Microsoft Challenge has been a staple within the mission administration world for a few years. However, as occasions have modified, Microsoft Challenge has began to indicate its age. This system is now not the one recreation on the town, and there are actually some nice alternate options that supply extra options and decrease prices. On this weblog submit, we’ll discover 5 of these alternate options and see how they stack up in opposition to Microsoft Challenge.
Microsoft Challenge is the unique mission Administration software that basically began all of them. Developed within the early Nineteen Eighties, Microsoft Challenge was constructed as a desktop software solely to trace initiatives internally. Again in a time when initiatives have been tracked by pen and paper (gasp!), MP burst via the door with its digital monitoring.
Because the years have passed by, MP has continued to develop, evolve and scale. However, whereas it’s nonetheless broadly used immediately, its days could also be numbered. This OG mission administration system tried to develop and develop to fight its rivals, however it nonetheless has rivals closing in from behind. Right now, new alternate options supply extra flexibility, options, and decrease prices.
Let’s take a look at a number of the high Microsoft Challenge alternate options trying to take the crown.
1. Hive
Constructed for customers by customers, Hive is a Microsoft Challenge different that may create easy workflows for advanced processes. A cloud-based mission administration software that gives customers a wide range of options, Hive is the one mission administration platform your massive or small group wants. Constructed to deal with useful resource administration, time tasking, and group collaboration, this platform is beloved by mission managers in every single place.
Hive provides automated workflows, process administration, file sharing, storage, and group calendars. With its easy drag-and-drop interface, you possibly can simply add or take away group members from a mission, assign duties & deadlines, and add recordsdata for simple entry by all.
Hive is a superb different for corporations that worth teamwork and collaboration. It could possibly combine with a number of in style purposes, corresponding to Google Drive and Dropbox, providing extra group connectivity and cohesiveness. These extra options and give attention to group and collaboration set Hive other than Microsoft Challenge. With Hive, groups can simply talk and work on initiatives in actual time.
Key Options:
- 7+ mission views
- Constructed by customers and has unimaginable prospects service and assist desk
- Time monitoring and resourcing
- Native electronic mail integrations
Pricing: You possibly can strive Hive free for 14 days. Hive additionally provides a free plan with restricted performance, with it’s hottest paid plans beginning at $12 per consumer, per thirty days.
2. Wrike
Wrike is a favourite cloud-based mission administration software that gives process collaboration, Gantt charts, and real-time exercise updates. One factor that units Wrike other than Microsoft Challenge is its give attention to group collaboration. With Wrike, groups can work concurrently on duties, share recordsdata, and depart feedback for one another.
This remark software makes Wrike a wonderful selection for groups that have to work collectively carefully on initiatives. Wrike additionally has a built-in exercise stream that helps organizations keep organized and hold mentions and feedback in a single streamlined location.
Key Options:
- Gantt charts for initiatives
- Shareable dashboards
- Integrations
- Customizable work stations
Pricing: Wrike’s paid plans begin from $9.80 per consumer/month.
Comparability: Examine these high alternate options to Wrike for extra data.
3. Trello
Trello couldn’t be extra completely different than Microsoft Challenge, however it offers you a greater concept of what’s on the market and the way MP influenced these newer platforms. With Trello, you may have a cloud-based mission administration software, however it takes a unique method than Microsoft Challenge. For instance, Trello makes use of a Kanban board method to mission administration, which is a superb approach to visualize progress on a mission.
Whereas Microsoft Tasks continues to be comparatively inflexible and difficult to be taught, Trello is intuitive and straightforward to grasp. It additionally provides duties project, file sharing, and group collaboration. As well as, it’s an inexpensive possibility for smaller groups with its versatile pricing construction. It’s beloved by particular person customers and small companies in search of a low-cost and straightforward to make use of mission administration platform.
Key Options:
- Kanban board method
- Versatile pricing
- Integrations
- Useful resource Allocation
- Constructed-in budgeting and monetary summaries
Pricing: Trello provides a free plan and paid commonplace plans beginning at $5 per consumer/month.
Comparability: To be taught extra, try these nice Trello alternate options with related options.
4. nTask
nTask is a web based collaboration platform with the same look, really feel and cadence to Microsoft Challenge. Utilizing nTask, customers can process and monitor initiatives and conferences and simply handle sources, dangers, and extra. nTask provides Gantt chart formatting to visualise your initiatives, and makes use of a easy drag-and-drop performance to maneuver and set duties.
The most effective facets of nTask is that it may be used for nearly any enterprise or trade. Constructed with a sturdy bug-tracking software that may monitor, assign, prioritize, and repair bugs & points quicker, nTask is appropriate for agile mission administration and software-building corporations. nTask can be the proper match for artistic businesses with built-in time monitoring and collaboration instruments.
Key Options:
- Gantt charts
- Useful resource administration
- Constructed-in time monitoring software
- Bug monitoring software
- Easy drag-n-drop performance
Pricing: Free for limitless duties, initiatives, and group members. Paid plans begin at $8 per consumer/month.
