Monday.com offers one of the most popular project management tools available.
But just because something is popular doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right fit for you or your business.
We took a long look at Monday’s project management software. In this article, we’ll outline the pros and cons of using Monday for everyday PM tasks.
Benefits of Project Management Software
It’s interesting — or, if you’re a project management software devotee, perhaps horrifying! — to consider that there was a time when project managers actually managed projects without project management software (wow, that was a mouthful!).
Yeah, sure, it’s still possible.
You can technically cobble together everything you need using a variety of different tools, and I’ve done so in the past on many projects.
But the benefits of a dedicated PM software tool can be profound, especially for digital projects.
Finding the right project management software can be a game-changer for effectively planning and managing projects, resources, workflows, tasks, and timelines.
So, which service should you choose? That depends entirely on the needs of your team and organization, but we think you should consider the PM tools from Monday.
No, we aren’t getting paid to say that.
Yes, we really just think it’s a great product.
Let’s dig into some details.
What is Monday.com?
Monday.com is an easy-to-use collaboration software that enables teams to plan, manage, and execute their workflow more efficiently.
This software helps teams improve their operational efficiency through project tracking, visualization of data, and seamless team coordination.
The collaborative documents and highly customizable setup are major positives.
Aside from helping users manage their projects, Monday.com offers features such as:
- Customer relationship management
- Tracking and management of ad campaigns
- Bug tracking
- Management of customer projects and videos
Monday.com is an all-in-one tool that allows users to manage every aspect of their project.
Negatives of Monday.com
We didn’t find many negatives once we got everything up and running, but there is one aspect of Monday’s setup worth considering before you go all-in:
The learning curve was a little difficult in the beginning.
Part of the reason for that is there are just so many different features and options that it can be a little overwhelming.
Just keep in mind, you don’t necessarily need all of them.
I happen to love new software and digging into ways to set it up and make it work for my teams, but I know that many people don’t, and for those folks, getting Monday configured exactly how you want it might be a bit of a challenge.
I’ve seen many job postings on sites like UpWork asking for a “Monday.com specialist” to help set up a new team environment, and that’s a reasonable way to go about things.
But the larger point is, if you’re not particularly savvy when it comes to learning new tools and unlocking everything they can do, Monday could be a challenge for you to get going.
My advice is to try it out anyway. Be patient. Use Monday’s guides and training resources, and give it a little time.
Perhaps start off with the free plan while you learn the ropes and make sure it’s ultimately going to work for you.
Project Management Tools From Monday.com
Monday.com has a handful of tools that set it apart from other project management software options. They include:
Docs
With Monday’s work doc, you can say goodbye to traditional docs. This feature allows you to connect, collaborate, and execute your tasks and workflows all in one place. Members can co-edit and share comments in real-time, enabling team members to drag and drop their texts without disrupting each other. It further allows you to embed your boards, videos, dashboards, etc., into it. It’s a bit like Google Docs, but without the need to pivot to another environment for the rest of your project management tools.
Integration
Monday.com offers integration with CRM, software department, project management, and marketing tools. It will enable you to connect all these apps in just one click. It allows users to access all their favorite tools in a single location, so they don’t have to switch to each separately while completing their tasks. With this feature, you can centralize and manage all your marketing needs in one place.
Some of the most popular integrations include; Outlook, Microsoft team, Dropbox, Slack, Zoom, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Excel, Zapier, and Gmail.
Automation
This is one of our favorite features. You don’t have to do all the work yourself; let Monday’s automations help. With this fantastic feature, teams can schedule tasks and be more productive by spending their time doing more meaningful work. Monday.com allows you to create your automation or to choose from already available templates. You can set up your automations in 4 easy steps:
- Choose a trigger
- Select a condition
- Set an action
- Create your automation
Dashboards
Transparency can be a wonderful thing for project teams, and Monday’s Dashboards have that covered. To further promote collaborative project management, Monday allows users to create custom dashboards that give every team member the ability to track progress, budgets, and timelines on tasks at a glance. Monday’s dashboard gives you a bird’s-eye view of all your projects. Use it to keep everyone synced and collaborating towards achieving the same goal.
Kanban Boards
Monday.com provides Kanban boards that are easy to set up, use, and customize. This feature lets you stay on top of your workflow by automating grunt work, tracking backlogs and iterations, centralizing communication, and releasing high-quality work faster.
Gantt Charts
Are you tired of using old-fashioned excel spreadsheets? Monday’s Gantt charts give you a graphical representation of your project for easy planning, tracking, and execution. Gantt charts typically show the outline of the list of tasks to be completed together with the timeline for completion. Monday.com allows you to import tasks and timelines and quickly turn them into intelligent Gantt charts.
Files
This unique Monday feature allows teams to communicate and collaborate directly on files, thereby shortening feedback loops. This feature also allows every member to stay updated on the latest version of files by organizing every file iteration in a consistent timeline. In addition, you can set permissions on Files and control who can view and edit certain files.
Monday.com Free Version
Monday offers a free forever plan with more than 200 templates, unlimited boards, documents, and 20+ column types.
This is where you should start.
Get the free plan, play around with it for a while — perhaps even alongside your existing project management software.
You’ll only be able to have two users on this plan — yourself plus one other — but you can still get to the know the environment and test out some configurations to see what might work for you, and what might not.
If you’re working with a larger team, you’re going to outgrow the free version of Monday.com in the long-term.
But if you’re a solo freelance project manager or part of a small business and looking for some basic organization and tracking tools to help you be a bit more efficient, this free option could be everything you need.
Monday’s Software Pricing Plans
Whatever the size of your business, Monday.com has a plan that should work for you. Their pricing plan is grouped into five categories:
- 1. Individual
- 2. Basic
- 3. Standard
- 4. Pro
- 5. Enterprise
Monday’s Individual Plan
This plan is completely free and is perfect for small teams. It includes the following features:
- Up to 3 boards
- Unlimited docs
- 200+ templates
- 20+ column types
- Up to 2 team members
Monday’s Basic Plan
It costs $8/seat for a month. It includes all the features in the individual plan, in addition to the following:
- Unlimited free viewers
- Unlimited items
- 5GB file storage
- Prioritized customer support
- Create a dashboard based on one board
Monday’s Standard Plan
It costs $10/seat for a month. It includes all the features in the basic plan in addition to the following:
- Timeline and Gantt views
- Calendar view
- Automations (250 actions per month)
- Integrations (250 actions per month)
- Create a dashboard that combines up to 5 boards
Monday’s Pro Plan
It costs $16/seat for a month. It includes all the features in the standard plan, in addition to the following:
- Private boards and docs
- Time tracking
- Automations (25,000 actions per month)
- Integrations (25,000 actions per month)
- Create a dashboard that combines up to 10 boards
Monday’s Enterprise Plan
You have to contact Monday.com for the pricing of this plan. It includes all the features in the Pro plan, in addition to the following:
- Enterprise-scale Automations and Integrations
- Enterprise-grade security and governance
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Premium support
- Create a dashboard that combines up to 50 boards
Is Monday.com an Excellent Software for Project Management?
With so many project management software options available, how do you choose the right one for your business?
Using the right project management software can be the difference between the success and failure of a project.
Monday’s ease of use, efficient customer service, provision of insights and reports, and advanced integration features can help make your project management process much easier and less stressful.
If you’re looking for excellent project management software that can cater to all your collaboration needs, then Monday.com is worth consideration.