AI Tools
5
min read

10 Best Workflow Management Software Options in 2025

Flo Crivello
CEO
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Written by
Flo Crivello
Lindy Drope
Founding GTM at Lindy
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Reviewed by
Lindy Drope
Last updated:
March 31, 2025
Expert Verified

If you’re a business owner or manager, you probably know how much time gets lost chasing updates, switching between tools, and checking in with teammates. Even when things are going well, these small inefficiencies slow down momentum—and that’s exactly where workflow management tools can make a real difference.

A workflow management tool helps you gather all those moving parts—tasks, deadlines, people, and processes—into one place. Instead of juggling scattered spreadsheets, Slack threads, email chains, and sticky notes, you build structured, repeatable systems that actually keep things moving.

But not all tools are created equal. Some are better for visual planning, others for deep automation. Some keep things simple for solo freelancers, while others give large teams the flexibility to build complex, multi-step workflows without losing their minds.

In this guide, I’ve tested and handpicked the 30 best workflow management software tools in 2025 so you can stop managing chaos and start managing your work. Whether you’re a founder scaling fast, a project manager juggling 10 initiatives, or a creative just trying to stay organized, there’s a tool here for you. 

10 best workflow management software of 2025

  1. Lindy: Best for AI workflow management automations
  2. monday.com: Best for visual dashboards and timeline planning
  3. ClickUp: Best all-in-one suite for docs, tasks, and whiteboards
  4. Asana: Best for intuitive task tracking with smart reminders
  5. Trello: Best for beginners
  6. Wrike: Best for enterprise-level teams 
  7. Smartsheet: Best for spreadsheet-style workflows
  8. Airtable: Best for database-style task management
  9. Jira: Best for agile software teams and sprint planning
  10. Notion: Best for flexible workspaces

Best workflow management software at a glance: Table

Product Name Coolest Feature Free Trial Price Starts From Top Integrations Ideal For Learning Curve
1. Lindy Pre-built AI agents automate time-consuming email, meeting, and sales tasks Yes $49.99/user/month Gmail, Slack, Zoom, Notion, ClickUp Fast-scaling teams in ops, GTM, and growth—but flexible enough for individuals or larger orgs too. Moderate
2. monday.com Dashboards that consolidate views and timelines in one glance Yes $12/user/month Microsoft Teams, GitLab, Mailchimp, Excel Medium to large teams (10–50 users) juggling complex projects Moderate
3. ClickUp Built-in whiteboards, docs, and AI assistant in one workspace Yes $10/user/month Google Drive, Slack, Chrome extension Cross-functional teams (20–100 members) replacing multiple apps Moderate
4. Asana Task reminders and focused summaries without clutter Yes $13.49/user/month Slack, Google Drive, Stripe Small to medium-sized teams (5–50 users) managing internal projects Easy
5. Trello Butler automation for Kanban boards without coding Yes $6/user/month Slack, Google Calendar, Gmail Freelancers, solopreneurs, and small teams (2–10 users) Easy
6. Wrike Stream view to monitor real-time project activity like a newsfeed Yes $10/user/month Slack, Teams, Adobe Creative Cloud Mid-to-large enterprises (25+ users) with layered workflows Moderate
7. Smartsheet Grid-based setup with cell-triggered workflows and dashboards Yes $12/user/month Microsoft Teams, Adobe, Tableau, Power BI Cross-department teams (10–100 members) who love spreadsheets Moderate
8. Airtable Relational database-style cells with images, links & files Yes $20/user/month Google Workspace, Slack, Twitter, Facebook Creative teams & ops (2–25 users) who want visual spreadsheets Moderate
9. Jira Real-time issue tracking and sprint dashboards for dev teams Yes $7.53/user/month Confluence, Bitbucket, Slack Software and product teams (10–500 users) using Agile/Scrum Difficult
10. Notion Modular blocks for building wikis, task lists, and dashboards Yes $12/user/month Slack, GitHub, Google Workspace Individuals, freelancers, and small startups (1–10 users) Easy

1. Lindy: Best for AI workflow management automations

Score: 10/10

We designed Lindy for people who are tired of managing tasks manually and want to build workflows that actually work. Not just checklists or templates, but autonomous AI workflows that move projects forward even when you're busy doing other things.

The way it works is simple: You create “Lindies,” which are AI agents that automate parts of your workflow, from scheduling meetings and automating email workflows to updating Notion pages, following up on leads, or even responding to support tickets. 

Each Lindy is powered by a customizable AI agent that uses natural language prompts, smart triggers (like new calendar events or incoming emails), and multi-step actions. 

You can start with dozens of pre-built templates and connect with tools like Gmail, Slack, Zoom, Notion, ClickUp, and more — either directly or through platforms like Zapier and Make.

You don’t need to write code or dive into complex logic trees. Lindy offers a no-code interface where you can set up workflows using simple conditions, triggers, and prompt flows — making it easier to manage tasks like email handling, meeting scheduling, and sales communications without needing a developer.

Want your meeting notes transcribed, summarized, uploaded to Google Drive, and emailed to participants automatically? Done. Need a support bot that references your internal docs, filters Slack messages, and only pings you when a real issue comes up? Easy.

And if you think that the workflow should be tweaked, simply change instructions, swap integrations, and even stack multiple Lindies into “societies” to handle complex operations across teams.

We built Lindy so operations folks, founders, and fast-moving teams can build improved systems that help complete your tasks — not just make prettier task boards.

