Teams are managing projects more efficiently thanks to project management (PM) software. It has automation features such as budgeting, time tracking, task distribution, team collaboration, and resource planning. Such software helps teams collaborate on projects, multi-task, and deliver goals on time with proper resource and time management. Managers can remotely supervise co-located and geographically distributed teams using real-time communication tools. They can mitigate risks by identifying project weak points and forecasting completion dates.

Project management software is also called Project Portfolio Management (PPM) or Task Management Software (TMS) because it can be used for scheduling, resource allocation, task management, analysis and reports, planning, budgeting, and expense tracking.

We compare two popular project management software: Monday.com vs. OpenProject. We’ll evaluate their features, integrations, and pricing models to determine the more suitable software for your business. Receive five recommendations from our Technology Advisors by using our Product Selection Tool. It’s free and easy to use.

Monday.com vs. OpenProject: An overview

Monday.com is a cloud-based work management software designed to flexibly and transparently organize work. It has a highly visual scheduling interface with customizable workflows that adapt to users’ unique approach to projects. Users can see color-coded boards to quickly view task status and the people assigned to them. Due dates are visible along with the relationships between assignments. Managers can change views into people, date, timeline, status, or text to see project status at a glance.

OpenProject is an open-source project management software designed for work collaboration. It comes with core and advanced tools to improve productivity, execute plans, follow schedules, and create roadmaps. OpenProject’s features include time and cost reporting, document management, issue tracking, and code management. Users can break down projects into tasks and activities in the list view and run custom reports on project performance and resource allocation. They can archive projects for references and training purposes.

Read also: 10 of the Best Options for Workflow Automation Software

A comparison of features

Users gain productivity and efficiency with Monday.com’s features:

  • Visual organization: Monday.com operates with boards to track project progress and meet deadlines with ease. Its meaningful colors and board placement help managers see how each project and member is doing.
  • Flexible and customizable software: Monday.com is customizable to meet specific user needs. Columns capture necessary information and show time, locations, and assigned members. Use Gantt charts or timeline-based tracking boards to view projects.
  • Intuitive team management tool: Build a team by using email addresses to invite members. The software is easy to set up and offers a selection of templates to suit user requirements.
  • Timeline: Monday.com uses timelines for tracking projects and tasks that run for multiple days. Users can change due dates by dragging and dropping timeline bars.
  • Pulses for organized communication: Users can add ‘pulses’ or rows to relevant boards. Attach files, add comments, and send messages to specific people or an entire team. The software sends notifications through mobile and desktop applications for pulses in real time.
  • Centralized management with boards: Monday.com provides color-coded boards for enticing visual organization. It shows tasks, projects, and stages of the process and lets users label work as ‘done’, ‘working on it’, and ‘stuck’.

OpenProject’s features make project management easier and more efficient:

  • Projects: Use OpenProject to map out projects with deliverables, milestones, and due dates and create work breakdown structures based on project scope. The software provides Gantt charts for a clear, visual representation of tasks and calendar views that show project schedule and due dates.
  • Tasks: Create and assign tasks to members, make to-do lists, and set due dates and priorities with OpenProject. Automatically schedule recurring tasks at predefined intervals and create task dependencies.
  • Planning: Users can benefit from Kanban boards for effective project visualization. They can rank the priority of tasks and measure member work capacity for every given sprint.

A comparison of prices

Monday.com offers a 4-tiered pricing plan: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise. The Basic Plan offers 5-GB of data storage, over 20 column types, an activity log, unlimited boards, and a mobile app for start-up companies and smaller businesses. The Standard Plan comes with the Basic Plan features and an additional 50-GB of data storage, external integrations, shared boards, filters, and own account templates to assist mid-sized businesses.

The Pro Plan has all the Standard Plan features plus private boards, tags, unlimited storage and guests, and detailed activity stats for larger companies. The Enterprise Plan has everything in the Pro Plan along with two-factor authentication, VIP support with an account manager, higher API rate limit, and one-on-one training for enterprise companies.

OpenProject offers users a 3-tiered pricing plan: Community, Cloud, and Enterprise. The Community Plan is free for starting companies, while the Cloud Plan is suitable for smaller teams with at least five members. It is charged on a per user, per month basis. The Enterprise Plan comes with powerful features, high security, and professional support for large-sized companies.

Interested parties can contact the vendors directly to request more detailed product and pricing information.

A comparison of integrations

Monday.com’s integrations with apps allow for smoother project management:

  • Microsoft Teams
  • Zendesk
  • MailChimp
  • Trello
  • Slack
  • Google Drive

Users can benefit from OpenProject’s integrations with other apps such as:

  • Slack
  • Toggle
  • JIRA
  • Microsoft Project
  • Gitlab

Takeaways: Monday.com vs. OpenProject

Project management software helps your business succeed, which is why choosing the suitable software is important. Monday.com and OpenProject are among the most popular software for businesses because of team collaboration features and integrations. However, it is also important to consider their differences.

Monday.com has paid plans, while OpenProject offers a free version for starting companies. Though there are differences in the features offered, the free plan is a good deal for beginners.

OpenProject’s Kanban boards are easier to use than Monday.com’s timeline. With Kanban boards, users can see everything at a glance, and its drag-and-drop elements are easier to use. The timeline can take some time to learn. However, the advantage of the timeline is allowing users to change views to text, status, person, timeline, and date.

If you need more project management software options, feel free to use our Product Selection Tool.