In today's hyper-competitive business arena, companies are under constant pressure - to deliver more in less time and that too with fewer resources. Unfortunately, not many companies have mastered the art of project resource management and have faced setbacks like decreased productivity, increased discontent among employees, and delays in project delivery.
How do project managers strike the right balance between managing resources and delivering solutions as per the client's needs? A professional resource management software can help you overcome the challenges of handling and allocating resources, helping you simplify and add efficiency to the process.
In this guide, we list 2024 top resource planning tools you can consider for your enterprise. These tools will help you manage your resources smartly and get your projects on track.
Resource management is the practice of planning, tracking, and optimally utilizing all the available resources for a project. The resources may include staff, finances, equipment, and space.
Deploying the resources to drive a project towards completion is a challenging task, and that defines success for you. During the process of resource management, you also need to keep into account the deadlines of the project while managing resource conflicts or dependencies as expected project delivery is also a part of resource management.
Resource management software is a tool that aids companies in planning capital and human resources in favour of smooth project management and completion. Resource management tools can help:
Hands down, one of the top resource management tools for 2024 is eResource Scheduler or eRS. eRS is a resource planning and management tool that is configurable and comes with powerful features like customizable scheduling charts, fields and forms, working calendars and flexible user access rights. The software tracks resource utilization, time spent on tasks, and capacity metrics.
This versatile resource allocation software is designed to be inline with the everyday resource management requirements of organizations. It’ll help you overcome all resource management pain points with a single package. It's available as both a cloud-based and on-premise solution. Since it was launched in 2011, it has been adopted by businesses of all types and sizes.
The informative dashboard offers all the essential reporting features via a single screen. The GANTT chart visual overview offers convenient and productive functionalities that help project managers like comprehensive filters to identify qualified resources and drag-and-drop scheduling. These features make resource planning and scheduling a breeze and also help with resource leveling.
The highly configurable resource management reports (with graphs & charts), like the resource utilization report, provide you with accurate data at all levels of the organization. Configurable email notifications and calendar integrations ensure that users are up-to-date even if they aren’t signed in to the app.
Versions Available: On-premise version and cloud version
Pricing: Starts at $5 per resource per month. Free trial available.
Ideal for: Businesses of all sizes looking to optimize project and resource planning
nTask is a free resource management software that also includes basic resource allocation features. If you're a small organization and require just the basic resource management features, then this tool works for you. It allows you to track the time clocked by resources and helps you calculate the financials easily.
While it doesn't have an extensive resource management module, it has adequate resource planning tools that help you allocate and manage resources efficiently.
Pricing: Available in Basic (Free Version), Premium, Business, and Enterprise versions.
Ideal for: The basic free version is ideal for freelancers and small enterprises.
It's one of the most popular resource management software that has been around for quite some time. Resource Guru helps you allocate resources efficiently. It comes with a smart calendar that allows project managers to track projects and identify particular tasks as billable or non-billable.
One highlight of Resource Guru is that it makes handling leave management a breeze. Project leaders can quickly view which resources are available and when thereby making it easy to allocate and plan projects accordingly.
Versions Available: Grasshopper (all features except reports); Blackbelt (all features including reports); Master (all features plus phone support and data import)
Pricing: Grasshopper - $2.50 per person per month. Blackbelt - $4.16 per person per month. Master - $6.15 per person per month.
Ideal for: Resource Guru is best for Larger organizations that include both human and non-human resources.
It comes with powerful project resource planning features and resource management tools that help you manage your teams efficiently. It comes loaded with pre-built templates that make it easy to get started with resource scheduling and planning. It also helps you forecast resource needs based on current resource availability and future project demands, helping you stay ahead.
Versions Available: Teams, Professional, Premier and Enterprise
Pricing: $19 per month for five users, Professional costs $39 per month per user. For the pricing of Premier and Enterprise, get in touch with the sales team.
Ideal for: Service-oriented enterprises.
This resource management solution highlights your team's availability, thereby making it easy to schedule tasks. One of the most significant benefits of Float is that all changes to your team's schedule are updated in real-time.
Versions Available: Single plan with all features included.
Pricing: It costs $5 per month for each resource.
Ideal for: Project managers who work better with visual inputs.
It's an enterprise resource management software that comes with a wide array of features. The biggest highlight of Hub Planner is its extensive reporting module. You can make use of heat maps and other sophisticated tools to generate powerful reports that highlight problems with project planning and resource utilization. Resource managers can easily share, print, or export these reports.
Versions Available: Plug and Play, Premium and Enterprise
Pricing: The Plug and Play version costs $7 per resource per month.
Ideal for: Large enterprises that require powerful reports
Though primarily a project management tool, it has plenty of resource scheduling and management resource features that support resource planning. It has an in-built resource utilization chart that helps with resource planning and resource leveling.
