Best Project Management for Small Teams (2026)
Quick Take
Small teams need PM tools that are cheap, fast to set up, and don't require a dedicated admin. We ranked the best options for teams of 2-15 people.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
| # | Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ClickUp | Free-tier power users | $0/mo | 8.8/10 |
| 2 | Trello | Dead-simple Kanban | $0/mo | 8.0/10 |
| 3 | Notion | All-in-one workspace on a budget | $0/mo | 8.3/10 |
| 4 | Todoist | Individual and small team tasks | $0/mo | 7.4/10 |
| 5 | Hive | Full-featured and affordable | $0/mo | 8.9/10 |
1. ClickUp | Free-tier power users
All-in-one productivity platform combining tasks, docs, goals, whiteboards, and chat. Aggressive pricing with a generous free tier and extensive feature set.
Our take: ClickUp's free tier is generous enough for most small teams, and the Unlimited plan at $7/seat is a steal.
ClickUp Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free Forever | $0 | — |
| Unlimited | $10 | $7/mo |
| Business | $19 | $12/mo |
2. Trello | Dead-simple Kanban
Visual Kanban board tool known for simplicity and ease of use. Part of the Atlassian ecosystem. Great for small teams and simple workflows, limited for complex project management.
Our take: Trello is the simplest PM tool to learn. Perfect for small teams that just need a visual board.
Trello Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — |
| Standard | $6 | $5/mo |
| Premium | $12 | $10/mo |
3. Notion | All-in-one workspace on a budget
Connected workspace combining notes, databases, wikis, and project management. Flexible block-based editor with powerful database views. Strong for knowledge management.
Our take: Notion lets small teams combine docs, wiki, and project management without paying for three separate tools.
Notion Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — |
| Plus | $12 | $10/mo |
| Business | $21 | $18/mo |
4. Todoist | Individual and small team tasks
Personal and small team task management with a clean, fast interface. Natural language input for task creation. Better for individual productivity than complex team project management.
Our take: Todoist is the best personal task manager that scales to small team collaboration. Fast, clean, and affordable.
Todoist Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | $0 | — |
| Pro | $5 | $4/mo |
| Business | $8 | $6/mo |
5. Hive | Full-featured and affordable
Flexible project management platform with AI-powered features. Combines task management, messaging, and file sharing. Good for mid-market teams wanting an all-in-one workspace.
Our take: Hive offers a surprisingly full feature set at $5-7/seat for small teams, including time tracking and chat.
Hive Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — |
| Starter | $7 | $5/mo |
| Teams | $12 | $12/mo |
How We Ranked These Tools
We weighted pricing and ease of use more heavily for this roundup. Small teams shouldn't need enterprise features or complex onboarding.
Read our full scoring methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best PM tool for a team of 5?
ClickUp Free or Trello Free both work well for 5-person teams. If you can spend $7/seat/month, ClickUp Unlimited is the best value.
Do small teams need project management software?
Once you have 3+ people working on shared projects, a PM tool prevents work from falling through the cracks. Free tools like Trello and ClickUp make the barrier to entry essentially zero.