Product development encompasses many stages. From ideation all the way to launch, there are several steps such as research, planning, testing, and more, that require tons of little tasks and complex projects. Keeping everything organized to ensure a product is delivered on time takes a robust solution, like product development software.
Still, with many solutions available, choosing the one that best fits your product and project needs can take some trial and error. Some software may be better for teams with physical products, whereas others are more suitable for digital products like apps and software.
In this guide, we’ll take you through the process of selecting the best product development software for your business, and look at some of the best options on the market, including monday dev, a flexible platform made with product and engineering teams in mind.
Try monday devHere’s a quick summary of the tools we’ll be covering in detail below:
| Software | Best for | Standout feature | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| monday dev | Agile teams of any size looking to manage the entire product development lifecycle in one flexible platform | Customizable sprint management and product roadmap planning | Premium plans from $9/seat/month |
| Jira | SaaS and app product development teams working on complex projects with detailed tracking | Robust bug tracking and reporting | Free plan available; premium plans from $7/user/month |
| ClickUp | Agile software development teams working on complex product development projects | Customizable workflows with multiple views | Free plan available; premium plans from $7/user/month |
| Aha! | Cross-functional product development teams involved in innovation management, portfolio management, and product marketing | Customizable roadmapping with multiple views | Premium plans from $59/user/month |
| Azure DevOps | Software development teams of all sizes, especially those running end-to-end DevOps in Microsoft environments | Scalable and customizable to fit various team sizes | Free plan available; premium plans from $6/user/month |
| Linear | Teams of all sizes working in fast-paced product development environments | Visual roadmapping with multiple views | Free plan available; premium plans from $10/user/month |
| Productboard | Product teams of all sizes seeking to implement a customer-centric product development solution | Customer feedback integration and insights management | Free plan available; premium plans from $19/maker/month |
| Zoho Sprints | Agile software development teams already using the Zoho ecosystem | Customizable product backlog management | Free plan available; premium plans from $1/user/month |
| Trello | Small to medium-sized teams working on Agile product development projects | Customizable boards and lists with drag-and-drop functionality | Free plan available; premium plans from $5/user/month |
| airfocus | Teams of all sizes looking for a flexible and customizable product development solution | Customizable prioritization frameworks with scoring criteria | Premium plans from $59/editor/month |
| ProductPlan | Teams of all sizes looking for an easy-to-use roadmapping tool with clear visualization capabilities | Visual roadmapping with customizable views | Custom premium pricing plans |
| Tggl | SaaS and mobile app teams looking for more controlled and data-driven product development | Release management with feature flags | Premium plans from $18/month |
| Miro | Product teams of all sizes working in distributed or remote environments | Collaborative customer journey mapping | Free plan available; premiumplans from $8/member/month |
What is product development software?
Product development software is a solution designed to help teams manage different stages of product development. Most software can be used for various processes in product development, enabling different teams like engineers, designers, and marketers to collaborate in one unified workspace.
Product development software can often be used for processes like:
- Ideation
- Gathering product data
- Product strategy
- Roadmapping
- Collecting customer feedback
- Project and task management
- Communication
- Backlog management
Software for product development encompasses many different capabilities that make organizing, managing, and capturing tasks and ideas easier. It acts as a single source of truth for all stakeholders. That said, since product management comprises so many stages, each with its own list of tasks, it can be tricky to find one singular solution that fits all your team’s needs. However, there are still solutions on the market, like monday dev, that enable you to work on your product in one place from the idea stages to launch.
The benefits of using software for product development
With so many moving parts, it’s not hard to lose track of tasks or documents or for communications to slip through the cracks. Serving several different functions, product development software helps you streamline multiple processes in one place, ensuring everything from small details to complex tasks doesn’t get lost. Here are some of the main benefits of using the software:
- Improved collaboration between teams
- Automations to improve efficiency and streamline workflows
- Better task organization and project management
- Enhanced communication with stakeholders
- Quicker development lifecycles by reducing the time between stages
- Faster time-to-market thanks to improved work processes
- Cost reduction from saving on errors and lost time
What are some challenges of product development software?
While beneficial, using product development software poses several challenges:
- Integration complexity: Compatibility issues often arise when integrating product development software with other tools, as different systems may have varying formats, standards, and protocols.
- Resource management: Allocating resources effectively and balancing workloads can be challenging, especially when dealing with multiple projects or limited resources.
- Changing requirements: Managing dynamic requirements is a significant challenge, with developers considering it one of their biggest obstacles.
- Project infrastructure: Establishing a proper development environment, including test and pre-production setups, is crucial but often overlooked.
