15 Best Project Scheduling Tools for 2024

Managing a project can be challenging, but the right tools can make all the difference. Project Scheduling helps organize tasks and timelines to ensure everything gets done on time. In this blog, we discuss various Project Scheduling Tools, highlighting their features and benefits.  

Whether you are handling a small team or a large organization, finding the right tool can streamline your workflow and boost productivity. Read on to discover the best options for your Project Management needs and take your team’s efficiency to the next level! 

Table of Contents 

1) What is Project Scheduling? 

2) Advantages of Using Tools for Project Scheduling 

3) Best 15 Project Scheduling Tools 

4) How to Select the Best Project Scheduling Tool? 

5) Conclusion 

What is Project Scheduling? 

Project Scheduling is about planning and controlling when tasks need to be done in a project. It sets time frames for completing tasks and helps managers and team members communicate. It also helps in planning by showing how much work can be done within certain time limits, including what resources are needed and when tasks should start and finish. 

Project schedules are useful for monitoring progress towards goals. They compare actual results with planned results to spot any differences that need fixing. 

Project schedules help identify risks by looking at how different activities affect the overall timeline. This allows managers to prepare for potential problems, like delays due to bad weather, so they don’t catch the team off guard later.
 

Advantages of Using Tools for Project Scheduling 

Using tools for Project Scheduling has many benefits for Project Managers. These tools help keep things organized and reduce stress. The more complex a project is, the harder it is to manage, and that’s where scheduling tools come in handy.
 

Managing a project can be repetitive and tiring, but scheduling tools let you create templates so you don’t have to enter the same information repeatedly. This saves time and makes it easier to repeat tasks and processes. 

When managing a project, many tasks can be done the same way each time. Templates help keep these processes consistent, so you don’t have to track each task or set up new ones every time. 

Scheduling tools also make it easy for everyone on the team to stay on the same page with tasks and deadlines. You will always have an up-to-date view of the project’s progress, reducing the risk of miscommunications causing conflicts or delays. 

Best 15 Project Scheduling Tools 

Here are the top tools for Project Scheduling: 

1) Runn 

Runn is a top choice for Project Scheduling due to its affordability, functionality, and ease of use. It started as a resource scheduling tool to ensure talent isn’t wasted and has now evolved into a comprehensive Project Scheduling platform. With Runn, you can create projects, split them into phases, set milestones, and assign resources. It also allows real-time budget tracking.  

Key features include Project Scheduling, people scheduling, and pre-built reports to monitor the state of your projects and resources. Runn stands out with its ability to plan tentative projects and perform what-if analyses, making it easier to manage project intake and understand the impact of new projects on capacity and workload. 

2) Hive 

Hive is a powerful Project Management tool used by teams worldwide to plan and execute projects and campaigns. It uses Action Cards that can be assigned to individuals or teams and grouped into projects, which can be viewed in various formats like Kanban, Gantt, calendar, portfolio, summary, and table views.  

Hive integrates with over 1,000 tools like Jira, Zoom, Gmail, Slack, and Salesforce, making team collaboration seamless. Its Resourcing feature helps plot out tasks and time, while the Time Management feature allows tracking of time spent on tasks and viewing timesheets easily. These features make Hive an excellent choice for efficient Project Scheduling. 

3) Wrike 

Wrike is a versatile Project Scheduling tool that allows you to manage projects from a single platform. You can easily update project timelines with drag-and-drop actions, collaborate with teams in real-time, and generate detailed reports on various aspects of your work.  

Wrike excels in visualizing every project step, enabling you to create tasks, link them with dependencies, and track progress against deadlines and milestones. 

 It’s also great for tracking progress across multiple projects, making it easy to adjust dates and deadlines. The dynamic timeline automatically updates everything around your changes, keeping your team informed and up-to-date. 

4) ProofHub 

ProofHub is a Project Management tool designed to help businesses of all sizes plan, organize, and complete projects on time. It’s built for teams that need to collaborate and finish projects quickly.  

