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Many project management software alternatives can be used to plan, schedule and track the execution of projects. However, not all project management software is created equal. Some have a full suite of planning, scheduling and tracking features, while others can only help with some project management activities. What Is the Best Project Management Software? That’s not an easy question to answer because what’s best for a project depends on the industry, project management methodology, the work style of the team and many other factors. However, we’ve sampled the best project management software products and rated each according to what they do well and where they’re lacking for both project managers and teams. This shows which project management software is the best fit for the work. What Key Features Make the Best Project Management Software? These are some of the main project management tools to look for when choosing project management software for teams. Project planning and scheduling: Plan how the project will be executed and make a project schedule Team collaboration: Communicate with teams and work together using online tools such as file sharing, document management and team messaging Task management: Assign tasks to team members and track their progress Gantt charts, kanban boards or task lists to schedule and manage tasks Resource management: Allocate resources, estimate their costs and monitor your resource availability Time tracking: Log the time the team spends working on project tasks using tools like timesheets and dashboards Cost management: Estimate costs to make a budget and then use timesheets and project dashboards to track costs Project tracking: Monitor progress, costs and more to ensure that the actual effort is aligned with the planned effort Project reporting: Make project reports to keep stakeholders informed on project progress Work management: Balance how workload is distributed among the team Mobile app: Project management apps are ideal for connecting teams out in the field Now that we know what project management is and the features essential for getting the most out of project management software, let’s take a look at the top 17 project management software solutions on the market. 2025 Best Project Management Software Rankings Many project management tools on the market sell themselves as the go-to solution. But how do they measure up to the task? We’ve thoroughly reviewed different types of software for project management, including: Agile project management software Construction project management software Project planning software Project scheduling software Project tracking software Project portfolio management software Best open-source project management software We’ve reviewed the best—here are our top picks. 1. ProjectManager /wp-content/uploads/2022/04/PM-logo-email.png ProjectManager is an award-winning project management software that organizes teams and projects from initiation to closure. It helps plan, schedule, execute, monitor, balance resources and workload, track and report on projects in real time. Since the tool is cloud-based, all of the features are accessible anywhere there’s an internet connection. Teams can collaborate by sitting next to one another, or on opposite sides of the globe. Automated email notifications and in-app alerts notify other team members when there’s a new task comment or update. There’s even a free trial so you try it for yourself. Plan with Gantt Charts No project management software worth the investment lacks the workhorse of traditional project management, the Gantt chart. ProjectManager has taken the Gantt chart into the new century, allowing teams to build, edit and share project plans. The Gantt acts as a visual project timeline while linking dependencies, creating milestones and even filtering for the critical path. Users can manage resource costs and other budget components. When a plan is finalized, setting a baseline means that project managers can track project variance in real time to keep their project on schedule and within budget. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/construction-gantt-resources-costs-150-1600x856.jpg Automate Workflows Over Multiple Views Another reason that ProjectManager tops our list of best project management software is that it automated workflows to streamline business processes. By setting up triggers that automate actions, teams are free to focus on more important work. There’s even a task approval setting to ensure that work never fails to meet quality expectations. The automated workflow is available on all project views, from Gantt charts and sheets to kanban, list and calendar views. This is important as project managers, designers, account executives, customer service, stakeholders, et al., use different tools. With ProjectManager, they can work how they want and stay connected to everyone in the project to work better together. This flexibility allows for unrivaled productivity. /wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Kanban-task-card-moving-manufacturing-order-management-light-mode-1600x874.png Track & Report with Dashboards Of course, without a way to monitor the project, all of the automation and project views in the world won’t deliver success. But ProjectManager is project management software that has multiple windows into project progress and performance all in real time. A live dashboard captures project data, calculates it and displays six metrics including time, task, workload, costs, etc. Unlike other project management software, there’s no setup required to get a high-level view of the project whenever you want. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Dashboard-light-mode-1600x857.jpg Create Reports in Minutes Reporting is another integral facet of project management software. Reports can provide valuable real-time data to help managers make better decisions and they’re key to staying on schedule and managing stakeholder expectations. ProjectManager has customizable reports for project and portfolio status, tasks, timesheets and more. They can be filtered to show details for project managers or a more general overview for stakeholders. Plus, it’s easy to share reports in a number of formats. Track Costs & Resources with Timesheets Don’t overlook the importance of resource management tools that balance team workload to keep them working at capacity. ProjectManager has secure timesheets to track time on tasks, streamline payroll and tools to see team availability when making assignments. There’s an online file storage and global search that turns project management software into the project hub. With so many noteworthy features, those looking for software that meets their project needs should get started with ProjectManager for free. Verdict: Best Project Management Tools for Planning, Scheduling and Tracking Projects Across Industries ProjectManager Key Features & Benefits Offers a wide variety of tools for managing tasks, projects and workflows Resource management and cost-tracking features Online team collaboration solution Ideal for construction, manufacturing and professional services teams Mobile app for Android and iOS Free trial ProjectManager Cons & Limitations Limited customization features Few native integrations No free plan ProjectManager Pricing Team plan: $14 user/month Business plan: $26 user/month ProjectManager Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.1/5 Highlighted User Reviews “ProjectManager works very well with both large and small-scale projects. Being able to use this with anything from a project involving only two members of staff, to hundreds, has been invaluable.” Peter W – from Capterra “We used to manage our projects, resources, and reporting in different systems. Enter ProjectManager. We have consolidated systems and work more efficiently.” Jeffrey M – from Capterra “Having the full scope of activities and who is responsible to do it, plus the time tracking is excellent.” Flavio M – from G2 “It has an excellent accounting system capable of calculating the time that a person has used to develop a task that was assigned to him, I like being able to collaborate with all my colleagues in the Finance sector through ProjectManager.” Jesus C – from G2 “The UI of the application is user-friendly, and it helps to identify what we are looking for with minimal effort.” Pavan H – from G2 2. Smartsheet /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/smartsheet-logo-600x178.jpg Smartsheet is a popular project management tool that bills itself as a productivity booster. It’s easy to use and flexible enough to manage projects of different sizes. It features a Gantt chart and kanban boards as well as a dashboard to get a big-picture view. Related: Free & Paid Smartsheet Alternatives Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/05/resource-management-software-smartsheet.webp Like most project management software tools, Smartsheet fosters collaboration, but it comes with a high price tag. Some features are missing, even though it’s an otherwise thorough tool. For instance, there are no time-tracking capabilities. Verdict: Best Project Management Tools for Switching from Spreadsheets Smartsheet Key Features & Benefits: Ideal for switching from spreadsheets to project management software Files can be exported in a variety of formats which facilitates sharing them across platforms and devices Runs on Windows and Mac computers Free trial and free plan Mobile app for Android and iOS Smartsheet Cons & Limitations: Most of its project management tools are spreadsheet-based which is not ideal Users need to learn formulas unique to this software, which are hard to learn for most users Limited resource management features User interface isn’t ideal for program or portfolio management as it becomes cluttered and hard to navigate Limited project reporting features Smartsheet Pricing Pro: $7 per user/month (maximum of 10 users) Business: $25 per user/month (minimum of 3 users) Smartsheet Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Smartsheet is a great platform for data visualization and project management.” Pathan I – from Capterra “Easily allows a sharable document that concurrent users can view and make live changes to.” Steven K – from G2 3. Wrike /wp-content/uploads/2020/10/wrike-logo-grey.png Wrike positions itself as an agile project management software. It organizes tasks, facilitates collaboration with file sharing and keeps track of progress. They have Gantt charts, reporting and security features. What distinguishes the tool is its three-pane view, which shows a dashboard, an individual or new task and all tasks and subtasks. Related: Free & Paid Wrike Alternatives Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/05/resource-management-software-wrike.webp That three-pane view can be a deficit, though, as it can be hard to navigate and onboard teams. Its project tracking is limited, which can be frustrating when trying to keep to your schedule and budget. Like many of the more commercially branded products, Wrike can be expensive. Verdict: Best Marketing Project Management Software Wrike Key Features & Benefits: Allows users without a license to view projects, which helps update stakeholders on project progress Offers multiple project management tools for planning and scheduling Free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS Wrike Cons & Limitations: High user minimums for all its pricing plans Can be hard to navigate due to its non-intuitive user interface Its project management tools like Gantt charts lack resource management or cost-tracking features Limited project tracking and reporting functionality Wrike Pricing Pro: $7 per user/month (maximum of 10 users) Business: $25 per user/month (minimum of 3 users) Wrike Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.1/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Wrike has become essential in my day and keeps me organized and on top of my tasks.” Paige T – from G2 “Productivity has been enhanced by removing essential but repetitive chores.” Denise S – from G2 4. Monday /wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Logo-Monday-600x212.png Monday is a tool that connects teams so that they can execute their tasks more efficiently. It helps teams plan, manage and track tasks on a visual interface, allowing for the creation of visual workflows. The tool can execute projects no matter their size or complexity, helping teams stay organized and productive. Related: Free & Paid Monday Alternatives Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/monday.com-gantt-chart-2.webp Oddly, as it targets task management, Monday makes it difficult to track time and expenses related to tasks. The biggest omission, however, is the lack of a fully-featured Gantt chart, which is considered the standard tool when planning and scheduling tasks for teams. If you’re interested in using this software with other applications, the integration is limited. There are many apps that work with Monday, but many popular ones don’t, which has led to the development of Monday alternatives. Verdict: Best Project Management Tools for Workflow Planning Monday.com Key Features & Benefits: Ideal for users who are getting started with project management tools User-friendly interface Variety of team collaboration tools Free trial and free plan Mobile app for Android and iOS Monday.com Cons & Limitations: Most of its features are geared towards work management and not project management Lightweight project tracking features Project dashboards and reports are too high-level view and lack detailed information on certain areas such as resource planning or budget tracking Monday.com Pricing Pro: $7 per user/month (maximum of 10 users) Business: $25 per user/month (minimum of 3 users) Monday.com Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “I truly recommend using Monday.com to small to medium scale enterprises because of its ease of use.” Vikas G – from G2 “I really like the Monday.com work management interface.” Luiz Fernando J – from G2 5. Asana /wp-content/uploads/2020/05/asana-logo-vector-4.png Asana has a large user base which is a testament to its ability to manage tasks. This large user base might be due to Asana’s integrations with other apps, likely a selling point for many. It also has a full slate of features, from Gantt charts to kanban boards, though some of its features are in-app and others require plug-ins. Related: Free & Paid Asana Alternatives Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/asana-gantt-timeline-1-1600x895.png One of the main setbacks of Asana as a task management tool is the fact that tasks can only be assigned to one person. If you have a team working together on executing a task, there’s no way to assign it to multiple people. There’s also no time-tracking feature to determine how long a team member has spent working on a task, which can make staying on schedule and budget a challenge. Asana is a popular tool but has tracking drawbacks that leave many looking for an alternative. Verdict: Best Project Management Tools for Small Teams Asana Key Features & Benefits: Focuses on team collaboration and communication Easy-to-use tools for both team members and project managers Free trial and free plan Mobile app for Android and iOS Asana Cons & Limitations: It’s Gantt chart functionality is limited compared to most project management software in this list Overly simplistic features that are not robust enough for certain areas of project management, like budgeting and resource planning It’s features are a better choice for managing simpler tasks and workflows than larger projects Asana Pricing Premium plan: $10.99/user/month, billed annually Business plan: $24.99/user/month, billed annually Asana Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “I can create tasks, set their dates, routines, collaborate with my teammates, see their tasks, private my tasks, and so much more.” Shivam K – from G2 “The dashboard view is the main benefit; it helped me organize the work into stages and gave me a clear picture of how far along the team was.” Carrie C – from G2 6. Trello /wp-content/uploads/2020/05/trello-logo-blue-600x184.png Trello is a collaborative software tool that uses kanban boards, lists and cards to help teams organize and prioritize their work. It’s a highly visual tool that provides users with three tiers of information with drag-and-drop editing. It has real-time updates and is easy to onboard teams who will find its graphic interface intuitive. Related: Best Free & Paid Trello Alternatives Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Trello-kanban-board.webp But Trello is a bit of a one-trick pony. While it does that one trick well, there are no Gantt charts in Trello, which limits users’ ability to plan their projects or set task dependencies. Even the kanban is limited in that it can only use one board or project. Additionally, there are no customized tags and it has little email integration. Trello isn’t a great fit for larger teams or larger projects, but luckily there are numerous Trello alternatives that not only offer kanban boards but a whole set of project management features. Verdict: Best Project Management Tools for Kanban Boards Trello Key Features & Benefits: Ideal for Atlassian users as it integrates with Jira and Confluence Can be used for agile sprint planning and managing scrum projects Free plan and free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS Trello Cons & Limitations: Has a very limited feature set compared to most project management software Its functionality greatly depends on integrations and paid add-ons, which isn’t ideal compared to using just one project management tool There are no Gantt charts Trello Pricing Standard: $5/user/month, billed annually Premium: $10/user/month, billed annually Enterprise: $17.50/user/month, billed annually Trello Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “It allows me to add collaborators, sort my boards, add due dates, notes for each item and assign labels (plus more). All in all, it’s a very useful tool for organization and communication on collaborative tasks with your team.” – Sarah E, from G2 “The fact that the price is worth it, makes it great. It is also so easy to use and manage. I love it.” – Zoe S. from Capterra 7. Microsoft Project /wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ms-project-logo.png Microsoft Project is a favorite for organizations to manage large and complicated projects. Because it’s Microsoft, the tool integrates easily with the full suite of MS software solutions. Besides MS Office 365, there are communication platforms such as Skype and Teams. It also offers a full range of project management tools, from Gantts to dashboards, to help better manage projects. Related: Free & Paid Microsoft Project Alternatives Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Microsoft-Project-Gantt-chart-example-1600x802.webp Because it offers so much, MS Project can be difficult for users to get a handle on. There’s a steep learning curve that often requires a lot of training to get users equipped. It’s also expensive and that price increases when licensing the product to everyone on the team. But most irritating is how poorly it works at connecting teams. There are no real-time updates without integration and it doesn’t work on Apple products; if the team uses that operating system, they’ll be locked out. However, Mac users don’t need to panic as there are many similar project planning apps or Mac that can work as an MS Project replacement. Related: Best Project Management Software for Mac For these and other reasons, Microsoft Project’s popularity has decreased over time. It used to be a common choice for many project managers, but now there are many different Microsoft Project alternatives that might be a better fit for your organization. Verdict: Best Project Management Tools for Kanban Boards Microsoft Project Key Features & Benefits: Ideal for organizations that use other similar Microsoft solutions like Teams, Planner or Lists Can be used for agile sprint planning and managing scrum projects Free plan and free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS Microsoft Project Cons & Limitations: Has a very limited feature set compared to most project management software Its functionality greatly depends on integrations and paid add-ons, which isn’t ideal compared to using just one project management tool There are no Gantt charts Microsoft Project Pricing Standard: $5/user/month, billed annually Premium: $10/user/month, billed annually Enterprise: $17.50/user/month, billed annually Microsoft Project Reviews G2 review: 4/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “It’s a powerful tool for managing complex projects, offering detailed features like task scheduling, resource allocation, and progress tracking.” Mazhar A – from Capterra “The quality of MS Project output is often sufficient for the requirement of most projects.” Paul B – from Capterra 8. Primavera /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Oracle_Primavera_Grey.png Primavera is Oracle’s pony in the project management race. It’s a cloud-based tool that addresses the needs of project portfolio management. It’s used mostly by the construction and engineering industries and has a slew of features including Gantt charts, risk management tools, real-time reporting, graphical workflow modeling and progress tracking. There are also collaborative tools to connect teams on their preferred device. /wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Primavera-P6.webp As might be expected, the software isn’t the most user-friendly and can take a beginner some time to get comfortable with the tool. Like Microsoft, it’s not cheap, which might explain why it’s marketed to larger companies with the funds to invest in its product. There have also been a lot of user complaints about poor customer service, which is a shame as many new users will require some handholding to get used to working with the otherwise robust tool. Check our blog to learn more about Primavera P6. Verdict: Best Project Portfolio Management Software for Businesses Primavera Key Features & Benefits: Offers specialized features for enterprise project portfolio management On-premise and online project management software solutions Has an online version, Oracle Primavera Cloud Mobile app for Android and iOS Free trial Primavera Cons & Limitations: There’s no customer support from Oracle, contact software resellers User interface feels outdated compared to most project management software in this list The software is complex and hard to use It’s difficult to find product documentation online Very expensive project management solution for small teams No free plan Primavera Pricing You may acquire a desktop license or pay a monthly subscription for the online service for any of these and other versions of Primavera. Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management: $2,750 Primavera P6 Progress Reporter: $950 Primavera P6 Professional Project Management: $2,500 Primavera Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Oracle Primavera Cloud is very user-friendly, has amazing management and scheduling tools which allows good coordination between the team and also saves money and time.” Bruno L. – from Capterra “Accurate calculation and output data is perfect” Sameh H. – from Capterra 9. ClickUp/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ClickUp-logo1-e1652117646715.png ClickUp says it’s the only project management tool you’ll need. It does a lot: tasks, documents, chat, setting goals and more. The project management software lets one manage work and collaborate by creating groups, assigning comments for action items and linking tasks. It tracks progress in real time and has list, board and calendar views. Related: Free & Paid ClickUp Alternatives Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/clickup-task-list-1600x1063.png But there’s a lot of heavy lifting required of users to get what they want in addition to several UI issues. For example, there’s a Gantt chart builder whereas other project management software has a Gantt chart already seamlessly incorporated into the tool. The whole point of project management software is to make work more efficient. While ClickUp might be a good fit for some teams, it certainly doesn’t work for every team.  Verdict: Best Project Management Tools for Team Collaboration ClickUp Key Features & Benefits: Offers productivity tools such as document editors and whiteboards for brainstorming with teams AI task management features for marketing and sales teams Good alternative for product development projects Mobile app for Android and iOS Free plan and free trial ClickUp Cons & Limitations: Most of its tools are not related to project management Lacks cost and resource management features and tools It’s feature set can be confusing for most users which complicates team onboarding and implementation of the software While it offers a variety of tools and features, most of them have limited functionality compared to most project management tools in this list ClickUp Pricing Unlimited: $7/user/month, billed annually Business: $12/user/month, billed annually Enterprise: contact sales ClickUp Reviews G2 review: 4.7/5 Capterra review: 4.6/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Good for operational tasks and customer support.” Hovhannes G – from G2 “ClickUp sits right in the middle between typical task management tools and business platforms.” Pawel M – from Capterra 10. Kantata/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/kantata-logo.png Kantata has recently joined Kimble, a professional services automation app, to focus on staff optimal teams and real-time data to boost operational performance. This project management software looks at resources to help teams get better results by scaling and deploying tasks in real time to pivot as things change in the market. It’s all about streamlining to boost efficiency. /wp-content/uploads/2023/05/resource-management-software-kantata.webp What caused us to think twice was the price as it’s always worrisome when no pricing is listed. That’s the first red flag. Second, this project management tool has a learning curve that you have to overcome before enjoying any benefits. Many other project management software products we reviewed were plug-and-play, which might cause some to steer clear of this option. They have a mobile app but it has a lot of improving to do. Kantata Key Features & Benefits: Can be used for resource planning and operations management Time tracking, billing and payment processing features for large organizations Financial management tools Free trial Kantata Cons & Limitations: Doesn’t have kanban boards, project calendars and other basic project management tools Not ideal for agile project management methodologies Lacks features for managing everyday project tasks Limited collaboration features compared to most project management software in this list No mobile app No free plan Kantata Pricing Custom pricing depends on company information Kantata Reviews G2 review: 4.1/5 Capterra review: 4.2/5 Highlighted User Reviews “The best thing about Kantata is that I can see budgets and time entries in real-time.” Rachel S – from G2 “The time tracking and resource allocation features are very well integrated into the system.” Hussain A – from Capterra 11. Basecamp/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/basecamp-grey.png Basecamp is a project management software that organizes projects and teams by giving users visibility into what everyone is working on. This fosters collaboration and keeps everyone productive. Basecamp is pushing itself as the remote project management tool that helps teams work together anytime and anywhere. Related: Free & Paid Basecamp Alternatives Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/basecamp-project-management-software-1600x845.webp As with any other project management software, there are advantages and disadvantages when it comes to using Basecamp to manage projects. One thing that might get in the way of that organization is a lack of tags and labels to quickly identify tasks. More problematic is that the project management software has no time tracking. Even though it can bring remote workers together, there aren’t any advanced features that can help them, such as analytic tools for insights into the project. Even chat functionality, which is a benefit, is poorly thought out. Topics and conversations can’t be archived, which is frustrating. Basecamp Key Features & Benefits: Low-cost project management tools for larger teams Guest users can visualize project views without a plan Mobile app for Android and iOS Free trial Basecamp Cons & Limitations: Lacks Gantt charts and other basic project planning tools that most project management software in this list have Limited resource tracking and cost management features Overly simplistic tools and features No free plan Basecamp Pricing Basecamp: $15 user/month Pro Unlimited: $299/month Basecamp Reviews G2 review: 4.1/5 Capterra review: 4.3/5 Highlighted User Reviews “As a company, it allows us to flawlessly track all of our conversations, planning, tasks, and project progress.” Özgür K – from G2 “The interface transforms complex functionalities into an intuitive experience for all users.” Tom G – from G2 12. Jira/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/logo-jira.png Jira, which is a product of Atlassian, started as a tracking tool for software developers. It has grown since then and has great features for tracking all types of issues, tasks and work items. This project management software helps to plan and track projects, generate reports and automate processes. It has enterprise-grade security and the Atlassian Marketplace is rich with plugins to further the tools’ reach. Related: How to Make Gantt Charts Using Jira /wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Jira-kanban-board-default-columns.png With a product that grew out of software development, the setup is challenging for first-time users. There’s a steep learning curve and so many configuration options as to make one feel dizzy. While there are email notifications, there’s no messaging in the tool. Although it can use integrations for notifications, this just adds a layer of complexity to an already complex project management tool. The biggest complaint is that this is more a tracking tool than a full-service project management software. There’s no way to manage costs or assess risks. Plus, it’s not ideal for any methodology outside of Agile. Verdict: Best Project Management Tools for Software Development Projects Jira Key Features & Benefits: Offers specialized tools for software development teams Free project management software for teams of less than 10 people Free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS Jira Cons & Limitations: Short free trial period Kanban boards are harder to use than most project management software in this list due to their agile software development features Good for agile and scrum projects, but not compatible with other project management methodologies No free plan Jira Pricing Free for up to 10 users Standard: $7.75 per user Premium: $15.25 per user Enterprise: Custom pricing Jira Reviews G2 review: 4.3/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “In my office we use jira for task management and time management, which helps us for team projects with multiple moving parts.” Saili K – from G2 “Once we got past the learning phase, Jira significantly improved our project efficiency and collaboration.” Abu R – from Capterra 13. Zoho Projects/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/zoho-logo1.png Zoho Projects is online project management software that does the expected, helping teams to plan, track work and improve collaboration. One advantage users will immediately notice is the price as it’s certainly competitive. The billing and time tracking features are also going to make users take a second look. There are task and project tracking features that add up to an attractive package. /wp-content/uploads/2023/11/zoho-projects.webp Before putting all of the work into this project management software, though, one should know that the search function is limited to only tasks in a project. There’s no global search. There is, however, a dashboard, but its functionality could use improvement. Besides the features, the whole tool will take a lot of time and effort to set up and use with any level of skill and comfort. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Small Teams Zoho Projects Key Features & Benefits: Low-cost project management tools Free plan for up to three users Offers a variety of third-party integrations Mobile app for Android and iOS Zoho Projects Cons & Limitations: Its project planning views such as Gantt charts and kanban boards have limited functionality in comparison to most project management tools in this ranking There are navigability and usability issues across its tools that affect the user experience Short free trial period Zoho Projects Pricing Premium: $5/user/month, billed monthly Enterprise: $10/user/month, billed monthly Zoho Projects Reviews G2 review: 4.3/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “What I like most is how it integrates perfectly with the entire Zoho ecosystem.” Emy L – from G2 “While the UI and the setup were slightly complicated, Zoho Projects helps you track your projects efficiently.” Shria G – from Capterra 14. ProofHub/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/proofhub-logo-e1659710148216.jpg ProofHub sells itself as collaborative project management software, controlling teams and projects to improve timely delivery. Like many others on this list, they have various project tools, such as kanban boards and Gantt charts in addition to custom workflows. Unlike others, they have proofing and markup tools as well as chat for collaboration. There are resource and workload reports and timesheets, too. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/proofhub-gantt-chart.jpg While this might seem like a fully loaded project management software, it isn’t. There’s no budgeting function for one, which is a glaring omission. There’s no way to set up budget or tracking requirements during project execution. Less annoying but still a problem is the lack of recurring tasks, which would make work more efficient. Verdict: Best Low-Cost Project Management Software for Creative Teams Proofhub Key Features & Benefits: Has specialized tools for creative projects such as document management and image proofreading features Special pricing plans for nonprofit organizations Project management reports and templates Free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS Proofhub Cons & Limitations: Gantt charts and other project management tools don’t offer built-in resource planning, cost tracking or resource management features Expensive solution for smaller teams No free plan ProofHub Pricing Essential: $45 per month, flat pricing Ultimate Control: $89 per month, flat pricing ProofHub Reviews G2 review: 4.5/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “The best thing I like about ProofHub is the way it organizes tasks and the detailed information each task captures.” Jagadeep S – from G2 “There are areas that need to be improved and more user customization would benefit this platform greatly.” David F – from Capterra 15. Hive /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/hive-logo-project-management-tool.webp Hive is a leading project management tool that helps thousands of teams work faster in today’s hybrid work environment. Hive brings all your workplace tools to one dashboard, so you can manage projects, chat with coworkers, send emails, and even start Zoom calls without ever leaving the window. /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/hive-project-management-software-1600x1013.webp Hive is the first and only democratic project management platform. Via the Hive Forum, customers have access to a public roadmap and can submit and vote on the features they’d like to see in Hive. It’s a tool built by users, for users. Some of Hive’s key features include 6 flexible project views, including Gantt, Kanban, Calendar & Table views. It also offers an AI-powered writing tool and a native chat application for private and group messaging. Hive Key Features & Benefits Has a library of predetermined project management templates that can help project managers save time with routine tasks Free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS Hive Cons & Limitations: The setup process for some of its tools like Gantt charts is time consuming compared to other software for project management in this list The free plan is limited to a number of uses Must purchase add ons to get the same features as with other free editions on this list Hive Pricing Teams: $12 user/month Hive Reviews G2 review: 4.6/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “It is a very powerful project management system when working with a team of professionals on a project with multiple stages, timelines and deadline dates.” – LaMont D. from G2 “It’s incredibly straightforward, yet packed with flexible features. Handling projects as a manager. Assigning work to team members, keeping tabs on their progress, etc.” – Brandon E., from Capterra 16. nTask/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/nTask-Logo.png nTask is a project management software that focuses on task management. It provides transparency into the process and fosters collaboration for teams. Beyond assigning tasks, users can set recurring work, create progress reports, share files and more. It helps monitor the budget, allocate resources and even risks—all important aspects of managing the team’s tasks. /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ntask.webp That doesn’t mean nTask is without its problems. One thing that blocks collaboration is that the project management tool doesn’t have a Zoom integration. While it has other communication tools, if the team is already using Zoom, this can be a problem. The tool also has limited customization and formatting options. A big hole in the app, especially for agile users, is that there’s no kanban board. That’s an odd omission for a project management software that specializes in task management. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Managing Every Day Project Tasks nTask Key Features & Benefits: Multilingual support Offers a variety of task management tools like to-do lists and kanban boards Free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS nTask Cons & Limitations: Short free trial period No program and project portfolio management tools Limited resource management and cost-tracking functionality No free plan nTask Pricing Essential: $45 per month, flat pricing Ultimate Control: $89 per month, flat pricing nTask Reviews G2 review: 4.3/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “I like the task board, since it has three different ways to visualize it: list, grid and calendar.” Mauricio P – from G2 “There are just a few things I would change, but it has helped our organization stay more organized and track progress on tasks.” Todd F – from Capterra 17. Adobe Workfront/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/workfront-logo-grey.png Adobe Workfront is work management software that focuses on enterprise businesses. This project management software helps teams connect and collaborate on workflows. It streamlines intake, automates workflows and creates custom forms to help enterprises execute strategy. The tool has resource management, configurable dashboards and integrations to help with planning. Some features measure progress and productivity. /wp-content/uploads/2023/12/adobe-workfront-screenshot.png This might sound ideal until you try and unravel its complicated pricing structure. It’s certainly not going to attract smaller businesses, and even enterprise customers might find it hard to understand the price structure of the tool. While this is project management software, it looks more like Excel. It’s not the easiest tool to use, which leaves many project managers and team members looking for a Workfront alternative. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Strategic Planning Adobe Workfront Key Features & Benefits: Strategic planning and roadmapping tools Helps large organizations manage workflows and project portfolios Mobile app for Android and iOS Adobe Workfront Cons & Limitations: Limited project planning, scheduling and tracking features Doesn’t specialize in project management like most tools on this list No free plan No free trial Adobe Workfront Pricing Enterprise, business and pro license types available, pricing upon request Adobe Workfront Reviews G2 review: 4.1 / 5 Capterra review: 4.4 / 5 Highlighted User Reviews “What I liked most about Workfront is the ability to centralize projects tasks in one workplace. it is much easier to track progress and collaborate with cross- functional teams and ensure accountability. Visibility provided both at team and executive levels helped with decision-making and prioritization.” Loreta A., – from G2 “Workfront’s extensive toolset is fantastic. As a result, we are able to keep track of projects and documents in one easily accessible spot, perfect for audits and other record-keeping needs.” – Maddie B., from Capterra 18. Celoxis/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Celoxis-Logo.png Celoxis is a strong project management software for mid-sized to large organizations that need robust tools for planning, tracking and reporting across complex projects. It excels with features like dynamic Gantt charts, advanced resource management, time tracking, financial forecasting, and custom dashboards. Its ability to handle portfolio management, workflows and project requests in a single platform makes it ideal for organizations managing multiple interdependent projects. The software’s scalability and real-time insights offer strong visibility into performance, helping teams stay aligned and executives make data-driven decisions. /wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Celoxis-dashboard-screenshot.png On the downside, as a project management software, Celoxis can be overwhelming for smaller teams or businesses without dedicated project management professionals. The user interface, while functional, is not as intuitive or modern as some competitors, which may result in a steeper learning curve. Customization options can require technical skill and integrations with third-party tools are limited compared to more flexible, API-driven platforms. Additionally, Celoxis is more enterprise-focused, so its pricing and complexity may not be a good fit for startups or teams looking for lightweight, agile-friendly solutions. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Scalability Celoxis Pros & Key Features Dynamic Gantt charts Custom dashboards Portfolio management Celoxis Cons & Limitations Steep learning curve Poor interface Customization requires technical skill Celoxis Pricing Essential: $25/user/month (billed annually) Professional: $35/user/month (billed annually) Business: $45/user/month (billed annually) Enterprise: Contact sales Celoxis Reviews G2 review: 4.5/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “It includes many features like: task manager, cost tracking, resource tracking. You can calculate allocation of resources, build reports, etc.” Enrique L. – from Capterra “I really like the dashboards offered by Celoxis for streamlining the IT industry as well as i really like the use case of Tuskr for test case management” Ujjwal S. – from Captterra 19. Teamwork/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Teamwork_Logo-825x340-1.png Teamwork is project management software for teams that need robust task management, time tracking and client collaboration features. It shines in professional services and client-facing industries thanks to its built-in billing, workload management and the ability to manage multiple projects across teams. The interface is clean and supports different project views, including Gantt charts and kanban boards, allowing for both high-level planning and detailed execution. It also integrates with tools like Slack, Google Drive and HubSpot, making it easy to embed into existing workflows. /wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teamwork-screenshot.png However, Teamwork can be less ideal for teams looking for simplicity or modern UX design. Yet, it can take a while to figure out how to use the software–especially for new users or teams transitioning from simpler tools. Add to that complaints about performance issues such as slow lead times and lag when managing large projects. Additionally, certain advanced features—like full reporting or granular time tracking—are locked behind higher-tier plans, which may not suit startups or budget-conscious teams. As a result, while Teamwork is comprehensive, it may not be the best fit for all organizations, particularly those seeking lightweight, intuitive solutions. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Client-Facing Industries Teamwork Pros & Key Features Client collaboration features Built-in bill Many integrations Teamwork Cons & Limitations Many features can be overwhelming Steep learning curve Advanced features behind higher tier subscription Teamwork Pricing Grow: $19.99/user/month billed annually Scale: $54.99/user/month billed annually Enterprise: Contact sales Teamwork Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “What I enjoy most about working in a team is when we have a set plan for how to accomplish our goals. It encourages team members to work together toward a single objective, and it establishes some semblance of order and predictability in the process.” Rachel M. – from Capterra “I really liked the burn down reporting Teamwork offers.” Blake C. – from Capterra FAQs Those are 17 of the top project management software products. Which one is best depends on what an organization is looking for. Our top choice is ProjectManager, an award-winning project management software that helps plan, schedule and track costs, resources and more. Many tools help plan and collaborate, but what sets ProjectManager apart is its real-time tracking capabilities that help remain on track and on budget. What Is Project Management? Whether a seasoned professional and an accidental project manager, it’s best to define the term project management before diving into project management software. Project management is simply using various processes, methodologies, skills, knowledge and experience to plan, execute and track projects. There are a number of different methodologies used to manage projects that influence what the best project management software is for an organization. They range from the traditional waterfall methodology, which plans, to agile environments that are more iterative. Project management has grown from a specialized industry to applications in everything from construction and manufacturing to IT and marketing. What Is the Best Free Project Management App? Ideally, look for a project management app that manages team workload and tracks progress and costs. Additionally, it should help teams collaborate whether in the office or out in the field. For example, workers across industries can take ProjectManager’s project management app to their workplace to report on their progress, keep track of tasks, log work hours, share files and much more. These and other features make ProjectManager one of the best project management apps for construction, manufacturing and professional services teams. Other project management apps in the list above include: Smartsheet Monday Asana What Are the Best Free Project Management Software Alternatives? Some project management tools have a free plan which, in most cases, allows users a limited version of their software. Here are some examples: Jira ClickUp Basecamp Or, to evaluate various alternatives to help make a decision, most project management tools offer a free trial to try all their features. Related Content There are many things to consider when deciding which is the best project management software for your team. Here are some related blogs that can help you make an informed decision and pick the best choice for your projects. Best Project Planning Software Best Task Management Software Best Work Management Software Best Resource Management Software Best To-do List Apps Best Kanban Software Monday.com vs. ProjectManager: Which Is Best for Project Management? Smartsheet vs. ProjectManager: Which Is the Better Project Management Software? ProjectManager is award-winning software that organizes teams, projects and portfolios. Plan with Gantt charts, portfolio roadmaps and kanban boards to visualize your team’s workflows. It’s the ideal solution for teams no matter where they work. See why over 10,000 teams have chosen ProjectManager by taking this free 30-day trial today. The post Best Project Management Software of 2025 (Comparison List) appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Sustainable success in accounting workplaces. By Donny C. Shimamoto Get the benchmarks: Take the Survey Now Go PRO for members-only access to more Donny Shimamoto. View the full article

