12 Best Project Management Tools for Remote Teams [2025 Updated]
Remote teams need more than task lists—they need visibility, coordination, and shared context. These 12 project management tools help distributed teams organize work, track progress, and ship projects on time.
Why Project Management Tools Are Critical for Remote Work
In a physical office, you can walk over to a colleague's desk to check project status or overhear important updates in conversation. Remote work eliminates this ambient awareness. Project management tools recreate visibility by centralizing tasks, deadlines, and progress in one shared space. They answer the questions remote teams ask constantly: What's everyone working on? What's blocking us? What's due next?
Shared Visibility
Everyone sees project status, blockers, and priorities in real-time.
Async Coordination
Collaborate across time zones without constant meetings.
Progress Tracking
See what's done, what's in progress, and what's blocked.
Types of Project Management Tools
- Visual Kanban: Card-based boards (Trello) - simple and visual
- Flexible Platforms: Multiple views and workflows (Asana, Monday, ClickUp) - powerful but complex
- Developer-Focused: Issue tracking for software teams (Linear, Jira) - opinionated for dev workflows
- Simple Task Lists: Lightweight organization (Todoist, Basecamp) - straightforward without bloat
- All-in-One Workspaces: Docs + projects combined (Notion, ClickUp) - reduce tool sprawl
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Type | Price | Best For | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asana | Work Management Platform | Free - $24.99/user/month | Teams wanting flexibility and power | ★4.5 |
| Trello | Visual Project Management (Kanban) | Free - $17.50/user/month | Simple, visual Kanban board management | ★4.5 |
| Linear | Issue Tracking for Software Teams | $8 - $16/user/month | Software/product teams building software | ★4.8 |
| Monday.com | Work Operating System | $9 - $19/user/month | Teams wanting high customization and automation | ★4.6 |
| ClickUp | All-in-One Project Management | Free - $19/user/month | Teams wanting everything in one tool | ★4.7 |
| Notion | Connected Workspace (Docs + Projects) | Free - $15/user/month | Teams wanting docs and projects together | ★4.7 |
| Jira | Agile Project Management (Atlassian) | Free - $15.25/user/month | Software teams using Agile/Scrum | ★4.3 |
| Basecamp | Simple Project Management & Communication | $15/user/month or $299/month unlimited | Teams wanting simplicity over features | ★4.3 |
| Wrike | Enterprise Work Management | $9.80 - $24.80/user/month | Large enterprises needing powerful PM | ★4.2 |
| Todoist | Task Management (Personal & Team) | Free - $6/user/month | Simple task lists and personal productivity | ★4.6 |
| Teamwork | Project Management for Client Work | $10 - $18/user/month | Agencies and client services teams | ★4.4 |
| Height | Autonomous Project Management | $9 - $15/user/month | Teams wanting AI-powered project management | ★4.5 |
Detailed Reviews
1. Asana
Overview
Asana is one of the most popular project management tools, offering multiple views (list, board, timeline, calendar), automation, and integrations. It strikes a balance between simplicity and power, making it suitable for teams of all sizes. Asana excels at task dependencies, portfolio management, and custom workflows. While it has a learning curve, teams that invest time in setup find it incredibly powerful for managing complex projects across remote teams.
Best For
Teams wanting flexibility and power
Key Features
- ✓Multiple project views (list, board, timeline, calendar)
- ✓Task dependencies and subtasks
- ✓Custom fields and forms
- ✓Workflow automation (Rules)
- ✓Timeline/Gantt charts
- ✓Workload management
- ✓Goals and portfolios
- ✓200+ integrations
Pros
- +Extremely flexible and customizable
- +Beautiful, intuitive interface
- +Strong task dependency features
- +Excellent for complex projects
- +Free plan for small teams
Cons
- −Can be overwhelming for simple needs
- −Expensive for larger teams
- −Timeline view only on paid plans
- −Steeper learning curve
- −Mobile app less powerful
Pricing
Asana keeps your projects organized—DeskBreak keeps your team healthy. Use DeskBreak's Asana integration to schedule team breaks between project milestones, ensuring productivity doesn't come at the cost of wellness.