Features

  • Helps you triage incoming emails, draft replies using your knowledge base, and loops you in when oversight is needed.
  • Built-in templates for email management, meeting automation, and inbound/outbound calls.
  • Automatically trigger actions based on calendar events, emails, form fills, and more.
  • Create fully editable workflows with a visual drag-and-drop interface, human-in-the-loop approvals, and the flexibility to integrate the AI model of your choice for better control and performance.

Ideal users

  • Best for: Teams that want to automate repetitive work and move faster without hiring more people. Lindy is perfect for operations, GTM, and growth teams that want AI agents to handle the boring stuff.
  • Great for: Founders, ops leads, and automation-first companies scaling fast and needing repeatable systems.
  • Avoid if: You want visual Kanban dashboards, as Lindy prioritizes automation and execution over drag-and-drop task views.
  • Better alternative: Use monday.com or Trello if you prefer simple visual boards over automated visual boards that can save hours for you each week.

Pricing

Lindy offers flexible pricing based on usage credits and task volume. Still, if you’re unsure, check out our Free plan, which includes 400 credits per month, up to 400 automated tasks, and access to a 1 million character knowledge base. This plan is great for trying out basic workflows or building your first AI agent.

  • Pro ($49.99/month): Offers 5,000 monthly credits with up to 5,000 automated tasks, a 20-million-character knowledge base, premium actions, and basic phone call capabilities. Best suited for growing teams ready to scale automation.
  • Business ($299.99/month): Designed for advanced operations, this plan supports 30,000 monthly tasks, premium-level phone call automation, the same 20 million character knowledge base, and includes priority support for faster issue resolution.

Final thoughts

Lindy isn’t just another workflow tool—it’s a co-pilot for your operations. If you’ve ever wished a task could do itself, you’ll get the most out of Lindy. Once you set up your first automation (which you can try for free), you’ll wonder why you ever managed projects any other way.

2. monday.com: Best for visual dashboards and timeline planning

Score: 10/10

If you're like me and handle multiple tasks with various deadlines, priorities, and team members to keep track of, Monday.com can be a great addition. Things are easy to kick off here with multiple standard views like tables, Kanban boards, calendars, and lists.

Personally, I found myself using the Kanban view, thanks to its simplicity and straightforwardness. 

But a quick heads up: customizing column titles in Kanban view isn’t the smoothest experience. Platforms like Trello and Asana are ahead on that front.

Speaking of customizations, monday.com does a pretty solid job. Besides the usual status updates and deadlines, you can throw in checkboxes, locations, and even cost columns. This is perfect if your projects get detailed fast. 

The filtering options are pretty handy, too. You can dial down the noise, pin the important tasks, and get straight to the point. The built-in Gantt chart view is great if you're managing bigger projects. 

Task management is easy to set up, and you can stretch the timeline view across days, weeks, months, or even years. Even the built-in file management feature lets you share PDFs, images, and other files directly in tasks. I mostly use this to keep my visuals and docs handy, and it does work very well. 

Monday’s dashboard is a tremendous tool that lets you glance at your team's overall progress across different views—all on one screen. That alone is a productivity hack I didn’t know I needed.

Monday.com isn't just task management, either. It’s got this “Work OS” suite—think Google Workspace or Zoho Workspace but a bit smoother and less clunky. They've built specific tools for CRM management, agile software development, and customer service interactions. 

So, if you're running sales or customer support teams, this integration could simplify your workflows. But it might feel a bit overkill if you're a small team or a solopreneur.

But, when it comes to the latest AI features? It's pretty average. You get stuff like content generation and task summarization—nothing groundbreaking yet, and frankly, not enough reason alone to jump to higher-priced tiers. But it's there if you need it. 

Features

  • Run agile projects with dedicated sprints, backlogs, and roadmap tools
  • Quickly switch between Kanban, Gantt, Calendar, and List views to manage tasks flexibly
  • Generate text and summarize tasks quickly using AI 
  • Manage customer interactions with built-in CRM and support modules
  • 200+ integrations, including Microsoft Teams, GitLab, Mailchimp, Excel, and more

Ideal users

  • Best for: Medium-to-large teams juggling lots of tasks, projects, or people at once. If your workflow involves multiple deadlines, task dependencies, and a variety of team members, monday.com is built specifically for your needs.
  • Great for: Project managers, sales teams, agile developers, or customer service teams who need robust project views, detailed customizations, and clear dashboards.
  • Not ideal for: Freelancers, solopreneurs, or small businesses seeking simplicity. The extensive feature set can feel overwhelming, pricey, or unnecessary.
  • Also avoid if: Your workflow primarily revolves around customized Kanban boards—Trello or Asana provide smoother experiences.
  • Better alternative: For those seeking a lighter project management tool focused on quick task creation and collaboration, Notion is probably a smarter choice. 

Pricing

monday.com offers tiered pricing plans to support your team's collaboration needs:

  • Basic ($12/seat/month): Unlimited boards, 500 AI credits/month, 200+ templates, and mobile app access.
  • Standard ($14/seat/month) (Most Popular): Timeline & Gantt views, calendar view, guest access, 250 monthly automations and integrations, plus all Basic features.
  • Pro ($24/seat/month): Private boards, chart views, time tracking, formula columns, 25,000 monthly automations and integrations, plus all Standard features.

Final thoughts

Monday.com covers almost every base of workflow management with style and functionality. Sure, it has minor hiccups (like customizing Kanban columns or their stingy basic plan), but nothing that bad. 

For its mobile app, it's good for quick checks or comments, but I wouldn’t plan on managing a whole project from your smartphone—it's just not practical.

