manage everything in the client journey—from capturing leads and signing contracts to invoicing, payments, file sharing, and communication. It’s super convenient for me, especially since I run my online business solo and don’t want to juggle a bunch of different tools.
Plus, with the App Marketplace, you can seamlessly integrate various task management tools into your workflow.
For instance, you can manage projects with ClickUp or Airtable, sign contracts through DocuSign, handle payments via Stripe, keep track of finances with QuickBooks, and even use Zapier to connect Copilot to other popular apps—all in one spot!
Here’s a short introductory video of how to easily create a client portal in Copilot and invite your clients.
Additionally, Copilot has been actively working on the dedicated Task App that will let you create and assign tasks to other internal users, such as your clients or team members.
Here’s a sneak peek of the Task App view.
The user interface reminds me of Trello, but Copilot’s functionality is way more robust. Now, you can use just one tool to manage your day-to-day tasks, such as
- Sign a contract with a client
- Upload and share files with your client or a team
- Create and share invoices
- Pay invoices
- Fill out an onboarding form
- And more!
Try Copilot for free for 14 days and see if it’s right for you.
Copilot reviews
Copilot has hundreds of satisfied users who happily share their feedback on review platforms.
As of September 2024, Copilot has the following rating on Capterra and G2:
- G2: 4.8 out of 5 stars (from 164+ user reviews)
- Capterra: 4.9 out of 5 stars (from 20+ user reviews)
Here’s a recent Copilot review that stood out to me, shared by a small business owner:
“Stumbling upon Copilot was one of the best days of my life. Not only is their support team VERY responsive and assistive, but they actually listen to ideas for iterations. It feels like I’m heard—not to mention the robust features they make available.
I will likely never leave Copilot because of the way their features work for my agency swimmingly, but the way they have treated me and the care they have exemplified reinforces that sentiment 10x over.”
Todoist
- Best for: It’s an application to create to-do lists
- Free trial: There’s a free plan for up to five personal projects
- Pricing: Starts at $5 per month
Benefits of Todoist
Some of the key benefits of Todoist include:
- You can create tasks with due dates, priorities, labels, and subtasks
- Collaboration features that allow users to share tasks and projects with others
- Availability on desktop, mobile (Android and iOS), web, browser extension, and even wearables
- Todoist integrates with multiple apps, such as Gmail, Slack, and Google Calendar
In my opinion, Todoist could be a great task management tool for solopreneurs, content creators, and contractors. However, its functionality isn’t sufficient for startups and established businesses that might want to use one tool for cross-functional team communication, product development, and more.
Todoist reviews
As of September 2024, Todoist has the following rating on Capterra and G2:
- G2: 4.4 out of 5 stars (from 798+ user reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 2,463+ user reviews)
I’ve also checked what people are saying about Todoist on Reddit. Quite a few users expressed their satisfaction with the Todoist features, while some even switched to Todoist from other task management software.
Teamwork
- Best for: Task management software to organize tasks, collaborate, and track project progress
- Free trial: 30-day free trial, no credit card required
- Pricing: Starts at $13.99 per month
Benefits of Teamwork
Unlike Todoist, Teamwork.com is specifically designed to manage teams’ day-to-day timing and capacity. Team leaders can also easily plan future projects and assign employees to any tasks.
It’s a robust tool that I would compare to Asana, Monday.com, or even Jira (if talking about tools for developers).
Similar to Copilot, you can customize Teamwork.com site’s name, URL, logos, and color theme to create a branded look and feel.
Some of the key benefits of Teamwork.com include:
- Adding different teams and subteams to your workspace
- Creating an interactive Gantt chart view and adjusting project timelines
- 80+ integrations with other tools, including Slack, Google Drive, HubSpot, QuickBooks
- Time tracking
- Setting hourly or fixed-fee budgets on any project
- Creating complex workflows using built-in templates
- Creating invoices and exporting them to your accounting software
Teamwork reviews
As of September 2024, Teamwork.com has the following rating on Capterra and G2:
- G2: 4.4 out of 5 stars (from 1,132+ user reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 874+ user reviews)
I quickly looked at what people say about Teamwork on X and noticed several posts where users were frustrated with bugs. On the bright side, Teamwork’s support team seems pretty responsive and active on social media.
