There are a million ways to manage projects. There are even more tools to help you manage projects, from simple to-do lists to complex online tools that do everything for you aside from the actual work of completing the project and writing the check.
But what if you want something simple and effective? What if all you really need is a calendar?
That’s where we come in. We’re xxx, and we believe that no matter how complicated your project, a good calendar is all you really need.
A calendar is easy to use, even for those who don’t like computers. It’s easy on your wallet—we’ll get into this later. And most importantly, it’s simple and effective.
This blog will cover why calendars are a great tool for project management; which calendars are best; and how to go about using calendars to best effect.
Calendar Tools For Project Management
According to the World Health Organization, working under time pressure is one of the leading causes of stress at the workplace. Proper scheduling is one of the easiest ways to prevent this. An effective project management calendar software can help you maintain an efficient schedule so you can meet goals without overburdening yourself or your employees.
In this article, I’ll show you some of the best project management calendar software you can use so you can manage projects properly and help your employees maintain a productive yet stress-free work life. Let’s start!
Related Read: Resource Calendars In Project Management: Complete Guide
My Project Management Calendar App Comparison Criteria
What do I look for when I select the best project management calendar? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:
User Interface (UI): I’m looking for a tool with a clean user interface and pleasing design. The calendar should be readable, flexible, and customizable.
Usability: I’m looking for software that’s intuitive to use when it comes to setting deadlines and milestones for newbies and advanced users alike.
Integrations: I’m looking for software that allows the integration of a wide range of productivity tools for communication, HR, ERM, CRM, and whatever else you need.
Value for $: I’m looking for software with many features but is not too expensive with a transparent and scalable pricing plan.
Project Management Calendar: Key Features
Customization: Allows users to add events, projects, or tasks to shared calendars.
Reporting: Allows users to pull up data for reporting purposes.
Time tracking: Enables users to track the time spent on tasks.
Data filtering: Choose what content you are seeing on the calendar.
Color coding: Help organize the calendar with visual cues.
Drag-and-drop: Quickly rearrange deadlines without menu diving.
Priority tags: Know the priority levels of upcoming tasks.
project management calendar logos list
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Overviews Of The 10 Best Project Management Calendar Solutions
Here’s a brief description of each project management calendar app to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the interface.
1
monday.com
Best for workflow automation
monday.com screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
You can use monday.com to automate simple tasks so you can focus on other aspects of your projects.
monday.com is an award-winning project management SaaS you can use to plan projects and manage your team. monday.com’s calendar view allows you to track the progress of projects and ensure that everybody complies with the work schedule. Aside from the high-level view of all projects, you can drill down on specific tasks and subtasks so you can track dependencies and device contingencies whenever necessary.
monday.com is best for you if simple and repetitive tasks take up a huge chunk of your time because monday.com has automation functionality that can take care of them for you. You can set automated responses and actions to simple tasks like sending an email after receiving a project proposal, getting an update on project milestones, or receiving alerts when end dates approach.
monday.com integrates with Google Calendar, Dropbox, Excel, and other productivity tools.
monday.com pricing starts at $8/user/month, and they offer a 14-day free trial. They have a free plan for up to 2 users but workflow automation is not included.
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14 days free trial
From $8/user/month
Check out monday.com
2
Google Workspace Calendar
Best free project management calendar
Google Workspace Calendar screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
Google Workspace Calendar allows you to customize your status and work location, informing others of your availability.
Google Workspace Calendar is a shareable online calendar you can integrate with Gmail, Drive, Meet, and other Google tools you may already be using. If you’re using an outdated business calendar, you can easily migrate it to Google Workspace Calendar without losing any data. Google Workspace Calendar also allows you to browse and reserve available conference rooms to get one with the capacity and equipment you need.
Google Workspace Calendar is your best option if you want a project management calendar without hurting your budget because you can get this tool for free. With Google Calendar, you can check your team members’ availability before setting up meetings to avoid scheduling conflicts. You can access the tool not just on your PC but on your mobile devices too, so you can view and edit your calendar on the go.
Google Workspace Calendar, however, does not have the advanced task-scheduling, collaboration, or reporting features of others on this list.
Google Workspace Calendar is free to use.
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Unlimited free trial
Free to use
Check out Google Workspace Calendar
3
Microsoft Project
Best for task management
Microsoft Project screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
Microsoft Project allows you to create calendars for each task to determine the amount of time spent on them.
Microsoft Project is a project management software you can use to plan and build project calendars while assigning tasks to team members with the necessary skills to complete them. You can use Microsoft Project to track the progress of your overall project so you can intervene if a task is causing delays. Microsoft Project also utilizes Gantt charts so you can track dependencies and promote accountability among team members.
