Many professionals prefer using Mac computers for their work, including project management, which means they need dedicated software that works on macOS.
Here, we have highlighted some of the best project management software for Mac users and their pros, cons, pricing and standout features. We have also shared our methodology for evaluating the software as well as tips on choosing the best Mac project management software.
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Here is how the top project management software for Mac users compare in terms of core features.
| Gantt charts | Kanban boards | Native time tracking | Free version | Starting price (per month) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrike | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $9.80 per user |
| Monday | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $8 per user |
| ClickUp | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $7 per user |
| Teamwork | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $5.99 per user |
| Trello | Available through add-on | Yes | No | Yes | $5 per user |
| Hive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $12 per user |
| Asana | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $10.99 per user |
| Basecamp | No | Yes | No | Only for teachers and students | $15 per user |
| Jira | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | $7.75 per user |
| Smartsheet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $7 per user |
Wrike is a versatile project management solution available as a desktop app for Mac and Windows. It is a cloud-based application, so it can be used on any device that has internet access. One of the top features of Wrike is its visualization tools, including Gantt charts, waterfall schematics and Kanban boards. New users might take some time to get familiar with its user interface.
SEE: Wrike Review: What Are the Top Features and Cost? (TechRepublic)
We chose Wrike as one of the top PM software for Mac users for its outstanding team collaboration tools, quick data syncing capabilities and variety of project views.
ClickUp is an all-in-one project management tool offering the right balance between user-friendliness and functionality. It offers file sharing, status alerts, task management and several other tools, from project initiation to completion. It is also highly customizable and offers several automation tools for repetitive tasks.
SEE: ClickUp: Project Management Software Review (TechRepublic)
With its affordable pricing, multiple project views and comprehensive set of features, ClickUp was an easy pick for our list of top PM software for Mac users.
Teamwork is often featured on the list of top project management software for Mac users as it offers a full range of project management tools. Some of the best features of Teamwork include workload management and time tracking, which help businesses streamline their project management processes.
SEE: Teamwork: Project Management Software Review (TechRepublic)
Available in both desktop and mobile app versions, Teamwork can be used for collaboration, customer relationship management, knowledge sharing and more.
The strength of Teamwork is in its comprehensive set of features, including workload management and time tracking. It also offers impressive team communication and collaboration features.
Trello uses management boards, templates, roadmap features and other tools to simplify project management. The Kanban-style design of the main dashboard is visually appealing and easy to use. Users can quickly and simply cross-collaborate, assign tasks, view workflow and share files. Additionally, the mobile app and desktop interface offer extra flexibility.
SEE: Try This Amazing Trello Project Management Template (TechRepublic)
Trello offers an outstanding and feature-rich free plan. It also offers impressive ease of use with its Kanban-based UI. We also picked Trello for its simplicity and ease of use.
Hive, launched in 2016, is a relatively newer entry to the project management software market. However, it offers competitive pricing and features, including data visualization tools, portfolio views, Gantt charts, Kanban boards and to-do lists. It also offers a native messaging app for team collaboration and a compact and simple interface.
SEE: How to Use Project Templates in Hive (TechRepublic)
We picked Hive to offer an option to Mac users who want powerful software capable of delivering in-depth analytics and reporting and the ability to process large volumes of data. You also get a well-designed layout with Hive.
For more information, read the full Hive review.
Asana is top project management software that offers a native desktop app for Mac users. With its feature-rich plans and impressive scalability, Asana is suitable for all types of businesses. Mac users can use it to create tasks, track project progress, collaborate with team members and clients and automate workflows.
Asana is featured on this list as a result of its scalability, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes. We were also impressed with Asana’s reporting and analytics tools.
For more information, read the full Asana review.
Basecamp is a widely used project management solution that works on Windows and Mac. With Basecamp, you get a plethora of team communication and collaboration tools, making it ideal for remote teams. These include features such as message boards, pings, automatic check-ins and group chatting. You also get a variety of project views and client access controls.
With its extensive team communication and collaboration features, Basecamp is a top choice for Mac users working remotely. We also liked Basecamp’s unique UI, which helps simplify project management.
For more information, read the full Basecamp review.
Jira is known for its project management capabilities for development teams, but it offers much more than that. It provides extensive support for Agile project management and has an extensive range of integrations available, including deep integration within the Atlassian ecosystem. You also get impressive workflow customization to match your specific project requirements.
The major advantage of using Jira is its powerful issue-tracking capabilities, which are ideal for software development teams and iterative project management. We also liked Jira’s Agile project management capabilities and integration ecosystem with Atlassian products.
For more information, read the full Jira review.
Smartsheet provides Mac users with a clean and organized spreadsheet-based interface. Users already familiar with spreadsheets will find it easy to transition to Smartsheet. The top features of the tool include extensive customization options, project visualization tools, resource management and workflow automation.
Smartsheet was added to this list for users who prefer to use spreadsheets or work with large volumes of tabular data. With Smartsheet, you also get a high level of dashboard customization so that you can tailor the layout according to your needs.
For more information, read the full Smartsheet review.
The Mac project management software were evaluated through a combination of expert reviews, user ratings and TechRepublic’s in-depth software reviews. Some of the major factors considered in evaluating the project management software included the software’s pricing structure, functionality and user interface. In addition, the tools were assessed for their core project management tools, such as Gantt charts, time tracking and Kanban boards.
Project management software offers several advantages. However, to ensure you get all of the benefits from the software, you need to choose software that is the ideal fit for your business. There are some project management software solutions that won’t work on Mac computers, so you have a smaller pool to choose from. Here are a few tips for choosing the right Mac project management software.
Each project management tool has its pros and cons. However, before you dig deeper into the details of the software, you need to identify the challenges or problems you want the software to solve. For example, if you are working on multiple projects and are struggling to manage them, it could result from a lack of team collaboration, scheduling conflicts, going over budget or other types of problems.
SEE: Develop Professional Project Management Skills for Just $49 (TechRepublic Academy)
Once you have identified the challenges and criteria, the next step is to prioritize what is important for your needs. For example, data visualization could be more important to you than integration with other software.
Similarly, Mac users would want project management software that is fully compatible with the Apple ecosystem. After you have a list of priorities, you can create a list of the top software options. This will be a short list of the best project management software based on your needs.
To make an informed decision on which project management software is best, you need to do a test run of the software. Sign up for a free trial to get a feel of the software. Ideally, you want to test as many features as possible, so software with a full-feature free trial will have an advantage. In the test run, look at the software in-depth, checking everything from the basic features to the extra options.
If you are investing in new project management software, it is worth the extra effort required to gather feedback from your team. After all, you want the software to facilitate your team, not bog them down. So, it is vital to get their feedback on the test run.
People who use Mac computers are often used to simple, smooth and streamlined user interfaces, so any software that feels slow or clunky may not be ideal for Mac users.
Microsoft Project is designed and optimized for the Windows operating system, so it cannot be used on macOS. There are a few indirect methods to use Microsoft Project on a Mac, but they require downloading certain files and programs, such as a parallel or virtual desktop application. This might be too technical for some users, so check out these Microsoft Project alternatives.
Most of the top project management software allow you to simultaneously use the software on Mac and Windows. This is mostly achieved through the web portal feature, which just needs an internet connection. Even with the Mac desktop app, all the project information should be automatically synced, so you can access and work on a project from a different device that uses the Windows desktop app.
There is a wide range of project management software available for Mac. These include software for task management, Agile project management, Gantt chart software, design project management, issue tracking and more. There are several project management software for Mac that offer options for cloud-based or on-premises implementation.
