Top 15 Architecture Project Management Software Solutions
Architecture project management software can be a game-changer for architects and their teams.
These tools help streamline the planning, tracking, and collaboration process for complex projects, which can improve productivity, reduce errors, and ultimately save time and money. With so many options on the market, it can be difficult to determine which software is the best fit for your team’s needs.
Architecture Project Management Software Comparison
Comparing different creative project management software is essential for architects and construction professionals who want to find the best solution that suits their needs. With a wide range of options available, it’s important to really put some effort into assessing your agency’s needs and how different tools would work for you.
By determining your agency’s needs you can find the best solution for your specific needs, which can result in increased efficiency, improved communication, and better project outcomes.
Since there’s a lot of ground to cover when it comes to an architecture business, we’ve managed to pick out 15 of the best architecture project management software currently on the market.
Keep on reading to see our pick for the top 15 architecture project management software out there.
1. Productive – The Best Architecture Project Management Software
Productive is an end-to-end agency management software that offers a wide range of features like time tracking capabilities, client billing, project planning features and integrations with third-party tools. It’s a great choice for architectural and engineering firms since it’s an all-in-one solution that eliminates the need for a broad array of often times expensive tools.
Essential features include:
Project Management Features
With the Project Management feature you’ll be able to monitor your entire project, from start to finish. You can break your project down into tasks and to-dos and assign them to teams or people that need to work on them. All of your task-related communication is done through comments so you can be sure nothing will get lost along the way. With this feature you can make sure that your planned architectural projects will be delivered on time.
Time Tracking
With Time Tracking you can easily track time while working on tasks and projects. Productive has a built-in timer, you just click the start icon and get to work. You also have the option to manually fill out your time sheets at the end of the day.
Resource Management
Resource Planning helps you manage employee workload, schedule activities, and manage time-off. When you have a clear overview of your current capacity and resource availability it’s much easier to plan ahead. This is especially true for project-based companies like architectural firms and design firms. Knowing who’s available and when, who could take on more work or even predicting a possible burnout are key pieces of business intelligence for any agency.
Budgeting and Reporting
With Budgeting you can be sure that project costs are aligned with your project budgets. You can also get an overview of your agency’s financial performance on a macro-level. You can forecast your revenue and see when you’re about to go over budget as well. With these insights, you’ll be able to make better decisions for your architectural business.
Productive’s Reporting feature gives you an insight into your agency’s overall business health. You can create a report from a readily available template or you can make your own custom template. With accurate and insightful reports, financial planning and forecasting will be easier.
Check out how Brigada, a multi-disciplinary spatial design agency, increased profitability with Productive.
“Before, we didn’t have precise insight into how profitable a project was until we actually delivered it.”
Collaboration Tool
Docs were made to simplify project collaboration and document business management processes. You can keep all of your important information in one place and updated in real-time. You can collaborate with your colleagues in one Doc at the same time, leave comments and suggestions and create pretty much any document you want.
Invoicing
With Billing, you can create and invoice by using tracked time on billable hours. You can easily keep track of invoiced amounts and be sure you’ve billed everything you needed.
Integrations
Active Productive integrations include: Slack, Jira, Quickbooks and Xero accounting software, Hubspot, and many more.
Pricing
- Plans start with the Essential plan at $9 per user per month, which includes essential features such as budgeting, project & task management, docs, time tracking, expense management, reporting, and time off management.
- The Professional plan includes custom fields, recurring budgets, advanced reports, billable time approvals, and many more for $24 per user per month.
- The Ultimate plan has everything that the Essential plan and Professional plan offer, along with the HubSpot integration, advanced forecasting, advanced custom fields, overhead calculations, and more for a custom price.
- You can also check out the Enterprise Plan with custom pricing for companies that would include more than 50 active users per month.
You can sign up for a free trial before you decide to check out the paid plans.
Streamline Project Delivery for Architects
Collaborate with teams more efficiently and organize your deliverables with an all-in-one agency management tool.
2. Microsoft Project – A Good Architect Project Management Software
Microsoft Project is a widely used project management tool that helps teams plan, track, and execute projects as well as manage resources. It offers various tools for task scheduling, resource management, and collaboration which are essential for architects.
Key features:
- Gantt charts
- Resource management
- Budget and cost tracking
- Team collaboration tools
All in all, Microsoft Project is a good choice for those who are looking for a robust tool that covers the basics regarding project management. Users like the project management features, but some have said the interface can be a bit overwhelming.
3. Trello – A Solid Project Planning Tool for Architects
Trello is a cloud-based project management tool that uses a board-based approach to organize tasks and projects. It’s designed to be flexible and customizable, which makes it popular among design teams of all sizes.