Microsoft Project is the best project management calendar for you if you want to manage tasks because you can monitor the amount of workforce each task requires. With Microsoft Project, you can check if a task takes longer than usual and implement action plans to cut down on task completion time. Tracking task completion time can also help you determine if the assignees have the proper skill set for their specific tasks and schedule training if needed.
Microsoft Project pricing starts at $10/user/month. Microsoft Project offers a 30-day free trial.
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30 days free trial
From $10/user/month
Check out Microsoft Project
4
Bitrix24
Best communication tools
Bitrix24 screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
Bitrix24 has a wide array of communication tools you can use like chat, video calls, and conferences.
Bitrix24 is a free, open source project planning tool with team collaboration and task planning capabilities. Bitrix24’s project calendar feature allows you to schedule, sync, and share your calendar with other team members ensuring you are all on the same page. You can even set up multiple calendars so you can manage multiple projects easily.
Bitrix24 is the best project management calendar tool for you if you want one with integrated communications tools like chat, video calls, and conferences. With these integrated communications tools, you can communicate privately with select team members and avoid leaks while working on confidential projects. This also means that you don’t have to pay for a separate chat or video conferencing tool because your Bitrix24 account has these features.
Bitrix24 has a free version, while the paid version starts at $39/month for up to 5 users.
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Free version
From $39/month for up to 5 users
Check out Bitrix24
5
Wrike
Best for agile project management
Wrike screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
Wrike assures communication updates are front-and-center for fast-moving agile teams who need to navigate iterations and feedback cycles.
Wrike is a project management software you can use to ensure that your team adheres to project schedules like start dates and due dates. You can use Wrike to visually assess a project timeline using Gantt charts and Kanban boards to ensure that project tasks and subtasks are completed on time to prevent project delays. I recommend Wrike if you handle complex projects because it has file sharing and calendar sharing capabilities to boost team collaboration.
Wrike is the best project management calendar if you handle agile projects because it simplifies workload to assign the best point person to lead a project and delegate assignments based on your team members’ abilities. You can use Wrike to communicate with team members so you can adapt to changes on an as-needed basis. Wrike has customizable intake forms to prioritize incoming requests according to importance and urgency.
Wrike pricing starts at $9.80/user/month with a 14-day free trial. They have a free-forever plan with some feature limitations.
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14 days free trial
From $9.80/user/month
Check out Wrike
6
Smartsheet
Best for creating BI reports
Smartsheet screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
Use Smartsheet to create comprehensive reports that you can share with team members and stakeholders.
Smartsheet is a SaaS with project scheduling, time tracking, resource management, and project management tools to help you complete projects easily. Its calendar has a timeline view so you can check how different projects are progressing. What’s great about Smartsheet’s calendar view is it is easy to understand because different projects get color-coded, so you can differentiate projects from each other.
Smartsheet is best for you if you’re a project manager who wants to spend less time creating reports and more time monitoring project progress to ensure success. You can use Smartsheet to assess data from multiple projects to spot trends that you can leverage or weaknesses you need to address. Smartsheet’s reporting is versatile, and you can export reports to PDF, Google Sheets, or Excel Spreadsheets and share them with your team and stakeholders.
Smartsheet pricing starts at $7/user/month with a 30-day free trial.
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30 days free trial
From $7/user/month
Check out Smartsheet
7
Clickup
Best mobile app version
Clickup screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
ClickUp has a mobile app version you can download on your iOS or Android device so you can access the program remotely.
ClickUp is a project management software you can use to manage people and plan and create projects. It has a task calendar to help your team stay aligned and track dependencies. You can use ClickUp to schedule meetings, organize work schedules, share documents, and communicate with teammates to improve teamwork.
ClickUp is the best option for you if you’re looking for a project management calendar you can use remotely because it has a mobile app version that works on iOS and Android mobile devices. The mobile app version allows you access to ClickUp’s wide range of functionalities like accessing project plans, creating task lists, and communicating with your project team. It has offline work, so you can continue working even without an internet connection, and your task calendar automatically syncs once you have internet access.
ClickUp has a free forever plan with feature use limitations (100 Gantt chart views, 100 mind maps, etc.). Paid plans start at $5/user/month and come with a free trial.
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Free trial
From $5/user/month
Check out Clickup
8
Hive
Best for large companies
Hive screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
You can add as many users as you want to your Hive account, ensuring that you have enough human resources to deliver projects successfully.
