18 Best Project Management Software for Accounting Firms

Jetpack Workflow provides project and task management solutions and aims to help client-centric firms manage their recurring deadlines. Jetpack Workflow pairs client profiles with work management and gives you a number of customizable views (through filters, searches, and sort options) to ensure client deadlines don’t fall through the cracks.

Accountants and bookkeepers can rely on Jetpack Workflow to manage projects, track progress on client work, and prioritize tasks so the team knows what to work on first. Jetpack Workflow offers convenient checklists and workflow templates to streamline administrative tasks so staff can focus on billable work.

Within the platform, you can monitor who is working on which tasks and what deadlines are approaching to help you identify anything at risk of being missed.

Plus, the Progress Report gives project managers a clear overview of which milestones still need to be met before the due date.

Main Features

• Easily import client information via a CSV file.
• Add projects, set recurrence, and duplicate. Set up a custom recurrence and duplicate it across all clients. Created projects become a searchable item.
• Add a task, recurrence, and duplicate.
• Easily search for projects, tasks, or clients within seconds.
• See what your staff is working on and view what is overdue, due today, and due this week.
• Easily reassign work to another team member.
• Stay on task with the help of automated summary emails.
• Organize and standardize client work with 70+ prebuilt workflow templates.
• Mass assign projects and tasks to clients for enhanced efficiency.
• Use Zapier automation and seamlessly integrate Jetpack Workflow with 2,000+ business applications.

Free Trial

Yes – 14-day free trial

Pricing

Review Jetpack Workflow’s pricing here.

Website

https://jetpackworkflow.com/

Asana launched as a modern, simple, and in some cases, free task management tool. As one of the most common “starting” task management tools, they’ve since developed enterprise features and pricing (whether it’s SSO or advanced integrations with Salesforce).

Many firms will start in Asana in the early days to drive earlier organization before launching into a full-blown, client-centric project or workflow system.

Main Features:

• Project Views
  • Boards
  • List
  • Timeline
  • Calendar
• Project Management

• Projects
• Tasks
• Subtasks
• Milestones
• Task assignees
• Sections
• Custom Fields
• Due dates and times
• Start dates
• Attachments
• Forms
• Rules
• Likes
• Sync tasks across projects
• Dependencies
• Custom Templates
• Copy projects

Free Trial

Yes – 30 days for the paid plan

Pricing

Starts at $10.99/user/month for individuals and small teams

Website

https://asana.com/

Basecamp is a long-standing project management tool to help creatives (and teams overall) manage their project.

While it’s excellent for project management, its lack of client profiles is an obvious limitation for professional services and accounting firms. However, if you need a unique, easy-to-use project management tool, Basecamp could be a good fit!

Main Features

• Projects
• To-Do Lists
• Calendar
• File Sharing
• Messages
• Milestones & Time Tracking
• Discussions

Free Trial

Yes – 30 days

Pricing

Starts at $15/user/month

Website

https://basecamp.com

Zoho is a great, often cheap alternative to many task and project management tools. Zoho has hosted several applications, from billing to CRM to even full-blown customer support tools.

However, the project management component, similar to many project and task management tools, lacks a client profile to connect work to.

Main Features

• Project Planning
• Gantt Charts
• Project Coordinator
• Timesheets
• Reporting Tools
• Collaboration Software
• Document Management
• Google Apps
• Bug Tracker
• iPhone Mobile App
• Android Mobile App
• Project Chat
• Project Forums
• Dropbox Integration
• Project Pages

Free Trial

Yes – 10 days for the paid plan

Pricing

Starts at $4/user/month when billed annually

Website

https://www.zoho.com/projects/

ClickUp aims to be a one-stop shop for your task and project management needs. They bring together docs, chat, time, and, of course, projects into one view. It boasts a robust feature set (so many listed on their site that it’s hard to record them all below).

The major drawback is that it’s not client-centric, but aside from that, it has a variety of helpful features.

Main Features

• Process Management

• Custom Statuses
• Checklist Templates
• Multiple assignees
• Task Dependencies
• Recurring Checklists
• Agile Board View
• Resolve Comments
• Status Templates
• Sprints
• People Sidebar
• Goals
• Scrum Points
• Workload Chart
• Reminders
• Wiki and Docs

• Task Management

• Filter and Search
• Sorting
• Recurring Tasks
• Favorite Views
• Multitask Toolbar
• 4 Different Views
• Hierarchy
• Task tray
• Drag and drop reordering
• Templates
• Task Mentions
• Right-Click Menus
• Subtasks
• Draft Tasks
• Task Checklists
• Copy Projects, Spaces, and Lists
• View All Tasks
• Priorities
• Bulk Rescheduling
• Portfolios
• Epics
• Team Templates
• Inbox

Free Trial

Yes – 30 days for the paid plan

Pricing

Starts at $7/user/month when billed annually

Website

https://clickup.com/

Monday.com, formally known as “DaPulse,” is a project management tool, and its strength is in how it visualizes work that needs to get done. Like ClickUp, it hosts a number of features and options to customize your work view.

