Top 10 Productive alternatives for 2024

Productivity tools are essential for agencies, consultancies, and professional services providers aiming to streamline workflows and enhance client relationships. In this article, we explore the top 10 alternatives to Productive, highlighting their features, benefits, and how they compare to Productive. Whether you're looking to improve project management, collaboration, or overall efficiency, this guide will help you find the right tool for your business.

What is Productive?

Productive is your all-in-one project management tool built to boost your team's performance. It packs everything you need—resource management, time tracking, sales pipeline oversight, and profitability analysis, to name a few. Productive simplifies your workflow and boosts efficiency. Plus, you get instant updates on your business's performance, making decisions easier and more informed.

Productive shines with its key features: task management, project budgeting, time tracking, and team scheduling, ensuring transparency and accountability. It fosters teamwork by equipping everyone with the resources needed for projects. What sets Productive apart is how it merges all project management aspects into one platform, cutting down on the clutter of using several tools.

While Productive is powerful, you might need other options for certain needs. Consider alternatives offering unique features, cost savings, ease of use, customization, and easy integrations.

What are the top limitations of Productive?

The tool is a feature-rich project management tool, but it has its limits. Understanding these limitations is key to fully grasping what the tool can and cannot offer.

• No free version: which might be a hurdle for small businesses, startups, and freelancers seeking affordable options.
• Interface is complex: its ease of use could be enhanced.
• Missing time tracking and Gantt Charts: important for project planning and management.
• No task dependency: it helps in setting the task sequence crucial for project completion.
• Bugs & slow customer support response times: potentially delaying issue resolution.

Some agency reviews indicates that Productive miss on the Reporting side, something that is crucial for agencies and measuring important KPIs such as profits and utilization rate. In summary, Productive offers many features for project management, but be mindful of its limitations. Exploring alternatives might better suit your needs. Knowing these drawbacks helps in making a well-informed decision.

What are the must-have features of a Productive alternative?

A good alternative to Productive should offer a wide range of features, from task tracking to time management, to match Productive's capabilities. It should enhance work execution and boost team collaboration.

• Task Management: An effective alternative should allow you to create, organize, and prioritize tasks, ideally letting you break down big tasks into smaller, manageable goals. Look for customizable workflows and support for task dependencies to align with your team's specific processes.
• Time Tracking: Integrated time tracking is crucial in a good alternative, boosting efficiency and facilitating productivity analysis. It should provide detailed reports and seamless integration with billing to streamline your operations.
• Collaboration Tools: Features like message boards and document sharing, which enable easy communication and collaboration, are essential in a project management tool. Real-time updates and notifications can further enhance team coordination.

When compared to Productive, essential features like task organization, time tracking, and team collaboration are must-haves. Any tool missing these will not meet the needs of effective project management. Choose an alternative that fits your team dynamics, business needs, and goals for the best operation.

1. Bonsai: the best Productive alternative for 2024

For agencies, consultancies, and professional services providers seeking a productivity suite, Bonsai shines as the top alternative to Productive. Offering a comprehensive suite of tools—including project management, time tracking, invoicing, and client relationship management—Bonsai combines powerful features with a sleek, user-friendly interface. It helps businesses streamline workflows, enhance client relationships, and reduce manual tasks.

Here are five reasons why Bonsai stands out:

1. Seamless Project Management: Bonsai lets you effortlessly create and assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress, keeping your team aligned and ensuring nothing is overlooked.
2. Integrated Time Tracking: Accurately record time spent on tasks or projects, leading to improved time management, productivity insights, and precise billing for clients.
3. All-in-One Solution: Eliminate the need for multiple apps by using Bonsai's integrated platform for task management, invoicing, CRM, contracts, and more, simplifying your workflow.
4. Smart Invoicing and Payments: Invoice clients directly, track payments, and send automated reminders for overdue bills, making financial management seamless and efficient.
5. Tailored for Your Industry: Designed specifically for agencies and consultancies, Bonsai addresses your unique challenges with features that enhance client relationships and project delivery.

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2. Asana

This is a cloud-based tool for organizing, tracking, and managing business tasks and projects. 

