Comparison · Project Management
Best project management tools for marketing teams
Six tools, honest pricing, and which ones actually handle campaign approvals well.
- 6 tools compared
- Real prices
- Approval workflow notes
Best project management tools for marketing teams: which one should you pick?
Asana and monday.com are the strongest general picks for marketing teams needing campaign timelines and approvals. ClickUp is the best value for teams wanting everything (docs, tasks, goals) in one tool, while Trello suits very small teams that just need a simple board.
Last updated 3 August 2026
| Tool | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Asana | Marketing teams wanting strong timeline and workload views | Free for up to 10 users, paid from about $10.99 per user a month |
| monday.com | Teams that want flexible boards and built-in approval statuses | From about $9 per user a month (minimum 3 seats) |
| ClickUp | Teams wanting tasks, docs and goals bundled into one tool | Free tier available, paid from about $7 per user a month |
| Trello | Very small teams wanting a simple visual board | Free for basic use, paid from about $5 per user a month |
| Wrike | Larger marketing teams needing proofing built in | From about $10 per user a month |
| Notion | Teams wanting a flexible content calendar plus a wiki | Free for individuals, paid from about $10 per user a month |
Marketing project management has a specific shape that generic task tools handle inconsistently: content calendars, multi-stage approval chains (draft, review, legal, client sign-off), and campaigns that span weeks with dozens of interlocking deliverables across design, copy and paid media.
General-purpose tools like Trello and Asana can be configured to do this, but some are better out of the box than others. Below is what each is actually good at once you load it with a real campaign, not a demo checklist.
How we judged them
What matters when you're small.
Content calendar view
A visual calendar showing publish dates across channels is close to essential for marketing specifically. Check whether it's a first-class view or a bolted-on plugin.
Approval and review workflows
Look for built-in proofing (commenting directly on an image or document) and multi-stage approval status, rather than relying on comment threads to track who signed off.
Cross-team visibility without overexposure
Marketing often works with design, sales and external agencies. Check permission granularity so external collaborators see only their relevant tasks.
Reporting on campaign timelines vs actuals
Knowing whether a campaign shipped on time matters for planning the next one. Look for simple timeline/Gantt views rather than needing a separate BI tool.
The picks
What each one is actually good at.
Asana
Free for up to 10 users, paid from about $10.99 per user a monthBest for: Marketing teams wanting strong timeline and workload views
Clean campaign templates and a genuinely useful timeline (Gantt) view even on mid-tier plans. Portfolio-level reporting across multiple campaigns requires the pricier Advanced tier.
monday.com
From about $9 per user a month (minimum 3 seats)Best for: Teams that want flexible boards and built-in approval statuses
Highly customizable status columns make approval tracking straightforward without extra setup. The interface can feel cluttered with too many columns if you don't prune templates down.
ClickUp
Free tier available, paid from about $7 per user a monthBest for: Teams wanting tasks, docs and goals bundled into one tool
The most feature-dense option at the lowest price, including native docs and whiteboards. That density means a longer setup time and a steeper learning curve for non-technical marketers.
Trello
Free for basic use, paid from about $5 per user a monthBest for: Very small teams wanting a simple visual board
The simplest tool to onboard a team onto in under an hour. Falls apart for campaigns needing dependencies or multi-stage approvals without adding several power-ups.
Wrike
From about $10 per user a monthBest for: Larger marketing teams needing proofing built in
Native proofing tools for markup on images and video are stronger than most competitors', which matters heavily for creative-heavy teams. Pricing tiers gate key features aggressively.
Notion
Free for individuals, paid from about $10 per user a monthBest for: Teams wanting a flexible content calendar plus a wiki
Excellent as a combined content calendar, brief repository and campaign wiki. Task management and notifications are weaker than dedicated project tools, so larger teams often pair it with something else for day-to-day task tracking.
Skip
What we'd leave alone.
- Enterprise-only PM suites requiring a sales call and annual contract if your team is under 10 people — you'll overpay for governance features you don't need yet.
- Tools with no free trial or a trial under 7 days for a purchase this workflow-dependent — you need at least two weeks to test it against a real campaign.
- Spreadsheet-based 'project trackers' sold as templates — they don't scale past a handful of simultaneous campaigns and have no built-in approval history.
Questions
Common questions.
Do I need dedicated proofing tools or is commenting enough?
For text-heavy content, comments are usually enough. For image, video or design-heavy campaigns, dedicated proofing (Wrike or a plugin in Asana/monday) saves real time versus describing changes in comments.
Can external agencies or freelancers use these tools?
Yes, most offer guest or limited-seat access. Check the guest pricing specifically — some tools charge full seat price for external collaborators, which adds up fast with multiple agencies.
Is Notion enough on its own for a marketing team?
For a small team mainly tracking content calendars and briefs, yes. Once you need workload views, dependencies, or notifications tied to due dates, most teams add a dedicated task tool alongside it.
How long does it take to set up campaign templates?
A basic reusable campaign template takes a few hours to build properly in any of these tools. Budget a full day if you want approval stages and automation rules configured too.
What's the real cost difference at 10 users?
ClickUp and Trello are cheapest at that size; Asana and Wrike run noticeably higher once you need their mid-tier plans for timeline and reporting features, so compare the tier you'll actually need, not the entry price.
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