If you’re a startup, then you know that managing a team can be difficult. You need to find the right software that will help you keep track of your employees’ progress and make sure that everyone is getting the job done.
In this review, we will discuss the best team management software for startups and why each one is a good choice. We’ll also provide information about pricing packages and features so that you can decide which one is the best fit for your business.
Top Team Management Software
Making sure all employees are on the same page so the startup can run efficiently is crucial to making it past those first few vulnerable years. The team management software options below give you the best chance to achieve your goals, but you’ll need to understand which type is best for your business before busting out your wallet.
What Types of Team Management Software Do Startups Need?
Some apps are best for time management tracking, while others specialize in team collaboration. If you need a little bit of both, there are also options that come with a suite of tools to help you get work done more efficiently.
Here are the best team management software apps for startups so you can take back control over your growth.
Best Team Management Software for Startups Overall: Slack
Slack is one of the most popular team management tools on the market and is used by startups all over the world. Smaller startups can use Slack efficiently and won’t need the higher plans, but larger startups will appreciate just how much Slack can scale with your team.
Pros
- Able to scale with your company
- The large range of functionality accomplishes many different tasks at once
Cons
- First-time users may find it hard to grasp all of the platform’s features
- Mobile may be difficult to navigate
Pricing and Features
- Free: Access up to 10,000 messages, 10 integrations, and 1:1 voice and video calls
- Pro: $6.67/month — All messages are accessible, secure collaborations
- Business: $12.5/month — Advanced identity management and 24/7 support
Best for Sharing Notes: Evernote
Evernote Teams allows your startup to document meetings, speeches, data, and more on an easy-to-use interface. You can categorize and organize your notes too so that the entire team can always refer to them in the future. Startups struggle with efficiency, and Evernote Teams helps to solve these issues.
Pros
- Can always access previous notes and files in one central location
- Keeps startups organized and focused
Cons
- Managing document sharing can become complex
- The interface can feel dated
Pricing and Features
- Free: 60 MB monthly uploads, 25 MB max note size
- Personal: $7.99/month — 10 GB monthly uploads and 200 MB max note size
- Professional: $9.99/month — 20 GB monthly uploads and access to all widgets
- Teams: $14.99/month — Specialized tools for working in a collaborative environment
Best for Multifunctionality: Notion
Notion was created in order to help people with their workflow and has become a go-to for many startups. The app combines note-taking with project management, meaning you’ll be able to coordinate deadlines, assignments, and objectives easily so that your team doesn’t fall behind.
Pros
- Modern design that helps teams stay engaged
- Doubles as project management and note-taking software
Cons
- Takes some time to set up and integrate with your entire team
Pricing and Features
- Free: Share with five guests, syncs across devices
- Personal Pro: $5/month — Unlimited guests and 30-day version history
- Team: $10/month — Unlimited team members and collaborative workspace
Best for Project Management: Toggl Plan
Using Toggl Plan will feel like a breeze and takes almost no time to get used to changing and editing features on the platform. You’ll be able to easily track your employees’ progress on specific tasks, set specific budgets for projects, and place hourly limits on projects too.
Pros
- Extremely easy to use and requires no tech background
- Can set financial and labor budgets for individual projects
Cons
- Not ideal for companies that are looking to scale quickly
- Some advanced features are not as intuitive
Pricing and Features
- Team: $9/month — Unlimited team timelines and unlimited plan boards
- Business: $15/month — Project data exports and priority support
Best for Your Budget: Clockify
Clockify is the only completely free time management software app on this list and is still one of the best. The app tracks time spent on projects so that you can get an idea of which ones are taking up too much employee time. You can also set hourly limits and bill clients for the work done.
Pros
- Free to use for an unlimited number of users
- Can easily track a projects’ progress and employee labor
Cons
- No advanced features for larger startups
- Some users find the interface difficult to use
Pricing and Features
- 100% free for all users — no upgrades available
Best for Scaling: Asana
Asana has become one of the most popular team management software for startups in recent years. The app helps you keep track of deadlines, projects, and assigned tasks. You can also set up reminders for yourself and your team so that no one forgets an important deadline. The app can be used simply but has a ton of features that could also make it complex.
Pros
- The interface is user-friendly
- Easy to break down projects into tasks and assign to team members
Cons
- Features become too complex for the average user to understand
- Higher price than other time management apps
Pricing and Features
- Free: Unlimited tasks, unlimited projects
- Premium: $13.49/month — Workflow builder, timelines, and start dates/times
- Business: $30.49/month — custom rules builder, forms branching and customization
Best for Small Startups: Trello
For startups, it doesn’t get much easier managing tasks than with Trello. The interface is incredibly easy to use with the drag-and-drop builder, and your tasks can be shared, assigned to team members, and moved to different categories.
Pros
- Extremely easy-to-use interface
- Can easily track tasks in a project
Cons
- Limited storage capacity
- Best for smaller projects
Pricing and Features
- Free: Unlimited cards and up to 10 boards
- Standard: $6/month — Unlimited boards, advanced checklists
- Premium: $12.50/month — standard, dashboard, and timeline views
- Enterprise: — Price varies based on the number of users
Best for Customization: Podio
Podio is a sort of all-in-one solution for the startup that needs several of these apps but doesn’t want to shell out the money for all of them. The team management software allows you to get apps for the marketplace or to build your own apps as you need them.
Pros
- Completely customizable to your preference
- All-in-one solution for startups
Cons
- Difficult to use if you don’t have a coding background
Pricing and Features
- Free: Task management and app workspaces
- Basic: $9/month — Unlimited items and unlimited external users
- Plus: $14/month — Basic + automated workflows and read-only access
- Premium: $24/month — Plus + visual reports and interactive dashboard