10 Project Management Software Features I Rely On

I can usually tell a project is about to get weird when the simplest question takes five minutes to answer: “Who’s on this?” Not because people don’t care, but because the work has spread out. A few tasks live in a doc, a few are stuck in someone’s head, updates are buried in chat, and the timeline is more of a vibe than a plan.

With the right project management software features, I get to keep work legible. It creates a place where ownership is obvious, priorities don’t reset every week, and progress doesn’t require a status meeting to decode.

This list pulls the feature themes that show up most consistently in G2 review patterns and pairs each with how I use it to keep projects moving.

10 project management software features I use the most (backed by G2 Data)

Each feature below gets a quick breakdown of why it matters in real project work, plus how I actually use it to keep execution clear and updates painless.

1. Task management

If a project management tool can’t handle tasks well, I don’t care what else it promises. Tasks are where I define ownership, scope the work into something finishable, and keep projects from turning into long threads of “circling back.”

Across G2 review patterns, task management is the feature that shows up most often. That reads like a blunt truth: most teams are looking for a dependable way to run execution.

My baseline is simple. Tasks need clear owners, obvious status, and enough context to act without hunting for background in five other places.

How I use the task management feature:

• I assign one owner per task and write a clear “done” outcome.
• I break approvals, dependencies, and handoffs into subtasks so they’re visible early.
• I review work by milestone to catch drift before deadlines do.

2. Automation and workflows

Automation is what I reach for when the project has a lot of repetition: approvals, handoffs, recurring check-ins, and the usual “don’t forget to…” steps. It’s less about being fancy and more about keeping the process consistent when people are busy.

Review patterns point to automation/workflows as a common differentiator. I take that as a sign that teams want fewer manual nudges and fewer things slipping through because someone didn’t remember the next step.

I only trust automation when it stays readable. If the workflow rules are so complicated that only one person can maintain them, the feature becomes fragile instead of helpful.

How I use automation and workflows:

• I automate recurring work so it doesn’t rely on memory.
• I route intake with required fields so requests aren’t vague.
• I keep rules simple enough that anyone can maintain them.

3. Integrations and API

Most teams don’t live inside one tool. Work happens in docs, chats, email, calendars, and analytics dashboards, whether we like it or not. Integrations are what keep the PM system connected to the rest of that reality.

In G2 review language, integrations and data connections show up steadily as a “this matters” feature. That tells me buyers want less copy-paste project management and fewer parallel systems that disagree.

The only integrations that count are the ones that reduce admin over time. If I’m still exporting, cleaning, and reformatting every week, the connection isn’t doing much.

How I use the integrations and API feature:

• I connect chat/docs/calendar so updates don’t require manual broadcasting.
• I link specs and files directly to tasks so context stays attached.
• I reduce exports by pulling status from real activity.

4. File sharing and docs

Projects get messy when context lives everywhere. A task list without the “why,” the decision trail, or the latest asset isn’t enough once multiple people are collaborating. That’s why I pay attention to docs and file handling.

Review patterns reinforce that teams talk about file sharing/docs as a core part of the workflow, not a bonus. It’s a signal that execution isn’t just tasks; it’s also the materials and decisions attached to those tasks.

My standard here is proximity. If files and notes aren’t easy to find right where the work is happening, people stop using them, and the project starts drifting.

How I use the file sharing and docs feature:

• I attach drafts, links, and decisions to the tasks they affect.
• I keep one “source of truth” doc per project and link everything back.
• I capture decisions as they happen, not after the fact.

5. Project planning and timelines

A timeline view is how I sanity-check the plan. It’s where I catch “this can’t possibly happen in that order,” see which milestones are doing too much work, and understand what actually needs sequencing.

Planning and timeline features come up frequently in reviews, which makes sense. Teams still need a way to see the shape of a project, especially when stakeholders care about deadlines more than task details.

I consider timelines useful only when they change the plan. If it’s just a prettier way to look at tasks without surfacing conflicts, dependencies, or unrealistic pacing, it’s not earning its space.

How I use the project planning and timelines feature:

• I set milestones first, then build tasks backward from dates.
• I use timelines to spot collisions and unrealistic sequencing early.
• I update the plan in-tool when scope changes, not in side notes.

6. Permissions and roles

Permissions matter the second you involve anyone outside your core team: clients, contractors, leadership, or cross-functional partners. Getting collaboration right without oversharing is a real project management challenge.

G2 review patterns show permissions and roles as a recurring theme, which suggests it’s a common pain point in real workflows. People want visibility, but they also want guardrails.