While scrolling on my Instagram feed, I saw a post about a gorgeous planter in my friend’s post. I immediately inquired about the brand and ordered a couple of pots for myself. That’s a classic example of how user-generated content (UGC) works. It’s an authentic post about a brand and its products on social media channels — created by real and relatable customers instead of the brand or influencers. In this article, I’ll share the A-Z on user-generated content and how your brand can use it to improve your social media marketing efforts — with some examples to inspire you! What is user-generated content (UGC)?User-generated content (UGC) is brand-specific content created by customers. Brands usually reshare this customer content on their own social media channels (with permission!). For example, at Buffer, we shared this customer review as an Instagram post — it’s the perfect example of user-generated content. If you really think about it, user-generated content is a digital term for word-of-mouth marketing. However, UGC isn’t as straightforward. For starters, UGC isn’t as out of your control as word-of-mouth marketing. It’s not reliant on organic content alone to do the work. As a brand, you can bake user-generated content (UGC) into your marketing strategy to attract potential customers. You can even hire UGC creators to create authentic and relatable content for you when you’re new in business and don’t have many customers or customer feedback. Let’s cover these two types of user-generated content (UGC) in the next section. Types of user-generated content (UGC)There are two main types of user-generated content: organic and paid. Organic user-generated content is consumer-generated content, aka your existing customers create it at no cost. Social media users share posts about your brand freely, without asking. This can be customer photos, online reviews, or videos of your customers using your products.Paid user-generated content is when you incentivize UGC creators to create content for you with the authenticity of a customer — meaning no false praises or sales pitches. For example, Jenna Libman is a UGC creator who creates videos for various brands.Cirkul wanted 2 core UGC videos — but instead of just delivering 2, we tested 3 unique hooks for each one to maximize performance ⚡️ That’s 6 total videos for the brand to test and learn from. This kind of creative variation helps brands figure out what actually gets clicks,… pic.twitter.com/Jx99nMxXYK — Jenna | UGC Creator & Creative Strategist (@jennamediaco) May 5, 2025 The core difference between organic UGC and paid UGC is the incentive. But isn’t paid UGC the same as influencer-generated content? You’d be forgiven for thinking that — but not quite. Influencers typically have a larger (and more niche) audience than UGC creators. When you practice influencer marketing, your aim is to reach a new segment of your target audience (the creator’s followers). You pay influencers for their influence — they have developed an online community that trusts them. You seek to borrow that trust by partnering with them.UGC creators don’t need to have a large or niche audience. You pay them for their content creation skills. As a brand, you’ll want to post content created by them on your own social media channels.While these are the two main types of user-generated content, you can also divide UGC based on content type. The brand Lili Origin often uses all these types — I’ll share their examples to help you understand how your company can layer various types of UGC content in your marketing campaigns. Customer testimonialsCustomer testimonials are a powerful form of user-generated content. They aren’t just original, they also signal social proof. With customer permission, you can convert testimonials to visual content by taking a screenshot of online reviews and posting them on social platforms — like Lili Origin did in their Instagram Stories. You can also embed these customer feedback snippets across your product pages. Customer photosPhotos are a type of UGC when a customer uses your product and snaps a picture with it. You can reshare these UGC images as social media posts across multiple platforms and also add them on product pages (so potential customers can see how your product looks on an actual customer). A pro tip: add some context to the photo and use the UGC content to increase brand awareness. Lili Origin often reshares its customers’ Instagram Stories flaunting the brand’s products — and they also add a link to the product in the picture so their target audience can find it easily (instead of scouring their website). Video UGCVideo UGC content is video related to your product — whether that’s a detailed review, walkthrough, or a haul. Lili Origin shared a creator’s haul of multiple products on their website in their own account. Blog posts or commentsBlog posts about your product or comments from users are similar to reviews. You can screenshot mentions across the web (whether that’s in a blog post, Reddit, or in an online community) and share them as UGC content on social media platforms. Be sure to get permission to reshare reviews, especially when you’re screenshotting content from a private community. Be specific about where you plan to reshare their comment All of the above types of UGC content can be organic and paid — it depends on how your UGC strategy fits into your overall marketing campaigns. Before I talk about how you can integrate user-generated content into your marketing campaigns, let’s address why UGC content is excellent in the first place. Why should you use UGC in your social media strategy?Running UGC campaigns sounds like a lot of effort: track all user-generated content, interact with your audience, reshare it with added context, etc. Why do all that when you can just create branded content or partner with influencers? Here are five reasons that show the value of user-generated content: 1. User-generated content is more authenticAuthenticity has become somewhat of a buzzword online. But the fact is, consumers are more marketing-aware than ever before. They will often tune out of your traditional ads — whether that’s high-resolution branded content or paid sponsorships. In this marketing fog, user-generated posts shine because of their authenticity. They don’t appear salesy. Why else would 85% of consumers say they rely on user-generated content before making a purchase? 💡Note: Don’t strip your user-generated content of its authenticity when resharing user-generated content (UGC). Keep it real and relatable by relying on creators and customers who are true brand loyalists.2. User-generated content builds your social proofUser-generated content is a trust builder because it comes from your existing customers. It’s powerful when someone buys your product and likes it enough to create social media posts about it — it tips the purchasing decisions of your potential customers in your favor. It’s not just me who believes it: Massive’s research has found 81% of consumers find user-generated content more trustworthy than professionally created branded content or content from influencers. When people see someone like them using your products and speaking in its favor — the very core of user-generated content — your social proof and positive brand sentiment soars. 3. User-generated content boosts brand loyaltyTint’s latest report found 77% of consumers wish their favorite brands had a community. And user-generated content is like a mini community-building exercise: It increases customer engagement because you interact with your buyers and share their user-generated posts. This further strengthens your connection and lays the foundation of a strong social media community. The best part? When you use user-generated content to deepen your relationships for community engagement, you also lay seeds for gaining more user-generated content (UGC) and sales. 82% of customers are more likely to purchase new products varieties because they engage with it through the brand’s community91% of consumers are more likely to leave a review because they belong to a communityTalk about a win-win. 4. User-generated content is a source of content ideasThere’s no better way to gain more content ideas than by listening to your customers. And customer content in the form of UGC is like buyer research — with additional benefits. You can not only share user-generated content to fill your content calendar (with relevant content!) and meet the ideal posts’ frequency across social media channels, but also use the customer content as a treasure trove of ideas and product feedback. Do buyers often share a use case you don’t speak to in your content marketing efforts? Are reviews frequently highlighting a feature that should be more prominent in your landing page copy? All these are audience insights you can use from an impeccable source: true brand loyalists. 5. User-generated content is cost-effectiveIf you’re relying on your brand ambassadors or current buyers for creating UGC, you don’t (usually) have to pay them anything to post about your brand. And even if you have to share some incentives (like an exclusive discount code, free product, etc.), it’s little compared to traditional advertising costs. This is an A+ benefit — regardless of whether you’re a small business or an enterprise company — because you get more authentic content at less cost. What’s not to like (read: love)? Now that you’re convinced of the value of user-generated content, the next section will help you formulate a UGC strategy to collect, organize, and use it. How to integrate user-generated content into your marketing strategyWhen you’re looking to layer a UGC strategy into your social media strategy, you need systems for three things: 1. Encouraging your target audience to share UGC 2. Collecting and organizing user-generated content within your marketing systems 3. Using user-generated content effectively Let’s cover each one by one. How to encourage your target audience to share user-generated content?It’d be so easy if customers could just come to you with relevant content at your digital doorstep. But that’s not how it works — your target audience needs some encouragement and incentives to share user-generated content with you. Here are a few ideas: Actively guide customers to create user contentYour customers might not think about posting about your brand unless you plant the idea in their heads. Nudge customers to share how they use your product in your order delivery or marketing emails — be as specific as possible and share exactly what kind of content you expect. You can also guide your target audience on social media to create and submit user contributions while using your product. The iconic #ShareACoke campaign, for example, asks customers to share their personalized Coca-Cola cans and bottles. Reward customers for creating user-generated contentGuiding your customers on how to create UGC for your brand is helpful. But giving them a little treat for it is going the extra mile. Incentivizing customers will not only boost the quantity of user-generated content you receive, but also increase brand loyalty. You can run giveaways or challenges to encourage customers to participate and share user-generated content on social media. Domino’s old #PieceofthePieContest is a classic example of how to run challenges to open the floodgates for user-generated content — but you don’t have to offer a $10,000 cash prize. You can offer exclusive access to new product lines, free merch, discounts, or anything your target audience would appreciate. Encourage your team members to create user-generated contentWho knows your product better than the people who helped create it? Ask your team members to post authentic content about your product using their own social channels. Like with your customers, be clear in your expectations and reward teammates for taking out the time to create user-generated content. The best part about team-driven UGC is that your team members are your best brand advocates — they know the ins and outs of your company and what you stand for. At Buffer, for example, our teammates often share snippets of how they use the product in their workflow. How to collect and organize user-generated contentIt’s easy to keep your UGC library organized when you’re getting only a handful of pieces of content. But what happens when (hopefully!) your UGC library grows — with content from customers, brand ambassadors, teammates, and creators? The good news: It’s an excellent problem to have. The better news: you can easily solve it by setting up smooth systems to track, organize, and sort user-generated content (UGC). Ask everyone to submit UGC posts using a formSet up a form to collect user-generated content using tools like Airtable, Notion, or Typeform for your team members, creators, and brand ambassadors. You can even ask customers to fill out a form if you’re running a contest. This will allow you to collect all user-generated content in one place rather than having it scattered across social channels. What about customers freely sharing UGC? You don’t want to make them go through the clunky process of filling out a form, too. Ask them to use a branded hashtag so you can collect all user-generated content easily. You can take this a step further by using social listening tools to spot content about your brand in the wild. Set up an integration to store the saved UGC posts in your marketing toolsIntegrations can be a lifesaver when it comes to saving time and reducing manual work. For example, if you use Buffer for social media management, you can automatically ensure all the posts submitted via the form show up in your Create space (as post ideas) or drafts. You can then use tags to spot UGC posts easily in your Buffer account. When you have all your UGC content automatically collected inside your marketing tool, it’s easier to sort and use! Seek permission as soon as you tag UGCAs soon as you mark a UGC post, reach out to the original creator and ask if you can use their content on your social channels (and credit them!). Using someone’s social posts without permission can not only have legal consequences, but also tarnish your brand reputation. And it isn’t as tedious as it sounds: Using Zapier, you could set up an integration between Buffer, Google Forms (or your form tool of choice), and Gmail (or your preferred email tool). As soon as you receive a new form response, the integration will automatically create a new idea in your Create space in Buffer. Here’s how the sequence might look: A customer submits a UGC post via a form.Their submission is automatically added to your Create space as an idea.You tag the idea as "user-generated content."A draft is automatically created in Gmail to ask permission to use the UGC post on your own social media accounts.How to use UGC in your marketing strategy?You’ve encouraged your target audience to share brand-centric content. You’ve even set up the systems to organize it. What next? Use UGC across your marketing contentUGC is great for social integration, but they aren’t limited to it. You can use UGC content in multiple places within your marketing strategy — such as product pages, company newsletters, content marketing, and even ads. Add context to your UGC postsInstead of simply resharing content created by your customers, add more context to it for future buyers. This could be mentioning the product links your customer is flaunting or explaining “see how ABC customer uses this product” in your landing pages. Measure the impact of UGC contentIf you’re running dedicated UGC campaigns (like branded hashtags, contests, giveaways), measure their performance over influencer marketing and branded content. If they get better results (more engagement, higher click-through rates), it’s a positive sign to double down on them. If they’re performing below average, you can dissect why — maybe you’re sharing them at the wrong time or need to add more context. Now you’ve learned the theoretical side of how to integrate UGC into your marketing strategy. But before you dive into the practical aspect, look at how other brands like yours run UGC campaigns successfully. 7 great examples of user-generated contentAll types of businesses use UGC to generate buzz about their products and create more authentic content. Here are seven of our favorite examples: 1. AlpenglowThis example is from inside the house! Our staff engineer at Buffer, Andy Yates, worked on an app (among many others) called Alpenglow. The app allows users to check sunrise and sunset forecasts for the perfect light quality for shooting photos, and in 2021, it went viral on TikTok thanks to a user’s video showing how the app works. Andy also kindly allowed us to share some statistics about the effectiveness of the UGC through a graph that shows significant spikes around when the user first published the video in July of 2021. The app also increased monthly recurring revenue (MRR) when the video went viral in July. The graph below shows that revenue rose sharply to just over $1,200 sometime in that month, up from $200 earlier that year. Since then, over 2,000 user-created videos have been posted on the Alpenglow TikTok hashtag. 🤯 Alpenglow was a side project for Andy, but that one user’s video helped the app grow significantly. So if your business is your main project, UGC has the potential to deliver even more value for your brand. 2. Capable methodCapable Method is an online fitness studio founded by creator Adriana Blanc. In her business’ Instagram account, Blanc often shares client transformations and stories as social proof of how her program changes the health of her customers. This post alone had over 100+ likes (and a lovely comment from the client herself!). Blanc also frequently shares messages from her clients on her Instagram Stories. If you’re a founder with a personal brand, share UGC on your own account, too. This will increase their impact and spread the message wider. 3. CaselyCasely is a company that sells phone accessories and covers. They have UGC campaigns sharing authentic customer reviews across their YouTube channel. It’s worth noting that these review series often get more views on their YouTube channel compared to other types of content. Another example of how social media users interact more positively with authentic UGC posts. 4. GoodRx GoodRx is a healthcare company that sells medications via its app and website. They asked their customers to share why they love GoodRx and compiled the video to share on their YouTube channel. This video got over 50,000 views, and the company also remained authentic by disclosing that they compensated the customers for their appearance. GoodRx has an impeccable UGC strategy where they also create in-depth case studies on specific customers for their marketing content — showing their impact in the best possible way. 5. DoveDove has always been big on customer stories — which makes for A+ UGC content. Take their “Dove hair stories” social media series: The series is not only educational about their product and its benefits, but it’s also sentimental and relatable for many customers. Each video in this series has at least 10,000 views — with the highest count going over 100,000. 🤯 If your brand is planning a UGC campaign, take a page from Dove’s book and keep it aligned to your brand identity and values — it’ll make the posts much more you, in the best way possible. 6. Fix My CurlsFix My Curls is a curly hair care brand selling all kinds of products for people with curly hair. They frequently use their Instagram feed to reshare posts from their customers. Fix My Curls always adds its own cheeky Instagram caption to the post and credits the original creator/customer. This allows them to add more details about their products without removing the UGC posts' originality. 7. AaviaAavia is a period tracker app with a strong Instagram presence. The company regularly shares Instagram carousels from their community of customers who love the app. (embed post) Social proof is an integral part of the company’s Instagram strategy — as is evident by their frequent sharing of customer reviews. I love that they also often resurface these posts by sharing them on their Instagram Stories. Let your customers do the talkingOnce you get the UGC flywheel running, it’s like a shortcut for creating relevant, original content at minimal cost. The important thing is not just having products people would want to rave about, but also offering value to entice your customers to speak up. And once that happens, you’re golden! Use Buffer to set up not just strong UGC systems, but also a thorough social media management workflow. From scheduling posts, saving UGC, responding to customers, to analyzing posts — we’ve got it all under one roof. Start with a free plan today. View the full article

