A good project management platform can streamline your publishing workflows, allow you to allocate resources, track your editorial team’s progress, and improve communication with your stakeholders.
In this guide, we’ll go over the 10 best project management tools for publishers, including their top features, pricing structure, and pros & cons.
Factors To Consider When Evaluating Project Management Platforms For Publishers
When evaluating project management platforms as a publisher, there are a few factors to consider:
#1: Range of Features For Managing Editorial Workflow
The project management software you opt for should offer features for managing different types of editorial tasks and stakeholders, including:
- Task management features that facilitate task assignment of writing work, including deadline setting and progress monitoring for your books or articles. You and your team can get access to Kanban boards, sub-tasks, and dependencies.
- Time tracking functionality, such as your team being able to log hours spent on editorial tasks.
- A mobile app to maximize productivity on the go and sign off chapters or other writing work.
- Automations that help save time from doing manual tasks, such as notifying your team members a task has been assigned to them.
#2: Collaboration Features
If you’re a publisher managing writers, you’d need to look for a project management tool that has integrated communication channels for real-time communication about editorial tasks and projects.
This includes in-app messaging for 1:1 or group chats.
➡️ Other collaboration features to look out for would be the ability to leave comments under tasks, and the option to build project-specific chat channels to keep conversations organized about tasks to be done.
#3: Integrations With Your Productivity Tools
If you want to create a cohesive workflow with your team, you need to be looking for a project management tool that connects with your existing productivity tool stack.
For example, if the project management software has a native integration with Slack, that would facilitate instant communication with your publishing team to notify them an article (or another task) has been assigned to them.
#4: Pricing Structure
Publishers need to take into consideration the pricing structure of each project management tool before their team can make the final decision.
Since almost all project management tools’ pricing is based on seats, it’s important to consider which platform gives you or your publishing team the best value for your buck.
💡 Some of the platforms we will review also have a generous free plan that you can use to get a feeling for their platform – or if you’re an individual publisher.
What Are The Best Project Management Tools For Publishers In 2025?
Here are our best project management platforms for publishers in 2025 based on our research of the tools and after going over verified G2 reviews:
#1: SmartSuite: An all-in-one project management software to plan, manage, and track projects, resources, and stakeholders.
#2: Smartsheet: Manage editorial projects using a spreadsheet interface.
#3: Miro: A digital whiteboard platform that was built for visual collaboration for publishers.
#4: Trello: Manage your writing workflows and team using Kanban boards.
#5: ClickUp: Manage large editorial projects in a custom-built interface.
#6: Monday.com: Good reporting and custom workflows for publishers.
#7: Asana: Build advanced publishing workflows through dependencies and automation.
#8: Notion: Keep track of editorial tasks with the tool’s easy-to-use interface.
#9: Airtable: Publishers can manage workflows through relational databases.
#10: ProofHub: Manage editorial workflows at scale with the tool’s team collaboration and reporting capabilities.
#1: SmartSuite
SmartSuite (that’s us) offers the best project management software for publishers, book writers and editorial teams, featuring advanced workflow automations and team collaboration features.
Our platform lets you manage all your editorial projects across multiple clients on a centralized platform with built-in automation and a communication centre – making the platform ideal for individual book writers and editorial teams.
Disclaimer: Even though SmartSuite is our project management platform, we’ll provide you with an unbiased perspective on why our app is the best project management tool for publishers in 2025.
Let’s go over the features that make SmartSuite the ideal choice for publishers looking for a comprehensive project management solution: 👇
Plan, Track & Manage Simple To Complex Projects
SmartSuite’s project management features help editorial teams plan, track, and manage multiple projects at scale.
To simplify the process, your team will get numerous built-in intuitive features to execute your publishing tasks.
Here are the features that publishers love the most about SmartSuite:
- Smart task management: You and/or your team can turn any item field into a task—a checklist item, comments, or sub-item. It is possible to build a solid task list and assign it to team members with a due date and priority status.
- Project phases and milestones: Having milestones ensures your editorial projects stay on track and move towards completion. With SmartSuite, you can set them, monitor through your reporting dashboard, and flag issues.
