13 Agile project management tools

Improving efficiency and optimizing time is a challenge regardless of the size of your company or the number of people you have to manage in your team. The Agile methodology was developed to help with that, and Agile Project Management tools can make the implementation process much easier. 

A good leader is always looking for solutions to improve their leadership and to provide support in the best way possible. Agile has become popular for many reasons, one of them is that it allows you to organize the steps of a project to make things more clear and fast for everyone. Besides, you will be able to follow up on every task without micromanaging.  

What is Agile methodology?

The Agile methodology has the purpose to simplify the management process of a project by dividing it into several steps. Created by a group of software developers, Agile has initially been thought to be applied only to this area.

It has become highly used by IT and SaaS companies, but other sectors have also seen the methodology benefits and are implementing it. The Agile Manifesto, which is the founding document of this methodology, has 4 core values.

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
• Working software over comprehensive documentation.
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
• Responding to change over following a plan.

Agile values flexibility to enable fast changes in case of any problem, and also aims to help create clear and direct communication among the team, instead of bureaucracies that may slow down the projects.  It focuses on delivering value to customers by building products that will meet their needs.

Agile nourishes the creation of an environment where you will have collaborative cross-functional teams and trust. The ability to adapt and collaborate is essential for this methodology. It breaks the traditional waterfall model and proposes that the work is delivered in shorter periods, which are called Sprints or Iteration.

Instead of delivering all the work at once, there is the opportunity to evaluate what needs to be changed in every sprint.

The customers can try the product, give their feedback, and include this in the project, enabling them to perfect it. It saves time and makes it easier to certify that the final product will be aligned with the expectations. 

How Agile can help you manage projects

Team and client collaboration

In order to ensure the delivery of products that are going to satisfy the customer needs, Agile methodology encourages collaboration among the team and the clients during the development process. 

This facilitates communication and helps to create a transparent trust-based relationship, and also prevents you from completing an entire project and having to redo everything because there wasn’t space, during its development, for receiving client feedback. 

Predict costs and create schedules

Dividing the work process into sprints enables project managers to estimate costs more precisely, and also to make a daily schedule assigning tasks with shorter deadlines for each team member. It helps to organize the everyday workflow better and to save money by planning every step of the project. 

Flexibility

The technology sector is in constant evolution, changes happen really fast, so it’s essential to be able to adapt to them.

That's why Agile values so much flexibility, which helps to create a mindset where the project members, instead of identifying a problem and getting stuck by it, are going to be able to collaborate to quickly think of a solution and start implementing it right away. 

Reduce risks

As the Agile method includes regular tests, it diminishes the risk of delivering an outdated product, which doesn't meet customer expectations. The product will be evaluated in every step, so it's easier to make alterations, different from a rigid end-to-end plan.

When the project is finished, you know it has been submitted to several processes to assure its success and it has suffered alterations along the way according to feedback, including from customers. The decisions made during the process are user-focused, which also helps to avoid risks. 

15 Best Agile project management tools

1.Freshservice 

Freshservice has an integrated project management software that enables its user to create projects from scratch and you can plan everything inside the platform.

The Workflow Automator features allow you to set triggers and specific conditions to automate tasks, saving your team's time to be able to focus on more important activities.

The software is flexible to help you to manage different projects with distinct needs, adapting to the processes of each team. You will count on different options to view the dashboard and control the timeline. The platform also has bug tracking and test management tools. 

You can use the project analytics to have a broader view, cross-team, about the ongoing processes, becoming easy to identify if anything needs to be changed. You can choose the metrics you wish to track. 

Highlighted features:

• Workflow Automator
• Built-in roadmap
• Project analytics
• Integrate with Slack
• Cross-project views
• Customizable
• Time tracking

2.Jira 

Through Jira, every member of your software team can plan, track, release, and receive reports inside a project. To help you manage all processes, it's possible to create user stories and issues, plan sprints, and assign tasks, keeping every step organized. 

After doing this, the platform allows you to track activities and, when the software is ready, you can release it using Jira. To improve performance, Jira provides reports, which are based on real-time data. 

The workflow is completely customizable, you can choose the model that suits each project better or create a new one. Besides, there is also the possibility to integrate the platform with other apps you already use, such as Confluence, Slack, Trello, and Bitbucket.

Highlighted features:

• Connect your team's work to your product roadmap
• Flexible planning
• Accurate estimations
• Value-driven prioritization
• Transparent execution
• Actionable results 
• Scalable evolution

3. GitHub

GitHub is an advanced development platform used by several companies and developers to build, ship, and maintain their software. Your code will be hosted in a cloud and you can record the changes that are made, so everyone on the team will be in sync. 

The project members can make pull requests and the code review is built-in,  which covers proposing changes, browsing code, asking for input, making a suggestion, and signing off in one place. When everything is green you will know the pull request is completed.

GitHub also provides Codespaces where you are going to find a complete configurable dev environment. One of its features is the Visual Studio Code, an editor that allows you to code, build and test from everywhere. 

