Top 3 Simple Project Management Software Solutions

What do we mean by simple? These tools have above-average scores for ease of use compared to other tools in our project management directory.

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How quickly can you find the information you need? What's the learning curve for new users? Does the interface help or hinder your workflows?

What is a Sentiment Score?

The sentiment score is a rating based on how positive or negative users are when they review a product. On a scale from 1 to 10, rave reviews get a high score, unfavorable reviews get a low score, and lukewarm reviews get a score in between. Review scores are then averaged to determine the sentiment score for the product.

These important questions about ease of use can dictate the success or failure of your software investment. The bottom line: if it isn't dead simple to use, you risk poor user adoption and engagement.

To help you identify simple project management (PM) tools, we analyzed thousands of reviews for products in our PM directory and calculated an ease-of-use “sentiment score" for each product.

In this article, we're highlighting the three products with an above-average sentiment score for ease of use that came out on top.

Top 3 simple project management software solutions

For more on our methodology, click here.

Hive

Hive is cloud-based, collaborative work management software designed for teams of all sizes. Key features include task management, workflow management, and time tracking, as well as basic resource management and reporting. Users can choose between Gantt, Kanban, spreadsheet, and calendar views to suit their workflow.

Hive offers native integrations with content management tools such as Google Drive and Dropbox, and as well as over 1,000 integrations through Zapier so teams can connect to their other tools as well.

Hive also placed second on our July 2019 top 20 report, earning an overall score of 87/100.

Here are some of the positive sentiments reviewers shared about Hive's ease of use:

• Intuitive design

• Flexible interface

• Simple navigation

• Easy to organize data and manage tasks

Kanban board interface in Hive (Source)

How do users feel about Hive's ease of use?

Users praise Hive's ease of use; 86% of reviews are positive, and just three percent are negative. In comparison, the share of positive sentiment around ease of use for the PM category as a whole is 77.1%.

How does Hive compare to the category average for ease of use?

Hive ranks above the category average for ease of use. Out of a possible 10, Hive's sentiment score is 6.45, while the category average is 6.03.

Kanbanchi for G Suite

Kanbanchi is a cloud-based, collaborative task and project management app built specifically for G Suite. This means it's available on the G Suite marketplace, and users sign up with their Google account, utilize Google drive for storage, sync with their Google calendar, etc.

Key features include task management (e.g., Kanban boards), collaboration, and time tracking, as well as basic project planning (e.g., Gantt charts) and reporting.

Here are some of the positive sentiments reviewers shared about Kanbanchi's ease of use:

• Intuitive design

• Quick to set up

• Requires minimal training

• Blends seamlessly into G Suite environment

Kanban board in Kanbanchi (Suorce)

How do users feel about Kanbanchi's ease of use?

Users praise Kanbanchi's ease of use; 97% of reviews are positive and zero are negative. In comparison, the share of positive sentiment around ease of use for the PM category as a whole is 77.1%.

How does Kanbanchi compare to the category average for ease of use?

Kanbanchi ranks above the category average for ease of use. Out of a possible 10, Kanbanchi's sentiment score is 6.36, while the category average is 6.03.

Read user reviews of Kanbanchi

OrangeScrum

Orangescrum is a project management solution designed for Agile teams that can be deployed in the cloud or installed on Mac or Windows OS. The vendor also offers an open source self-hosted edition for enterprise teams.

Agile capabilities include backlog management, sprint planning and execution, and reporting for retrospectives (e.g., velocity charts). Key features include task management (e.g., scrum boards), collaboration, resource management, and time tracking, as well as project planning and reporting.

Orangescrum offers pre-built integrations with several popular apps including Slack, Dropbox, GitHub, and G-Suite.

Here are some of the positive sentiments reviewers shared about Orangescrum's ease of use:

• Easy to navigate

• Quick to set up

• Intuitive design

• Good balance of value for effort (i.e., robust yet still user-friendly)

Time log in Orangescrum (Source)

How do users feel about Orangescrum's ease of use?

Users praise Orangescrum's ease of use; 93% of reviews are positive and four percent are negative. In comparison, the share of positive sentiment around ease of use for the PM category as a whole is 77.1%.

How does Orangescrum compare to the category average for ease of use?

Orangescrum ranks above the category average for ease of use. Out of a possible 10, Orangescrum's sentiment score is 6.18, while the category average is 6.03.

Read user reviews of OrangeScrum

Looking for a different, user-friendly solution?

To be included in the above analysis, products had to meet our PM market definition as well as meet our review count minimum and ease of use criteria.

The following products fulfilled the latter requirement, but did not meet our PM market definition (either for lacking core features or not being the target user):

Dashpivot: Construction management software for data collection, document assembly, form builder, and workflow automation (designed for AEC professionals).

• 45 reviews

• Mentions of ease of use in reviews: 28

• Sentiment score = 6.44 (out of 10)

• Percent of mentions that are positive: 94%

Widen Collective: Digital asset management software for content lifecycle management (designed for marketers and creatives).

• 278 reviews

• Mentions of ease of use in reviews: 32

• Sentiment score = 6.36 (out of 10)

• Percent of mentions that are positive: 89%

You can also check out our 2018 ranking of the Top 20 Most User-Friendly PM solutions for additional options.

Methodology