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Nutcache is all-in-one project management software that was created with one very clear goal in mind: to help businesses save “big time.” The PM tool achieves this goal by helping project managers and software developers boost productivity with features like an intuitive interface, task management, dashboards, budgeting, expense management, collaboration, invoicing, workload management, and third-party integrations.
However, Nutcache is not the perfect developer tool as it has a few drawbacks, such as the lack of a free version and somewhat limited time tracking. That is why we will discuss the following Nutcache alternatives in this guide in terms of their features, pros, cons, and pricing:
- Airtable, ideal for development teams seeking a user-friendly PM tool with a free plan, multiple views, and solid task tracking.
- Jira, ideal for Agile software development teams of all sizes seeking supreme scalability and security.
- Monday.com, ideal for project managers and developers seeking user-friendliness, multiple views, time tracking, and tons of integrations.
- Smartsheet, ideal for those seeking a PM tool in a spreadsheet style similar to Excel or Google Sheets.
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Airtable
Airtable is a user-friendly project management tool noted for having an interface that is fun and easy on the eyes, plus plenty of tutorials to help users get up to speed with its features. Project managers needing strong task tracking and multiple views may find the Nutcache alternative right up their alley.
Airtable Features
Airtable is not the most feature-rich PM tool on the market. It does, however, have a decent lineup of features to help software development teams stay organized and on the same page, such as:
- An interface designer
- Collaboration
- Multiple views
- Custom time tracking
Airtable’s interface designer lets even beginners create and share custom interfaces without any coding knowledge. Developers can collaborate via team dashboards, file sharing, and task commenting. Project managers have multiple views at their disposal in Airtable, including Gantt, Kanban, grid, gallery, calendar, form, and timeline. The PM software’s custom time tracking, meanwhile, comes in handy for allocating resources wisely.
Airtable Pros
Airtable is known for the following pros:
- Great interface
- Tons of views
- Free plan
Airtable’s fun interface makes the PM tool a joy to use. The plethora of views put project managers in complete control of how they visualize data, and the free plan is a nice option for software development teams with limited budgets.
Airtable Cons
Airtable is not without its set of cons, which include:
- A little light on features
- More expensive pricing plans do not unlock much
As mentioned, Airtable is not the most feature-rich project management tool. When you ascend in price, you only expand usage caps instead of getting more advanced features.
Airtable Pricing
Airtable offers these four pricing plans, along with a free trial:
- Free: Limited features
- Plus: $10 per seat, per month
- Pro: $20 per seat, per month
- Enterprise: Contact sales
Small teams and individual developers can enjoy the Free plan’s limited features at no cost. Plus is for development teams looking to manage their own workflows. Pro offers added extensions and integrations, and Enterprise offers added security, scalability, and unlimited extensions.
You can learn more about Airtable’s pricing and features in our Airtable Project Management Review.
Jira
Jira is a feature-rich PM tool made with Agile software development teams in mind. It can handle teams of 1-35,000 users and is also very flexible and customizable.
Jira Features
Unlike Airtable, Jira is a Nutcache alternative that is chock full of features, such as:
- Scrum and Kanban boards
- Multiple templates
- Roadmaps
- Dashboards and multiple views
The project management software’s Scrum and Kanban boards are ideal for making complex tasks more manageable, visualizing workflow, and limiting work-in-progress to maintain efficiency. The multiple templates for DevOps, Kanban, Scrum, Kanban, etc. allow for quick starts and minimized onboarding. Jira’s roadmaps with real-time updates can act as a programmer tool for keeping everyone in sync while also being shareable with stakeholders. Its dashboards and multiple views give project managers ultimate visibility into progress.
Jira Pros
A few of Jira’s pros include:
- Highly scalable
- Advanced security
- Drag-and-drop automations
- Built-in bug tracking
With the ability to serve 1-35,000 users, Jira is highly scalable for software development teams looking to grow. Atlassian also offers world-class security for Jira users via two-step verification, SAML SSO, etc. The PM software’s drag-and-drop automation could not be easier for saving time, and its integrated bug tracking is another major plus.
Jira Cons
Jira’s main cons include:
- No out-of-the-box collaboration
- Clunky interface
- Limited Free plan
Developers will need to integrate Jira with Gmail, Slack, and other third-party apps to get optimal collaboration. The user interface is not too intuitive or user-friendly, and another con is its limited Free plan that has just the basics.
Jira Pricing
Jira’s four pricing options are:
- Free: Basic features
- Standard: $7.75 per user, per month
- Premium: $15.25 per user, per month
- Enterprise: Contact sales
The Free plan may suffice for software development teams of up to 10 users. The Standard plan offers user roles and permissions, 250 GB of storage, data residency, and audit logs. Premium offers advanced roadmaps, guaranteed uptime, unlimited storage, and around-the-clock premium support. And Enterprise offers unlimited sites, centralized security controls, and 24/7 Enterprise support.
You can learn more about Jira by reading our Jira Project Management Software Review.
Monday.com
Monday.com is a handy developer tool that offers collaboration, automation, customization, and plenty of integration to help development teams prosper.
