WordPress is an incredibly powerful content management system that makes it easy for website owners to add a whole range of new functionalities to their site. One of the best ways to do that is by using plugins.
WordPress plugins can add lots of new features to your website. They are essentially snippets of code that add backend functionality, improve the way your site looks, and can add a ton of different tools.
In fact, you can even use plugins to improve your workflow. In this article, we are going to talk about eight of the most popular project management plugins and tools that you should use in 2023.
1. Atarim
Atarim is a fantastic project management tool that’s designed to help freelance WordPress developers and agencies manage multiple projects far more efficiently and smoothly.
Atarim’s WordPress plugin works seamlessly with the tool itself, allowing clients to leave comments on screenshots of their site. This alone helps significantly improve the quality and usefulness of feedback that you get from clients.
You can install Atarim on any of your clients’ websites. It allows them to take screenshots of live pages and leave comments, which are then turned into tasks on Atarim and transferred into the main app.
The plugin significantly improves Atarim’s core functionality and allows agencies to get clearer work requests. It lets you see exactly what the client sees, and also pulls in relevant information, such as their browser, screen size, and resolution.
And as the Atarim plugin just relaunched on the WordPress plugin repository, you can easily download the very latest version and start using it on your websites today.
Key Features
- Lightweight plugin
- Assign WordPress users, designate tasks, and manage project performance
- Instant boost to productivity thanks to visual collaboration
- Email notifications
- A comments feed to track changes
- White labeling available
- Time tracking features
2. WP Project Manager
WP Project Manager is a nifty little plugin that adds a ton of new functionality to your site, with a focus on task and project management. This plugin allows you to easily create tasks, assign them to different members, build to-do lists and track progress – all within the WP dashboard.
If you need a plugin that’s user-friendly, has a very shallow learning curve, and is all about teamwork, you can’t go wrong with WP Project Manager. It even has file sharing and discussion threads built-in, which significantly improves collaboration in a distributed team.
You can customize user roles, authorize specific permissions to different members, and track deadlines and progress seamlessly.
Key Features
- Advanced time tracking tools
- Detailed reporting features
- Kanban boards, task lists, and Gantt charts
- Built-in file sharing options
3. WP Client Portal
Another popular project management plugin for WordPress is WP Client Portal, which brings together a CRM and infuses it with some useful project management capabilities. The Client Manager feature makes it easy for you to assign specific clients to different team members.
This makes it easy to funnel related client information towards specific teams, allowing you to go through it as the project progresses.
It also has an option to create Estimates and Invoicing, which is great for creating white-labeled estimates and quotations and sending them to your clients. Once clients review these quotes, they can choose to clear an invoice directly too.
The functionality is all built into the plugin, allowing you to manage client websites and different projects simultaneously. You can browse through CRM records and then send emails to clients to follow up, or to give updates.
Key Features
- Built-in CRM functionality
- Estimates and invoicing feature
- Ability to request digital signage
- No-code automations available for creating custom workflows
4. Project Panorama
Project Panorama is a visual project management plugin for WordPress that lets you create custom dashboards, which you can use to showcase the project status to a client or to other team members.
This is a great way to indicate just how the project is progressing and to make it easy to bill clients for the hours you’ve worked. Panorama automatically calculates project progress, so you don’t have to worry about making tiny adjustments.
And, like other WordPress management plugins, Project Panorama lets you create new tasks, assign them to different team members, set deadlines, and review performance.
Your team members can also leave comments on specific tasks, and upload and share files. Project Panorama has document management capabilities built-in, so you can get approvals, send revision requests, and keep all important documents in one place.
Key Features
- Task management features
- Team roles can be customized
- Rich kanban board views to manage task states and workflows
- Visual dashboards to offer a clearer view of task performance
- White labeling available
5. WordPress Project Management by UpStream
UpStream deserves a mention on this list because it’s free, and offers a huge range of options and tools. You can create project discussion threads, track the progress of different projects, use the in-built bug tracker, and manage client details through a simplified user interface.
UpStream lets you create custom fields and statuses for different projects, assign roles to different employees, and even create login pages for them. You can create milestones for different tasks and projects, use color-coding for different statuses, and give clients a clear view about project progress.
