Podio is one of many popular project management options on the market these days. But is it the best one for whatever it is exactly you need it for?
It can be tough to figure this out, since most project management apps offer similar services and features.
So how can you figure out which project management alternatives are actually worth your time to take a look at?
In this article, we’ll investigate some of these Podio alternatives to find out if one of them might be right for you.
What does Podio have to offer?
Podio is a project management platform with the purpose of keeping teams in sync as they work together. Like similar apps, it gets rid of lengthy email threads and cumbersome methods of file sharing among large groups of people. It provides a workspace in which teams can collaborate.
Here are some of Podio’s features:
- It’s accessible on the web and mobile, across multiple devices. This means your team members can access their workspace at home on their iPad, on their desktop at the office, or on their mobile phones while on the go.
- It can automate routine tasks in a team’s workflow. Let’s be honest — a lot of the routine tasks that can eat away at your time are fairly mundane, even a bit mindless. The best project management apps (like Podio and monday.com) can automate them so that you can focus on bigger projects.
- It provides a platform for holding and scheduling meetings. Of course, there are plenty of great meeting apps out there. But it’s a major timesaver when you can meet in the same space where most of your documents and messaging already reside.
What's a good alternative to Podio?
Podio is a solid project management app for large companies with a group of people dedicated to setting up and maintaining software.
But what if you’re a small business? Or looking for something easier to maintain and use?
Small companies are limited in their bandwidth, but they still need the same kind of resources for efficient project management.
If you are seeking a Podio alternative for your business, you’ll also want it to be compatible with your devices. And of course, it’s a great bonus if a project management app integrates well with other apps your team is already using, like Outlook, Dropbox, Slack, and Zoom.
All of these benefits allow you to manage projects seamlessly, with a minimum of troubleshooting.
One project management software that ticks all the boxes is monday.com.
What is monday.com?
monday.com is a project management platform which (like Podio) offers a streamlined approach to most of the clunkier aspects of project management: communication, file sharing, assigning tasks, and tracking progress.
It allows conversation and collaboration to happen effortlessly within the app. Workflow automation and customized data visualization are just a few of the features that it offers.
But monday.com takes this even further with an array of customizable templates which you can adapt to any project or team.
Here’s a small sampling.
Compared with most other apps, monday.com is easy to set up, usually taking only a few minutes.
Integrations with a wide variety of popular apps occur seamlessly. Here’s a smattering of the apps that your team can use in conjunction with monday.com.
This is by no means an exhaustive list — there are dozens more, including SalesForce, ZenDesk, Shopify, and Adobe Creative Cloud.
It’s also easy to implement automations with monday.com. All you have to do is to create a rule or a triggering event (i.e., “When ___ happens, do ___.”). It’s a great feature because it frees up much of the time and attention you spend on routine tasks.
And this automation reduces human error, too.
We all know this universal truth: the more mindless work your team has to do, the greater the likelihood for fatigue and mistakes. The extra time for more creative pursuits can ultimately boost everyone’s morale and their productivity, too.
What are the differences between monday.com and Podio?
While Podio may be suitable well for large, tech-savvy companies, monday.com has the advantage of being highly customizable and user-friendly.
It adapts to your needs whether you want to use it as a content calendar, an event planner, a to-do list, or just about anything else you can think of.
monday.com also offers a plethora of views like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and more! It also features really useful features like time tracking, for example.
The process of customizing monday.com to the needs of your company is simple and intuitive. The ease with which you can accomplish these customizations is really the area where monday.com stands out the most.One way you see this play out is in the available integrations of both project management apps.
For example, while Podio does offer most of the more popular apps for integration, it’s by no means as extensive as those offered by monday.com.
If you already use Outlook for communication, you can use it easily in combination with either Podio or monday.com. But if your platform of choice happens to be Slack or Microsoft Teams, monday.com will be much more effective when it comes to integration.
Likewise, monday.com provides several CRM integration options (as well as our own CRM features built right in), in contrast to Podio, which offers only one or two.
What this means is that you don’t have to chain yourself to the same apps that you’ve always used, or that everyone else is using. Instead you have a wide array of choices.
Furthermore, monday.com stands out for its user-friendly interface in comparison with other apps, like Podio.
With so many customizable templates, it’s easy to make this platform into whatever experience you want it to be. The features below allow monday.com to respond intuitively to the needs of each individual and company.
- Fully customizable. Adapt the platform to the needs of your team.
- Tracks deadlines. Take in progress on multiple tasks and projects in one view.
- Searchable tags and keywords. Files and conversations are easy to find.
- Workflow management. Workflows can be streamlined and automated, plus you can set up automatic notifications and alerts.
Is Podio free?
Podio offers a free plan for five employees or less, but it’s a pretty limited version of the software. If you’re only looking for basic task management for a small team, it might do the trick.
Otherwise, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the paid versions. Paid plans start at $9/user per month, paid monthly. (Why not check out our pricing page for comparison?)
Get started with the right work management tool for you
If you’ve been using Podio for a while, it probably suits you. For the most part.
But we’re willing to bet that your project management workflow could be even better.
And with so many great project management apps on the market, there’s no need for you to settle for the status quo.
Instead, take a look at monday.com. Check out their user-friendly customization.
Who knows? You may find yourself wondering where monday.com has been all your life.
Get started