Thus making it a fan favorite for firms that love to visualize work, but don’t need a robust client profile or client-centric project management tool.

Main Features

• Unlimited Free Viewers
• Unlimited Boards
• Over 20 Column Types
• iOS and Android Apps
• Kanban View
• Embedded Forms
• File Storage
• Activity Log
• Share Boards with Guests
• Timeline View
• Calendar View
• Map View
• Advanced Search
• Forms Customization
• Time Tracking
• Chart View
• Formula Column
• Custom Tags
• Private Boards
• Integrations
• Automation
• Dashboards

Free Trial

Yes – 14 days

Pricing

Starts at $8/seat/month when billed annually

Website

https://monday.com/

Wrike is an all-in-one project management tool and one of the early cloud-based project management innovators (launched in 2003).

Wrike fits fairly well into the “enterprise” project and task management category. While extremely popular in larger companies, it’s not a standard option for smaller to even mid-size firms.

Main Features

• Task & Subtask Management
• Gantt Chart
• Advanced Integrations (MS Project, Excel, RSS)
• Shareable Dashboards
• Collaborators
• Custom Fields & Workflows
• Shared Real-Time Reports with Scheduled Notifications
• Report Templates
• Graphical Analytics
• Calendars
• Request Forms
• Project and Task Approvals
• Time Tracking
• User Groups & Permissions
• Salesforce Integration
• Branded Workspace

Free Trial

Yes – 14 days for the paid plan

Pricing

Starts at $9.80/user/month

Website

https://www.wrike.com/

Trello is perhaps the easiest “Kanban view” project management tool in the market. It arranges your projects into “boards” and gathers your tasks into “cards.” It fits both a personal and professional category.

What you gain in simplicity and usability, you do lose in features. However, if a quick, user-friendly app is important, you must check out Trello.

Main Features

• Personal Boards
• Cards
• Lists
• Observers
• Custom Backgrounds & Stickers
• Board Collections
• Team Board Templates
• Custom Fields
• List Limits
• Card Repeater
• Calendar View
• Map View
• Voting
• 100+ App Integrations

Free Trial

Yes – 14 days for a paid plan

Pricing

Starts at $5/user/month

Website

https://trello.com/

Notion is a project management tool for small teams featuring collaboration capabilities for remote teams, AI-powered tools, project tracking, and workflow automation.

The platform is best known for its custom project and dashboard views, allowing you to configure the tool how you like. There’s also a free version of Notion for small teams, so it’s a budget-friendly tool if you’re just getting started.

Main Features

• Task and Subtask Management
• Task Dependencies
• Progress Bar
• Custom Filters
• Task Assignees
• Calendar View
• Table View
• Timeline View
• Priority Labels
• Workflow Automation
• Project Status and Due Dates
• AI Writing Tool
• Customizable AI Autofill
• 1,000+ Project Templates
• 80 Integrations

Free Trial

No – Free plan available

Pricing

Starts at $8/user/month

Website

https://www.notion.so/product

Smartsheet is an enterprise project management solution with a spreadsheet-inspired design, though with much more functionality. Many Fortune 100 companies make up its clientele. However, Smartsheet states it can help companies of all sizes grow and offers a free version for just one user.

It’s a good tool for managing work and projects at scale, with multiple project views and features to help track resource allocation, plan progress, and team scheduling in one location.

Main Features

• Project Tracking
• Plan Creation
• Resource Management
• Scheduling
• Activity Log
• Grid View
• Gantt Chart
• Dashboards
• Document Generation
• Forms
• Key Insights Visualization
• No-Code Workflow Automation
• Brand Asset Management
• Calendar View
• Cards
• Cell Linking
• Conversations
• Custom Reporting
• 100+ Integrations

Free Trial

Yes – 30 days

Pricing

Starts at $7/user/month when billed annually

Website

https://www.smartsheet.com/

Workzone is cloud-based project management software that takes pride in its customer support team and quick response times. The platform offers a variety of features for delivering projects on time and on budget.

