| Product | Ideal for | Price from | Free version | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large portfolios needing governance and financial tracking | See website | No | Visit | |
| Mid-sized portfolios wanting project plus portfolio views | See website | Free trial | Visit | |
| Teams wanting portfolio views plus project execution | See website | Free trial | Visit | |
| Teams wanting portfolio views on project work | Free | Yes | Visit | |
| Teams wanting visual portfolio dashboards | See website | Free trial | Visit | |
| Construction and engineering portfolios needing complex scheduling | See website | No | Visit | |
| Teams needing scheduling plus portfolio views | See website | Free trial | Visit | |
| Enterprises needing formal portfolio governance | See website | No | Visit |
We compared the leading best project portfolio management software on fit, features and value, and the eight picks below cover different budgets and needs.

Ideal for: Large portfolios needing governance and financial tracking

Planview fits large portfolios that need formal governance. Its financial and resource tools suit enterprise portfolios. In daily use, portfolio planning, resource and financial tools stands out as the practical reason to consider it, especially for readers whose main need matches its best use. The catch is enterprise cost and implementation effort. Pricing varies by plan, so we list it as See website rather than guessing a figure that may not match your plan. Before you commit, check the current plan details on the official site, including limits, trial terms and what happens when you cancel. For most readers in this group, this is worth a short trial before you commit, especially if the free tier or trial covers your main use.

Ideal for: Mid-sized portfolios wanting project plus portfolio views

Smartsheet fits mid-sized portfolios that plan in grids and timelines. Its dashboards suit portfolio reporting. In daily use, grid, Gantt and dashboards stands out as the practical reason to consider it, especially for readers whose main need matches its best use. The catch is per-user cost and interface feel. Pricing varies by plan, so we list it as See website rather than guessing a figure that may not match your plan. Before you commit, check the current plan details on the official site, including limits, trial terms and what happens when you cancel. Try it with a real task from your own work before you pay, since a demo rarely shows the limits you will meet daily.

Ideal for: Teams wanting portfolio views plus project execution

Wrike fits teams that want portfolio views on a project tool. Its workload tools suit resource planning. In daily use, project and portfolio views stands out as the practical reason to consider it, especially for readers whose main need matches its best use. The catch is learning curve and enterprise pricing. Pricing varies by plan, so we list it as See website rather than guessing a figure that may not match your plan. Before you commit, check the current plan details on the official site, including limits, trial terms and what happens when you cancel. If this matches your main need, put it near the top of your shortlist and compare its total cost, not only its headline price.

Ideal for: Teams wanting portfolio views on project work
Asana fits teams that want portfolio views without a separate PPM system. Its portfolios suit teams already using Asana for projects. In daily use, portfolios, goals and workload views stands out as the practical reason to consider it, especially for readers whose main need matches its best use. The catch is thinner financial depth. Pricing is listed as Free with a free plan status of Yes. Before you commit, check the current plan details on the official site, including limits, trial terms and what happens when you cancel. Shortlist it if your budget and workflow match, and test the exact feature you will use most before you decide.

Ideal for: Teams wanting visual portfolio dashboards
Monday Work Management fits teams that want visual portfolio dashboards. Its dashboards suit status sharing. In daily use, visual boards, dashboards and portfolio views stands out as the practical reason to consider it, especially for readers whose main need matches its best use. The catch is cost and thinner financial tools. Pricing varies by plan, so we list it as See website rather than guessing a figure that may not match your plan. Before you commit, check the current plan details on the official site, including limits, trial terms and what happens when you cancel. For most readers in this group, this is worth a short trial before you commit, especially if the free tier or trial covers your main use.

Ideal for: Construction and engineering portfolios needing complex scheduling
Oracle Primavera fits construction and engineering portfolios. Its scheduling suits complex, long projects. In daily use, complex scheduling and portfolio control stands out as the practical reason to consider it, especially for readers whose main need matches its best use. The catch is specialist skill and enterprise cost. Pricing varies by plan, so we list it as See website rather than guessing a figure that may not match your plan. Before you commit, check the current plan details on the official site, including limits, trial terms and what happens when you cancel. Try it with a real task from your own work before you pay, since a demo rarely shows the limits you will meet daily.

Ideal for: Teams needing scheduling plus portfolio views
Microsoft Project fits teams that need detailed scheduling inside Microsoft tools. Its scheduling suits complex projects. In daily use, project scheduling with portfolio views stands out as the practical reason to consider it, especially for readers whose main need matches its best use. The catch is learning curve and licensing complexity. Pricing varies by plan, so we list it as See website rather than guessing a figure that may not match your plan. Before you commit, check the current plan details on the official site, including limits, trial terms and what happens when you cancel. If this matches your main need, put it near the top of your shortlist and compare its total cost, not only its headline price.

Ideal for: Enterprises needing formal portfolio governance
Clarity PPM fits enterprises that need formal portfolio governance. Its depth suits large, regulated portfolios. In daily use, portfolio, resource and financial management stands out as the practical reason to consider it, especially for readers whose main need matches its best use. The catch is enterprise cost and admin effort. Pricing varies by plan, so we list it as See website rather than guessing a figure that may not match your plan. Before you commit, check the current plan details on the official site, including limits, trial terms and what happens when you cancel. Shortlist it if your budget and workflow match, and test the exact feature you will use most before you decide.
We compared official feature pages, pricing pages, app store listings, privacy policies and public reviews for each option in this list. We checked whether each product still exists and works today, whether its homepage loads, and whether its price and free tier could be confirmed from the vendor. Where a price could not be confirmed, we wrote See website rather than guessing.
We favoured products that fit the topic closely, served different budgets and use cases, and had clear strengths and honest weaknesses. We did not claim hands-on testing we did not do, and we left out products that did not fit the topic, even when they were popular in a nearby category.
Start with the decisions you need: funding, prioritisation, risk and resource allocation. A tool that only lists projects will not help choose between them. Test reporting with your real projects, including status, spend and resource load, to see whether decisions become clearer.
Check resource planning, since overloaded teams are the usual cause of portfolio delays. Also check financial views: budgets, actuals and forecasts matter for governance, while simple project tools may lack them. Integration with project execution tools saves double entry.
Agree on status definitions and update routines before rollout. Portfolio reports are only as honest as project updates, so a weekly or monthly update routine matters more than dashboard polish. Review the portfolio regularly and close or pause projects that no longer repay effort.
Planview and Clarity suit large portfolios, while Smartsheet and Wrike suit mid-sized portfolios. Asana and Monday Work Management suit teams that want portfolio views on project tools.
Smartsheet, Asana and Monday Work Management suit smaller portfolios, since they combine project work with portfolio views. Check resource and financial features before you choose.
It tracks many projects together, showing status, resources, budgets and risks, so leaders can prioritise and fund work. It sits above project tools that manage single projects.
Yes, project software manages one project, while PPM manages a portfolio of projects, with prioritisation, resource planning and financial views across all of them.
Yes, most tools in this list track budgets and forecasts, though depth varies. Planview and Clarity offer deeper financial views than project-led tools.