Agile Project Management Software Buyers Guide
Last updated: June 01, 2023
Agile project management has revolutionized the way modern teams work. By breaking down complex projects into smaller, more manageable pieces, agile methodologies enable teams to iterate quickly, respond to change, and deliver value to customers faster. However, achieving success with the agile approach requires more than just a change in mindset – it also requires the right tools.
Agile project management software are purpose-built for agile workflows, offering features such as sprint planning, Kanban boards, and real-time collaboration. With these tools, teams can support their iterative processes, prioritize tasks, and monitor progress in real-time.
But with so many options on the market, it can be time-consuming to find the right fit. That’s why we have put together this buyer’s guide, which takes a closer look at agile project management tools, exploring the key features, benefits, and considerations for selecting the right solution for your organization.
What Is Agile Project Management Software?
Agile project management software is specialized tools designed to help teams organize and manage projects using an iterative and flexible approach. The program provides a collaborative workspace where users can work in short stages called sprints and adapt to real-time changes. It is a centralized repository for project documentation and communication, promoting transparency and facilitating a shared understanding of project goals and key performance indicators (KPIs).
These applications also empower teams to provide and receive feedback, ensuring that everyone is aligned and the project is headed in the right direction. This capability promotes a culture of continuous improvement and allows project managers and product developers to adjust their approach based on feedback and make necessary changes to improve the quality of their deliverables.
Moreover, agile project management tools provide a framework for teams to track progress, measure performance, and generate reports, providing real-time visibility into project status and key metrics.
Is Agile Project Management Software Different From Generic Project Management Tools?
Agile project management tools differ distinctly from traditional project management solutions and are tailored specifically to support agile workflows. While generic tools may be suitable for traditional “waterfall” project management, they don’t provide the necessary features for agile teams. Agile tools offer unique functionalities, such as Scrum boards, backlog management, and Sprint planning, essential for agile project management.
In contrast, generic project management tools often prioritize a more linear approach to project management where project requirements, scope, and budget are defined at the start of a project. Unlike these solutions, agile project management programs emphasize collaboration and adaptability, making it ideal for teams prioritizing flexibility and continuous improvement.
In our Features section below, we will dive into the specific functionalities of agile project management systems and how they can help agile teams deliver successful products and services.
Why Do Teams Need Agile Project Management Tools?
At its core, the agile project management approach emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, and collaboration, which are crucial in today's fast-paced business environment. With the help of agile project management tools, teams can better organize their workflows, track progress, and communicate effectively, all while responding quickly to changing circumstances.
In this section, we will delve into the benefits of using Agile project management software and why it has become a must-have for any team looking to embrace the principles of the Agile Manifesto.
1. Enhanced Collaboration
Agile project management software enables efficient team collaboration with features such as activity feeds, file sharing, @mentions, commenting, and share boards. It also provides real-time updates to help software development teams stay informed about project progress, identify issues and quickly address them, and make informed decisions collaboratively.
2. Improved Transparency
These technology-driven applications provide stakeholders with complete transparency into project progress through various data visualization tools. This transparency helps build trust, empowers users to make informed decisions, and ensures project success.
3. Easier Feedback Gathering
Gathering stakeholder feedback at every stage is crucial to meeting their expectations and ensuring project progress aligns with their needs. Agile project management tools enable teams to gather valuable feedback from stakeholders and customers, leading to faster iterations and improved project outcomes.
4. Efficient Project Planning
Project management software enables efficient project planning by providing a collaborative platform for agile teams to create and prioritize tasks, allocate resources, and identify dependencies. It simplifies the planning process, saves valuable time and resources, and allows for streamlined execution of project tasks.
5. Increased Customer Satisfaction
Software development teams can rely on these solutions to deliver products and services faster and with greater quality, resulting in higher customer satisfaction. By involving customers through feedback and reviews, project managers can ensure that the end product meets the customer's needs and expectations.
6. Enhanced Workflow Efficiency
These software solutions are designed to streamline workflows and improve efficiency by providing a centralized platform for all project information. With all project data consolidated in one place, team members can easily access the information they need to complete their tasks without requiring time-consuming searches.
7. Increased Adaptability to Change
Agile project management systems allow users to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities during a project. With agile methodologies, teams can easily pivot to meet changing requirements or market conditions without disrupting the project's overall goals.
Common Features Needed In Agile Project Management Software
Agile project management has become a widely adopted approach for managing complex projects. To achieve success using this methodology, organizations need to select the right agile project management tool with essential features to support it.
Let's take a closer look at some of the key features to look for when evaluating these software solutions.
|
Visual Project Management
Sprint Management
Real-time Reporting Dashboards
Task Management
Workflow Mapping
Issue Tracking
Third-Party Integrations
Backlog Management
|
How To Decide Which Agile Project Management Software Is Best For You?