Best features:

Asana excels in various areas like:

• Strong task management and workflow features
• Streamlined interface designed for easy team collaboration.
• Robust reporting features to monitor project progress easily.
• Customizable project and task templates 

Limitations: Despite its many strengths, Asana also has a few limitations to keep in mind notably the lack of offline functionality and it can quickly get expensive for larger teams.

Not a fit for: Asana may not be the ideal choice for teams needing advanced time-tracking features that solutions like Productive offer. 

Pricing: Asana offers a free and paid plans, starting at $10.99 per user/month.. 

Reviews and ratings: Asana scores 4.3/5 on G2, with praise for its ease of use and functionality, though some critique its pricing.

3. Trello

This is a versatile tool for managing projects and team collaboration, known for its simple task tracking and coordination. 

Best features:

• Kanban-style boards for easy visual task management.
• Seamless integration with apps like Slack and Google Drive.
• Effective notification system for updates and comments.
• Available on various platforms, including mobile. 

Limitations: While Trello excels in flexibility, it has some limitations as it's not suited for large, complex projects, it lacks built-in reporting and analytics features and its Interface may seem overly simple for some users. 

Not a fit for: Trello suits small teams and projects but struggles with larger, complex tasks needing detailed tracking or resource management.

Pricing: Trello has a free plan, with paid options from $12.50 per user/month for more features.

 Reviews and ratings: Trello scores 4.3/5 on G2 for its ease and setup, though it's noted for having fewer features than some alternatives like Productive.

4. Clickup

This is a user-friendly productivity platform that centralizes all work tasks. 

Best features:

• Wide-ranging customization for goals and projects.
• Integrates with many popular apps (Slack, Google Calendar, etc.).
• Automation for recurring deadlines and reminders.
• Robust reporting and analytics tools.

Limitations: despite its myriad capabilities, ClickUp isn't without its drawbacks. 

• Lack of offline mode
• Occasional slow performance and loading times
• The complex interface can be quite overwhelming for new users
• Limited free plan options.

Not a fit for: ideal for those who like a simple, minimalistic task management approach, similar to Productive.

Pricing: offers a free plan, plus paid packages starting at $9 per user/month when billed annually.

Reviews and ratings: rated around 4.7/5 on Capterra and G2 Crowd, celebrated for its versatility and customization options.

5. Monday

This tool is a popular project management solution that offers tools for task scheduling, team collaboration and project tracking.

Best features:

• Customizable workflows to suit a variety of business needs
• Integration with a variety of third-party apps like as Google Drive, Slack, etc.
• Visual project timelines and automated notifications for improved efficiency
• Highly intuitive user interface that enhances user experience

Limitations: some users find the advanced features a bit difficult to navigate and it's not well suited for more complex projects that require specialized management tools.

Not a fit for: Smaller businesses with simpler project management needs may find Monday.com overwhelming and overpriced.

Pricing: The pricing structure is scalable, starting from $39 per month, though it may seem expensive for smaller businesses.

Reviews and ratings: Monday.com has received high ratings from its users on websites like Trustpilot, who particularly praise its task management and integration capabilities. However, reviewers recommend Bonsai as a less expensive alternative with similar, if not more, features.

6. Jira

Jira is a powerful project management tool especially known for tracking and managing bugs and issues.

Best features:

Jira stands out with numerous strong points: 

• Advanced issue tracking for software development.
• Custom workflows to fit project management needs.
• Wide selection of plug-ins for added functionality.
• Integrates with Atlassian products and many third-party tools.

Limitations:

Despite its advantages, Jira has some drawbacks: 

• Its complex features can make it challenging for beginners. 
• Configuration changes can impact entire systems.

Not a fit for:

Jira's focus on software projects might be less intuitive for non-tech teams.

Pricing:

Jira's pricing starts free for up to ten users, and paid plans start at $7 per month.

Reviews and ratings:

This is generally well-regarded, although some users are not satisfied with the learning curve, particularly when compared to alternatives like Productive.

7. Basecamp

This is a project management tool that is renowned for its robust which will help to boost productivity and foster team collaboration.

