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7 Best Accounting Project Management Software for 2024

  • Best for client management: Karbon
  • Best for popular project management features: monday.com
  • Best for more features on a budget: ClickUp
  • Best for high-volume data needs: Jetpack Workflow
  • Best for bundling powerful integrations: Zoho Projects
  • Best for simple workflows: Trello
  • Best for cost saving with a large client base: Canopy

Project management (PM) software is a universal need to keep track of goals, research, data, scheduling and everything else under the sun. If you have more specific needs, however, you may have to find a PM solution with a specialized focus. Accounting project management software can simultaneously help teams perfect their finances and exceed business goals.

Top accounting project management software comparison

Not every software solution will have the same features, so we compare some basic features that can do your team a lot of good below.

Free trial Free plan Starting price Time tracking Billing Integration
Karbon Yes No $79 per user per month Yes Yes Yes
monday.com Yes, 14 days Yes $12 per user per month Yes Yes, with integration Yes
ClickUp Yes, 14 days Yes $10 per user per month Yes No Yes
Jetpack Workflow Yes, 14-days No $56 per user per month Yes Yes Yes
Zoho Projects Yes, 10 days Yes $5 per user per month Yes Yes, with integration Yes
Trello Yes, 14 days Yes $6 per user per month Yes, with integrations No Yes, but fees may apply
Canopy Yes Yes, but additional fees may apply Custom Yes, but for a fee Yes, but for a fee Yes

Karbon: Best for client management

Image: Karbon

Karbon is a great choice for businesses that prioritize taking care of clients but still need project management software stacked with functionality. You have tools for collaboration, alert automation and workflow improvement. The application is great for accounting firms sharing files with clients and offers onboarding services to get your team started.

Pricing

Subscriptions available include:

  • Team: $59 per user per month if billed annually, or $79 per user per month if billed monthly.
  • Business: $89 per user per month if billed annually, or $99 per user per month if billed monthly.
  • Enterprise: Has custom pricing for scaling to your specific needs.

Karbon capacity dashboard for accounting team.
Figure A: Karbon capacity dashboard for accounting team. Image: Karbon

Features

  • Work views like Kanban and timelines.
  • Team collaboration with easy communication from the inbox.
  • Task management and client management.
  • Workflow templates to get started with assignments and scheduling.
  • Client management and contact management capabilities.
  • Built-in time tracking on Karbon or with QuickBooks Time integration.
  • Storage for documents, from 2GB to 100GB.
  • Karbon AI for simplifying communication with clients.
  • Filtering for clients and tasks.

Top Karbon integrations

  • Cloud Email (Gmail & Office 365).
  • Microsoft Exchange.
  • Ecosystem apps like QuickBooks Online, GoProposal and Ignition.
  • Zapier.

Pros

  • Stacking with features to connect with clients and improve daily workloads.
  • Estimates for time and budgets to relieve financial stress.
  • Built-in tutorials for faster learning.
  • Automation for easy task assignment, scheduling and notifications.

Cons

  • Costly for small or new teams.
  • Minimal support for all plans but Enterprise.

Why we chose Karbon

The decision to choose Karbon was based on its user satisfaction rating and comprehensive features and functionalities, catering specifically to the needs of accounting professionals.

ClickUp: Best for more features on a budget

ClickUp logo.
Image: ClickUp

ClickUp is a highly-rated project management platform tailored to meet the needs of different industries, including accounting. It offers a suite of powerful tools that can be customized to match your workflow.

Though ClickUp is not specifically designed for accounting, it proves to be a great accounting project management solution due to its highly customizable features. The software offers functionalities like time tracking, task prioritization, budget management and workflow automation for managing accounting projects.

Pricing

Aside from the free plan, subscriptions offered are:

  • Unlimited: $7 per user per month if billed annually, or $10 per user per month if billed monthly.
  • Business: $12 per user per month if billed annually, or $19 per user per month if billed monthly.
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing.