More than 20 years on the market have helped the company deliver a project management tool that is highly customizable and useful for firms of all sizes. However, they point out that Workzone is best for teams with more than 5 users.

Main Features

• Personal To-Do Lists
• Document Management
• Resource Management
• Customizable Reporting
• Time Tracking
• Status Updates
• Cross-Project Dashboards
• Project Templates
• Multi-User and Team Project Plans
• Gantt Chart
• Task Dependencies
• Project Request Forms
• Workload Reports
• Group Calendar
• Project Boards

Free Trial

Available by request only

Pricing

Starts at $24/user/month

Website

https://www.workzone.com/

Airtable is a relational database you can use to build a project management application customized to your firm’s needs without requiring a ton of technical expertise. Built for teams of all sizes, it offers a free plan for up to 5 users.

Compared to other out-of-the-box project management solutions, the endless possibilities for configuration and customization with Airtable make it highly unique. However, the substantial time investment upfront to set up the platform how you like might be a deterrent.

Main Features

• Unified Database
• Workflow Automation
• Goal Tracking
• Customizable Dashboards
• Status Updates
• Performance Data
• Project Management Templates
• 30+ Integrations
• Contract Management
• Expense Tracking
• Budgeting
• Triggered Notifications
• Invoicing
• Generative AI

Free Trial

Yes – for the Team Plan

Pricing

Starts at $20/user/month

Website

https://www.airtable.com/

Paymo is project management software focused on accurate time tracking, invoicing, and expense tracking. Its built-in collaboration tools help teams work on projects and stay on track from anywhere.

Teams primarily concerned about project profitability and staying on budget will appreciate Paymo’s features. However, it may lack some of the other more advanced project management capabilities that other platforms offer.

Main Features

• Task Management
• Kanban Boards
• To-Do List
• Spreadsheet View
• Calendar View
• Subtasks
• Multiple Assignees
• Task Prioritization
• Task Comments
• Workflow Automation
• Team Scheduler
• Custom Workflows
• Gantt Charts
• Project Templates
• Milestones
• Time Tracking
• Timesheets
• Active Timers
• Client Collaboration
• File Sharing
• Online Invoicing and Payments
• Profitability Tracking
• Employee Performance Tracking
• Project Estimates
• Expense Tracking
• Recurring Invoices

Free Trial

Yes – 15 days

Pricing

Starts at $5.90/user/month when billed annually

Website

https://www.paymoapp.com/

ProofHub is a project management and team collaboration tool. It aims to be an all-in-one platform that simplifies and replaces the need for additional subscriptions like messaging apps, to-do lists, file storage, document management, and others.

Interestingly, ProofHub is one of the only project management tools with flat monthly pricing to support unlimited users at any plan level.

Main Features

• Task Management
• Kanban Boards
• Gantt Charts
• Table View
• Board View
• Calendar View
• Request Forms
• Project Templates
• Chat
• Discussions
• File and Document Management
• Proofing and Approval
• Reports
• Time Tracking
• Note Taking

Free Trial

Yes – 14 days

Pricing

Starts at $45/month, billed annually

Website

https://www.proofhub.com/

Karbon is a practice management software built specifically for accounting firms. It’s a collaborative platform where staff can communicate and share workflows between different teams and locations.

Medium-to-large-sized firms may like Karbon for its collaboration capabilities across various locations and departments.

However, full-service onboarding and other support services are only available for a fee, which may not appeal to firms with a limited budget and more support needs. Plus, there are tons of features that your firm just might not need at this moment.

Main Features

• Task Assignees
• Client Management
• Activity Timelines
• Automatic Client Requests
• Work Templates
• Task Lists
• Work Scheduler
• Integrated Email
• Team Collaboration Tools
• Workflows
• To-Do Lists
• Task Automation
• Budget vs Actual Reporting
• Calendar Integration
• Client Portal
• Document Management
• Comments and Notes
• User Permissions
• Customizable Dashboards
• Kanban Board

Free Trial

Yes

Pricing

Starts at $59/user/month

Website

https://karbonhq.com/

TaxDome is another practice management software to help firms manage both their client-facing and back-end operations. The tool’s built-in workflow management feature can help teams organize and track progress on all client work.

Getting up to speed on the wide range of TaxDome features available may require a bit of a learning curve when implementing this software.

Plus, it’s more expensive when compared to other accounting project management solutions as a fully integrated practice management platform.