We have devised five-point criteria to help you decide which software is best suited for you.
What you need to do:
- Put a tick against each of these basic agile project management software design benchmarks.
- Shortlist your top five contenders; test them individually or collectively.
We have also compiled a list of the top-five agile project management tools a few sections down; they can serve as a good starting point for your analyses.
See the checklist below and remember that the software with the most checks wins (our recommendation is to go ahead to the next stage with the steps listed below).
|
Agile Project Management Software Evaluation List
|
Next, you need to narrow your choice to one agile project management app. Visit its product profile page – use our search bar above – to book a demo or get pricing (accurate, updated, custom plan figures for your workplace) so you can get subscribed quickly.
Agile Project Management Software Pricing
When considering agile project management software pricing, it's important to weigh the costs against the benefits the software can bring your organization. Many software providers offer a range of plans, from free basic versions to paid subscriptions with more advanced features.
Additionally, some vendors offer customizable plans that allow users to tailor the software to meet their specific needs. It is important to consider the size of your team, the complexity of your projects, and the features required to determine which pricing model best fits your organization.
Typically, agile project management software pricing ranges from around $5 to $100 per user per month, depending on the provider and level of functionality.
For more pricing information, download our comprehensive project management pricing guide 2023.
Best Agile Project Management Tools
With many options available, selecting the right agile project management tool for your team can be challenging. To simplify your search, we have researched and evaluated the top five agile project management tools to optimize your daily project management processes. In this section, we'll delve into each of them and help you find the most suitable solution for your needs. So let's dive in!
Monday Software
Monday software is an agile project management tool that provides teams with a flexible and collaborative platform to streamline their workflow. The platform offers workflow automation, customizable visualization options, and a wide range of templates and integrations to streamline day-to-day project management processes. Its user-friendly interface, drag-and-drop charts, file-uploading options, and click-to-edit data fields make the platform easy to use, even for those with limited technical expertise.
Additionally, it allows users to customize the workspace to fit their specific needs, regardless of whether they use Scrum, Kanban, or a hybrid framework.
Pricing
- Free: $0 for up to two seats
- Basic: $8/seat/month
- Standard: $10/seat/month
- Pro: $16/seat/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Key Features
- Gantt Chart: Visualize project progress and dependencies to identify bottlenecks and optimize resource allocation
- Kanban Board: Organize tasks on a Kanban board to quickly identify what needs to be done, what's in progress, and what's been completed, providing transparency and promoting continuous delivery
- Bug Tracking: Report and prioritize issues found during product development, ensuring that they are addressed in a timely and organized manner
- Backlog Management: Manage your backlog with ease using a range of features to prioritize and refine work items, while keeping them aligned with the overall project vision
- Sprint Planning: Plan and execute sprints with the help of sprint planning templates to define and track sprint goals, progress, and retrospective feedback
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Intuitive interface | Limited time tracking options |
| Robust communication tools | |
| Integration with various third-party apps |
.png)
Jira Software
Jira software is a top-rated agile project management solution that supports various agile methodologies, including Kanban and Scrum. The software comes with an advanced suite of features to help users manage, plan, and track software development projects from a unified platform. It also offers version management and a quick snapshot of resolved issues at the end of each sprint.
From Scrum and Kanban boards to advanced reporting and integration capabilities, Jira offers a complete solution for agile teams looking to streamline their workflows and increase productivity.
Pricing
- Free: $0/user/month
- Standard: $7.75/user/month
- Premium: $15.25/user/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Key Features
- Scrum Boards: Break complex tasks into manageable pieces and track progress in real-time, enabling Agile teams to plan and execute sprints efficiently
- Roadmaps: Develop and communicate product vision and strategy, align stakeholders, and track progress towards strategic goals through visual timelines and customizable views
- Reports and Insights: Gain visibility into team performance, identify areas of improvement, and optimize agile processes through customizable reports, dashboards, and real-time data analysis
- Version Management: Manage and track product versions, releases, and changes across multiple teams and stakeholders, ensuring timely delivery and efficient communication
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Customizable workflows and templates | Limited customization options |
| Easy to track backlogs | |
| Robust reporting capabilities |
Wrike Software
Wrike software is a collaborative project management system designed to streamline workflows and optimize team productivity in agile environments. Its robust features enable teams to organize, track, and manage tasks and projects in real time, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality work. With Wrike, agile teams can easily plan sprints, prioritize tasks, assign resources, and track progress using interactive Gantt charts, customizable dashboards, and dynamic reports.
Additionally, Wrike's integrations with popular agile tools such as JIRA and GitHub make it a flexible and powerful solution for agile teams of all sizes.
