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Have you ever experienced being overwhelmed with various responsibilities and due dates?
Asana might be the solution you’ve been searching for! In this evaluation, we extensively examine the well-known project management software’s characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.
The software benefits individuals and groups, whether you’re a solopreneur or part of a team. Therefore, let us determine if it is worth your effort and resources.
What Is Asana?
Asana is a top-notch project management software in the market that offers various customizable views suitable for all team members.
The free PM software edition offers a plethora of functions that can simplify your life. You’ll get unlimited storage, access to past project records, and the ability to send messages via the platform. The free edition might be an excellent long-term solution if you have a small group.
The app offers various project views that cater to different preferences. These views include kanban-style cards, calendar-based displays of project deadlines, and a general overview of the workload.
The flexibility to switch between these views benefits team members and allows for greater inclusion of stakeholders.
In addition, the Asana app has features that enable automation and integration, ultimately leading to enhanced efficiency within your team. The platform allows for the creation of due dates and automated messages through Slack when a specific part of a project is completed.
This process makes it easy for your team to transition to the next project phase.
Our Verdict on Asana
Asana is a robust project management tool that simplifies tasks and can enhance productivity. Our thorough exploration and use of Asana have enabled us to conclude that it’s a reliable and effective platform.
With its user-friendly interface, numerous integrations, and helpful features such as project templates and task dependencies, this software is a popular choice for individuals and teams.
Although Some may consider Asana’s cost high, its value in streamlining and teamwork justifies the expense. In summary, we strongly suggest this app as an essential tool for individuals seeking to efficiently manage their tasks.
Asana at a Glance
Asana is based on cloud technology. It provides a comprehensive platform that enables you to manage and monitor your team members, projects, and tasks in a centralized location.
It boasts a user-friendly interface with features like customizable task lists, project timelines, calendars, and collaboration tools.
With Asana, users can integrate with various widely used apps like Google Drive, Slack, and Trello. This app provides pricing plans varying from a free basic version to an advanced premium version with additional features for bigger teams.
Asana is a versatile and inclusive tool that can assist any team or individual in staying productive and organized regardless of their size.
What Is Asana Used For?
Individuals and teams utilize Asana project management software to monitor and handle their work. This software facilitates communication, teamwork, and task management, simplifying project organization and tracking.
The app allows users to establish tasks, allocate them to team members, specify deadlines, and monitor progress. Asana offers numerous functionalities, including project templates, custom fields, calendars, and integration with other tools to improve its effectiveness.
It’s utilized by businesses of various sizes and industries to boost productivity, minimize email traffic, and maintain consistency in project management.
How Does Asana Work?
Asana is software that operates on cloud technology, which means it can be accessed from any device connected to the internet. It can be used through web or mobile applications designed for iOS and Android devices.
To start using the app, you need to create an account and invite your team members to join. Additionally, you can transfer projects from other project management software such as Trello or Basecamp.
After transferring your projects to Asana, begin assigning tasks to your team members and setting deadlines. You can also create subtasks to divide your projects into smaller components.
Team members can comment on tasks to seek clarification or provide progress updates. All these functions are accessible in the unpaid version of the software.
Who Asana Is Best For?
Asana is a highly flexible project management tool that can cater to the needs of various individuals and teams. Its cloud-based system renders it an excellent option for remote teams to work on projects collaboratively from anywhere in the world.
Its visual project planning feature is perfect for creative teams to manage their projects and resources visually. This application can benefit marketing teams by helping them to manage their marketing campaigns, track deadlines, and work together on creating content.
If you’re a software development team looking for a project management tool, Asana is a great option due to its integration with development tools like Jira and GitHub. Moreover, this app provides discounts for nonprofit organizations, making it a budget-friendly alternative for them.
In general, this software is the most appropriate choice for anyone who wants to manage projects and tasks effectively, keep track of deadlines, and collaborate efficiently.
Asana Pricing
Asana has different pricing options for teams and businesses of different sizes, including Basic, Premium, Business, and Enterprise packages. All these options are available for clients to choose from.
