Looking for a low-cost, cloud-based project management tool? Yeah, me too.

If you’re looking for an in-depth review complete with 27 screenshots per product and a deep analysis of the underlying code used to build the software, this isn’t it. I just need a glorified To Do List that I can access anywhere and share with others. Here’s a quick look at my Must Haves and Nice to Haves.

Must Have

  • Cloud: cloud based, accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection.
  • Mobile: accessible from any device (iPhone, Android, iPad, aunt Sylvie’s old PC)
  • Shared: but not that shared. Projects and/or tasks visible/editable by a selected group of individuals or groups. In other words, I don’t want Sylvester to be able to view every single project we’re working on.
  • Calendar: some sort of timeline of events (projects, tasks, etc,) , due dates, upcoming tasks. Then ideally per person, maybe per tag.
  • Price: Personally, I get “penalized” by having too many tiny projects. Pricing that’s not based on number of projects.
  • Avatars: maybe seems trivial, but it’s important to have a photo of your team members.

Nice to Have

  • Gantt chart: project timeline with what’s now, what’s next, what needs to be done before next task can begin.
  • Project/task templates: always doing the same project or sets of tasks? Can you make that a template or at least copy projects or tasks?
  • Assign task by email: can I send an email to create a tasks?

Producteev

In the Workshop Cafe last night using Producteev and trying to figure out how they came up with the name. Having worked a decade in branding, I do that sort of thing. But all we could come up with was some sort of French accent saying, Productive: I ehm bee-ingah zo pro-duct-EEV tooday, non? Anyway.

Design does matter, doesn’t it? Especially for a tool that you’re going to be (hopefully) using every day, it should be easy on the eyes. Smart-looking interface and nice overview of projects in the left sidebar.

Sharing tasks is a snap (once your team has registered) and I like how you then add elements to the task: due date, tags, etc.

Asana

Cost: free, kinda
URL: asana.com

I really wanted to like this as it’s popular and people I admire use it. But I quickly learned that I can’t hide projects from certain people without upgrading to the $50/month level. I don’t want every team member overwhelmed with every single project that’s on my docket. Also, frankly, because I have dozens of projects running at the same time and they often hang around for a long time. Just too much clutter when Hildegarde has only 3 projects but she has to sift through 30 to see hers (yes, she could choose to view only tasks assigned to her).

Trello

Cost: free
URL: trello.com

The whole boxes and cards things looked very appealing, but when I pasted in a 5 paragraph task, it created 5 little cards whereas I wanted just one. A reviewer said that it was extremely visual and that had to work for you and … it didn’t work for me. Maybe I’m more of a “list” kind of guy.

Evernote

Cost: free
URL:  evernote.com

I’m squarely in the camp of “I know I need to use Evernote, I’m just not sure how.” I’m trying. There was some buzz lately about Evernote using more tasks and projects and something about a business version, but again, I’m not enough of a power user to get it. I’d love for Evernote to take over my world. I need something that takes over my world.

WordPress

Cost: free
URL:  wordpress.org

If no one out there is going to build a relational database for project management using WordPress by the time … well, I don’t know by when, but it just seems so natural. Of course, WP guy that I am, I just think in WordPress so it’s a bit I’m a hammer and everything looks like a nail, but still, what’s the big deal? Categories are projects, posts are tasks, I don’t know, it just seems so right. I’m sure I’ll look back on this and kick myself when the next huge start-up builds it. Oh well.

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I’m currently using Producteev and so far, so great. I’ll keep posting here with updates, but I’m going to stop by addictive search for the latest greatest project management tool and use this one … until they get bought out or go under.