Zoho Projects Alternatives: Unveiling the Best Competitors for Project Management

Some project management tools promise to do it all, and Zoho Projects is one of them. Let’s find out if they can deliver a full-fledged suite of solutions. 

Plus, we’ll cover the top 16 alternatives in 2024 and weigh the pros and cons, pricing, and features, so you don’t have to. Let’s dive in.

Why consider an alternative to Zoho Projects?

Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management solution that helps with efficient planning and team collaboration. The product is part of Zoho’s One Suite of business software solutions for marketing, sales, customer service, emails, and more. 

Teams can do the following with Zoho Projects:

• Task management
• Time tracking
• Issue tracking and SLA

Although Zoho Projects is a popular tool, let’s look at some of the most common downsides mentioned by users.

1. Steep learning curve

Zoho Projects’ user interface can be a challenge for some teams. Because of the many features and complexity, project managers experience difficulty implementing the tool and onboarding the team. The steep learning curve will swallow precious working hours when onboarding new team members or freelancers mid-project.

2. Difficult to navigate 

A software tool is not a magic solution that does the work for you. However, you would expect it to make your life easier. Changing settings to your liking can make your workday much smoother as you know where to find your essential information. 

3. No customer support

Picture this: you’re setting up Zoho Projects, and it’s stuck. Some online reviews say the company doesn’t offer great onboarding support, which is likely to cause issues for new users.

The 16 best Zoho Projects alternatives

After reading the above limitations, you might wonder if it’s worth integrating Zoho Projects into your project lifecycle. Let’s explore some of the top alternatives so you can make an informed decision.

1. Rodeo Drive

Ok, we might be beating our drum here. But who doesn’t love a robust solution with a user-friendly interface? With Rodeo Drive, you manage your complete project lifecycle from estimate to the final invoice.

Compared to Zoho Projects, Rodeo Drive is praised by many users for its easy navigation and interface.

Rodeo became the single source of truth for Digital Agency JaxX. Eliminating other tools saved Brand Manager, Axell Avalon-Van Staveren, and her team some costs. Their main motivation for using Rodeo was its ease of use. Axell: “We all agreed Rodeo was much easier to use. Once we finally switched to Rodeo, we removed all the other tools and systems we were using. Nobody uses multiple sheets or programs now, it’s no longer necessary.” 

Are you new to project management or a software solution? You won’t be on your own. Rodeo Drive offers support and helps you and your team with onboarding. 

Make sure your projects are profitable with Rodeo Drive

You want a healthy profit margin on all your projects. Rodeo Drive's budgeting feature helps project managers calculate costs, plan activities, and allocate resources before the project’s kick-off. 

^{Adding time or expense activities to a budget in Rodeo Drive}

Do your stakeholders request an update mid-project? Don’t panic. Your project budget will update in real-time according to the time your team has tracked in Rodeo Drive, allowing for an at-a-glance look at where everything’s up to.

Track time on every task

Keeping track of time will provide insights into your team’s performance and back up the final invoice. However, it will take effort from your team to start tracking their hours closely. Rodeo Drive’s timesheets are so easy to use that it’s not difficult to encourage your team members to keep on track.

Your team is able to start their live timer when they begin working on a task, or they can add a timecard after the fact. It’s as easy as that.

^{Recording time using Rodeo Drive’s live timer}

Manage tasks and your team’s workload

In Rodeo Drive, tasks correlate to a budgeted activity, helping you manage productivity and budget better. Those with project manager access can assign tasks in the timeline-view planner and rearrange activities as project needs evolve.

^{Adding a project activity to Rodeo Drive’s planner}

Check-in on your team's progress 

Keep a close eye on how your project’s running. Rodeo Drive's reporting feature gives you a quick view of your current project, so you can adapt when necessary. 

Additional features

• Estimates: Create and send client-ready estimates straight from Rodeo Drive.
• Invoicing: Generate invoices straight from a project budget via QuickBooks (US) or Xero (UK).
• Expenses & POs: Track project expenses with your company’s Purchase Orders.
• Quickbooks (US) and Xero (UK) Integration: Helps with your bookkeeping and billing.

Pricing

There are two pricing plans available in Rodeo Drive — the Free plan, which includes a limited feature set, and the Achiever plan, which gives you access to all features for $14.99 per user/month.  

Companies on the Free plan will have a limited number of seats, 3 active projects, no guest users, and no reports. You’ll need to upgrade should you need more than that. 

Get started for free today or schedule a demo to learn more. No strings attached or credit card required, we promise.

2. Airtable

^{Source: Airtable}

Airtable brings collaboration and transparency to project-based teams. The software offers database management options and flexible features such as revision history, comments, and sorting data. 

This flexibility in creating workflows and linking existing databases is a big plus over Zoho Projects. The solution would be a great fit for teams currently working with spreadsheets.

