Time is indeed money, especially in the fast-paced world of small teams, where managing time effectively is more critical than ever. The right task tracker is key to staying organized and focused. But with so many options available online, which one is perfect for your team?
This is where Aloa steps in. With our expertise in managing complex software development projects, we understand the challenges small teams face. We've seen firsthand how the right task tracker can transform a team's productivity. Our recommendations are based on real experiences and proven results.
In this guide, we'll show you the top 7+ task trackers for small teams in 2024. These aren't just any tools; they're the ones that really work. They help teams stay aligned and productive, turning potential stress into smooth progress. We'll also share the essential features of a task tracker and how to choose the one for you!
Let's start!
Most Recommended Task Tracker for Businesses in 2024
As we near the end of 2024, businesses are seeking the most effective task tracker. Our guide highlights top choices for small teams, focusing on tools that excel in enhancing productivity and simplifying project management. Delve into our expert picks to elevate your team's efficiency. Here are Aloa’s most recommended task trackers:
Best Task Tracker for Startups
Starting a business comes with its unique set of challenges. Our best task tracker for startups zeroes in on tools that make juggling these tasks a breeze. These systems can make your startup journey smoother and more organized. Here are the best ones:
1. Trello - Best Choice for Startups
Trello is more than just a simple task tracker; it is a comprehensive and collaborative tool that unites your team, tasks, and tools in one place. Despite the team's location, Trello offers seamless communication and coordination functionality.
Trello's standout feature is its flexibility. Regardless of how large or small your project is, Trello provides a simple yet powerful structure comprising boards, lists, and cards. This structure makes it easy to see who's doing what and what needs to get done. Trello moves away from the traditional task tracker to a productivity powerhouse.
Notable Features of Working with Trello
- Boards: Keeps tasks organized and work moving forward.
- Lists: Aligns the different stages of a task from inception to completion.
- Cards: These carry all the information needed to get tasks done.
- Custom fields: Allows for creating a simple to-do list or a complex workflow.
- People and Projects: You can visualize your project from different perspectives, such as a dashboard, a timeline, a table, etc.
- Integrations: Trello integrates seamlessly with over 200+ other tools to enhance productivity.
Trello’s Price Plans
Trello offers a freemium pricing model with a free basic plan, a business-class plan at $10 per user/month, and an enterprise plan with custom pricing based on the size of the team and the features needed. Potential users are encouraged to visit Trello's website for more information on their pricing and to find a plan that best fits their business needs.
Trello primarily targets startups, digital agencies, and software development teams managing projects of varying sizes. It is designed for teams seeking a flexible, visual, and easy-to-use tool to manage tasks and improve productivity. Whether you're a newly formed team, a seasoned team looking for more efficient ways to manage tasks, or a distributed workforce aiming to stay connected, Trello provides a platform and features that fit your unique needs.
2. Teamwork - Top Pick for Client-Centric Teams
Expanding on traditional task management, Teamwork emerges as the only all-in-one platform for client work. It's a powerful solution designed to drive business efficiency, increase profitability, and facilitate scaling with confidence.
As a universal task tracker, Teamwork distinguishes itself with its paramount focus on client operations. It offers real-time solutions for everyday challenges startups encounter, such as balancing team capacity, organizing systems of record, and optimizing recurring revenue from retainers.
Notable Features of Working with Teamwork
- Project Management: Allows efficient planning and monitoring, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget.
- Resource Scheduler and Utilization Report: Enables efficient staff utilization and capacity maximization.
- Invoice, Billing, and Reporting: Minimizes manual work in managing cash flow, budgets, and staff utilization.
Teamwork’s Price Plans
Teamwork offers various pricing plans to suit the varying needs of small teams. The options include a Free Plan, a Starter Plan pegged at $5.99 per user/month, a Deliver plan at $9.99 per user/month, and the Grow plan at $19.99 per user/month. For a comprehensive breakdown of what each plan offers, head over to Teamwork's Pricing Page.