ClickUp budget tracking dashboard.
Figure C: Budget tracking dashboard. Image: ClickUp

Features

  • Multiple work views such as Gantt chart, timeline, calendar and more.
  • Unlimited storage and unlimited teams for your workspace.
  • Project time tracking across multiple devices.
  • Workload management and templates.
  • ClickUp AI to improve writing with prompts, text generation and editing.

Top ClickUp integrations

Over 50 native integrations as well as Zapier integration for access to more apps.

  • GitHub.
  • Slack.
  • HubSpot.
  • Zoho Flow.

Pros

  • Has an abundance of features.
  • Affordable with a variety of plans for teams at different stages of growth.
  • Task dependencies and time tracking in all plan tiers.
  • Custom role creation and permissions.
  • Two-factor authentication available on all plans.

Cons

  • Sprint reporting is only offered in the Business plan and up.
  • Automations have monthly limits.
  • It has limited exporting in the Free and Unlimited plans.
  • Priority support is only offered in Business Plus and Enterprise.
  • Onboarding is only available in Enterprise.

Why we chose ClickUp

Teams that want a variety of features and affordable plans may consider ClickUp as their project management solution. The software is suited for several different types of teams, including those with finance and accounting needs. Accounting teams can benefit from its reporting, time tracking and client dashboard features.

You can find out more in our full ClickUp review.

Jetpack Workflow: Best for high-volume data needs

Jetpack Workflow logo.
Image: Jetpack Workflow

Jetpack Workflow is a leading accounting project management software designed specifically for accounting firms. With features including automated time tracking and job notes, it streamlines and systemizes the workflow, tasks and processes, thereby enhancing productivity. Teams can collaborate and work together on the platform, ensuring project completion and avoiding missed deadlines. It provides easy integration with popular accounting tools like Quickbooks.

Pricing

Jetpack Workflow has two pricing plans:

  • Organize: $45 per user per month if billed annually, or $56 per user per month if billed monthly.
  • Scale: $49 per user per month if billed annually, or $63 per user per month if billed monthly.
  • Service package add-ons start at $299 and are one-time buys.

Jetpack Workflow jobs dashboard.
Figure D: Jetpack Workflow jobs dashboard. Image: Jetpack Wrokflow

Features

  • Multiple work views, including dashboard, calendar and clients.
  • Smooth email workflow to create jobs.
  • 70+ templates to speed up setup.
  • Tools for quick filtering through clients.
  • Supports multiple browsers, including Internet Explorer and Chrome.
  • Over 2,000 Integrations to upgrade your workspace.
  • Unlimited documents, clients and storage.

Top Jetpack integrations

  • Zapier.
  • Ignition.
  • QuickBooks.

Pros

  • Support included in all plans and onboarding setup available.
  • Billing sync with QuickBooks Online.
  • Task automation for days, weeks or months.
  • In-app team messaging and active progress reports.

Cons

  • Fairly expensive for teams and freelancers just starting.
  • Not as many features as other competing software.

Why we chose Jetpack

Jetpack Workflow is enterprise-friendly software designed for streamlining the workflow of accounting teams. While it may be pricier, it’s designed to keep you on track with your priorities through automation, reporting and custom work views.

If you want more information, check out Jetpack Workflow’s YouTube channel.

Zoho Projects: Best for bundling powerful integrations

Zoho Projects logo.
Image: Zoho Projects

This platform combines traditional project management features with advanced collaboration tools such as document management, time tracking, chat and more. It also integrates with other software, like Google Apps and Microsoft Office, making it easier to manage all project pieces in one place. It integrates smoothly with Zoho’s accounting software suite or other solutions for accounting purposes.

Pricing

Aside from the free plan, subscriptions include:

  • Premium: $4 per user per month if billed annually, or $5 per user per month if billed monthly.
  • Enterprise: $9 per user per month if billed annually, or $10 per user per month if billed monthly.

Zoho Projects dashboards.
Figure E: Zoho Projects dashboards. Image: Zoho Projects

Features

  • Work views such as Kanban and list, with the ability to sort by tasks and progress percentage.
  • Unlimited projects with custom task statuses.
  • Task management and task dependency for staying on track.
  • Time tracking for all paid plans.
  • Project templates to help you get started.
  • Integrates with git repositories and is well-suited for development projects.
  • 5GB to 120GB of storage space.