Pricing
- Free: $0/user/month
- Team: $9.80/user/month
- Business: $24.80/user/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
- Pinnacle: Custom pricing
Key Features
- Workload Management: Get real-time visibility into your team’s workload and reassign tasks as needed to ensure efficient resource utilization in agile projects
- Team collaboration: Foster team collaboration through shared tasks and projects, real-time commenting, and @mentions
- Task prioritization: Prioritize tasks using Wrike's agile task prioritization features, such as custom fields and task dependencies, ensuring that the team focuses on the most important tasks first
- Kanban boards: Visualize and manage agile workflows, track the progress of tasks and projects, and continuously improve the agile process
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Robust task management tools | Occasional glitches |
| Customizable intake forms | |
| Excellent customer support |
Asana Software
Asana software is a comprehensive project management tool designed to help agile teams stay organized, meet deadlines, and achieve their goals. The platform allows users to view their projects and tasks in various ways and easily track progress with features such as task assignments, subtasks, and milestones. It also offers specialized features for agile workflows, such as bug tracking, sprint planning, and stakeholder feedback gathering.
Moreover, Asana's agile methodology empowers teams to adapt to changing priorities and requirements, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Pricing
- Basic: $0/user/month
- Premium: $10.99/user/month
- Business: $24.99/user/month
Key Features
- Bug Tracking: Track and manage software bugs during the agile development process to ensure they are addressed promptly
- Visual Project Management: Get an overview of project progress and team workload through visualization tools such as Kanban boards to support agile project management methodology
- Product Roadmap: Create and share a strategic plan that outlines the vision, direction, and goals of the product to ensure everyone is aligned with the overall product vision and direction
- Product Feedback: Collect and organize feedback from stakeholders, customers, and team members to improve the product incrementally
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| User-friendly interface | Limited time tracking tools |
| Integrations with third-party apps | |
| Team collaboration tools |
Trello Software
Trello software is a user-friendly agile project management tool that enables teams to easily collaborate and manage projects. It is designed to help individuals and teams organize, prioritize, and track tasks flexibly and visually. The software allows users to create boards, cards and lists to represent projects, tasks and workflows.
Although the free version is limited, the Business plan provides more features such as app integrations, Gantt charts, reporting, and analytics.
Pricing
- Free: $0/user/month
- Standard: $5/user/month
- Premium: $10/user/month
- Enterprise: $17.50/user/month
Key Features
- Timeline View: Visualize project progress and deadlines to facilitate project planning and agile sprints
- Task Management: Prioritize tasks and assign them to team members, enabling agile teams to focus on delivering high-value work
- Integrations: Connect with other agile tools to streamline agile workflows and enhance cross-functional collaboration
- Boards: Create boards to organize tasks and team workflows, fostering agile processes and team transparency
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use and intuitive interface | Limited reporting and analytics capabilities |
| Supports collaboration and communication within teams | |
| Allows for real-time updates and tracking of progress |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are agile tools?
Agile tools are software or platforms designed to support and streamline the agile methodology for project management. These tools can assist teams in planning, tracking, and executing projects using agile principles such as iterative development, collaborative teamwork, and continuous delivery.
What is an agile methodology?
Agile methodology is a project management approach that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and incremental progress. Unlike the traditional “waterfall” approach, it involves breaking down projects into smaller tasks that can be completed in short, iterative cycles called sprints. In each sprint, the team works together to deliver a working product increment that can be reviewed and adjusted.
Who uses agile methodology?
Agile methodology is widely used in software development, but it has also been adopted by other industries such as marketing, IT, finance, and healthcare. Any organization that values flexibility, collaboration, and customer satisfaction can benefit from implementing agile methodology.
What is Kanban in agile?
Kanban is a visual framework used in agile methodology to manage and optimize workflow. It involves visualizing work, limiting work in progress, and continuously delivering small increments of value. The framework aims to improve flow and efficiency by reducing waste, bottlenecks, and delays in the workflow.
Can you use Microsoft Project for agile project management?
Yes, Microsoft Project supports agile methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban. The application also provides agile-specific templates, including sprint planning, task boards, and backlog management, and it helps agile teams track progress, visualize workflow, and collaborate on projects.
In Conclusion
Agile project management software have become an indispensable tool for modern organizations looking to thrive in today's competitive business environment. By choosing the right solution, businesses can achieve greater efficiency and collaboration and drive better outcomes.
When selecting the right agile project management tool for your organization, it's important to evaluate key factors such as functionality, scalability, security, integrations, and customization options. Our buyer's guide provides valuable insights to assist you in making an informed decision and choosing the agile project management program that aligns with your team’s specific requirements.
To learn more about agile project management applications, schedule a consultation with one of our experts and get personalized recommendations based on your unique needs.