Basic
Asana’s free tier, known as the Basic plan, has provisions for up to 15 collaborators and offers various features like list and board view projects, unlimited task creation, messages, activity logs, project and team management, and integration with different tools.
This plan is an excellent choice for those who work as freelancers or individuals and want to organize their projects for free. However, as projects become more intricate and teams grow larger and more reliant on one another, the Basic plan may no longer meet their needs.
Premium
Asana Premium is the cheapest paid plan available, priced at $13.49 per user per month for monthly billing and $10.99 per user per month for annual billing. This plan provides extra project management tools to users, including advanced reporting, milestone setting, task dependencies, customizable dashboards, and a workflow builder.
Teams with fewer members are inclined towards the Premium level since it gives project managers an overview of intricate tasks and allows them to utilize important features for team synchronization.
Business
Asana is an excellent project management tool for software development teams because it integrates with development tools like Jira and GitHub. It also offers discounted pricing for nonprofit organizations, making it an affordable choice for them.
This app is a suitable option for anyone who needs to effectively collaborate, manage tasks and projects, and keep track of deadlines. The top level of project management is primarily advantageous for bigger corporations and groups that require thorough monitoring of all their initiatives, and extensive customization options for their project management procedures.
Enterprise
Asana has a special plan for big companies called Enterprise Plan, which is tailored according to their requirements. This plan includes features such as SAML, user provisioning, data export and deletion, custom branding, and other options.
Asana Features
Asana is a user-friendly platform with a host of impressive features. In this detailed overview, we’ll explore some of the standout features the application offers.
Feature-Rich Free Plan
Most project management software that is available for free has limited features. However, this isn’t true for Asana. When compared to all the project management software we tested, Asana’s free plan is the most impressive one.
Due to restrictions, many project management software options have free plans that are not useful for small businesses. However, Asana’s free plan offers unlimited support for teams, projects, messaging, activity logs, file storage, multiple project views, and more.
As long as you have 15 or fewer users and are managing basic projects, there’s no need to upgrade, and you can continue using the free plan indefinitely.
The software offers the ability to integrate with time-tracking tools at no extra cost, which is uncommon for project management software that often charges for this feature and limits it on free plans. The free plan offered by Asana is of great value.
Multiple Project Views
Asana provides users with multiple options for viewing projects and managing tasks, such as Kanban boards, lists, calendars, portfolios, workloads, and timelines. This sets the software apart from other project management tools offering limited views, making it a versatile choice for users.
The team members have the flexibility to handle tasks in a manner that suits them best, allowing them to maximize their productivity. By switching between different views, project managers can get an overall idea of the project’s status.
It’s possible to create personalized project dashboards that update automatically and display critical information at a glance. These dashboards can be tailored to meet specific requirements.
Process Management Automation
Asana’s graphical workflow builder makes it simpler than ever to establish customized rules, actions, and triggers. The tool can be utilized for various automation purposes, from simple actions like setting deadlines, delegating tasks to the following team member, marking a task as completed, or notifying the team via Slack once a project is finished.
Automating these procedures improves the likelihood of completing tasks correctly and eliminates monotonous tasks, allowing more time for crucial activities.
Team Collaboration
In our experience, many project management tools lack sufficient collaboration features, which leads us to seek other software to compensate for the shortcomings.
Despite this, only a few tools like Asana can be a comprehensive platform for various functions such as file sharing for PDFs, JPGs, and Google Docs, team and group communication, and more.
This capability is particularly beneficial for companies with teams in different geographic regions. Asana performs well in project management and made it to our list of suggested tools for ensuring everyone is aligned, regardless of location.
Within a single card, users can delegate tasks to team members, establish task dependencies, prioritize assignments, set and modify deadlines, and communicate through a chat feature, providing a centralized location for all project information.
With a calendar view, team members can coordinate their schedules and keep informed on project developments without relying on email correspondence. Asana also manages all project discussions and task lists.
The software integrates with email applications and third-party messaging tools based on team preferences to enhance communication.