3. ClickUp: Best all-in-one suite for docs, tasks, and whiteboards

Score: 9.5/10

ClickUp is designed for those who dread constantly switching apps and want everything centralized. No exaggeration, it does attempt to replace all your current productivity apps with an “all-in-one solution.” 

ClickUp packs features like built-in document collaboration (think Notion or Confluence), interactive whiteboards for visual brainstorming, and even screen-recording clips (goodbye Loom? Maybe).

I enjoyed playing around with its "Spaces," where each project lives, neatly divided into smaller tasks and customizable subtasks. The 'Home' area is clever, too—it's like a personal dashboard that organizes your workday. 

The Chrome extension lets you quickly capture tasks or screenshots without leaving your current page. This is super handy if you're like me and lose track of those little notes.

The star here is probably "ClickUp Brain," their built-in AI assistant. It pulls real-time data, summarizes your day's tasks quickly, and even scans through connected apps like Google Drive. You can further use it to create new tasks, form detailed reports of your workflows, and even write certain stuff within seconds. 

It won't do your work for you, but it's great for quick daily recaps or catching up after a day off.

But with so much stuff in one app, it might lag at times if you don’t have a high-end device. It’s not something too bad, but expect minor glitches more frequently than you'd get with simpler tools like monday.com or Asana.

Features

  • AI-powered daily task summaries and document scans
  • Chrome extension to quickly capture tasks and screenshots
  • Built-in screen recording clips for easy team updates
  • Customizable personal 'Home' area for day-to-day planning
  • Effective Wiki-style docs with live content embedding
  • Quick command bar for finding tasks and docs instantly

Ideal users

  • Best for: Teams tired of using multiple apps for documentation, task management, visual collaboration, and quick updates. 
  • Great for: Companies or creative agencies who want built-in whiteboards, screen recordings, collaborative docs, and AI-assisted task management.
  • Not ideal for: Teams that want simplicity above all. ClickUp’s packed interface and extensive options can quickly overwhelm casual users.
  • Also avoid if: You need absolute reliability and app stability—ClickUp can feel glitchy compared to smoother experiences like monday.com or Asana.
  • Better alternative: For smaller teams or individuals who prefer clean, straightforward AI assistance without excess complexity, Lindy is a smarter pick.

Pricing

ClickUp offers a free plan where you can create unlimited tasks and collaborative docs, use Kanban boards, sprint management, calendar view, in-app video recording, 24/7 support, and 100MB storage. For more power, choose from any of the below-mentioned paid plans:

  • Unlimited ($10/user/month): Unlimited storage, integrations, dashboards, Gantt charts, custom fields, resource management, agile reporting, and native time tracking.
  • Business ($19/user/month) (Most Popular): Google SSO, advanced automation, time tracking, workload management, timelines & mind maps, granular time estimates, and SMS 2-factor authentication, plus all Unlimited features.

Final thoughts

ClickUp stands apart because it genuinely tries to centralize your entire workflow—from managing tasks to documenting processes and sharing quick video updates—all within one app. Given its massive feature set, the slight stability trade-off is understandable, but teams that commit to ClickUp usually find it worth the investment.

4. Asana: Best for intuitive task tracking with smart reminders

Score: 9/10

Where other workflow management tools tend to throw most of their features on their dashboard, Asana simply tries to present what's most useful to you. 

I’ve been using Asana for a couple of years now, and my favourite thing is definitely the ease of managing tasks and its simple layout, which even beginners can instantly understand. 

The home screen is neat, with useful tabs including your tasks, projects you’re a part of, frequent collaborators, and more. You can customize this further by adding widgets, which is a nice touch. 

Notifications are instant as well, but thankfully, you only get pinged about things that directly involve you. For instance, you’ll get alerts when someone mentions you or when there are changes to a task assigned to you. 

It also sends timely reminders as a task approaches its due date or becomes overdue, which helps keep everyone accountable and maintains a steady workflow. 

The AI tools are pretty handy, too. If you want to catch up quickly, you can request an Activity Summary and get a detailed breakdown of everything that occurred within a specific timeline. That said, it sometimes goes over the top by providing overly lengthy and detailed analyses, defeating the whole point of using AI for a quick summary.

Features

  • Manage visual workflows easily through boards and timelines
  • Break larger tasks into detailed subtasks effortlessly
  • Informative dashboard with useful visuals and graphs
  • User-friendly mobile app with a straightforward interface
  • Integrates with hundreds of apps, including Google Drive, Slack, Stripe, and more

Ideal users

  • Best for: Small- to medium-sized teams managing internal projects.
  • Great for: Project managers and visual planners who prefer intuitive tools like Kanban boards and timelines to map out tasks and responsibilities.
  • Not ideal for: Teams heavily collaborating with external clients, since Asana lacks robust client communication
  • Also avoid if: Detailed Gantt charts across multiple projects are essential
  • Better alternative: Go for ClickUp if you constantly juggle around different projects and teams.

Pricing

Asana offers a free plan where you can collaborate with up to 10 teammates, manage unlimited projects, tasks, activity logs, calendars, boards, list views, and over 100 integrations. For additional capabilities, choose from any of the paid plans below:

  • Starter ($13.49/user/month): Collaboration for up to 500 teammates, Gantt and timeline views, reporting dashboards, scaled security, Asana AI, forms, and 250 monthly automations.
  • Advanced ($30.49/user/month): Advanced reporting dashboards, forms branching, custom fields with permission controls, 25,000 monthly automations, proofing and approvals, plus all Starter features.