- Technical debt: Choosing simpler development strategies for short-term gains can result in long-term technical debt, requiring additional time and resources to address later.
- Project prioritization: Balancing multiple demands, meeting deadlines, and allocating resources efficiently while maintaining product quality can be challenging, especially with evolving market demands.
These challenges highlight the complexity of product development and the need for robust management strategies when implementing product development software.
Who uses product development software?
Product development software can be used by anyone building any type of project, whether physical or digital. In the software industry, product development software is used by multiple teams and professionals involved in multiple aspects of software development. Some key users include:
- Software developers and engineers: Developers can keep track of versions, manage code, communicate with one another, and automate parts of the building, testing, and deployment processes
- Project managers: Product management software helps project managers plan, track, and manage software tasks, timelines, employees, and other resources
- Quality assurance (QA) teams: QA teams can use this software to track tests and communicate with development teams on the progress of debugging
- Designers: Product development software can hold multiple prototype files, making it simple for teams to offer feedback, track deadlines, and collaborate on designs
- Product managers: Product managers use this type of software to outline product requirements, prioritize features, refer to a product backlog, and track progress
5 features to look for in product development software
Product development software includes many different features. Depending on your team’s and your product’s needs, you may need more specific features, such as creative tools for mockups or digital whiteboards. However, almost all product development processes, whether you’re building a physical product or something digital like software, should have the five features below.
1. Product roadmapping
Planning your product development stages with a roadmap is essential for a successful product launch. With a visual roadmap, you can see your plan on a timeline, show it to stakeholders, track progress and goals, and stick to deadlines. Look for software that lets you customize a roadmap to keep everyone on the same page and track your product from start to finish.
2. Customer feedback
Collecting customer ideas and feedback is essential to the product development process. A strong product development solution will include features for customer feedback collection, such as the ability to send and analyze surveys and forms, collect ideas through software or in an app, and reporting tools on feedback trends.
3. Task management
Task management features enable teams to organize tasks and keep each stage of product development on track. With visual task management tools, you can see what each team member is working on, see deadlines at a glance, and also prioritize each task according to its urgency. Product and project managers can also assign tasks and verify workloads.
4. Agile development tools
Product development software should include Agile tools, especially if your team is using this methodology, which is common among software development teams. With tools in place for sprint planning, product backlogs, progress tracking, Kanban boards, and Gantt charts, you’ll be able to work with software according to your needs.
5. Analytics and reporting
Implementing feedback is a key part of product development, and a good way to do that is to gather analytics and insights from customers, stakeholders, and employees. Product development software should have reporting tools in place that allow you to evaluate your successes and failures so that you can make meaningful adjustments for the next stages or new products.
Top 13 product development platforms
With so many product development software choices on the market, selecting the best one for your team can be challenging and time-consuming. Here, we’ve reviewed the top 13 product development platforms so that you can look at them side-by-side and find the one that’s right for your team.
1. monday dev
Best for: Agile teams of any size looking to manage the entire product development lifecycle in one flexible platform
monday dev is a versatile product development software designed to streamline the entire development process from planning to launch. It offers a centralized platform for teams to manage tasks, collaborate in real-time, and track progress across various stages of product development.
Key features of monday dev
- Sprint management with burndown charts
- Git integration for seamless updates
- Customizable product roadmap tracker
- AI and automations to run processes faster
- Robust integration capabilities with 200+ apps
- Flexible and customizable workflows for different methodologies
- Multiple work views (Kanban, Gantt, timeline)
monday dev pricing
- Basic: $9/seat/month (billed annually)
- Standard: $12/seat/month (billed annually)
- Pro: $20/seat/month (billed annually)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Read more about the monday dev plans and pricing.
monday dev ratings and reviews
Compare: monday.com vs. Jira, monday.com vs. ClickUp, monday.com vs. Asana, monday.com vs. Trello.
Try monday dev2. Jira
Best for: SaaS and app product development teams working on complex projects with detailed tracking
Jira is a powerful project management tool designed to streamline software development processes from planning to release. It offers a comprehensive suite of features for agile teams to track issues, manage workflows, and collaborate effectively throughout the product development lifecycle.
Key features of Jira
- Robust bug tracking and reporting
- Sprint planning and backlog management tools
- Customizable Scrum and Kanban views
- Highly flexible and customizable workflows
- Extensive integration capabilities with 200+ platforms
- Powerful analytics and reporting features
Jira pricing
- Free: Up to 10 users
- Standard: $7.75/user/month
- Premium: $15.25/user/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Read more about Jira’s plans and pricing.