It has an innovative see-saw design. One end of the see-saw shows resource allocation, while the other end shows resource availability. A balanced see-saw indicates that the resource is utilized efficiently. It also has color codes that make it easy to identify available resources. One major drawback is that all these features are only available with the Premium and Enterprise plans.
Versions Available: Standard, Express, Premium, and Enterprise
Pricing: The Standard plan is the lowest-priced plan and costs $20 per month for up to 10 team members.
Ideal for: Due to steep pricing, it's primarily ideal for large enterprises.
LiquidPlanner is one of the best resource planning tools, as it contains all the essential features for resource management. It gives you intelligent resource workload distribution reports, helping you to balance workloads among all team members. It comes with a resource-levelling functionality that prevents over/underutilization of resources.
Versions Available: Professional and Enterprise
Pricing: The Professional plan costs $45 per month per user and comes with an annual contract and a minimum requirement of 5 users.
Ideal for: Large enterprises that require automated resource allocation capabilities.
It's a complete resource management software that has a dedicated resource management module. Additionally, the tool also provides you with various handy features like reporting and capacity planning. It has a custom report generation framework that makes it easy to build custom enterprise timesheet management reports. Reports generated in the tool can be exported as PDF or Excel worksheets.
Versions Available: Power License and Lite License
Pricing: Get in touch with Saviom to get customized price quotes.
Ideal for: Enterprises that are looking for resource management as part of their project management tool.
If you're looking for an efficient resource management platform with no advanced features, then Teamdeck fits the bill. The simple user interface doesn't require extensive onboarding. It's a dedicated time management software that handles resource scheduling, leave management, and time tracking.
Versions Available: Startup Plan and Business Plan
Pricing: The Startup Plan is free but limited to a maximum of 2 team members. The Business Plan costs $3.99 per team member per month.
Ideal for: Teams that are looking for a simple resource management tool.
Overview
It's a simple time-tracking software that helps businesses calculate accurately the time duration for projects. While most employees agree that time tracking plays a crucial role in project management, remembering to track actual working hours every time they start a task is a huge challenge. Harvest overcomes this challenge by making it super easy for businesses to track time and expenses.
What does it do?
It's a cloud-based time-tracking and resource scheduling tool that works for businesses as well as freelancers. It offers one-click time entry and users can track their work times using various devices: desktop, mobile, and/or tablets.
Free Trial Available? Free 30-day trial with all features.
Pricing: The Pro version of Harvest costs $12 per person per project per month. You are eligible for a 10% discount when you take the annual plan.
Overview
Forecast is one of the many cloud-based resource management solutions that help businesses of all sizes plan and execute projects on time.
What does it do?
It helps businesses keep track of project requirements, allocate the right resources, and predict requirements ahead of time. Resource scheduling, time-tracking, multiple user collaboration, and automatic alerts are some of its most popular project management features.
Free Trial Available? 14-day full access
Pricing: It follows a pricing model based on the plan type and the number of users. Standard plans start from $24 per month, while premium plans start from $39 per month.
Overview
It offers Lean Project Portfolio Management and Resource Management in a single software that is hosted on the cloud.
What does it do?
Meister Plan helps you easily manage project pipelines and track progress. Additionally, it helps you assess whether a project fits your portfolio. One neat feature of Meister Plan is that when project scenarios change, it helps you see the impact not just on the project timeline, but also how it affects resource scheduling, financials, and more. You can then take the right steps to ensure the project is completed on time, despite the schedule changes.
Free Trial Available? 30-day free trial with access to all resources.
Pricing: The pricing depends on the number of resources who will be using the software. Monthly plans start from €199 per month for a team of up to 20 resources.
Overview
Workfront helps you make the best use of your team's time and talent by removing communication barriers and easing workflows - all from within a single, easy-to-use platform. It combines project management, team collaboration, and intelligent work automation so that your team members can deliver their best work on time.
What does it do?
Workfront offers three major products:
Free Trial Available? No. However, you can request a free demo.
Pricing: The pricing model depends on the size of your team. You can send your requirements to receive a custom quote. Choose from four different plans - Team, Pro, Business, and Enterprise.
Overview
Your time is money, and Timewax helps you make the most out of your business time. Timewax understands that resource planning is not a one-man show.
What does it do?
You can define roles like Resource Planners, Project Managers, Employees, Management, Freelancers, and Contract Workers with specific tasks and access levels.
Free Trial Available? Yes
Pricing: Choose from three different plans - Board, Plan, and Plus. Plans start from €7 per user per month.
Overview
What makes Extron different from the other resource management tools on this list is that it helps in managing non-human resources like AV (audio-visual) gadgets and other devices in your office
What does it do?