Best Features:

• Offers project templates to kickstart work.
• Provides message boards for easy communication within teams.
• Has an automatic check-in feature to get status updates from team members.
• Features a hill chart illustrating the project's progress

Limitations:

• Lacks time tracking feature.
• It's not very customizable compared to other tools.
• Doesn't offer a native workload balancing feature.

Not a Fit For:

Basecamp offers comprehensive project management features like Gantt charts or requires more integrations.

Pricing:

Offers a flat rate of $99 per month regardless of user count. They also offer a free version limited to three projects and 20 users.

Reviews and Ratings:

With ratings averaging 4.3 out of 5 across multiple review platforms, it is a favored tool amongst many teams. Read more about it here.

8. Microsoft planner

This tool from Microsoft is used for tracking individual and team progress on various tasks and projects. 

Best features:

Microsoft Planner offers a range of attractive features.

• Dashboard for at-a-glance updates.
• Integration with other Microsoft 365 apps.
• Email notifications to stay up-to-date with progress.
• Categorize tasks for organized project management. 

Limitations:

Despite its features, there are certain limitations to bear in mind.

• Limitation in reporting tools.
• Unable to project management capabilities like Gantt charts.

Not a fit for:

Microsoft Planner may not be the perfect fit for everyone.

• Teams needing advanced project management features.

Pricing:

Microsoft Planner is available at different subscription levels through Microsoft 365. 

Reviews and ratings:

As a Productive alternative, Microsoft Planner has mixed reviews due to its limitations in project management capabilities.

9. Smartsheet

This platform is a powerful project management tool that aids in planning, tracking, automating, and sharing work at scale. 

Best Features:

Smart advanced features that prioritize adaptability and flexibility.

• Real-time collaboration and sharing
• Visual timeline (Gantt charts, Calendar view)
• Automated workflows for repetitive tasks
• Integration capabilities with popular applications like Slack, MS Teams etc.

Limitations:

Here are some constraints with Smartsheet.

• It has a steep learning curve as it is highly complex
• Lacks in-built chat capability
• Formatting options are limited

Not a fit for:

This tool may not be suitable for startups or small businesses due to costs and complexity

Pricing:

This also offers a range of plans, starting from $14 per user per month

Reviews and Ratings:

On software review sites like G2, Smartsheet generally has strong reviews, but some users mention a need for more in-depth training. Comparatively, Productive offers simplicity and affordability but might not cater to businesses needing extensive customization.

10. Wrike

Wrike is a robust project management platform known for its flexibility and comprehensive features that help in balancing project progress and team collaboration.

Best features:

• Interactive Gantt charts for visual project timelines 
• Real-time news feed for updates 
• A multitude of integrations with other popular productivity tools
• Customizable dashboards for convenient project tracking 

Limitations:

Like most tools, Wrike has areas it might not fully satisfy users.

• A steep learning curve for new users 
• Limited options for personalization and customization 

Not a fit for:

Wrike might not be ideal for small businesses due to its complex features and pricing.

 Pricing:

Wrike offers a free plan for up to 5 users, but their paid tier starts at $9.80/user/month. Find more info on their pricing page.

Reviews and ratings:

On average, users give Wrike a 4.2 out of 5 rating, appreciating its robust features but citing complexity as a downside.

For a simpler, more intuitive alternative, consider Bonsai.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Bonsai the best alternative to Productive?

Bonsai offers an integrated all-in-one solution tailored specifically for agencies, consultancies, and professional services providers. With features like seamless project management, integrated time tracking, smart invoicing, and a user-friendly interface, Bonsai simplifies your workflow and enhances efficiency.

Does Bonsai offer a free trial?

Yes, Bonsai offers a 7-day free trial so you can experience all the features before committing.

Can Bonsai integrate with other tools we use?

Absolutely. Bonsai integrates with popular tools like Slack, Zapier, Quickbooks, and more to fit seamlessly into your existing workflow.

How does Bonsai support team collaboration?

Bonsai provides collaboration tools such as shared project dashboards, task assignments, real-time updates, and messaging features to keep your team aligned and productive.