Managing your web development project from start to finish can prove to be an arduous and time-consuming task. No matter how big or small your project is, you may need a little help organizing all the processes involved in planning and executing it. This is where project management platforms come in.
Project management tools are an ideal solution that can help you organize your tasks efficiently and save time while executing them. They can also help you communicate effectively with other developers working on the same project.
In this article, we’ve put together a list of five of the best project management platforms available today. However, before we get to that, let’s quickly examine why we consider these tools useful for web developers. Let’s get started!
The Importance of Project Management Platforms for Web Development
As your web development project continues to grow, new challenges likely arise. Without proper planning, these new problems can impede your productivity and cause you to spend more time achieving basic goals. A suitable project management platform could be the key to co-ordinating the various tasks within your project.
For example, you could categorize different complex tasks, assign them to the right developers, and manage a consistent and organized workflow to boot. This way, you can maintain concise and quick communication between the designer, developer, project manager, and other experts on the job.
This is one of the major reasons project management platforms are must-have in web development. They not only save you time, but also help to keep organization and focus high, maximizing productivity.
Of course, client communications should be a high priority. A project management platform can help developers to showcase work to the client, and receive feedback even while the work is in progress.
The exciting part is that most of these tools also let you moderate just how much information is available to the client. So, you can easily hide any sensitive information from the client to maintain satisfactory and up-to-date communication with them.
Another area where project management tools come in handy is invoicing. Most large-scale projects often need this process to be smooth and simple. Project management tools can make your billing processes quicker, easier, and more transparent. You can also use them to properly track the time spent on a project, and group payment records based on categories.
5 of the Best Project Management Platforms for Developers
There are several project management platforms available for developers to use on their projects. Here, we’ve compiled a list of five great options – although they’re in no particular order.
1. Mantis Bug Tracker
Mantis Bug Tracker attempts to create a balance between power and ease of use, and is a very efficient software issue tracker. It’s easy to install and the whole tracking process is also fast and highly simplified.
One of the major benefits of the platform is the seamless communication between team members. You can easily assign bugs to different developers, track the status of existing issues, and monitor all of these processes with email notifications. However, the user interface is basic, and could use some improvement in our opinion.
The tool supports multiple projects per instance, and you can also create sub-projects and project categories for easier collaboration. MantisBT is completely web-based (using PHP) and can be installed on either Windows, macOS or Linux. There’s a free demo available for the hosted version, after which pricing starts at $14.95 per month.
2. Redmine
Redmine is another equally powerful project management platform with a focus on issue and bug tracking. However, unlike Mantis, you’ll need a significant level of expertise to install and maintain it. Fortunately, there’s detailed information to get you up and running.
The tool is pretty popular among expert web developers. This is largely thanks to the broad range of features available by default. Redmine supports multiple projects, offers role-based access control, and helps to time track time effectively.
You can also extend the platform’s functionality by using any of the numerous plugins available. The software is based on Ruby on Rails and can be downloaded directly from the Redmine site. Also, Redmine is completely free, unless you choose to purchase some optional premium extensions.
3. Trac
Trac is the only wiki project management software on this list. In other words, different users can contribute to the development of the application. There is also a Version Control System (VCS) that helps to manage the software releases.
The platform uses a ticketing system to track bugs, issues, and any other tasks related to your project. It’s also backed by a search engine. Together with the email notifications, you can easily navigate seamlessly throughout all of your tasks.
Trac also supports plugin extension, with a lot of documentation available from its wide user community. Best of all, it’s completely free to download.
4. ProjectPier
ProjectPier stands out because of its ease of use, and the interface is very intuitive. The platform comes with basic project management features such as the ability to add milestones, projects, and assign tasks to team members.
Just like the others on this list, the platform is also web-based written using PHP, Javascript, and MySQL. ProjectPier is free, and can be downloaded from its SourceForge project page.
5. Zentao
Finally, we have the tool with arguably the most modern interface of all on this list. Zentao’s free open-source version lets you manage tasks, bugs, and cases with no restriction on commercial use. However, if you want exclusive features like Gantt charts, and feedback and document management, you’ll have to upgrade to a premium version.
Zentao Pro and Enterprise plans range from $24.9 to $69.99 depending on the number of users. You can download the latest versions from Zentao’s official website, and each comes with a 30-day free trial.
Conclusion
Project management tools come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s important to choose the right one for your needs. However, all offer a superb way to organize and run your project, while keeping tabs on any issues that arise.
This article has looked at five feature-rich project management platforms, useful for the majority of web developers:
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Mantis: A very efficient bug tracker that is easy to install.
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Redmine: This tool offers a broad range of features and role-based access control.
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Trac: Wiki software with extensive documentation.
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ProjectPier: Free and very easy to use.
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Zentao: Premium software with tons of features and a modern interface.
Image Credit: Startup Stock Photos.
