Zoho Projects Review – Is This Project Management Software Worth Using?

What can Zoho not do? They have awesome CRM, email, Office Suite, and more. Zoho Projects is yet another Zoho product that’s not just excellent but also super affordable. 

That’s why they continue to be a leader in the project management SaaS arena. It’s an excellent tool for businesses on a budget as well as marketers and creatives working with several clients and products at the same time. 

It’s so good that it’s the PCMag Editor’s Choice for best overall project management—and if you’re not in the know, that’s a pretty solid accomplishment. 

So, what’s so great about Zoho Projects? And is it worth ditching Slack or one of the other alternatives for it? 

Dive into what you need to know to save time and money in this Zoho Projects review. 

What Is Zoho Projects? 

Project management software has become extremely integral for getting distributed teams on the same page. We’ve all had some experience using products like Asana, Trello, and others that rely on the famous “Kanban” method of organization. 

Zoho Projects takes everything you’ve loved about these apps for keeping your work organized and sprinkles it into a ton of useful extra features and integration into the broader Zoho ecosystem. 

This is key. Regardless of your industry, it has what you need to keep everybody on track. It also includes time tracking, collaboration tools, client portals. 

This broad feature set is then enhanced through customizable templates that you can use to fine-tune exactly to whatever you need to take care of. 

Other Zoho Features include: 

• Agile Methodologies
• Budget Management
• Client Portal
• Collaboration Tools
• Cost-to-Completion Tracking
• Customizable Templates
• Gantt Charts
• Idea Management
• Milestone Tracking
• Portfolio Management
• Resource Management
• Traditional Methodologies

How Do You Use Zoho? 

The interface of Zoho Projects is simple enough. If you have experience with other project management software, then it will feel very familiar. 

After setting up your account, you can start by creating a new project and getting to work right away. 

But it’s definitely worth spending 20-30 minutes checking out the “Explore Zoho Projects” tab. This is the tutorial that will run you through all the main features. Remember, there are a ton of them. 

You can check out what tasks, Kanban boards, and everything else look like in action to make your life easier when you’re ready to build your own project. 

How Much Does Zoho Projects Cost? 

Small teams are going to live. Zoho Projects is free for up to three users. How can you beat that? 

Don’t worry. It’s also extremely affordable to teams of any size. Plans start from $3/month for 6 users up to $6 for Enterprise. 

Here’s a breakdown of the pricing below: 

To put this number in perspective, LiquidPlanner, which many compare Zoho, is $45/month per user. Even Trello’s premium plans are $10/month, making Zoho Projects a pretty sweet deal. 

What Can You Do With Zoho? 

A lot. We’re going to skip Kanban and basic project management since you’re likely very familiar with this already. Instead, we’ll focus on a few of the awesome things that Zoho Projects can do that make it stand above its competitors. 

1. Planned vs. Actual 

We all have great plans. But how do they translate into results? Planned vs. Actual helps you get a better sense of that. 

With it, you can map out the difference in planned vs. actual work hours as it lines up to the progress made during a project. 

You can imagine how useful this is for a large variety of professions. Let’s say you’re a marketing agency working on a client’s project. You can see exactly how much people are working to plan and reach milestones both now and in the future. 

2. Gantt Charts 

Gantt Charts are big in the project management world because they help you visualize progress being made more directly instead of card layout in Kanban. Both have their strengths, which is why it’s great you can have both in Zoho.

It’s easy enough to customize tasks, assign roles, and organize by milestone, making this an indispensable feature. 

3. Bug/Issue Tracking 

No matter what you do, something is bound to go wrong on occasion. This is doubly true for those working in software development, engineering, and trades. 

Bug tracking is where Zoho distinguishes itself as not just for the tech crowds, marketers, or “business world.” With bug tracking, you can flag issues by severity and promptly make sure they are taken care of. 

Whether it’s a busted pipe in a client’s home or somebody who needs artwork for their next campaign, you can get it organized with Zoho. 

Zoho Projects Support 

Zoho gets that time is of the essence. Overall, the software is designed to be simple and robust enough that you’ll rarely have any questions about it. If you do, there is an immense amount of support material. 

And there is simply fantastic customer support, including live chat you can reach out to anytime as well as post questions on the forum. In short, you’re in good hands. 

Who Should Use Zoho Projects? 

Very few professionals in any field wouldn’t benefit from a strong project management software. Whether you’re a freelancer managing multiple clients or part of an enterprise team, there are tons of advantages. 

In particular, Zoho Projects is well suited for: 

• Distributed teams 
• Marketing agencies 
• Tech firms 
• Customer service teams 
• Professionals trades like plumbing, electrical, construction, etc. 

Is Zoho Projects Worth It? 

Zoho is awesome and affordable. For anybody who needs robust project management software, then it’s definitely worth it.

How can you beat plans that start from $3-6/month and free options for teams of up to three people? 

The real question is whether you need premium project management software or not. Trello and Asana do a pretty good job, and they are free. While a few bucks a month isn’t much, if you purchase every affordable SaaS tool, it does add up. 

If you’re a small team in between up to 6-8 users, take advantage of Zoho Projects’ free trial and see if the efficiency and organizational gains are worth it. 

On the other hand, for larger teams, hands-down Zoho Projects needs to be your go-to for project management software! 

Pros

• Easy to use 
• Affordable
• Comprehensive feature set 
• Scalable 
• Free plan for up to three users 
• Great collaboration tools 
• Integrates with Zoho and other software tools
• Great time tracking ability 

Cons

• May not be perfect for large teams 
• Gantt charts could be a little more responsive

Zoho Projects Alternatives

There are a lot of alternatives out there in the world of project management. But Zoho has definitely dominated the lower-priced niche for small to medium-sized businesses. 

While Zoho is also equipped to handle enterprise needs, some users with these needs have said it doesn’t scale up super well. While we didn’t experience any issues, apparently reporting tools have broken down at times here. 

For this reason, it can be worth checking out a couple of Zoho Projects competitors if you have larger needs. 

Zoho Projects vs. LiquidPlanner

LiquidPlanner is better suited for medium to large size teams. They also offer more responsive Gantt charts and enhanced reporting and scheduling tools that are simply better than Zoho Projects. The downside is the pricing, which starts at $45/user. 

Zoho Projects vs. Asana

Zoho Projects’ Kanban cards are okay. But if they prefer using them, Asana offers more flexibility with task management in this way. The only downside is pricing, which starts at $10.99/user (with a free plan for small teams), which does seem like quite a bit just for slightly improved Kanban functionality.  

Zoho Projects Review: The Bottom Line

Zoho Projects is an excellent project management software that goes above and beyond to help you stay organized and be productive. It’s affordable and perfectly designed for small to midsize teams. Check it out now!