Final thoughts

Asana is a great option for anyone who wants to manage a small team and works around sensitive deadlines. It helps you keep track of the entire team's progress, create and assign tasks within moments, and keep everyone in the loop with prompt notifications. Still, if your workflow is highly client-centric or Gantt chart-dependent, it might leave you wanting more.

5. Trello: Best for beginners

Score: 8.5/10

While signing up on Trello, the platform will ask you to pick your motive behind using it. The options include organizing work, tracking personal tasks, managing teams, and automating workflow. Now, if you choose the latter two options, Trello itself suggests you use Jira! 

Confused? That’s because Trello was acquired by Atlassian (an Australian software company), which also owns Jira. 

As I’ve been a fan of Trello for a long time, I picked the first option (obviously). I’ve used it on and off for years, and how approachable it feels keeps pulling me back. Boards, cards, and lists—it’s like organizing sticky notes but digitally. 

This means if your workflows aren’t overly complex, Trello’s simplicity is a strength, not a limitation.

Customizing your setup takes no time here. You can label cards, color-code them, add checklists, and even throw in fun extras like emojis and stickers if that’s your thing. 

For one of my side-projects, I built a content planning board from scratch in under 10 minutes, and it just worked. You can further edit the cards on Trello up to a great extend. It has different labels, checklists, assigning multiple members, attachments, and much more.

But you'll quickly outgrow the basics if you’re managing a large-scale team or need high-level features like detailed timelines or time tracking. You can expand with power-ups (aka add-ons), but the moment you need several of them, the price tag starts creeping up.

One feature that deserves a proper shout-out is Trello’s built-in automation system—Butler. You can set rules like “when a task is marked complete, move it to the ‘Done’ list” or schedule recurring tasks without writing a single line of code. It’s not flashy, but it reduces a lot of repetitive clicking.

Trello’s collaboration features are also decent. You can tag teammates, leave comments, and track activity on each card. There’s no built-in chat, but integrations with Slack and other tools make it easy enough to bridge that gap.

Features

  • Knaban boards and a clutter-free interface make it beginner-friendly
  • Planner view to schedule focus time and sync with Google Calendar
  • Automate repetitive tasks and workflows using natural language commands
  • Capture tasks directly from emails, Slack, and other platforms into Trello's Inbox

Ideal users

  • Best for: Individuals, freelancers, and creative teams that want a lightweight, visual tool without the complexity of a full-blown project management suite.
  • Great for: Teams organizing content, planning events, or managing day-to-day ops who value visual clarity and quick setup.
  • Not ideal for: Large enterprises or users who rely heavily on Gantt charts, time tracking, or fine-tuned access controls.
  • Also avoid if: Your team needs native chat or advanced permissioning—those features require extra integrations or higher-tier plans.
  • Better alternative: monday.com or Asana offer more advanced project tracking features and enterprise-grade controls for teams needing deeper functionality.

Pricing

Trello’s free plan includes unlimited cards, up to 10 boards per workspace, 250 monthly command runs, and basic collaboration features like due dates, activity logs, and file attachments. New tools like Inbox and Quick Capture are also on their way to the free tier.

For users who need more, Trello offers three paid plans:

  • Standard ($6/user/month): Unlimited boards, advanced checklists, card mirroring, 1,000 monthly automation runs, saved searches, and file uploads up to 250MB. 
  • Premium ($12.50/user/month): Adds AI features, admin controls, workspace-level templates, unlimited command runs, and advanced views like Timeline, Calendar, Table, Dashboard, and Map.
  • Enterprise ($17.50/user/month): Designed for larger organizations, this includes everything in Premium plus enterprise-grade permissions, Power-Up admin, unlimited workspaces, SSO, and 24/7 Atlassian support.

Final thoughts

Trello is a great option if you want a project management tool that looks like a whiteboard and feels just as intuitive. The automation features and new inbox/planner updates add some solid power without complicating the experience. Just know that if you start needing a bunch of extras, you’ll probably want to upgrade—or switch to something more robust.

6. Wrike: Best for enterprise-level teams

Score: 8/10

Out of all the project management tools I’ve tested, Wrike feels like it was built for project managers who want more control than the average software allows but don’t want to spend hours figuring out how things work. It leans heavier into enterprise-level capabilities, but I still found it surprisingly easy to get started with.

The onboarding experience was detailed without being overwhelming. Instead of tossing you into a blank workspace or giving you a rigid tutorial, Wrike walks you through the basics with smart video pop-ups and contextual help menus that show up when you need them. 

With Wrike, you can create tasks, subtasks, and folders with drag-and-drop precision. The right-click menus are super useful, making bulk actions and task editing feel genuinely fast and efficient.

The AI features embedded in Wrike are useful if you deal with many task descriptions, multiple collaborators, or even team members from across the world. It helps you summarize lengthy texts, summarize a whole thread of comments on a task, change tone, shorten briefs, or even translate text into various languages like Italian, Japanese, Korean, and more. 

Remember, the AI features are only limited to the paid plans of Wrike. 

For your workflow automation, simply choose an item you’d want to apply the rule to, select a trigger, like when someone updates a task’s status or adds an assignee, and add conditions, like if an item is agreed upon and has a specific custom field. Lastly, decide on an action you want to automate, like adding a comment or assigning someone else — and that’s it. 

I find it pretty smooth; even beginners or non-tech-savvy users can instantly employ this.

What I found most unique, though, was the “Stream” view. It’s like a live feed for your project activity. It’s great if you’re the type who wants to stay in the loop without swooping into every task thread. I used it as a command center, especially on projects with many moving parts.