- Files and project deliverables: You can manage and organize all your documents. It is also possible to attach project-related files, share feedback with your team, and manage version history, all within your work context.
- Native time tracking: You can monitor and evaluate task and project completion times of editorial tasks. Built-in tracking helps you segment billable and non-billable hours.
Native team collaboration
If your content creation team isn’t using a dedicated project management platform like SmartSuite, crucial feedback is likely getting lost in long email threads or Slack messages.
SmartSuite’s built-in communication and collaboration features help centralize communication among your team members and stakeholders so the conversation happens where the work is, in your project management tool.
Here are the key features that make collaboration easy in SmartSuite for writing teams:
- Built-in communication centre for connecting with team members in group chats or 1:1 conversations for quick feedback and keeping clients updated throughout the project.
- The member’s directory lets you see all the details about your colleagues, including their availability status and job profile, making it efficient to contact the right people when you need information (e.g., expert info for an article).
- SmartSuite docs help you brainstorm with your teams, map out the campaign’s resources, or write content. All this happens in your work management platform ensuring smooth collaboration and task assignments.
- You can share updates on writing tasks, nudge teammates, or add new people to the conversation through task and project comments and @mentions.
- SmartSuite integrates with popular productivity tools, such as Google Docs, Word, Notion, Coda, Evernote, and Confluence.
Comprehensive project reporting
Our platform has a dynamic project analytics tool with configurable charts and graphs.
The reporting dashboard helps you track project performance, understand resource allocation, and identify slow-moving editorial projects.
Based on that information, you can quickly develop plans to overcome roadblocks and get content back on track.
Your team can visualize reporting in Grid, Card, Kanban, Timeline, Map, Calendar, or Dashboard views.
You can also add as many as needed to build a visual storyboard for your project’s progress.
To share reports with stakeholders or internal teams, it is possible to make the report public and share the necessary access.
Advanced workflow automation
SmartSuite's no-code automation builder allows teams to automate some of the repetitive tasks that they’re facing in their day-to-day content operations.
For example, you can assemble automation at the task and project and automate repetitive tasks based on triggers like changing dates, sending notification emails, or updating statuses.
There are six pre-defined triggers and 15+ actions, with options to build custom ones.
Once you’ve set up a workboard in SmartSuite, head to “Automations” and automate anything from record creation to updates to task assignments and notifications.
Here’s more info on SmartSuite’s workflow automations: 👇
SmartSuite Pricing
SmartSuite has a free plan with access to 250+ automation actions, team collaboration, multi-dashboard views, and more.
There are four paid plans with a 14-day free trial:
- Team: Starts at $10/user per month, including Gantt charts, timeline views, 5000 automation runs, and time tracking.
- Professional: Starts at $25/user per month and adds two-factor authentication, Gmail & Outlook integrations, and unlimited editors.
- Enterprise: Starts at $35/user/month and includes access to audit logs, data loss prevention, and 50,000 monthly API calls.
- Signature: A customized plan tailored to your organization’s needs and team size with no predefined limits.
SmartSuite Pros and Cons
✅ The free plan includes access to advanced features.
✅ 200+ project templates for various use cases for publishers.
✅ Dynamic dashboards and reporting that are easy to navigate.
✅ Integrated document and file management.
✅ Comprehensive workflow automation to manage your editorial team.
❌ Less native integrations when compared to other alternatives on the market.
#2: Smartsheet
Best for: Managing projects using a spreadsheet interface.
Similar to: Airtable.
Smartsheet is an enterprise-grade project management solution that helps publishers plan, track, and manage editorial work in a spreadsheet-like interface.
The tool stands out from its competitors with its variety of pre-built templates.
Who Is It For?
Smartsheet is ideal for publishers working in large publishing houses looking to manage complex and numerous projects in a spreadsheet interface.
Smartsheet’s Top Features
- Built-in proofing, which helps publishers expedite planning and approval. Your team can invite external collaborators to review, edit, and approve images, videos, documents, and PDFs.
