Product management is the foundation of successful businesses, driven by a deep understanding of customer needs and market opportunities, and defining a clear product strategy. According to Gartner, customer-focused tech companies are more likely to thrive. To excel in this role, product managers rely on tools that streamline workflows and foster collaboration.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the top 10 best product management tools in 2024: Jira, Shorter Loop (formerly Prodeasy), Asana, ClickUp, Productplan, ProductBoard, Aha, Pendo, Monday Dev, and Craft.io. These tools empower forward-thinking product managers, offering key features and benefits to enhance your product management efforts, such as product discovery, product vision, user persona, user journey, product feature prioritization, MVP (minimum viable product), product roadmap, user behavior, user analytics, feedback management, product launch, product usage metrics and more.
The global product management software market is set to surge from USD 2.02 Billion in 2017 to a projected USD 5.06 Billion by 2030, with a robust CAGR of 11.1%. Additionally, Gartner predicts that by 2023, more than 75% of product managers will utilize product management and road mapping tools to enhance planning and communication. (Source: Gartner).
Why Do Product Management Tools Matter?
Customer Insights: These tools gather customer insights throughout the product journey, ensuring a focus on revenue-generating solutions based on customer requirements, from discovery to post-launch.
Prioritizing Features: Product management tools prioritize features to enhance user experiences, benefiting product teams, the company, and customers.
Efficiency: These tools streamline task and project management, boosting efficiency and organization.
Collaboration: They foster cross-functional team collaboration, aligning with organizational objectives.
Top 10 Product Management Tools/ Product Management Software at a Glance
1. Jira: Great Project Management & Team Collaboration
Figure: Jira - Great Project Management and Team Collaboration
Overview
Jira, by Atlassian, is a renowned product management tool tailored for agile teams. It excels in project planning, backlog management, sprint tracking, and issue tracking.
Mostly used by IT/Engineering teams for project, workflow, dependency management, support ticket management.
Not that easy to use.
Price
Pricing varies based on the number of users and plan selected. Try for free is available for up to 10 users.
2. Shorter Loop: The Ultimate Customer-Centric All-in-One Product and Project Management Platform
Figure: Shorter Loop (shorterloop.com) The ultimate Customer-Centric All-in-One Product and Project Management Platform
Overview
Shorter Loop (formerly Prodeasy) excels with robust continuous product discovery, an intuitive user interface, automated insights through Shorter Loop AI, and adaptability for organizations of all sizes, including local, global, or hybrid teams. It ensures early product-market fit by leveraging continuous customer feedback. Works well on agile methodology, agile product development, and also waterfall model.
Key Benefits and When to Consider
Gives solutions to these key business and product-related questions: - Who is our
Customer? What problems are we solving? Will our solution have a market? Is your strategy financially sound? How will we stay disciplined and focused? Are we executing our strategy?
Ease of Use: User-friendly interface for quick onboarding.
Only platform that seamlessly connects all the agile product development stages of the continuous discovery process
Only platform that will support product management from Ideation to Value Realization. Consists of all the modules - Listen, Ideation, Strategize, Define, Design, Prototype/MVP, Build, Launch, Measure, and Learn while keeping customers at the center.
Only platform that supports experiments and idea validation within the tool
Only platform that will provide coaching through the platform
Idea, Issues & Feedback Collection: Built-in features for gathering ideas, and issues from users, partners, and internal stakeholders at any stage of the product management process, analyzing and generating insightful themes based on feedback (powered by generative AI), and proposing product solutions with the help of AI to scale further.
Manage your projects from Jira, Slack to here. Import data from any tools.
Cons
Integrated with Slack, Jira. Have the vision to integrate with other tools, such as Google, Trello, Asana, Microsoft etc. Limited integration options compared to some other tools.
Price
Try for free is available for anyone globally - . Pricing information is given for startups, starting at $10 per user per month, and growth teams for $20 per month per user. Enterprise and Premium
3. Asana: Versatile Project Management
Figure: Asana, project management platform
Overview
Asana is a versatile project management tool known for its task management, timeline visualization, team communication, and progress-tracking features.
Key Benefits and When to Consider
Streamlined Communication: Centralized platform for team communication, eliminating fragmented emails.
Visualizing Projects: Visual project plans help identify dependencies, allocate resources, and manage deadlines.
Flexible Methodologies: Suitable for both agile and waterfall methodologies.
Cons
Mostly a project and workflow/task management tool. Basic reporting features may not meet advanced analytics needs.
Price
Offers free and paid plans with pricing based on features and team size.
4. ClickUp: The All-in-One Project Management Hub
Overview
ClickUp offers an all-in-one project management platform with robust task management, time tracking, Gantt charts, and document management capabilities.
Key Benefits and When to Consider
Customization: Highly customizable to match specific requirements.
Integration: Seamless integration with various tools enhances productivity.
Robust Analytics: Provides valuable insights into team performance and project progress.
Cons
No notable cons were reported.
Price
Offers free and paid plans with pricing based on features and team size.