Features

  • Built-in time tracking with both manual and live timers
  • Detailed resource allocation tools with drag-and-drop adjustments
  • File comparison mode for visual changes across versions
  • Powerful right-click context menus to speed up task actions
  • 400+ integrations, including Slack, Teams, Google Drive, and Adobe Creative Cloud

Ideal users

  • Best for: Mid-to-large teams who work on complex projects with layered workflows.
  • Great for: Marketing and creative teams, agencies, and project managers who juggle multiple clients or internal departments.
  • Not ideal for: People looking for lightweight or visually simple tools. Wrike’s depth can feel overkill if you only need a place to check off daily tasks.
  • Also avoid if: You prioritize speed over extensive features. While Wrike is capable, it’s not the fastest when it comes to performance and loading times.
  • Better alternative: Try Lindy if you want more speed and a visually cleaner workspace without losing much functionality. It doesn’t go as deep into resource allocation, but it handles most workflows with far less friction.

Pricing

Wrike’s free plan supports basic project and task management features like board and table views, along with access to web, desktop, and mobile apps. It’s a decent starting point, though active task limitations apply.

For growing teams, Wrike offers two paid plans:

  • Team ($10/user/month): Includes unlimited tasks and subtasks, Gantt charts, shared dashboards, 50 monthly automation actions per user, custom fields, cross-tagging, generative AI, and 2GB storage per user. Best suited for teams with up to 15 users.
  • Business ($25/user/month): Adds support for 5–200 users, advanced tools like Project Blueprints, custom item types, resource planning, 200 automation actions per user/month, real-time reports, file proofing, DAM integrations, Adobe Creative Cloud extensions, and 5GB storage per user.

All paid plans come with a free trial—no credit card required.

Final thoughts

Wrike feels less like a trendy app and more like a no-nonsense project management tool for teams that need structure. It’s not trying to be everything for everyone—and that’s actually its strength. If you want granular control over how work gets done, and you’re okay with trading some visual flair for serious functionality, Wrike is worth considering. Just be ready to invest a bit of time upfront to utilize it fully.

7. Smartsheet: Best for spreadsheet-style workflows

Score: 8/10

Smartsheet is built for teams who prefer grids but need more than spreadsheets. While it looks like Excel at first, you can quickly turn those grids into collaborative task boards, workflow builders, and project trackers. I tested it by setting up a content calendar, and Smartsheet didn’t disappoint. 

Using columns like due dates, owners, checkboxes, and progress bars is easy. But Smartsheet is even better because these columns can trigger full workflows. You can automate alerts, approvals or even move rows based on changes in a cell. I tried one setup where marking a task as Complete logged the date and sent a wrap-up email. 

Smartsheet's trigger-condition-action workflow is helpful, too. You can set it to send update requests, generate PDFs, or shift rows between sheets on a schedule. The Activity Log keeps track of every change, who did what, when, and where. 

All this improves transparency, and you get a clear view of edits, shares, and updates across your workspace. The project dashboard further gives you an overview of your task status and progress using visuals.

It also works well with Microsoft Teams, Adobe, Tableau, and even Power BI, making it feel like the missing puzzle piece if you're working across multiple platforms.

Initially, I had to spend some time learning how to use Smartsheet’s advanced features. But the tutorials helped me figure out how to review attachments properly and extract real-time data from multiple sheets into one view. Now, this can feel like a lot for beginners tackling complex setups. 

Features

  • Smartsheet AI analyzes data, generates formulas, and summarizes content
  • Admin tools to manage and audit user access, ownership, and activity
  • Tracks workload to identify availability, monitor tasks, and resolve over-allocations
  • Auto-generated data visualizations, including burndown and time series charts
  • A no-code setup builds custom web and mobile apps  

Ideal users

  • Best for: Mid-to-large teams handling structured, repeatable workflows across departments. Smartsheet shines for teams like operations, marketing, IT, and project management.
  • Great for: Teams familiar with spreadsheets but want more power—like automation and syncing with apps like Salesforce or Jira.
  • Not ideal for: Individuals or teams who just need a simple to-do list. Smartsheet might feel like too much for basic task tracking.
  • Also avoid if: You're looking for lightweight automation or creative brainstorming tools. Notion might be a better fit for visual, flexible work.
  • Better alternative: If you’re after quick setup, smart AI assistance, and easy task summaries, Lindy might be a better pick.

Pricing

Smartsheet doesn’t have a forever-free plan, but you do get a 30-day free trial with full Business plan features. That’s more than enough time to explore whether it fits your team’s workflow:

  • Pro Plan ($12/month per member): Best for small teams managing simple projects. Includes Gantt, board, and calendar views, rich formulas, unlimited sheets and reports, and 250 automation runs per month.
  • Business Plan ($24/month per member): Designed for scaling teams. Adds a timeline view, admin controls, unlimited automation, team workload tracking, 1TB file storage, and more advanced features like SAML SSO.

Final thoughts

Smartsheet isn’t for someone just looking to manage their personal to-do list. But it delivers well if you're running cross-functional projects and need something that blends Excel's familiarity with the power of project management tools. You’ll just want to set aside a bit of time upfront to learn how to make the most of it.

8. Airtable: Best for database-style task management

Score: 7.5/10

Think of Airtable as a smart spreadsheet with the flexibility of a database that’s super easy to use. Its interface might feel familiar to you if you've worked on Excel or Google Sheets already. 

I find Airtable’s sheets pretty intuitive and well-organized. Unlike a standard spreadsheet, each cell can store more than just text or numbers. You can add attachments like files and images, set up checkboxes and ratings, or link records across different tables. 