- Plan resource consumption with the tool’s resource management features, where you can review usage throughout the process, and then take action to keep projects on track.
- Build workflow automation: Your team can set up automations, such as sending due date reminders, requesting signatures via DocuSign integration, and performing calculations.
Smartsheet Pricing
There are 4 paid tiers of Smartsheet:
- Pro: Starts at $12/seat/month and includes private sheet creation and unlimited form access with a 10-user limit.
- Business: Starts at $24/seat/month for a minimum of 3 user seats, which offers unlimited automated workflows, PowerBI, Tableau, and Adobe Creative Cloud integration.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing that adds unlimited storage, enterprise plan manager, and AI tools.
- Advanced Work Management: Custom pricing that adds portfolio management and a premium support package.
Smartsheet Pros and Cons
✅ Huge library of project templates for publishers.
✅ Powerful analytics and reporting tools for enterprise teams.
✅ Integrations with Salesforce and Jira.
❌ Steep learning curve for spreadsheet beginners, according to G2 reviews.
❌ Data is not updated in real-time.
#3: Miro
Best for: Publishers looking for an intuitive and simplistic project management tool.
Similar to: SmartSuite, Asana.
Miro offers a digital whiteboard platform that was built for visual collaboration, making it ideal for publishers who need a space for brainstorming and conceptual work.
The platform also integrates with other project management and productivity platforms, which makes it ideal for large teams to streamline editorial workflows.
Who is it For?
Miro is ideal for publishers and editorial teams who work in creative industries and who collaborate with UX and UI teams.
Miro's Top Features
- AI-powered canvas: Create expansive visual workspaces for road mapping, sprint planning, task organization, and more.
- Built-in documentation tool: Create SOPs for your team, outline proposals, and keep track of the team’s feedback.
- Real-time collaboration: Enables multiple employees to work on the same board at the same time for brainstorming.
Miro pricing
Miro has a free plan with unlimited contributors that includes 3 editable boards, 10 AI credits, and access to 150+ integrations.
To access the tool’s advanced features for more editable boards, you’d need to be on one of their 3 paid plans:
- Starter: Starts at $8/user/month, which adds a private mode, 25 AI credits per member/month, brand centre, and task timeline estimation app.
- Business: Starts at $16/user/month, which includes 50 AI credits per member/month, a smart diagramming tool, and dependencies and task planner.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing with a minimum team size of 30, which adds advanced administration control, dedicated support, and premium security.
Miro's Pros and Cons
✅ Visual interface that aligns well with creative publishers’ work style.
✅ Good for collaboration and virtual workshops.
✅ Extensive integration capabilities with other project management and productivity tools.
❌ Limited project management features for more complex projects.
❌ Pricing can get steep for larger teams.
#4: Trello
Best for: Managing your editorial workflows and team using Kanban boards.
Similar to: ClickUp, SmartSuite.
Trello is a project management software by Atlassian that enables solo publishers and teams to plan, track, and manage editorial projects.
The platform uses Kanban boards where you can build custom workflows and gives you access to its pre-built templates.
Who Is It For?
Trello is ideal for individual publishers and small teams who are familiar with Kanban-based task management.
Trello’s Top Features
- You can set up advanced workflows for project-level activity, such as when a task is being completed or a task is being moved between different Kanban board cards.
- Build custom fields, add advanced triggers, and sync databases with Trello’s Power-ups, which are integrations and additional apps that can improve the tool’s capabilities.
- Content managers can get an overview of your tasks’ progression with the timeline, list, dashboards, Kanban, or calendar view of all tasks.
Trello Pricing
Trello offers a free version of its project management app with built-in automation features and up to 10 seats.
You will also get a 14-day free trial for its three paid tiers:
- Standard: Starts from $5/user/month and adds unlimited activity log and 250 workspace command runs/month.
- Premium: Starts from $10/user/month and adds unlimited workspace collaborators and built-in automation.
- Enterprise: Starts from $17.50/user/month for 50 users and adds 24/7 enterprise admin support and SAML SSO via Atlassian Access.