In the spring of 2019, while on tour for my book Digital Minimalism, I stopped by the Manhattan production offices of Brian Koppelman to record an episode of his podcast, The Moment. We had a good conversation covering a lot of territory. But there was one point, around the twenty-minute mark, where things got mildly heated. Koppelman took exception to my skepticism surrounding social media, which he found to be reactionary and resisting the inevitable. As he argued: “I was thinking a lot today about the horse and buggy and the cars. Right? Because I could have been a car minimalist. And I could have said, you know, there are all these costs of having a car: you’re not going to see the scenery, and we need nature, and we need to see nature, [and] you’re risking…if you have a slight inattention, you could crash. So, to me, it is this, this argument is also the cars are taking over, there is nothing you can do about it. We better instead learn how to use this stuff; how to drive well.” Koppelman’s basic thesis, that all sufficiently disruptive new technologies generate initial resistance that eventually fades, is recognizable to any techno-critic. It’s an argument for moderating pushback and focusing more on learning to live with the new thing, whatever form it happens to take. This reasoning seems particularly well-fitted to fears about mass media. Comic books once terrified the fedora-wearing, pearl-clutching adults of the era, who were convinced that they corrupted youth. In a 1954 Senate subcommittee meeting, leading anti-comic advocate Fredric Wertham testified: “It is my opinion, without any reasonable doubt and without any reservation, that comic books are an important contributing factor in many cases of juvenile delinquency.” He later accused Wonder Woman of promoting sadomasochism (to be fair, she was quick to use that lasso). Television engendered similar concern. “As soon as we see that the TV cord is a vacuum line, piping life and meaning out of the household, we can unplug it,” preached Wendell Berry in his 1981 essay collection, The Gift of the Good Land. It’s easy to envision social media content as simply the next stop in this ongoing trajectory. We worry about it now,but we’ll eventually make peace with it before turning our concern to VR, or brain implants, or whatever new form of diversion comes next. But is this true? I would like to revisit an analogy I introduced last spring, which will help us better understand this conundrum. It was in an essay titled “On Ultra-Processed Content,” and it related the content produced by attention economy applications like TikTok and Instagram to the factory-contrived “foodlike edible substances” we’ve taken to calling ultra-processed food. Ultra-processed food is made by breaking down basic food stock, like corn and soy, into their constituent components, which are then recombined to produce simulated foodstuffs, like Oreos or Doritos. These franken-snacks are hyper-palatable, so we tend to eat way too much of them. They’re so filled with chemicals and other artificial junk that they make us sicker than almost anything else we consume. As I argued, we can think of the content that cuts through modern attention economy apps as ultra-processed content. This digital fare is made by breaking down hundreds of millions of social posts and reactions into vectors of numbers, which are then processed algorithmically to isolate the most engaging possible snippets. This then creates a feedback loop in which users chase what seems to be working from an engagement perspective, shifting the system’s inputs toward increasingly unnatural directions. The resulting content might resemble normal media, but in reality, it’s a fun house-mirror distortion. As with its ultra-processed edible counterparts, this content is hyper-palatable, meaning we use apps like TikTok or Instagram way more than we know is useful or healthy, and because of the unnatural way in which it’s constructed, it leaves us, over time, feeling increasingly (psychologically) unwell. This analogy offers a useful distinction between social media and related media content, like television and comic books. In the nutrition world, experts often separate ultra-processed foods from the broader category of processed foods, which capture any food that has been altered from its natural state. These include everything from roasted nuts to bread, cheese, pasta, canned soup and pizza. As processed foods became more prevalent during the twentieth century, experts warned against consuming too many of them. A diet consisting only of processed foods isn’t healthy. But few experts argued against eliminating processed foods altogether. This would be practically difficult, and many argue that it would lead to an unappealingly and ascetic diet. It would also cut people off from cultural traditions, preventing them from enjoying their grandmother’s pasta or bubbe’s kugel. These same experts, however, are often quick to say that when it comes to ultra-processed foods, it’s best to just avoid them altogether. They’re more dangerous than their less-processed counterparts and have almost none of their redeeming values. It’s possible, then, that we’re confronting a similar dichotomy with modern media. When it comes to watching Netflix, say, or killing some time with Wordle on the phone, we are in processed food territory, and the operative advice is moderation. But when it comes to TikTok, we’re talking about a digital bag of Doritos. Maybe the obvious choice is to decide not to open it at all. In other words, just because we’ve been worried about similar things in the past doesn’t mean we’re wrong to worry today. The post Are We Too Concerned About Social Media? appeared first on Cal Newport. View the full article

HERE'S A LOOK at some of the best leadership books to be released in June 2025 curated just for you. Be sure to check out the other great titles being offered this month. The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies by Robert E. Siegel A groundbreaking blueprint for mastering “cross-pressures” in a rapidly changing world, teaching leaders to execute and innovate, think locally and globally, and project ambition and statesmanship alike—from a Stanford Business School lecturer and consultant to some of the biggest and most innovative CEOs. Part of the problem is that these challenges, while acutely felt, are rarely articulated in a way that makes them graspable and actionable. Robert E. Siegel has witnessed the impact of these cross-pressures from different perspectives. As a lecturer in management at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, an operator, a venture capitalist, and a consultant, he sees countless teams of managers, at all sorts of companies, struggling to lead their companies into the future. The Dark Pattern: The Hidden Dynamics of Corporate Scandals by Guido Palazzo and Ulrich Hoffrage From the creators of the theory of ethical blindness comes an investigation into how corporate scandals happen, revealing the common pattern behind them and how your organization can avoid them. Too often, the stories of corporate scandals are narrated like Hollywood movies in which once-celebrated CEOs are unmasked as sociopaths and ultimately convicted for their crimes. What we fail to realize, however, is that most bad things are done by average people with honorable values and without bad intentions. Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less by Pat Flynn Navigate the chaos of information overload and supercharge your efficiency with Lean Learning, a groundbreaking guide that reveals a counterintuitive approach to success: winning by learning less. From an early age, we’re taught that more is better. More money, more information, more skills. But times have changed. What was once valuable has now become a burden, and if information alone were the answer, we’d all be exactly where we want. In today’s fast-moving world, the difference between success and failure is not in what you know but in what you do with what you know. Lean Learning equips you with the tools to do just that, propelling you towards your goals with greater efficiency, purpose, and results. Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to Fail, and What it Takes to Succeed by Richard Hagberg and Tien Tzuo with Gabe Weisert Based on decades of empirical research and data, Founders, Keepers gives founders a practical roadmap for navigating the inevitable challenges that come with startup growth. It’s a brutal paradox—the same founder attributes required to put a startup in motion will invariably blow it up. The difference between success and failure lies in the personal journey that every founder must pursue to avoid their own worst impulses. Steeped in nearly forty years of research in leadership psychology, Founders, Keepers begins with the same personality assessment Rich Hagberg, a psychologist and executive management coach, gives his clients. Hagberg and Tien Tzuo, founder and CEO of Zuora, help founders build a Swiss Army knife of practical tools that will give them a much better chance of making it to the next level of success. Firm Feedback in a Fragile World: How to Build a Winning Culture with Critical Conversations by Jeff Hancher Turn dreaded workplace feedback into opportunities for growth and trust with Firm Feedback in a Fragile World, your guide to fostering stronger teams and a thriving workplace through effective, confident communication. “We need to talk.” It’s a phrase that can fill us with dread. For many, the statement signals conflict or criticism. But what if it didn’t? What if feedback and conversations in your workplace inspired growth, built trust, and created thriving teams? In Firm Feedback in a Fragile World, Jeff Hancher redefines how we approach feedback in the workplace. Combining relatable stories, research, and practical tools, Hancher offers a roadmap to turn feedback from a source of tension into a powerful leadership tool. As a military veteran, corporate leader, and leadership coach, he provides actionable insights that help leaders and employees alike navigate feedback with confidence and clarity. Go One More: Find the Clarity to Make Intentional, Life-Changing Choices by Nick Bare top holding yourself back and make a powerful impact by taking control of your life and transforming your mindset around health, relationships, and success. Growth doesn't happen overnight; it's a choice. You must wake up every day and choose growth. These decisions compound over time, and with ruthless consistency, the outcomes are life-changing. Whether training for a marathon, leading a family, or starting a business, being intentional with everything we do is essential for success. Nick Bare shares a simple philosophy for helping people tap into the clarity and resolve they need to keep progressing: go one more. For bulk orders call 1-626-441-2024 * * * “You can't think well without writing well, and you can't write well without reading well. And I mean that last "well" in both senses. You have to be good at reading, and read good things.” — Paul Graham, Y Combinator co-founder * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

Here is a selection of Posts from May 2025 that you will want to check out: Disagree with the direction? Don’t just sit there – here’s what to do instead by @suzimcalpine John F Kennedy and the Art of Becoming by @jamesstrock The Importance of Leading in Small Places by @PhilCooke Memorial Day | Gratitude, Humility, Resolve by @JamesStrock National Pride, International Precarity. 3 Signs It’s Time to Recharge Your Leadership Battery by @WScottCochrane Turning Adversity Into Advantage: The Championship Mindset by @AlanSteinJr Writing a Book? You May Need Professional Help by @wallybock What Comes Next Isn’t a Product. It’s a Provocation. by Nicholas Negroponte History tells us that significant ideas rarely come from the center. They begin at the margins, where ideas are allowed to be incomplete, even incorrect. Places where success is not the goal, but learning is The Secrets of Building Great Teams by @PhilCooke 10 Culture Builders Every Leader Should Master by @Get4Sight Jenni Catron The Daily Discipline of Humility via @TheDaily_Coach The very things that challenge our humility—pressure, complexity, doubt—are the very things humility helps us navigate with greater grace Leading with Intentionality by @James_Albright Personal Grounding: Staying Sane Amid the Madness via @HagbergGroup The Map Is Not the Territory by @AdmiredLeader Zuckerberg Superyacht Aircraft Carrier Invades Arctic by @jamesstrock Have We Reached Peak Oligarchic Excess? Is It Time To Redefine Your Leadership Story? by @TerriKlass Leadership Caffeine — Do Something Courageous (60-second tips series) by @artpetty Why Are We Surprised? by @mr_swarr Jeffrey Swarr When You Can’t Fix It, Care: The Leadership Imperative for Uncertain Times by @Julie_WG CEO Coaching: Humble Pie, Buffett-Style by @toddordal Why Great Leaders Break Their Own Rules by Craig Groeschel 10 Culture Busters That Sabotage Your Team (and What to Do About Them) via @Get4Sight Jenni Catron Leadership Caffeine — Raise your questions-to-comments ratio (60-second tips series) by @artpetty Idea Alchemy: Improve Your Writing With the 5 Cs by @wallybock An American Century | 1 of 4 by @jamesstrock From the Four Freedoms to the National Security State An American Century | 2 of 4 Leader of the Free World by @jamesstrock Don’t let your creativity destroy your productivity by @wallybock Write Your Business Book Even Though You Have No Time (Seriously) by @wallybock What Will Your Book Do for You? by @wallybock See more on Twitter. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Rich Diviney on the notion of peak performance: “Repetitive peak performance is unrealistic because performance is often conditional. It typically requires a predictable and familiar environment. Repetitive peak performance is unrealistic because uncertainty is life’s foundational state. True success in life and business hinges instead on optimal performance, which means delivering your “best” in the moment, whatever your best looks like in that moment. However, sometimes your best is about persevering, moving forward step-by-step in the midst of challenges, embracing the messy, grueling, and unpolished reality.” Source: Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team II. Robert E. Siegel on moving forward in a changing world: “Fully understanding the reasons for past successes can help you internalize whether your old ‘playbook’ is still useful for a current or future challenge.” Source: The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today’s Companies * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

Struggling to understand the difference between managing projects and managing tasks? Determine the key differences to enable better planning and execution of your goals. The post Project vs. Task: Key Differences appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

In any project, tasks compete for time and resources, and the project manager must choose the winner. A prioritization matrix can help determine which tasks are most important and organize your to-do list. Welcome to the Task Olympics. The post Make Your Tasks Compete: A Prioritization Matrix How-to Guide appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

The consequences of missing deadlines can range from moderate to severe, varying significantly by how you handle the situation. In this article we show how you manage missing deadlines with grace and–even better–prevent them from happing in the first place. The post Missing Deadlines: How to Manage and Prevent Them appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

Microsoft Project is one of the most commonly used project management software, but its popularity has decreased over the years due to its many drawbacks such as not working on Mac. Luckily there’s project management software for Mac that offers the same robust task management, resource management and time tracking features Microsoft Project does. Key Features to Look for in Project Management Software for Mac When evaluating project management software for Mac, the most important thing is to choose a solution that helps you manage as many aspects of your project as possible. In other words, you should choose the software that offers the best mix of project planning, scheduling, tracking and reporting tools. Here’s a quick overview of some of them. Gantt Charts: The Gantt chart is a planning tool that creates a visual timeline of the entire project. It is made up of two parts. On the left side is a spreadsheet that lists the tasks, duration, start and end dates, associated resources and costs. On the right side, the project schedule is illustrated with a bar char. Gantt charts are used in all different project management methodologies, but especially more traditional, planning-ahead methods, such as waterfall. Kanban Boards: The kanban board is another project management tool, this one is designed to visualize the workflow of a team as they move through a production cycle. It’s made up of columns that represent the stages of a production cycle. At its most basic, kanban columns will be titled to do, doing and done, though there can be as many column headings as needed for the project. Beneath these columns are kanban cards, which are individual tasks. The kanban card will have a description of the work to be done, priority, due date, who’s assigned and more. As work is done, the kanban cards move from column to column until complete, allowing for transparency in the process. Calendar View: The calendar view is often nothing more than a calendar. It collects important dates and can be used to see what is due at a glance. It’s another way to see your tasks and get a daily, weekly or monthly context of the work you have to do. Some calendars are more robust and are seamlessly integrated into the larger project management software. These calendars have features that can do more than just change dates but add descriptions, assign team members and more. Project Dashboards: The project dashboard is a tool to monitor and track progress and performance. It consists of charts and graphs that collect data and show how your project is doing across metrics such as time, cost, workload and more. Some software requires you to set up your dashboard and even input the data, which it then displays. Other project management software for Mac will have the dashboard set up and fully functional, automatically gathering information and calculating the results. Team Collaboration: Team collaboration is fostered by software features such as chat and file-sharing functions. It’s used to connect managers and team members no matter where or when they are working. For team collaboration to work it must be accessible over a cross-section of project tools, and serve hybrid teams that might not work in the office and any job type, such as those who aren’t as tech-savvy as the project management team. Task Automation: Task automation is when software streamlines business processes, reducing busywork and giving team members more time to focus on their tasks. Triggers can be applied that set into action simple tasks or a series of more complicated tasks. The purpose of this is to add efficiency and boost the productivity of the team members. All of these features are important to managing and executing a project. If you’re working on a Mac and software such as MS Project doesn’t work on your platform then nothing gets done. While not everyone works on a Mac, most organizations have people who work on both. They all need to be able to do their jobs. This is something Microsoft fails to understand. Best Project Management Software for Mac Rankings (2024) Let’s look at project management software for Mac computers that has all the features you need to deliver project success. 1. ProjectManager /wp-content/uploads/2023/08/auth0-pm-logo-dark.pngProjectManager is a powerful alternative to MSP. Our award-winning software is fully online (unlike MS Project) and is available at a price point that’s affordable for teams. It also has features that not only make collaboration simple but also plan, manage and track projects in real time. Mac users also love the easy-to-use interface and collaboration tools that allow teams anywhere in the world to work together. Plus, our iOS app for mobile phones and tablets supports on-site visits with clients, field updates or even working on your tasks in your pajamas. Cloud-Based Software for Mac ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management software that exists entirely online. Manage your projects on any computer with any web browser, including Safari. As long as you have access to an internet connection, you have access to your projects. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/tab-dashboards.jpg You can store all of your files in the cloud with our online file storage, so you can download, upload or view project files whenever you need to. You’ll never have to drag your work computer to the coffee shop again! Get Multiple Project Views Not everyone in an organization works the same, but they have to work together. That’s why we have multiple project views so every department can collaborate, whether they’re on a PC or a Mac. People who plan and work more linearly can use the Gantt chart or sheet view. Their schedules are updated on the task list, calendar and kanban view. Kanban boards are perfect for your agile teams, who are more self-directed. Everyone is working from a single source of truth without having to use tools they’re uncomfortable with. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/tab-gantt.jpg Automate Workflows and Tasks Approvals Neither PC nor Mac users want to get bogged down with busywork. Our custom workflows keep teams free to work on what matters. You can add as many triggers as you like and then set off actions to streamline simple tasks and add greater efficiency. Watch our task automation features to boost your team’s productivity. Managers can still control the status of work with task approvals. /wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Workflow_Automation_Manufacturing_Zoom-150_Automation-Workflow-Software.jpg All this and more is why ProjectManager tops our list of project management tools for Mac. There are also powerful resource and risk management tools that help manage resources, identify and track risks and much more. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Mac for Planning, Scheduling and Tracking ProjectManager Pros & Key Features Dashboards work right out of the box and update in real time Time tracking and resource management features are included at a low price Project portfolio management features are easy to use Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Free trial 30-day trial ProjectManager Cons & Limitations Limited native integrations Poor mobile experience unless you have the mobile app Defaults to dark mode ProjectManager Pricing Team: $13.00 user/month Business: $24.00 user/month Enterprise: contact sales for a custom quote ProjectManager Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.1/5 Highlighted User Reviews “ProjectManager works very well with both large and small-scale projects. Being able to use this with anything from a project involving only two members of staff, to hundreds, has been invaluable.” Peter W – from Capterra “We used to manage our projects, resources, and reporting in different systems. Enter ProjectManager. We have consolidated systems and work more efficiently.” Jeffrey M – from Capterra “Having the full scope of activities and who is responsible to do it, plus the time tracking is excellent.” Flavio M – from G2 “It has an excellent accounting system capable of calculating the time that a person has used to develop a task that was assigned to him, I like being able to collaborate with all my colleagues in the Finance sector through ProjectManager.” Jesus C – from G2 “The UI of the application is user-friendly, and it helps to identify what we are looking for with minimal effort.” Pavan H – from G2 2. Wrike/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/wrike-logo_color_black_RGB.png Wrike is another Mac alternative and users will find that the software gives them real-time project updates, allows them to assign tasks to other users, change and update tasks, view calendars and great integrations. Using Wrike on a Mac gives you the features you need and more control to view projects and tasks. /wp-content/uploads/2023/05/resource-management-software-wrike.webp However, there are some shortcomings. For example, you’ll likely get frustrated with its Gantt, which has limited capabilities. There are no project management reports, which will have some users looking for another Mac alternative, as well as its limited tracking features. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Mac for Integrations Wrike Pros & Key Features Designed for basic task and workflow management Ideal for project management beginners Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Wrike Cons & Limitations The Gantt chart functionality is limited Lacks project management reports Limited cost and budget tracking features The user interface is hard to navigate Wrike Pricing Professional plan: $9.80 user/month Business plan: $24.80 user/month Wrike Reviews G2 review: 4.2/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Wrike has become essential in my day and keeps me organized and on top of my tasks.” Paige T – from G2 “Productivity has been enhanced by removing essential but repetitive chores.” Denise S – from G2 3. Monday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Monday_logo.png Monday.com powers teams to run processes, projects and even everyday work in which real-time updates keep everyone in the loop. This project management software for Mac will track time and progress, automate repetitive tasks and customize workflows. There are kanban boards, timelines. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/monday.com-gantt-chart-2.webp Yes, there are features like kanban boards, but they are limited in their functionality. There are better kanban software alternatives to choose from. This is also true of its Gantt chart, one of the pillars of project management. As a project management software for Mac, Monday.com is more for task management. Project managers will want to look elsewhere. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Mac for Marketing and Creative Teams Monday.com Pros & Key Features Friendly user interface and easy-to-use task management tools Task management dashboards to track progress, resources and costs Free trial Mobile app available for Android and iOS Monday.com Cons & Limitations Limited kanban board functionality Gantt charts lack important project planning and scheduling features Like Trello is a task management tool with a limited project management feature set Monday.com Pricing Basic: $8/user/month, billed annually Standard: $10/user/month, billed annually Pro: $16/user/month, billed annually 3-seat minimum Monday.com Reviews G2 review: 4.7/5 Capterra review: 4.6/5 Highlighted User Reviews “We used to have a mess of excel sheets and emails but now everything’s in one place.” Laura A – from G2 “It is overall a great product but it requires a lot of setup initially to take advantage of all its functions and features.” Ana D – from Capterra 4. Asana/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/asana-logo-vector-4.png Asana is project management software for Mac that helps organize your daily tasks and allows you to communicate with your team, wherever you are or they are. The user-friendly interface is a plus as well as its many integrations with third-party apps. It has an iOS mobile app and you can get a free trial or plan to test it out. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/asana-gantt-timeline-1.png This project management software for Mac is not suited for managing multiple projects. It’s more of a task management tool and suffers a lack of project management features. For example, its Gantt chart doesn’t have cost-tracking, which is an essential piece of any Gantt chart software to help you stay on budget. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Mac for Team Management Asana Pros & Key Features User-friendly interface Integrations with third-party apps such as Google Drive, Microsoft Teams and Slack Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Free plan Free trial Asana Cons & Limitations Not ideal for managing multiple projects, programs or portfolios Limited project management features Gantt chart lacks advanced features such as cost tracking Workload management tools are easy to use but can be limited for some users Asana Pricing Premium plan: $10.99/user/month, billed annually Business plan: $24.99/user/month, billed annually Asana Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Asana is very easy to use, intuitive for my team members who don’t have tech backgrounds but need to start and contribute right away.” Sara G – from G2 “Overall, I had great success staying organized with this project management tool.” Mary B – from Capterra 5. Smartsheet/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/smartsheet-logo-blue-new.svg Smartsheet is a project management software for Mac that helps you plan, capture, manage and report on work. It’s great for remote teams, allowing them to collaborate, while tracking key metrics with real-time visibility. It has essential project management features, such as a dashboard and automated workflows. /wp-content/uploads/2023/05/resource-management-software-smartsheet.webp If you love Excel, then this is the project management software for Mac you’ll want. But if you’re looking for more than glorified spreadsheets, you’ll need to look elsewhere. While it has Gantt charts and kanban boards, they’re not as advanced as others on this list. You also have to use complicated formulas to get the most out of the tool and even then there are limited resource management features. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Mac for Project Spreadsheets Smartsheet Pros & Key Features Good for users transitioning from Excel to project management software Work management and reporting tools Workflow automation features Free trial Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Smartsheet Cons & Limitations Most of its tools are spreadsheet-based Gantt charts, spreadsheets and kanban cards lack some advanced project management features The software requires the use of complicated formulas Limited resource management tools Project reports have an outdated look and feel compared to other Monday.com alternatives Smartsheet Pricing Pro plan: $7/user/month, billed annually Business plan: $25/user/month, billed annually Smartsheet Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Smartsheet has allowed me to take my to-do list and run with it in a way that I didn’t think would be possible.” Victoria W – from G2 “I like that Smartsheet has a lot of different functions. It can be used for project management, inventory or event planning.” Lauren M – from Capterra 6. Notion/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Notion-600x218.png Notion is a strong project management software for Mac users due to its all-in-one workspace approach, combining task management, notetaking, wikis and databases in a clean, customizable interface. It runs smoothly on macOS and offers seamless syncing across Apple devices, which is ideal for users integrated into the Apple ecosystem. Teams can use Notion to build personalized project dashboards, create kanban boards, timelines and task lists, and collaborate in real time using shared pages and comments—all in one highly flexible platform. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Notion-Dashboard-e1741362017728.png But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Notion also has drawbacks that can hinder project management, especially for complex or large-scale initiatives. While it’s versatile, it lacks built-in Gantt charts, advanced resource management tools and native time tracking, which are essential for more structured project workflows. Users must often rely on templates or third-party integrations to fill these gaps. Additionally, because everything is so customizable, it can take significant time and effort to set up an effective project management system from scratch. Teams needing robust automation, dependency tracking, or detailed reporting might find Notion too lightweight for their needs. Verdict: Best Project Management Software for Mac for Notetaking Notion Pros & Key Features All-in-one workspace Notetaking User-friendly interface Free plan Notion Cons & Limitations Lacks Gantt chart Poor resource management Customization leads to significant time and effort to get started Notion Pricing Free plan: $0 user/month Plus: $10/month, billed annually Business: $20/month, billed annually Enterprise: contact sales Notion Reviews G2 review: 4.7 / 5 Capterra review: 4.7 / 5 Highlighted User Reviews “I usually use it as a note taking, studying board, planner and even to organize my financial life – it is all my life in one place.” Fabiane C. – from G2 “Originally a really good UI, available on multiple platforms, very dynamic and responsive.” Keith P – from Capterra Project Management Software for Mac Is Better Than Microsoft Project Most project managers have endured Microsoft Project. For years, it was an industry-standard tool, even though it was (and is) difficult to use. Whether using MS Project for desktop, MS Project Server, or MS Project Online, the problems of the tools are legendary. The calculations are confusing and overly complex. Sharing files requires add-on tools like Sharepoint. It’s non-collaborative, meaning only PM Pros can use it. And it’s costly. You’ll need a monthly subscription for each user. There are three plans to choose from $10, $30 or $55 a month. For Mac users, MS Project is a non-starter. It simply doesn’t work, leaving many looking for an alternative solution. Luckily, there’s ProjectManager. Related Content Choosing the best project management software for your team is very important. Here’s some content to help Mac users make an informed decision. Best Construction Software for Mac Best Project Management Software: Rankings, Reviews & Comparisons How to Open Microsoft Project Files on Mac Best Planner Apps for Mac How to Make a Gantt Chart on Mac Our tools are used by teams globally to manage all kinds of projects, from complex engineering projects to simple event planning projects. ProjectManager is award-winning work and project management software that connects hybrid teams no matter where they work or how they work. Our tool works with Mac computers and PCs. Join the teams at NASA, Siemens and Nestles who have already delivered success with ProjectManager. For more information on how our project management tools have helped kick off over 2 million projects, visit our software tour page. Or, see for yourself and sign up now for our free 30-day trial! The post 6 Best Project Management Software for Mac: Free & Paid Options Ranked (2025) appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