Key features:
- Kanban-style boards
- Customizable task cards
- Collaboration features
Trello is a solid choice for those who like a more visual approach to their project and task management. Customers say that it has a simple and intuitive interface that makes keeping track of things easier. Others have mentioned some limitations like the lack of more advanced features.
4. BQE Core – A Good Architecture Project Management Software
BQE Core is a comprehensive project management software designed for architects, engineers, and other professionals. It offers tools for time and expense tracking, accounting, and resource management.
Key features:
- Time and expense tracking
- Resource allocation and scheduling for managing employee workload
- Project budgeting and financial management
- Reporting and analytics
Since BQE Core was a software created with architects in mind, it’s a good choice for those who are looking for for a robust tool that covers the basic features, and a little bit extra. Users have said they like the features the tool offers as well as the helpful customer support. There were some complaints from customers about the learning curve being very steep which could be a drawback for some users.
We also covered BQE Core in our guide to top Replicon alternatives.
5. Asana – A Solid Architectural Project Manager Software
Asana is a popular project management platform that helps teams manage tasks, projects, workflows and resources. It offers various tools for task assignments, calendars, and real-time collaboration which make tracking project progress easier. It’s also a solid choice for an architect project management software.
Key features:
- Project and task management
- Team and project communication tools
- Progress tracking and reporting
Overall, Asana is a popular software among business of all sizes since it offers a lot of features and helps with managing daily tasks. Users like the abundance of flexibility and customization options, but they also say that it can be overwhelming for new users as it takes time to get used to all the features.
We also have an Asana vs ClickUp vs Monday comparison to learn more.
6. Notion – A Good Choice for Architects Looking for Flexible Project Management Tools
Notion is a project management tool that combines notes, tasks, wikis, and databases in one place. It’s designed to be flexible and customizable, which makes it popular among teams of all sizes.
Key features:
- Note-taking and documentation
- Tasks, boards, and calendars
- Database creation and document management
Overall, Notion is a good platform for those looking for a solution that can easily adapt to their needs. Users say it’s a solid tool for managing complicated projects since it offers a variety of customization options. Some users have said that the learning curve is pretty steep, though.
7. Deltek Ajera – A Solid Project Management Tool for Architecture Firms
Deltek Ajera is an architectural project management software designed for architecture and construction firms. It offers tools for project planning, resource management, and financial management.
Key features:
- Project planning and resource management
- Time and expense tracking
- Budget tracking
- Reporting and analytics
Deltek Ajera is a popular software among architecture and engineering firms since it covers all the essential features needed for delivering projects. Users like that the tool is designed with AE companies in mind and its ability to manage complex projects. Some have said that it can be difficult to configure the tool and that the interface is not very intuitive.
8. Smartsheet – A Fair Project Management Software for Professional Services Firms
Smartsheet is a cloud-based project management software that combines spreadsheets, calendars, and Gantt charts in one place. It’s designed to be flexible and customizable, which makes it a fair choice for architectural project management.
Key features:
- Project and task management
- Collaboration and team communication tools
- Resource allocation and scheduling
- Reporting and analytics
Smartsheet is a solid choice for agencies looking for a platform that covers the basics of project management. Customers like the flexibility the tool offers as well as integrations with other tools. Some said that the learning curve is pretty steep especially for those who have not worked with project management tools before.
9. Wrike – A Good Work Management Software for Architect Companies
Wrike is a handy project management software that offers tools for project planning, task management, collaboration and managing resources. It’s designed to be flexible and customizable, which makes it popular among teams of all sizes. Wrike is a good alternative to Notion since it offers the same amount of flexibility and similar features which we covered in our article comparing Wrike vs Notion.
Key features:
- Task management
- Time tracking
- Customer relationship management
- Reporting and analytics
Overall, Wrike is a good option for those looking to streamline their operations. Users like the ability to manage complex projects, but some have said that the interface is a bit cluttered. If you prefer a simpler tool you can check out Airtable and our Wrike vs Airtable comparison so you can make an informed decision.
10. Airtable – A Fair Choice for Design Agencies
Airtable is a project management software that combines spreadsheets, calendars, and kanban boards in one place. It’s designed to be flexible and customizable, which makes it popular among teams of all sizes.
Key features:
- Database creation and management
- Project management features
- Customizable dashboards
Airtable is a solid choice for those who want flexibility alongside customization options. Users like it since it scales well, no matter the project size, but the number of functionalities can be overwhelming and it takes some time to learn your way around the tool.
You can also check out our list of the best Airtable alternatives to learn more.