💡 Similar to how other Atlassian products work like Jira, the platform will give you a per-seat discount on the Enterprise account the more team members you bring to the platform.
Trello Pros and Cons
✅ User-friendly and intuitive dashboard that is easy to use for beginners.
✅ Pre-built templates that are ideal for setting up workflows for editorial teams.
✅ Built-in advanced automations..
❌ No built-in team communication, similar to Asana.
❌ Your editorial team will have to rely on third-party integrations for reporting, which are paid.
#5: ClickUp
Best for: Managing large editorial projects in a custom-built interface.
Similar to: Monday.com, Asana.
ClickUp is a project management app that helps publishers automate their workflows and manage multiple tasks.
The platform gives you access to Gantt charts, board views, and portfolios that you can use to simplify your work management as well as advanced reporting features.
Who Is It For?
ClickUp is best for large editorial and publishing teams looking for customization options so they can personalize the platform for different use cases and standardize their writing process.
ClickUp’s Top Features
- Task management: Get a complete overview of each project's tasks with the app’s multiple task views, custom fields, dependencies, and comment-based collaboration.
- Whiteboards: Virtual canvas where your team can build agile workflows, outline dependencies, and strategize action items to meet the project’s objectives.
- Sync time tracking to improve your team’s productivity. There is also a time tracking field to set time estimates for each task you’re working on.
ClickUp Pricing
ClickUp has a free plan that includes unlimited task creation, access to 100 MB storage, and collaborative docs.
The platform has three paid plans with a 14-day free trial:
- Unlimited: Starts at $10 per user/month, which includes access to unlimited custom views, timesheets, guest access, and 100 mind map creation.
- Business: Starts at $19 per user/month and adds private docs, sprint reporting, and all dashboard views.
- Enterprise: Custom price that adds white labelling, enterprise-grade security, and AI features.
ClickUp Pros and Cons
✅ Low entry-level pricing plans for smaller teams and individual publishers.
✅ Highly customizable with a comprehensive range of built-in tools for large enterprises.
✅ Good team management and collaboration tools.
❌ Can get overwhelming for new users due to the platform’s complex interface, which is why some publishers have been looking for ClickUp alternatives.
❌ Can take longer to set up a dashboard that fits the bill, according to some G2 reviews.
#6: Monday.com
Best for: Editorial teams looking for good reporting capabilities and custom workflows.
Similar to: Asana, SmartSuite.
Monday.com is an all-in-one project management app that offers a good range of features for editorial teams, such as work management, an automations builder, and built-in reporting.
The app helps you build project-level goals, plan resources and budgets per project, and assign tasks to your team members.
Who Is It For?
Monday.com is best for medium to large enterprises looking to equip their publishing department with best-in-class reporting and automations.
Monday.com’s Top Features
- No-code automation builder where your team can build automations and send timely alerts or update status to clients and your team members.
- Organize multiple projects: Monday.com offers portfolio management features that let your team track overall progress and assign resources and budgets to each project.
- Custom feedback forms: You can build custom forms to collect and share feedback for your team from external stakeholders. Your team can then sync form responses by adding them to relevant projects.
Monday.com Pricing
Monday.com has a free plan for up to 2 users, where you can test out the tool’s basic project management features.
💡 In our guide on Monday’s pricing, we dive deeper into whether the platform has good value-for-money plans.
To access the tool’s advanced features, you’d need to be on one of their four paid plans:
- Basic: Starts at $17 per user/month and adds Kanban board view and unlimited users with view-only access.
- Standard: Starts at $20 per user/month and adds 250 automated actions/month, 3+ dashboard views, and Zoom integration.
- Pro: Starts at $32 per user/month, and adds all five dashboard views, time tracking, and 2-factor authentication.
- Enterprise: Custom price, which adds a dedicated customer success manager, enterprise-level reporting, and administration control.
Monday.com’s Pros and Cons
✅ Advanced reporting and analysis at the project and portfolio level, which is ideal for large teams that work with clients.
✅ 200+ integration across apps, including integrations with communication and productivity tools.