5. ProductPlan: Mastering Roadmaps
Overview
ProductPlan specializes in simplifying road-mapping and strategic planning. It excels in timeline visualization, strategy alignment, goal tracking, and cross-functional collaboration.
Key Benefits and When to Consider
Visual Roadmapping: Create compelling, easy-to-understand roadmaps that resonate with stakeholders.
Strategy Alignment: Ensure your product strategy aligns with the company's overall goals and priorities.
Cons
Information on pricing is not available on the website.
6. ProductBoard: Customer-Centric Approach
Overview
ProductBoard empowers product managers to centralize user feedback, prioritize features, and align the team around a customer-centric approach.
Key Benefits and When to Consider
User Feedback Centralization: Collect and organize user feedback effectively.
Prioritization: Helps in prioritizing features based on user needs and business goals.
Cons
Pricing information is not transparent and requires contact for details.
7. Aha.io – Roadmapping and Idea Management Hub
Overview
Aha.io is a powerful product management and roadmapping tool designed to help teams build and launch exceptional products.
Key Benefits and When to Consider
Strategic Roadmapping: Create and visualize product roadmaps that align with your strategic objectives.
Idea Management: Capture, prioritize, and manage ideas from various sources to fuel innovation.
Customization: Tailor the platform to match your team's unique workflow and processes.
Cons
Learning Curve: Some users may find that Aha.io has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive feature set.
Only covers a few aspects of product management
Pricing: Detailed pricing information is not readily available on the website.
8. Pendo: Understanding User Behavior
Overview
Pendo is a user analytics and product management platform that allows product managers to understand user behavior and preferences.
Key Benefits and When to Consider
User Behavior Insights: Gain actionable insights into user behavior to improve user experiences.
In-App Messaging: Engage with users directly and gather feedback within the application.
Cons
Pricing information is not available on the website.
Figure: Monday Dev - where Engineering and Project Management meets
Overview
Monday Dev combines project management, coding collaboration, and version control. It integrates seamlessly with popular development tools, fostering accountability and visibility in code changes.
Key Benefits and When to Consider
Version Control: Provides a centralized repository for code collaboration.
Integration with Development Tools: Seamlessly integrates with GitHub and GitLab for streamlined development workflows.
Cons
Information on pricing is not available on the website.
10. Craft.io: Product Management Made Simple
Overview
Craft.io is a comprehensive product management platform designed to help product teams bring their ideas to life with precision and agility.
Key Benefits and When to Consider
Holistic Product Management: Craft.io offers a complete suite of product management tools, from ideation and roadmapping to development and launch, all in one platform.
Visual Collaboration: The platform fosters collaboration with visual tools like story mapping, personas, and prioritization matrices.
Data-Driven Decisions: Craft.io provides robust analytics and reporting features, allowing teams to make informed, data-backed decisions.
Cons
Limited Integrations: Compared to some other tools, Craft.io's integration ecosystem may be somewhat limited, which can be a drawback for teams using multiple software tools.
Pricing: Pricing information is not readily available on the website, which may create uncertainty for potential users.
Conclusion: Why Shorter Loop Stands Out
Shorter Loop (formerly Prodeasy) stands out as the ultimate all-in-one product management platform. It offers a comprehensive solution from ideation to value realization, ensuring that every aspect of agile product management and also conventional waterfall model is covered. Shorter Loop uniquely supports experiments, idea collection, categorization, and validation, and even provides coaching through the platform, also provides integration with Slack, Jira, and more.
In the evolving landscape of product management tools, Shorter Loop stands ahead of the game by providing a holistic solution for creating, launching, and optimizing products. It's the ideal choice for product managers who seek a comprehensive, all-encompassing platform to drive product success.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What tools should product managers use?
Product managers should use tools that facilitate product discovery, idea gathering, roadmap planning, reporting and analytics, task management, collaboration, and integration with other essential tools.
2. Is Shorter Loop a product management tool?
Yes, Shorter Loop is the only all-in-one customer-centric product management tool (aka one of the best product management software) that focuses on various aspects of product management, agile product development/agile project management, agile product roadmap from discovery, ideation, prioritization, product-market fit to product creation, road-mapping and launch, post-launch.
3. What are the 3 major areas of product management?
The three major areas of product management are product discovery, product delivery, and product optimization.
4. What is the best major for product management?
Students who want to make their career in product management, or product strategy can take up these business-related streams including business administration, computer science, engineering, finance, economics, marketing, and design. Ultimately, a product manager's skill set matters more than their major.
5. What must you consider when looking for a product management tool?
When selecting a product management tool or product management software, consider factors like product discovery capabilities (product vision, user persona, user journey, user analytics, set up experiments, hypothesis validation), define (impact map, product feature prioritization, product plan, roadmap), customization, integration options, task management, collaboration features, and pricing.
6. What is a product management tool? Why do you need it?
A product management tool is software designed to assist product managers in product planning, organizing, and tracking various stages of product development. It is essential for streamlining workflows, enhancing collaboration, and making data-driven decisions in product management.
7. What skills does a product manager need?
Product managers need a diverse skill set, including market research, data analysis, communication, leadership, and a deep understanding of the product and its users.
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