Agile and Scrum Support
If you adhere to the agile project management approach, you’ll be pleased to know that Asana can accommodate this philosophy with its adaptable features.
It’s important to note that the platform offers a range of critical tools that can be tailored to your specific needs. These include sprint planning, bug tracking, product launches, work requests, roadmaps, feedback channels, and task iteration tracking. Asana is suitable for those who prefer a Kanban, Agile, Scrum methodology, or any combination of these approaches.
Asana is dedicated to helping users succeed with Agile on its platform and has even developed a glossary to align its terminology with standard Agile vocabulary.
Asana goes the extra mile by creating a comprehensive guide to help you set up Agile projects within the platform. This feature makes it much easier to implement an Agile project management approach in Asana.
Versatility
The software Asana is a highly flexible and versatile project management tool that can be used across various industries, business sizes, and management methodologies. It’s beneficial for marketing, sales, product development, human resources, IT, and finance departments.
After conducting an Asana review, it’s clear that its flexibility makes it the ideal choice for multi-departmental collaborations. It allows for easily managing large events and tracking leads through the sales pipeline.
This versatile software makes it a perfect tool for anyone, irrespective of their specific needs.
Powerful Integrations
Asana can connect with over 100 widely-used external applications such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Salesforce, Zoom, Tableau, and Zapier. Integrating these external apps with Asana can significantly enhance its capabilities.
For instance, if any changes are made to a task or project on the software, your team can receive immediate notification through Slack. However, it’s important to remember that not all plans support advanced integrations such as Salesforce and Tableau.
Smart Design
The application’s dashboard has a user-friendly layout that makes it easy for beginners to learn. The main features are conveniently listed on the left side of the screen, and navigating the platform is simplified with tabs across the top.
You can temporarily hide the navigation tools if you need more space to view information. Customizing the dashboard is also an option if your team requires specific features to be highlighted.
Advanced Search and Reports
The search functionality in this software is highly advanced and comprehensive. It allows users to search for specific tasks or conversations and provides default search fields such as “Assigned to,” “In Projects,” and “Followed By.”
Users can search for tasks with attachments or completed or have a due date. For more specific searches, users can add filters for custom fields, people, tags, dependencies, and subtasks. If what you’re looking for cannot be found using these tools, it probably was not present in the first place.
With Asana project management software, you can save detailed searches as interactive reports, which can be accessed easily from the left-hand menu. These reports are constantly updated with new items that match the search terms and can be modified anytime.
This is a beneficial feature for managers who wish to determine their team’s productivity, and also for individuals who want to monitor their progress over a while.
Privacy and Security
To ensure secure connections, Asana uses the TLS 1.1 protocol and stores its data in secure data centers that have been audited under the SSAE 16. The app has a bug bounty program that rewards individuals who report any vulnerabilities with their service.
The company has completed SOC 2 Type I and Type II audits, which are third-party validations of their security measures. Like Slack, Asana’s status can be checked through an online dashboard.
Asana App and Interface and In-Use
Asana apps can be accessed through various platforms, including the web, macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS. Its interface is visually appealing and easy to use without being overwhelming.
It even has fun features, such as celebratory animations that can be disabled if preferred.
It’s possible to add fundamental account details, manage notifications, modify display settings and visual effects, and set up connections with various applications like Harvest, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Figma in your profile settings.
Asana’s complete list of supported apps and integrations can be found on its website. Mobile apps offer almost identical functionality to their web app counterparts, although it may be more efficient to use a full-sized screen when managing large amounts of work and comments in the app.
So, even if you’re on the go, you can stay on top of your tasks and manage your projects efficiently with the software.