2. Trello
Overview
Trello pioneered the visual Kanban board approach to project management. Its simplicity—cards on boards—makes it instantly understandable for anyone. While it lacks advanced features compared to Asana or Monday, Trello's strength is its approachability and flexibility. It's perfect for teams that want visual project tracking without complexity. Power-Ups (integrations) extend functionality, though Trello works best for straightforward workflows.
Best For
Simple, visual Kanban board management
Key Features
- ✓Visual Kanban boards
- ✓Drag-and-drop cards
- ✓Checklists and attachments
- ✓Labels and due dates
- ✓Power-Ups (integrations)
- ✓Butler automation
- ✓Multiple board views (premium)
- ✓Mobile apps
Pros
- +Extremely simple and intuitive
- +Perfect for visual thinkers
- +Free plan is generous
- +Great for personal and small teams
- +Fun, colorful interface
Cons
- −Limited for complex projects
- −Lacks advanced PM features
- −Can get messy with large projects
- −Reporting is basic
- −Not great for dependencies
Pricing
Trello's cards move across boards—make sure your team moves too! Set up a DeskBreak checklist card in every project board to remind team members about wellness alongside their tasks.
3. Linear
Overview
Linear is a modern issue tracker designed specifically for software development teams. It's fast, keyboard-driven, and opinionated about workflow. Unlike traditional project management tools, Linear focuses on developer velocity with features like automatic status updates, Git integration, and lightning-fast performance. It's become the go-to choice for startups and product teams that value speed and simplicity over flexibility.
Best For
Software/product teams building software
Key Features
- ✓Lightning-fast interface
- ✓Keyboard shortcuts for everything
- ✓Git integration (automatic status updates)
- ✓Cycles (sprints)
- ✓Roadmaps and project views
- ✓Triage mode for issues
- ✓Slack and GitHub integrations
- ✓Beautiful, minimal design
Pros
- +Incredibly fast and responsive
- +Perfect for developer workflows
- +Opinionated design reduces decisions
- +Great GitHub/GitLab integration
- +Modern, beautiful interface
Cons
- −Opinionated—less flexible than alternatives
- −Best for software teams only
- −Fewer integrations than competitors
- −Learning curve for keyboard shortcuts
- −No free tier
Pricing
Linear helps developers ship faster—but don't forget that healthy developers ship better. Use DeskBreak to remind your engineering team to take breaks between sprints, preventing burnout during intense development cycles.
4. Monday.com
Overview
Monday.com positions itself as a 'Work OS'—a highly customizable platform that can be molded to any workflow. Its colorful, spreadsheet-like interface allows teams to create custom boards for projects, CRM, HR, or any process. With extensive automation, integrations, and views, Monday.com is incredibly powerful for teams that need flexibility. However, its complexity and pricing can be overwhelming for smaller teams or simple projects.
Best For
Teams wanting high customization and automation
Key Features
- ✓Highly customizable boards
- ✓Multiple views (Kanban, timeline, calendar, Gantt)
- ✓Powerful automation engine
- ✓Dashboards and reporting
- ✓Time tracking
- ✓Forms and intake
- ✓200+ integrations
- ✓Workload and resource management
Pros
- +Extremely flexible and customizable
- +Beautiful visual interface
- +Strong automation capabilities
- +Good for non-tech teams
- +Excellent customer support
Cons
- −Expensive, especially for larger teams
- −Can be overwhelming with options
- −Notification overload
- −Learning curve for advanced features
- −Minimum 3 users on paid plans
Pricing
Monday.com automates your workflows—automate your wellness too! Create a recurring Monday board item for team break reminders, or integrate DeskBreak to send wellness prompts through your Monday.com dashboard.
5. ClickUp
Overview
ClickUp tries to be 'one app to replace them all'—combining project management, docs, goals, chat, and more. It's incredibly feature-rich with customizable views, automation, time tracking, and even built-in video recording. While this makes it powerful, it also makes it complex. ClickUp works best for teams committed to consolidating tools and willing to invest time in learning the platform. The generous free plan makes it easy to try.