We tested the best Gantt chart software options out there to help you make the right selection for your projects. But before we get into our list of the best Gantt chart software, we’ll first explain what Gantt chart software is, what the key features are and why it is so beneficial when managing a project. What Is Gantt Chart Software? Gantt chart software is a type of project management software that’s used to schedule projects and track their progress using Gantt charts and other complementary project planning, scheduling, monitoring and reporting features. This software can either be cloud based or stored in your PC. Gantt chart software is commonly used in the project planning phase of project management to schedule tasks, but it’s actually useful throughout the life cycle of a project. It was designed to automate processes of a static Gantt chart, which previously were made on paper or spreadsheets. Best Gantt Chart Software Features Just because it’s called Gantt chart software, it doesn’t mean that it should only be equipped with Gantt charts and nothing else. Here’s a quick overview of some of the project management features you should look out for when choosing a Gantt chart software. Project Scheduling: At a minimum, Gantt chart software should help you create a project schedule showing the order in which project tasks must be completed and their duration on a visual project timeline. Project Planning: Besides Gantt charts, you’ll also need project planning tools such as task lists, kanban boards, project calendars and project dashboards. Project Budgeting: You need to be able to track the costs of your project with tools like timesheets and dashboards so you can monitor your project budget. Team Management: Gantt chart software should let you assign tasks to your team members, monitor their progress and offer collaboration features such as messaging and file sharing. Task Management: Any Gantt chart tool should let you add a priority level to your project tasks, create milestones and link task dependencies. Critical Path Analysis: Gantt chart software should also allow you to identify the critical path, which shows those tasks that are essential to getting the project done on time. Workload Tracking: Throughout the project, you’ll assign tasks to your team members, so it’s important to have workload management tools to know who’s under or overallocated. Project Reporting: Project dashboards and status reports are essential to keep your project stakeholders informed. Using Gantt chart software offers other advantages, but first and foremost it disproves the belief that Gantt charts are hard to use. It’s true that making a Gantt chart on paper or even on an Excel spreadsheet is difficult and editing the Gantt chart is even worse, but those hurdles have been cleared with the advent of Gantt chart software. 2025 Best Gantt Chart Software Rankings By now, you’re ready to hear about the best Gantt chart software. We’ve narrowed it down to a top 16 in order of preference, with the leader starting things off. 1. ProjectManager /wp-content/uploads/2023/04/pm-logo.svg ProjectManager is award-winning Gantt chart software with features that expand upon that tool and offer task management, resource management and risk management. It has multiple project views that share live project data, real-time dashboards, reporting and other essential time-tracking features. It’s powerful and expansive project management software that helps project managers and their teams plan, manage and track projects in real time. And there’s even a free 30-day trial you can take to try out the Gantt features for yourself. Best Gantt Chart Software While every product here has a good Gantt chart, ProjectManager leaves the competition in the dust. First off, ProjectManager’s Gantt chart is easy to set up. You can import any kind of spreadsheet, even Microsoft Project files (we’ll explain why you’d want to do that in the next segment). There are even industry-related templates to get you started quickly. Once you add the start dates and end dates, the project timeline automatically populates. You can then add milestones, color-code phases, add resources, costs and more. But what makes ProjectManager’s Gantt chart software special is that it links all four types of task dependencies, which is a must to avoid costly delays. You can also filter for the critical path. That means no time–consuming calculations. It’s done in an instant. Now you can see the tasks that are critical to delivering your project. Best of all, you can set a baseline once you’ve completed the project plan. This feeds the real-time dashboard, reports and more to allow users to track their actual effort against their planned effort. That’s how you stay on schedule and keep to your budget. Real-Time Tracking Let’s take a look at the real-time dashboard. Other Gantt chart software products might have it, but they usually require time-consuming configuration or expensive plugins. ProjectManager’s dashboard is ready when you are, capturing live data and displaying it on easy-to-read graphs and charts. There are also secure timesheets that give project managers a live view of how far their team is in completing their tasks. Plus, customizable reporting tools can be filtered to show the data you want to see for project and portfolio status, workload, timesheets, variance and more. Then shared in a variety of formats with stakeholders. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/portfolio-dashboard-screenshot-lightmode-1600x786.png Robust Resource Management Features ProjectManager’s Gantt chart software is great for planning and managing resources. From nonhuman costs to easy onboarding of labor, accounting for availability and more. There’s a color-coded workload chart that makes it easy to see who on the team is overallocated. You can then reallocate resources right from that page, balancing your team’s workload to keep them working at capacity and productive, but avoiding burnout. /wp-content/uploads/2024/04/assign-people-resource-allocation-light-mode-gantt-chart-workload-assignments-1600x786.png ProjectManager tops this list because its Gantt chart software is superior to the competition. The fact that it builds on that with multiple project views, such as kanban boards, task lists and calendars, a collaborative platform and the flexibility that makes it ideal for construction, manufacturing, IT, professional service and really any industry only sweetens the deal. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Project Management ProjectManager Pros & Key Features Multiple project planning views such as kanban boards, task lists, project calendars and spreadsheets Real-time project dashboards for cost, progress and workload tracking. Secure timesheets Robust project reporting functionality Has a free 30-day trial Has a mobile project management app available for Android and iOS ProjectManager Cons & Limitations Limited customization Few native integrations No free plan ProjectManager Pricing Team: $14/user/month Business: $26/user/month Enterprise: Contact sales ProjectManager Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.1/5 Highlighted User Reviews “ProjectManager works very well with both large and small-scale projects. Being able to use this with anything from a project involving only two members of staff, to hundreds, has been invaluable.” Peter W – from Capterra “We used to manage our projects, resources, and reporting in different systems. Enter ProjectManager. We have consolidated systems and work more efficiently.” Jeffrey M – from Capterra “Having the full scope of activities and who is responsible to do it, plus the time tracking is excellent.” Flavio M – from G2 “It has an excellent accounting system capable of calculating the time that a person has used to develop a task that was assigned to him, I like being able to collaborate with all my colleagues in the Finance sector through ProjectManager.” Jesus C – from G2 “The UI of the application is user-friendly, and it helps to identify what we are looking for with minimal effort.” Pavan H – from G2 2. Microsoft Project /wp-content/uploads/2020/01/MS_Project_Logo-600x600.png Microsoft Project is the gorilla in the Gantt chart software room so it deserves attention. Many larger organizations use it to manage their projects. It seems designed for complexity, which is both a plus and a minus about this Gantt chart software. However, you can’t deny Microsoft its power, with seamless integrations with Teams, Office and more. Plus, it’s got a full suite of project tools, from Gantt charts to dashboards. Related: Microsoft Project Gantt Chart: A How-to Guide With Pros, Cons & Alternatives It’s also built to do what’s needed in project management. That is, it’s a planning, tracking and management tool. It has an organized view of your tasks and timelines and can allocate resources and report on the project, but these features aren’t intuitively designed. You’ll need to factor in a lot of time before you can even start working on your Gantt chart to figure out how to use it properly. /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/microsoft-project-gantt-chart.webp Of course, lots of Gantt chart software has some learning curve to deal with, but Microsoft Project adds more roadblocks. It’s expensive. That alone is going to drive away the majority of potential customers. Then there’s the issue of compatibility. If not everyone on the team is using the same software, MS Project doesn’t make it easy to share. Add to the limits in customization and buyer beware. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Microsoft Users Microsoft Project Pros & Key Features Offers a variety of project management views to plan, schedule and track projects Robust enough for project, program and project portfolio management. Built-in project management reports Has a free 1-month trial Microsoft Project Cons & Limitations Both the desktop and online versions are expensive, especially for larger teams Steep learning curve and overwhelming user interface for beginners Microsoft Project files have a unique format which makes them hard to use and share with people that don’t have a Microsoft Project license Doesn’t have a mobile app No free plan Microsoft Project Pricing Planner Plan 1: $10/user/month Planner and Project Plan 3: $30/user/month Planner and Project Plan 5: $55/user/month Microsoft Project Reviews G2 review: 4/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Microsoft project has really helped to improve my productivity and project planning overall.” Jamie G – from Capterra “I love the automatically generated gantt charts and the timeline feature.” Eric B – from G2 3. ClickUp /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ClickUp-logo1-600x231.png ClickUp is Gantt chart software that helps users manage tasks, workflows, collaborate and streamlines processes with automation. There’s a great deal of customization, which is both positive and negative. It gives you more control but it’s also a bit overwhelming. If you want to take advantage of this, you’ll be spending a lot of time setting up instead of working. However, it’s a great collaboration tool. You can send emails on the app, chat and edit Google Docs together. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gantt___All_Folders___ClickUp__Gantt_.jpg What’s really going to stop people from adopting this Gantt chart software is its limited project time management features. While there are some rudimentary time-tracking features, such as deadlines and time spent on tasks, it’s a far cry from other Gantt chart software. A Gantt chart needs powerful time tracking to help you keep to your project plan. Then there’s the steep learning curve. We alluded to it above, with all the customization options available, but it goes beyond that. If you don’t have the hours necessary to learn ClickUp, you might want to keep looking. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Collaboration Features ClickUp Pros & Key Features Multiple task and work management views Has a mobile app available for Android and iOS Free plan ClickUp Cons & Limitations User interface is cluttered Gantt charts can only be exported as PDFs, which makes it hard to export data to other software like Excel or Google Sheets Gantt charts don’t show the critical path and don’t allow project managers to track costs at the task level Doesn’t have a free trial ClickUp Pricing Free plan: $0/user/month Unlimited: $7/user/month Business: $12/user/month ClickUp Reviews G2 review: 4.7/5 Capterra review: 4.6/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Good for operational tasks and customer support.” Hovhannes G – from G2 “ClickUp sits right in the middle between typical task management tools and business platforms.” Pawel M – from Capterra 4. Wrike /wp-content/uploads/2022/06/wrike-logo_color_black_RGB-300x60.png Wrike is Gantt chart software that’s broad enough to deliver project and product management features, proofing and publishing as well as risk management. It tends to be used by marketers, digital agencies and those working in professional services. They like its simple but effective collaborative features, such as built-in chat. It’s best for monitoring workloads and activities, plus it can track the progress of the project. Agencies like the billing and invoicing capabilities. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/media-image-gantt-chart-interactive-demo-2x-e1700512551250.png It’s lower on our Gantt chart software list primarily because the Gantt chart and other features aren’t intuitive. Even worse, you can’t view projects, only tasks on its kanban board. If you like lists, though, this is for you. Gantt charts, not so much. For example, you can’t track all four task dependencies on its Gantt chart. Also, if you’re managing multiple projects, you’ll not like the lack of portfolio reporting. There’s also no option to pay monthly, the cost is divided into 12 to show how much you’ll pay monthly but you have to sign up for a year. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Workflow Management Wrike Pros & Key Features Workflow automation features Easy to understand project dashboards Has a 14-day free trial Has a mobile app available for Android and iOS Free plan Wrike Cons & Limitations Gantt charts lack critical path analysis features The software is hard to navigate Onboarding employees can be hard due to its non intuitive user interface Wrike Pricing Free plan: $0/user/month Professional plan: $10.00/user/month Business plan: $24.80/user/month Wrike Reviews G2 review: 4.2/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Wrike has become essential in my day and keeps me organized and on top of my tasks.” Paige T – from G2 “Productivity has been enhanced by removing essential but repetitive chores.” Denise S – from G2 /wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Monday_logo-300x56.png 5. Monday.com Monday.com is Gantt chart software that bills itself as a project management, workflow and automation and collaborative tool. It’s made an aggressive push to a general market and appeals to users who like a spreadsheet view. It has integrations you can pick from or build your own. Users like its colorful interface and how the software helps to visualize work. It’s also priced for a general market with very competitive subscription tiers. Related: Monday.com Gantt Chart: How to Make a Gantt Chart With Monday.com /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/monday.com-gantt-chart-2.webp However, if you’re a business that needs project management software, Monday.com is going to fall short. Even if you’re using it for less dynamic projects, the onboarding and training are not great and support is hard to reach. In terms of Gantt chart software, its Gantt chart is especially problematic. For example, you have to manually add task dependencies. It’s really a task management, not a project management tool. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Creative Teams Monday.com Pros & Key Features Simple, minimalistic user interface Project portfolio reports and dashboards to track progress, resources and costs across projects Has a free 14-day trial Has a mobile app available for Android and iOS Free plan Monday.com Cons & Limitations Gantt charts are overly simplistic and lack important features such as cost tracking Limited project reporting capabilities Customizable views require manual setup Monday.com Pricing Free plan: $0/user/month Basic: $9/user/month Standard: $12/user/month Pro: $19/user/month Monday.com Reviews G2 review: 4.7/5 Capterra review: 4.6/5 Highlighted User Reviews “We used to have a mess of excel sheets and emails but now everything’s in one place.” Laura A – from G2 “It is overall a great product but it requires a lot of setup initially to take advantage of all its functions and features.” Ana D – from Capterra 6. Smartsheet /wp-content/uploads/2022/05/smartsheet-logo-blue-new.svg Smartsheet is collaborative software that has some Gantt chart software features but is mostly a super-powered spreadsheet. It emphasizes the sharing of data with teams. It has a lot of templates and forms to help you get started as well as training tools. There are workflow automation tools that create efficiencies. There’s also a high level of customization, which many users will appreciate. If you want a Gantt chart, you’re going to have to create one yourself and it’s not going to satisfy users looking for Gantt chart software. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/LODESTAR-project-plan-with-gantt-timeline-smar-smartsheet.png That should be a clue that this isn’t project management software and is barely Gantt chart software. But it’s popular, which is why it’s included, if at the bottom of our rankings. There’s a lack of project portfolio management features, resource management and capacity planning are expensive add-ons only available for top-tier subscriptions. The dashboard is cumbersome and, if you’re an enterprise customer, you’ll find the tool lacking. It’s not bad as a supplement to other tools, but why pay all that money for only a partial solution? Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Spreadsheets and Pre-built Project Templates Smartsheet Pros & Key Features Allows to export Gantt charts as Excel, Google Sheets and other file formats Offers multiple project management tools such as kanban boards, spreadsheets and Gantt charts Has a 30-day free trial Has a mobile project management app available for Android and iOS Smartsheet Cons & Limitations The spreadsheet-like Gantt charts aren’t visually appealing and are hard to use Not ideal for managing multiple projects, as you’ll need a separate spreadsheet for each project Limited spreadsheet project reports Smartsheet Pricing Pro plan: $9/user/month Business plan: $19/user/month, 3-user limit, making it $75/month Smartsheet Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Smartsheet has allowed me to take my to-do list and run with it in a way that I didn’t think would be possible.” Victoria W – from G2 “I like that Smartsheet has a lot of different functions. It can be used for project management, inventory or event planning.” Lauren M – from Capterra 7. Ganttic /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Ganttic_logotype_blue-2.png Ganttic offers a twist on a traditional Gantt. With its resource-centric Gantt charts, users are able to see who or is doing what and when. Offering a high-level overview of their entire resource pool, WBS, and project portfolio, the cloud-based tool is suitable for managers of mid-sized teams or large enterprises. It’s used mostly in industries such as engineering, construction, production, and design – fields where managers need to see the workloads, manage skills, and optimize utilization for equipment, people, and vehicles. Color coding, drag-and-drop scheduling, custom data fields, and automated reports are just a few other features that come standard with the tool. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Ganttic-gantt-chart-1.jpg Ganttic is a comfortable middle ground for those fed up with spreadsheet scheduling and those who don’t need all the bells and whistles of an expensive ERP. And while this makes it a perfect tool for resource management, there are some project management features that some users may find are lacking. Luckily, Ganttic was built with flexibility and modern workflows in mind. Offering native Calendar integrations, as well as robust opportunities for importing your existing spreadsheets or building your own custom workflow with its built-in API or Zapier connections. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Resource Management Features Ganttic Pros & Key Features Resource utilization and capacity planning tools Online Gantt chart software Has a free 14-day trial Has a mobile app Free plan Ganttic Cons & Limitations Limited customization features Missing project portfolio roadmaps, dashboards and other PPM tools, so it’s not ideal for managing multiple projects, programs or portfolios. Outdated user interface Ganttic Pricing Up to 10 resources: $0 per month per resource Up to 20 resources: $25 per month per resource Up to 50 resources: $59 per month per resource Up to 150 resources: $149 per month per resource Up to 250 resources: $229 per month per resource Up to 500 resources: $379 per month per resource Up to 1000 resources: $599 per month per resource Up to 1500 resources: $790 per month per resource Ganttic Reviews G2 review: 4 / 5 Capterra review: 4.3 / 5 Highlighted User Reviews “Our planning and resource management is made easy with the adoption of Ganttic.” Thomas K – from G2 “Love how quick I can move from project to project.” Nathan R – from Capterra 8. Instagantt /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Instagantt-Logo-Large-Grey.png Instagantt bills itself as a simple online Gantt chart software. It’s an affordable option that helps you create projects, manage tasks and set task dependencies. For a little extra money, you can access more features, such as a kanban board view, workload management, dashboards and reporting. In terms of Gantt charts, which is where it puts all its attention, you can schedule milestones, build timelines and create tasks and subtasks. Asana users will like it because it integrates with this project management software. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/63c5e29f1b5bc8693baf26a2_Email-Marketing-Instagantt-Screenshot.png But when you put all your eggs in one basket, you’re asking for trouble. One thing is that it’s not great for updating stakeholders and you can’t export views to a PDF. While it integrates with Asana, InstaGantt is woefully behind in integrations with the more commonly used third-party tools. Also, the fact that users need to team up with another project management software to get a full suite of features to manage their projects feels like too much effort and cost when there are software solutions that offer it all under one roof. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Beginner Project Managers Instagantt Pros & Key Features Visually appealing user interface and simple project management tools Built-in Gantt chart templates Has a free 7-day trial Instagantt Cons & Limitations Gantt charts fail to show all the information that’s needed to create detailed project schedules Kanban boards merely show a task status, don’t show task assignees and lack messaging or file sharing features Project dashboards and reports are not robust enough for project managers or project management offices (PMOs) Doesn’t have a mobile app, but a mobile-optimized view No free plan Instagantt Pricing Individual Plan: $12 month Team Plan: $24/user/month Instagantt Reviews G2 review: 4.3 / 5 Capterra review: 4.3 / 5 Highlighted User Reviews “It links with Asana, that’s a pretty nice feature.” Alex V – from G2 “Automatic creation of Gantt charts, able to share with multiple users.” Lucia F – from Capterra 9. TeamGantt /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Team-Gantt-Logo-Grey.png TeamGantt is intuitive Gantt chart software for beginners and those who are tasked with the management of small projects or businesses. Gantt charts can be complicated, especially for those who aren’t used to working with them. Here the interactive Gantt charts are easy to use, which is further helped by the fact that the software offers strong tutorial content. They hold your hand but still have features such as automatic dependencies, so it’s not a bare-bones tool. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/TeamGantt-views-gantt-chart-with-team-availability-Gantt-screenshot.png But beginners quickly become more experts and expect their Gantt chart software to follow suit. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. For example, there are no budgeting or invoicing tools, which are going to send users to other software to fill the holes. While there are reporting features, they’re underwhelming. Compared to other Gantt chart software these reports are basic and not very useful. The Gantt chart is good, but the software rests its reputation on that tool. Users who want project management software will have to look elsewhere. Verdict: Best Mobile-friendly Gantt Chart Software TeamGantt Pros & Key Features Collaboration features such as file sharing and messaging Lets you compare planned and actual timelines Has a free 30-day trial Has a mobile app TeamGantt Cons & Limitations Missing project management tools when compared with most Gantt chart software There are no kanban boards Limited project reporting features No free plan TeamGantt Pricing Pro: $49/user/month TeamGantt Reviews G2 review: 4.8 / 5 Capterra review: 4.6 / 5 Highlighted User Reviews “I like the simplicity of the functionality since it allows me to easily and quickly set up new projects thus saving much time.” Sarah D – from G2 “It really does what it says on the tin! It’s quick and easy to create and move tasks around. The interface is intuitive.” Lola R – from Capterra 10. Zoho Projects /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/zoho-logo1.png Zoho Projects is online Gantt chart software for project planning, tracking work and team collaboration. The fact that they offer a free edition, though with limited features and only for three users, is attractive. If you find the software working for you, then the pricing structure is reasonable. It offers the standard features one expects with Gantt chart software. It’s also pretty easy to navigate, which users who have been scratching their heads with complicated software like Microsoft Project will definitely appreciate. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/zoho-gantt-chart-1.png But users might find this Gantt chart software a bit bland. It hits the basics but doesn’t go the extra mile to make the software more competitive. It’s not easy to find tasks and the tool’s search function could use an upgrade. Same with bug reporting. Users have complained about the dashboard functionality, but the biggest complaint is the steep learning curve. Many Gantt chart software products are hard to learn, which is a hurdle users are often not willing to clear. Verdict: Best Low-cost Gantt Chart Software Zoho Projects Pros & Key Features Invoicing and budgeting features Multiple project dashboards and reports Has a free 10-day trial Has a mobile app Free plan Zoho Projects Cons & Limitations Gantt charts don’t show information such as percent complete, assignee and other information compared with other Gantt chart software in this list Limited dashboard functionality There’s no time logging at the task level, which affects how timesheets work Zoho Projects Pricing Free plan: $0/user/month Premium: $4/user/month, billed annually Enterprise: $9/user/month, billed annually Zoho Projects Reviews G2 review: 4.3/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “What I like most is how it integrates perfectly with the entire Zoho ecosystem.” Emy L – from G2 “While the UI and the setup were slightly complicated, Zoho Projects helps you track your projects efficiently.” Shria G – from Capterra 11. GanttPRO /wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GanttPRO-600x72.png GanttPRO is a simple way to plan with Gantt chart software. It enables users to work alone or create a workspace with Gantt charts that are shared with your team. It’s especially useful for small teams. It’s easy to use and well-designed, with a lot of features that teams will want. It also has kanban boards for those who don’t want to only work on Gantt charts. Add to that a competitive price and you can see why it made it to our list. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gantt-pro-gantt-1.png However, there’s a reason it lands in the middle of our listing. One is that there are no customizable reporting tools. You can’t even customize its dashboard. If you’re looking to do billing or invoicing, you’re out of luck. There are no such features. You might be able to live with that if you integrate with some of your favorite third-party apps, but that’s not likely. While there’s some integration, it’s very light and is one of the biggest areas that could use improvement on the tool. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Sharing Files GanttPRO Pros & Key Features Files can be downloaded in a variety of formats, which makes it easy to view, share and edit them using other software Cost and budget tracking features Has a free 14-day free trial Has a mobile app available on iOS and Android GanttPRO Cons & Limitations Time tracking features can be improved, there are no timesheets Limited project reporting features, no project health reports Lack of integrations Doesn’t have a free plan GanttPRO Pricing Core: $7.00/user/month Advanced: $10.00/user/month Business: $17.00/user/month Enterprise: Contact sales GanttPRO Reviews G2 review: 4.8/5 Capterra review: 4.8/5 Highlighted User Reviews “I especially enjoy the collaboration feature where I can invite colleagues to edit tasks and timelines in the live document. I have moved from using Google Sheets.” Glen K – from Capterra “GantPro software offers a seamless project management experience with its intuitive interface and robust features.” Dixie F – from Capterra /wp-content/uploads/2022/02/proofhub-300x73.png 12. Proofhub Proofhub is a Gantt chart software for marketing, sales and creative teams. It caters to these types of teams with tools such as file proofing, file versioning and collaboration. This Gantt chart software offers other tools such as kanban boards and project calendars, which allow teams to switch from the Gantt view to other project planning views. In addition to these, Proofhub offers time tracking tools such as timesheets and timers to monitor costs and team performance. This mix of features make this option not only a Gantt chart software, but a decent project management solution overall. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/proofhub-gantt-chart.jpg However, while it does have an interesting feature set, some of its tools need further development to be more competitive in comparison to other Gantt chart software in this list. For example, its workflow feature is merely a flow chart that shows a very basic representation of tasks and processes and its time, task and resource utilization reports lack detail. Its biggest omission is the lack of cost tracking and budgeting tools. All-in-all, Proofhub does a good job at helping marketing, sales and creative teams manage their tasks and workflows, but lacks some features that are needed for managing larger, more complex projects. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Proofing, Approvals and Collaboration Proofhub Pros & Key Features Fosters collaboration with messaging and file sharing Has Gantt charts, kanban boards and project calendars Has a 14-day free trial Has a mobile app for Android and iOS Proofhub Cons & Limitations Gantt charts have a limited functionality, missing cost tracking and project budgeting features Missing important project management tools, such as workload management charts or project dashboards Flat pricing isn’t ideal for most teams No free plan Proofhub Pricing ProofHub has a flat pricing fee of $89 per month or $45 with limited features, billed annually ProofHub Reviews G2 review: 4.6/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “The best thing I like about ProofHub is the way it organizes tasks and the detailed information each task captures.” Jagadeep S – from G2 “There are areas that need to be improved and more user customization would benefit this platform greatly.” David F – from Capterra 13. Asana /wp-content/uploads/2023/05/asana-logo.svg Asana is a project and work management software that’s mostly used by marketing and IT teams to manage their daily tasks and workflows. Asana offers a variety of project management tools including timelines, kanban boards, task lists and calendars. It pairs these features with reporting dashboards and workflow automation tools, which are focused on streamlining every-day processes and helping teams be more productive. It has recently launched AI tools which help team leaders save time while using the software. Related: Asana Gantt Chart: A How-to Guide With Pros, Cons & Alternatives /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/asana-gantt-timeline-1.png While Asana does a good job in terms of being a task-oriented project management solution, it should work on improving its Gantt charts. Asana’s Gantt charts feel like a lightweight alternative to other Gantt chart software in this list, mainly because they lack the level of detail that project managers need. They merely help project managers create a basic Gantt chart with task dependencies but omit important information such as percent of completion, task costs, planned vs. actual comparisons, among other important details. So, Asana can help you with task and workflow management, but if you’re interested in Gantt charts, it might not be the best choice for you and your team. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Task Management Asana Pros & Key Features Workflow automation features Has a free 14-day free trial Has a free plan Has a mobile app available on iOS and Android Asana Cons & Limitations Gantt chart lacks features such as critical path analysis and cost tracking Workload management tools are limited Timeline and Gantt chart features are not robust enough for project management Asana Pricing Free plan: $0/user/month Starter: $10.99/user/month Advanced: $24.99/user/month Asana Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Asana is very easy to use, intuitive for my team members who don’t have tech backgrounds but need to start and contribute right away.” Sara G – from G2 “Overall, I had great success staying organized with this project management tool.” Mary B – from Capterra 14. Chisel /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/chisel-logo-black-removebg-preview.png Chisel emerges as a standout product management tool for creating and managing Gantt charts and for good reasons. Its user-friendly interface simplifies the process, making it accessible to beginners and experienced project managers. What sets Chisel apart is its timeline view, providing a clear overview of tasks and their respective timeframes, ultimately resulting in a well-structured Gantt chart. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/chisel-gantt-chart-1.png It comes at no cost, making it a budget-friendly option for efficient project management. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, Chisel’s simplicity and effectiveness make it a top pick for Gantt chart enthusiasts. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Agile Product Backlog Management Chisel Pros & Key Features Lets manage work by user stories and epics Good for agile teams Chisel Cons & Limitations Gantt chart is more of a timeline tool than a traditional Gantt chart for project management There are no project management reports or dashboards Doesn’t have a mobile app Chisel Pricing Starter: $7 per maker per month Chisel Reviews G2 review: 4.7/5 Capterra review: Not enough reviews, less than 50 Highlighted User Reviews “Chisel AI idea summarizations and classification have changed our way of working.” Abdul M – from Capterra “Chisel has provided us the framework to calculate prioritization score of various features along with giving visibility on team alignment for these scores.” Kapil B – from Capterra 15. Primavera P6 /wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Primavera-P6logo.png Primavera P6 is a project management tool that is also Gantt chart software. It’s used in large-scale industries like construction, engineering and energy. It has scheduling features, including Gantt charts that can create complex schedules with task dependencies, resource allocation and project timelines. These Gantt charts are highly customizable. Users can adjust its layout, task labels, colors and display options. Gantt charts can also be created for different stakeholders, from a high-level overview to more derailed, task-level views. /wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Oracle-Primavera-p6-professional-screenshot-e1734545186281-1600x800.png On the downside, this Gantt chart software can be difficult to learn, especially for beginners. It will require training and time to fully understand its functionality. The user interface can feel overwhelming and cluttered for users accustomed to simpler project management tools. It’s also costly when compared to other software on this list. This is especially true for small-to-medium sized teams or organizations on tight budgets. The tool requires substantial computer power and storage when handling large-scale projects. This could be an issue for companies without robust IT infrastructure. While it offers some collaboration features, it is not as intuitive in terms of real-time collaboration and team communication compared to newer, cloud-based project management tools. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Large-Scale Industries Primavera P6 Key Features & Benefits Customizable Gantt charts Multiple Gantt chart views Allocates resources Mobile app for Android and iOS Free trial Primavera P6 Cons & Limitations Steep learning curve Limited collaboration tools Cluttered user interface Heavy system requirements Expensive, especially for small teams No free plan Primavera P6 Pricing You may acquire a desktop license or pay a monthly subscription for the online service for any of these and other versions of Primavera. Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management: $2,750 Primavera P6 Progress Reporter: $950 Primavera P6 Professional Project Management: $2,500 Primavera Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Oracle Primavera Cloud is very user-friendly, has amazing management and scheduling tools which allows good coordination between the team and also saves money and time.” Bruno L. – from Capterra “Accurate calculation and output data is perfect” Sameh H. – from Capterra 16. Airtable/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Airtable-official-logo.png Airtable is known for its flexibility and being a user-friendly tool that combines spreadsheets with databases. But is it a Gantt chart software? Yes, it has Gantt charts, which are available to Pro and Enterprise users. Those Gantt charts can visualize dependencies, be customized and filter, group and color coordinate information. This is all on a collaborative platform that allows multiple team members to work on the same project simultaneously. Their changes are synced in real time. Gantt charts also have drag-and-drop functionality to adjust timelines, which makes scheduling and rescheduling quick and easy. /wp-content/uploads/2023/12/airtable-screenshot-1600x939.webp However, as a project management software it has limited advanced features. Its Gantt charts are great for smaller-to-medium sized projects, but it lacks the same level of resource management, cost tracking and reporting capabilities as other tools on this list. While the Gantt chart is customizable, it’s only to a degree. There is no critical path analysis, for example. It’s also not the best fit for large projects with many tasks. As projects grow, the interface can become cluttered and performance degrades. The software doesn’t have native time-tracking features, which means teams will need third-party apps, which add to the cost. There’s also a lack of robust resource management, such as workload management, resource leveling and detailed resource allocation. Verdict: Best User-Friendly Gantt Chart Software for Sales and CRM Teams Airtable Pros & Key Features User-friendly interface Real-time collaboration Customizable Gantt charts Drag-and-drop functionality Free plan Airtable Cons & Limitations Limited advanced project management features No critical path analysis Not ideal for large projects No native time tracking Lack of resource management features Airtable Pricing Free: $0/user/month Team: $20 per seat/monthly (billed annually) Business: $45 per seat/monthly (billed annually) Enterprise: contact sales Airtable Reviews G2 review: 4.6/5 Capterra review: 4.7/5 Highlighted User Reviews “A lot of templates to start with. Highly customizable.” Jean D. – from Capterra “When you got a table up and running it was super effective” Matt H. – from Capterra 17. Paymo/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/paymo-work-management-software-600x237.jpg Paymo is good Gantt chart software because it combines task management, time tracking and visual project planning into a user-friendly interface that’s especially suited for small to mid-sized teams. Its Gantt chart feature allows users to create project timelines, set task dependencies and manage milestones with drag-and-drop functionality. Integration with timesheets and resource scheduling gives teams a clear view of who’s working on what and when, supporting efficient project execution and better workload balance. /wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Paymo-timeline.png However, Paymo falls short for larger or more complex projects due to its limited scalability and less robust reporting and customization options compared to enterprise-level tools. While it offers a clean and functional Gantt chart, it lacks more advanced features like portfolio Gantt views or real-time data syncing across multiple project layers. Users managing multiple projects or requiring in-depth analytics might find Paymo’s capabilities restrictive, making it better suited for freelancers or smaller teams rather than enterprise project environments. Verdict: Best Gantt Software for Freelancers Paymo Pros & Key Features Combines task, time and visual project planning Drag and drop functionality Offers a free plan Free 15-day trial Mobile project management for Android and iOS Paymo Cons & Limitations Poor choice for larger, more complex projects Limited reporting and customization No portfolio Gantt view Paymo Pricing Free plan: $0 user/month Starter plan: $5.90/user/month paid annually Small Office plan: $10.90/user/month paid annually Business plan: $16.90/user/month paid annually Paymo Reviews G2 review: 4.6/5 Capterra review: 4.8/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Paymo has all the capabilities that allows me to save time by automating project and task management procedures.” Larry R – from G2 “I like the way Paymo has been designed. With its straightforward menu sidebar, it’s easy to access everything your business needs quickly and easily.” Jamie Lee J – from G2 18. GanttProject/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ganttproject.png GanttProject’s pros lie in its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. As a free, open-source desktop application, it provides essential Gantt chart features for users who need straightforward project scheduling without the complexity of enterprise software. Users can easily create tasks, define dependencies, set baselines and export to PDF or PNG formats. Its offline functionality is ideal for users in secure or disconnected environments, and it’s cross-platform compatible, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux. /wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GanttProject.jpg But, GanttProject has significant limitations compared to modern, cloud-based project management tools. It lacks real-time collaboration, integrations with other productivity apps and advanced features like dashboards, resource availability charts or time tracking. Since it’s a standalone program, sharing updates with team members requires manual file distribution, which can hinder team coordination. For larger teams or dynamic project environments, GanttProject’s static, offline model can quickly become a bottleneck. Verdict: Best Gantt Chart Software for Open Source GanttProject Pros & Key Features Free Straightforward without complex features Offline functionality GanttProject Cons & Limitations Lacks real-time collaboration No dashboards, resource availability charts or time tracking Not ideal for larger teams GanttProject Pricing Free GanttProject Reviews G2 review: 4.3/5 Capterra review: 4.2/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Its simplicity to use, makes it easy for me to create a schedule and track it.” – Chidera E., from G2 “It’s a good software for planning and project management. I always use it. It’s simple and works properly.” – Ezechiel D., from Capterra Related Gantt Chart Content If you’re still on the fence, we have a ton of free content on our site that can help you understand how Gantt charts work and why they’re such an important part of project management. Here are some articles to help you make a decision about which Gantt chart software is right for you. Free Gantt Chart Template for Excel Canva Gantt Chart: A How-to Guide With Pros, Cons & Alternatives Power BI Gantt Chart: A How-to Guide With Pros, Cons & Alternatives Microsoft Planner Gantt Chart: How to Make a Gantt Chart in Microsoft Planner Trello Gantt Charts: How to Make a Gantt Chart in Trello Tableau Gantt Chart: A How-to Guide With Pros, Cons & Alternatives Notion Gantt Chart: Key Features, Pros and Cons Jira Gantt Chart: How to Make Gantt Charts Using Jira Confluence Gantt Chart: How-to Guide With Pros, Cons & Alternatives You’ve Seen the List of Gantt Chart Software. Which Is the Best of the Best? It’s important to pick the Gantt chart software that fits your needs. You’ll want one that’s easy to use and doesn’t require a complicated and time-consuming setup. It should easily link all four types of task dependencies, filter for the critical path and set a baseline to help you track project variance. Then that Gantt chart should seamlessly connect with other project views and tools, such as dashboards and reporting. It should be cloud-based to allow teams to collaborate and give you real-time data to make more informed decisions. Look for that Gantt chart software that does all that and you’ll never look for another Gantt chart software again. ProjectManager is award-winning Gantt chart software that links all four dependencies, filters for the critical path and sets a baseline to track progress in real time. Our Gantt chart is one of the multiple project views that all update together to keep you on the same page. There are also built-in task management, risk management and resource management features. Join teams at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to deliver success. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post 18 Best Gantt Chart Software of 2025 (Free & Paid) appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

