{"id":4485,"date":"2025-09-08T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/?p=4485"},"modified":"2025-09-12T10:55:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T10:55:32","slug":"i-tried-8-ai-project-management-tools-to-see-if-theyre-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/08\/i-tried-8-ai-project-management-tools-to-see-if-theyre-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"I tried 8 AI project management tools to see if they\u2019re worth it"},"content":{"rendered":"
Choosing the right AI project management tool for your team can help you save hundreds (even thousands) of dollars per year.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve managed projects across a variety of businesses \u2014 scrappy startups, agencies with 50+ team members, and enterprises like Dell. Regardless of the company’s scale, I noticed a common problem: rapid growth without proper infrastructure.<\/p>\n
This often costs businesses far more than they realize. Projects running late, managers being stressed about deliverables, and tasks falling through the cracks. While the team was in firefighting mode, the next project would trickle in. And then, it would be a complete disaster with zero project visibility and fragmented ownership.<\/p>\n The result? Lost revenue, terrible client retention, and lower employee motivation.<\/p>\n AI project management tools help you avoid this scenario through effective tracking, accountability, and automation. This article will walk you through the top eight AI project management software for your business.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve extensively tested each tool for hours and included my review, how I found it, the cost, and who I think it\u2019s best for.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Before we dive into AI project management software, I\u2019d recommend checking out this quick refresher video on how to successfully manage a project.<\/p>\n Done? Now, let\u2019s put all that good advice into action.<\/p>\n AI project management tools organize projects, teams, and dare I say, lives. Instead of spending hours with more spreadsheets you can handle, chasing team members, or searching for a file, these tools can help you centralize projects in one central hub.<\/p>\n Once centralized, you can leverage AI-powered tools to understand the entire project context and automate workflows. I\u2019ve set up AI workflows for my team that send deadline reminders, update spreadsheets when tasks are completed, and even schedule meetings directly within the management tool.<\/p>\n Thus, AI takes over the mundane aspects of project management, allowing you to focus on building and nurturing client relationships and delivering results faster.<\/p>\n So, which AI project management software should you choose? Well, that depends on your team size, budget, industry, and which department you want to organize first. My tests are based on real-world scenarios to help you decide the best one for your company.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Since I work with multiple clients, I\u2019ve used the vast majority of the project management tools in the industry at least once. For instance, my enterprise clients (like HubSpot) use Asana for content management, so I\u2019m very familiar with the interface. Similarly, Notion and Trello are popular choices among the agencies I work with.<\/p>\n However, most tools have released new AI features in the last year, which is what I was excited to try out.<\/p>\n When I\u2019m testing AI project management tools, I want a tool that:<\/p>\n With that in mind, let\u2019s look at how I tested these tools.<\/p>\n The scenario I chose is close to my actual life as a marketer. I tested (or have earlier used) each tool from the perspective of a remote marketing team that communicates in an async manner.<\/p>\n My AI project management software should be able to track a remote workflow effectively. All team members should have the ability to add comments, assign tasks, and update task status. The tool should also have an accountability system to keep the project moving.<\/p>\n Finally, I should be able to automate elements of the project via the AI project management tool. For instance, marking a task as complete and moving it to the appropriate list. Basically, anything that is repeatable should have the ability to be automated.<\/p>\n The end goal? Help the remote team work more efficiently in a central location.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Project management tools are worth every penny and will pay for themselves in productivity. But if you\u2019re worried about budgets, plenty of brilliant free project management tools exist.<\/em><\/p>\n Here are my top eight recommendations for project management software with AI capabilities.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve used ClickUp in the past, and back then, I didn\u2019t find it too different from the other tools. However, it has recently gained popularity within my agency network. So, I decided to give it a shot, especially for its AI features.<\/p>\n ClickUp is cheaper than most tools on this list. It also has a handy calculator on its pricing page to estimate how much it\u2019ll save you.<\/p>\n I first used ClickUp for a social media client. They ran their operations exclusively on ClickUp, so I had to learn the ropes. The overall experience was quite intuitive.<\/p>\n I used ClickUp to coordinate between writers, designers, and founders and keep projects on track. Like Asana, ClickUp helps manage remote teams in different time zones via a card-based task interface. You also have personalized dashboards, goal and timesheet tracking, and more.<\/p>\n Overall, I find Clickup\u2019s UI to be slightly better than Asana.<\/p>\n Note: All the AI features I\u2019ve tested below are not available on free plans.<\/p>\n Brain is ClickUp\u2019s amazing built-in AI assistant. Honestly, I love both the name and the experience.<\/p>\n You can access Brain in two ways: either by tagging @brain in a task or directly in the \u201cBrain\u201d tab. After activating the AI assistant, you can use it for a variety of things, from task creation, help using ClickUp, generating images, deep research, and more.<\/p>\n I largely use Brain for quick briefs, images, meeting summaries, and creating custom autopilot agents (which we will talk about next).