UpStream lets you create a custom login page for your clients too, letting them view how the project is coming along. You can add your own CSS, create custom fields, rename projects, and customize virtually every element of the dashboard that you want.
Key Features
- Create custom login pages for your clients
- Project dashboards available
- Report bugs and assign tasks to specific users
- Manage project discussions through the plugin instead of keeping email trails
- Rename milestones, bugs, tasks, files, or specific elements
6. SP Project & Document Manager
SP Project & Document Manager was originally launched as Smarty Pants. However, since its launch, the plugin has undergone quite a few changes. Apart from its excellent file management options, it also lets you create unlimited folders and subfolders to further organize your files.
And when it comes to project management, SP Project & Document Manager has a whole range of excellent features. You can create a custom login and registration system, designate user access, manage client uploads, add new documents, and make changes to files through the dashboard.
The Amazon S3 integration allows you to expand its functionality, and support for WooCommerce is also included. You can use SP Project & Document Manager as a separate project manager, or in tandem with another project management tool to add document management capabilities.
Key Features
- Support for different media file types
- Add an unlimited number of projects and users
- Robust security features to protect your files, including SSL support
- File organization capabilities
7. Projectopia
Projectopia is a fantastic WordPress project management plugin that lets you set up custom client dashboards, get quotes and estimates, and streamline task management.
There’s a dedicated settings panel and a permissions system that you can use to grant varying levels of access to your team members. The front-end dashboard is quite responsive and has AJAX-enabled actions, letting you showcase information about the projects.
You can create client-facing logins, which offer information about the projects, and provide clients a space to take notes. For invoicing and estimates, you can also select deposit percentages, and move different tasks and milestones.
Projectopia also lets you upload files for different tasks, set their status and priority, and even create specific notifications when a task’s status changes.
Key Features
- Addons for WooCommerce and 2Checkout
- Bug tracking option
- You can add expenses for each project within the plugin
- Create kanban boards, manage tasks, and track time
- Facility to create support tickets
8. Zephyr Project Manager
The Zephyr Project Manager is a fairly intuitive project management plugin for WordPress that’s designed to improve productivity and help you manage your tasks more effectively.
Zephyr Project Manager makes it easy for you to create different projects, categorize them, and then track their progress. It even has a website for file management that you can use to manage all documentation related to a specific project.
Zephyr makes visualization easy by letting you create charts that help you monitor tasks and progress easily. You can set up email notifications, invite team members, and use the discussions thread to easily communicate with others.
Key Features
- Create automated progress charts
- Form groups, and assign tasks to different team members
- Customize profiles for each member
- Customize notifications
- Dedicated file management
What Factors Should You Consider When Looking for a WordPress Project Management Plugin?
With so many different WordPress project management plugins, it can be a bit overwhelming to determine which one you should choose. Here are some key factors to consider when making a decision:
- Features: When selecting a project management plugin, it’s important that it offers basic features, such as task creation, visual collaboration, user roles, and team management.
- Simplicity: You don’t want to use a WordPress project management plugin that’s overly complicated. Ideally, the best digital products are easy to use by all members of the team.
- Progress views: It’s essential that you choose a plugin that lets you view the progress of different projects, by letting you create different charts and reports.
- Security: You don’t want sensitive information about the project leaking due to poor security practices. Make sure you use a plugin that uses decent security, such as 2FA and TLS (Transport Layer Security).
- Pricing: Another important factor is pricing. Some plugins are free to use, but you have to pay for additional functionality. Make sure you choose one that falls within your budget.
- Popularity: With plugins, it can often be a good indication if the number of downloads is reasonably high. That shows that a high number of people are using it, which is often a good indication of stability, compatibility, and reliability.
- Maintenance: Always check the date when the plugin was last updated, and even check to see the log showing how often it has been updated. Don’t use a plugin that’s either not been updated for a long time, or is only updated very sporadically.
Project Management is an Evolving Science
Using WordPress project management plugins like Atarim can help you simplify your workflows, and make it easier for you to manage your clients and their projects.
If you’re just starting out, the Fundamentals of Project Management by Joseph Heagney is a great read. It’ll help you understand the basics, and allow you to improve your performance to ensure timely delivery of projects.