Additionally, mobile apps have offline capabilities, indicated by gray clouds appearing when content hasn’t been synced yet. Collaborators won’t be able to view unsynced content until reconnection and syncing occur.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Connectivity with other services like Slack and Zapier streamlines communication and productivity
- Assigning project deadlines and priority is made simple using in-app chat, which keeps all discussions in one location
- Provides a dictionary of words and options for organizing sprints and product launches, supporting the agile project management philosophy
Cons:
- Unable to assign more than one task to a team member, making it challenging to distribute work that calls for numerous team members
- Sends several email notifications, which some users may find too many
Asana Customer Service and Support
The software provides not only a top-notch project management platform but also various resources for its users. These include a community forum, Academy courses, and a chatbot for basic inquiries.
The Academy offers interactive training, webinars, and courses the Customer Success team teaches. So if you want to optimize your workflow with this software, take advantage of these resources today!
If you encounter a complex issue, the chatbot can file a ticket for you to connect with a customer support agent. All of these resources are aimed at providing comprehensive assistance.
Asana Reviews from Real Users – How Legit Is It?
We’ve conducted a thorough Asana review to give you a complete understanding of its legitimacy and effectiveness. We aim to save you time and present you with relevant information to help you make an informed decision about the app.
Based on reviews, the app has received a consumer rating of 4.29 stars, indicating that most customers are content with their purchases. Among the various project management websites, the app holds the 9th position in terms of ranking.
Alternatives to Asana
When it comes to choosing a platform that incorporates project management, team collaboration, and remote work, the software is often considered by businesses. As an expert in digital marketing, we conducted an in-depth Asana review to provide a comprehensive understanding of its capabilities and limitations.
While the software can be a workable solution for some businesses, it’s important to consider its limitations before making a final decision. As a result, other options to consider instead of Asana include:
Monday.com
Monday.com is a software for managing projects that is cloud-based and allows for team collaboration, task tracking, and project management through a customizable and visual platform.
It offers various features such as automation, Gantt charts, time tracking, custom workflows, and integrations with widely-used tools. It is easy to use and can be adjusted to the users’ needs, with different pricing plans that depend on the number of users and required features.
ClickUp
ClickUp is a project management software that is based on the cloud and facilitates team collaboration, project planning, and task management.
The platform offers a range of features such as customizable task views, calendars, time tracking, Gantt charts, and integration with other well-known tools.
ClickUp offers pricing plans that are flexible and dependent on the number of users and desired features. The software’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to handle difficult projects and work effectively with team members.
Basecamp
If you are a small business or work in a team and require a straightforward method of managing projects, Basecamp is perfect for you. This user-friendly software provides multiple features, including lists, files, and calendar views.
In this Asana review, it’s worth noting that the platform offers many views, such as timeline, calendar, board, list, and workload. Moreover, the software boasts over 50 templates, giving users a diverse range of options. In comparison, Basecamp only provides custom templates.
Asana Review – Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any lingering queries, we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions that could assist you.
Is Asana Free?
If you’re considering this software, you’ll be happy to know they offer a free Basic plan that includes unlimited tasks, projects, messages, activity logs, and file storage.
Our Asana review also found that you can use over 100 integrations and various project views. Moreover, the platform seamlessly allows you to collaborate with up to 15 team members. If you upgrade to a paid plan, the cost starts at $10.99 per user per month for yearly billing and $13.49 if you prefer to be billed monthly.
Is Asana HIPAA-Compliant?
Asana has achieved complete compliance with HIPAA regulations. In case you require further information on HIPAA compliance in the software, the company has provided a fact sheet that you can refer to.
Can I Use Asana Offline?
If you have the Asana iOS application, you can utilize the app without an internet connection. You can produce projects, tasks, and conversations, and even perform actions like checking notifications, leaving comments, assigning due dates and assignees, and completing tasks while being offline.
Is There a Desktop App for Asana?
Asana provides a desktop application that can be downloaded from their website to be used on Mac and PC.
Asana Review – Bottom Line
As part of our comprehensive Asana review and evaluation of the best project management tools, we considered the software as one of the top choices. The software is also recommended for managing remote teams and promoting cooperation among geographically separated workforces.
This software stands out from our other recommendations due to its user-friendly and intuitive platform, providing advanced automation triggers that are easy for employees to learn. These features alone may be convincing enough for some users to choose Asana.