Best For
Teams wanting everything in one tool
Key Features
- ✓15+ customizable views
- ✓Docs, whiteboards, and wikis built-in
- ✓Goals and OKR tracking
- ✓Time tracking and estimates
- ✓Automation and templates
- ✓Mind maps
- ✓Email in ClickUp
- ✓1,000+ integrations
Pros
- +All-in-one solution reduces tool sprawl
- +Generous free plan
- +Highly customizable
- +Constant feature updates
- +Good value for price
Cons
- −Overwhelming feature bloat
- −Steep learning curve
- −Performance can lag with large workspaces
- −Too many features for simple needs
- −Frequent UI changes
Pricing
ClickUp consolidates your tools—but don't forget the tool for your health. While ClickUp tracks your time and tasks, DeskBreak tracks your wellness. Use both for a complete picture of productive, healthy work.
6. Notion
Overview
Notion is a 'connected workspace' that combines notes, wikis, databases, and project management in one flexible tool. Its block-based approach allows teams to build custom workflows, wikis, and project trackers. While Notion isn't a traditional PM tool, many teams use its database features for project tracking. It's particularly popular with startups and creative teams who want flexibility over structure.
Best For
Teams wanting docs and projects together
Key Features
- ✓Flexible blocks and pages
- ✓Databases (tables, boards, timelines, calendars)
- ✓Wikis and documentation
- ✓Real-time collaboration
- ✓Templates and integrations
- ✓AI writing assistant
- ✓Relations and rollups
- ✓Web clipper and mobile apps
Pros
- +Incredibly flexible—can be anything
- +Beautiful, minimalist design
- +Great for documentation + projects
- +Free for personal use
- +Active community and templates
Cons
- −Not purpose-built for PM
- −Can get messy without discipline
- −Performance issues with large databases
- −Learning curve for databases
- −Lacks PM-specific features (Gantt, resource management)
Pricing
Notion's flexibility lets you build anything—including wellness trackers! Create a Notion database to track team breaks alongside projects, or integrate DeskBreak for automated wellness reminders.
7. Jira
Overview
Jira is the industry standard for software development project management, especially for teams practicing Agile, Scrum, or Kanban. It offers powerful sprint planning, backlog management, and reporting specifically designed for engineering teams. While complex and sometimes frustrating, Jira's depth makes it irreplaceable for large software organizations. It integrates deeply with the Atlassian ecosystem (Confluence, Bitbucket).
Best For
Software teams using Agile/Scrum
Key Features
- ✓Sprint planning and management
- ✓Scrum and Kanban boards
- ✓Backlog prioritization
- ✓Agile reporting (burndown, velocity)
- ✓Custom workflows
- ✓Roadmaps
- ✓Issue types and custom fields
- ✓Thousands of plugins
Pros
- +Industry standard for software teams
- +Powerful Agile features
- +Deep customization
- +Excellent for complex projects
- +Strong integration ecosystem
Cons
- −Complex and overwhelming
- −Dated, cluttered interface
- −Steep learning curve
- −Can be slow and buggy
- −Expensive for large teams
Pricing
Jira tracks sprints and velocity—but are you tracking team burnout? Long sprints without breaks harm both health and velocity. Use DeskBreak to ensure your Agile team includes wellness in every sprint planning session.
8. Basecamp
Overview
Basecamp takes a radically simple approach to project management—no overwhelming features, just the essentials. It combines to-dos, message boards, schedules, docs, and chat in one straightforward tool. Basecamp is opinionated about simplicity and work-life balance, even removing features that encourage overwork. It's perfect for teams tired of complex PM tools, though its simplicity can be limiting for teams needing advanced features.