✅ Custom work forms that you can turn into actionable tasks for your team members based on stakeholder feedback.
❌ Paid plan upgrade available in set increments of 5 and 10 users.
❌ Automation features are gated to the more expensive plans, which is why lower-budget teams have been looking for alternatives to Monday.
#7: Asana
Best for: Building advanced workflows through dependencies and automation.
Similar to: Wrike, SmartSuite.
Asana is a project management software built for large teams that lets publishing teams streamline their editorial processes through workflows and work portfolios.
The tool helps you organize multiple projects with access to all documents, tasks, and due dates in one place so your team would not have to switch between projects each time.
Who Is It For?
Asana is best for medium-to-large-size editorial teams looking to manage multiple projects, writers, and stakeholders simultaneously.
Asana’s Top Features
- Create standardized templates that your team can send to clients to collect all of their details on a task right away, such as expert info.
- Advanced capacity planning: Editorial teams can allocate and optimize resources (time, people, and cost) to each roadmap throughout its lifecycle.
- Dedicated work portfolios, where your team can organize multiple editorial projects and tasks. Each portfolio can be personalized to your clients and provides an overview of status and go-live dates.
Asana Pricing
Asana has a free plan for up to 10 users with unlimited file storage (100 MB per file), and three task views: board, list, and calendar.
The platform offers four paid plans with a 30-day free trial:
- Starters: Starts at $10.99/user/month for up to 500 members, which includes Asana AI, private projects and teams.
- Advanced: Starts at $24.99/user/month, which includes 25,000 automations/month, 100 portfolios, universal reporting, and goal tracking.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing, which includes advanced integrations, unlimited seats, portfolio, and automation bundles.
- Enterprise +: Custom pricing, which includes audit log API, HIPAA compliance, and data loss prevention integrations.
Asana Pros and Cons
✅ Powerful workflow automations to streamline editorial operations.
✅ 270+ native integrations with other productivity apps that your team might already be using.
✅ AI features, such as smart chat, smart fields, and smart status to get quick updates on your projects.
❌ Lack of built-in collaboration tools, so your team might have to rely on its integration with Slack.
❌ Limited customization fields, unlike other competitors to Asana like Monday and SmartSuite.
#8: Notion
Best for: Keeping track of editorial tasks with the tool’s easy-to-use interface.
Similar to: Trello.
Notion is an easy-to-use, configurable project management tool that helps publishers organize tasks and build a hub of educational materials for internal training.
We included Notion in this list is that the platform stands out with its native formulas and built-in documentation with which you can manage editorial workflows.
Who Is It For?
Notion is best for individual book publishers and small editorial teams looking to ‘’DIY’’ their processes in an easy-to-use interface.
Notion's Top Features
- Configure the database to your preference: Use Kanban, Gallery, List, and Timeline views to build a content roadmap.
- Built-in documentation: You can add rich-text formatting to your notes, invite teammates for feedback, and organize them through tags.
- Native functions and formulas: Your team can build complex databases with auto-update fields using formulas and functions.
Notion Pricing
Notion has a generous free plan with access to 10 guest invites, a collaborative workspace, and synced databases.
The platform has three paid plans:
- Plus: Starts at $12/user/month and includes unlimited file uploads, 100 guest invites, 5 Notion site domains, and unlimited synced databases.
- Business: Starts at $18/user/month, and adds PDF database export, 250 guest invites, and advanced analytics.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing that adds a dedicated CSM, admin roles, and advanced page analytics.
Notion Pros and Cons
✅ The free plan gives access to all features of the platform to test it out before you can commit to a paid plan.
✅ Highly customizable with multiple work views—Table, List, Charts, Gallery, Boards, and Timeline.
✅ Huge template library for different use cases for publishers.
❌ Loads slowly with large databases or heavily embedded.
❌ Limited native automation capabilities.
#9: Airtable
Best for: Publishers looking to manage their workflows through relational databases.
Similar to: Smartsheet.
Airtable is a database management software that offers relational capabilities (i.e., you can connect one data source to a different but related dataset).
