BenchTested

Ranking · 2 tested

Best Project Management Tools in 2026

Tools for planning work, tracking tasks and keeping a team aligned. Every app ran the same test script, and the order below comes from those results only.

Last updated on Oct 29, 2026 by
01 ClickUp logo ClickUpRecommended 7.4
02 Asana logo AsanaSituational 6.7
ClickUp logo

1. ClickUp

RecommendedSmall teams that want lists, boards, Gantt charts, automations and AI in one free workspace and do not mind a busy, heavy app
7.4/10

ClickUp brings task management, documents, team chat, whiteboards and dashboards into one workspace. Tasks carry fields such as priority, assignee and status and can be shown in list, board, Gantt, calendar and other views.

ClickUp passed every step of our project-management test on the free plan: all the views, a working automation, dependencies, recurring tasks, a 500-row import and an AI that got the facts right and asked before changing anything. It is heavy, though: the Windows app needs about 14 seconds and up to 2 GB of memory, and the import and setup make you do more by hand than they should.

Read the full ClickUp review 8 scripted tasks, timings, 25 screenshots, pricing and FAQ
  • Every view we needed is free: list, board, calendar and Gantt, with no upgrade prompt
  • Automation, dependency and recurring task all worked on the free plan
  • Pasting a multi-line list creates one task per line
  • 500-row CSV import in under two minutes, and the 500-task board opened in under a second
  • Brain² summarised our project accurately, answered “what is overdue?” correctly and asked before adding subtasks
  • Full CSV export in under a minute: all 771 tasks, with comments and subtasks
  • Removing someone's access took effect immediately
  • Heavy: about 14 seconds from launch to a usable list and 1.7–2.2 GB of memory
  • The CSV import matched none of our seven columns automatically and needed status values mapped by hand
  • The import offers to invite everyone whose email is in the file
  • Starts with Windows by default and leaves about 275 MB and a broken startup entry after uninstalling
  • Free AI chat is a one-off trial that does not reset
  • The export drops dependencies and recurrence settings
  • Busy setup: nine onboarding screens, a phone-number request, an invite nudge and an AI pop-up for every new list
Read full review Visit ClickUp ↗ Alternatives
Asana logo

2. Asana

SituationalTeams ready to pay for Starter or Advanced who want a polished, fast-to-learn project tool with strong import and export
6.7/10

Asana organizes team work into projects made of tasks, which can be displayed as a list, Kanban board, calendar, timeline or Gantt chart. Forms collect incoming requests, and rules automate routine steps such as assigning or moving tasks.

Asana is the smoother tool to work in: pasting builds tasks, the CSV import understood all our columns and finished 200 rows in about 10 seconds, its AI was accurate, and the export keeps dependencies. But a new account runs on a 14-day trial, and much of what impressed us, from Gantt charts and rules to custom fields and the AI, is paid. The free plan is for two people and has list, board and calendar views.

Read the full Asana review 8 scripted tasks, timings, 28 screenshots, pricing and FAQ
  • The CSV import recognised all seven of our columns with no manual mapping; 200 rows took about 10 seconds
  • Pasting a multi-line list creates one task per line, and dates can be typed
  • Rules can be built by describing them in a chat; ours fired within about 20 seconds
  • Recurring tasks and rules did not get in each other's way
  • Dash, the AI chat, got our project summary and the overdue question right
  • The project CSV export includes subtasks and dependencies
  • Removing a member took effect on their next page load and offers a handover of their tasks
  • No admin rights, no startup entry and no services
  • New accounts start a 14-day trial, so you see paid features first; there is no button to end it early
  • The free plan is for 2 users, with list, board and calendar only; Gantt, Timeline, rules, custom fields and AI need Starter
  • No priority field on the free plan: priorities are a custom field, which is a paid feature
  • The import keeps “Done” as a label, does not mark those tasks complete and does not split “qa;legal” tags
  • Heavy: about 14 seconds to a usable window and 1.4–1.8 GB of private memory, with a working set up to 3.2 GB
  • Dash created subtasks without asking first, and an AI field suggestion kept coming back after we dismissed it
  • Closing the window leaves Asana running; the uninstall leaves about 245 MB
  • Marketing emails are pre-ticked at sign-up
Read full review Visit Asana ↗ Alternatives

Build your own ranking

Our order uses the weights below. Care more about privacy than price? Move the sliders and the list re-ranks from the same test scores.

  1. 1ClickUpSmall teams that want lists, boards, Gantt charts, automations and AI in one free workspace and do not mind a busy, heavy app7.4
  2. 2AsanaTeams ready to pay for Starter or Advanced who want a polished, fast-to-learn project tool with strong import and export6.7

What project management tools cost for your team

Cheapest paid plan × seats × 12, at list price. Annual discounts and volume deals not included. Asana and ClickUp also have a free plan.

How we test project management tools

  1. T1Build the same 40-task product launch project from a written brief; count steps and minutes.
  2. T2Set up a recurring task, a dependency and a status automation.
  3. T3Import a 200-row CSV and check what survives.
  4. T4Measure page-load time for a 500-task board.
  5. T5Invite a second test user and check permissions.
Ease of use ×3Views & flexibility ×2Speed ×2Automation & AI ×2Integrations ×1Value for money ×2

Our final verdict

ClickUp has the highest score in our tests, 7.4/10.

If it doesn't fit, these project management tools are better for specific needs:

  • Asana (6.7/10) is best for teams ready to pay for Starter or Advanced who want a polished, fast-to-learn project tool with strong import and export.