Monday.com Features
While it has many features, here are Monday.com’s highlights that make it stand out as a PM software solution:
- Custom dashboards
- Multiple views
- Team collaboration tools
- Third-party integrations
Monday.com’s custom dashboards make it easy to get instant insights into project progress thanks to their real-time data and reporting. The project management software also has multiple views (Gantt, Kanban, timeline, form, map, and calendar) for visualizing data. Team collaboration comes via file sharing and real-time co-editing with workdocs, and Monday.com integrates with a host of third-party tools so developers can avoid context switching and access everything in one place.
Monday.com Pros
Monday.com is known for the following pros:
- Easy to use
- Excellent customer support
- Various customizable views
- Time tracking
Not much onboarding is necessary with Monday.com as the project management software is user-friendly. If you do need help, you can get it through tons of tutorials and around-the-clock customer support. Monday.com’s various views offer project managers excellent flexibility for tracking progress, and the out-of-the-box time tracking is another plus that some other PM software solutions lack.
Monday.com Cons
Despite its features and pros, Monday.com does have its cons as well, including:
- Sluggish performance
- Can be considered costly
- Clunky collaboration
Some have reported occasional sluggish performance from Monday.com that can stifle productivity. It can also be costly for large development teams. Lastly, the collaborative features are somewhat clunky to use and not as smooth as they should be.
Monday.com Pricing
Monday.com has five pricing plans to choose from, plus a free trial:
- Free: Free forever for up to two seats
- Basic: $8 per seat, per month
- Standard: $10 per seat, per month
- Pro: $16 per seat, per month
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Developers looking to track their work can opt for the basic Free plan. The Basic plan offers dashboards and 5GB of storage for managing team work, while the Standard and most popular plan adds timeline, Gantt, and calendar views, plus automations. Pro adds time tracking, dependencies, a chart view, and private boards and docs. And Enterprise offers enterprise-scale security, governance, automations, and integrations, plus premium support.
Check out our Monday.com Project Management Tool Review for more about its features and benefits for software development teams.
Smartsheet
Are you a project manager or developer that enjoys working with spreadsheets? Then Smartsheet may be your ideal project management tool for tracking work and collaboration.
Smartsheet Features
While developers and project managers could use Google Docs or Excel to create spreadsheets to manage tasks and track progress, Smartsheet offers a similar format with much more functionality to make your life easier. Here are some of its highlights:
- Gantt and calendar views
- Team and stakeholder collaboration
- Workflow automations
- Over 100 app integrations
Smartsheet’s Gantt, calendar, grid, and card views give project managers various ways to view progress. The PM tool lets you collaborate with team members and outside stakeholders via conversations, feedback forms, sharing with permission levels, and shareable workspaces. You can decrease time spent on recurring tasks with workflow automation, and Smartsheet also offers integrations with over 100 popular apps.
Smartsheet Pros
Smartsheet is known for the following pros:
- Easy to learn/low learning curve
- No-code automations
- Real-time reporting
- Collaboration for internal and external stakeholders
PM software is no good if you cannot use its features due to its complexity. Luckily, that is not an issue with user-friendly Smartsheet. The drag-and-drop automations to save time take virtually no technical skill, and the real-time reporting allows project managers to make confident, data-driven decisions. Smartsheet also excels in the collaboration department for both insiders and outsiders.
Smartsheet Cons
Smartsheet’s cons include:
- Cost can be difficult for small teams
- Spreadsheet format
- Lack of flexibility
Smartsheet can get costly as you move into the Business plan territory. The spreadsheet format may attract some developers, but others may find it too clunky, manual, and outdated. And since it is so spreadsheet-heavy, Smartsheet may not be a great fit for certain project management methodologies, like the Agile method that leans heavily on Kanban boards.
Smartsheet Pricing
Smartsheet offers a free trial. It also has four pricing plans to choose from:
- Free: No cost for one user and two editors
- Pro: $7 per user, per month
- Business: $25 per user, per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
If you are just getting started with PM software and need the basics, the Free plan may suffice for individual use. The Pro plan offers project tracking and management with unlimited viewers, while the Business plan allows unlimited editors and automations. If you need enterprise-grade security and controls, opt for the custom-priced Enterprise plan.
We have a detailed review of Smartsheet we recommend checking out if you are considering this option: Smartsheet Project Management Review.
What to Look for In a Project Management Tool
While the features a PM tool must have will differ according to project manager and developer needs, you should try to find at least some combination of the following:
- Task management (with dependencies)
- Bug and issue tracking
- Collaboration (chat, comments, @mentions, file sharing, etc.)
- Time tracking
- Invoicing
- Workload management
- Multiple views
- Dashboards
- Third-party integrations
- Solid customer support
- Strong security
For more information, see our guide: What Features Should I Look for In PM Software?
Final Thoughts on Nutcache Alternatives
If Nutcache fails to meet your expectations due to a lack of a free plan and limited time tracking, the good news is that you have plenty of other options. Choose one of the Nutcache alternatives above, and your development team should have everything you need to stay organized, on the same page, and productive.