The tool lets you connect multiple data sources so you can draw conclusions and insights from your editorial projects.
Who Is It For?
Airtable is ideal for individuals and small teams who want to build a custom interface.
Airtable’s Top Features
- Build multi-sequence automated workflows to reduce your team’s repetitive tasks through more than 15 actions and 10 triggers.
- Build custom views for different departments to offer a more transparent peek into the work progress of each department. You can access lists, Gantt charts, Kanbard boards, and calendar views.
- Build custom interfaces to show internal and external stakeholders specific and relevant information with the platform’s interface designer.
Airtable Pricing
Airtable has a free plan that offers access to a single workspace with all basic dashboard views and 100 automations per month.
The paid plans come in three tiers, with a 14-day free trial available only for the Team plan.
- Team: Starts at $20 per user/month, which adds a timeline view, 25,000 automation per month, and Airtable AI.
- Business: Starts at $45 per user/month, which adds multi-source syncing and dynamic filtering.
- Enterprise scale: Custom pricing, which includes admin reports, enterprise-level integrations, and premium support.
Airtable Pros and Cons
✅ High-level customization and flexible dashboards.
✅ User-friendly interface with multiple views.
✅ A good variety of pre-built templates for publishers.
❌ Limited reporting capabilities regarding other competitors on the market.
❌ Limited team communication, according to G2 reviews.
#10: ProofHub
Best for: Managing editorial workflows at scale with the tool’s team collaboration and reporting capabilities.
Similar to: Wrike, Basecamp.
ProofHub is a project management and collaboration software that helps publishers save time and stay focused on relevant tasks.
The platform keeps all of your team members on the same page with clear tasks, deadlines, and real-time collaboration features.
Who Is It For?
ProofHub is best suited for medium to large-scale publishing houses looking to improve their busy teams’ productivity and save on per-seat pricing costs.
ProofHub’s Top Features
- A ‘’Me view’’ that helps team leaders see their tasks for the week, projects, and agendas.
- Team collaboration: You can start a discussion on a project or task level, review files and share feedback, engage in 1:1 or group conversation, brainstorm ideas, organize notes, and post announcements.
- Workflow automation: Build custom automation on the task and project level using the tool’s pre-defined triggers and actions.
ProofHub Pricing
ProofHub does not have a freemium model.
The platform offers a flat pricing for unlimited users divided into 2 tiers:
- Essential: $45/month when billed annually for 40 projects, 15 GB of storage, and access to the tool’s core features.
- Ultimate Control: $89/month when billed annually for unlimited projects, 100 GB of storage, and access to custom roles, white labelling, workflows, IP restrictions, and API access.
➡️ The Ultimate Control plan is currently on a discount – after the first 3 months, the tool will cost $150/month when billed annually for unlimited users.
ProofHub Pros and Cons
✅ Integrated collaboration tools.
✅ Affordable for large publishing teams with the tool’s pricing model that is not based on user seats.
✅ Full control over client access to the dashboard with custom roles.
❌ The fixed pricing might be expensive for individuals and teams who only need a limited number of users.
❌ The platform has limited integrations, lacking integrations with platforms like Slack, Trello, and Asana.
Choosing The Right Project Management Solution For Your Publishing Team
Selecting the ideal project management software for a solo publisher or your team of editors involves carefully considering your needs, workflow, team members, and client dynamics.
Each software we've explored has unique strengths but the best option depends on your publishing team’s size, task complexity, external stakeholder involvement, and specific processes at work.
➡️ Smaller teams might prefer the simplicity and familiarity of Asana or Monday.com, while larger businesses could benefit from ProofHub's ease of use or ClickUp's comprehensive range of features.
➡️ Publishers with more technical know-how would most likely get the best value for their buck from Atlassian products, such as Trello.
➡️ SmartSuite stands out from the list due to its comprehensive list of offerings suitable for basic to complex publishing projects.
Our platform’s built-in automation, best-in-class team collaboration features, extensive template library, and custom dashboards make it the best choice for publishers.
Try a 14-day free trial or sign up for a free plan to explore how SmartSuite can help your editorial team.