5. Zoho Tasks
This Microsoft Challenge different is a cloud-based software for small or medium-sized corporations. With Zoho Tasks, you possibly can break every mission down into bite-size items higher suited to your group members. As well as, Zoho can process and subtask initiatives and hold monitor of who’s engaged on what throughout the exercise pipeline.
It really works to attach groups to foster productiveness and effectivity. It has built-in timesheet performance with a reporting characteristic so you possibly can see how lengthy every process takes group members. Sadly, Zoho continues to be lacking performance to handle a number of initiatives at a time, so it isn’t as sturdy as a number of the different choices on this listing – however for the value, it’s fairly darn nice.
Key Options:
- Useful resource administration instruments
- Web page-specific mission boards for communication
- A sturdy providing of charts and reviews
- Timesheets and time monitoring on particular person duties
- Gantt charts & Kaban boards for visualizing
Pricing: Zoho initiatives facilitate free and a number of paid plans. The paid plans start at $5.
6. ClickUp
ClickUp is one other nice mission administration different to Microsoft Groups, providing customers streamlined mission and process administration, monitor progress, and simply talk inside groups. It supplies a user-friendly interface with intuitive navigation. Compared to Microsoft Groups, ClickUp is superior for providing the flexibleness of customer support by way of telephone, in addition to video tutorials — two vital companies with regards to worker onboarding and adaptation.
Whether or not you’re managing initiatives, monitoring duties, or collaborating on paperwork, ClickUp’s sturdy characteristic set makes it appropriate for numerous industries and enterprise varieties.With versatile pricing choices, together with a free plan for limitless duties, initiatives, and group members, ClickUp provides a cheap resolution for groups of all sizes. To see how ClickUp stacks up in opposition to different instruments available on the market, try our full information to ClickUp alternate options.
Key Options:
- Activity and mission administration
- Workforce collaboration and communication instruments
- File sharing and doc administration
- Time monitoring and reporting capabilities
- Integration with in style instruments and apps
Pricing: Free plan obtainable for limitless duties, initiatives, and group members. Paid plans begin at $5 per consumer/month.
7. Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a robust different to Microsoft Challenge by providing related mission administration capabilities in a extra intuitive, user-friendly interface. The software makes use of a spreadsheet format, making it approachable to customers who’re already conversant in Excel. Nevertheless, Smartsheet’s performance extends past spreadsheets and provides efficient mission administration capabilities. It allows straightforward collaboration, real-time updates, and automations that may streamline your mission workflows.
Smartsheet is versatile and might adapt to all kinds of mission varieties and industries. It offers you the power to shortly view your mission information in a number of methods – from grid to Gantt chart to card view – offering versatility that Microsoft Challenge could lack. Nevertheless, some customers could discover that the massive set of choices and suppleness may make it a bit overwhelming to arrange and handle. And whereas it definitely provides loads of performance for many customers, Smartsheet might not be as sturdy with regards to advanced mission scheduling and administration, an space the place Microsoft Challenge is thought for having in-depth capabilities.
Key Options:
- Actual-time collaboration
- Automation choices
- Complete reporting
- Integration with dozens of instruments
- Cellular apps for iOS and Android units
Pricing: Smartsheet provides a free plan for one consumer and as much as two editors. There’s a Professional plan obtainable for as much as 10 customers for $7/consumer/month and a Marketing strategy that provides entry to limitless customers for $25/consumer/month.
8. Asana
In case your wants for a mission administration software program are of a small or medium firm, Asana is usually a nice different to Microsoft Challenge. The software has a versatile and consumer pleasant interface with all of the customization you desire to. It encompasses a “My Duties” listing, which auto-promotes duties based mostly on due dates, serving to you prioritize and give attention to what must be performed now, and the sections and columns format assist Kanban, listing, or matrix-style workflows. Asana additionally has a “Focus Mode” that encourages deep work by minimizing distractions, enabling you to work quicker and extra effectively.
The power to automate and combine with completely different apps is among the the explanation why Asana stands out compared to Microsoft Challenge, together with its Fundamental free bundle plan. For extra performance, Asana additionally provides Premium, Enterprise, and Enterprise plans. Microsoft Challenge doesn’t have a free-forever plan, as a substitute solely providing a free trial. When the free trial interval ends you’ll then want to decide on one in all their 8 numerous paid plans.
Key Options:
- Challenge timelines and calendars
- Pre-built templates
- Activity dependencies
- Automation guidelines
- Integrations with over 100 different apps
- Workload view to watch and handle the workload of group members
Pricing: Free primary plan with restricted options, Premium plan begins at $10.99 per consumer/month and Marketing strategy begins at $24.99 per consumer/month billed yearly.
Comparability: Unsure if Asana is the fitting software to your firm’s wants? See our listing on “Greatest Asana Alternate options For Challenge Administration” to see how the software compares with others.
9. Monday
Monday.com is a superb different to Microsoft Tasks if you’re in search of a purposeful but clear approach to handle your initiatives. Monday has sturdy collaboration options, together with chat, file sharing, real-time feedback and suggestions whereas Microsoft Tasks is extra primary, providing solely process project and commenting options. Monday can also be extra user-friendly and customizable than Microsoft Tasks, which is perhaps one thing to contemplate when switching mission administration software program: you positively wish to have a small studying curve.