To test this, I created a library of my favorite books and added their descriptions, cover images, and status indicators (like "reading," "completed," or "not started"). It felt like building my own personal Goodreads. 

Airtable also supports multiple views so you can visualize tasks and projects in the best way. Switching between grid, gallery, or Kanban view takes just a few clicks. I especially like how easy it is to set up a calendar view, as it instantly highlights all my deadlines in one clear overview.

Airtable has web extensions for quick access. They’re easy to add to your web browser for better data visualization, reporting, and bulk imports. If you need more, you can build custom extensions for your team, too.

Airtable offers multiple basic automation options. You can connect it to Google Workspace, Slack, Facebook, and X (Twitter) and set up anything from simple notifications to multi-step workflows using triggers and actions. If you need deeper customization, you can use JavaScript or pick from existing templates to get started quickly.

And since data import worked smoothly, I avoided manual entry. Still, the advanced tools and integrations take time to learn. The bigger issue is the mobile app’s limitations. You can’t send referral invites, upgrade workspace, or take snapshots. Even switching to Gantt view, Timeline view, or list view isn’t available, which makes it hard to work on the go.

Plus, once you move beyond the free plan, Airtable’s pricing spikes up. Although the free plan is generous enough to get started (up to 1,000 records), you’ve got to upgrade for more records or automation triggers.

Features

  • Secure logins through SAML-based single sign-on
  • Manage workflow with real-time two-way data sync
  • Customize data views for clearer insights
  • AI to categorize customer feedback and generate specs for products
  • Organize teams better with a centralized admin panel
  • Quickly build workflows with drag-and-drop interface designer

Ideal users

  • Best for: Small-to-medium teams, freelancers, and creative experts who want simple spreadsheets with an extensive database. 
  • Great for: Visual thinkers who rely on gallery, calendar, or Kanban views; spreadsheet users who want better features (like file attachments or linked records); and teams requiring lightweight no-code automation.
  • Not ideal for: Large enterprises demanding heavy-duty database scripting or granular permissions. Tools like Notion or Monday.com offer more advanced controls.
  • Also avoid if: You need deep third-party integrations out of the box. While Airtable connects to popular apps, platforms like Jira handle complex workflows better.
  • Better alternative: If you want a more AI-oriented tool for task summaries and automation, check out Wrike or ClickUp. 

Pricing

Airtable has two paid plans:

  • Team Plan ($20/month per seat): Ideal for teams collaborating on shared workflows. Offers 50,000 records per base, 25,000 automation runs, 20 GB attachment storage per base, timeline and Gantt views, and extensions.
  • Business Plan ($45/month per seat): Includes 125,000 records per base, premium integrations, verified data, two-way sync, admin panel, and SAML-based single sign-on.

Final thoughts

Airtable is a solid pick if you're looking for a tool that blends spreadsheets with simple workflows. It's great for businesses managing projects, content, or operations that need flexible structure. But if you're a freelancer or a small team, you might find it expensive or overly complex for basic tasks.

9. Jira: Best for agile software teams and sprint planning

Score: 7.5/10

If managing projects ever felt more like chasing updates than doing actual work, Jira can help fix that. It’s built for software, IT, or any structured workflow teams. I started using Jira thinking it'd be too developer-specific, but it's more versatile.

I like how your workflow updates in real-time, so even if your team’s remote or async, everyone stays in the loop.

The dashboard is packed with features, and from there itself you can switch between list, board, and calendar views. Using the Kanban board, you can update tasks from "To Do" to "In Progress" to "Done" in a few clicks. 

I tried planning a content piece on Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon and found it easy to jot down details. But with so many features visible upfront—like custom fields, statuses, and filters—the workspace quickly felt cluttered. This can be a bit too much for someone new to project tools. 

After a few YouTube tutorials, though, things started to click, and I began to appreciate the level of control dev teams get.

Jira’s automation setup is built on three simple steps: triggers, conditions, and actions. Triggers start the rule, like when a task gets created or moved. Conditions act like filters to ensure the rule only applies in certain cases. Actions are what actually get done, like sending a notification or closing a ticket. 

There’s even an automation template library to help you get started fast. You can auto-assign issues, send reminders, update statuses, or get Slack summaries with simple guides to walk you through each step.

Features 

  • Drag-and-drop boards make tracking tasks easy and visual
  • Advanced filters let you quickly find specific tasks or issues
  • Integration with Confluence, Bitbucket, Slack, and more
  • Detailed reporting for sprint insights, burndown, and velocity charts
  • Role-based permissions keep sensitive info in the right hands
  • Mobile app helps teams stay updated on the go

Ideal users

  • Best for: Software development teams, product managers, and agile teams that need structure, sprint planning, and detailed issue tracking. Jira easily breaks down complex projects into manageable tasks.
  • Also great for: Large cross-functional teams that want high customizability, audit trails, and advanced reporting features to stay aligned across departments.
  • Not ideal for: Freelancers or small teams managing simple to-do lists. Jira’s setup and interface can feel a bit tricky for simple needs or non-technical users.
  • Also avoid if: You’re looking for fast task summaries, simple automations, or natural language interactions. Jira's learning curve and rigid structure can slow things down for general task management.
  • Better alternative: For teams who want a faster, AI-powered workspace with less setup and more automation out of the box, Lindy is a smarter, simpler choice.