The Extron Resource Management Software helps with remote monitoring and control of Audio-visual systems and other electronic devices at your office.
Pricing: Extron offers Free Globalviewer, which is available for free. If you opt for the Enterprise version of the GlobalViewer, then you can request a pricing quote.
Overview
InLoox is an integrated task and resource management software that operates with Microsoft Outlook. It's available for desktops and handheld devices like tablets and smartphones. It helps in resource scheduling, and task and skill management. It helps in making intra-office communications effective while improving collaboration among teams and team members.
What does it do?
InLoox is one of the best resource management software because it simplifies workflows. With several handy features like time tracking, mind mapping, and outlook synchronization, InLoox helps businesses complete their projects on time and within budget.
Free Trial Available? Yes, for 30 days
Pricing: One-time payment for the desktop version (InLoox PM) starts from around $490. You can also choose the program as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) option that starts at $24.95 per month per user.
Overview
Deskara is an award-winning cloud ERP platform that helps businesses enhance productivity, boost operational efficiency, track finances, and manage both customers and vendors with ease. Deskera business software applications are used by more than 3000 SMEs and businesses across the world. It is suitable for a wide range of industries like trading, manufacturing, engineering, distribution, and construction.
What does it do?
It has a comprehensive and integrated platform that makes it easy to monitor and control purchasing, inventory, billing and sales, resource management, and budgets. Simply put, it gives you insight into day-to-day business operations in real time.
Free Trial Available? Yes - a 15-day free trial is available.
Pricing: Deskera follows a quote-based pricing system depending on the requirements of the client.
Overview
Ganticc was one of the first software to be dedicated to resource planning and continues to be one of the best resource management software in the market. This visual project planner is ideal for freelancers, small businesses, and large enterprises. The software is often referred to as a blend of Excel spreadsheets and an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution.
Pricing: Plans start at $25 per month
Overview
Runn is a modern, visual project-tracking software that aims to streamline teams and get everyone on the same page. The platform, developed in 2018, is for project managers, operation leads and other people involved in project delivery and execution, regardless of their industry.
Pricing: Free for up to 5 users, then increases to $10 per resource managed per month.
Ideal For: Rapidly growing remote businesses and project-based start-ups.
Overview
GanttPRO is an online resource management software that facilitates project implementation by the use of GANTT charts. The tool is known for its simplicity — it only helps you with resource scheduling doesn’t aim to be a content management portal or communication system. GanttPRO offers task, deadline, cost, resource, and portfolio management. It also has team collaboration, time logging, baseline reports and advanced export and sharing features.
Versions : Free for up to 5 users, then increases to $10 per resource managed per month.
Pricing: Basic is $7.99 per user/per month, Pro is $12.99 per user/per month, Enterprise is $19.99 per user/per month. Contact them directly for Enterprise pricing.
Ideal For: Small Teams or Single users (freelancers, solopreneurs).
Overview
Want to track a marketing campaign or the ROI (return on investment) on a project? Check out Airtable. Airtable is a cloud-based, spreadsheet-style resource management solution that will help you streamline and analyze databases that are complex and constantly evolving. You can use it to manage work, track and organize inventories, plan an event, or create a content marketing strategy.
Versions: Free, Plus, Pro and Enterprise
Pricing: Free can be used for up to 5 creators/members. Plus is $10 per user/per month, Pro is $20 per user/per month. Contact them directly for Enterprise pricing.
Ideal For: Small Teams or Single users (freelancers, solopreneurs).
Overview
Founded in 2006, Wrike is a project management software used by almost 20,000 customers worldwide. The platform is easy to use and will streamline projects between members who might be separated by oceans. The software is perfect for enterprise-level firms and seamlessly integrates with over 400 third-party tools, including MS Projects and Outlook.
Versions : Free, Professional, Business and Enterprise
Pricing: Professional is $9.80 per user/per month, Business is $24.80 per user/per month. Contact them directly for Enterprise pricing.
Ideal For: Businesses in marketing or professional services.
Overview
Kantala Cloud, formerly known as Mavenlink, is a cloud-based resource scheduling solution. The platform allows project managers to create forecasts for projects, revenue, margins, and resource capacity.
Versions : NA
Pricing: Pricing is customized
Ideal For: Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees) and marketing/advertising companies
Overview
Over 200,000 teams use ClickUp to manage resources and get their projects streamlined and completed on schedule and within budget. The tool offers real-time metrics on billings, how time is being spent and what is pending. You can customize the software in 5 different views and easily access what’s most critical to you.
Versions : Free, Unlimited, Business, BusinessPlus, Enterprise
Pricing: Unlimited is $5 per user/per month, Business is $12 per user/per month, BusinessPlus is $19 per user/per month. Contact them for Enterprise rates.