Hive is a project management platform you can use to manage projects on a centralized platform. You can use it to add and assign tasks to team members depending on their skill set. You can view and access your Google or Outlook Calendar in Hive, ensuring that you don’t forget important tasks or meetings.
I recommend Hive if you work with a large team because its pricing structure remains the same no matter how many users you add to your account. What’s great about Hive is that you can set the permissions of the users you add to invite sub-contractors and freelancers while limiting their access to a particular project. It has a time-tracking feature enabling you to track in real-time what your team members are doing and how much time they are spending on specific tasks.
Hive integrates with productivity tools including Salesforce, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams.
Hive has a free forever plan for up to two users, while its paid plan starts at $12/user/month.
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14 days free trial
From $12/user/month
Check out Hive
9
Odoo
Best open-source project management calendar
Odoo screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
Odoo is open-source software, so you can modify it depending on your company’s needs.
Odoo is an open-source collection of apps, including CRM, inventory management, billing, project management, and many others. It has a calendar view you can use to view your entire team’s tasks, projects, and appointments. Odoo allows you to filter items in your calendar so you can prioritize items that need your immediate attention.
If your company has unique requirements for its project management app, Odoo is the best app for you because of its open-source nature. You can work with your developers to tweak Odoo and add functionalities that will serve your company’s needs. You can also customize Odoo to make it user-friendlier, shortening the learning curve of users.
Odoo pricing starts at $4/user/month per app. Odoo offers a 15-day free trial.
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15 days free trial
From $4/user/month
Check out Odoo
10
Float
Best for time tracking
Float screenshot – 10 Best Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
Float’s time tracking feature allows users to log in their work hours, ensuring accurate timesheets.
Float provides you with a high-level view of all projects enabling you to reallocate resources or reassign tasks to ensure timely completion. You can look at the calendars of team members to see what they are doing and avoid overutilization. It has a robust reporting functionality to monitor your team’s performance helping you make informed business decisions.
If you need a way to let employees log in their work hours accurately, Float is the best project management software for you because of its time tracking feature. You can pre-fill your timesheet using your Float schedule, ensuring that your working days sync with existing projects. With Float’s time-tracking feature, you can ensure accurate timesheets and prevent payroll disputes.
Float integrates with Asana, QuickBooks, Google Calendar, and Zapier, among others.
Float pricing starts at $6/user/month and offers a 30-day free trial.
What tools to use for project management
What are the key features of project management tools?
The key features of web-based project management tools, apart from basic task management are:
- Project estimation
To ensure your project succeeds, it’s important to not only track the real-time progress but also to estimate the project constraints based on your current performance. This could be in the form of budget forecasts, EVM or baselines. - Budgeting
Managing your costs to stay within the planned budget. Track expenses, track actual cost to invoice clients and pay employees, compare planned and actual cost, forecast budget, and analyze your budget health. - Resource allocation
Making sure the right people work on the right tasks. Avoid overworking or under working your employees by using the resource utilization chart. The top project management tools also help in assigning work based on the employee workload and availability. - Collaboration
Keeping all the project stakeholders on the same page. Effortless collaboration is an essential aspect of an online project management tool. Virtual collaboration tools like chat, web meetings, and forums are some great features to have. - Quality management
Always put out your best work by managing the quality of your project constantly. Issue tracking and resolution capabilities greatly help with this. Automation to escalate and deal with bugs is an added bonus. - Project administration
Onboarding your workforce, clients and organizational structure to a tool is important. From industry-specific templates to various third-party integrations, there are several ways project management tools can help you with project administration. - Risk management
People also use online project management software to deal with uncertainties in the estimates of the duration of each task; arrange tasks to meet various deadlines; and juggle multiple projects simultaneously, as part of an overall objective.
The top 5 project management tools for project teams
what are project management tools
- Gantt Charts
Gantt chart is one of the top project management tools. A Gantt chart is a visualization of your project timeline and the dependencies between your various work items.
Gantt charts are helpful in keeping track of the project schedule, checking for any deviations from the project plan and identifying delays. Businesses can stay on track of their planned schedule and budget with the help of Gantt charts. And if things don’t go as planned, Gantt charts help in identifying the critical tasks that will ensure your project gets completed on time.
In project management, Gantt charts are an important tool in planning. It provides a complete picture of the work breakdown structure and aids in allocating resources efficiently, be it time, money or human resources. It maps the inter-dependencies between the different work items, helps in prioritizing the critical tasks and reducing scope creep.