Monday additionally provides process administration, dependency monitoring and several other app integrations, corresponding to Slack, Jira, Dropbox and HubSpot CRM. Monday.com has native social media administration and free academic webinars for all subscribers. The mission administration software program has a characteristic referred to as “panic button”, which permits customers to lock down your complete account to guard information in case the account will get compromised. Plus, Monday has a free plan whereas Microsoft Challenge doesn’t.
Key options:
- Boards & Columns
- Duties automation
- Checklists
- Apps Integration
- File views, kanban views, type views, chart views
Pricing: Monday.com has a free plan for as much as 2 customers with some characteristic limitations. Fundamental plans begin at $8/consumer/month. Get a 14-day free trial.
Comparability: Unsure but if Monday is one of the best different to your firm? Try how Monday.com compares to different mission administration instruments available on the market.
10. GanttPRO
GanttPRO is a mission administration software program is an attractive different to Microsoft Challenge as a result of its flexibility, navigability and affordability. In another way from Microsoft Challenge which is desktop-based, GanttPRO is cloud-based providing a greater resolution for distant groups. The platform provides a superb resolution when making scheduling, and monitoring advanced initiatives. GanttPRO’s interface illustrates the timeline of a mission, dependencies between duties, and the allocation of sources in a transparent means. GanttPRO is means simpler to onboard new group members than Microsoft Tasks, recognized for its steep studying curve. Small and medium-size companies is perhaps simply effective with GanttPRO options and capabilities, however if you’re selecting a mission administration resolution for a big firm, you may wish to contemplate one of many different alternate options on this listing.
Key options:
- Cloud-based platform
- Superbly designed and affected Gantt chart Gantt views
- Time and useful resource monitoring
- Integrations with third-party purposes
Pricing: GanttPRO paid plan begins at $7.99 per customers/per thirty days, and accommodates as much as 5 customers with restricted options.
11. Scoro
Scoro is another Microsoft Tasks particularly if you’re trying to simplify your course of and onboard your total group comfortable. Whereas Microsoft Tasks is nice, there’s a reasonable studying curve and the software can change into fairly advanced if you’re not conversant in mission administration capabilities. However, Scoro is simple to make use of whereas providing highly effective options to hurry efficiency.
Key options:
- KPI real-time dashboard
- CRM
- Time monitoring
- Gantt view and Kanban board view
- Situation administration
Pricing: Scoro’s pricing begins at $26 per consumer/month for no less than 5 customers. The Important plan consists of initiatives, calendars, process listing & process board, contacts & prospects, quotes, invoices & receipts, payments, dashboards and abstract of economic reviews.
12. LiquidPlanner
In case you are in search of a Microsoft Challenge different for a small or mid-sized firm, LiquidPlanner is perhaps a superb resolution. It provides versatile and easy-to-use options for mission administration, though its scheduling capabilities and reporting capabilities usually are not as highly effective as Microsoft Challenge. Nevertheless, LiquidPlanner provides the flexibleness of being a cloud-based mission administration system, which makes it interesting for hybrid and distant groups. Whereas LiquidPlanner is an effective selection for corporations in industries corresponding to IT, software program improvement and advertising, Microsoft Challenge is a well-liked selection for building managers, engineering and manufacturing.
Key options:
- Time-tracking
- Activity administration
- Gantt chart view
- Budgeting
- Threat administration
- Portfolio administration
- Integration with different mission administration instruments
Pricing: LiquidPlanner is a subscription-based software with a free trial possibility. LiquidPlanner necessities plan prices $15 per consumer/month. Its skilled plan has extra highly effective planning instruments and prices $28. Compared, Microsoft Challenge provides a perpetual license possibility, which implies you pay an upfront payment for Microsoft Challenge and might want to buy a software program upkeep subscription to obtain updates and assist.
13. Basecamp
Whereas Microsoft Challenge was based within the early 80s’, Basecamp began off within the early 2000’s. These 20 years gave this mission administration platform a chance to ship higher user-experience compared to MP. Though Basecamp is a no-code platform, there’s a number of controversy about its flexibility, customization, integration and general consumer expertise. On the brilliant aspect, Basecamp provides templates, group chat, inbox notification, built-in time monitoring, the power to assign precedence ranges to duties, and generates information reviews.
Key options:
- Templates
- Group chat
- Inbox notification
- Time monitoring
- Reporting
Pricing: Basecamp used to have a free plan with restricted options and a flat payment of $99, however these years are over. Now, the software provides a $15 plan, per consumer billed month-to-month with restricted storage and a month-to-month contract, which is perhaps interesting for freelancers, starters and smaller groups. Rising enterprise, nonetheless, would wish to pocket $349 a month to make use of its Professional Limitless plan. If your organization desires to avoid wasting bucks, the choice is to get billed yearly and pay $299 a month.
Comparability: In case you are not sure if that is one of the best free mission administration software program to your group, try our information for Basecamp alternate options.