All businesses must make money in order to remain solvent and stay in business. The need for profitability is clear—how you get there is the tricky part. One way is to deliver more value to your customers while creating less waste for the business. This is commonly called lean project management. What Is Lean Project Management? Lean project management is just like traditional project management in that it follows a structured project life cycle, uses formal project management documentation, and aligns with core principles, procedures standards for project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. However, what sets it apart is the integration of Lean manufacturing principles and techniques to enhance efficiency and value delivery. Lean project management emphasizes the elimination of waste (muda), the continuous improvement mindset of Kaizen, and the use of tools like value stream mapping to visualize and streamline workflows. It also adopts pull systems and just-in-time (JIT) practices to reduce excess inventory and unnecessary delays, ensuring work is pulled based on actual demand. By combining the discipline of project management with the agility and efficiency of lean thinking, this approach helps teams deliver projects faster, with fewer resources, and greater alignment to customer needs—all while maintaining full control over project scope, time, cost, and quality. Lean manufacturing was developed by Toyota, which is why it uses Japanese words to refer to the elimination of waste in a manufacturing system (muda), waste created by overburden (muri) and waste that comes about because of uneven workloads (mura). The lean manufacturing methodology has five lean principles, value, value stream, pull system, continuous flow and perfection. We’ll learn about those below. Key Areas of Lean Project Management Now, let’s define the key concepts and techniques from lean manufacturing that lean project management has adopted and how they can be used throughout the project life cycle. 5 Lean principles Lean waste types 5S Method Kaizen Pull system Just-in-time production The 5 Lean Principles These principles have been around for a while but were codified in 1997 by the Lean Enterprises Institute (LEI). When it comes to project management, the lean principles focus on defining what deliverables or requirements matter most to the project client and prioritizing all efforts and resources into achieving them, while eliminating unnecessary work. Value: Value is defined by your customer, client or stakeholder. Value can be the quality, timeline or price point of your deliverable—though it’s likely a bit of all three. Know what requirements you need, and what expectations to meet. Value Stream: You have defined value, now it’s time to map all the steps and processes in your manufacturing cycle. That sequence of steps is known as a value stream in lean project management. Identify every action that must take place in the project, including design, procurement, production, HR, admin and more. It’s helpful to draw this value stream map on one page to illustrate the flow of resources. Continuous Flow: There shouldn’t be any points that will create bottlenecks or interrupt production. According to LEI, “Make the value stream steps occur in tight sequence so that the product or service will have a continuous flow toward the customer.” It often requires cross-functional teams but results in greater productivity. Pull System: This is when the customer, client or stakeholder “pulls” the product or service from the project as needed. In other words, the improvements of the prior step lead to faster time-to-market. The advantage of the pull system is no warehousing or stockpiling. That saves money for the business that can then be passed on to their customers. Perfection: The final step is spreading the philosophy throughout the entirety of your business. Lean is about continuous improvement. Therefore, everyone in the business must always strive to better themselves and the processes they’re involved with. Often it takes several go-throughs to get to the value and really reduce the waste. Lean Waste Types Lean waste types refer to the seven categories of non-value-adding activities that hinder efficiency and productivity in a process. These include overproduction, waiting, transportation, overprocessing, inventory, motion and defects—collectively remembered by the acronym TIMWOOD. By identifying and eliminating these wastes, organizations can streamline workflows, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction. 5S Method The 5S method is a workplace organization technique that enhances efficiency and safety through five Japanese principles: seiri (sort), seiton (set in order), seiso (shine), seiketsu (standardize) and shitsuke (sustain). By implementing 5S, teams create clean, well-organized environments that support continuous improvement and make problems easier to detect and correct. Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) Kaizen is the lean principle of continuous, incremental improvement involving all employees. It focuses on small, daily changes that collectively lead to significant enhancements over time. Kaizen fosters a culture where feedback and innovation are encouraged, driving long-term growth and quality in processes, products, and services. Just-in-Time Production Just-in-Time (JIT) production is a Lean principle aimed at reducing inventory costs by producing only what is needed, when it is needed and in the exact quantity required. This approach minimizes waste, improves cash flow and enhances responsiveness to customer demand, but requires tight coordination with suppliers and accurate demand forecasting. When to Implement Lean Project Management? Lean project management is best implemented when organizations aim to improve efficiency, reduce waste and maximize customer value. Whether you’re launching a new product, managing a complex build, or streamlining operations, Lean principles can help drive better results with fewer resources. It’s especially useful in industries where timelines, budgets and quality are tightly interlinked. Manufacturing Lean project management originated in manufacturing, making it a natural fit for this industry. By focusing on eliminating waste (like excess inventory or idle time) and optimizing production flow, manufacturers can boost productivity, reduce costs and deliver higher quality products with fewer defects. Construction In construction, lean project management helps minimize delays, reduce material waste and improve coordination across teams. Lean methods encourage just-in-time delivery, standardized work processes and continuous feedback, all of which contribute to more predictable project timelines and lower overall costs. Product and Software Development Lean is highly effective in product and software development, where agility and responsiveness are key. By applying Lean principles such as continuous improvement and customer-focused design, development teams can reduce cycle times, prioritize high-value features and release better products faster while staying aligned with stakeholder needs. The Definition of a Lean Project Lean was developed in manufacturing, but the lean principles have spread to many different industries such as project management and construction. A lean project is simply one in which there is continuous improvement. That makes it part of the larger agile project management environment, in that it’s flexible and willing to change as needed. It’s all about delivering value to the customers and stakeholders, which is the same whether you’re manufacturing a car or an app. One of the aspects of lean that makes it unique from traditional project management methodologies is that it applies the five principles of lean project management. That’s the first step in a lean project: identifying the five lean principles, then applying them to your project. /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/agile-sprint-planner-template.jpg Get your free Agile Sprint Plan Template Use this free Agile Sprint Plan Template to manage your projects better. Get the Template What Are the Benefits of Lean Project Management? When the Toyota Production System (TPS) was first introduced, it allowed the car company to improve value for its customers. The proof is in the pudding; the (then) small car manufacturer has become one of the largest automakers in the world. While the term lean manufacturing didn’t appear until the 1990s, the benefits of lean project management were evident. Here are some: Greater visibility into the manufacturing process More control, better decision-making and empowers teams Boosts productivity and morale Provides alternative ways to get deliverables out the door Faster projects due to having to respond to fewer issues Boosts profits, as more value is added and waste is reduced Increased customer satisfaction As companies reap these benefits, they have more funds to invest in workers, tools and equipment. This creates a snowball effect of creating even more value and reducing even more waste from the production system. It’s a win-win situation in the best business sense. To reap all these benefits, you need project management software that provides visibility and connection. ProjectManager is cloud-based software that shares data across multiple project views. For example, the list view can tag tasks, add priority and display the current task status. Try ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Manufacturing-overlay-CTA-TAsk.jpgLearn More! What About Lean Program Management? Projects don’t occur neatly, one after another. More likely, project managers are responsible for overseeing a number of projects. A portfolio is a lot of projects, but a program is a lot of related projects. These can benefit from a lean approach, too. You can use the five lean principles when managing a program. By looking at all your projects through the lens of lean program management, you find areas where there is waste among the projects. Then, you can pinpoint the value and share resources to help all the projects flow better together. While it’s not as well-known as lean project management, lean program management is just another example of the fifth lean principle of perfection. If lean principles help a project, they will help a program. Continuous improvement means expanding the reach of your lean approach and having it inform all aspects of your business. How ProjectManager Helps With Lean Project Management Mapping your value stream on paper is a good start, but project management software can help you find and eliminate waste. ProjectManager is cloud-based software that connects teams and delivers real-time data for better decision-making. Create Start-to-Finish Project Plans Finding value and removing waste requires that you see the entire project in one place. View all the tasks and determine which are keepers and which are unnecessary. ProjectManager’s online Gantt chart lets you map the project and identify task dependencies that can cause bottlenecks. There’s also a filter to chart the critical path, which allows you to see the most efficient way to execute the project and avoid those steps that aren’t adding value. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gantt_Manufacturing_Wide_Zoom-175_Focus-on-Tasklist_Spreadsheet-CTA.jpgTry It Free! Create Flexible Workflows on Kanban Boards Transparency is key to lean project management. Dynamic kanban boards allow project managers a window into the production cycle without getting in the way of their teams. Meanwhile, teams can manage their backlog of tasks and plan how to execute their work. They can comment on tasks and get notifications by email or in the app when there is a response or update to the work. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Kanban_Marketing_Wide_Zoom-150_Moving-task-to-different-status.jpgTry It Free! Balance Your Team’s Workload On-the-Fly Balancing workload is also bedrock to lean project management. Our resource management features let you see your team’s assignments in a color-coded chart that shows who has too many or too few assignments. Then, you can re-allocate right from the workload chart to keep your team working at capacity. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Workload_Wide_Zoom-175.jpgTry It Free! Ensure Efficiency is Met with Dashboards Teams can work how they want with our multiple project views, project managers can get data on their progress with one-click reports and a high-level view from the real-time dashboard. There are even lean program management reports and tools, such as the roadmap, which shows all the projects in your program in one place. You need a flexible tool such as ProjectManager to run a lean project. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dashboard_Construction_Wide_Zoom-150.jpgTry It Free! Related Content What Is Lean Construction? What Is Lean Manufacturing? What Is Lean Portfolio Management? A Quick Guide The 5 Lean Principles: Definitions & How to Use Them ProjectManager is award-winning software that organizes tasks, teams and projects to boost productivity and streamline your processes. The tool is designed to add value and reduce waste, just as lean project management mandates. Join the tens of thousands of teams at businesses as varied as the Bank of America to Ralph Lauren who use our tool to work better together. Try ProjectManager for free today. The post What Is Lean Project Management? appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Ogilvy's Creative Director, David Raichman, called AI “a force multiplier for creative expression,” and I couldn't agree more. I remember the countless times I'd be staring at the blinking cursor, waiting for inspiration to strike, only to be met by a nagging voice of doubt. That's probably because the brain filters out many ideas before they can reach our conscious thoughts. This is when AI steps in, rescuing me from the creative rut. As a content marketer who's worked with several brands on their social media campaigns, I've tested dozens of AI tools to break through these creative blocks and streamline my content process. What started as curiosity has transformed how I work entirely. These tools have helped me double my social media content production while adding a dynamic touch to everything from captivating social posts to eye-catching images. In this piece, I'm sharing the select AI social media content creation tools that have proven most valuable in my content creation process—ones that can transform your workflow too. How to save time in social media content creation with AIWhether you're a content creator, a marketer, or a business owner, the pressure to consistently deliver engaging content on social media can be overwhelming. AI content creation tools can help you here, especially when saving time in creating social media posts. These tools leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) technologies to assist in creating, optimizing, and managing content for various social media platforms. Here are some ways AI helps you save time in the social media content creation process: Generate content ideas and even text, reducing the time spent brainstorming and writingCreate and enhance visuals for social posts, eliminating the need for extensive manual editingSuggest trending and relevant hashtags and emojisTranslate content into multiple languages, expanding your reach to global audiencesExtend the life of valuable posts through content repurposingAnalyze engagement metrics, providing actionable insights to refine your content strategyMonitor competitors' social media activities and provide insights into their strategiesAutomate and schedule posts to go live at optimal times, without manual interventionDesigned to be your creative assistants, AI tools can inspire social post ideas and automate content generation, taking care of everything from writing text and recommending hashtags to image creation. Some other tools can help with social listening, competitor analysis, content personalization, and other repetitive marketing tasks involved in social media marketing. They can save you hours of effort, giving you more time to focus on other aspects of social media management — strategizing and building meaningful connections with your audience. At a glance: The 17 best AI social media content creation tools Jump to a tool: 1. Buffer's AI Assistant 2. Typeface 3. Narrato AI Content Genie 4. HubSpot AI Social Media Caption Generator 5. Quuu 6. Mentionlytics 7. Meltwater 8. Predis.ai 9. Rival IQ 10. Unmetric 11. Canva 12. Let's Enhance 13. Pictory 14. Invideo AI 15. Supermeme.ai 16. Picsart 17. Kapwing AI Meme Generator Automated social media caption or text generationWords can be incredibly powerful. They allow you to tell a story, share experiences, and connect with your audience on a deeper level. But if you find yourself wracking your brains for hours trying to come up with the right words for your social media post, you might be spending more time on it than you should. AI writing tools can automatically generate captions, headlines, and other text-based content for your social posts within seconds. The tools analyze your input, which may include audience information and brand preferences, to craft contextually relevant content that will resonate with your target audience. Whether you need to promote a new product, share industry insights, or simply want to connect with your audience, automated text generation can save valuable time while keeping your social media game strong. Here are some of the best AI tools to help you: 1. Buffer's AI Assistant Best for endless post variations, content repurposing, and more Buffer's AI Assistant can whip up new posts, repurpose old ones, and even generate ideas for creating click-worthy social posts for any platform at any scale. You only need to give it a few words, and the AI tool will generate relevant content for you within seconds. I find it quite useful for quick ideation, especially when I'm stuck in a creative rut. the Key Features: Personalized social media posts and ideas: Generates viral social media content ideas personalized to your niche and target audience. The AI assistant can also create personalized posts for different social media channels and audiences, capitalizing on the latest trends.Brand consistency: Allows you to define the tone and style of social media posts, ensuring a consistent brand voice across channels.Content translation: Translates your social posts into different languages.Content repurposing: Turns your long-form content into bite-sized social media posts, and repurposes those posts for other social media channels. The AI assistant can extract key points and concepts to allow for faster and more efficient content repurposing.Audience engagement: Analyzes audience's comments and inquiries and gives you quick AI-generated responses to enhance social media engagement.Test social posts: The AI assistant can generate endless post variations for you to experiment with and run A/B tests to determine the most effective approach.Supports multiple platforms: Generates content for various social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and more.Social media scheduling: Streamline social media content publishing with calendar and preset publishing schedules.🤔Why go for it? Buffer AI Assistant can help you overcome creativity fatigue and make the AI content creation process faster and more efficient.⚡Bonus: Buffer has a free AI social media post creator that you can use to spin up your next piece of content in seconds — no sign-up or login required.2. Typeface Best for social media content ideation and creation Managing consistent, on-brand social media content across multiple platforms while ensuring a personalized touch can be challenging for marketing teams. Between understanding different platform requirements, maintaining brand voice, and creating enough content variations to reach diverse audiences, social media marketing can quickly become overwhelming. Typeface addresses this problem through its Arc Agents — specialized AI assistants that function as extensions of your marketing team. You can describe what you need through Typeface Chat, and the system automatically assigns the right AI agent to handle your request while ensuring everything aligns with your brand guidelines. There are various AI content marketing agents provide targeted AI assistance at each stage of the social media content lifecycle, from ideation to content creation (text, images and visuals), and even evaluating the performance of your social media campaigns. Key Features: Video Agent: Creates video clips from longer videos, sizzle reels, and video ads for social media.Ad Agent: Creates platform-specific ad copy and visuals (Meta, LinkedIn, etc.)Visual Inspiration Studio: Offers a library of inspiration images to generate product shots for social media ads and social commerce.Creative automation: Automatically adapts a single approved ad creative into multiple variations for different audiences, markets, or channels without manual rework.Performance Agent: Analyzes the performance of your social campaigns to see how well they resonate with your audience and predicts future trends that may impact your campaigns. The Performance Agent also offers insightful recommendations for content improvements.Brand hub: Unified system of brand intelligence that organizes your brand's assets, audience profiles, visual aesthetics, and distinct voices to ensure brand consistency and proactive governance across all social media outputs.Integrations: Connects with major social platforms to simplify publishing social media posts and ads directly from the platform.🤔Why go for it? Typeface's brand-personalized AI can prove to be useful for managing social media campaigns at scale. For organizations looking to create more targeted, on-brand conversations that drive engagement, this AI platform offers a powerful and future-proof solution.3. Narrato AI Content Genie Best for social media (and blog) content on auto-pilot Narrato AI Content Genie is your personal content marketer that auto-generates social and blog content every week. This tool takes your website URL and themes as input and serves 20 to 25 pieces of social media and blog content weekly to choose from. You can also easily edit and publish these from Narrato. Narrato's other AI social media content generator tools include custom social media content generation templates (social posts from URLs, themes, notes, and more), a memes generator, a Twitter thread generator, a social profile content generator, an AI image generator, and a royalty-free images and GIFs search and download tool. Key Features: AI Content Genie: Generates fresh social posts (+ blog posts) on autopilot every week, complete with AI-generated content, hashtags, emojis, and images/GIFs. Chosen posts can be edited and scheduled/published directly from the platform. This was particularly helpful for me when working solo, as the tool served as my content strategist, creator, and social media manager - all rolled up into one.15+ AI social media templates: Generates LinkedIn posts, Facebook and Instagram posts, and Twitter threads in various formats. You can also generate posts around a specific theme/occasion/quotes. It also offers templates for social media poll creation and meme idea generation. You can even generate video scripts for Reels and Tiktok.Customization and quality enhancement: All social content generation tools come with customization options where you can input your social media channel, tone of voice, length of the social post, and other parameters. Besides content generation, some AI writing templates and in-line AI options assist with content improvement, simplification, paraphrasing, and turning paragraphs into bullets, etc.AI Image Generator: Generates unique images for social posts in a variety of styles using text prompts.AI Chat: Generates creative post ideas based on your custom prompts. Can be used for calendar planning, strategizing, storytelling ideas, and more.Multi-platform support: Generates relevant content for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, customizing and tailoring the content for each platform.Social media planning and scheduling: Offers a built-in social media calendar for planning and organizing social posts. Content can be scheduled/published to some social media platforms or CMS, or through Zapier connecting to industry-standard social schedulers like Buffer, etc.🤔Why go for it? Narrato AI Content Genie and social media content generator is an all-in-one solution for social media content planning, creation, and publishing, offering everything you need under one roof. It also helps with content planning, SEO, and creation for blogs, web copy, emails, and more, with 100+ AI templates and a host of other powerful tools.4. HubSpot Best for social media captions HubSpot's AI Social Media Caption Generator is another useful AI-powered content generation tool that has helped me create catchy social media captions. It's great for when you need quick captions to go with your visuals. Simply provide a short post description, a few details about your audience, and the desired tone, and you'll get your social media copy. Key Features: Personalized captions: Generates social media captions that align with your brand personality and appeal to your audience. Test out multiple prompts to create multiple variations of copy.Automated social copy generation: Repurposes basic social post copy into trivia, polls, and question-based captions to enhance engagement.Supports multiple social media channels: Creates engaging content for Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Built-in reporting: Create, publish, and track social posts from Hubspot's dashboard. Plus, you can identify your top-performing content, analyze audience trends, and optimize your posting times.🤔Why go for it? HubSpot AI Social Media Caption Generator can be a good choice if you're looking for quick social media captions, but it doesn't come with many customization options.5. Quuu Best for social media content curation Quuu is a specialized AI platform designed to automate and enhance content curation for your social media accounts. It combines AI-driven discovery and personalization with a layer of human oversight to provide a steady stream of content for social media feeds on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). Key Features: AI-powered content curation and creation: Quuu uses AI to tailor content suggestions based on your audience preferences and your brand's unique tone. Content suggestions are curated from over 500 distinct interest categories. Additionally, you can specify your preferred interest categories during setup to improve the relevance of the content suggestions.AI recommendations: The AI also offers recommendations for content adjustments, optimal posting times, suitable topics, and relevant hashtags.Different content formats: Quuu supports AI content creation for a variety of different formats, like quotes, questions, statistics, and links, to keep your feed interesting and engaging for different audiences.Human review: A significant aspect of Quuu's value proposition is its commitment to content quality, which is achieved through human involvement in the curation process.Automated scheduling: Quuu features seamless integration with its own native scheduling system for LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (Twitter).🤔Why go for it? Quuu automates the often laborious and time-consuming tasks of finding, vetting, and scheduling relevant third-party content. If you're looking to keep an active, engaging, and valuable online presence with much less manual effort, Quuu could be a great solution.AI-powered social listeningWhen you're creating social media content, think in terms of striking up a conversation, not broadcasting your message. Content that is helpful to your audience and addresses their pain points and preferences will always be more engaging. So, it becomes important to analyze all the conversations, mentions, and trends on social media and track how your audience engages with social media content. That's where AI social listening tools come in. These AI tools can give you the inside scoop on audience sentiment, helping you build an AI content creation process and strategy that hits the bullseye. Around 16 percent of organizations around the world are already using AI for sentiment analysis. Some AI tools that can help you with social listening are: 6. Mentionlytics Best for monitoring conversations in real-time Keep an eye on social mentions across popular social media platforms and the web, and get all the valuable insights you need. Mentionlytics is an AI-powered social listening tool that analyzes online conversations using advanced AI algorithms and big data analysis. It can help you stay on top of important stats like audience sentiment, engagement, reach, share of voice, and follower growth. Key Features: Social media monitoring: Monitors brand mentions, specific hashtags, or any other phrases related to your brand on all major channels, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and more.Web monitoring: Monitors brand mentions across blogs, news sites, forums, and other online sources.Sentiment analysis: Helps in gauging audience sentiment, and gives you an overview of positive or negative reactions towards your brand.Report builder: Drag-and-drop report builder allows you to customize your reports with actionable data, graphs, and more.Identify influencers: Find the top influencers in your niche to leverage them for influencer marketing.SIA: Mentionlytics' Social Intelligent Advisor (SIA) serves up practical and tailored brand advice just for you.🤔Why go for it? If you need personalized brand insights across both social media and the web, then consider trying out Mentionlytics AI-powered social listening tool.7. Meltwater Best for capturing every brand mention across social Meltwater is an all-in-one social intelligence solution that comes with a comprehensive suite of tools for social listening and analytics, media monitoring, trend tracking, sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and more. It can gather data from various online channels, including popular social media platforms like YouTube, Pinterest, Twitch, Reddit, WeChat, Douyin, and Twitter. Key Features: Media Intelligence: Highlights hidden insights about your market and brand, helping you build your voice of share.Social Listening: No data caps or limits on social listening. Gives you historical brand data from a 15-month rolling archive.Sentiment Analysis: Uses smart algorithms to analyze the sentiment behind all your online content, including your social media posts and articles.Trend Tracking: Helps you keep up with the latest trends and topics in your industry so you can adjust your marketing strategies based on what's relevant to your brand.Real-time Alerts: Stay informed about important mentions, trends, or events with customizable alerts.Reporting and analytics: Create custom reports that show all the important social media insights, charts, and metrics. Also comes with an automated regular reporting feature.🤔Why go for it? Meltwater is a comprehensive social intelligence solution that could be a good choice for unrestricted social listening across various online platforms, including some niche social media channels.AI-powered competitor analysisTo level up your social media content creation game, it's crucial to keep tabs on what your competitors are up to. AI-powered competitor analysis can help you pinpoint their weaknesses, strengths, and chances for growth, which you can then leverage to your advantage. If you're looking for some AI-powered tools to analyze your competitors' social media strategies, content performance, and audience engagement, we've got three excellent suggestions to get you started - 8. Predis.ai Best for granular analysis of competitor content on social Predis.ai is an AI-powered social media marketing platform that can help you figure out what type of content is most effective for your audience by decoding your competition's marketing strategy. It currently offers competitor analysis for Facebook and Instagram, with support for more platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube on the way. Key Features: Granular competitive analysis: Analyze your competitor's social media content to see which posts are hitting the mark and which ones are falling short. It can also help you understand their content distribution patterns. This valuable info can help you gauge if your upcoming campaign ideas are on the right track. Plus, you get an overview of all the important metrics, like average likes/comments, number of followers, engagement rates, etc.Hashtag analysis: Reveals the hashtag sets that the competitors are using in their social posts.Reports: Generate reports with useful insights on competitor behavior and industry trends to develop actionable social media strategies.🤔Why go for it? Predis.ai can help you gain an edge over your competitors through granular-level social media competitive analysis, in which you get to learn about their social media marketing successes as well as failures.9. Rival IQ Best for deep competitor analytics to make better social media content decisions Stay ahead in the game and make informed decisions about your social media content strategy with Rival IQ. This competitor analytics tool can help you uncover your competitors' strengths and weaknesses with comprehensive benchmarking data. With this tool, you get a complete picture of your brand's performance on social. Key Features: Always-on competitive benchmarks: Understand your social media metrics better by putting them into a comparative context.Competitive social media analytics: See where your competitors are focusing their social media marketing efforts with always-on social post monitoring. Gives you an option to compare your social performance against specific competitors or all competitors in the industry.Custom dashboards: Fully customizable dashboard templates make evaluating your social performance against competitors a breeze.Boosted post detection: Uses machine learning to figure out if a rival has boosted a Facebook post. This way, you'll be able to jump into action or replicate their strategy quickly.🤔Why go for it? If you're a business or marketer interested in analyzing competitor social media posts in bulk, then Rival IQ could be a great tool for you.10. Unmetric Best for competitive benchmarking to improve your social strategy Unmetric is a competitive benchmarking tool that uses AI to monitor and track your competitors' and top brands' social media activities. It can provide relevant insights about their social media strategies, from the type of content they're creating to the hashtags being used, helping you step up your own social game. Key Features: Competitive benchmarking: Track your performance, identify patterns, and assess the effectiveness of your social strategy. Keep an eye on your competitors to gain insights from their successes, mistakes, and innovations.Competitive intelligence: Uncover what's currently striking a chord with social media audiences by filtering your competitor's organic and paid content based on engagement.Automated reporting: Generate reports with your social KPIs for any social media channel or time frame.Creative content ideas: Find inspiration for your social media content, and gain insights from over 100,000 brands on trending keywords, topics, events, and holidays.Supports all major social networks: Offers social media analytics for all important social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.🤔Why go for it? Unmetric could be a useful AI-based competitor analysis tool for making real-time decisions by comparing, benchmarking, and analyzing your social performance.AI-generated visualsImages and videos are crucial in social media content. In fact, they're way more engaging than plain text posts on pretty much every internet platform. On LinkedIn, posts with images get 98 percent more comments, while on Twitter, including visual content makes tweets three times more likely to attract engagement. But it's not enough to just slap on any old image. Quality visual content is key. That's where AI comes in. With AI algorithms, you can create stunning visuals like images, infographics, and even branded videos tailored to your brand's style. AI-powered image and video editing tools might offer features like automatic background removal, image retouching, and even generating visuals based on text descriptions. So, save yourself some time and try out these three AI-powered tools for visual generation - 11. Canva Best for social media graphics Canva is a popular graphic design tool that helps content creators and marketing teams create beautiful visual content in seconds. With over 20,000 templates and social media layouts, you can create eye-catching designs for Facebook, X/Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and more. And now, they've added a slew of AI content creation features to their platform to make graphic designing even simpler and more efficient. Key Features: 100+ social media layouts: Hundreds of professionally designed social media layouts for every social media platform, from TikTok to Twitter.600k+ pre-designed templates: Customizable templates for a variety of social media posts.Magic Design: AI tool that turns a text prompt into a custom social media post design.Text-to-Image: Creates unique AI-generated images to add to your social postsMagic Write: Generates text for the social media post graphic (or the social post copy)Magic Edit and Magic Eraser: Allows for one-click image editing where you can modify, add, and replace elements from images, and remove any unwanted elements.Magic Resizer: One-click image resizing tool makes it easier to create designs suitable for different platforms.Drag-and-drop editor: Easy-to-use editor with a content library offering 100M+ graphics, photos, videos, fonts, and audio.🤔Why go for it? Canva is an intuitive tool that lets you experiment with graphic designing at your own pace. The best part is that it doesn't involve a steep learning curve, allowing everyone to create social media graphics quickly and efficiently.12. Let's Enhance Best for AI-powered image enhancement Let's Enhance uses advanced AI technology to upscale and boost the resolution of your images. With its powerful Super Resolution machine learning algorithm, the tool maintains the finest details in images, removing any pixelation or blur, to give you high-quality content for your social media content. Key Features: Image upscaling: Enhances image resolution by up to 16 times without compromising quality.Image enhancement: Improves image quality by fixing pixelation, blur, lighting, and colors, and getting rid of any visual artifacts.Facial and text sharpening: Helps in enhancing the finer details in text and faces within images.AI art generator: Transform your words into stunning high-resolution images, allowing you to create one-of-a-kind AI art for your social posts.🤔Why go for it? Let's Enhance is an easy-to-use AI tool that could help you improve the quality of your visual content with minimal effort.13. Pictory Best for AI-generated videos for social Pictory is an AI tool transforming video creation for social media by helping users create engaging videos from text. It also offers the option to edit existing videos using text, making it way easier to repurpose content for different platforms and for different audiences. Key Features: Script-to-Video: Converts scripts into videos, complete with visuals, transitions, and AI-powered voiceovers.Article-to-Video: Transforms written content (articles and blog posts) into videos for sharing on social.Edit videos using text: Allows text-based editing of existing videos and makes it easier to create short video clips.Visuals-to-Video: Creates custom videos using uploaded media files (videos and photos).AI voiceover: Offers a variety of AI-powered voice options to add voiceovers to videos, and comes with a voice sync option that automatically syncs text with voiceover.Customizable templates: Offers a selection of templates for various themes and styles, simplifying video creation.Highlights: Automatically identifies and highlights key points in videos. Useful for creating summaries or extracting important clips from longer videos.Stock media library: Provides a large library of stock videos and images.🤔Why go for it? Pictory offers a comprehensive video marketing toolkit packed with beautiful AI features to simplify video content creation for social.14. Invideo AI Best for faceless video content for social In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the popularity of faceless video content. This trend is driven by the need for scalable content production to satisfy the growing demand from audiences, along with a desire to lessen the pressures and costs associated with on-camera appearances. To adapt to this changing landscape, popular AI video generation tool, Invideo AI, provides an AI faceless video generator. This AI social media content creation tool can be useful for marketers and content creators looking to capitalize on this trend without extensive video editing expertise or expensive recording equipment. Key Features: AI video creation from prompts: Invideo makes it easier to produce initial video drafts from straightforward topics or text prompts for any type of faceless video content that you require. The AI expertly handles the next set of tasks, like crafting the script, selecting appropriate media from its library, generating and adding voiceovers, incorporating background music, and applying smooth transitions.Media library: The tool provides a large library of over 16 million stock photos and videos for use in your videos. Complementing this are the human-sounding AI voiceovers and voice cloning capabilities, available in numerous languages and accents. Simplified editing and customization features: For refining the AI-generated videos, Invideo AI features a "Magic Box" editor that allows you to make modifications to your videos using simple text-based commands.Platform-specific optimizations: A practical feature of this AI tool is the automatic repositioning of video elements when aspect ratios are changed to suit different platforms (e.g., landscape to portrait). Users also retain the flexibility to upload their own images and videos for incorporation into their projects. 🤔Why go for it? Invideo AI's ability to swiftly produce faceless video content could be great for brands and creators that are looking to maintain consistent audience engagement and visibility in fast-paced feeds. With its focus on a user-friendly interface and AI-driven automation, the platform makes sophisticated video creation accessible to a wider audience, even those without extensive video editing experience or technical skills.AI meme generationWhat's in a meme? A lot, I'd say. Memes have a way of bringing people together through humor. They're way more popular than your regular social media graphics. An NYU study found that memes get 60 percent more organic engagement than regular posts. Given the increasing popularity of meme marketing, it's no surprise that technology has jumped on the bandwagon. There are many AI tools to curate and create memes tailored to current trends and user preferences. I've found these three to be pretty useful - 15. Supermeme.ai Best for turning text into memes Supermeme is an AI tool that merges OpenAI's ChatGPT with a cool collection of handpicked images and GIFs to create shareable memes, with witty captions and appropriate meme templates. Whether you're looking to turn text into memes or GIFs, or want themed memes for a specific occasion, this tool offers numerous features for meme generation. Key Features: Text-to-meme: Gives you a bunch of memes to use from simple text prompts.AI GIF memes: Creates hilarious GIF memes by matching thousands of GIFs with the perfect captions to fit your text prompt.Themed memes: Generates relevant memes on any topic provided.Custom memes: Upload your image and turn it into a custom meme using AI.1,000+ meme templates: Offers thousands of specially curated meme templates that are professionally usable and come without any watermarks.Minimalistic meme editor: Makes it easier to add and modify text, adjust font size, and make necessary tweaks in memes.Multi-language support: Creates memes in over 110 different languages.Custom watermark: Option to add custom watermarks to brand your AI-generated memes.🤔Why go for it? Supermeme could be a great tool for creating customized memes quickly and effortlessly.16. Picsart Best for generating high-quality GIFs with AI Picsart's AI GIF Generator is a recent addition to the AI-powered image editing tool. This is not your basic AI image generation tool that combines AI-generated captions with pre-made GIFs to create memes. Instead, it creates entirely new GIFs using text prompts. Key Features: Text-to-GIF: Uses AI to create unique GIFs by stitching together frames based on your text prompts. Fine-tune the AI-generated GIFs using thumbs-up and thumbs-down options.GIF style options: Wide variety of moods, styles, and art options to cater to different creative preferences.AI art generator, AI image generator, and AI video generator, with many other features for image editing.🤔Why go for it? Picsart could help you create GIF memes that are uniquely yours.17. Kapwing AI Meme Generator Best for creating relatable, AI-generated memes Kapwing's Meme Maker is another AI tool that helps in creating hilarious memes effortlessly. I've used this tool to whip up images, GIFs, and video memes quickly. It offers a vast collection of meme templates to choose from and allows you to import your own content to create memes. Key Features: AI meme generator: Generates six variations of memes using your text input. Offers the option to change caption and add animation, text, or even music.Memes from images and videos: Choose from image and video meme templates, or upload your own image/video files to convert them into memes on Kapwing's editor.Huge meme template library: Provides a large library of meme templates on various classic and trending topics. Also offers blank templates to allow for more customization.AI image generator, AI video generator, and a bunch of other AI tools.🤔Why go for it? Kapwing's meme generator offers both AI-generated memes and the ability to create custom ones from scratch.Choose the right AI tools for your social media strategyTime is precious, and AI can help you maximize every second of it! Take it from me, I used to spend hours on end crafting the perfect social media post. But once I dipped my toes into the world of AI-powered social media content creation? Game changer. Since I started using AI content creation tools for social, I've seen two major positive changes: It has drastically improved the quality of my contentIt is helping me maintain a consistent posting scheduleWe've also tested and curated several lists of the best AI tools that can support human creativity: The 7 Best AI Video Tools for Creators and Marketers, Tried and Tested9 of the Best AI Writing Tools and Assistants to Help You Work Smarter, Not HarderThe 9 Best AI Image Generators of 2025 (+ Examples)8 of the Best AI Productivity Tools to Help You Optimize How You WorkSo, if you're looking to make your marketing life easier too, check out these 17 amazing AI tools I've listed here, and see which ones work best for your next social media post. Honestly, you'll wonder why you didn't hop on board sooner – I know I did! View the full article