Targeted predominantly at startups, e-commerce businesses, and digital agencies, Teamwork is an optimal choice for client-facing teams seeking to balance profitability and productivity. If you're a team passionate about delivering exceptional client work and striving for streamlined operations, consider Teamwork your go-to task tracker solution.
3. Ayoa - Best Creative Task Management Tool
Uniquely approaching task tracking, Ayoa integrates an engaging suite of productivity tools with a creative bend. It's far from being your run-of-the-mill task tracker. Instead, Ayoa utilizes the power of mind mapping and artificial intelligence to initiate "neuro-inclusive" productivity.
Ayoa's distinctive feature lies in its blend of task management with mind mapping. This combination is designed to stimulate memory and creativity, thus redefining the way tasks are mapped, tracked, and accomplished.
Notable Features of Working with Ayoa
- Mind Mapping: Proven to enhance productivity and creativity while giving a complete view of your ideas and goals.
- Whiteboards: Great for freeform thinking or creating content dashboards with various features like videos, links, flowcharts, etc.
- Workflow: Manage your projects in a linear and clear manner inspired by traditional Kanban boards.
- Gantt Timeline: Ideal for tasks with multiple milestones, offering an easily adaptable Gantt timeline view.
- Radial & Canvas View: Presents your tasks or ideas in a visual pie-chart or circular format.
Ayoa’s Price Plans
Ayoa offers three pricing plans. The 'Ayoa Free' tier offers unlimited mind maps and basic branch styles. The 'Ayoa Mind Maps' tier unlocks freehand mind maps, speed maps, radial maps, and more. Lastly, 'Ayoa Ultimate' allows users to enjoy AI-generated ideas and images, visual task and project management, team collaboration features, and more. Detailed pricing and features for each plan can be found on the Ayoa Pricing page.
Ayoa is designed for small teams, creative agencies, educators, and individuals seeking an innovative way to manage tasks. It is perfect for those keen on leveraging the power of mind mapping and appreciate a visual and creative approach to task management. So, whether you're a startup team brainstorming revolutionary ideas or an educator hoping to harness the benefits of mind mapping and AI in task management, Ayoa could be the task tracker you've been looking for.
Best Task Tracker for Small Remote Teams
Managing a small remote team poses its unique set of challenges. Our curated list under the best task tracker for small remote teams branches out to those applications designed to keep your team connected and tasks organized, even across miles.
Discover how these systems can transform your remote work dynamics by checking out what’s included below:
4. Asana - Top Choice for Cross-Functional Remote Teams
Asana strides into the task tracker industry with a single, overarching mission - to boost efficiency across organizations. Offering an incredibly user-friendly platform, Asana is designed with cross-functionality at its core, making it a favored choice for small remote teams wanting to deliver quality work quicker.
Asana distinguishes itself as an expert in work management, ranked highly by industry experts for fostering cross-team collaboration. The company stands out primarily for its ability to provide a structured platform that harmoniously links tasks, collaborators, and progress, thus accelerating business goal achievement.
Notable Features of Working with Asana
- Cross-Functional Task Tracking: Asana offers a complete platform that accommodates varied team specialties, including marketing, IT, and operations, making it a perfect fit for cross-functional teams.
- Project Management: It aids in managing complex tasks, connecting interdependencies, and streamlining work among teams, which is essential for efficient project implementation.
- Workflow Automation: Asana has a built-in capacity for automating work assignments, due dates, and more, all aimed at reducing manual labor and boosting productivity.
- Real-Time Reporting: The platform offers a feature for real-time insights into the progress of different workstreams, allowing for accurate monitoring and quicker decision-making.
- Integrations: Asana integrates with over 200 apps, providing seamless synchronization with your other work tools creating a unified, efficient workspace.
- Strategic Planning Tools: Asana enhances your strategic planning process with features for setting annual plans, providing real-time insights, and budget monitoring.