Highlighted features:

• Record or rewind and change to your code
• Unlimited public and private repositories
• Pull requests
• GitHub Codespaces
• Configurable dev environment
• Visual Studio Code
• Automate with GitHub actions

4. Trello

Trello is an Agile project management tool that isn't focused only on the software development area, it has the purpose of helping to organize the workflow. You can create boards, lists, and cards for different projects,  assign tasks, add deadlines, attach files, insert comments, and tag people. 

This way, it's possible to have a full schedule for your group, organized in a way that suits your company better. Everyone will be able to know what tasks they have to do, self-managing themselves, and you can keep track of everything. 

Another advantage of Trello is that all team members can access their platform on their mobile devices and desktops. It isn’t necessary to be connected in the same network, being able to work from home, according to what's scheduled on Trello. 

Highlighted features:

• Create boards, lists, and cards
• Manage tasks
• Set goals
• Attach files
• Set deadlines
• Customizable workflow
• Integrate with work tools

5. Wrike

With Wrike, you can set up a workspace that suits your team’s needs. You will have access to customizable dashboards, shared calendars, and several options to organize information, folders, and projects. Besides, Wrike provides a 360º view of every project, so you can be always updated about each task status.

It's possible to collaborate with your team through live editing, where more than one person can work along in the same document. The built-in proofing and approval features allow everyone to ask for feedback on their project delivery and follow up the answers inside the platform. 

If someone needs to make a specific request, there is the option to use the request form, which helps to ensure all the information needed will be fulfilled, speeding up the process, so you or other team members can know what to do to help them. Wrike provides data about projects' performance and accomplishments as well. 

Highlighted features:

• Work in real-time across your entire organization
• Get end-to-end visibility
• Integrate with other tools
• 360º visibility
• Scalable software
• Kanban boards
• Purpose-built templates
• Visual proofing 
• Shared team calendars

6.Asana

With an intuitive dashboard and several project management tools, Asana will make it easier to implement Agile methodology.  To organize your team's work, you can separate it into different boards and insert items, which work like sticky notes that you can move around just dragging and dropping. 

It's possible to create tasks, assign them to teammates, insert comments, and a delivery date, so everyone from your team will have a complete view of how the project is progressing. If they want, they can create separate dashboards to organize their tasks and optimize their time, defining priorities, for example. 

The timeline is another very useful feature. Through it, you can create a plan that will show how each piece of the project fits together and how the tasks are organized according to their delivery dates. It facilitates keeping track of the steps. 

Highlighted features: 

• Create project boards
• Assign tasks
• Use timeline
• Track work from every angle
• Automation tools
• Streamline work requests
• Manage your team's workload
• Integrate with other apps

7. Taiga 

Taiga is an Agile project management tool that allows you to organize every step of a project by defining deliverables and evolving all of your team members. You can align and prioritize each task with them, and keep track of updates by visualizing the status of the tasks.

Inside the platform, you have the option to enable the end-user to see the work progress, showing current resources and time allocation to have a fully transparent process.

The interface is easy to use, developed for multi-functional teams, you can analyze the team performance, identify what needs to be changed, and activate several features. 

You will count on a complete set of boards to plan and show sprints, create reports, and customize stages. Taiga also can be integrated with other apps. 

Highlighted features:

• Intuitive interface
• Multiple workflows
• Several view options
• Backlog and Sprint planning
• Bug tracking
• Customizable stages

8. ClickUp

ClickUp Tasks gives you several Agile project management tools to plan, organize, and collaborate along with your team members. You will have access to more than 35 ClickApps to personalize your workflow the way it fits your project better. You can automate actions, assign Sprint Points, and add Custom Field Data.

When you create a task inside the platform, It's possible to assign comments as action items, so you will have comment threads. The software also gives you the option to share screen recordings. 

To simplify complex projects, ClickUp enables you to break them down into levels of subtasks, rearrange them, and edit in bulk with the Multitask Toolbar. Organize the tasks by grouping them into categories, and setting reminders to prevent forgetting meetings or any other important activities. 

Highlighted features:

• Plan, organize, and collaborate on any project
• Customize tasks
• Fast-track teamwork
• Break down projects into subtasks
• Automate tasks
• Integrate with other apps

9. Monday.com

With an easy-to-use, intuitive dashboard, Monday.com allows you to choose from more than 200 ready-made templates to create your workflow or develop one of your own from scratch.

To make it simple for everyone from your team to follow up your project's steps, you can divide it into groups, items, sub-items, and the updates are synced in real-time. 

The status button will reflect the team's actual work. It's also possible to add files, links, and, and notify team members, helping to have better communication and management. Monday.com also provides different ways to view your data, Kanban, calendar, timeline, Gantt, and maps, for example. 

Monday.com counts on automation features too where you can automate repetitive tasks, and save your team's time to focus on more important activities. Besides, the software can be integrated with several other apps, such as Shopify, Woocommerce, and GitHub.