Key features include real-time collaboration on a discussion portal, creating to-do lists, tasks, and subtasks with individual priority levels, and Gantt charts for on-time project completion.  

ProofHub also allows adding special project events, milestones, and employee timesheets to the project timeline. It splits Project Management into three tiers: planning, organizing, and delivering on time, and helps teams share and edit files easily. 

5) ClickUp 

ClickUp is designed to replace multiple tools in a Project Manager’s toolbox with one comprehensive solution. It offers features like real-time reporting, whiteboards, shared documents for collaboration, task management with various views, goal tracking, and templates. 

ClickUp integrates with many tools, including Slack, G Suite, Dropbox, and over 1,000 more through Zapier, making it a versatile choice for managing projects efficiently. 

6) Asana 

Asana is another excellent Project Scheduling tool, especially for product teams. It helps keep everyone on the same page by sharing tasks and project plans with your team, ensuring everyone has the information they need to do their job well. Asana is great for organizing priorities so you can focus on what matters most.  

With over 119,000 paying customers and millions of free users across 190 countries, Asana is trusted to manage everything from company objectives to product launches. While it lacks time tracking, it integrates with hundreds of tools, making it a robust choice for teams looking to improve Project Management. 

7) Microsoft Project 

Microsoft Project is one of the widely used Project Management tools, known for its Gantt chart-based scheduling. It’s been around since 1992 and has evolved significantly. The interface is intuitive, making it easy to use and learn.  

It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office, allowing you to create or edit documents while working on your schedule. 

You can view your schedule in various formats, including Gantt charts and calendars. Additionally, there are many third-party integrations available, so you can connect Microsoft Project with other tools like Asana or Trello. 

8) Smartsheet 

Smartsheet is a long-standing tool that makes it easier to schedule projects for businesses of any size. It offers a familiar spreadsheet interface, prebuilt templates, and a mobile app. Smartsheet supports any Project Management methodology or technique you prefer. 

It has a critical path feature for those who like a traditional approach to managing projects, allowing you to quickly identify tasks that impact project completion and make necessary adjustments. 

9) Ganttic 

Ganttic is an online Gantt chart tool for resource planning and project portfolio management. It aims to make work more efficient by providing a transparent overview of your portfolio and activities.  

Ganttic blends the simplicity of spreadsheets with robust Project Management features like reports, utilization tracking, Gantt charts, resource lists, and custom-built views.  

It offers a high-level overview of projects and resources, allowing you to organize and filter data. The adjustable timeline lets you plan for short and long-term needs. You can quickly reallocate resources with drag-and-drop scheduling and sync with Google or Outlook Calendars.  

Ganttic is a cloud-based web app that connects your team, clients, and stakeholders while controlling access with custom editing and viewing rights. 

10) SmartTask 

SmartTask is a versatile work management tool that helps manage workflows, projects, and sales processes with a simple user interface.  

Its timeline feature helps visualize long project schedules with dependencies and milestones, and the Task Auto Scheduling feature aligns delayed tasks with the project’s schedule. 

SmartTask offers task management, time tracking, CRM, team collaboration, multiple project views, analytics, and reporting. It supports various task views like List, Board, Calendar, and Timeline, and allows managing multiple projects using Portfolio view.  

11) Trello 

It is a popular Project Management tool known for its Kanban board feature. It helps teams get an overview of tasks, see what’s being worked on, and track what’s finished. Trello is great for linear projects and offers a free Kanban board. You can easily move tasks between columns with drag-and-drop cards.  

“Power-ups” add extra features like calendars, Gantt charts, and dependency trackers. You can create new columns and cards with a single click and add details like due dates, team members, descriptions, and files. Trello also has an automation program called “The Butler” that performs frequent actions for you. 

12) Chanty 

Chanty is a collaboration platform that enhances team communication and Project Management. Besides chat, it offers task management, audio and video calls, screen sharing, and integrations with apps like Drive, Dropbox, Trello, and GitHub.  

Chanty’s built-in task manager lets you create tasks from scratch or turn messages into tasks. You can assign, schedule, and filter tasks by status, priority, dates, and people. Tasks can be viewed on a List or Kanban board.  