Asana’s Price Plans
Asana offers a diverse range of pricing plans designed to cater to individuals and groups of varying sizes. Each level offers a range of features, with more advanced tools and functionalities available as the pricing tiers progress. For a more detailed and comprehensive overview of Asana's pricing plans and the specific features each tier offers, potential users are encouraged to visit Asana's website.
Asana is an excellent choice for small remote teams looking to enhance their task tracking, efficiency, and overall productivity. This task tracker was created with such teams in mind, providing features that align with the nature of cross-functional and remote work. Asana is not solely in business for profit - their story resonates with teams driven by mission and purpose, just like yours. Their goal lies in complementing your team’s efforts integrating your tasks into a single connected space to focus on the work that truly counts.
5. Slack - Best Pick for Seamless Integration and Communication
Slack is renowned in productivity platforms and is geared to meet contemporary work requirements. Personalized for people and built for productivity, Slack has become a popular choice amongst small remote teams. A platform designed for improved collaboration, Slack provides an environment that helps you automate routine tasks, connects you with the right people, and keeps everything you need at your fingertips.
What sets Slack apart from other task trackers lies in its core design philosophy - its goal to personify productivity. Slack's uniqueness lies in its ability to combine all the necessary tools you need on a single platform, reshaping how you work while keeping human interaction central. By providing flexible options for work styles and fostering an environment of ease of use, it sets itself apart in the task tracker domain.
Notable Features of Working with Slack
- Automation and Integration: Streamline your workflow by automating routine tasks with the power of AI. Additionally, Slack allows integration with over 2,600 apps, providing a comprehensive productivity platform.
- Flexible Communication Platforms: Slack offers many channels for you and your team to communicate. From chat and audio clips to video meetings and live discussions, collaborate in the way that suits you best.
- Channel-Based Collaboration: Expand your team's cohesion with channel-based workspaces. Channels offer a unified space for inter-departmental collaboration, uniting teams across varying locations and working schedules.
- Content Searchability: Slack channels keep all your content in one place and fully searchable, avoiding the hassle of forwarding numerous emails to team members.
- Task Automation: Enhance productivity by transforming routine meetings and tasks into automated workflows. This helps save time and reduces the constant back-and-forth.
Slack’s Price Plans
Slack offers pricing plans aimed at a broad audience range. However, specifics regarding its cost structures and the variety of features included in each package are best reviewed directly on their website. Slack assures an extensive suite of capabilities even amidst their pricing plans, promising efficiency and productivity regardless of your choice.
Created with a deep understanding of modern work dynamics, Slack is particularly suitable for small remote teams. Its design, which rapidly adapts to your organization's scaling needs, assures a seamless collaboration experience. Considering Slack isn't just a messaging tool but a fully-fledged productivity platform, adapting it might be a game-changing decision for your team’s collaboration and efficiency.
6. Microsoft Teams - Top Pick for Microsoft Ecosystem Users
Microsoft Teams is a platform designed to enhance productivity through efficient collaboration. With Microsoft Teams, businesses can level up their work, bringing teams together to scale the business and achieve more. Built from the ground up for ease and convenience, Teams takes a holistic approach to collaboration, enabling users to communicate, share, and work in one place. It's a tool that scales with your business, making it suitable for small teams and large corporations alike.
What truly sets Microsoft Teams apart is its deep integration with established Microsoft tools and software. Developed by Microsoft, Teams naturally assimilates with the existing Microsoft ecosystem, including all core Office 365 applications. It also boasts of its versatility, allowing your team to work when, where, and how it's most suitable for them, be it via chat, audio or video clips, or real-time discussions.
Notable Features of Working with Microsoft Teams
- Comprehensive Communication Suite: Microsoft Teams allows for a holistic communication experience with its platform for hosting meetings, making calls, collaborating, and chatting all in one place.
- Personalized Channels: Create public or private channels depending on the nature of your team's conversations and work. This feature allows for greater focus and collaboration within your workspace.