<\/p>\n Autopilot agents are another cool feature I found on ClickUp. Think of these as independent AI agents integrated into your project dashboard, acting on specific triggers. For instance, I created a custom agent for my hiring process using Brain.<\/p>\n My agent evaluates their qualifications and cover letters, and ranks the top candidates in order for me. Then, it creates a ClickUp task for each candidate interview with suggestions for interview dates, follow-ups, etc.<\/p>\n AI features are add-ons at $9\/member\/month.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been using Trello for years now. As a content marketer, I find Trello to be the simplest project management tool to get started on. While I have tried other tools for specific use cases, I do use Trello quite regularly for small or one-off projects.<\/p>\n Trello organizes projects in workspaces, allowing you to create up to 10 boards in each workspace for free. Boards keep individual projects separate. For instance, if my company is launching a service while also building a product, I\u2019d manage these two initiatives in separate boards to avoid confusion.<\/p>\n I got introduced to Trello during my first internship in 2018. The company used it to organize my two-month internship, assigning tasks for the week with checklists and deadlines. It completely changed how I perceived project management.<\/p>\n Fast forward to today, I\u2019ve used Trello for multiple things: managing content, backend business operations, and even my to-do (and grocery) lists.<\/p>\n I love Trello because it is simple. You have all the essential features, onboarding is straightforward, and the free package allows up to 10 workspace members per board. I don\u2019t think Trello suits companies looking to scale, but it’s perfect for small projects or teams.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the Trello system I used to manage the content pipeline of a website in the dog niche:<\/p>\n As you can see in the image, I have a list where I\u2019ve templatized article outlines. If I needed to assign a new article, I simply head to the \u201coutline structure\u201d and press \u201ccreate card from template.\u201d This gives me a base to work from for the next card.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve used Butler extensively for Trello automation. You can create automated rule-based actions, custom buttons, and email reports via Butler. Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n My rule assigns a checklist to each new article, adds the specific members responsible for it, and also sets a value for the custom field. At scale, this automation can save hours of work each week.<\/p>\n Trello\u2019s \u201cSuggestions\u201d feature helps you identify more rules based on actions you take frequently on the board.<\/p>\n A lot of the AI functionality in Trello is buried within power-ups. For instance, Zapier has a dedicated power-up for Trello. Another good one is Strategy AI<\/a>, which helps you organize tasks based on business priorities.<\/p>\n But note: third-party and premium power-ups can include an add-on cost to your total subscription. It\u2019s almost like signing up for a new SaaS tool to integrate with your management platform.<\/p>\n Trello is one of the cheapest project management tools. Here are the costs (billed annually):<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I know many agencies and marketers who would swear by Notion. Personally, I find Notion\u2019s learning curve somewhat challenging, and the interface is slightly laggy for me. However, I must say that Notion has some great organization features, solid templates, and community resources.<\/p>\n For instance, I was very impressed by the Notion-based client onboarding workflow of an agency I collaborate with.<\/p>\n As you can see, the agency has organized each project phase as separate categories that link to this master page. There\u2019s also an embedded walkthrough video.<\/p>\n I first came across Notion through a client a couple of years back. While I wasn\u2019t a fan initially, it grew on me. I loved how I could select pre-made templates to simplify the setup process.<\/p>\n While I won\u2019t choose Notion for simple task management or one-off projects, it is great for larger, complex projects, especially client-facing ones.<\/p>\n I create a lot of content on Instagram about freelancing. Notion was incredibly helpful to organize my ideas and inspiration sources in one central hub.<\/p>\n I added other team members to the Notion workspace to help with the content strategy and execution. The calendar view was also super helpful for me to visualize our posting timeline.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> If you want to add members to your Notion free plan without triggering charges, invite them as guests and disable the team spaces feature.<\/p>\n Need to quickly catch up on a project you recently joined or figure out a specific Notion feature? Notion AI makes getting answers super easy via its chatbot.<\/p>\n Instead of spending hours combing through data, you can just prompt Notion AI to go through your project files and give you contextual answers. I frequently use this feature to compile progress reports, summarize deliverables, or get a bird\u2019s-eye view of the overall project.<\/p>\n While I do prefer Claude\u2019s chatbot over Notion for creative writing, I find Notion AI convenient for quick summaries and light research.<\/p>\n George Chasiotis<\/a>, co-founder of Restartt<\/a>, shared his experience with Notion AI with me:<\/p>\n \u201cWe use [Notion AI] to summarize meeting notes, generate quick proposals, and even draft follow-ups after strategy calls. I’ll drop a client brief in, and Notion AI gives us a rough structure to build from; it saves me at least 30\u201340 minutes per doc.\u201d<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Asana is one of the oldest project management tools in this roundup. While it\u2019s been around since 2008, I\u2019ve recently started using it more consistently.<\/p>\n I turn to Asana for projects I can\u2019t handle on Trello, but which don\u2019t require a more robust solution like Notion or Monday. Asana has over 300+ integrations and connects seamlessly to just about any app (which makes sense given how long it\u2019s been around).<\/p>\n Like I mentioned earlier, I was invited to Asana through HubSpot\u2019s content management team. I was pretty impressed by how smoothly their remote operations ran on Asana. Asana made coordinating publishing times, editorial calendars, and keeping stakeholders aligned super simple. That\u2019s when I knew I had to try it for other clients.