Chanty also supports instant messaging, unlimited searchable message history, and voice messages. It integrates with third-party apps and has a Teambook to organize calls, tasks, conversations, and pinned messages. 

13) Forecast 

Forecast is designed for companies that sell people’s time, combining project, task, and resource management with collaboration tools. It offers different views for project schedules, such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and Sprint boards.  

Forecast’s standout feature is auto-scheduling, which allocates people to projects based on their availability and past activities. However, it is on the expensive side, so if Project Scheduling is your only need, other tools might be more cost-effective. 

14) GanttPRO 

GanttPRO is a Project Management tool that uses Gantt charts to help teams of all sizes. It offers features that make workflow and team collaboration more efficient and smoother. 

 With GanttPRO, team members stay updated and on the same page. The tool’s intuitive and attractive interface makes it easy to use, requiring only about 15 minutes for onboarding, making it suitable for all kinds of teams. 

Some of GanttPRO’s best features include task management with details like statuses, priorities, dates, deadlines, progress, duration, estimation, time logs, costs, and assignees. It provides different views, such as Gantt chart timelines, Board views, and My Task lists.  

The tool also offers powerful resource management features, time tracking for precise tasks and cost management, baselines to identify project deviations, and an undo option to identify a history of changes. 

15) Miro 

Miro is a versatile visual workspace tool ideal for process mapping, Project Management, and content visualization. It’s perfect for teams focused on visual innovation. Key features include real-time collaboration tools like sticky notes and comments, an infinite canvas, custom frames and shapes, and a presentation mode. 

Miro also offers TalkTrack for recording process explanation videos, Miro Assist AI, and the ability to embed documents and images. Additional features include voting and polling, mind mapping tools, screen sharing, timeline and roadmap planning, and access control and permissions management. 

How to Select the Best Project Scheduling Tool? 

Choosing the right Project Scheduling tool can be tricky because there are so many options. Here are some simple steps to help you pick the best one for your team and organization: 

Determine Your Specific Needs 

Start by understanding what you need from the tool. 

a) Purpose: What do you need the tool for? 

b) Project Type: Are your projects small or large? Do they have special scheduling or reporting needs? 

c) Number of Projects: How many projects will you manage at once? 

d) Users: How many people will use the tool, and what kind of support do they need? 

Review Vendor Pricing and Plans 

Check the cost and plans offered by the vendor. 

a) Look at the cost and different plans offered by the vendor. Make sure it fits your budget and needs. 

b) Compare features across plans to get the best value. 

Assess Security Features 

Ensure the tool has strong security measures. 

a) Data Protection: How does the tool protect your data? 

b) Team Safety: What security measures are in place? 

c) Data Storage: What kind of data is stored, and for how long? 

d) Privacy: Are there extra steps for user privacy, like additional password protection? 

Explore Customization Capabilities 

Find out how customizable the tool is. 

a) Customization: Can the tool be customized to fit your unique needs? 

b) Ease of Use: Can IT staff or end users easily make changes? 

c) Advanced Options: Does the tool offer detailed customizations or simple drag-and-drop features? 

Choose Cloud-based Solutions 

 Consider switching to a cloud-based system. 

a) Ease of Use: Cloud-based tools are often easier to use and access from anywhere. 

b) Security: They are usually more secure. 

c) Cost: They can be cheaper than on-premise systems and offer more customization options. 

Align Tools with Your Organization's Size and Project Scope 

Make sure the tool fits the team size and the scope of your projects. If you have a large team, look for tools that can handle multiple users and tasks efficiently. 

Conclusion 

Choosing the right Project Scheduling Tool can greatly enhance your team’s efficiency and collaboration. From Runn and Hive to Microsoft Project and Trello, each tool offers unique features tailored to different needs. Whether you need robust Gantt charts, real-time collaboration, or simple task management, there’s a tool for you. Explore these options to find the best fit for your projects and streamline your workflow with the right Project Scheduling Tools.