Best For
Teams wanting simplicity over features
Key Features
- ✓To-do lists with assignments
- ✓Message boards for discussions
- ✓Schedule and calendar
- ✓Docs and file storage
- ✓Real-time group chat (Campfire)
- ✓Automatic check-ins
- ✓Client access
- ✓Mobile apps
Pros
- +Refreshingly simple
- +Flat pricing (unlimited users option)
- +Promotes work-life balance
- +Great for client collaboration
- +No feature bloat
Cons
- −Too simple for complex projects
- −Lacks advanced PM features
- −No Gantt charts or dependencies
- −Limited customization
- −Not great for agile workflows
Pricing
Basecamp's simplicity philosophy aligns with DeskBreak's wellness philosophy—both fight feature bloat and overwork. Basecamp keeps your projects simple; DeskBreak keeps your work habits sustainable.
9. Wrike
Overview
Wrike is an enterprise-grade project management platform offering advanced features like resource management, custom workflows, and powerful reporting. It's designed for larger organizations managing complex projects across multiple teams and departments. While less intuitive than Asana or Monday, Wrike's depth and scalability make it popular with enterprises. It excels at handling large portfolios of projects with cross-functional dependencies.
Best For
Large enterprises needing powerful PM
Key Features
- ✓Multiple project views
- ✓Advanced workflows and approvals
- ✓Resource management
- ✓Gantt charts and dependencies
- ✓Time tracking and budgeting
- ✓Custom reports and dashboards
- ✓Proofing and approvals
- ✓400+ integrations
Pros
- +Powerful for large enterprises
- +Excellent resource management
- +Strong reporting capabilities
- +Good for marketing teams
- +Scales well
Cons
- −Complex interface
- −Expensive
- −Steep learning curve
- −Overkill for small teams
- −Can feel corporate and rigid
Pricing
Wrike manages enterprise workloads—but who manages employee wellness at enterprise scale? DeskBreak's team dashboard gives HR visibility into wellness metrics alongside Wrike's project metrics.
10. Todoist
Overview
Todoist is primarily a personal task manager that also works for small teams. Its simplicity—just tasks, projects, and labels—makes it perfect for individuals or small teams that don't need full project management features. Todoist's natural language input ('tomorrow at 3pm') and keyboard shortcuts make task capture effortless. While lacking advanced PM features, its simplicity and affordability are its strength.
Best For
Simple task lists and personal productivity
Key Features
- ✓Simple task lists and projects
- ✓Natural language task entry
- ✓Labels and filters
- ✓Priority levels
- ✓Productivity tracking (Karma)
- ✓Templates
- ✓Recurring tasks
- ✓Comments and file uploads
- ✓Integrations with 70+ tools
Pros
- +Extremely simple and clean
- +Fast task capture
- +Great for personal productivity
- +Affordable
- +Excellent mobile apps
Cons
- −Not a full PM tool
- −Limited collaboration features
- −No Gantt or timeline views
- −Basic reporting
- −Better for individuals than teams
Pricing
Todoist keeps your tasks organized—add 'Take a break' as a recurring task! Or better yet, let DeskBreak automate wellness reminders so you can focus on your actual work tasks.
11. Teamwork
Overview
Teamwork is designed specifically for agencies and client services teams, with features like time tracking, billing, client access, and profitability reports built-in. It combines project management with client relationship features that agencies need. While less well-known than Asana or Monday, Teamwork excels for teams that bill clients hourly and need to track project profitability alongside task completion.
Best For
Agencies and client services teams
Key Features
- ✓Project templates
- ✓Time tracking and billing
- ✓Client users and permissions
- ✓Gantt charts and milestones
- ✓Resource scheduling
- ✓Profitability reports
- ✓Invoicing
- ✓Workload management
Pros
- +Built for agency workflows
- +Excellent time tracking and billing
- +Good client collaboration features
- +Profitability tracking
- +Comprehensive feature set
Cons
- −Interface feels dated
- −Can be complex to set up
- −Fewer integrations than competitors
- −Smaller community
- −Learning curve
Pricing
Teamwork tracks billable hours—but don't forget that healthy employees bill more hours sustainably. Use DeskBreak to ensure your agency team takes breaks between client projects, preventing burnout and turnover.