Last week, the nonprofit that runs New York City Pride revealed that around a quarter of its corporate donors have either canceled or diminished their support this year. The pullback has result in an estimated $750,000 shortfall for the organization as it gears up for its biggest event of the year. According to Chris Piedmont, media director at Heritage of Pride, many sponsors cited uncertainty around the economic impact of tariffs as their reasoning for scaling back. Others, though, “expressed concern about potential blowback from the current administration for publicly supporting Pride and other [DEI] initiatives.” It’s a troubling new chapter in a months-long trend of companies that once championed—and, in some cases, profited off of—DEI initiatives, which are now quietly diminishing their support. The drop in corporate sponsorship isn’t isolated to New York City; it’s happening across the country, from San Francisco to St. Louis, Missouri, to St. Petersburg, Florida. Joanna Schwartz is a professor at Georgia College & State University with a specialty in LGBTQ+ marketing. She says that, while there has been more caution around this marketing in the last few years, the current political climate has made companies especially fearful of the backlash that might come with supporting the queer community. Amid this climate of capitulation, Schwartz says it’s “more valuable” than ever for companies who truly hold LGBTQ+ support as a core value to stand by the community rather than abandoning it. Pride celebrations losing sponsorship dollars In a press release sent to supporters last week, Heritage of Pride said NYC Pride is hoping to raise $25,000 before June 30 to account for its funding gap. While the number of partners supporting the event has actually increased from 70 last year to 76 this year, overall investment has taken a drastic hit. Spokesperson Kevin Kilbride told the New York Times that PepsiCo, Skyy Vodka, Target, Nissan, and Mastercard are some of the brands that either backed out, reduced their contributions, or asked for their involvement to go unpublicized. In a statement to Fast Company, Nissan said it “is currently reviewing all marketing and sales spending—including select consumer auto shows, sports properties and other entertainment activations—to maximize both efficiency and breakthrough effectiveness.” L’Oreal is the only brand returning from 2024 as a platinum sponsor, contributing $175,000 to NYC Pride. Meanwhile, small, local, and queer-owned businesses—like Brooklyn Brewery, Mischief Mates, Radiant Light Candles, and the Travel Agency—have stepped up in the absence of larger corporate sponsors. Still, the organization is in a challenging place as it looks to stage a successful Pride this year. Per the release, a 25% budget gap could mean fewer floats and performers, a loss in grant programs that aid queer New Yorkers, and difficulty hiring security teams. These are concerns that have been echoed across the U.S. In St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch, a key sponsor of PrideFest for over 30 years, didn’t renew its sponsorship in 2025. After other sponsors also pulled back, the organization was left with a $150,000 deficit. San Francisco Pride organizers told Bloomberg in late April that their event is down nearly $200,000 this year after Anheuser-Busch, Comcast, Benefit Cosmetics, and the liquor brand Diageo dropped their sponsorships. And Twin Cities Pride reported a similar financial shortfall as it waited to hear back from around 30 former sponsors. In small towns, the impact is felt even more acutely. Eve Keller, co-president of USA Prides, a national network of LGBTQ Pride organizers, told NBC News that some smaller, rural Prides have reported sponsorships declining 70% to 90% compared to the average year. Piedmont says it’s been “beyond disheartening” to watch corporations bow to public pressure at a time when the queer community, and especially trans individuals, are “under attack now more than ever.” Last week, House Republicans passed a budget bill that a bill that would cut off Medicaid funding for all gender transition care. Experts have called it “an assault” on transgender healthcare. (The bill still has to go to the Senate.) “We need corporations and partners of all sizes to step up to the plate, stay on the right side of history and support the entire LGBTQIA+ community,” Piedmont says. “We’re here. We’re queer. And we’re not going anywhere. Regardless, our community will do what it has always done—from Stonewall, to Compton’s Cafeteria, to the youth-led trans protests today—we march on.” Since last week’s news of Heritage of Pride’s budget shortfall, Piedmont says the organization has received nearly $10,000 from almost 100 different donors. A troubling chapter in a larger trend of capitulation The retreat of companies like Nissan and Anheuser-Busch, who once served as major Pride sponsors across the U.S., follows a more troubling trend. As the The President administration pushes to codify its extreme views, brands including Tractor Supply Co., John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Ford, and Lowe’s have walked back DEI efforts. “Pride parades have typically been a relatively inexpensive opportunity for companies to demonstrate support for their LGBTQ+ employees while hitting a very targeted audience,” Schwartz says. “But in the current political environment, companies are being far more careful about being connected to support for the community because there’s a growing backlash calling attention to corporate efforts at inclusivity, particularly of LGBTQ+ people generally, and trans and nonbinary people in particular.” This is striking, Schwartz says, in that it feels like a regression to an era when corporate support for the queer community was almost nowhere to be found. When Pride first started out, it was a “kind of grassroots way to acknowledge and celebrate Stonewall.” Only in the last decade or so have companies become more willing to openly sponsor queer events—so much so, in fact, that NYC Pride has previously faced criticism for transforming from a community-focused event into a “corporate party.” “Part of the benefit of sponsorship isn’t just advertising to the LGBT community, but also showing support for your LGBT employees, so it builds community within organizations,” Schwartz says. “Up until the last couple of years, companies were being more and more supportive of the LGBT community and, to be perfectly frank about it, also profiting off of that, which gets into rainbow capitalism.” “Rainbow capitalism,” or “rainbow washing,” generally refers to a company’s outward support of the queer community, while not truly backing up LGBTQ+ customers or employees behind the scenes. The perception of rainbow washing is one of the reasons why Target, which spent years promoting Pride Month collections, is facing major financial backlash for its retreat from Pride and DEI efforts at large. Financially speaking, there was a good reason for companies to embrace the queer community: According to a 2023 study by the investment adviser LGBT Capital, LGBTQ+ people hold an estimated $3.9 trillion in global purchasing power. “You don’t want to let that part of the community think you just don’t care about it, but unlike every other sub-population in the United States, that’s the one target that, if you advertise to it, you potentially lose other customers,” Schwartz says. Anheuser-Busch subsidiary Bud Light experienced a similar problem in 2023. After the company released a small ad campaign featuring trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, conservative critics spread transphobic rhetoric and advocated boycotting the brand. Bud Light shrank away from critics rather than facing them head-on, in turn alienating its queer customers. In 2023 alone, Bud Light lost an estimated $1.4 billion in U.S. beer sales as both conservatives and LGBTQ+ advocates spoke out against it. Currently, some companies are publicly retreating from DEI initiatives while still maintaining behind-the-scenes initiatives, like support for LGBTQ+ employee resource groups. Schwartz says she’s also noticed a trend of companies being much more careful about how they support the queer community, like avoiding any overt reference to trans or non-binary people, in order to avoid becoming “targets” of conservative media or the The President administration. She believes this overarching fear is the main reason that many companies are backing out of Pride celebrations this year. “They’re saying, ‘There’s shifting corporate alignment, and we’re looking at our advertising budgets.’ All of that is just a polite way of a company saying, ‘We’re too scared to do this, and we don’t want to own it because we also don’t want to disenfranchise the LGBT community,'” Schwartz says. For many LGBTQ+ community members, there’s a feeling that some companies only offered their support when it was convenient, and are retracting it now that the optics are no longer as beneficial. On Reddit, dozens of users are collating lists of companies deemed “fair weather friends” for their recent backtracking. “The [queer] community has been completely abandoned by a number of major companies, across a lot of brand categories,” Schwartz says. “The current prevailing wind is out of a far more conservative place, and companies are trying not to make anyone mad, but the companies that were really trying to make an easy buck off of the community were the first ones to leave. In that way, there is a little bit more of a purity with the companies that have stuck around.” View the full article