Top Zoho Projects Integrations

  • Zoho apps like Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, Zoho Cliq, Zoho Expenses and more.
  • Google apps like drive, calendar, spreadsheet and tasks.
  • Jira.
  • Basecamp.

Pros

  • Access to other Zoho apps for payments and billing.
  • Great for Agile Scrum workflows with sprints.
  • Tracks issues to protect your data and ensure productivity.
  • Allows you to add client users to your account.

Cons

  • The free plan is very limited, with 2 users and 1 project at a time.
  • Plan tiers are limited by the Zoho apps they can integrate.
  • Not great for collaboration outside of official users.
  • Only Enterprise lets you have read-only users (up to 10).

Why we chose Zoho Projects

The Zoho suite of business software can meet a variety of team needs, and Zoho Projects integrates with those apps. Teams can incorporate Zoho Analytics, Zoho Books, Zoho Invoice, Zoho Expense and many more. The software solutions are a great choice for keeping track of your data, tasks and business processes.

If you’re interested in learning more, see our review of Zoho Projects.

Trello: Best for simple workflows

Trello logo.
Image: Trello

Trello is one of the easiest project collaboration tools for teams to adapt to. It’s affordable enough for individuals, startups and small teams, but it also has an Enterprise plan with security and permissions. Use cases for the software can include tracking finances, offering professional services to clients, managing tasks, handling CRM and more.

Pricing

Subscriptions the platform offers include Free, Standard, Premium and Enterprise:

  • Standard: $5 per user per month if billed annually, or $6 per user per month if billed monthly.
  • Premium: $10 per user per month if billed annually, or $12.50 per user per month if billed monthly.
  • Enterprise: $210 per user billed annually, with no monthly option.

Trello kanban board.
Figure F: Trello kanban board. Image: Trello

Features

  • Different work views, like Kanban, table, calendar and timeline.
  • Unlimited cards, boards and workspaces, depending on the plan.
  • Templates and custom fields for easy setup.
  • Butler tool for task automation available in all tiers.

Top Trello Integrations

Over 200 integrations through its power-ups capability.

  • Slack.
  • Google Drive.
  • Salesforce.
  • Jira.
  • Microsoft Teams.

Pros

  • The Enterprise plan has a flat rate and starts with 50 user seats.
  • You can add observers to your board in the Premium tier.
  • All plans have two-factor authentication.
  • It has unlimited activity logs for all plans.

Cons

  • Free and Standard only have Kanban views.
  • Only Premium and up can deactivate members.
  • Only the Enterprise plan has unlimited workspaces.
  • Adding some integrations will incur extra fees.

Why we chose Trello

Trello integrates with many other popular productivity tools and services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox and Jira. This enables users to centralize their work and seamlessly connect Trello with their existing toolset.

Learn more in our complete Trello review.

Canopy: Best for cost saving with a large client base

Canopy logo.
Image: Canopy

Canopy Practice Management Suite is specifically designed for accountants and tax professionals. It offers comprehensive tools and features to streamline and automate various practice management tasks, including client communication, document management, time tracking, billing and invoicing, workflow management and reporting.

The suite aims to enhance productivity, improve client satisfaction and optimize overall practice operations.

Pricing

Pricing for this tool varies based on your desired features and is entirely based on a user’s number of clients. It offers its service for free if you have 500 or fewer clients. Contact the company for a custom quote.

Canopy report, account overview dashboard.
Figure G: Canopy report, account overview dashboard. Image: Canopy

Features

  • Workflow management with automation for tasks and templates.
  • Document management with storage, organization, sharing and client portal for file management.
  • Time and billing features, along with QuickBooks integration.
  • Transcripts and notices available.
  • Collections and tax resolution available.
  • KBA eSignature for document signing.

Top Canopy integrations

  • Quickbooks Online.
  • Gmail.
  • Odrive.
  • Zapier.