Highlighted features:

• Intuitive dashboard
• More than 200 workflow templates
• More than 30 customizable column types
• 8 different data visualizations
• Automation tools
• Integrate with other apps

10. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a cloud-based work platform created to empower teams to plan, manage, and follow their projects’ progress in one place. To manage your project, you will count on an intuitive dashboard where you and everyone from your team can visualize the tasks and milestones in different ways: calendar,  Gantt, or card.

You will be able to create faster processes, for example, with the "approve" button in the tasks, and work more collaboratively by enabling comments. You can also automate actions such as reminders and updates, to avoid losing time. 

To collect data to your sheet, you have the option to create custom forms as well, and compile information from multiple sheets to build reports. The platform also allows you to put together reports, charts, and other real-time data to create interactive shareable dashboards. 

Highlighted features: 

• Customizable User Interface
• Multiple views options
• Attach files
• Automate repetitive processes
• Integrate with other apps
• Plan, manage and review content
• Create forms
• Manage and update work across multiple sheets

11. Kanbanize

Kanbanize enables you to have management boards to visualize a project and divide the work into several team boards. This way, you can create a work hierarchy in multiple levels of an organization, making it possible to achieve more transparency in all the processes. 

When someone completes a task, it’s updated automatically in the team boards, and you have a real-time view of the project's progress in the management dashboard. It's easier to keep track of the activities and identify potential risks.

Kanbanize also has forecasting tools, which helps to have a more precise time of when different projects will be finished. 

If you are starting to implement Agile project management tools and want to understand more about how Kanban works, the platform has a step-by-step guide, and tutorial series to help you with any doubt. 

Highlighted features:

• Management boards
• Team boards
• Automation tools
• Forecasting tools
• Swimlanes
• Subcolumns
• Card templates
• Customizable workflows
• Analytics across boards

12. ActiveCollab

With ActiveCollab, you can create as many projects as you desire, regardless of the plan you choose, and import others from different platforms as well.

If you want to get to know the software first, use the "Sample projects", where you will be able to test the features and get acquainted with all the management possibilities. 

To view each project, it's possible to choose between Kanban, Gantt, calendar, and list formats. You can include team members and clients too, making it easier to work together and collaborate. 

To keep track of what has to be done and organize it,  ActiveCollab enables you to create tasks lists, assign them, set due dates, add labels, include subscribers, attach files, and insert subtasks to break tasks into smaller actions. You will count on automation tools as well. 

Highlighted features: 

• Unlimited projects 
• Import projects
• Invite team and clients
• Multiple project view options
• Assign tasks
• Create subtasks
• Automation tools

13. Axosoft

Axosoft is a Scrum software for Agile teams where you can plan sprints efficiently, assign tasks, visualize progress with Kanban boards to allow you to release projects on time.

You can create cards, customize them, add work logs, and drag and drop items in the workflow. To communicate status or any problem, use daily Scrum. 

You and your team are also going to count on real-time monitor progress and release, where you can insert several visualization tools such as item chart, speedometer, cycle time, work remaining, projected ship date, flow chart, and estimate vs actual graphic. 

Axosoft can be integrated with multiple apps, such as GitHub, BitBucket, Visual Studio, and Slack. Besides, it has a Wiki feature that allows you to build Wiki pages for tests, documentation, and link them for quick references.

Highlighted features:

• Plan sprints 
• Visualize and communicate progress
• Daily scrum 
• Monitor progress and release dashboard
• Integrate with other apps
• Create Wiki pages

How to choose Agile project management tools

To select the best Agile project management tools for your company, first, it's important to make a list of the essential features for your business needs, consider every sector, and set a budget.

You can use them combined, and they may also differ from each sector. The marketing team, for example, certainly has different needs than the software development one.

Talk with your team to understand which process can be improved not only with the use of the apps but also with the implementation of the Agile methodology, if it’s something that you are introducing now.

Regardless of the management tools you opt for, it's fundamental to explain their importance to your team and to train them to use the new apps, and know how to apply Agile methodology. 

Agile preferences

Before selecting your Agile project management tools, consider which framework you want to use. Do you prefer Kanban or Scrum, for example? The software needs to allow you to use the model you prefer, many of them already provide different options, but always check. 

Collaboration features

Collaboration among teamwork is one of the fundamentals of Agile methodology, so pay attention if the management software provides you with features like file sharing, adding comments, and team tagging. 

Team size

Evaluate if the Agile project management software supports the size of your team and if it’s scalable, adapting to your needs as your business grows. 

Project type

Depending on the type of the project, it will require very specific features, for example for software development. It's important to analyze that when choosing Agile project management tools. 

Reporting and analytics

Observe if the software provides reporting and analytics features, they are essential to help you to keep track of the project and your team’s progress and performances. Counting with real-time updated report dashboards will make it easier to detect problems, and avoid delays 

Improve productivity with the Agile project management tools

Agile project management tools are an investment in your team, giving them the right assets to increase productivity, self-manage, and dedicate their time to tasks that really matter. Offer assistance to help them to get used to the Agile methodology, and follow the advancements closely. The results will surprise you.