Project Management Software For Consultants Buyers Guide
Last updated: September 26, 2023
Unsure which project management software suits your consultant firm? This beginner’s guide will break it down for you.
If you want to pick software for consultant projects but are unsure about which one is the best for you, you are in the right place. By the end of this guide, you will have a clear understanding of how our top software picks can boost your consultancy business.
Our software recommendations can improve profits, assign or automate tasks, and track progress to complete each project in optimum time. With our guidance, you will be able to streamline all your consultancy work management.
From pricing information to the pros and cons of each software, we will take you on a step-by-step journey to acquaint you with the latest features of this software.
What is project management software for consultants?
Project management software for consultants helps identify project goals, manage tasks, analyze sales information, and track the progress of each project.
It can help you boost customer satisfaction by completing the project before the deadline.
The software also organizes essential information about complex projects and generates reports to save costs.
Is project management software for consultants different from regular project management software?
Yes, project management software for consultants differs from traditional project management software. Project management is an umbrella term for organizing and tracking workflows to achieve various target goals within a predetermined time frame.
However, project management software for consultants is much more specialized since it caters to the requirements of consultancy firms.
Consulting management software helps firms allot time frames, track time spent on each task, and optimize project schedules.
Why do consultants need project management software?
Following are some reasons consultants might need project management software:
Managing time-sensitive projects
Businesses that contact consulting firms have time constraints. Managing deadlines with a project management tool is essential to ensure your project is delivered on time.
- Task management: Break down projects into smaller tasks, assign them to team members, and set deadlines for completion.
- Prioritization: Prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. This ensures that the most critical tasks are completed first, helping you maximize your limited time.
- Collaboration: Communicate and work together more effectively, eliminating unrealistic expectations, miscommunication, or task completion delays.
- Time-tracking: This allows you to monitor how long each task takes. Identify processes that can be expedited and allocate resources efficiently.
Managing limited budget
Consultants are often approached by clients with a limited budget. Project management tools create and track budgets, allowing you to set and monitor spending limits for each project phase.
- Track costs: Consulting project management software provides precise invoicing that tracks every penny spent on the project. By tracking expenses and comparing them to your given budget, you can immediately employ cost-cutting measures.
- Optimize overspending: Identify potential savings by highlighting areas where you overspend and optimize resources.
- Reporting: Get detailed insights into project costs and make quick adjustments to stay within your allocated budget throughout your project.
Common features needed in consultant project management
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Project Planning
Time and Budget Tracking
Communication
Resource Management
File Attachments
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How to decide which software is best for you?
We have developed five-point criteria to help you decide which software is best suited for you.
Here’s what you need to do:
See the checklist below and remember, the software with the most checks wins. Just weigh your chosen tool against these basic consulting project manager software benchmarks.
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Consultant Project Management Software Evaluation List
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Our list of best project management software for consultants will help you narrow down the best picks.
Moreover, use our search bar above to book a demo or get pricing (accurate, updated, custom plan figures for your workplace) so you can subscribe quickly.
Project management software for consultants pricing
Consultant project management software pricing starts from as low as $5 per user/month (Zoho Projects) and goes as high as $24 per user/month (Workzone).
The subscription package depends on the features and number of users. You can check our detailed project management software pricing guide for more pricing information.
List of best project management software for consultants
There is a wide range of project management software for consultants providing professional services. However, finding the right one for your firm can be time-consuming and overwhelming.
We have narrowed down our top 5 picks to help you decide the most suitable software for your consulting projects.
Let’s dive into it!
You can view key features, pricing details, and the pros/cons of the 5 software below.
Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects is celebrated as one of the most affordable solutions for consultant management projects. This cloud-based solution offers customer relationship management (CRM) and sales analytics.
Here’s a sneak peek of Zoho Project’s Work Overview section:
You can manage consultant projects with teams internally, or with clients externally, with Zoho Projects. View a comprehensive list of Zoho Projects features in a separate section below.
Pricing
Following are the pricing plans of Zoho Projects:
- Free plan for up to 3 users.
- You can get the Premium plan for $5 per user/month.
- Enterprise plan for $10 per user/month.
Both paid plans also offer a 10-day free trial.
Features
- Kanban Boards: Assign tasks, drag to set them according to your preference, and manage projects visually. Customize boards according to the priority of each project.
- Customizable Dashboards: View overviews, see milestone statuses of all ongoing projects, and track the progress of each project.
- Gantt Charts: Compare the progress of multiple projects simultaneously. Zoho Projects Gantt Charts are simple to understand and track the project progress as shown below:
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| An affordable option for smaller teams | Settings for controlling client permissions can be improved |
| Mobile app is convenient for off-site users | Adding clients can be confusing for users who are not familiar with project management tools |
| Team workload management feature helps you with resource allocation |
Monday Software
Monday software is best known for its customization and versatile capabilities for project management. Whether you need to schedule your clients’ meetings effectively or track billable time, Monday.com can manage it all for you.
Pricing
Monday.com offers the following plans with free trials:
- Individual plan (for free).
- Basic for $8 per seat/month.
- Standard for $10 per seat/month.
- Pro plan costs $16 per seat/month.
- Pricing for Enterprise is not disclosed publicly.
Features
- Gantt Charts: These charts identify trends visually so you can instantly understand key statistics and resolve issues.
- Kanban Boards: Schedule consultant projects and manage tasks visually. Bring clarity to your complex projects, leaving no room for gray areas.
- Multiple View Options: View the same project data in calendar, map, and timeline view. See data in your preferred style and gain insights into your projects.
- Customizable Templates: Consultants can quickly set up projects and workflows with premade templates. With numerous options available, select any template, tweak it according to your preferences, and save valuable time.