I look for access controls that are easy to reason about. If I need a training session just to add a guest safely, the feature is too heavy for daily work.

How I use the permissions and roles feature:

• I give partners visibility without exposing internal notes.
• I standardize access rules so every project doesn’t reinvent them.
• I recheck permissions at handoff so access matches the phase.

7. Reporting and dashboards

Reporting is where projects become legible to people who aren’t in the weeds. I use dashboards to answer questions quickly: what’s on track, what’s blocked, what changed this week, and what needs a decision.

It’s not surprising that reporting/dashboards show up often in review language. Teams need shared visibility, and they don’t want status updates to depend on one person narrating everything manually.

My rule remains that reporting should reduce explanation. If a dashboard can’t help someone understand progress without a meeting, it’s not doing enough.

How I use the reporting and dashboard feature:

• I track a small set of metrics, so updates stay consistent.
• I use dashboards to drive decisions, not narrate activity.
• I share role-based views so everyone sees what they need.

8. Resource and workload management

Projects don’t always fail because the plan is bad. Sometimes they fail because the same two people are assigned to everything. Workload views help me catch that before it becomes a quiet schedule slip.

Workload and capacity themes appear consistently in reviews, which reads like a scale signal. Once multiple projects run in parallel, “who has time” becomes as important as “what’s next.”

I only value workload features when they lead to decisions. If they don’t help me rebalance work, adjust scope, or negotiate timelines with evidence, they’re just another chart.

How I use the resource and workload management feature:

• I check capacity before committing to new work.
• I rebalance early instead of waiting for a crunch.
• I plan by week to keep the workload realistic.

9. Agile and sprints

Sprint features matter when work is iterative and delivery-based. I use them to keep backlogs from becoming dumping grounds and to create a cadence in which priorities are revisited regularly, not only when something breaks.

Agile and sprint language shows up as a distinct thread in reviews. That suggests a meaningful slice of buyers are managing product or engineering work where iteration and backlog hygiene are central.

My standard is momentum with clarity. If the sprint tooling can’t show what was planned, what shipped, and what rolled over, it makes the process noisier instead of sharper.

How I use the agile and sprints feature:

• I groom the backlog, so sprint planning stays clean.
• I protect the sprint scope so “quick adds” don’t derail delivery.
• I compare planned vs done to spot pattern problems.

10. Time tracking

Time tracking becomes important when effort is part of the story: budgets, billing, utilization, or just understanding where the team’s time is actually going. I use it to spot patterns, not to micromanage minutes.

It shows up as a consistent feature theme in reviews because many teams need the project record to connect to cost and capacity without building a separate system.

I only keep time tracking when it stays lightweight. If logging time becomes a daily burden or the data can’t roll up into something useful, adoption drops fast.

How I use the time tracking feature:

• I track time by project or phase, not by the minute.
• I use trends to estimate repeat work more accurately.
• I tie time data back to budgets and staffing decisions.

Frequently asked questions about project management software

Have more questions about project management software? Find your answers below.

Which project management app is rated highest by medium businesses?

Asana is a strong fit for medium-sized teams because it supports cross-team execution without adding much administrative work. It works well when you need clear ownership, steady progress, and visibility that doesn’t require constant cleanup.

What is the highest-rated project management tool for mobile use?

monday Work Management is a solid choice when mobile access matters. It’s a good fit for teams that need to check status, leave comments, and move tasks forward quickly while away from a desk.

What is the best project management software for a small tech startup?

ClickUp works well for startups that need a platform that can flex as processes change. It’s a practical option when you want to cover multiple workflows in one place without locking into something rigid too early.

What is the most user-friendly project management software for teams?

Asana is often a safe choice when “user-friendly” means fast adoption across the whole team. It’s a good fit when you want project work to feel straightforward, even for people who don’t live inside PM tools.

In tasks, we trust

Project work rarely goes off the rails all at once. It slips gradually, when ownership blurs, context gets buried, and progress becomes harder to explain than to make. The project management software features that keep showing up in G2 reviews tend to solve for exactly that. They bring clarity to execution, keep plans adjustable, and make it easier to see what needs attention before things stall.

If you’re deciding what to prioritize, start with the features that support how your team actually works day to day. The ones you’ll open weekly matter more than the ones that look impressive in a demo. When task ownership is clear, plans are visible, and updates don’t need detective work, project management stops feeling like overhead and starts doing what it’s supposed to do: helping teams move work forward with fewer interruptions.

If your goal is to spend less time on updates and more time moving work forward, AI features are worth a look. Here are the best AI project management tools to check out next.