- Integrated Microsoft 365 Apps: Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 Apps equips your team with powerful tools for document creation and collaboration.
- Superior Audio and Video Quality: Host engaging meetings with high-quality audio and video feeds, bolstering your team's collaboration experience.
- Cross-Platform Accessibility: Available on all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. This allows your team to stay connected and productive, regardless of the device or location.
- Enhanced Security Measures: Your team's communication and work remain secure with Teams' top-notch encryption for meetings, chats, calls, and files. This provides peace of mind and ensures data confidentiality.
Microsoft Team’s Price Plans
Microsoft Teams provides flexible pricing plans for different team sizes and business needs. The free version offers basic features perfect for small teams. For full suite access, Microsoft 365 Business Standard costs $12.50/user/month. Regular discounts may be available on the official Teams website. It's best to check the website for updated prices.
Microsoft Teams is ideal for small to large teams looking to streamline their collaboration efforts and maximize productivity. Equipped with robust task tracker abilities, it is particularly beneficial for teams regularly using Microsoft Office tools, as it smoothly integrates with the entire Microsoft ecosystem.
Best Task Tracker for Teams On a Budget
Keeping budget constraints in mind doesn’t mean compromising on productivity or organization. In our best task tracker for teams on a budget section, we bring forward tools that deliver efficiency without breaking the bank.
Check out these affordable task trackers and how they can keep your team on point and your finances intact:
7. ClickUp - Best Choice for Budget-Friendly Project Management
ClickUp is a comprehensive project management tool designed to streamline your workflow and enhance team productivity. Providing a complete solution to both simple and complex project management needs, ClickUp aims to eliminate the hoodoo of multiple applications, enabling teams to manage and oversee all forms of work in a single platform. It's a one-stop application considered the perfect choice by more than 2 million teams worldwide to accomplish their work effectively.
ClickUp boosts productivity by providing efficient tools that streamline work and enhance collaboration. It empowers teams to centralize project-related communications, fostering closer interactions at significant distances. With ClickUp, teams experience a decluttered workspace as they eliminate different application usages and reduce costs effectively. It's tailored to fit any team and easily customizable as the team needs to evolve.
Notable Features of Working with ClickUp
- AI-powered productivity: Leveraging artificial intelligence, ClickUp aids faster task execution.
- Multiple View Options: Switch between 15 views, including list, board, Gantt, and more.
- Quick customization: Adapts to various work types with easy configuration.
- Seamless integration: Effectively integrates with tools already in use.
- Comprehensive search: Locate any file in ClickUp or a connected application.
ClickUp’s Price Plans
ClickUp offers affordability as one of its biggest selling points, standing as an ideal choice for teams on a budget. It has a free forever pricing plan for personal use, which provides basic features and 100MB of storage. Considering the various features that ClickUp presents, visiting the platform's official website for the most recent pricing details is a recommended action.
Indeed, for teams operating on a tight budget, it's crucial to make every penny count, including choosing the right task tracker tool. ClickUp emerges as your efficient solution, designed not only to meet your teamwork demands but also to accommodate your budget restrictions. Delivering a diverse list of features and flexible pricing strategies, ClickUp serves as a wallet-friendly yet robust solution. Harness the power of streamlined collaboration, enriched project management, and task tracking without straining your budget. While ClickUp is a powerful tool, it's always worth exploring ClickUp alternatives to find the perfect fit for your team's unique needs and budget.
8. Basecamp - Top Choice for Streamlined Small Team Management
Basecamp is the ideal choice for small teams desiring to move at a blistering pace and make substantial progress. Basecamp has been a trusted partner for small businesses, offering them a project management platform that perfectly understands the needs of the smaller players competing against corporate giants.
Basecamp has a deep-rooted understanding of the grind that small teams undergo day in and day out. Their solution aims to ease the struggles of managing people, projects, clients, deadlines, and expectations, enabling businesses to glide through their assignments effortlessly and not just grind. They revolutionized project organization by ensuring that every aspect of a task lives on a single page, making everything easily accessible and trackable, thus reducing the need for teams to juggle through different platforms.