Also read: Top Airtable Alternatives to Consider

Key features

• Templates
• Relation database options 
• Automation
• Task management

Pricing 

• Free plan
• Team plan: $24 per user/month
• Business plan: $54 per user/month
• Enterprise scale plan: Contact sales

3. Wrike

^{Source: Wrike}

Wrike is a versatile and scalable solution best suited for larger organizations. The task management feature lets you keep sensitive information private and control access levels.

Compared to Zoho Projects, the tool offers extra HR options such as fully customizable leave request forms. 

Also read: Wrike Alternatives: Comparing the Top Competitors in Project Management

Key features

• Custom forms
• Share tasks, files, and reports
• Track the project’s progress with Gantt charts
• Project and portfolio management

Pricing 

• Free plan
• Team plan: $9.80 per user/month 
• Business plan: $24.80 per user/month
• Enterprise plan: Pricing upon request

4. Smartsheet

^{Source: Smartsheet}

Smartsheet offers all the essential features you would need when starting with project management or if you have a small team. Smartsheet helps you automate workflows and give you insights into processes. The spreadsheet-style layout will help teams familiarize themselves quickly.

Smartsheet and Zoho Projects offer similar features. Users like Smartsheet since it’s easy to navigate and makes the ideal choice for your team members who aren’t tech-savvy. Zoho Projects offers time tracking, a feature almost essential to measure the productivity of your endeavors.

Also read: Smartsheet Alternatives: A Review of the Best Competing Software

Key features  

• Different views 
• Drag and drop
• Customizable templates
• Reports

Pricing 

• Free plan
• Pro plan: $9 per user/month
• Business plan: $32 per user/month
• Enterprise plan: Pricing upon request

5. Hive

^{Source: Hive}

There is a lot of buzz around Hive and for a good reason. The interface is easy to use, and the range of features helps teams automate workflows and collaborate.

You can use Hive as a standalone application or integrate it into your existing workflow. At the same time, Zoho Projects works best with other products from their range.

Also read: Hive Alternatives: A Comprehensive Comparison of Competing Software

Key features

• Messenger
• Workflow templates
• Time tracking
• Reporting

Pricing 

• Hive Solo plan: free
• Hive Teams plan: $18 per user/month
• Enterprise plan: Available upon request

6. Teamwork

^{Source: Teamwork}

Teamwork is an excellent addition to your tech stack when you are familiar with tools like Trello and Slack. The software integrates well with other tools and aims for teams to save time and automate recurring tasks.

Does Teamwork make the dream work for project managers? Some reviews say that the tool is not easy to implement in existing workflows, and customer service is difficult to reach. 

Also read: An In-Depth Review of The Best Teamwork Alternatives

Key features

• Project templates
• Custom fields
• File sharing
• Time tracking

Pricing 

• Free forever plan: $0 for up to 5 users 
• Starter plan: $8.99 per user/month (3 user minimum)
• Deliver plan: $13.99 per user/month (3 user minimum)
• Grow plan: $25.99 per user/month (5 user minimum) 
• Scale plan: Pricing upon request

7. Asana

^{Source: Asana}

Asana is praised for its flexibility and user-friendly interface. There’s no steep learning curve. With the platform, you track tasks and subtasks to complete project milestones.

If you’re looking for a project management tool that allows you to collaborate and communicate with the team, Zoho Projects is a winner, thanks to its chat feature and activity feed. Besides, the tool includes a time tracker to accurately measure productivity and keep track of billable and non-billable hours.

Also read: Top Asana Alternatives to Consider

Key features

• Templates
• Task planning
• Milestones & goals
• Reporting

Pricing 

• Basic plan: free
• Premium plan: $13.49 per user/month
• Business plan: $30.49 per user/month
• Enterprise plan: contact sales

8. Basecamp

^{Source: Basecamp}

Basecamp brings task management and file-sharing together in one tool. One of the biggest pros is their customer portal, which allows companies to invite clients to collaborate on projects through forums or real-time chat.

However, the UI is a bit messy, and many users complain about the overwhelming amount of notifications sent by Basecamp.

Additionally, if you need time tracking and invoicing, you will need to integrate the platform with another tool. So it isn’t an all-in-one solution after all. 

Also read: Basecamp Alternatives: A Deep Dive into the Best Competitors

Key features

• To-do lists
• File-sharing
• Chat
• Collaborative boards

Pricing 

• Individual plan: $15 per user/month 
• Pro Unlimited plan: $349 per month for unlimited users

9. Nifty

^{Source: Nifty}

Like several other Zoho Projects alternatives, Nifty pledges to meet all of your team’s needs in a single app. It offers several run-of-the-mill project management features, such as time tracking, reporting, and task management to help it do just that. 

It also offers more visual project guides through its roadmap feature. But at the end of the day, whether Nifty is a good fit for your team will depend on a number of factors, such as how well your team likes the interface. 

Also read: Searching for Nifty Alternatives? Here Are 12 Worth Trying

Key features 

• Time tracking
• Docs and files
• Roadmaps
• Reporting

Pricing

• Free plan
• Starter: $9 per user/month
• Pro: $16 per user/month
• Business: $25 per user/month
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing information

10. nTask

^{Source: nTask}

nTask brings many features and functionalities together in one platform. Time tracking, resource planning, reporting, and task management make it a robust project management solution.