Pricing

Jira offers a free plan for up to 10 users, giving you access to tools like task tracking, backlog, timeline, board, and summary views. You also get 2GB of storage and support from the Atlassian Community. For more complex needs, try any of the following plans: 

  • Standard Plan ($7.53/user/month): Offers user roles and permissions, external collaboration, multi-region data residency, 1,700 automation rule runs/month, 250GB of storage, regional support, and support for up to 50,000 users on one site.
  • Premium Plan ($13.53/user/month): Includes AI-generated content, cross-team dependency management, customizable approval workflows, 1,000 automation rule runs per user, unlimited storage, admin insights, 24/7 premium support, and a 99.9% uptime SLA.

Final thoughts

Jira handles project management well and is built for complex workflows. That being said, it’s not for everyone. The features set can overwhelm freelancers and teams with simple task management needs. But Jira can help you keep things on track for multi-layered projects with large teams.

10. Notion: Best for flexible workspaces

Score: 7/10

If you’ve ever wished your notes, tasks, and wikis all lived in one clean, customizable space, you’ll get why Notion is so popular. It blends note-taking, database building, and simple project management in one place without being cluttered.

What stands out first is the interface. Notion is sleek and distraction-free, almost too zen for a productivity tool. Setting up a basic task board or journal is quick. Once I started adding databases, tables, and linked pages to my workspace, Notion was easier to work with.

Notion’s template library has over 30,000 templates for categories like portfolio, social media, freelance, business operations, project management, and more. Moreover, you get one-click setups for everything here. 

Although Notion AI's workspace replicates ChatGPT, I liked how the chatbot responded to Draft a page for project planning. Notion AI quickly built an importable template for me. I just had to fill out details for project overview, objectives, team members, milestones, timelines, etc. And if you lean towards creativity, you can add emojis, change color, add graphics, switch font, and ask AI to tweak anything you don't like.

Notion’s project management features feel like building your dashboard with Lego blocks. You decide what to track, how to display it, and what matters most. Whether it’s task lists, Kanban boards, timelines, or calendars, everything can be arranged in one place. You can filter by priority, sort by status, and even build dashboards using charts.

On the downside, I noticed a bit of notification fatigue while collaborating with my team. Notion alerts you for almost every small update unless you take the time to adjust the settings.

Features 

  • Real-time collaboration helps teams co-edit pages instantly.
  • Add comments and mentions to streamline team communication.
  • Search bar quickly finds content across your entire workspace.
  • Automate basic tasks with integrations and third-party tools.
  • Visualize project data using built-in charts and tables.

Ideal users

  • Best for: Individuals, students, and small teams who want an all-in-one workspace to take notes, manage tasks, build wikis, or track projects without switching between apps. 
  • Great for: Content creators, solopreneurs, and early-stage startups who value flexibility and visual organization. 
  • Not ideal for: Large teams with rigid workflows or people who need advanced automation. The flexibility can get overwhelming, and automation is pretty limited, too.
  • Also avoid if: You rely heavily on offline access. Notion still struggles without a stable internet connection.
  • Better alternative: If your team needs fast automation, built-in AI assistance, and smart task summaries right out of the box, Wrike is likely a better fit with less setup and more structure.

Pricing

Notion’s Free plan is a solid place to start if you're organizing personal projects, journaling, or managing light workflows. You’ll get access to a collaborative workspace, basic analytics, and integrations with Slack and GitHub, plus the ability to invite up to 10 guests.

You can upgrade for more advanced needs:

  • Plus Plan ($12/month per seat): Get unlimited file uploads, synced databases with third-party apps, charts, dashboards, custom automations, and the ability to invite up to 100 guests.
  • Business Plan ($18/month per seat): Adds advanced admin tools like SAML SSO, private teamspaces, bulk PDF exports, deeper analytics, and 90-day page history with room for 250 guests.

Final thoughts

Notion is perfect if you want a flexible workspace to organize ideas, tasks, and projects without relying on a bunch of tools. It’s great for creatives and small teams who enjoy visual structure and customization. While there’s less of a learning curve, the limited automation might slow down larger teams.

How We Chose the Best Workflow Management Software

Each tool mentioned in my list was carefully tested with both a handful and a dozen team members to test their real workflow management features. I’ve tried to include tool that are ideal for various audiences — be it a startup, a growing business, or a solo freelancer with a small team.

I manually set up various tasks, automated workflows, and added different people to test each tool's collaborative features. At last, only the ones that solved real workflow problems made the cut, not just the ones with flashy ads.

Key factors I looked at

  • Simplicity: I've looked for intuitive platforms since nobody likes complex setups or steep learning curves. These tools have a neat interface, which makes in-app navigation easy.
  • Automation Features: I made sure each pick works well with popular tools like Slack, Google Workspace, Notion, and CRMs. This ensures your workflows stay connected and don’t exist in a silo.
  • Customizability: One size doesn’t fit all. The list includes tools that let you build workflows your way, whether that’s editing pipelines, views, or rule-based triggers.
  • Notifications: An effective workflow system keeps everyone in the loop with timely alerts. This keeps your team on the same page, reducing the chance of miscommunication.  

Other features I considered

  • Mobile or web accessibility
  • Transparent, scalable pricing
  • Templates to get started faster
  • Strong user reviews or community feedback
  • Role-based permissions and team collaboration
  • Reliable customer support
  • Quick integration with other apps

Special Mentions

11. Basecamp: Great for simple, remote team communication but lacks advanced task management and basic features like a Gantt chart.

12. Hive: I like how customizable and intuitive it is, yet the performance issues and occasional bugs make it feel clunky under pressure.

13. Kissflow: Good for automating simple processes quickly, although you may struggle with complex workflows and since it has limited design flexibility.

14. Nintex: Offers powerful automation for enterprise-level use cases, but it's expensive and has a steep learning curve for new users.

