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- Best for collaboration on a budget: Notion
- Best for growing and large teams: Wrike
- Best for consultants with complex projects: ClickUp
- Best for individuals and teams on a budget: Todoist
- Best for managing your business: Nifty
- Best for individuals and team notation: Evernote
Project management tools can help you organize your projects and provide services. Consultants need applications that can meet their business needs, like working with clients, scheduling meetings and having task management features for workflow. Many of them offer very affordable plans, and others have more useful features behind a paywall. It’s important to consider each one carefully to avoid a costly mistake.
Top project management software for consultants comparison
Below is a table of quick facts on project management options for consultant needs. You may have other features in mind that you want, but these are a great place to start.
| Free plan | Free viewers | Automation | Integrations | Pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notion | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Starts at $16/user/month, billed yearly |
| Wrike | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Starts at $9.80/user/month, billed yearly |
| ClickUp | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Starts at $7/user/month, billed yearly |
| Todoist | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Starts at $4/user/month, billed yearly |
| Nifty | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Starts at $5/user/month, billed yearly |
| Evernote | Yes | No, but you can export notes | Limited | Yes | $129.99 yearly |
Notion: Best for collaboration on a budget
Notion is a user-friendly project management tool for small teams, freelancers and individuals. With this software, individual consultants can collaborate with clients and small consulting firms in a shared workspace. It is affordable for freelancers and small teams and has an enterprise plan for the more demanding needs of a consulting firm. Notion also features knowledge management and wiki building features that set it apart from other project management software.
Pricing
- Free: Unlimited blocks for individuals but limited block trials for teams.
- Plus: $16 per user per month billed annually, or $20 per user per month billed monthly.
- Business: $23 per user per month billed annually, or $28 per user per month billed monthly.
- Enterprise: Contact Notion for a demo, a trial and pricing information for this plan.
- Notion AI: An add-on to any paid plan at $8 per member per month for annual billing and $10 per member per month for monthly billing and free plans.
Standout features
- Work views like kanban, list and calendar.
- Unique block-based layout for pages (Figure A).
- Free guests in all plans, starting at 10 guests for the free plan.
- Page analytics for monitoring progress.
- Admin user roles and advanced security available with the Enterprise plan.
Top integrations
- Google Drive.
- Slack.
- Splunk.
- Calendly.
- Gusto.
- OneDrive.
- Zoom.
- Box.
- Okta.
Pros
- The Free plan has unlimited blocks for individuals.
- The software is intuitive and easy to get started with.
- It includes priority support for paid plans.
- Notion AI writing assistant improves workflow.
Cons
- Higher tiers can be pricier for single consultants.
- Not as feature-rich as other project management tools.
- Lacks built-in time tracking.
Why we chose Notion
Notion is a visual project management app that works well for content-heavy fields like consulting. Its block-based page layouts and wiki building features differentiate it from many other project management platforms. Its generous free plan also works particularly well for individual consultants.
For more information, read the full Notion review.
Wrike: Best for growing and large teams
Wrike is stocked with reporting and analytics features that can benefit organizations and growing businesses. The free plan supports unlimited users and has basic features like board and table views. The Team plan is also pretty affordable and supports up to 25 users, making it a good option for smaller teams that need slightly more advanced features. Wrike also offers several more advanced plans for teams that need multiple tiers for scalability, though those plans do cost quite a bit more.
Pricing
- Free: Unlimited users.
- Team: $9.80 per user per month, billed annually.
- Business: $24.80 per user per month, billed annually.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for teams that want more advanced security.
- Pinnacle: Custom pricing for teams that want more advanced analytics.
Standout features
- Work views such as kanban, Gantt, calendar and table.
- Multiple languages supported in all plans.
- Reporting and business intelligence for in-depth insights.
- Budgeting and resource management (Figure B).
- Data visualization analytics.
Top integrations
- Google Drive.
- Zoom.
- Miro.
- Microsoft OneDrive.
- Tableau.
- Slack.
- Dropbox.
Pros
- Custom branding for the Business plan and up.
- Allows collaborators (viewers) in all plans.
- Enterprise-grade security in all plans.
Cons
- Automations limited based on pricing tier.
- Limited work views in the Free plan.
- Under 15 GB of storage for all plans, except for Pinnacle.
Why we chose Wrike
Wrike offers a grand total of five pricing plans, including a forever free tier, making it a highly scalable project management solution for growing businesses. Its more expensive plans offer advanced features like risk prediction, resource management and two-factor authentication that will satisfy the needs of larger consultant practices.
For more information, read the full Wrike review.