<\/p>\n I use Asana when I have multiple stakeholders and complex tasks with dependencies. Asana has built-in dependency tracking and custom fields.<\/p>\n You can manage projects and tasks efficiently, and communications related to projects take place within the app. This functionality is ideal for longer-term projects where different team members dip in and out.<\/p>\n I also think Asana’s timeline feature has the cleanest interface I\u2019ve seen so far.<\/p>\n Another cool Asana feature is the ability to add goals and share them with other team members. You can create strategy maps, team goals, and personal goals.<\/p>\n Asana AI studio helps you design custom AI workflows that take draining human tasks and automate them. Simply trigger a workflow after an action (like moving a card from one column to another), and Asana will do the rest.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Phil Portman<\/a>, CEO of Textdrip<\/a>, told me about his Asana workflows:<\/p>\n \u201cThe AI Studio Basic feature has been especially useful. We now use it to automate repetitive workflows, like routing tasks based on priority or automatically assigning ownership based on workload. We’ve also started using custom work schedules to get a clearer picture of actual capacity across time zones.\u201d<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Monday is an enterprise-grade project management tool used by Fortune 500 companies like Adobe and Hulu. Apart from project management, brands can also manage their Sales CRM on Monday.<\/p>\n If you have a complex project with multiple departments and layers, Monday\u2019s robust interface might be the solution for you. Personally, I felt Monday\u2019s features were a bit overwhelming.<\/p>\n I had heard of Monday in freelancer circles, but I tested it for the first time for this article.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s core philosophy is simplicity, and honestly, I get it. If you\u2019re trying to drive productivity across multiple departments, you want the focus to be on the work, not the tool.<\/p>\n Monday walks you through the entire process of setting up your project, priority, notes, etc. I\u2019m not a huge fan of the overall interface, but you can\u2019t deny that it works.<\/p>\n This is one of Monday AI\u2019s upcoming features.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s AI can auto-assign tasks to the right person based on project priorities, workloads, and skills. It can also help flag risks due to task ownership or timeline delay, giving project managers complete clarity on where they are at in the project.<\/p>\n Of course, I expect a bit of back and forth initially as you train the system and document everyone’s skills. However, if executed right, it can be a great sidekick to a project manager.<\/p>\n Like other tools on this list, Monday also offers generative AI capabilities. It uses OpenAI\u2019s APIs to power features like translations, summaries, sentiment analysis, summaries, and more. I find the output similar to that of Notion or ClickUp, so there isn\u2019t much to write about.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s pricing structure is more rigid than ClickUp and Asana, and if you add things like the sales CRM, the price (rightfully) increases. For this article, the prices below are for project management and AI features.<\/p>\n Additional AI credits are available as add-ons for Standard, Pro, and Enterprise plans.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Out of all the tools I tested, Basecamp had the most personality by far. Everything from the engaging copy to the amazing visuals pulled me in.<\/p>\n Basecamp is great for complex projects that generally require multiple channels of coordination. You get kanban boards (Asana\/Trello style), Slack-like direct messaging, and Notion\u2019s document handling capabilities, all in one tool.<\/p>\n I also like the price point of Basecamp. While the monthly price of $299 (annual billing) may be a sticker shock, it\u2019s the most affordable option for teams of more than 57 people.<\/p>\n I hadn\u2019t used Basecamp before this article, but I\u2019m glad I got to test it out. It\u2019s definitely a tool I\u2019d recommend to larger teams. The onboarding process was smooth, and the sample project looked like I could get everything done in one place. I found the interface to be quite intuitive as well.<\/p>\n I love how Basecamp has gamified the tracking process for tasks. This helps keep everyone on the same page and eliminates the need for check-ins to some level.<\/p>\n Another cool feature I see myself using is Lineup and Pings. I\u2019ve always hated the constant switching between tasks and chats. So, if I can get people to stay active on Basecamp, that could streamline communication. Easier said than done, of course.<\/p>\n Basecamp excels at using AI to visualize project completion and performance. With Basecamp\u2019s Move the Needle and Mission Control<\/a> and Hillchart<\/a> feature, you can gauge a project’s performance without manually piecing together all the details.<\/p>\n The project management tool will pull the data together and provide a warning for projects that are potentially \u201cat risk\u201d or \u201cconcerned.\u201d<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Love it or hate it, Slack has its uses in project management. While I\u2019ve personally struggled a bit with Slack notifications, it\u2019s helpful for catching a team member\u2019s attention and getting things actioned ASAP.<\/p>\n I like Slack\u2019s channel interface for organizing conversations. While other tools require separate boards or projects to control access, Slack offers built-in private channels, easy setup of group conversations, and handy integrations with other tools.<\/p>\n The downside? Slack can get expensive fast, especially if you want to collaborate with other organizations and have a large team. Free plans have a 90-day message limit, which means I can\u2019t look up a past project. Slack Connect used to run up expenses significantly at my last organization.<\/p>\n Slack was the communication tool of choice at Dell, where I worked as a part of the development team. Additionally, when I started freelancing, I found that many business communities and courses use Slack communities.