12. Height
Overview
Height is a modern project management tool that uses AI to automate routine PM tasks—automatically moving cards, setting priorities, and organizing backlogs. It combines the simplicity of Trello with the power of Asana, adding AI that learns your team's patterns. While newer and less proven than alternatives, Height's autonomous features reduce PM busywork, letting teams focus on actual work rather than organizing tasks.
Best For
Teams wanting AI-powered project management
Key Features
- ✓AI-powered task automation
- ✓Multiple views (spreadsheet, Kanban, Gantt, calendar)
- ✓Smart task suggestions
- ✓Automatic backlog organization
- ✓Slack and GitHub integration
- ✓Custom fields and workflows
- ✓Real-time collaboration
- ✓Keyboard-first design
Pros
- +AI reduces manual PM work
- +Modern, fast interface
- +Good balance of simplicity and power
- +Keyboard shortcuts throughout
- +Innovative approach
Cons
- −Newer tool with smaller user base
- −AI can feel unpredictable
- −Fewer integrations than established tools
- −Some features still maturing
- −Not as proven as Asana/ClickUp
Pricing
Height's AI automates project management—let DeskBreak automate wellness management. While Height organizes your tasks intelligently, DeskBreak reminds your team to take intelligent breaks for health and focus.
How to Choose the Right Project Management Tool
1. Match Tool to Team Type
- Software/Product teams: Linear (fast, dev-focused) or Jira (enterprise Agile)
- Marketing/Creative teams: Asana (flexible) or Monday.com (visual)
- Agencies/Client work: Teamwork (billing built-in) or Wrike
- Small teams/Startups: Trello (simple) or ClickUp (affordable all-in-one)
- Personal productivity: Todoist or Notion
2. Simplicity vs. Power Tradeoff
More features = more complexity. Consider your team's sophistication:
- Simple: Trello, Basecamp, Todoist - easy to learn, limited features
- Balanced: Asana, Linear, Height - good power without overwhelming
- Powerful: ClickUp, Monday.com, Wrike - extensive features but complex
- Enterprise: Jira, Wrike - maximum power, maximum complexity
3. Key Features to Consider
Must-have vs. nice-to-have features:
- Essential for most teams: Tasks, assignments, due dates, multiple views, mobile apps
- Important for larger teams: Dependencies, timelines/Gantt, automation, custom fields
- Nice to have: Time tracking, forms, workload management, portfolio views
- Advanced needs: Resource management, budgeting, billing, custom workflows
4. Budget Constraints
- Best free options: Trello, ClickUp, Asana (up to 15 users), Todoist
- Best value: ClickUp ($7/user), Linear ($8/user), Asana ($10.99/user)
- Flat pricing: Basecamp ($299/month unlimited users)
- Premium but worth it: Monday.com, Wrike (for specific needs)
5. Integration Needs
Check integrations with your existing tools:
- Communication: Slack, Teams, Discord
- Development: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
- Design: Adobe Creative Cloud
- Time/Finance: Harvest, QuickBooks, Xero
⚠️ Warning: Tool Complexity Can Harm Productivity
Complex PM tools with extensive customization can actually reduce productivity if teams spend more time organizing tasks than doing them. Start simple—use basic features first, only add complexity when you hit real limitations. Many teams over-engineer their PM setup, creating busywork instead of streamlining work. Remember: the goal is to ship projects, not to have the perfect Asana board.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing based on features, not team needs: More features doesn't mean better fit
- Not defining workflows first: Choose the tool AFTER mapping how you work
- Over-customizing: Keep it simple—complexity creates maintenance burden
- Using multiple PM tools: Pick one primary tool, stick with it
- Forgetting mobile experience: If your team is mobile, test mobile apps thoroughly
- Not training the team: Even simple tools need onboarding
Related DeskBreak Resources
Communication Tools
Team chat to complement your project management.
Time Tracking Tools
Track time spent on projects and tasks.
Break & Wellness Tools
Balance project deadlines with team wellness.