15. Zoho Projects: Solid option for small businesses with its rich feature set, but the interface can feel dated and a bit overwhelming at times.

16. Celoxis: Strong on reporting and project tracking, but the UI feels outdated, and it's not as beginner-friendly as other tools.

17. Miro: Great for teams looking for collaborative brainstorming and visual planning. Miro’s is more like a whiteboard and less like a workboard.  

18. Qntrl: Suitable for teams that want structured workflows and integrations with a no-code setup, though the mobile app can be limiting.

19. Flokzu: Extensive tools for business process automation and administrative control, but the interface feels outdated, and only a few recent user reviews are available.

20. Lucidchart: Integrates with GPT to produce stunning visual process maps and diagrams but lacks quick support options like live chat and calls.

21. ProWorkflow: Loved the features for detailed time tracking, reporting, invoicing, though lack of a free plan limits its use case to medium and large organizations only.

22. Backlog: Acts like an all-around tool for project management, task tracking, version control, and bug tracking. At times, reporting may require advanced configuration.  

23. Cflow: Rich API integration to connect tools like G Suite, Office 365, and other webhooks, though I came across a few occasional bugs.

24. Striven: All-in-one business management software system with beginner-friendly tools, but creative teams might find the interface crusted.

25. Leantime: Ideal for startups who value lean methodology, but might fall short for teams needing complex workflow features.

26. nTask: Takes care of end-to-end project management needs without being harsh on your pocket, though it’s hard to find its latest reviews.

27. Aisera: Impressive AI automation for enterprise support teams, but the setup is complex and best suited for large organizations.

28. Salesforce Einstein: Lets you manage sales, marketing, and customer support with AI-driven workflows, though pricing can be an issue for freelancers and small teams.

29. Microsoft Power Automate: Excellent for automating across Microsoft tools, but complex flows can be tricky for non-tech users.

30. Pipefy: Simple and flexible no-code workflows make it user-friendly, but it can be slow at times, just like its customer support

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best workflow software for teams?

Lindy, Monday.com, Airtable, and Asana are some of the best workflow software for teams. Each of these offers AI automation, visual project boards, or database-style flexibility, so the best choice depends on your team's specific needs.

Can workflow management software integrate with my existing tools?

Yes, most workflow software integrates easily with popular tools like Slack, Google Workspace, Zapier, Salesforce, and many more. These integrations help centralize your work and reduce the need to switch between apps.

Can small businesses use workflow software?

Absolutely. Tools like Trello, Lindy, and Asana are designed to scale with your business and offer free plans that are perfect for getting started. They help small teams stay on top of tasks, communicate clearly, and grow efficiently.

Is workflow software difficult to set up?

Most workflow tools offer intuitive interfaces and pre-built templates, so setup is generally quick and beginner-friendly. That said, unlocking their full potential — especially with advanced automation — might require a bit of experimentation or onboarding support.

Does Lindy offer workflow automation?

Yes, Lindy.ai excels at workflow automation. Its AI-powered workflows help your team manage tasks faster, route messages intelligently, and stay organized — all without complex configurations or coding.

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Let Lindy be your AI workflow management software – and more!

Are you ready to stop doing everything the manual way? Lindy isn’t just another software solution — it’s a full-fledged partner that transforms how your sales team learns, grows, and closes deals. 

Here’s why Lindy should be in your corner:

  • Personalized coaching that actually works: Lindy’s Meeting Coach adds AI to your sales calls with actionable insights. From objection handling to tone improvements, your reps get real-time feedback tailored to their unique skills and areas of growth.
  • Role-playing that’s scarily real: Forget scripted scenarios that feel like acting class rejects. Lindy’s role-playing simulations adapt dynamically to your reps’ responses, building confidence for handling even the trickiest sales situations.
  • Integrates with major apps: From Airtable to Salesforce, Lindy seamlessly connects with your favorite tools, ensuring all your training data and sales insights stay organized and accessible.
  • Lead generation that works with you: With Lindy’s Lead Generator, find and qualify leads in minutes. It delivers curated lead lists, updates your CRM, and even handles follow-ups so your team can focus on building relationships, not spreadsheets.
  • Email outreach handled start-to-finish: Lindy’s Email Negotiator crafts personalized outreach and manages replies autonomously. Your team will look like communication pros — without the nights drafting emails.
  • Ready-made solutions for instant results: Access Lindy’s pre-built AI assistants in the Lindy Store. From sales training to customer interactions, integrating these solutions is as simple as clicking a button.
  • More than just sales training: Lindy’s versatility goes way beyond sales training. From meeting note-taking and website chatbots for customer support to content creation and lead generation, Lindy agents cover a range of business needs that streamline operations across your organization.
  • A team of Lindies for every job: With Lindy’s Societies feature, you can create specialized Lindy agents for everything from role-playing simulations to call analysis. It’s like having a dedicated sales coach, lead generator, and data analyst all in one team — and working together. 
  • Affordable AI that scales with you: Lindy delivers premium AI-powered solutions without the premium price tag.

Try Lindy for free.

About the editorial team
Flo Crivello
Founder and CEO of Lindy

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Education: Master of Arts/Science, Supinfo International University

Previous Experience: Founded Teamflow, a virtual office, and prior to that used to work as a PM at Uber, where he joined in 2015.

Lindy Drope
Founding GTM at Lindy

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Education: Master of Arts/Science, Supinfo International University

Previous Experience: Founded Teamflow, a virtual office, and prior to that used to work as a PM at Uber, where he joined in 2015.

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