Gantt charts in Zoho Projects are an intuitive, easy-to-use tool that makes your planning and scheduling easier. Simple drag-and-drop interface to adjust your timeline, 4 types of dependencies, critical path, baseline, chart scaling and task management capabilities within the chart makes for an indispensable tool. And the best part? It’s available even in our free plan! Check out more information about the Gantt chart features in our various pricing plans here.
project management scheduling tools
- Work Breakdown Structure
The Work Breakdown Structure is the first and most important tool in project planning. It’s a hierarchical breakdown of your project goal into actionable work items.
WBS follows a hierarchy where your end goal is split into stages that can be further divided into tasks or sub-tasks. This helps in planning every single aspect of your project without leaving anything to chance. The breakdown gives clarity on the time and resources that would be needed and hence helps in setting the planned constraints for a project.
WBS helps not only in planning but also in the execution phase of your project. Work is executed in parts that make up a whole. Managing these parts is easier not only in terms of tracking the work but also in case of setbacks.
Create a WBS in Zoho Projects with its hierarchy of milestones, task lists, tasks and sub tasks. With customizable settings, multiple views, templates, reminders and recurrence, it takes no time at all to set up your project using our task management features.
project management planning tools
- Project Baseline
A project baseline is a graphical way of representing your project values by comparing the baseline which is the standard you set for your project against your actual performance.
The project baseline is a project management tool that encompasses the scope baseline, cost baseline, and schedule baseline. Your baseline helps in tracking your real-time progress. It can also help avoid scope creep by keeping the unplanned work in check.
Unplanned work is a major factor that can affect your project’s cost, time, and scope. It causes a domino effect. Firstly, there’s a risk that the project has gone out of scope by including this extra work. Even if not, the time and cost of the project will have increased. If you don’t want to compromise those constraints, the quality of your project will have to take a back seat.
Measure your performance by comparing the real-time progress with the baseline set in Zoho Projects’ Gantt chart. Easy to set and analyze, the baseline in Zoho Projects works in conjunction with slack to track the time lost.
project management tools examples
- Team Building Activities
Team building activities are a way to improve morale and boost the productivity of your teams by conducting activities or healthy competitions. From group surfing lessons to team pot luck, there’s a wide range of fun activities you can use as part of corporate team building.
The connection between team building and PM tools may not be obvious. But the relationships between the team, as well as with the stakeholders, are as important to a project as planning or execution. And this is an easy way to strengthen these relationships.
Team building activities may include encouraging competitions conducted in a controlled environment to disrupt the rat race that’s often part of everyday workplace culture. It can also encourage creativity, highlight your team members’ various talents, and motivates people to work together to find the best solutions.
project management tools and techniques
- Communications management plan
A project communication plan is a tool that ensures there’s a regular, relevant flow of information between the project members, clients, and other stakeholders. The plan includes details regarding who communicates what, to whom and how often.
This project management tool ensures everyone involved is kept in the loop, and it helps maintain relationships. There’s the obvious benefit of keeping your stakeholders in the loop, since satisfying their needs is an integral part of a project’s success. A communication plan will help tackle any risks that may arise and improve collaboration among the members of your team.
Nail down your communication plan to the dot with the extensive collaboration features of Zoho Projects. From the Discuss module with its in-built chat, virtual calls and meeting capabilities to the social Feed to discuss ideas, feedback and media, Zoho Projects has you covered with all means of communication.
tools used in project management
Cover all your bases with an all-in-one platform. Watch a quick overview of Zoho Projects, the complete project management tool.
Watch a quick overview of Zoho Projects
Benefits of using project management tools for managing projects
It’s all about the right time—don’t miss it
Gantt chart software helps in accommodating delays that occur in real-time. Task dependencies and their effect on the time taken to complete a task can be captured and managed with Gantt chart software.
Take hold of the slippery scope
WBS helps in ideation and is heavily relied upon during planning. It provides an outline to establish your cost, schedule, and work hours. It also helps in identifying risks.
Keep your cost boxed
Cost baseline is the comparison between your initial estimate and your actual project spending. It works closely with schedule and scope baselines since these factors are interconnected and can easily cause the cost of a project to deviate from its plan.
Collaboration is the key to opening locked doors
Collaborate on things outside work to promote effective team communication. The best project management tools for teams encourage people to ask questions, to not overextend themselves, to raise questions about ideas that may not work, and to achieve success in work.
Close the gap that stops you from listening
Streamlining cross-functional communication with a proper plan ensures that all the stakeholders are aware of how to get hold of relevant information. The PM tools ensure that important decisions aren’t delayed and all project activities proceed smoothly.
Conclusion
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