Jira ratings and reviews
Compare: Jira vs. ClickUp, Jira vs. Asana, Jira vs. Basecamp, Jira vs. monday.com, Jira Alternatives.
3. ClickUp
Best for: Agile software development teams working on complex product development projects
ClickUp is a versatile project management and productivity platform designed to streamline workflows and enhance team collaboration. It offers a comprehensive suite of features for managing tasks, projects, and entire product development lifecycles in one centralized workspace.
Key features of ClickUp
- Customizable workflows with multiple views (List, Board, Gantt, Calendar)
- Sprint backlogs and issue tracking
- Product roadmapping capabilities
- Extensive automation tools
- Custom fields and dashboards
- Robust collaboration tools
ClickUp pricing
- Free: Basic features for unlimited users
- Unlimited: From $7/user/month
- Business: From $12/user/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Read more about ClickUp’s plans and pricing.
ClickUp ratings and reviews
Compare: ClickUp vs. monday.com, ClickUp vs. Trello, ClickUp vs. Asana, ClickUp Alternatives.
4. Aha!
Best for: Cross-functional product development teams involved in innovation management, portfolio management, and product marketing
Aha! is a comprehensive product development software suite designed to help teams set strategy, ideate, plan, and launch new products. It offers a range of tools including roadmapping, idea management, and strategic planning to streamline the entire product development lifecycle.
Key features of Aha!
- Customizable roadmapping with multiple views (Gantt, Kanban, timeline)
- Idea management system for capturing and prioritizing feedback
- Strategic goal-setting and alignment with product initiatives
- Intuitive user interface with visually appealing roadmaps
- Robust integration capabilities with popular tools like Jira
- Product suite includes Roadmaps, Ideas, Whiteboards, Knowledge, and Develop
Aha! Roadmaps pricing
- Premium: From $59/user/month
- Enterprise: From $99/user/month
- Enterprise+: From $149/user/month
Optional upgrades to Aha! Roadmaps:
- Aha! Ideas: $20/user/month
- Aha! Whiteboards: $9/user/month
- Aha! Knowledge: $20/user/month
- Aha! Develop: $18/user/month
Read more about Aha’s plans and pricing.
Aha! ratings and reviews
Compare: Aha! vs. Jira, Aha! Alternatives, Best Product Roadmap Software.
5. Azure DevOps
Best for: Software development teams of all sizes, especially those running end-to-end DevOps in Microsoft environments
Azure DevOps is a comprehensive suite of development tools and services designed to support the entire software development lifecycle, from planning and coding to testing and deployment. It offers a range of integrated features that enable teams to collaborate effectively, automate processes, and deliver high-quality software faster.
Key features of Azure DevOps
- Azure Boards for work item tracking, sprint planning, and Kanban boards
- Azure Pipelines for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD)
- Azure Repos for version control with Git or Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC)
- Azure Artifacts for package management
- Azure Test Plans for test management
- Robust automation capabilities for builds, tests, and deployments
Azure DevOps pricing
- Basic: Free for up to 5 users, then $6/user/month
- Basic + Test Plans: $52/user/month
Azure DevOps ratings and reviews
Compare: Azure DevOps Alternatives.
6. Linear
Best for: Teams of all sizes, from next-gen startups to established enterprises, especially those working in fast-paced development environments
Linear is a modern project management tool designed to streamline the entire software development lifecycle, from planning and coding to testing and deployment. It offers a comprehensive suite of features that enable teams to collaborate effectively, automate processes, and deliver high-quality software faster.
Key features of Linear
- Visual roadmapping with multiple views (timeline, list, table) for strategic planning
- Sprint planning and management with automated workflows and cycle tracking
- Integrated issue tracking and prioritization with custom fields and dependencies
- Intuitive and fast user interface with keyboard shortcuts for efficient task management
- Real-time collaboration enables seamless teamwork regardless of location
- Robust integration capabilities with popular tools like GitHub, Slack, and Figma
Linear pricing
- Free: For unlimited members
- Basic: From $10/user/month
- Business: From $15/user/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Linear ratings and reviews
Compare: Linear Alternatives, Linear vs Jira review.
7. Productboard
Best for: Product teams of all sizes, from startups to enterprise companies, seeking a customer-centric product development solution
Productboard is a comprehensive product management platform designed to help teams quickly bring the right products to market. It offers tools for centralizing customer feedback, prioritizing features, and creating product roadmaps to streamline the entire product development lifecycle.