Compared with Zoho Projects, it’s a much more complete solution offered in one plan, and according to online reviews, the learning curve is not that steep.

Also read: nTask Alternatives: Your Comprehensive Guide to the Best Competitors

Key features

• Issue tracker
• Time tracker & timesheet
• File sharing
• Meeting management

Pricing 

• Premium plan: $4 per user/month
• Business plan: $12 per user/month
• Enterprise plan: Contact for pricing

11. Toggl Plan

^{Source: Toggl}

Toggl Plan gives teams an accurate understanding of productivity and identifies areas for improvement. 

Similar to Zoho Projects, Toggl Plan is part of an umbrella of products offered by Toggl. This means that you would need to sign up for more than one product to have the full project management experience (and benefit).

For enterprise-level needs, Zoho seems more suitable as its products–including Zoho Projects–are more robust and offer a wide variety of solutions. But if you are a mid-sized company looking for a simpler solution, then the Toggl family of products might be a better option.

Also read: Toggl Alternatives: The Ultimate Comparison of Competing Time Trackers

Key features

• Project revenue tracking
• Time tracking
• Team management
• Reporting

Pricing 

• Team plan: $9 per user/month 
• Business plan: $15 per user/month

12. Paymo

^{Source: Paymo}

Paymo is highly praised because of its user-friendly interface and extensive features. With time management options, you can keep track of all billable and non-billable hours. 

The solution has a severe price tag if you work in a large team. However, you don’t need add-ons or integrations with other products like Zoho Projects.

Also read: Paymo Alternatives: Top Competitors for Effective Project Management

Key features

• Task management
• Team scheduling
• Time tracking
• Invoicing

Pricing 

• Free plan
• Starter plan: $9.90 per user/month
• Small office plan: $15.90 per user/month
• Business plan: $23.90 per user/month

13. Monday.com

^{Source: monday.com}

A popular name in the game. monday.com helps teams to plan and organize projects using visually striking templates and dashboards. However, it can be costly.

Zoho Projects offers forums and chat options for quick setup and has a planned vs. actual insights feature for your learnings and reports.

Also read: Top Monday Alternatives to try

Key features

• Task management
• Time tracking
• Automated workflows
• Guest users

Pricing 

• Individual plan: free 
• Basic plan: $10 per user/month
• Standard plan: $12 per user/month
• Pro plan: $20 per user/month
• Enterprise plan: upon request
• Note: All paid plans require a minimum of 3 users.

14. Harvest

^{Source: Harvest}

Harvest provides users with time tracking, budgeting, and invoicing. As a project manager, you would benefit from productivity insights. Therefore, integrations with other software solutions like task management tools would make it a complete platform. 

Also read: Harvest Alternatives: Exploring the Top Competitors in Time Tracking Software

Key features

• Time tracking
• Invoicing
• Payment
• Reporting

Pricing 

• Free plan
• Pro plan: $12 per user/month

15. ClickUp

^{Source: ClickUp}

As an all-in-one solution, the platform has various features to support all stages of a project's lifecycle. 

Unlike Zoho Projects, contact sharing, client management, and travel management are features offered by ClickUp as part of project management. Meanwhile, Zoho customers need to subscribe for their CRM and Finance or People products in addition to Zoho Projects to have similar features.  

The downside of using ClickUp is also its complexity. The platform is intuitive, but you would need the assistance of a ClickUp expert–which comes with a price tag–to set it up according to your wishes and needs.

Also read: Top ClickUp Alternatives to Try [Free & Paid]

Key features

• Dashboards
• Advanced workflows
• File sharing
• Task Prioritization

Pricing 

• Free forever plan
• Unlimited plan: $10 per user/month
• Business plan: $19 per user/month
• Enterprise plan: Pricing upon request

16. Scoro

^{Source: Scoro}

Scoro combines CRM and project management features in one platform. Besides, the tool offers many integrations and modules to create your ideal pick and mix without having to add another license or product to your suite.

Compared to Zoho Projects, the tool offers fully customizable dashboards. The downside of Scoro is the minimum number of five users required to get started, which is not great if you work in a small team.

Also read: The Best Scoro Alternatives to Consider

Key features

• Time management
• Goal tracking
• Reports
• Planner

Pricing

• Essential plan: $28 per user/month
• Standard plan: $42 per user/month
• Pro plan: $71 per user/month
• Ultimate plan: Contact for pricing 
• All plans require a minimum of 5 users. Onboarding assistance is an additional cost.

Takeaway

Finding the best project management software is not an easy task. If Zoho Projects is not meeting your needs, you have quite a few options to choose from. 

Some solutions offer limited features, but if it’s just time tracking or planning you’re after, look into a straightforward solution like Hive or Toggl Plan.

Rodeo Drive is your powerful all-in-one project management solution and offers built-in features to help streamline processes and accurately track projects' performance, including project finances.

Get started for free today or schedule a demo to learn more.