Everyone knows about what is project management. It’s nothing but planning, organizing and managing the resources.But how to do? What is the right way to do it. Are there any tools available for project management and collaboration. How these tools can be useful and what are the features. These are the things we are going to analyze in this article. We will see best project collaboration tools available on web to manage projects easily.

Pros and Cons of Project Collaboration Tools

• Online project management lets you collaborate with project resources, manage project users, analyze risks, assign tasks, coordinate schedules and make your project a success from anywhere in the world.
• These project management apps are here to save you time, but they can also be very time-consuming and not intuitive.
• If you have a team who works with you remotely, then this is the right choice.

Project management process and its approach

Projects were generally managed by creative architects and engineers themselves. Major process steps are initiation, planning or development, production or execution, monitoring and controlling . To handle these process number of approaches are there like:

• Traditional approach
• Critical chain project management
• Extreme project management
• Event chain methodology
• Prince2 (Structured approach)
• Process based management.

1.Teambox

Teambox is listed first because it’s the application we are currently using for 1stwebdesigner, but don’t let that sway you. This is a place for your team in twitter like project collaboration tool. You can share tasks, messages, attach files and Notification by email.And also it’s an open source project.Teambox offers up to three projects free and offers 2000 projects for premium plans.And it’s very easy to use.

Advantages

• Easy to setup in 1 minute.
• Access from anywhere, anytime.
• Secure and backup of your data.
• Updating new features constantly.
• Notified by mails.

2.Basecamp

This is a project management,Collaboration and task web-based tool trusted by millions of users.The features are Share files, Meet deadlines, Assign tasks, Centralize feedback, Basecamp tackles project management from an entirely different angle: A focus on communication and collaboration. They have some extras and addons also.Four price planning is available , Each and every plan has30 days trial period.

Advantages

• Dashboard
• To-do lists
• File sharing
• Message boards
• Milestones
• Time tracking
• Project overview and comments on messages

3.Activecollab

A project management and collaboration tool.It will make your work and cooperation with your team, clients, suppliers and others much easier. Useful to keep projects on track, Email support, Extend and integrate of  modules,Collaborate,Save time.And new added features are invoice,subversion integration,Global documents,Drag and drop task management, Improved visual editor and much more…

Advantages

• Dashboard
• Manage projects
• Invoicing
• Track time
• Share files
• Email integration etc…

4.DeskAway

It’s an online project management, project collaboration,Task & issue tracking software.Easy to use for virtual,distributed and global teams.The main reasons why you have to use Deskaway are simple & affordable,Less email clutter,Delegation and tracking, Control is in your hand, Nothing to download and install,Backup of your data in daily basis,No risk and little more.Please read their FAQ’s and it will be very useful before your picking this tool.

Advantages

• Track work
• Delegate
• Share
• Collaborate

5.Teamwork

Web-based project management tool that helps managers,staff and clients work together more productivity online.Stay on track,Share & collaborate,work faster and host it yourself.you get room for 2 projects, free storage space and you can instantly upgrade to a paid plan at any time.

Benefits

• Manage projects
• Manage task lists
• Schedule milestones
• Add messages
• Time tracking
• Upload files
• Manage people
• E-mail integration
• Multi language support

6.5pm

5pm is an intuitive web-based project management tool.It is flexible and easy to use.you can request a custom plan here through mail.Backup your data nightly.256-bit high grade encryption for data security.Desktop tracker widget is available.Filter users in time line and much more features are available with multi language support.

Benefits

• Manage projects and tasks online.
• Share notes and files.
• Track time
• E-mail integration
• Customized reports
• Interactive timeline

7.Wrike

Project planning,management and tracking software.Can easily track your project.It gives you the full insight to your business.Your project plans are always up to date.30 day free trial pack is available for plans.Outlook synchronization,Windows mobile sync, icalendar and rss feeds are available for a reasonable price.

Benefits

• Complete picture for your business.
• Unique control
• More productive
• Very easy to use
• Intelligent email engine, So it works with any email software.

8.Wridea

Free online idea management and collaboration service.It’s a web-based service first to avoid your ideas being forgotten and organize your ideas.It’s already being used by more than 40,000 users.With the help of this tool, you can store your ideas, manage and organize them, collaborate with your friends over your ideas, etc. Wridea provides you all required tools and services for organizing your ideas.

Wridea Features

• Categorize your ideas under different pages.
• Share your ideas.
• Commenting on ideas.
• Customized environment.

9.ZOHO projects

A centralized place where relevant project documents and contents are stored, updates are posted, everyone exchange ideas and get work done.Top reasons to choose ZOHO projects.Beyond your planning …get projects done,Planning,Works smarter,Reporting and value for your money.The updates of ZOHO are project stream, Dedicated wiki, Group chat MS project integration.Free for one project with unlimited users.

Features

• Task dependency
• Milestones for a project
• Meetings
• Document sharing
• Dashboard and time tracking.

10.onstage

Team collaboration,Project management,File sharing and task software.Your business and communication can be more efficient and better organized.Easy file sharing,A free version forever, not just for 30 days. Plus, an unlimited number of users at no extra cost!

Technical features

• Document preview with ipaper from scribd.
• Optimized for PDA’s
• Multi language
• SSL encryption

11.Springloops

Source code management tool for web developers.You can do code in parallel and share it safely.Ultimate work flow,Easy management,Unique code browser and Basecamp integration are the main features in this tool.It’s free for 100MB only.

12.Rememberthemilk

This is an online to do list and task management.You can manage tasks quickly and easily.Get remind anywhere and you can locate your tasks here too.Remembermilk providing more number of services for their users like sync with Blackberry, Gmail, Android, for twitter , Manage your remember through google calendar and third party applitication or services etc…

13.Comindwork

Tools for Collaboration,Communication,Tracking and project management too.Comindwork  SaaS improves the knowledge work productivity in projects performed by teams in professional service firms (e.g. software, advertising & marketing, consulting, lawyers, NGO) and by divisions within enterprises (e.g. support, marketing, R&D, upper management).More benefits for project manager, to team and for your clients.Free for 20MB

Customizable features are

• Personal and project dashboards
• Business wiki and files with permissions
• Time tracking
• To-do lists,Milestones and notifications
• Report in Gantt charts.
• Customizable work flow and business rules
• Project level settings and lot more 250+customizable features.

14.Central Desktop

Central desktop “Over 375,000 users around the globe rely on Central Desktop every day to accelerate their business, connect their people, and manage their projects.” Free usage for 25 MB.

• Quick setup
• Enterprise grade search.
• Real-time collaboration
• Centralized communication
• Team accountability

15.Ajaxworkspace

AJAXworkspace offers more than 10 powerful online project management and collaboration features such as project dashboard, tracking software, task management, document management, file sharing, and discussion board.It consists of an integrated suite of simple and easy-to-use collaboration functionality.This is an ideal tool for any type of project management regardless of whether you are working in a company or a freelancer from home.

Other Features

• Bookmark
• Personalization
• Security access control
• Event calendar
• Graphical reporting tool

More tools

• Myclientspot
• Myintervals
• Goplanapp
• Fengoffice
• Nozbe
• Proworkflow

Let us know what are your favorite project collaboration tools and tips.