DeskBreak Activity Tracking
Track wellness activities alongside project tasks.
DeskBreak for Remote Workers
Complete wellness solution for project-based teams.
DeskBreak for Product Managers
Manage both product roadmaps and team wellness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use Trello if: You want simple visual boards, have straightforward workflows, or are a small team. Use Asana if: You need flexibility, plan to grow, want multiple views, and value a clean interface. Use Monday.com if: You need heavy customization, love colorful visual interfaces, have budget for premium pricing, and want extensive automation. For most teams, Asana offers the best balance of power and usability.
Use Jira if: You're a large enterprise, have complex Agile needs, need deep Atlassian integration, or already use Jira (switching is painful). Use Linear if: You're a startup/scaleup, value speed over customization, want modern UX, and integrate closely with GitHub. Use Asana if: Your team isn't purely engineering or you need cross-functional project management beyond just sprints. Many modern startups are happily using Linear instead of Jira—it's simpler, faster, and designed for how teams work today.
ClickUp tries to be everything—PM, docs, goals, chat, CRM, etc.—and succeeds at being a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. Use ClickUp if: You want to consolidate many tools into one platform, have budget constraints (it's affordable), and don't mind complexity. Avoid ClickUp if: You want best-in-class PM experience, prefer focused tools, or get overwhelmed by options. Many teams love ClickUp's value; others find it bloated. Try the generous free plan before committing.
Yes, but with caveats. Notion's databases can be configured for project management, and many teams do this successfully. However, Notion lacks PM-specific features like Gantt charts, dependencies, resource management, and workflow automation. Use Notion for PM if: You already use Notion for docs/wiki and want everything in one place, have simple project needs, or love customization. Use a dedicated PM tool if: You have complex projects, need advanced features, or want purpose-built workflows. Many teams use Notion for documentation + dedicated PM tool for project tracking.
Tool adoption is the hardest part. Keys to success: (1) Leadership must use it religiously—no exceptions, (2) Make it the source of truth—if it's not in the tool, it doesn't exist, (3) Start simple—don't over-customize initially, (4) Provide training—even simple tools need onboarding, (5) Integrate with existing workflows—Slack notifications, calendar sync, etc., (6) Show wins early—demonstrate how it solves real pain points. If the team sees the tool as busywork rather than helpful, they won't use it.
Two schools of thought: Integrated approach—use all-in-one tools like Notion, ClickUp, or Basecamp to keep everything together. Benefits: less context switching, easier to find information. Specialized approach—dedicated PM tool (Asana, Linear) + dedicated docs tool (Notion, Confluence). Benefits: best-in-class features for each need. Most teams end up with specialized tools because PM-specific features (Gantt, dependencies) matter, but this creates some friction. There's no perfect answer—choose based on your team's tolerance for tool sprawl vs. feature depth.
These terms mean similar things but come from different contexts. Tasks (Asana, Monday, Todoist): generic work items for any workflow. Issues (Jira, Linear, GitHub): developer-focused units of work, often bugs or features. User Stories (Agile/Scrum): feature descriptions from user perspective ("As a user, I want..."). In practice, these all represent work to be done—the terminology matters less than having a consistent system your team understands. Choose tools that match your team's vocabulary.
Balance detail with overhead. Too detailed: Spending more time managing tasks than doing work, task lists become unwieldy, team feels micromanaged. Too vague: Unclear what needs to be done, can't track progress, blockers not visible. Good rule of thumb: Tasks should be completable in 1-3 days. If longer, break down into subtasks. Include enough context that someone unfamiliar could understand what needs doing. Use descriptions for details, not task titles. Remember: PM tool is for coordination, not documentation—link to detailed docs elsewhere.
Manage Projects AND Team Wellness
Project management tools track deadlines and deliverables—but who's tracking team burnout? DeskBreak integrates with Asana, Linear, and other PM tools to ensure your team stays healthy while shipping projects on time.
Last Updated: January 2025 • We regularly review and update our recommendations to ensure accuracy.