Key features of Productboard
- Centralized board for user research and feature requests
- Customizable prioritization frameworks for data-driven decision-making
- Dynamic roadmapping with multiple views (grid, timeline, board)
- Real-time collaboration among cross-functional teams
- Customer feedback integration and insights management
- Pre-built templates for various planning and prioritization workflows
Productboard pricing
- Starter: Free for everyone
- Essentials: From $19/maker/month
- Pro: From $59/maker/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Productboard ratings and reviews
Compare: Best Product Roadmap Software
8. Zoho Sprints
Best for: Agile software development teams already using the Zoho ecosystem
Zoho Sprints is an agile project management software designed to help teams plan, track, iterate, and deliver fast-paced projects. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing product backlogs, sprints, and releases, enabling teams to collaborate effectively and adapt quickly to changing requirements.
Key features of Zoho Sprints
- Customizable product backlog management with user stories, tasks, and subtasks
- Sprint planning and tracking with Scrum boards and burndown charts
- Release management and roadmapping capabilities
- Intuitive interface with drag-and-drop functionality for easy task management
- Robust reporting and analytics tools, including velocity charts and cumulative flow diagrams
- Seamless integration with other Zoho apps and third-party tools
Zoho Sprints pricing
- Free: Forever-free plan
- Starter: From $1/user/month
- Elite: From $2.50/user/month
- Premier: From $5/user/month
Zoho Sprints ratings and reviews
Compare: Best Scrum Tools, Best Agile Project Management Software.
9. Trello
Best for: Small to medium-sized teams, product managers, and cross-functional groups working on Agile product development projects
Trello is a visual project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to organize tasks and streamline workflows. It offers an intuitive Kanban-style interface for teams to collaborate, track progress, and manage projects efficiently.
Key features of Trello
- Customizable boards and lists with drag-and-drop functionality
- Power-ups for integrating with other tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Jira
- Built-in automation for streamlining repetitive tasks and workflows
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for easy task management and prioritization
- Real-time collaboration and instant updates for team members
- Flexible and adaptable to various project management methodologies
Trello pricing
- Free: Up to 10 users
- Standard: From $5/user/month
- Premium: From $10/user/month
- Enterprise: From $17.50/user/month
Read more about Trello’s plans and pricing.
Trello ratings and reviews
Compare: Trello vs. monday.com, Trello vs. Asana, Trello vs. ClickUp, Trello Alternatives.
10. airfocus
Best for: Product teams of all sizes, from startups to enterprise-level organizations, looking for a flexible and customizable product development solution
airfocus is a modular product management platform designed to streamline the entire product development lifecycle from strategy formulation to roadmap execution. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools for prioritization, roadmapping, and collaboration, empowering teams to make data-driven decisions and align their efforts with strategic objectives.
Key features of airfocus
- Customizable prioritization frameworks with scoring criteria
- Dynamic roadmapping with multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, timeline)
- Centralized customer feedback integration and insights management
- Flexible and modular design with customizable workflows
- Robust integration capabilities with popular tools like Jira, Trello, and Slack
- AI-powered features for automating routine tasks and enhancing productivity
airfocus pricing
- Core: From $59/editor/month
- Scale: Custom pricing
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
airfocus ratings and reviews
11. ProductPlan
Best for: Product managers, small teams, and startups looking for an easy-to-use roadmapping tool with clear visualization capabilities
ProductPlan is a dedicated product roadmap tool designed to help teams plan, visualize, and share product strategies efficiently. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for creating visually appealing roadmaps and collaborating with stakeholders.
Key features of ProductPlan
- Customizable roadmap templates with multiple views (timeline, list, table)
- Integrated planning board for idea management and prioritization
- Strong collaboration and sharing tools with comments and mentions
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for quick roadmap creation
- Ability to create and share unlimited roadmaps with stakeholders
- Integrations with popular tools like Jira, Trello, and Slack
ProductPlan pricing
Contact ProductPlan directly for a custom pricing plan matched to your organization’s size and strategic goals.
ProductPlan ratings and reviews
Compare: ProductPlan Alternatives
12. Tggl
Best for: SaaS and mobile app teams looking to implement feature flags for more controlled and data-driven product development
Tggl is a feature flagging and release management tool designed to empower product teams with greater control over feature releases and experimentation. It offers a user-friendly interface, allowing product managers to manage feature rollouts while collaborating with development teams safely.