Notable Features of Working with Basecamp
- Unified Project View: All aspects of a project are housed on a single page for ease of access and reference.
- Private Conversations: Offers private messaging (pings) for confidential communications.
- Summary Reports: Quick and insightful summaries keep you on tabs with key insights.
- Notification Protections: Protects your team from unnecessary distractions with notification controls.
- Timeline: A historical timeline feature to trace back every action.
- Customer Support: Exceptional round-the-clock customer service.
Basecamp’s Price Plans
Basecamp offers cost-effective plans starting at about $5/user per month, making it an affordable task tracker for start-ups, small teams, or freelancers. If you're a larger group or a growing business, you can opt for Basecamp PRO UNLIMITED, priced around $70 per month for unlimited users. The exact pricing may vary, and for detailed information, kindly refer to the Basecamp website.
If you're a small team competing with larger corporations and looking for a task tracker that is reliable and budget-friendly, Basecamp could be the ideal solution. This platform not only makes managing your projects and tasks more effortless but also provides you with a strategic advantage to level the playing field in your industry.
9. Chanty - Best Pick for Secure and User-Friendly Team Communication
Chanty is renowned as the most secure and user-friendly platform for messaging, video calling, and task management; Chanty is committed to helping teams work smarter. With a perfect blend of simplicity and security, Chanty provides large and small teams with an intuitive, organized, and seamless experience.
What sets Chanty apart is its ability to streamline communication and collaboration, allowing teams to work effectively irrespective of their location or size. Beyond traditional messaging and task management, the platform throws open a world of possibilities with video conferencing, screen sharing, 4k video, audio support, and an ability to transition from typed messages to video calls with a simple click.
Notable Features of Working with Chanty
- Secure video conferencing: Conduct high-quality video calls with up to 1000 participants.
- Convenient messaging: Type or turn a message into a task for improved workflow.
- Easy Task Management: Create new tasks from scratch or turn messages into tasks.
- Seamless integrations: Add your favorite software to your workflow.
- High-level security: Get enterprise-grade data protection with encrypted transactions.
Chanty’s Price Plans
For teams concerned about the budget, Chanty has a very viable pricing plan. The "Free" plan works exceptionally well for medium and small businesses, offering unlimited conversations, built-in task management, and support for up to five team members. For comprehensive pricing details, visiting the Chanty website is recommended.
Teams on a budget looking to supercharge their productivity will find in Chanty a task tracker that's high on features, simple to use, and affordable. Chanty stands as a testimony that a brilliant mix of advanced technology and affordability can indeed co-exist. Navigating the world of task management was never easier or more cost-effective.
Essential Features of a Task Tracker for Small Teams
Finding the right task tracker for a small team isn't just about making a list of tasks. It’s about finding a solution that can adapt to your workflow, facilitate collaboration, and help you meet your goals more efficiently.
Here are the indispensable features of a task tracker designed to push small teams to success:
- Simplicity: The best task trackers are user-friendly and intuitive. This will ensure that team members will quickly adapt and adopt the tool into their workflow.
- Task Assignment: A good task tracker should allow for effortless task assignments to individual team members or groups. This promotes responsibility and accountability within the team.
- Real-Time Collaboration: Real-time collaboration features, such as shared calendars, document collaboration, and instant messaging, are necessary. These provide a central space for team communication and coordination.
- Task Prioritization: Task trackers should allow task prioritization so team members can quickly see what needs their attention first. Every team member should be able to organize their tasks based on priority levels.
- Progress Tracking: The ability to track task progress is crucial. Look for a task tracker with features that track task progress from initiation to completion.
- Integration with Other Tools: Task trackers should seamlessly integrate with the tools your team is already using, like email platforms, file-sharing tools, CRM software, and more. It eliminates the barrier between tools and streamlines the work process.