ClickUp: Best for consultants with complex projects
ClickUp also offers abundant features and unlimited users in its freemium version, making it a great option for solo consultants and small teams. Even better, ClickUp’s paid plans start at a lower price than many competitors and the increases between pricing tiers are very manageable. The plans offer plenty of storage as well as automation and collaboration features for remote teams, making them great for complex consulting projects.
Pricing
- Free: Unlimited users.
- Unlimited: $7 per user per month if billed annually, or $10 per user per month if billed month-to-month.
- Business: $12 per user per month if billed annually, or $19 per user per month if billed month-to-month.
- Enterprise: Contact sales for custom pricing.
- ClickUp AI: Add on to any paid plan for $5 per person per month.
Standout features
- Choose from 15 different work views, including calendar, Gantt and timeline.
- Unlimited custom views, storage and project spaces for paid tiers.
- Natural language processing and smart notifications.
- Over 50 native integrations for all plans.
- Video recording and chat messaging on the app (Figure C).
Top integrations
- Slack.
- Webhooks.
- Google Drive.
- Outlook.
- Microsoft Teams.
- Zoom.
- Hubspot.
- Toggl.
Pros
- Time tracking on all paid plans.
- Great for Agile sprint workflows.
- Two-factor authentication for all plans.
- Free view-only guests in all plans (guests with special permissions incur extra costs).
Cons
- Many customizations present a steep learning curve.
- Only 100 MG of storage for the free plan.
- Custom user roles and permissions available only in the Enterprise plan.
Why we chose ClickUp
ClickUp’s generous free tier and multiple affordable pricing plans make this a flexible solution for consulting teams of all sizes. ClickUp also offers many advanced features (especially for the price), which makes it a great choice for managing complex consulting projects with many moving parts.
For more information, read the full ClickUp review or check out our ClickUp vs. Evernote comparison.
Todoist: Best for individuals and teams on a budget
Todoist is one of the best project management tools for small teams and individuals. If you’re a freelance consultant or small firm, then you can save money while collaborating. While it’s not brimming with features like Wrike or ClickUp, you can still get work done with its basic task management and workflow functionality.
Pricing
- Beginner: Free for up to 5 personal projects and 5 guests per product.
- Pro: $4 per user per month if billed annually, or $5 per user per month if billed month-to-month.
- Business: $6 per user per month if billed annually, or $8 per user per month if billed month-to-month.
Standout features
- Custom task views for current and upcoming due dates (Figure D).
- Shared workspaces for collaboration.
- Invite unlimited guests on the Business plan.
- Integrations for time tracking and automation.
Top integrations
- Outlook.
- Everhour.
- Toggl.
- Trello.
- Gmail.
- Slack.
- Microsoft Teams.
Pros
- Very low learning curve that is easy for beginners to learn.
- Pricing plans are transparent and very affordable.
- The Business plan has admin and security controls and is less expensive than most competitors.
Cons
- Fewer features than most competitors.
- Not ideal for complex projects.
- Free plan is best for solo users only.
Why we chose Todoist
If you’re looking mostly for task management rather than complex project management, then Todoist is a great option. It offers well-designed digital to-do lists and simple navigation that even complete beginners will easily master. Due to the way its pricing plans are structured, it’s more well-suited to individuals and small teams.
For more information, read the full Todoist review or check out our Notion vs. Todoist comparison.
Nifty: Best for managing your business
If you’re looking for software with a variety of plan options, strong features and affordability, Nifty is a great choice. The software has plans for individuals, small teams and large firms, as well as a forever free plan that supports up to 2 projects. Consultants who want capabilities to help them manage their businesses can benefit from its budgeting and time-tracking features.
Pricing
- Free: Unlimited members and 2 projects.
- Starter: $5 per user per month if billed annually, or $9 per user per month if billed month-to-month.
- Pro: $10 per user per month if billed annually, or $16 per user per month if billed month-to-month.
- Business: $16 per user per month if billed annually, or $25 per user per month if billed month-to-month.
- Enterprise: Contact for a pricing quote.
Features
- Work views like kanban and list.
- Task and milestone dependencies (Figure E).
- Chat within the app for team communication.
- Workflow automation and budget tracking.
- File proofing and native forms.
Top integrations
- Harvest.
- Zoom.
- Slack.
- Microsoft suite.
- Google Drive.
- Miro.
- Typeform.
Pros
- Affordable plans for startups, individuals and teams.
- Storage for paid plans starting at 100GB.
- Majority of project management features available in Free plan.
- Two-factor authentication for all plans.
Cons
- Higher tiers can be pricey for small budgets.
- Workflow automation is available in Pro plan and up.
- Free plan limited to two projects only.
Why we chose Nifty
Nifty offers lots of great features for project management in your business, including task and milestone dependencies, time tracking and reporting, team workloads, goal tracking and more. Its pricing plans are also affordable and scalable, making it a great choice for small or large businesses.