Ideal For: Information Technology, Computer, and Professional Services Companies
Overview
Seeking a resource allocation tool that will help you maximize your profits? Silverbucket, developed by a software company from Finland, can help you do that. The firm prides itself on delivering customized project management solutions for its customers.
Versions : Free, Unlimited, Business, BusinessPlus, Enterprise
Pricing: Based on users, starts at $9 per user/per month (including time tracking feature)
Ideal For: Business to Business (B2B) companies in Gaming, Media & Broadcasting, Technology and Retail markets.
Overview
If your organization is looking to streamline project workflows onto a single screen, Hive is worth your consideration. Hive is an all-in-one project management software and resource planning tool that enables you to set-up and track all activities real-time. It also captures changes to project and past data (so you can go back and see changes and also who authorized them). The software’s library of project templates make it a breeze to put a project into motion.
Versions : Solo, Teams Enterprise
Pricing: Solo is free for a single user, and Teams is $12 per user per month. Contact directly for enterprise pricing.
Ideal For: IT software provider, financial services, higher education, nonprofits and healthcare.
Overview
PayMO is a combination of project management and customer relationship management tool. Founded in 2008, PayMo was created with the mission to deliver a start-to-finish work management solution that people could integrate into everyday life. The platform’s resource management features include timesheet reporting, project accounting, holiday management, capacity planning, and unscheduled work monitoring.
Versions : Free, Starter, Small Office, Business
Pricing: Solo is free for single user, Starter is $4.95 per user, per month (maximum 1 user/freelancer). Small Office is $9.95 per user/per month, Business is 20.79 per user per month.
Ideal For: Small to medium-sized businesses in IT professional services, social media consulting, creative agencies, nonprofits, and healthcare.
Overview
Scoro is a holistic project management solution that can be used by all teams — right from sales to billing departments. The project management component will allow you to create projects, assign tasks and track their progress. The system also has customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities where you can access all customer information, including quotations and invoices. The finance features track billings in actual hours across multiple currencies.
Versions : Essential, Standard, Pro, Ultimate
Pricing: Essential is $26, Standard is $37 per user, Pro is $63 per user/per month. Contact directly for Ultimate pricing.
Ideal For: Creative Agencies
Overview
Want to get your projects quickly moving? Try out TeamGantt. TeamGantt is one of the few holistic project management tools that include a wide range of features like time tracking, planned vs actual timeline view, project plan templates, real-time progress tracking and data import feasibility.
Versions : Lite (up to 5 project per manager), Pro, and Enterprise
Pricing: Lite is $19 per manager/per month, Pro is $49 per manager/per month, Enterprise is $99 per manager/per month.
Ideal For: Small to Medium-Sized Teams
These are the benefits of Resource Management Software:
When you back the system with the automated tools, it considerably reduces the admin costs. The number of errors is reduced because the employees can concentrate on work. They do not have to bothered with book keep-up. A resource managemenet tool allows project managers to maximize their earning potential and deliver work on time. It further strengthens the relationships with the clients.
Needless to say, a resource scheduling software can make action automated for your company. Information from all ends is stored in a central database. This readily available data can be used to fetch information and make decisions. You can track the availability of resources and gain insights on demand and supply.
With the automated resource tracking software system, you have a view of the activities of each employee. The software tools make it possible for the managers to have all labour and time information recorded.
The chances of conflict resolution increase because, with resource management software, you know the occupancy status of the resources. This prevents the resources from being double booked. When a resource is over-occupied, the project's performance can derail. The resource management software provides you with real-time information about the resources, allowing you to handle more strategic tasks.
When every action falls in place in the entire system, the chances of the revenue increase get higher. You can monitor the performance of the employees and check for their workloads. The software-generated reports can allow you to make decisions like whether you should take another project or not. More projects and a higher level of performance indicate growth in revenue and profit.
Not sure, how will you choose the software for your organization? Let us discuss it.
Here are the ways that can help you choose the best resource management software:
There are many competitors and players in the market. Get a hand on the software tools that simplify the process and drive you closer to the targets.
As always, no one tool is the best resource management software for all. Start by listing out your requirements - what you're looking for, features that are a must for you, and optional capabilities that are good to have. Then, visit the website of each tool on this list to see if it offers the features that you require.
Most resource planning tools on this list come with a free version. Give it a try for a few days to gain first-hand experience with the software. Finally, compare pricing and shortlist the right tool for your organization.
Also Read,
How Resource Management Software Helped in Efficient Resource Planning of a Healthcare Company
How Resource Scheduling Tool Helped Overcome Lack of resource visibility and coordination issues