Trello
- Best for: A list-making application developed by Atlassian
- Free trial: There’s a free plan with unlimited cards with up to 10 boards per workspace
- Pricing: Starts at $5 per month
Benefits of Trello
Trello offers several advantages, including:
- Its dashboard allows real-time collaboration with clients, where you can assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress
- It functions smoothly across desktop, mobile, and web platforms
- Tasks are organized into lists and cards, making it simple to track what needs to be done
- Cards can be enriched with labels, due dates, and attachments to provide additional context
- Trello integrates with over 200 tools, like Google Calendar, Slack, and Miro
I’ve used Trello to track my content writing process and found it efficient in getting a clear workflow overview.
Later, I adapted it to manage email bundle application statuses (e.g., submitted, accepted, in progress, done), though this was solely for personal use.
I believe Trello could be a powerful task management software for solopreneurs and small businesses with easy workflows. But compared to Copilot and other more advanced tools, it lacks the capacity to manage complex projects.
That’s why I moved all my work-related tasks to Copilot, which helps me manage client communication, file management, billing, and e-signatures. You can try it out for 14 days for free and see if it’s a good fit for you.
Trello reviews
As of September 2024, Trello has the following rating on Capterra and G2:
- G2: 4.4 out of 5 stars (from 13,603+ user reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 23,227+ user reviews)
I looked into what people say about Trello on Reddit, X, and Capterra.
This post on X is an excellent illustration of how contractors and solopreneurs can utilize Trello for their work tasks. I’ve set up a similar task management dashboard for my own work-related tasks, but it’s for personal use only.
Notion
- Best for: A productivity and note-taking web application
- Free trial: There’s a free and unlimited plan for individuals
- Pricing: Starts at $12 per seat monthly
Benefits of Notion
I used to think of Notion as similar to Evernote or Google Docs because I first used it for note-taking and planning. But Notion can do much more than that.
Some of the standout features of Notion include:
- Offline access, letting you keep working without an internet connection
- The ability to build a website with a custom domain using Notion’s templates
- You can create nested pages, link related information, and categorize content with tags
- Team collaboration is seamless, with options to share pages, leave comments, and track edits in real time
- Notion integrates with many tools like Google Drive and Slack for smoother workflows
If you’re looking to build a knowledge base, Notion is an excellent choice. You can create wikis, document processes, and store key information all in one place.
I’ve worked with clients who used Notion for their entire company documentation, and it’s both user-friendly and efficient to navigate.
Notion reviews
As of September 2024, Notion has the following rating on Capterra and G2:
- G2: 4.7 out of 5 stars (from 5,774+ user reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 stars (from 2,264+ user reviews)
I’ve read quite a few Notion reviews on X, Reddit, and Capterra. The following review particularly captured my attention since I have a similar opinion about using Notion to handle my personal projects.
If you are a small company planning to scale using the Notion task management tool, check what other users say first.
Bonsai
- Best for: All-in-one business software for freelancers
- Free trial: 7-day free trial
- Pricing: Starts at $25 monthly
Benefits of Bonsai
Bonsai has been the first task management software I’ve used to create and sign client contracts before switching to Copilot.
If you’re a solopreneur or running a small business, Bonsai could be a great option. It’s super user-friendly and easy to use. You get the essentials covered, like invoicing, pre-made contracts, scheduling tools, payment options, and even branding features. However, in my experience, the number of integrations it offers is a bit limited (just my perspective).
Some of the key benefits of Bonsai include:
- Pre-made templates for contracts, proposals, and various work types
- A built-in customer relationship management (CRM) system to organize client projects
- Tools for budgeting, planning, and tracking profitability
- Expense tracking and bookkeeping features
- A built-in appointment scheduler to manage bookings
For options similar to Bonsai, consider the Bonsai alternatives listed in this article.
Bonsai reviews
As of September 2024, Bonsai has the following rating on Capterra and G2:
- G2: 4.3 out of 5 stars (from 101+ user reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 80+ user reviews)
Before committing, check what others think and consider your budget as advanced features may come at a higher price.
Asana
- Best for: A web and mobile task management platform to help teams organize, track, and manage their work
- Free trial: There’s a free plan for up to 10 teammates
- Pricing: For individuals, Asana starts at $13.49 monthly, while businesses can get customized pricing
Benefits of Asana
Asana is one of the most robust “work management” platforms that’s been on the market since 2008.
It is specifically designed for the marketing and IT teams, operations, and company managers to automate workflows across departments and track the progress.
One of my clients currently uses Asana, which gave me the opportunity to explore its features and understand how it works.
I found its interface to be incredibly intuitive. Despite offering a wide range of features for teams, it was easy to navigate without needing any formal training.
