Favourite Apps
Handy metaphorical hammers for your project nails.
The right tools don't just organize your work — they reduce friction, automate the repetitive stuff, and give your team back time for the thinking that actually matters. Here are our top ten picks, chosen for ease of use, thoughtful automation, and a human-first approach.
Notion
VisitOne flexible home for docs, projects, and knowledge.
Part docs, part database, part project hub — Notion is the Swiss Army knife your team will actually enjoy using. Its block-based editor is intuitive, and its flexible databases mean you can build exactly the workflow your team needs without fighting the tool. Notion AI handles summaries, translations, and drafting. Best of all, it stays out of your way: no clutter, no ceremony, just your work.
Best for
Teams who want one flexible home for docs, projects, and knowledge.
Asana
VisitStructure without rigidity and automation that feels invisible.
Asana's clean interface and timeline views make project planning feel calm and clear. Its built-in automation rules let you auto-assign tasks, send reminders, and move work between sections without lifting a finger. The 'My Tasks' view is one of the best personal productivity surfaces in the business — it treats you like a human with a finite amount of attention.
Best for
Teams who want structure without rigidity and automation that feels invisible.
Linear
VisitBlazingly fast issue tracking for product and engineering teams.
Linear is fast. Blazingly, noticeably fast. Built for product and engineering teams, it prioritizes keyboard shortcuts, instant search, and a keyboard-first workflow that respects your flow state. Its auto-closing of stale issues and triage inbox keep the backlog honest without micromanagement. If you've ever felt bogged down by bloated issue trackers, Linear is the antidote.
Best for
Product and engineering teams who value speed and focus above all.
ClickUp
VisitA feature-complete platform for teams who want it all.
ClickUp is the power tool — it does everything, and does most of it well. Automation, docs, goals, time tracking, dashboards, and a generous free tier make it a strong all-in-one choice. ClickUp AI can generate summaries and action items from your tasks. The trade-off: the sheer number of features means you'll want to set it up thoughtfully to avoid overwhelming your team.
Best for
Teams who want a feature-complete platform and don't mind spending time on setup.
Monday.com
VisitVisual clarity and drag-and-drop automations.
Monday.com's visual, color-coded boards make project status instantly readable — no decoding required. Its automation recipes are genuinely easy to build (no code, no formulas) and cover most of the 'when X happens, do Y' scenarios teams need. The platform is friendly, approachable, and doesn't take itself too seriously, which makes adoption a breeze.
Best for
Teams who want visual clarity and drag-and-drop automations.
Trello
VisitBoards, lists, and cards. Simplicity is its superpower.
Trello keeps it simple: boards, lists, and cards. That simplicity is its superpower — teams adopt it in minutes. Its Butler automation engine handles rules, scheduled commands, and card buttons, so you can automate repetitive board actions without leaving the Kanban flow. For smaller teams or simpler projects, Trello is hard to beat on the ease-of-use front.
Best for
Small teams and projects where simplicity and speed matter most.
Basecamp
VisitThe anti-burnout project tool, proud of it.
Basecamp has been championing a calmer, more human way of working for two decades. It deliberately limits notifications, centralizes discussions, and bakes in check-ins to reduce meeting load. There are no status dashboards to obsess over — just message boards, to-do lists, and a shared schedule. It's the anti-burnout project tool, and proud of it.
Best for
Teams who want to reduce noise, protect focus time, and communicate asynchronously.
Motion
VisitAI that automatically schedules your tasks around your calendar.
Motion uses AI to automatically schedule your tasks and meetings around your calendar and deadlines. You set priorities and time estimates; it builds the schedule. If something runs long or a new task comes in, Motion reshuffles everything. It's the closest thing to a proactive digital assistant for individual and small-team task management.
Best for
Solo operators and small teams who want AI to handle the scheduling grind.
Todoist
VisitFrictionless, no-fuss task management done beautifully.
Todoist does one thing — task management — and does it beautifully. Natural language input ('Call Sarah every Monday at 9am') makes adding tasks effortless, and its Karma system gamifies consistency without being pushy. Filters, labels, and project templates scale up when you need them, but the core experience stays delightfully minimal.
Best for
Individuals and small teams who want a frictionless, no-fuss task list.
Slack
VisitWhere your team lives, with lightweight automation built in.
Slack is where your team already lives, and its Workflow Builder turns conversations into lightweight automations — routing requests, collecting approvals, and notifying the right channels. Huddles, threads, and scheduled send keep communication human without sacrificing speed. When paired with a dedicated PM tool, Slack becomes the connective tissue that keeps work moving.
Best for
Teams who want their communication tool to also handle lightweight automation and approvals.
How we chose
Ease of use
Can a new team member start contributing within an hour, or does it require a certification?
Automation
Does the tool reduce repetitive work, or just create more of it?
Human-first
Does it respect focus time, reduce notification fatigue, and support sustainable working habits?
Tools change, teams evolve, and the best tool is always the one your team will actually use. Start with a free trial, give it two weeks, and trust your gut.

Written by
Rachel Ody
PM Operations Consultant & Coach
Rachel Ody is a systems strategist, operations consultant, and transformational leadership coach. For over twelve years, she has helped founder-led organizations fix the invisible systems that shape how people work.
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