<\/p>\n I treat Slack as the main communication hub that syncs into other project management tools or apps. So, for instance, if I am working on a website design project, I\u2019ll create a private channel for the designer, copywriter, and product manager.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll first break down the project into phases and create separate threads for discussing each phase. Once we\u2019re aligned on the action items, I create tasks directly via Slack through the Trello or Asana integration.<\/p>\n Out of Slack\u2019s recent AI updates<\/a>, like workflows and translations, my favorite is the search feature. Instead of just pulling up responses based on keywords, Slack AI behaves like a chatbot. It uses public conversations (not DMs) and shared files to give me a contextually relevant AI overview of the topic. I find it incredibly helpful for client deadlines and conversations.<\/p>\n Note: AI search is available only on the Business plan of Slack.<\/p>\n Like I mentioned earlier, Slack\u2019s thread feature is great to tidy conversations within channels. While useful, threads can get messy; it\u2019s like reading an entire email chain you didn\u2019t need to be cc\u2019d into.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where Slack\u2019s AI summaries help. It cuts through the noise and presents the important highlights and actionables, in a digestible manner.<\/p>\n I spoke to Roy Andraos<\/a>, the CEO of DataVLab<\/a>, about how they use AI in Slack: \u201cIn Slack, we’ve integrated an AI summarizer (using a custom Zapier + GPT workflow) that automatically distills long internal feedback threads into concise summaries at the end of each day.”<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
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What does AI project management software do?<\/h2>\n
How I Tested the Best AI Project Management Software<\/h2>\n
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The Scenario<\/h3>\n
8 AI Project Management Software<\/h2>\n
1. <\/strong>ClickUp<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How I Discovered ClickUp<\/strong><\/h4>\n
How ClickUp Supported My Project Management<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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My Favorite AI Features<\/strong><\/h4>\n
ClickUp Brain<\/h5>\n
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ClickUp Autopilot Agents<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Best For<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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2. <\/strong>Trello<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How I Discovered Trello<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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How Trello Supported My Project Management<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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My Favorite AI Features<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Butler Automation<\/h5>\n
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Power-Ups<\/h5>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Best For<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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3. <\/strong>Notion<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How I Discovered Notion<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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How Notion Supported My Project Management<\/h4>\n
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My Favorite AI Features<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Ask Notion<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Write With Notion\u2019s Generative AI<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Best For<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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4. <\/strong>Asana<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How I Discovered Asana<\/strong><\/h4>\n
How Asana Supported My Project Management<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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My Favorite AI Features<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Asana AI Studio<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Best For<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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5. <\/strong>Monday<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How I Discovered Monday<\/strong><\/h4>\n
How Monday Supported My Project Management<\/h4>\n
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My Favorite AI Features<\/h4>\n
Product Power-Ups<\/h5>\n
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Generative AI<\/h5>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Best For<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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6. <\/strong>Basecamp<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How I Discovered Basecamp<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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How Basecamp Supported My Project Management<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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My Favorite AI Features<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Project Visualization<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
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Best For<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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7. <\/strong>Slack<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How I Discovered Slack<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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How Slack Supported My Project Management<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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My Favorite AI Features<\/h4>\n
AI Search<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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Thread Summaries<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Best For<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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8. <\/strong>Loom<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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