Through Asana, I can communicate with my client, update project statuses, share deliverables, and monitor the team’s overall progress effectively.
Here are some of the key benefits of Asana:
- Teams can collaborate in real time, assign tasks, comment on updates, and share files
- Asana offers over 200 automation options, including Figma, Canva, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, and more
- You can automate repetitive tasks and workflows
- It lets you track insights into project performance, track key metrics, and identify areas for improvement
Asana reviews
As of September 2024, Asana has the following rating on Capterra and G2:
- G2: 4.4 out of 5 stars (from 10,396+ user reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 12,931+ user reviews)
I came across a subreddit where a small business owner was questioning if upgrading to one of Asana’s paid plans was worth it. It’s important to note that many of Asana’s key features are only available in the paid versions.
Nifty
- Best for: A project management and collaboration platform for agile teams
- Free trial: There’s a free plan to manage two projects. 14-day free trial with no credit card required
- Pricing: Starts at $12 monthly
Benefits of Nifty
Some of the key benefits of Nifty:
- It can accommodate projects of all sizes
- Combines task management, project timelines, and milestones into one platform
- Has a built-in chat, file sharing, and real-time document collaboration for teams
- Provides visual roadmaps and progress tracking
- There’s a time-tracking feature that allows teams to monitor how much time is spent on each task
Nifty reviews
As of September 2024, Nifty has the following rating on Capterra and G2:
- G2: 4.7 out of 5 stars (from 433+ user reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 425+ user reviews)
Although most Nifty testimonials on review platforms are generally positive, I’ve come across several posts on X where users have mentioned challenges in getting timely responses from Nifty’s support team.
This is something to consider if you’re thinking about trying the tool.
A responsive support team is one of the key factors I prioritize when selecting a tool to use.
I’m glad Copilot has a helpful support team that doesn’t leave me waiting for answers.
Hubspot CRM
- Best for: An online CRM to automatically organize, enrich, and track each prospect
- Free trial: There’s a free plan
- Pricing: Starts at $20 per one-user seat
Benefits of Hubspot CRM
As a former HubSpot CRM user, I found these features particularly helpful:
- A detailed client overview dashboard that shows a prospect’s stage and activity
- HubSpot’s ability to track how prospects found your business
- A chatbot feature
- The option to create website pages without coding and add opt-in forms
As your business grows, HubSpot can easily adapt to your expanding needs.
Hubspot CRM reviews
Hubspot CRM has the following rating on Capterra:
Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 4,207+ user reviews)
I haven’t included ratings from other review platforms since Hubspot has multiple standalone tools, like Sales and Marketing hubs, which users review individually.
However, some users have mentioned that Hubspot can be difficult to learn due to its many features and that switching from a different CRM can be challenging.
Zoho Projects
- Best for: A task management platform for teams
- Free trial: There’s a free plan to manage two projects. 10-day free trial with no credit card required
- Pricing: Starts at $5 per month
Benefits of Zoho Projects
Some of the key benefits of Zoho Projects:
- You can break down complex projects into smaller tasks, assign responsibilities, and set deadlines
- Create customizable dashboards and Gantt charts
- There’s a built-in time tracking to manage deadlines and track progress
- Seamless integration with Zoho apps, such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Meetings, Zoho Analytics
- You can track your projects on the go with the Zoho Projects Work Management mobile app
In my view, Zoho Projects is a solid alternative to popular platforms like Monday.com and Asana.
While generally more affordable, you may encounter extra charges for additional capacity, such as $10 per month to add 5 read-only users.
If you’re committed to Zoho Projects, I suggest opting for the Enterprise plan, which gives you access to the full suite of Zoho tools—including Zoho Analytics, Zoho Desk, and Zoho Directory—for just $10 per month.
Zoho Projects reviews
As of September 2024, Zoho Projects has the following rating on Capterra and G2:
- G2: 4.3 out of 5 stars (from 449+ user reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 651+ user reviews)
Several Zoho Projects’ users have noted that the platform works well for managing standardized tasks, but it lacks flexibility when it comes to handling projects that require additional complex settings.
Looking for the best task management software?
I’ve covered some robust task management tools for entrepreneurs, startups, and established companies to keep track of your work.
If I had to choose one, I’d go with Copilot.
I’ve personally used it and like how user-friendly it is. With Copilot, you can easily handle everything from creating contracts and getting signatures to communicating with clients and sharing files.
Give the 14-day free trial a try and see how Copilot can help boost your business growth!