For more information, read the full Nifty review.
Evernote: Best for individuals and team notation
Evernote is designed for personal and business project management needs. Its pricing is based on the number of devices you need for small teams. It’s ideal for personal notes organization, customization and overall task management. If your workflow requires a lot of writing and organizing your personal thoughts, then Evernote is a great choice.
Pricing
- Free: This plan allows you to sync up to two devices and offers 60 MB monthly uploads and a 25 MB maximum note size.
- Personal: This plan costs $10.83 per person per month billed annually or $14.99 per person per month billed monthly.
- Professional: This plan costs $14.17 per person per month billed annually or $17.99 per person per month billed monthly.
- Teams: This plan costs $20.83 per person per month or $24.99 per person per month billed monthly.
Features
- Fonts and colors for customization.
- Handwritten notes and ability to annotate images and PDFs (Figure F).
- Attach media and create audio notes.
- Task management features.
- Filter searches that can be saved for later.
- Integrations with Slack, Microsoft Teams and preferred calendars.
Top integrations
- Google Calendar.
- Slack.
- Microsoft Teams.
- Gmail.
Pros
- Users can export notes as PDFs or use links for sharing with clients.
- Advanced search function available.
- You can create custom templates.
- Very low learning curve for beginners.
Cons
- The Free plan is limited to 50 notes only.
- Must upgrade to the most expensive plan to get productivity tools.
- Fewer collaboration features compared to some other platforms.
Why we chose Evernote
If you’re looking for a notetaking solution for your consulting practice, you can’t go wrong with Evernote. It has excellent OCD scanning technology to digitize your handwritten notes, and the advanced search function makes it easy to find any note that you’ve ever created. However, its project management features aren’t that robust, so consider pairing it with another platform from this list.
For more information, read the full Evernote review or check out our Evernote vs. Notion comparison.
Key features of consultant project management software
When considering what project management software for consultants to use, you should prioritize the following features in your search.
Free plan
Consultants who are self-employed need to save as much money as they can, and committing to an expensive software solution is risky. Consultant management software with free plans offer not just low-cost solutions but also a great way to fully test before buying. When you’re ready for the pricier tiers, you can make the purchase with a better understanding of the software’s learning curve and overall usefulness.
Pricing
After considering the free version, it comes down to whether the price is worth the features. For many feature-rich project management tools, important functionality is pushed up to the higher tiers. Not every capability is worth the extra cost, so when choosing, it’s important to figure out what features you really do need. Most free and second-tier plans of project management pricing models won’t have the best features, but they won’t break the bank.
Automation
Saving time is a major benefit for individuals and teams. Working with clients should be your full focus, so you can build relationships and deliver your best work. This means small things like ensuring steps in the project workflow aren’t forgotten, flagging deadlines, automating reminders or streamlining tedious tasks are integral to saving time. Freelance consultants or teams with overwhelming workloads can benefit the most from automation.
Guest or client viewing
When your projects are made with someone else in mind, it’s important to be able to show them progress or even collaborate. At the very least, you need to be able to show them what you’re doing. Sharing or inviting viewers or guests with limited access can be pushed up to more costly subscription plans, while more affordable plans will give you access sooner. The types of guest or viewer access differ from software to software, so make sure to double-check offerings before purchase.
Integrations
If you are adding new software to your tech stack, it needs to work well with your current applications and be able to work with new tools that upgrade your workflow. If you choose cheaper software with basic features to save on your costs, then its available integrations can fill the gap in capabilities. Individual consultants can certainly benefit from cost savings as well as find new options to improve productivity.
How do I choose the best consultant project management for my business?
The best project management software for consultants are those that are affordable, easy to use and allow collaboration with team members or clients. The more features you need, the more costly it can be for things like automation, guest seats and time tracking.
If you want to ensure productivity and avoid wasting money, choose software with a free plan that you can thoroughly explore before committing to expensive subscriptions. Tools like Wrike and ClickUp save certain features for more expensive plans, but after buying, you may find the learning curve or overall feel of the software isn’t for you.
Make sure to take your time and avoid using a freemium version for a week and then immediately jumping in. Share it with your team, max out everything it has to offer, and you may even find the free version meets more of your needs than you thought.
If you choose a subscription or software that’s cheaper but offers fewer features, look for as many free integrations as you can. As long as your productivity isn’t held back by fewer features, it’s worth the savings.
Methodology
To select the best project management software for consultants, we signed up for free accounts or trials, consulted product documentation and read user reviews. We considered factors such as pricing, interface design, ease of use and integrations in making our selection. We also weighed features such as task management, team collaboration, project views and notes organization.
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