As millions of new graduates enter the job market this spring and summer, many may encounter a potentially frustrating paradox: They need experience to get hired, but they need a job or internship to gain that experience. This paradox is deepening in today’s labor market. At Deloitte, we recently released a Global Human Capital Trends report that found that 66% of hiring managers say most recent hires are not fully prepared for their roles, most often due to a lack of experience. Meanwhile, research has shown that a majority of employers have increased experience requirements over the past three years, and many “entry-level” roles today often require two to five years of prior experience. This can present a virtually impossible situation for young talent. Foot-hold jobs, especially those traditional entry-level roles where workers could grow into an organization, are becoming increasingly hard to find. If organizations want to build sustainable talent pipelines and develop tomorrow’s leaders, they should rethink what it means to be “ready” for work and how they help people get there. The Disappearing Entry-Level Job For years, work has been trending towards greater complexity and specialization. It demands judgment, creativity, and adaptability—enduring human capabilities that are hard to acquire without hands-on experience. AI and automation amplify the issue, consuming many of the routine, repeatable tasks that once formed the core of entry-level roles. Simultaneously, some organizations are flattening their structures to increase agility. But this can have unintended consequences, as they may potentially risk eliminating stepping-stone roles and informal mentorship channels that can help early-career workers grow. This erosion of early-career development doesn’t just affect individuals. It could threaten future leadership pipelines and innovation capacity. That’s why organizations need to take action now to close the growing experience gap among tomorrow’s business leaders. Experience ≠ Readiness We need to challenge the assumption that experience or degrees automatically equate to job readiness. They often don’t. Human capabilities like empathy, curiosity, and problem-solving are more predictive of success than a bullet point on a résumé. In the AI age, human capabilities are tested just as much as hard skills. Nurturing these capabilities is incredibly important for creating leaders with the resilience and problem-solving skills for any challenge. In 2025, modern workforce development models—like what we have at Deloitte—emphasize three factors: technical skills (such as coding or accounting), human capabilities (such as critical thinking and emotional intelligence), and potential (including adjacent skills or latent abilities that can be nurtured). Yet, hiring systems often filter out high-potential candidates who don’t meet what can sometimes be arbitrary experience thresholds. That means career changers, first-generation graduates, or self-taught professionals often struggle to get noticed. Strategies to Close the Experience Gap Fixing the experience gap requires systemic change, from hiring criteria to day-to-day development. 1. Adopt Skills-First Hiring and Whole-Person Models: Move beyond degree and tenure filters. Focus on demonstrated skills, motivation, and learning agility. This approach opens doors to candidates who may not follow traditional paths but are ready to grow. 2. Invest in Internships and Modern Apprenticeships: Paid internships and apprenticeships offer the context-rich experience grads need to develop. Research from Burning Glass Institute and Strada Education Foundation shows these programs not only reduce underemployment but also improve long-term retention. There’s an unmet demand for these programs, too, as Deloitte’s Workplace Skills Survey revealed that 57% of employees want more on-the-job observation and shadowing opportunities. Moreover, 61% of workers value mentorship programs as an effective way to build workplace relationships, emphasizing the importance of fostering connections alongside structured development initiatives. 3. Use AI to Accelerate, Not Replace, Early Career Development: AI can simulate on-the-job experience in safe, low-risk environments. “Digital playgrounds” allow early-career employees to test their decision-making and receive feedback. AI tools can: Prompt reflection with critical questions Synthesize knowledge from experienced colleagues Help users practice judgment via realistic scenarios, including answering client questions during mock presentations When used intentionally, AI becomes an accelerator—not a displacer—of new talent development. 4. Create Micro-Opportunities for Experiential Learning: Organizations should make it easier for employees to gain experience through short-term projects. Talent marketplaces, internal gig platforms, and simulations allow early-career employees to try new challenges and build confidence incrementally. 5. Empower Managers to Develop Talent: Managers still control hiring filters, but they’re often overwhelmed. Deloitte’s 2025 Human Capital Trends Report shows managers spend just 13% of their time on tasks like hiring and onboarding. And 36% say they aren’t well prepared to manage people. That has to change. Managers need training and bandwidth to mentor early-career employees. With around 40% of their time dedicated to administrative work or problem-solving, most managers simply lack the time to be the mentors most junior staff need. Formal mentorship, real-time feedback, and inclusive leadership practices help new hires grow and turn potential into performance. From Experience Gaps to Opportunity Gateways The potential risks of inaction are clear: persistent underemployment, shrinking leadership pipelines, and a projected global shortfall of 85 million skilled workers by 2030. These aren’t future concerns; they’re already weakening competitiveness today. Gen Z, however, is ready. Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey shows nearly a third plan to leave their employers within two years, not from disloyalty, but in pursuit of growth, stability, and purpose. They’re reskilling on their own and eager to contribute. It’s time to redefine readiness—not as tenure or credentials—but as the potential and agility that comes from well-honed human capabilities. It’s time to treat AI and access to apprenticeships as launchpads for early career professionals, not barriers to their ability to gain the experience they need. And it’s time to equip managers to be talent builders, not just task owners. The class of 2025 doesn’t lack talent, but they do often lack access. It’s time for organizations to stop asking “Where’s the experience?” and start creating it. View the full article

Google's Thematic Search patent describes a system that closely parallels how AI Mode's Query Fan-Out technique generates summaries The post Google’s Query Fan-Out Patent: Thematic Search appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

After months of rigorous searching, you’ve found your ideal executive candidate. They tick every box on paper and seem perfect in interviews. But then reality hits: Your “Cinderella candidate” isn’t prepared for the real-world challenges of the role. Now what? A popular study highlights just how common—and costly—this scenario is. A 2015 research report from Corporate Executive Board found that 50% to 70% of leadership hires fail within 18 months. And that can cost the company one-half to twice the hire’s annual salary, according to a 2019 Gallup report. Given the high levels of remuneration, the financial impact can be even more severe at the executive level. As someone who has navigated countless executive searches, I’ve seen how easy it is to fall into the trap of searching for a “Cinderella candidate”—someone who appears to match a meticulously defined set of qualifications perfectly. And even if the ideal candidate does exist, they may not be interested in your opportunity or ready for a career move. Compounding these challenges, you have noncompete agreements that further shrink the available talent pool. Setting the ideal candidate bar high can help, but an overly rigid vision often results in a long, drawn-out search with diminishing returns. When we accept that perfection on paper rarely translates into perfection in practice, we create opportunities to find strong candidates who bring real, tangible strengths to the table, even if they don’t check every box. To find the right hire and mitigate leadership turnover, we must rethink how we define, evaluate, and select leadership candidates. The following insights will help broaden your approach: 1. The right leader is a catalyst, not a title Rather than locking into overly specific C-suite qualifications, consider the characteristics of transformational leaders that your team genuinely needs. While technical skills matter, you should emphasize broader competencies like adaptability, decision-making in ambiguity, and the ability to motivate diverse teams. These qualities often predict long-term success better than niche expertise. Consider leaders with transferable skills. They can bring fresh insights and a broader understanding of how to drive success in evolving environments. To implement this shift in your recruitment strategy, broaden your search criteria. Identify three competencies that you need to navigate the company’s evolving needs, and build the ideal candidate profile around them. Instead of seeking candidates with narrow expertise, look for ones who have thrived in roles requiring agility, like leading R&D initiatives or driving organizational change amid disruption. This approach allows you to attract versatile leaders who are ready to innovate and guide your organization through periods of uncertainty and change. 2. Culture isn’t one size fits all To achieve a balance in hiring for cultural fit versus hiring for skills, employ structured assessments that translate “fit” into measurable attributes. Tools like DISC profiles or situational interviews provide concrete data on qualities such as empathy, resilience, and adaptability, allowing hiring teams to evaluate whether candidates align with company culture in objective terms. This avoids the common pitfalls of hiring based on intuition alone and helps avoid overreliance on subjective notions of the perfect candidate. For senior leadership roles like COOs, scenario-based interviews should focus on how candidates have successfully navigated complex challenges related to people, processes, and change management. Ask how they’ve implemented large-scale organizational changes or optimized operations to drive efficiency. These structured assessments reveal a candidate’s approach to strategic problem-solving and their leadership style. In turn, this ensures they can align with the company’s vision and foster a high-performing culture. 3. Cross-functional input is key When creating an ideal candidate profile for a role that requires strong cross-departmental collaboration, include perspectives from various departments in the hiring process, such as finance, HR, operations, and product development. By aligning on core characteristics of leaders who inspire and unify, hiring managers gain a comprehensive view of each candidate’s potential impact across teams. For instance, used vehicle retailer CarMax involves leaders from product management, engineering, and customer experience to evaluate candidates for roles within its technology and innovation teams. Each team member provides insights into collaborative skills that they need for meeting customer needs and delivering fast solutions across functions. Utilizing these teams in the hiring process helps ensure that selected leaders can build relationships, bridge departmental divides, and facilitate cohesive, organization-wide success. 4. The perfect candidate is a myth The perfect candidate is a myth that often leads hiring managers to overlook leaders with qualities like resilience and learning agility. In executive hiring, finding the right cultural fit often outweighs industry expertise alone. Sure, technical knowledge is essential, and you can use that for a candidate in the room. But ultimately, you should make sure that the candidate aligns with the company’s values, vision, and culture. Leaders who seamlessly align with the company’s culture tend to engage teams more effectively, navigate challenges agilely, and drive change in ways that feel authentic to the organization. A high-performing C-suite hinges less on “perfect matches” than on leaders who can innovate within an evolving landscape. Hiring for sustainable success requires shifting from rigid, idealized profiles to assessing candidates for resilience, adaptability, and alignment with the core values of the organization. View the full article

The last two years have been one of the toughest job markets I’ve seen in decades. This isn’t like 2020 or 2021, where after the initial phase of the pandemic receded, jobs quickly reappeared. This one has been slow and unrelenting—market volatility causing uncertainty, and digital transformation of workplaces, and AI taking over jobs faster than you can read the headlines. These days, it feels like you’re sending your resume into the abyss. Sound familiar? I see it every day as a recruiter and career coach: talented job-seekers submitting application after application into what feels like a black hole. Weeks turn into months. The silence is deafening. Each passing day without a response chips away at your confidence, your bank account, and your sense of professional identity. Luckily, through my work, I’ve also developed tried-and-true strategies for standing out no matter the market conditions. Here are three powerful steps to reinvigorate your job search. 1. Reclaim Your Value Whether you’ve just gotten laid off or have already been job searching for months, your self-esteem probably isn’t the strongest. You may be feeling bitter, angry, and doubtful of your professional value. Being in that kind of mindset while trying to find a job won’t allow you to show up as your best self. For example, I recently worked with a very successful leader who had steered a company over the last several years with enormous success, each year hitting higher and higher revenue targets and winning some of the most sought-after projects in the industry. As the economy shifted, those revenues took a hit—and he was let go because of a “spreadsheet decision.” He was blindsided and stepped into his job search doubting himself. When working with job seekers who are struggling, we always start with a simple but powerful exercise: documenting significant achievements from their career. Not just responsibilities—actual metrics and results, problems solved, value delivered. I’ll ask people to think about things they’ve done that they’re really proud of. I make them dig deep to detail what they do really well, what gets them fired up, and ask them how their colleagues and clients would describe working with them. As they reconnect with their expertise, things they haven’t thought of for a while, I see their faces light up and confidence starting to return. You can do this with a career coach, your partner, a best friend, even a colleague who knows you well—just ask them to take notes about what you’re telling them to read back to you at the end. Working through these questions with my executive client helped remind him of the successes he was responsible for and the resilience he showed in a tough market. Those reminders allowed him to work through his disappointment, prepare for how he’d talk about the challenges when asked, and enter his job search with renewed confidence in what he had to offer. This isn’t just about feeling better; it’s about how you show up. When you remember your professional value, you communicate with clarity and conviction. Your entire energy changes, and people take notice. 2. Stop Trying to Be Everything to Everyone When desperation sets in, the instinct is to cast a bigger net. The thinking is, by applying to more jobs, you’ll have better odds of landing something. This approach feels logical, but produces the opposite of what you hope for. Sure, you’ll be busy applying to things, but because you’re not the expert, you likely won’t get responses, so all that busy work will lead to frustration and burnout. I recently worked with a client who was going on two years of being out of work. The longer his job search went on, the more he began applying to a broader set of roles, thinking it would increase his chances of landing something. Here’s the counterintuitive truth: The more you narrow your focus and lean into your specific expertise, the more responses you’ll receive. When I tell people this, their initial response is anxiety; they don’t want to limit their options. But when you stop trying to appeal to everyone and boldly claim your niche, everything changes. Applications that once disappeared suddenly generate responses. Interviews that went nowhere convert to eager follow-ups. When you’re interviewing for a role where you are the expert, that’s the interview you’re going to ace. When I work with clients to understand how they’re speaking about themselves, we dig deep into what truly distinguishes them. We return to some of those questions from above that uncover their unique approach and what motivates and energizes them. Then we look at the roles they’re applying to and narrow their focus to roles and companies where their specific and unique expertise is sought after. We look at their job application materials and see if they’re making statements that many others could equally say and ensure that we get quite specific. When I read their new narrative back to them, all of it in their own words, many remark that they got chills—they’re finally hearing their professional value articulated in a way that feels authentically powerful and totally unique. When I reminded my client of his incredibly niche expertise—skills that very few people possess—and focused all his job-seeking efforts on companies who could benefit from him, things immediately began to shift. Within one day, he landed an interview. Two days later, he was meeting the leadership team. Companies want to hire the expert. Show them that it’s you. 3. Show That You’re The Solution They’re Looking For The interview is your last chance to not just show why you’re great, but show why you’re exactly the solution an employer has been looking for. I’ve seen so many clients underperform in interviews because they’re not giving themselves enough credit. But a few simple shifts can transform that: Think offense, not defense. The minute you start justifying why you’re right for the role, you’ve already lost it. Interviewers can feel defensiveness. Own the narrative before that happens by confidently articulating how your experience directly addresses the role’s most critical requirements before doubts can surface. Use high-impact storytelling. Give specific examples demonstrating how your experience solves exactly what they need. When you paint these pictures vividly, you allow the interviewer to truly see how effective you will be on day-one. Rehearse your stories before your interview so they are memorable. Embrace transparent confidence. Nothing undermines trust faster than pretending to know everything. When you confidently acknowledge what you know and don’t know, you establish genuine credibility. If they really like you and you satisfy most requirements, chances are they can evolve the role around you and fill in the gaps. Take your time. Less is often more. Really listen to what they are asking you, pause, and take a moment to reflect so you can give a considered response. If it’s a really tough question, you can even tell the interviewer you’d like a moment to think through your response. It buys you a few seconds to really compose a well-thought out answer and it never fails to impress an interviewer. They’ll remember the great answers and they often remark how much they enjoyed how reflective you were in wanting to answer it well. Simple Job Application Changes, Profound Results The strategies I’ve shared may seem straightforward, or even obvious. But when implemented with consistency and conviction, they transform job searches from no traction to multiple interviews and competing job offers. These strategies work not because they’re complicated, but because they align with a fundamental truth: Employers aren’t looking for generic candidates; they’re looking for the expert to solve their problem, now. When you reconnect with your expertise, focus your efforts, and communicate your value with clarity and confidence, you become that solution. You transform from just another resume in the pile to exactly what they’ve been searching for. View the full article

You couldn’t have missed the news: Jony Ive and Sam Altman have teamed up, after OpenAI acquired Ive’s company io for $6.5 billion. The plan? For Ive, and a sizable team of ex-employees from Apple, it’s to create a series of hardware products for OpenAI. The news alone dropped shares of Apple by 1.8% as two of the most celebrated software and hardware development teams in the modern era have combined to realize the potential of artificial intelligence and change the way we live. Hopefully for the better. The first io product, according to The Wall Street Journal, arrives in 2026. It will be a small object “capable of being fully aware of a user’s surroundings and life.” I imagine an environmental (audio, video, etc.) monitor the size of a macaron or iPod shuffle that Ive says accompanies a smartphone and laptop as a third device—which you can carry on your person or put onto the table. Despite the immensity of the partnership, it’s easy to be skeptical. After all, AI hardware has flopped thus far, due to a lack of vision and a lack of execution. And as wondrous as ChatGPT is, it still hallucinates and requires vast amounts of energy to train and operate. But within these barely explored large language models, there’s still hidden potential that designers have yet to tap. As Ive told me back in 2023, there have been only three significant modalities in the history of computing. After the original command line, we got the graphical user interface (the desktop, folders, and mouse of Xerox, Mac OS, and Windows), then voice (Alexa, Siri), and, finally, with the iPhone, multitouch (not just the ability to tap a screen, but to gesture and receive haptic feedback). When I brought up some other examples, Ive quickly nodded but dismissed them, acknowledging these as “tributaries” of experimentation. Then he said that to him the promise, and excitement, of building new AI hardware was that it might introduce a new breakthrough modality to interacting with a machine. A fourth modality. Ive’s fourth modality, as I gleaned, was about translating AI intuition into human sensation. And it’s the exact sort of technology we need to introduce ubiquitous computing, also called quiet computing and ambient computing. These are terms coined by the late UX researcher Mark Weiser, who in the 1990s began dreaming of a world that broke us free from our desktop computers to usher in devices that were one with our environment. Weiser did much of this work at Xerox PARC, the same R&D lab that developed the mouse and GUI technology that Steve Jobs would eventually adopt for the Macintosh. (I would also be remiss to ignore that ubiquitous computing is the foundation of the sci-fi film Her, one of Altman’s self-stated goalposts.) I’ve written about the premise and promise of ubiquitous computing at length, having been privileged enough to have spoken with several of Weiser’s peers. But one idea has stuck with me the most from Weiser’s theories. He often compared the vision of quiet computing to a forest. In a forest, you’re surrounded by information—plants, animals, and weather are all signaling you at once. And yet, despite your senses taking in all this data, you’re never overwhelmed. You never find yourself distracted, or unhappy. (Perhaps it’s disconcerting when the storm clouds roll in, but I’d still take the sound of low rolling thunder over a Microsoft Teams notification any day.) Ive never described what that fourth approach to interface looked like—he chooses his descriptors carefully and would not pigeonhole a burgeoning idea with limiting words. But for a man who planted 9,000 native trees when designing Apple Park and has expressed his own responsibility for the negative impacts of the smartphone, it’s hard to imagine he feels all that differently from Weiser. And that all comes to mind when analyzing the very little we know about the first io product. This first machine from io seems to be the input device needed for ubiquitous computing. I imagine the macaron will likely leverage notifications on your phone and audio in your ear to communicate with you. Down the line the partnership has teased “a family of products,” meaning, who knows what other UX possibilities io could dream up. While we can barely say anything more specific, there does seem to be a fork in the road here philosophically. Whereas it appears that Google, Apple, Meta, and Snap are all betting on smart glasses to introduce the idea of ubiquitous computing—sensors and pixels that sit in your eyes all the time—at least for launch, io is doing the opposite. All of the leaked details so far point toward io developing the quietest, most discreet computing device we’ve ever had. I’m thinking of it as something like the silent conductor to the orchestra of the products we already own before, perhaps, one day doing more. Drafting off the smartphone The inconvenient truth for any innovator planning to disrupt consumer hardware is that there’s a lot more competition than there used to be when the Walkman, iPod, or Razr came around. There are 7.21 billion smartphones in the world today—nearly one per person, adding up to a $434 billion hardware industry in 2025, according to IDC. (Do note: Almost all of them, regardless of brand, are still designed along the lines of Ive and his team’s original vision.) These supercomputing screens aren’t simply ubiquitous; they are essential. From 4K video social media posts that go global in an instant, to turn-by-turn GPS directions navigating us through our lives, to the infrastructure of hailing an Uber or Lyft, to the mindlessness of checking out at stores, to the frictionless experience of riding public transit, to the necessary remote for controlling appliances, to, when all else fails, having the option to makes calls via satellites, we deeply depend on these screens in our pockets. There is no future in which the smartphone suddenly goes extinct, not because it’s perfect for society but because it’s so ingrained in the many disparate parts of our living infrastructure. A world suddenly without working smartphones would plunge us into some level of chaos. The first error of the Humane Ai Pin—the hyped AI gadget by Apple alum Imran Chaudhri, backed by Altman—was when it claimed it could replace your phone by, more or less, simply removing the screen and sticking it on your shirt. (The second error was when it just didn’t work.) The first io device seems to acknowledge the phone’s inertia. Instead of presenting itself as a smartphone-killer like the Ai Pin or as a fabled “second screen” like the Apple Watch, it’s been positioned as a third, er, um . . . thing next to your phone and laptop. Yeah, that’s confusing, and perhaps positions the io product as unessential. But it also appears to be a needed strategy: Rather than topple these screened devices, it will attempt to draft off them. On paper, that is such a vague idea that it’s either dull or exhilarating, depending on your disposition. Personally, it’s so darn hard to realize that I wouldn’t give it much attention if it weren’t for the team building it. Ive founded io with some of the greatest engineering and design talents out of Apple. He also founded his firm LoveFrom with much of his core design team from Apple. These two firms will be tag teaming with OpenAI, the most singular force in kicking off the current AI era. By comparison, as I write this, a Limitless pendant sits on my desk, fully charged, fully unused. It’s an AI system that will listen to your life to transcribe everything. Designed by Ammunition, the same lauded design firm behind Beats headphones, it’s slick, small, and carefully realized. It clamps right onto any fabric with a magnet. But after a week with it, I still don’t know when or where I should wear it. With my family? Feels weird. At work? I work remotely, so I have Zoom, Teams, Slack, and every other platform already recording me. (And at any job, there’s sensitive stuff you don’t want recorded.) So that’s out. What does that leave? Hanging with friends? The one time in my life as a journalist that’s thoroughly off the record, no thank you. How deep is too deep into your life? My concerns for this io device are many, though privacy is top of mind. I can imagine some interesting UX around opting in to being recorded, but will OpenAI go that direction or just brute force itself into our lives? I can’t help but remember that despite Apple’s privacy-first messaging, the iPhone went from a wondrous pocket computer to the ultimate personal advertising tracker—a decision made at the level of its chipset and supportive APIs. However, my concerns around privacy are perhaps more existential than my personal conversations being monetized. I wonder, if there’s always this AI around, will we be allowed to be private in our own thoughts anymore? Will we be afforded the privacy to draw our own conclusions? Before these artificial entities, our lives have largely been colored by the people around us. Our family, spouses, friends, and coworkers. A chance encounter with a stranger can make a day or spoil it. It’s so often someone’s take on events that shapes our own—like leaving a movie theater, I almost always agree with the take of my companion. Let’s assume we all acquiesce to this new wave of technology where an AI companion sits alongside us all the time. Suddenly, every experience we have is being processed by a third party. It’s something that will be analyzing and summarizing our actions and interactions. It will shape what we do next, a vast acceleration of how algorithms shape our experience across social media today. Even if this io product doesn’t live in our eyes, the extreme subtleties with which it chronicles our lives means it may live in our hearts. If that sounds cheesy, fair! Imagine if ChatGPT summarizes your life with all of the nuance of Apple’s AI of today—Mark, confused by menu, ordered cowboy burger. Nobody will use the thing. A system like this inherently has to go deeper to prove its utility, but in doing so it has to balance the burden of that responsibility. A subjective computer Technologists discussing AI today often draw a line between a deterministic and probabilistic interface. A deterministic interface is what we’ve had for the past 50 years. Buttons always lead you through the same preplanned routes to play a song or pull up an email. Every app is essentially a permutation of a calculator that always leads to a perfect end point. With probabilistic AI, however, every question is more like a wheelspin of roulette. ChatGPT spins up its responses like an infinite Rubik’s Cube spinning together every piece of media ever recorded. No one knows exactly what you’ll get, so the argument has been that probabilistic interfaces have to be built to accommodate for the unknown. If the Star Trek computer, with its clear answers like Alexa or Siri, was a deterministic computer, then the Star Trek holodeck, with its ever-shifting invented characters and worlds, is a probabilistic one. But I want to challenge that framing as inhuman, and irrelevant for our discussion of intimate, ambient computing. Instead of deterministic versus probabilistic, I think AI is shifting us from objective to subjective. When a Fitbit counts your steps and calories burned, that’s an objective interface. When you ask ChatGPT to gauge the tone of a conversation, or whether you should eat better, that’s a subjective interface. It offers perspective, bias, and, to some extent, personality. It’s not just serving facts; it’s offering interpretation. The AI companion from io needs to be the first subjective interface. And that makes it as complicated and risky as any other relationship we have. Years ago when “big data” was all the rage, I asked the question, Should Google tell you if you have cancer? The idea being that it could track search patterns of someone who was sick over time and predict where they would go next. So shouldn’t it intervene when it spots you searching for a known pattern of disease? The io device, presumably recording and analyzing your whole life, would have a similar remit, but with all sorts of additional questions. If it followed along in a conversation, and you couldn’t think of the name of that book you read . . . should it whisper that name into your ear? If it caught you misremembering, or even lying, should it call you out? Privately or publicly? When Microsoft built Cortana, it interviewed real executive assistants largely to get the system’s voice right, to know what it might say or not say, and how it could respond to certain questions. That level of sophistication was fine for scheduling a meeting or asking about the weather—conversational calculators—but we are so far beyond that now. Consider that an AI listening in or filming a room can do more than remember where you put your keys. Research is proving that it can spot finite relationships that humans can’t even identify. Archetype AI, for instance, has demonstrated that with nothing more than an A/V feed, AI can predict everything from the swing of a pendulum to whether there might be a workplace accident. An io device will be able to hear so much more than what you say. It’s why, as nonsensical as this unknown product might seem to critics (I’m supposed to buy this surveillance thingy?!?), I can’t question the potential utility. Executed well (that’s a big caveat!), it is potentially the first step in a realized vision of ubiquitous computing, a little buddy in your pocket that experiences life with you so that you don’t need to explain (or input) what’s going on. And as wild as the alternative other companies are pursuing are—to see holograms floating in front of your face—the vision for a quieter era of computing is about as old as computing itself. It’s as if we realized, from the earliest days, that our natural world was already a utopia. Now, it will take incredible creativity and restraint from OpenAI, io, and LoveFrom to enhance what’s remaining of this world, rather than seize its last bits. View the full article

Millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) are far more interested in buying homes today than they were just six months ago. That makes the group the only generation whose interest in homeownership has increased since September 2024. However, these same people are tending to put off the investment due to sky-high mortgage rates. The new data comes from an online survey of 2,230 adults conducted by Realtor.com. Six months ago, 15% of millennials said they were interested in buying a home. Now 23% are interested, according to the latest survey. Still, that doesn’t mean more 29- to 44-year-olds are actually buying homes. In a press release, Laura Eddy, vice president of research and insights at Realtor.com, noted how the desire to buy a home is being sidelined by soaring mortgage rates. “Even though we found a change in millennial home-buying intent, the influence of mortgage rates cannot be overstated, with the vast majority of Americans, including millennials, prioritizing lower rates before committing to a purchase.” Eddy added: “The lock-in effect is still very much in effect “ The survey also found that most Americans don’t have plans to buy a home in the immediate future. Some 69% said they don’t intend to go through with a home purchase over the next six months. And one-third of respondents said they have pushed back plans due to those high mortgage rates. But millennials and Gen Zers have delayed their plans at disproportionate rates, with more than half saying they’ve had to put off their plans to buy a home. Two-thirds of those surveyed by Realtor.com said mortgage rates have great influence over whether or not they will buy a home. Only 2% said they would even consider a home purchase with mortgage rates exceeding 6%; the threshold appears to be somewhere below 5% for 63% of respondents. (Meanwhile, the national average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is currently 6.95%, according to Bankrate.) “Across much of our research we see a trend where potential homebuyers feel stuck when it comes to buying a home due to their current mortgage rate,” Hannah Jones, senior research analyst at Realtor.com, said in the release. Jones continued, “Mortgage rates on top of an insufficient supply of budget-friendly homes complicates the affordability picture for many homeowners, especially first-time homebuyers who do not have equity from their existing home to help offset mortgage rates.” Jones added that the experts at Realtor.com believe potential homebuyers are likely to get tired of waiting for change, and out of necessity may go forward with purchases even if they aren’t totally satisfied with the rates. According to recent median home price listings, how much Americans need to earn to afford a home is growing exponentially. As of April 2024, they needed to earn $47,000 more per year to afford a home than they would have just six months prior. View the full article

eOlipop’s surging popularity has taken the $60 billion soda industry by storm. As Gen Z and millennials ditch sugary sodas, Olipop is leading the pre-biotic beverage trend, sparking the likes of Coca Cola and PepsiCo to enter the fray. Olipop co-founder, CEO and formulator, Ben Goodwin, shares how the brand is navigating the turbulence of rapid growth amid rising competition, and whether healthy soda is actually healthy or just a TikTok-fueled fad. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company Bob Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today’s top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. So for folks who are less familiar, Olipop’s known as a functional soda. What does that mean? What is a prebiotic soda versus a probiotic soda? Give us the landscape. Soda itself has a really, really interesting, very deep history. It goes back a couple hundred years. There’s Middle East roots, there’s European roots. So in the U.S., obviously full-sugar soda in a myriad of forms existed for many, many decades, especially starting in the late 1800s. It actually wasn’t until 1943 that the federal government stepped in and told Coke and Pepsi and Dr. Pepper that they could no longer call soda “healthy.” That’s how long it was they were saying that it was healthy, even though, by that time, it was loaded with caffeine and sugar. And then in the ’60s and ’70s, and then really peaking in the ’80s, you had diet soda come in, and that was this awareness that, “Hey, all the sugar’s not great for you. Let’s go with these kind of artificial sweeteners.” And it’s been that two-horse race for a really long time. Ben Goodwin Functional soda, which I am fortunate enough to effectively have been the one that created the category and I’ve been working on it since about 2010, is basically this idea that soda can actually be health-contributing. I was looking at the evolution of the science around digestive and microbiome health and decided that this kind of nutritional intervention was, I thought, actually a superior strategy. The base of our nutritional pillars are fiber, prebiotics, and nutritional diversity. So sometimes when I hear people say, “The prebiotic soda category,” I’m like, “Well, that’s true, but that’s just part of the story,” because a lot of the other competitors that have come into the space are just looking to capitalize for the most part on a trend, but it only is actually technically a part of what we offer. The health benefits, not everyone’s on board about them. There have been some class-action lawsuits, not about your claims, but about claims from others. Is Olipop actually healthy for me, or is it just better for me than traditional soda? I’m actually so grateful that you asked that question. I don’t want to wade into trash-talking territory here, but I do think a lot of the other entrants, they’ve either got a really small amount of total fiber or they’re putting some of that fiber in and it’s not even stable in their product. You really want a blend of different high-quality prebiotics. It’s how you get to the best outcome. That’s at least my formulation philosophy. Olipop is actually healthy. We have done multiple in vitro clinical trials now at Purdue. We’ve a partnership with their stability lab, we’ve a partnership with their complex carbohydrates laboratory, and we’ve looked at microbiome and digestive health outputs. We saw incredible bifidogenesis. We saw the fermentation of multiple forms of short-chain fatty acids. And then we just finished our first pilot human clinical trial, and we were looking at blood sugar stability and blood sugar response. And basically, of the folks that we studied, it kept their blood sugar stable for a full three hours. So if you start stabilizing people’s blood sugar response, you start benefiting their digestive health microbiome outputs. I don’t know exactly what level of data most people need to classify something as healthy, but I’d say that certainly meets my criteria. My goal is to say, “Health and wellness should be actually contributing to your health and wellness,” and you should have some empirical data to validate that. If you’re going to ask consumers to spend a premium, you want to know that you’re actually giving them real outcomes for what they’re spending. You mentioned how fast your business has been growing, and it’s one of the fastest-growing U.S. beverage brands ever. You recently raised funds that, I don’t know, around a $2 billion valuation, but you do have this intense competition, right? Poppi, which is known for these Super Bowl ads, that was recently acquired by PepsiCo for just under $2 billion. Coca-Cola’s launched Simply Pop. How much does that change the game when the big players step in? I really want to see this category live up to its full potential. You’ve got soda, which is a $60 billion, 98% household penetration market in the United States. If we can do good in that category and use that as a kind of a Trojan horse to drive healthy outcomes for people, it’s really powerful. In terms of big players entering the space, to be honest with you, I think it’s fantastic. Some of the largest brands and the largest players in the soda and beverage space in the world getting into your category goes a long way to massively validate what you’re doing. And so hats off to Poppi. I know that getting out, selling their business was really important to them. Coke as well getting involved. It’s like, to be honest with you, it’s a bit of an honor. One of your investors is Indra Nooyi, the former PepsiCo CEO. I imagine that PepsiCo may have approached you at the same time as they did Poppi. I don’t know. Do you consider tying up with a bigger place? Look, I mean, I can’t really speak to that with a lot of detail. I don’t want to be overly coy in terms of Olipop does need to create a liquidity event, right? The reality is we’ve taken on investor capital, you just pointed to that, that was our final round into the business. We’re very, very fully profitable and really liquid, pun intended, but we have raised investor capital, which means you need to generate a liquidity event. There’s multiple ways that you can go through M&A, there’s obviously IPO going public, and so that is where right now—we’re just preserving optionality. I mentioned Poppi’s Super Bowl ad earlier. They spent, I don’t know, $16 million on a one-minute spot. Oh, more than that, yeah. You didn’t make that investment, and, instead, you teased them for their spending on social media, which they then called online bullying. Is that kind of back-and-forth with them, is that strategic? Is that what customers want from brands? You’re laughing. Yeah, I have no idea. The online bullying thing is really good. It’s really good. First of all, there’s a difference between the stuff that I personally authorize, and sometimes the stuff that the social media team decides that they want to get up to. And that was a moment where, to be honest with you, there was a little bit of a gap. I was actually at a friend’s wedding in Puerto Rico. I was not the one hitting send on the whatever platform it is that we were commenting on. But at the same time, I understand where the consumers were coming from, which is we do live in a time with an enormous amount of income inequality. Whatever it was about how Poppi showed up, that hit a nerve for a lot of people. They made their own voices heard. I don’t need to add to that conversation. Our team did say a couple things, but then they stopped, and that’s good because they probably would’ve been fired if they hadn’t, and we just went on with their lives. But yeah, I think that we don’t spend the same amount of money on marketing that Poppi does. I’m okay with that because a lot of what has driven our business has been organic demand and organic word-of-mouth. That is real, sustainable growth that we’re experiencing, and I’m really proud of that. And as long as you can continue to grow the business like that, you should. I think that we will probably have increase in spend in marketing as we go, but it’s okay for us as brands to have different strategies in terms of how we approach growth. View the full article

For generations of Americans, the soundtrack to spring weekends has been a rise in birdsong and the loud, constant “virrrrrr” of neighbors cutting their growing grass. But the gas lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and weed eaters that have been used for more than a century to keep lawns manicured aren’t only noisy—in the past few years, researchers have discovered that they also pose an outsize risk to the environment and to human health. In response, cities across the U.S. are experimenting with incentive programs to encourage residents to opt for more environmentally friendly electric lawn equipment. The shape these programs take isn’t one size fits all: From bans to rebates to tax credits offered at a variety of price points, each program has made its own calculations about what the location can afford and what will best attract residents. But across the board, these relatively new programs are producing promising results. “I think the most important thing is that it’s really exciting to see that so many cities and counties and states and utilities and communities across our country are taking action to tackle the really polluting, really loud, gas-powered lawn equipment,” says Kirsten Schatz, clean air advocate for Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG). “It’s a real mix of approaches with, I think, some mixed results. But altogether, things are moving in the right direction.” Anything that runs on gas—think cars, planes, stoves, and water heaters—releases greenhouse gases that contribute to the warming of the planet. An important step in curbing emissions is to transition these machines to electric whenever and wherever possible. You might think that saving up to tackle the biggest items would make the biggest impact on reducing your carbon footprint. But physical size doesn’t always correlate to impact. Gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers may be smaller than cars and used less frequently, but they produce a shocking amount of pollution because their engines are less efficient than those used in more technologically advanced products. In 2023, Environment America Research & Policy Center published a report based on 2020 data from the Environmental Protection Agency that found gas-powered lawn equipment produced the same amount of fine particulate pollution in a year as 234 million cars and more carbon dioxide than the entire city of Los Angeles. In addition to polluting the environment, the toxic by-products of running gas equipment have been linked to negative health impacts ranging from cancer and reproductive issues to mental health problems. There are many benefits to going electric: In addition to being better for the environment and human health, battery-powered equipment has the potential to save money and is quieter. But like all electrification efforts, switching requires what may at first seem like a hefty investment in new equipment—which is where incentives and rebates come in. As with many environmental issues, California was a leader in addressing the problem, choosing both a carrot and a stick approach. In October 2021, the governor signed into law a ban on new gas-powered equipment that took effect in January 2024. In the lead-up to the ban, the state offered generous incentives covering more than 50% of the cost of new equipment and batteries. In just two years, Assemblymember Marc Berman estimated that 90% of the $30 million allotted to these rebates had already been paid out. While several other communities have also adopted bans, including Washington D.C.; Palm Beach, Florida; and Burlington, Vermont, a larger number of programs across the country have taken an incentive-only approach. These incentives can help cost-conscious residents make the leap. “We know that electric lawn equipment is increasingly popular, particularly in recent years as the prices have come down, the performance has improved, and it’s much more widely available,” says Luke Metzger, executive director of the nonprofit Environment Texas. “We know that certainly over several years, given that electricity is cheaper generally than gas, [switching] more than pays for itself. But still there’s that up-front cost . . . and so those incentives can make a big difference.” Efforts in Texas have been a bit of a roller coaster. In 2022, Dallas was considering banning gas-powered lawn equipment. But the next year, the Republican-led state government ruled that bans were illegal. The city is now working on launching an incentive program. In the meantime, roughly 200 miles south, Austin’s publicly owned utility provider, Austin Energy, has operated a seasonal rebate program since 2020. At participating retailers, customers can get a $15 discount on weed trimmers and leaf blowers and a $25 discount on lawn mowers taken off the price of purchase during certain times of the year. In the past six months, Austin Energy has offered rebates on 2,053 lawnmowers, 1,008 weed trimmers, and 578 leaf blowers. “I’m excited to see people participating,” says Donylle Green Seals, environmental program coordinator at Austin Energy. “Participation is above the forecast and has been growing steadily since 2020. Not growing astronomically, but I would say by at least a few hundred per product.” In the past year and a half, Colorado has also been experimenting with various strategies. A statewide program went into effect on January 1, 2024, giving residents a 30% discount at participating retail locations. This is in addition to a variety of local and utility company-based rebates offered throughout the state. The Colorado Public Interest Network has tracked 200 initiatives across 26 states—20 of them are in Colorado. Schatz says the decision to implement a statewide program was all about improving air quality. While she doesn’t have data yet as to the success of the program, in her role working with retailers to offer the discounts and educating customers about them, she says, “The vibe is good. Anecdotally, it feels like it’s been a great success.” Not only has Colorado been encouraging private homeowners to make the electric leap, but it has also been tackling the problem of getting commercial landscapers to invest in a greener business model. This has been a harder segment to convert given the logistics. While a new electric battery can easily last for an entire session in the yard of an average private home, the costs and inconvenience of charging can rack up when businesses are using their equipment all day long. Though businesses can take advantage of the state rebate programs, new regulations set to take effect this summer will also impose bans on gas-powered equipment use on public property. This means any lawn care company with state or federal land as a customer will have to switch to electric to keep its clients. This is also where efforts to educate and sway both private citizens and companies converge—as more homeowners learn about the effects of gas-powered equipment, consumer opinion begins to change. “I would say about two-thirds of my customers reach out to me specifically because I am fully electric,” Jordan Champalou, owner of Electric Lawn Care in the Denver suburb of Westminster, told Denver7. Electric equipment is undeniably a win for the environment, for public health, and for peaceful neighbor relations. But on the financial side, it isn’t quite as simple as a onetime investment that will pay off once and for all. Incentives can get new adopters in the door, and those investments will eventually save them additional money, once the cost of buying gas for their old equipment surpasses the cost of buying new equipment and powering it with electricity. (Consumer Reports published a tool that allows readers to see when and how their new electric-equipment will start saving them money over a five-year period.) But there are still some kinks to work out. Electric batteries eventually wear out (current estimates are three to five years), and new batteries can be costly. Some users also claim that electric equipment isn’t quite as powerful as gas, though not all agree and many tout the greater reliability of electric as a bonus. While incentives and bans are helping customers make the switch, achieving widespread electrification of lawn equipment may come down to something even simpler: Equipment manufacturers and retailers control the products available for consumers to buy. In June 2023, Home Depot announced a company goal that 85% of all its lawn equipment sales will be battery-powered by 2028. On a recent trip to my local Lowe’s in Austin, there were twice as many electric lawn mowers available as gas ones, and prices were close if not on par. Ultimately, if manufacturers and retailers make the pivot to electric, incentives and bans will no longer be necessary—though they could still encourage customers to retire their gas equipment earlier than they otherwise might have. Austin Energy reevaluates its rebate programs every year, with the goal of making sure it’s offering the best options to raise customers’ awareness about energy efficiency and electrification savings opportunities. If electric equipment is all or most of what retailers are selling, and therefore most of what customers are buying, then Green says Austin Energy may decide to discontinue its lawn equipment rebates and shift its efforts to a new product category that needs the help more. But while the choice still sits in customers’ hands, a growing number of incentive programs will give them the nudge they need to go electric. As Schatz of CoPIRG says, “We know things are moving in the right direction, but we want to accelerate it, because it just doesn’t make sense to tolerate this much harmful pollution and noise from cutting grass and blowing leaves around when we have better ways.” View the full article

How Da Nang has overtaken Chiang Mai and Canggu to become the digital nomad capital of Southeast Asia. Da Nang is a city on the central coast of Vietnam. The city is between the coast and the mountains, with a river running through the middle. There is also a bay where the main port is, separated from the tourist coast by a spectacular peninsula. Its geographic variety is ridiculous. [The ridiculous geographical variety of Danang (view the map).] As a frequent visitor to Da Nang over the last decade, I have been observing the city grow in stature as an important regional hub and tourism destination. I remarked on my visit in 2017 that Da Nang was a city on the rise. Da Nang has also been growing in popularity as a digital nomad destination. I would say that as of 2025, Da Nang is now the digital nomad hub of Southeast Asia. This article explains the rise of Da Nang as a digital nomad destination. Digital nomad hubs in Southeast Asia I compiled a digital nomad history which tracks the rise of digital nomadism. Chiang Mai emerged as a digital nomad hub in 2010, and the Nimman area in Chiang Mai became the world’s first digital nomad neighbourhood. During the 2010s Bali emerged as the next digital nomad hotspot in Southeast Asia. While Bali has been popular with expats for years, online expat entrepreneurs started working remotely on the island long before Work From Anywhere went mainstream. In the latter half of the 2010s, Canggu emerged as the favoured area of digital nomads in Bali. I wrote about my visit to Canggu in 2017, which had already become a neighbourhood that was distinct from the short-term holiday makers of the Kuta-Legian-Seminyak area. In my subsequent visits to Canggu it was apparent that Canggu had become the digital nomad hotspot of Southeast Asia. I have now seen a similar trajectory of digital nomadism in Da Nang that Canggu experienced. Every time I return to Da Nang I notice more nomads there. I returned to Da Nang in March and April of 2025, and something had changed since my visit in 2024. There had been a distinct vibe shift, and something felt different. Cafes that were usually empty were now full, international restaurants were booming, and there were more foreigners than ever walking around the streets. Part of this was due to a tourism boom. Vietnam had just broken a record for the highest international visitor arrivals for a single quarter. I was travelling along the coast of Vietnam during this quarter – stopping at Vung Tau, Phan Thiet, and Nha Trang – and I saw more tourists than perhaps any time in my Vietnam travels. I hardly saw any nomads in the other coastal cities, so the amount of nomads in Da Nang was noticeable. By coincidence, I happened to arrive in Da Nang during the Vietnam Nomad Fest. I usually spend about 1 month a year in Da Nang. Having also been to Chiang Mai and Canggu in the last year, I would say that Da Nang is now the digital nomad capital of Southeast Asia. The rise of Da Nang Da Nang has emerged as an important financial and transport hub for the country. Situated halfway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the city is ideally situated for companies that who want to be in the middle of Vietnam. The government is planning to establish Da Nang as an international financial centre (along with HCMC), which will help elevate Da Nang as a global city. The city has also become a tourism powerhouse in the last decade. On my first visit in 2005, I got the bus from Hoi An to Hue. The bus stopped in Da Nang, but it wasn’t a major stop on the north-south route at that point. Now people stay in Da Nang and take day trips to Hoi An instead. Da Nang has become a popular tourist destination for East Asia tourists (especially South Koreans). Da Nang is one of the closest tropical beaches to China and South Korea, so it has that geographical advantage going for it. The viral sensation of the Golden Bridge (the bridge held by giant hands in the mountains) also put Da Nang on the tourist map. While I have noticed the rise of South Korean and Chinese tourists, I thought it was only a matter of time until Da Nang became known as a digital nomad destination. My An – the nomad neighbourhood of Da Nang The digital nomad area in Da Nang is in My An Ward on the Da Nang beach front. This is home to the famous My Khe Beach, which is part of the 27 km coastline that goes all the way to Hoi An. The long and sandy beach reminds me of the Gold Coast in Australia, though on social media it has been dubbed as The Miami of Vietnam. Vietnam is an affordable travel destination, and the cost of living in Da Nang is considerably less than in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. [15,000 VND (0.58 USD) beer is somehow cheaper than a coconut.] The appeal of Da Nang is that it is a city with a propoer beach. Even though the beachfront is lined with towers, there are still beach bars on the beach. My An is now filled with restaurants and bars. A sure sign that digital nomads have arrived is when there is more than one Mexican restaurant in the neighbourhood. [Possibly the best name for a Mexican restaurant in Vietnam (Crazy Westerner).] Coworking cafes have also proliferated in the area. A few blocks inland of the beach you will find regular Vietnamese restaurants with local food prices. There is of course more to Da nang than My An, and I break down the areas in my guide on where to stay in Da Nang. How gridded streets created a vibrant beach neighbourhood One of the amazing things about Da Nang is that the beach side of the city was relatively undeveloped 25 years ago. The beach area was military land, which was a legacy from the war. One of the areas in My An is the An Thuong Tourist Streets. It’s not a great name, but it’s a good case study for how to develop a neighbourhood. In 2000 this area was mostly undeveloped. The streets were gridded out, and then houses, hotels, and businesses filled in the blocks. I wrote an article about how the An Thuong streets became a vibrant beach neighbourhood. I looked at the old Google satellite view of this area, which goes back to 2000. I made a timelapse showing how the gridded-out streets went from nothing to almost built out [Timelapse of the An Thuong area from 2002 to 2024.] Gridding out an area and letting people build whatever they want (apart from noisy heavy industry etc) is a great way to build a neighbourhood. [A bar in the An Thuong area.] A walkable beachfront Another advantage that Da Nang has is that it has a walkable beachfront that goes uninterrupted for miles. The more I travel around Southeast Asia, the more I come back to appreciate that Da Nang has a beachfront promenade. This is the biggest advantage that Da Nang has over Canggu. I love walking on the beach and feeling the water lapping on my feet, but sometimes I just want a long walk next to the beach with my shoes on. A central airport [City of Da Nang viewed from the international terminal of Da Nang International Airport.] One of the great features of Da Nang is that the airport is in the city centre. The airport is 3.8 km from Han Market (the central point of the city area) and takes about 13 minutes by taxi. The My An beach area is 6.3 km from the airport and takes about 15 minutes. Da Nang Airport compares favourably with Chiang Mai Airport, which is also close to the city centre. The distance from Chiang Mai Airport to Tha Phae Gate (the arbitrary central point of the Old City) is 5.5 km and takes about 12 minutes by taxi. There used to be an AirAsia flight from Da Nang to Chiang Mai, and getting to and from these airports was less complicated than flying from SGN to BKK. Unfortunately, this flight is not operating at the moment. By comparison, it takes about 1 hr 15 min to travel the 21.3 km from the Central Parking area in Canggu to Denpasar International Airport. Da Nang Airport isn’t as international as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but the amount of international options has improved greatly over the last decade. Emirates has finally arrived, and my prediction is that there will eventually be direct flights from Australia. Future high-speed railway Da Nang is currently served by the old North-South railway. It’s a great railway experience as a visitor, but it’s not useful for frequent travel. This will change if the proposed high-speed railway goes ahead. The new railway is proposed to have a top speed of 350 km/h, and the journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City will take about 5 and a half hours. That means that Da Nang will be within 2 and a half hours by train to anywhere in coastal Vietnam. If it goes ahead, it will make Da Nang even more appealing as a base. The downsides of Da Nang It’s not all sipping coconuts on a sunny day on the beach in Da Nang. One of the peculiar things about the central coast region of Vietnam is that it gets cold (by Vietnam standards at least). The Da Nang rainy season is around October to February, and in the last few years the typhoon season has become more intense. [A rainy windswept January day in Da Nang.] Another problem is that the Da Nang beachfront is still a work in progress, so there is always a construction site somewhere. I like that the beach area is gridded out and walkable, but there is an oversupply of small hotels and condotels. There is not enough stock of normal apartment towers. One of the abandoned projects in Da Nang is the Times Square twin towers. This was built as condotels, but now the developer is looking to turn the project into apartments. The problem is that the structure is built with smaller rooms, so I am not sure how they will go about converting this. There are some new apartment projects along the riverside that are under construction, so these projects may herald a new era of accommodation stock for Da Nang. I think that more nomads will move elsewhere in Da Nang when the My An area becomes too nomaddy. I have a list of Da Nang construction projects at Future Southeast Asia. If you like reading about transport and urban development issues, you should also subscribe to the Future Southeast Asia newsletter. Future Da Nang I’m a regular visitor to Da Nang, and I still think about basing myself there (if I wasn’t such a nomad). I said in my 2018 post that Da Nang would be a good place to retire, and that still holds true. I will report back on Da Nang in the future, and I will also be covering the prospects of Nha Trang compared to Da Nang. View the full article