Pros

  • It’s great for teams with a high volume of clients.
  • It can be both freelancer- and startup-friendly.
  • All features are added for a fee, so you can pick only the ones you need.

Cons

  • As soon as you grow, you can end up paying for a lot more than you expected.
  • There are implementation fees, even though under 500 clients are free.
  • Adding features makes it more expensive, and it doesn’t come fully stocked.
  • Features have user caps before upgrading to Pro.

Why we chose Canopy

The way Canopy offers its services is different from other project management tools. Its capabilities are specific to the practice management needs of the different cases you have, like tax resolution and billing. Canopy is very budget-friendly for small teams, startups and freelancers growing their client base.

Key features of accounting project management software

Project management software for accounting firms and individuals will have tools to help with clients, deadlines, tasks and overall workflow. It’s also a bonus if they have integrations that help track costs, invoices and records. The features on this list are ones you can find in both project management tools and accounting solutions.

Workflow management

You need to stay on top of your daily tasks, clients and billing. Some helpful capabilities of project management software will include templates for different projects or artificial intelligence to speed up tasks. Task management and task dependencies are another highlight that ensures your projects are completed in order.

With features like these, you can check the performance of specific goals and assign work to their corresponding team members. Usually, it will be on more expensive tiers, but many solutions will have role permissions to ensure the right people have access so they can do their parts as well.

Client management

Many accounting and even regular PM applications will have the functionality to handle client information as well as client access to projects. You can share your progress, invite them to view projects, give them account access and receive/send reminders for meetings.

Billing

Occasionally, regular project management tools will have billing options, but it’s mostly built into accounting PM software. Tools that offer to expedite and verify billing and payroll needs can be lifesavers and help you avoid costly mistakes.

You can also find software for accounting, finance tracking and invoice/expensing available as integrations within basic project management tools.

Automation

Many PM solutions will have automation features to streamline tasks so you can focus on the bigger picture. Aside from just streamlining tasks, you can use automation for alerts or notifications about important deadlines or meetings. You can also use automation to schedule client meetings, emails and payments. Teams that need to stay on top of performance and analytics can also automate weekly or monthly reports of progress.

Integrations

For teams that choose a general PM solution, integrations can make up for the accounting-specific features it may lack. Options that can make a difference include invoicing, expense tracking and database applications. Some may even integrate with accounting or bookkeeping software like QuickBooks and Zoho Books.

Time tracking

Whether it’s monitoring separate tasks or employee timesheets for payroll, time tracking is a big asset. It can evaluate which processes are more costly and ensure your team is paid fairly and on time.

Reporting

One of the most valuable ways to pull insights about your workflow, performance and costs is through reporting. Applications can offer reporting on task status, employee performance, monthly expenses and clients. If you want to improve efficiency or just stay on top of projects, good analytics are integral.

How do I choose the best project management accounting software for my business?

One of the biggest factors in choosing any software is cost. Accounting software designed to handle your projects, business processes, records and billing can get very expensive. Many general project management solutions offer cost savings but may lack the industry-specific features you want.

You should consider the cost per number of users you absolutely need, the features you absolutely need and the integrations that will make your life easier. From there, you can decide if you need an accounting-specific PM tool or a basic project management solution.

While costly, Karbon is a feature-dense solution with awesome capabilities like QuickBooks Time for time tracking, and it helps estimate your time and budget on each project. If you’d rather not spend as much, you can try Zoho Project, which integrates with Zoho Books, Invoice and CRM.

As always, while you’re considering different options, check out their YouTube channels and even consider testing out any free plans offered. If you plan to do any free trials, rearrange your workflow to be able to properly test the software.

Methodology

The software on this list were considered according to their relevance to accounting teams. Some were designed for the purpose of streamlining accounting workloads, while others aren’t industry-specific. This is because many project management features and integrations can provide a cost-effective alternative, even if they don’t have all the bells and whistles teams want.

The software on the list can be good choices for startups, freelancers, growing teams and enterprise-level needs. The goal was to offer potential buyers a wide selection of reliable software.

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