### What is Asana Software?
Asana is a cloud-based project management and team collaboration software designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work efficiently. It provides a centralized platform for task management, project planning, and team communication, enabling users to assign tasks, set deadlines, monitor progress, and collaborate in real time. Asana’s intuitive interface supports various project views, such as lists, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and calendars, making it adaptable to diverse workflows. It integrates with numerous tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Zoom, enhancing its functionality for seamless collaboration across departments and organizations. Asana is widely used by businesses of all sizes to streamline processes, improve transparency, and achieve project goals.
### How is Asana Used in Business?
In business settings, Asana serves as a versatile tool to enhance productivity and organization. Key applications include:
– **Task Management**: Teams can create, assign, and prioritize tasks, ensuring clarity on responsibilities and deadlines. Subtasks and dependencies help break down complex projects into manageable units.
– **Project Planning and Tracking**: Asana allows businesses to plan projects with timelines, milestones, and Gantt charts, providing visibility into progress and potential bottlenecks.
– **Team Collaboration**: Real-time commenting, file sharing, and @mentions facilitate communication, reducing reliance on emails and external messaging platforms.
– **Workflow Automation**: Asana automates repetitive tasks, such as sending reminders or updating task statuses, saving time and reducing manual errors.
– **Goal Alignment**: Businesses can connect tasks to overarching company goals, ensuring alignment across teams and fostering accountability.
– **Resource Management**: Asana helps monitor team workloads, ensuring tasks are distributed efficiently without overloading team members.
Asana’s flexibility makes it suitable for various industries, including marketing, software development, and consulting, and it supports both in-office and remote teams.
### Best Project Management Software for Small Teams with Time Tracking Features
When selecting the best project management software for small teams with time tracking features, several options stand out based on usability, affordability, and robust time tracking capabilities. Below is an analysis of top contenders, with a focus on their suitability for small teams (typically 2–15 members) and their time tracking functionalities, drawing on the provided context and general knowledge of project management tools.
#### 1. ClickUp
**Overview**: ClickUp is a highly customizable, all-in-one project management platform that offers a robust free plan and extensive features, making it ideal for small teams. It supports task management, goal tracking, workflow automation, and multiple project views (Kanban, Gantt, calendar, etc.).
**Time Tracking Features**:
– Built-in time tracking allows users to log hours manually or use a timer for real-time tracking.
– Timesheets enable teams to submit, review, and approve time entries, with options to mark hours as billable or non-billable.
– Integrates with third-party tools like Toggl and Harvest for enhanced time tracking.
– Workload management tools help monitor team capacity and time allocation.
**Pros**:
– Affordable pricing, with a generous free plan that includes time tracking and unlimited tasks.
– Highly customizable with over a dozen views and 20+ widgets for dashboards.
– Suitable for distributed teams due to collaborative tools like real-time documents, whiteboards, and chat.
– Scalable for growing teams, with features like AI insights and advanced automations on paid plans.
**Cons**:
– The extensive feature set can result in a cluttered interface, requiring a learning curve for new users.
– Customer support has been noted to lack 24/7 live assistance in recent reviews.
**Pricing**:
– Free plan: Unlimited tasks, users, and basic time tracking.
– Unlimited plan: $7/month per user (annual billing), includes advanced time tracking and workload management.
– Business plan: $12/month per user (annual billing), adds advanced automations and timesheet approvals.
**Why It’s a Top Choice**: ClickUp’s affordability, comprehensive feature set, and robust time tracking make it an excellent choice for small teams seeking a versatile, budget-friendly solution that can grow with their needs.[](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/best-project-management-software/)[](https://zapier.com/blog/best-project-management-software-small-business/)[](https://startups.co.uk/project-management-software/best-project-management-software/)
#### 2. Asana
**Overview**: Asana is a leading project management tool known for its ease of use and flexibility, supporting task management, project tracking, and team collaboration. It is particularly effective for small teams needing intuitive workflows and seamless integrations.
**Time Tracking Features**:
– Native time tracking is limited in the free and lower-tier plans, requiring manual entry or third-party integrations like Harvest or Everhour for robust time tracking.
– Paid plans (Premium and above) offer advanced reporting and workload views to monitor time spent on tasks.
– Integrations with time tracking apps allow teams to log hours directly within Asana tasks.
**Pros**:
– Intuitive interface with multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, calendar, lists) for flexible project management.
– Extensive integration library (e.g., Slack, Google Drive, Zoom) enhances collaboration.
– Strong collaboration features, including real-time commenting and file sharing.
– Premium plan includes project templates and CRM integrations, ideal for small businesses.
**Cons**:
– Native time tracking is not included in the free plan and requires third-party tools for full functionality.
– Advanced time tracking and management features are locked behind higher-tier plans, which may be costly for small teams.
**Pricing**:
– Free plan: Basic task management, unlimited tasks, and projects, but no native time tracking.
– Premium plan: $10.99/month per user (annual billing), includes timeline view and advanced reporting.
– Business plan: $24.99/month per user (annual billing), adds workload management and advanced integrations.
**Why It’s a Strong Contender**: Asana’s user-friendly interface and collaboration tools make it a great fit for small teams, but its reliance on third-party integrations for time tracking may be a drawback for teams seeking an all-in-one solution.[](https://asana.com/resources/best-project-management-software)[](https://asana.com)[](https://startups.co.uk/project-management-software/best-project-management-software/)
#### 3. Paymo
**Overview**: Paymo is designed for freelancers and small teams, particularly those focused on client work, offering integrated time tracking, task management, and invoicing in a single platform.
**Time Tracking Features**:
– Automatic and manual time tracking with browser, desktop, and mobile apps.