- Real-Time Collaboration: Boost client collaboration, share feedback with your team, add comments on projects, and receive timely updates. These features improve collaboration and eliminate miscommunication.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Accommodates startups with budget constraints | Minimum 3 seats for each paid plan. |
| Suitable for remote teams, a huge advantage in the era of digital and remote work. | Mobile app updates can be improved. |
| View billable hours and keep your finances in check. | |
| User interface is widely appreciated. |
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ClickUp Software
ClickUp has made its name in the world of project management by offering a wide range of customization and convenient scalability options.
Consultants can use ClickUp software for project scheduling and task management. Its automation feature can help you be proactive on time-sensitive consultant projects. You can find more useful features in the section below.
Pricing
ClickUp offers a free plan for users, suitable for personal use or people who want to try the software before investing in it. Following are its different pricing plans:
- Unlimited ($5 per user/month).
- Business ($12 per user/month).
- Business Plus ($19 per user/month).
Features
- Mind Maps: Create visual representations of your tasks and projects, making it easier to see the big picture and share it with others. Here’s what a customized page of ClickUp looks like:
- Multitasking Mode: Multitask simultaneously without switching between tabs or windows, saving valuable time.
- Reporting: Generate performance reports and analyze data. Identify bottlenecks and track project financials.
- Automation: Save the hassle and improve your professional services automation. Recurring work such as assigning tasks, sending notifications, and updating statuses can be automated conveniently.
- Goals: Set goals and track projects, making it easier to measure progress and achieve milestones.
- Assigned Comments: This feature allows users to assign comments to specific team members. You can keep track of feedback and questions effectively.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Offers flexible customization options. | The steep learning curve for those who are not much familiar with the technology. |
| Suitable for growing organizations that intend to scale up gradually. | Too many notifications might displease some users. |
Wrike Software
Wrike software can help medium- to large-sized consulting firms prioritize tasks and streamline workflows. This project management solution helps you assign or delegate tasks, ensuring that all individual tasks steadily move toward the primary goal.
Since Wrike also allows tracking billable hours and monitoring performance, it can help your consulting firm be mindful of its expenditure while maintaining consistent results.
Pricing
All the pricing plans of Wrike are listed below:
- Team ($9.80 per user/month).
- Business ($24.80 per user/month).
- Price of the Enterprise plan is not disclosed publicly.
- The pricing of Pinnacle is also not available publicly.
A free version of Wrike is also available for users who want to try the software before investing in it.
Features
- Dynamic Request Forms: Send customized forms to collect project requests and feedback from clients or team members. Include attachments to collect the necessary information.
- Custom Workflows: Manage client projects and automate tasks such as sending notifications or updating project status.
- Gantt Charts and Calendars: Sketch out plans with Gantt charts, timelines, and calendars to manage projects and ensure that tasks are completed on time.
- Reporting and Analytics: Monitor performance metrics and project insights to track progress and make data-driven decisions.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Suitable for medium to large consultant firms and long- and short-term projects. | Wrike might be too expensive for a small consulting firm or individual project manager. |
| Dashboards are easily shareable. | Does not provide a separate auditing feature. |
| Customized tags are available. | Steep learning curve according to user reviews. |
Accelo Software
Accelo is a cloud-based project management software that can help consultants manage projects from start to finish and improve efficiency by automating routine tasks.
With Accelo’s centralized client information database, organize contact details, project history, and communication logs, which makes it easier to stay on top of client preferences.
The software provides real-time insights into project progress, budgets, and resource management, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions.
Pricing
Accelo offers two pricing plans:
- $24 per user/month for the Plus plan
- $39 per user/month for the Premium plan.
Features
- Graphs and Charts: View data such as worked hours, active or overdue tasks in charts, and graphic icons.
- Track Recent Activity: Follow the recent activities of each client so you don’t miss any important updates.
- Dashboard: Add multiple projects on your dashboard, sort out complex tasks, and view project status at a glance.
- Invoicing: Consultants can create and timely send invoices to clients. The software automates the billing process, reducing the chances of errors and saving time.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Enhanced visibility and clarity with graphical data display. | If your consulting firm strictly follows a particular project format, customizable templates might not suit you. |
| Supports customer relationship management and tracks sales. | Accelo does not offer any basic plan for free, which most of the other software do. |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best project management software for small businesses?
Small businesses looking for affordable options might be interested in Zoho Project ($5 per user/month), ClickUp ($5 per user/month), or Monday.com ($8 per user/month).
It is also important to consider if your chosen software allows convenient scalability, which this three software do.
What software should consultants use?
Consultants should use software that helps them manage consulting projects, track invoicing, and view reporting analytics. This project management software includes ClickUp, Wrike, Monday.com, Accelo, and Zoho Projects.
What are the three types of consulting projects?
There are different types of consulting projects. These provide professional services such as:
- Strategy Consulting
- Financial Consulting
- Construction Consulting
What is project management in consulting?
Project management in consulting includes identifying project goals, analyzing client information, and sales, and tracking the progress of each project.
Project management can help consulting firms elevate client satisfaction by completing the project within the client's timeline. Through project management, you can arrange key information of complex projects cohesively and track reports to save costs.
What are the most commonly used project management features?
The most common project management features are:
- Gantt Charts
- Kanban Boards
- Reporting and Analytics
- Customizable Project Templates
- Real-Time Collaboration
- Automate Recurring Tasks
What is the most popular software for project management?
The most popular project management software are:
- Monday.com
- Teamwork
- ClickUp
- Wrike
- Asana
- Trello
- Zoho Projects
- Accelo
Apart from these, there are many other project management tools that might be useful, depending on your unique project requirements. You can check our Top 10 Project Management Software for 2023.
