When you run a manufacturing business, you can’t drop any balls. The right manufacturing project management software can be your safety net.
What is project management software?
Project Management software automates task assignment, resource allocation, and milestone tracking for all phases of a project. This software may take one of three approaches.
Collaborative: For projects that require multiple people
Top-down: When one person at a time works on a project
Integrated: Projects that involve multiple aspects of an organization
As a project manager in the manufacturing field, you know how much a slight miscalculation or miscommunication can wreak havoc on your business. Project management software can help your project team stay on top of everything, from collaboration to timelines, and budgets.
To find out which Project Management products are right for your business, we curated a list of the highest rated products on Capterra based on reviews from people in the Manufacturing industry (read our full methodology below).
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Overall user rating from Manufacturing industry: 4.75 (24)
Projects reports screen in Freedcamp (Source)
Notable features: Kanban board, Gantt chart view, Wiki documentation
Freedcamp launched in 2009 and is a California-based project management software provider. It offers the flexibility of both Kanban board and Gantt chart view options. It has a range of packages and pricing plans, from a free plan with core task management features and limited file sizes all the way up to an Enterprise plan (starting at $16.99/user/month) with private cloud and white labeling.
Reviewers from the manufacturing industry find Freedcamp’s interface to be intuitive with many useful features.
Visit our Freedcamp reviews page to read more in depth opinions, including pros and cons.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Overall user rating from Manufacturing industry: 4.7 (43)
The Kanban board view in MeisterTask (Source)
Notable features: Kanban board, searchable task archive, recurring tasks
MeisterTask is a Vienna-based task management app launched in 2015 by Meister, a software development company known for the mind mapping software, MindMeister. MeisterTask offers a free version with basic task management and up to three simultaneous projects. The Pro version, which adds unlimited projects, automations, integrations, and more starts at $8.25/month.
Manufacturing users find MeisterTask to be easy to use and effective for team communication and task management.
Visit our MeisterTask reviews page to read more in depth opinions, including pros and cons.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Overall user rating from Manufacturing industry: 4.66 (38)
The Kanban board view in Microsoft Project (Source)
Notable features: Dynamic scheduling, resource labeling, automated workflows
Microsoft Project may be the world’s most popular project management software, with roots dating all the way back to 1984 and a massive install base through Office 365. With decades of iterations, Microsoft Project includes just about any project management feature a team could think of, including automation and advanced reporting. The web version of Microsoft Project starts at $10/user/month and Microsoft also offers an on-premise version starting at $620.
Manufacturing users find Microsoft Project to be ideal for handling large projects and they find the reporting feature to be handy.
Visit our Microsoft Project reviews page to read more in depth opinions, including pros and cons.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Overall user rating from Manufacturing industry: 4.81 (27)
A Kanban style board in Samepage (Source)
Notable features: Content management, mind mapping, Kanban boards
Samepage aims to put teams on the same page through its feature-rich project management tool that launched out of Silicon Valley in 2017. The platform has a focus on collaboration and communication (including built-in video conferencing), along with mind mapping and multiple project views. Samepage offers a free version for small teams with basic task management needs, and the standard version with advanced features starts at $7.50/user/month.
Manufacturing users find the interface to be well suited for teams of all sizes and experience levels.
Visit our Samepage reviews page to read more in depth opinions, including pros and cons.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Overall user rating from Manufacturing industry: 4.64 (106)
The real-time dashboard in Smartsheet (Source)
Notable features: Spreadsheet-based, automated workflows, multiple project views
Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-based work management and collaboration tool launched outside of Seattle in 2006. The developers claim that their tool is used by more than 90% of Fortune 100 companies, and the platform integrates with more than 70 other applications, including the Microsoft Office suite. Smartsheet starts at $14/month for an individual user, and the Business plan starts at $25/user/month with unlimited dashboards, reports, and collaborators.
Manufacturing users praise Smartsheet’s reporting capabilities along with the robust feature set.
Visit our Smartsheet reviews page to read more in depth opinions, including pros and cons.
Use a project management tool to stay on top of all your manufacturing business details
In this article, we looked at five top project management tools as reviewed by manufacturing users. Looking for more? If you want to boost your project management experience and review more tools, check out our 2021 Shortlist for Project Management Software. (Spoiler alert: only two of the products we reviewed above appear on our Shortlist).
The 2021 Capterra Shortlist for project management software (Source)