– Real-time tracking of who’s working on what, with detailed timesheet reports.
– Converts timesheets into invoices, streamlining billing for client-based projects.
– Time tracking integrates with task management, allowing precise tracking of billable and non-billable hours.
**Pros**:
– Free plan includes unlimited users, tasks, time tracking, and invoicing for up to 10 projects.
– Clean, modern interface with Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and task prioritization.
– Strong invoicing features, ideal for small businesses handling client projects.
– Mobile-friendly with real-time notifications and time tracking on the go.
**Cons**:
– Free plan limits users to 10 projects and 5 clients, which may restrict larger workloads.
– Advanced features like unlimited projects require paid plans, increasing costs for scaling teams.
**Pricing**:
– Free plan: Unlimited users, tasks, time tracking, and invoices for up to 10 projects.
– Starter plan: $5.90/month per user, includes unlimited projects and clients.
– Small Office plan: Higher tiers add advanced features like guest users and additional views.
**Why It’s a Top Choice**: Paymo’s integrated time tracking and invoicing make it an excellent choice for small teams, especially those in creative, consulting, or service-based industries needing to track billable hours and manage client billing efficiently.[](https://zapier.com/blog/best-project-management-software-small-business/)[](https://www.cloudwards.net/best-project-management-software-for-small-business/)[](https://www.paymoapp.com/)
#### 4. Clockify
**Overview**: While primarily a time tracking tool, Clockify offers project management features suitable for small teams, with a focus on affordability and ease of use.
**Time Tracking Features**:
– Free, robust time tracking with timer and manual logging options.
– Timesheet approvals and billing integrations for calculating employee payments based on hourly rates.
– Visual reports and colored graphs provide insights into time spent on tasks and projects.
– Mobile and desktop apps support tracking across devices.
**Pros**:
– Completely free for unlimited users, projects, and time tracking, making it ideal for budget-conscious teams.
– Intuitive interface with easy-to-read visual reports.
– Integrates with project management tools like Asana and Trello for enhanced functionality.
– Supports team productivity monitoring with features like screenshot tracking (on paid plans).
**Cons**:
– Limited project management features compared to ClickUp or Asana, requiring integration with other tools for full project management.
– Timer-based tracking can be prone to errors if users forget to stop it, as noted in user feedback.
– Lacks advanced features like Gantt charts or custom workflows in the free plan.
**Pricing**:
– Free plan: Unlimited users, projects, and time tracking with basic reporting.
– Paid plans: Start at $3.99/month per user for features like timesheet approvals and invoicing.
**Why It’s a Strong Contender**: Clockify is ideal for small teams prioritizing free, robust time tracking with basic project management needs, but it may require integration with other tools for comprehensive project management.[](https://plaky.com/blog/best-project-management-tools-for-small-teams/)[](https://www.helloleads.io/blog/all/productivity-ideas-and-tools/top-10-project-management-and-time-tracking-software-tools-for-small-business process optimization/)
#### 5. Teamwork
**Overview**: Teamwork is tailored for client-based work, offering project management, time tracking, and invoicing features that suit small agencies and professional services teams.
**Time Tracking Features**:
– Built-in time tracking with timers and manual entry, integrated with tasks and projects.
– Billable and non-billable hour tracking, with direct conversion to invoices.
– Detailed time reports and timesheet approvals for accurate billing and performance tracking.
– Mobile app supports time logging on the go.
**Pros**:
– Strong focus on client work, with features like billing, invoicing, and client portals.
– Free plan supports basic project management and time tracking for small teams.
– Customizable reporting and Gantt charts (on paid plans) enhance project oversight.
– Intuitive interface with excellent tutorial content for beginners.
**Cons**:
– Free plan is limited, with many core features (e.g., Gantt charts, advanced reporting) requiring paid plans.
– Pricing can be a significant jump from the free plan to paid tiers, which may strain small team budgets.
**Pricing**:
– Free plan: Basic features for up to 5 users, including time tracking.
– Deliver plan: $10.99/month per user, includes billing and advanced time tracking.
– Higher tiers: Add features like resource management and custom reporting.
**Why It’s a Strong Contender**: Teamwork excels for small teams handling client projects, with robust time tracking and invoicing features, but its limited free plan and higher-tier costs may be a consideration for budget-conscious teams.[](https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-project-management-software)[](https://clickup.com/id/blog/6165/alat-manajemen-proyek-terbaik)[](https://startups.co.uk/project-management-software/best-project-management-software/)
### Recommendation
For small teams seeking the **best project management software with time tracking features**, **ClickUp** stands out as the top choice due to its comprehensive feature set, affordability, and robust time tracking capabilities included in its free and low-cost plans. Its scalability, multiple project views, and collaborative tools make it versatile for various industries and team sizes. Small teams with client-focused work may prefer **Paymo** for its integrated invoicing and time tracking, while **Clockify** is ideal for those prioritizing free, robust time tracking with basic project management needs. **Asana** is a strong alternative for teams valuing ease of use and collaboration but may require third-party integrations for time tracking. **Teamwork** suits client-based teams but is less cost-effective for non-client work.
**Final Recommendation**: Choose **ClickUp** for its all-in-one functionality, affordability, and native time tracking, unless your team has specific needs for client billing (Paymo) or free, lightweight time tracking (Clockify). For Asana-specific users, integrating with a tool like Harvest can address time tracking needs, but ClickUp offers a more seamless, cost-effective solution for most small teams.[](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/best-project-management-software/)[](https://zapier.com/blog/best-project-management-software-small-business/)[](https://startups.co.uk/project-management-software/best-project-management-software/)
If you have specific requirements (e.g., industry focus, budget constraints, or preferred integrations), please provide more details, and I can refine the recommendation further.