Key features of Tggl
- A/B testing and experimentation with targeted user segments
- Independent release management controlled by product managers
- Instant rollback capabilities to reduce risk in product launches
- Flag categorization and insights for managing technical debt
- Custom conditions for flag safety to prevent misconfigurations
- Integration with your existing analytics stack
Tggl pricing
- Standard: From $18/month
- Pro: From $89/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Tggl ratings and reviews
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13. Miro
Best for: Teams of all sizes working on complex product development projects, especially those in distributed or remote environments
Miro is a versatile visual collaboration platform designed to streamline the entire product development lifecycle, from ideation to execution. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools for teams to collaborate, plan, and manage projects in a shared digital workspace.
Key features of Miro
- Customizable roadmapping with multiple views (Kanban, timeline, Gantt)
- Integrated wireframing and prototyping tools for collaborative design
- Sprint planning and retrospective templates for Agile workflows
- Extensive template library for various product development processes and methodologies
- Robust integration capabilities with popular tools like Jira and Confluence
- Real-time collaboration enables seamless teamwork
Miro pricing
- Free: For unlimited members
- Starter: From $8/member/month
- Business: From $16/member/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Miro ratings and reviews
Compare: Miro Alternative, Best Product Roadmap Software, Best Scrum Tools
How to choose the best product development software for your team
After deciding on the core features your team would need to use product development software successfully, there are a few other considerations to keep in mind. Take into account that when it comes to software projects, up to 20% of them fail every year due to different factors, so selecting the right product management solution from the start can help you save time, money, and ensure the onboarding process runs smoothly. Some other factors to consider are:
- Flexibility and scalability of the software
- Integration capabilities with your existing work tools
- How many users you need and for which teams
- Your software implementation plan
In addition, you always want to ensure any new software you’re using aligns with your business goals. If your team uses Agile methodologies but you love an interface of a specific product development solution without Agile features, it’s going to cause issues in the long run. Luckily, there’s a solution that offers both.
Try monday devFlexible product development software from monday dev
If you want product development software that offers Agile features without compromising usability or a simple interface, then monday dev may be the solution you’re looking for. Packed with plenty of product development features that cater to Agile teams, monday dev is an easy-to-use platform that can handle complex projects.
The highly customizable software helps your engineering and business teams communicate and collaborate throughout the product development lifecycle. Packed with features for sprint planning and reporting, templates for product roadmaps and backlogs, and flexible task management features, monday dev is the ideal solution for teams building apps or software products. With over 200 integrations to some of the most-used development apps, like Slack, GitLab, Jira, and more, your team can continue using their favorite tools while working more efficiently.
Unlike other rigid tools, monday dev allows you to create workflows that suit your team’s needs. Templates for all stages of the product development cycle are available as boards, making it quick and simple to get started. Additionally, with over 27 different work views including Kanban, Gantt, Timeline, Calendar, and more, you can choose how to visually track progress.
Compared to other product development solutions on the market, monday dev still stands out from the rest thanks to high-scoring user reviews. G2 reviewers rate monday dev 4.7/5, with users commenting on how it’s both “powerful” and “easy to use.”
Try monday devWhich product development software should you opt for?
The best product development software is the one your team will make the most use of. That means a solution with an easy onboarding process, an intuitive interface, and real-time communication. With monday dev, you get all that and more — all while aligning engineering teams with business strategy.
FAQs
Is product development the same as software development?
There will be some differences in developing a physical product vs. developing software. For example, a physical product might have to go through prototyping, safety tests, a first production run, and more, whereas software will go through several iterations of designs and capabilities.
Is product development software free?
Most product development software is paid, with some platforms offering free trials or free plans for a limited number of users. Overall, to get the most features out of a platform for meaningful product development use, you’ll need to select a premium account.
What tasks can product development software help with?
Product development software helps teams manage tasks such as product roadmapping, task management, and project management, ensuring a smooth transition from idea to launch. It facilitates collaboration, documentation, and analytics, enabling teams to prioritize ideas, track progress, and make data-driven decisions. Additionally, it supports activities like customer feedback integration, design simulation, and quality assurance, streamlining the overall development process.
What is a product development program?
A product development program is a structured process that encompasses creating, refining, and launching products to meet customer needs. It involves stages such as ideation, design, prototyping, testing, and marketing, ensuring that products deliver value and align with business objectives. This process is collaborative and interdisciplinary, involving product management, engineering, design, and marketing teams to ensure successful product development and market release.
What are the 5 major stages of product development?
The five major stages of product development are (1) ideation, (2) research and validation, (3) design and planning, (4) prototyping and testing, and (5) launch. The process typically begins with brainstorming and generating ideas, followed by market research and concept validation. It then progresses through design and planning, where prototypes are created and evaluated, and culminates in the product launch and subsequent lifecycle management.
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