11. ClickUp – A Solid Solution for Architecture Firms
ClickUp is a project management software that offers tools for project planning, task management, and collaboration. It is designed to be customizable and can be used by teams of all sizes. ClickUp offers free project management features for a single user so you can test out the tool.
Key features:
- Task and project management with customizable workflows
- Time tracking and workload management
- Team collaboration tools
- Reporting and analytics
To summarize, ClickUp is a solid solution for those looking for a robust platform that’s going to work for teams of all sizes. Customers said that they’re able to stay more organized and on top of their tasks thanks to ClickUp. Some users said that the interface can be cluttered at times.
Check out our Wrike vs ClickUp comparison to learn more.
12. Easy Projects – A Good All-In-One Solution for Businesses
Easy Projects is a project management software that offers tools for project planning, task management, collaboration and managing resources. It’s designed to be user-friendly and can be used by teams of all sizes.
Key features:
- Project management
- Resource allocation and scheduling
- Time and expense tracking
- Collaboration and team communication tools
Easy Projects is a solid choice for those who are looking for a single tool to manage their entire business. Customers like the intuitive user face and the scaling ability. But some users complained about the limited customziation options as well as some outdated features, when compared to other tools.
13. Freedcamp – A Fair Choice for Those Looking for An User-Friendly Tool
Freedcamp is a project management software that offers tools for project planning, task management, and collaboration. It’s designed to be user-friendly and can be used by teams of all sizes.
Key features:
- Task and project management
- Collaboration and team communication tools
- Time tracking and workload management
- Reporting and analytics
Freedcamp is a good choice for those looking for a “starter” tool. Users like the ease of use and its project management features. Some users have complained about the limited customization options and some buggy features.
Freedcamp is also one of the best Plutio alternatives; head over to our list to learn more.
14. Bitrix 24 – A Good Choice for Client-Facing Firms
Bitrix 24 is a project management software that offers tools for project planning, task management, and collaboration. It’s designed to be customizable and can be used by teams of all sizes.
Key features:
- Task and project management
- Collaboration and team communication tools
- Resource allocation and scheduling
Bitrix 24 is a good choice for those looking for a tool to streamline their project management but you can also review some of the Bitrix24 alternatives. Customers like the ability to manage projects of all sizes, but some complained about the tool being a bit confusing and hard to grasp.
15. Monograph – A Good Architectural Project Management Software
Monograph is an architecture project management software designed specifically for architecture firms. It offers tools for project planning, resource management, and financial management.
Key features:
- Resource allocation and scheduling
- Time and expense tracking
- Reporting and analytics
Overall, Monograph is a good tool for those in need of a project management tool. Users like the abundance of functionalities that help with managing complex projects. Some users said that, compared to other tools, Monograph is a bit more expensive and some features can be limiting at times.
Takeaway
There are many project management software options available for architecture firms. Each tool has its own unique features and functionalities, so it’s important to assess your business processes and needs as best as you can before choosing a tool.
Keep in mind that project management software can be an investment, so it’s important to choose the right tool for your team’s workflow and budget.
If you’re looking for an end-to-end agency management software, you should check out Productive’s free trial.
FAQ
1. What do architects use for project management?
Architects may use a variety of tools for project management, including specialized software, spreadsheets, and project management methodologies. Common project management tools used in architecture include scheduling and budgeting software, collaboration software, and project management templates.
2. What is architecture project management software?
Architecture project management software is a type of software designed specifically for architects and architecture firms to manage their projects. This software often includes features like project scheduling, budget tracking, document management, and collaboration tools.
3. Which software is mostly used by architects for project management?
The software most commonly used by architects for project management varies depending on the specific needs of the project and the preferences of the architect or firm. Some popular software tools used in architecture include Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, SketchUp, and ArchiCAD.
4. Can an architect do project management?
Yes, architects can do project management. In fact, project management is an important part of an architect’s job, as they are often responsible for overseeing the design and construction of a project from start to finish. However, architects may also work with dedicated project managers who specialize in managing complex projects.
5. Can an architect work as a project manager?
Yes, an architect can work as a project manager if they have the necessary skills and experience in project management. However, it’s important to note that project management requires a different skillset than architecture, so an architect who wants to work as a project manager may need to develop additional skills or training.
6. Do architects need project managers?
Depending on the size and complexity of the project, architects may need project managers to help oversee the project and ensure that it stays on schedule and within budget. Project managers can also help coordinate with other stakeholders, such as contractors and clients, to ensure that everyone is on the same page. However, smaller projects may not require a dedicated project manager, and the architect may be able to handle project management tasks themselves.
Connect With Agency Peers
Access agency-related Slack channels, exchange business insights, and join in on members-only live sessions.