I'm running a small agency with about 12 people, and we've tried a lot of project management tools. The one we're currently using costs $30 per user each month, which feels excessive. I'm looking for a tool that offers solid sprint planning, time tracking, and maybe some automation features. What are other agencies using that's been effective for them?
5 Answers
We've been using Asana for ages, and it works pretty well for managing sprints and time recording. If you learn how to use its automation features, it can be really helpful. But honestly, with a team of your size, $30 per user is pretty standard. You can get a lot of value if you use it right!
Switching tools just to save money can be a bad move if it ends up making your workflow less efficient. $30 per person seems reasonable for what you’re getting. Just make sure that the tool saves each team member at least 30 minutes a month. If so, it’s worth it. You want to avoid penny-pinching yourself into inefficiency!
Honestly, if you’re feeling that the $30 per user fee is breaking your budget, it sounds like there might be bigger issues at play. A lot of agencies jump from tool to tool, but often it’s not the tool that’s the problem; it's unclear processes. I suggest you really pinpoint what doesn’t work with your current setup before making a switch. Otherwise, you may just find yourself back at square one in a few months!
Actually, we built our own project management solution. If you have the resources, that could be a really effective way to cater specifically to your needs!
We just combine using GitHub, Slack, and the free version of Trello. It keeps things simple and works for our team. Plus, you can't beat free!
That’s a good point! But I've heard that some developers are getting fed up with subscription fees. I’ve started looking into OpenProject, which you can host for free up to 25 users. It has all the features we need, though the interface isn't the best.