Main Features

• Ready-Made Templates
• Custom Workflows
• Secure Chat/Email
• Workflow Automation
• Customizable Insights Dashboard
• Calendar View
• Automated Client Communications
• Team Collaboration
• Kanban Boards
• List View
• Status Updates
• Task Reminders
• Task Dependencies

Free Trial

Yes – 14 days

Pricing

Starts at $50/user/month

Website

https://taxdome.com/

Financial Cents is also an accounting practice management software. It features tools to help track client work, communicate with clients, and manage capacity. It’s an all-in-one solution that aims to help firms manage every aspect of their operations.

Since it’s not dedicated project management software, firms may end up paying for other capabilities and features they don’t actually need.

Plus, the only accounting software Financial Cents integrates with is QuickBooks Online, which can be limiting to firms that use other programs like Xero.

Main Features

• Workflow Management
• Recurring Work
• Status Updates
• Capacity Management
• Dashboards
• Deadline Tracking
• File Sharing
• Staff Discussion
• Workflow Notifications
• Email Integration
• Workflow Templates
• Task Dependencies
• Document Storage
• Subtasks
• Client Data Collection
• Client Communication

Free Trial

Yes – 14 days

Pricing

Starts at $39/user/month when billed annually

Website

https://financial-cents.com/

Keeper is practice management software. Though specifically created for bookkeeping firms, accounting firms can easily use it, too.

The platform has tools for project management, in addition to a CRM, time tracking, KPI tracking, and more.

Though Keeper is a more comprehensive practice management tool, its project management capabilities help teams collaborate and track project progress to complete client work on time.

Main Features

• Team Collaboration
• 1099 Management
• Time Tracking
• Client Comments Feed
• Workflow Tracking
• Custom Financial Reports
• File Review Tool
• Custom-Branded Client Portal
• Accounting Software Integration

Free Trial

Yes – 14 days

Pricing

Starts at $8/client/month

Website

https://keeper.app/

Click here to return the software guide and reviews for accountants.

Initially, many firms may use spreadsheets to track their client work progress and stay on top of deadlines. Eventually, however, spreadsheets often become too clunky and unreliable for growing firms. 

If you’re wondering whether you’ve reached that point, here are some common issues we find tend to drive firms toward implementing a dedicated project management tool. 

You’re Missing Deadlines

As you scale, you may realize that a static spreadsheet isn’t enough to track and meet critical deadlines. That’s especially true when you manage work for dozens or even hundreds of clients during busy times, such as during tax season. It would be easy for tasks to inadvertently slip through the cracks, leading to costly consequences for your firm and your clients. 

You Don’t Have a Standardized Way to Manage Client Work

You shouldn’t have to repeat the planning and initiation steps for client services you regularly provide. When you don’t systemize this recurring work, your staff may spend more time on these non-core administrative tasks, sacrificing time for dedicated, billable client work. 

You Have a Hard Time Tracking Progress Across the Team

When the firm is just you and one or two other staff members, it’s easier to track what each person is working on and where each project currently stands. But, as you scale and expand your headcount, relying on your memory is no longer effective. You may not recognize when certain staff members are overworked or be able to gauge each project’s status.

Not all project management tools are built alike or equipped to handle unique accounting and bookkeeping workflows. 

To find the software that can help you streamline the management of client work and free your team from repetitive tasks and deadline stress, here are some essential features to look for in a project management tool. 

1. Proactive Task Management

A good project management tool should offer a clear view of the upcoming work your team needs to complete in an easy-to-use dashboard. This reliable feature helps ensure all client work gets done before the deadline and keeps important tasks from slipping through the cracks. 

2. Client-Specific Project Tracking

You should also be able to organize and monitor tasks and progress by client so you can view all pending work on a more granular level. This unique project view should still provide critical information, such as which team members are responsible for various tasks and when those tasks are due. 

3. Easy Automation of Recurring Work

Automation is another valuable feature in an accounting project management tool, helping your firm spend less time manually completing repetitive processes. For instance, If you repeat certain workflows for clients every month, quarter, or year, you can use automation to recreate the process automatically at your desired pace. 

4. Transparent Team Management

Project management tools should have additional features beyond simple task tracking, like features to help your team collaborate more effectively. With enhanced transparency around the assignment of tasks, managers consistently have a bird’s eye view of what’s going on in the firm and can ensure the workload is spread equitably across staff members.  

5. Simple Organization of Standard Client Work

Most firms have standard workflows they repeat across clients, which traditionally require a certain amount of tedious, non-billable work to set up and organize each time. A project management tool with features that organize work through templates and checklists can help your team become more productive and focus their efforts on billable work.