- Mobile Accessibility: In today's environment, task trackers must offer mobile versions or apps. This lets team members stay on their tasks and communicate from anywhere.
- Notifications and Alerts: Real-time notifications or alerts for task updates, deadlines, and changes are vital for keeping everyone in the loop. These notifications ensure that no task falls through the cracks.
- Task Dependencies: For complex projects, the task tracker should easily establish task dependencies, i.e., tasks that must precede others. This feature enables a clear pathway and prevents roadblocks during the project execution.
- Data Security: The security of your project data is crucial. A trustworthy task tracker ensures data privacy and compliance with security standards.
- Customization: Teams should be able to customize the task tracker to suit their work patterns. Custom labels, workflows, or fields can cater to the specific needs of the team.
- Reports and Analytics: Task trackers must provide analytical data and reports. These insights help identify bottlenecks, track team performance, and improve productivity in the long run.
Investing in a task tracker that embodies the above features will surely be a game-changer for small teams aiming for substantial growth. Remember, not every task tracker will match your team perfectly. You must test a few options, utilize their trial periods, and decide on the one that best aligns with your team's objectives and workflow.
How To Choose the Best Task Tracker For Your Team
Selecting the right task tracker for your team is a decision that requires careful thought and analysis. Your choice will directly impact your team's productivity, effectiveness, and satisfaction. Whether you're a start-up or an established business, here are some key points to consider when choosing the ideal task tracker:
- Understand Your Team's Requirements: Every team is distinct, with unique needs and workflows. Prior to exploring available task trackers, take time to understand your team's specific requirements. Consider the size of your team, the nature of your tasks, the complexity of your projects, and the gaps that should be addressed.
- Assess Functionality: A good task tracker offers more than task management. It should provide comprehensive features like time-tracking, project management, collaboration tools, notification settings, and task prioritization. Compare the features of various task trackers and see which ones align best with your team's needs.
- Test for User-friendliness: An overly complex task tracker can become a hurdle, rather than a help. Ensure that your task tracker is user-friendly and does not require an extensive learning curve. Most task trackers offer a free trial - utilize this to see how intuitive the interface is and how easily your team can adapt to it.
- Integration Capability: Excellent task trackers should seamlessly integrate with other tools your team frequently uses. Whether it's your email platform, CRM software, or file-sharing applications, seamless integration can enhance productivity and company-wide collaboration immensely.
- Mobile Access: A task tracker with a robust mobile app can ensure that team members can stay updated and contribute irrespective of location.
- Scalability: As your business evolves, so will your team and its needs. Choose a task tracker that can scale with your team and accommodate your growing needs in the long term.
- Budget: The best task tracker offers the desired functionalities at an affordable price. Carefully assess the pricing plans of different task trackers and compare them to your budget. Remember, the most expensive option isn't always the best one. Look for cost-effectiveness, not just low price tags.
- Customer Support: Efficient and responsive customer support is a crucial aspect to consider. There will be times when you need assistance with the tool, and in such times, customer support should be readily available.
- Security: Your task tracker will deal with sensitive company information, making security paramount. Ensure that the task tracker complies with all necessary data protection regulations and has robust security measures.
Choosing a task tracker that accurately aligns with your team's requirements can significantly improve efficiency, simplify task management, and drive growth. Make sure to spend sufficient time researching and understanding your options before settling on one. Your perfect task tracker is out there; it's just a matter of finding it.
Key Takeaway
Selecting the right task tracker can seem like a daunting challenge. It's a decision that holds significant weight, as the right tool can dramatically enhance your team's productivity and streamline your project management processes.
At Aloa, we deeply understand this challenge. We also know that every team is different, and sometimes, the best solution is a task tracker made just for you. With our background in business outsourcing, we're experts at creating custom solutions. In fact, we've already helped over 250 clients find the perfect software development expert to build tools that meet their specific needs.
If you’re thinking about a custom task tracker for your team, we're here to help! Reach out to us at [email protected] to set up a conversation. Let's make something great together that fits your team perfectly.