Wrong publish date in Notion. Reminder in Asana. Social posts in Trello. Almost missed a deadline trying to remember which tool held what. Started with Trello because everyone said it was easy. Added Asana for recurring tasks. Then Notion promised to replace everything. Three months in and I was drowning in tabs, searching for information on a client. Wanting to give up. I tested ten tools over six months. Searching for the best project management tools for a side business. Most made things worse. These stuck.
Quick Answer: Top 3 Project Management Tools for Side Hustlers
ClickUp – Best overall for flexible project management (what I use daily)
Google Workspace – Best for collaboration and simple tracking
GoHighLevel – Best when projects connect to client management
I use and recommend these three because they work at 6 am or 11 pm. Full reviews below.
How I Tested These Project Management Tools
Spent six months rotating through project management software. Read every guide out there, including Wrike’s project management guide. But most advice assumes you have a dedicated team and 40 hours a week. I tested with current projects, deadlines, and those 10 pm panic moments when I couldn’t find what I needed.
Each tool got thirty days minimum. Set them up properly. Moved current projects in. Used the mobile app while on the couch. Tracked how much mental energy it took to remember where things lived versus how much it saved by keeping me organized.
Asked one question throughout: Does this help me manage projects better, or does it create another thing to manage?
Here’s what I learned the hard way: shiny features don’t matter if you can’t find them at 11 pm when a deadline is tomorrow.
Most project management apps failed that test. These three passed.
Best Project Management Tools for Side Businesses (Full List)
1. ClickUp – Best Overall for Side Hustlers – My #1 Choice
Price: Free plan generous; Unlimited at $7/month
Setup Time: 20 minutes basic; 2 hours full system
Best For: Solo side hustlers who need flexibility
ClickUp is considered one of the best project management software solutions for its comprehensive free plan that includes unlimited users and projects.
Why I Use ClickUp Daily:
Multiple views switch between list, board, calendar without learning new interfaces. The project management software adapts to how I’m thinking that day. Monday mornings need lists to see everything laid out. Friday afternoons work better with calendars when my brain wants visual progress. Board view when deadlines feel overwhelming.
Free VA access means I don’t pay extra when I bring contractors in. Every other project management solution charges per user. Gets expensive fast.
Custom fields track my workflow specifics. RankMath status for blog posts. Link Whisper completion. Client approval stages. I’m not forcing my process into someone else’s template. Built for how I work, not how some social media guru thinks I should work.
Recurring tasks catch what I miss when I’m tired. Weekly GSC indexing checks. Monthly competitor audits. Quarterly strategy reviews. The task management tool remembers so I don’t have to carry it all in my head while working a day job.
My Simple Setup: Three folders – Blog Content, Client Work, Business Admin. Task templates for repeated projects. Custom statuses matching my workflow.
What’s Annoying: No GoHighLevel or WordPress integration means copying links manually. It can be overwhelming if you overcomplicate it. Automation needs paid plan.
Who Should Use It: Anyone building alone who needs one reliable place for everything.
2. Google Workspace – Best for Simple Collaboration
Price: Business Starter at $6/month
Setup Time: 1 hour if familiar with Google
Best For: Projects involving clients or contractors
Why It Works: Everyone knows how to use it. Real-time collaboration without confusion. Drive folders mirror my ClickUp structure. Forms create project briefs automatically. Calendar blocking protects business hours.
What’s Good: Sheets for simple project tracking. Shared folders eliminate attachment emails. Comments replace email chains. Meet included for client calls.
Limitations: Not true project management. Easy to lose things without structure. No task dependencies or project timelines.
Who Should Use It: Side hustlers working with others regularly when collaboration matters more than advanced project planning.
3. GoHighLevel – Best for Client Projects + Marketing
Price: $97/month minimum
Setup Time: 4+ hours initial setup
Best For: Service providers needing all-in-one
Why I Added It: Projects live next to client records. Opportunities pipeline visualizes stages. Automation triggers project updates. Client portal shows progress without constant check-ins.
Project Features: Tasks under each opportunity. Stage-based workflows. Automated client updates. Invoice on project completion.
Reality Check: Overkill for simple projects. Steep learning curve. Expensive for side hustlers building after hours.
Who Should Use It: Established side businesses combining projects with marketing automation.
4. Trello – Good for Visual Simplicity
Price: Free; Paid from $5/user/month
Best For: Visual thinkers with simple needs
What I Liked: Easy to start. Drag-and-drop boards feel natural. Great mobile app for quick updates.
Why I Switched: Hit board limits quickly on free plan. No recurring tasks without paying. Got messy with multiple projects.
Who Should Use It: Beginners with 1-2 projects max.
5. Asana – Good for Recurring Workflows
Price: Free to 15 users; $10.99/month paid
Best For: Routine project workflows
What Worked: Excellent recurring tasks. Forms create tasks automatically. Multiple project views. Rule automation triggers actions.
Why I Left: Overcomplicated for solo work. Expensive for features needed. Mobile app frustrating.
Who Should Use It: Teams with established processes needing detailed project workflows.
6. Notion – The Beautiful Time Sink
Price: Free personal; $8/month Plus
Best For: People who love building systems
The Attraction: All-in-one promise sounded good. Project management, note-taking, wiki, database. Everything in one place. No context switching between tools. Infinite customization. Beautiful databases made data feel organized.
The Reality: Spent weekends building, not working. Template tweaking became procrastination. System setup prevented work completion. Rebuilt everything when pivoting. Business model changed, entire Notion structure obsolete. Hours of setup lost.
Slow on mobile. Complex pages took forever to load. Quick task updates became frustrating waits. Mobile workflow basically broken when you need to update project status.
Easy to over-engineer. Added complexity for complexity’s sake. Built elaborate systems for simple problems. Tool became burden instead of help.
Who Should Use It: System builders who enjoy the building process with stable workflows. People who won’t pivot business models every six months.
7. Monday.com – Good for Visual Timelines
Price: $8/seat/month (3 seat minimum = $24)
Best For: Visual project planning
Standout Features: Beautiful interface. Timeline views show project dependencies. Great reporting. Automation options.
Deal Breakers: Expensive for solos. Requires maintenance to stay useful. Overkill for simple projects.
Who Should Use It: Agencies with complex project coordination needs.
8. Todoist – Good for Personal Task Management
Price: Free; Pro at $4/month
Best For: Task lists, not projects
What It Does Well: Natural language input. Quick capture. Solid mobile app. Karma gamification motivates completion.
Limitations: Not true project management. No collaboration features. Basic for business needs.
Who Should Use It: Personal productivity, not business project management.
9. Basecamp – Good for Client Communication
Price: $15/user/month
Best For: Client-facing projects
Unique Approach: Project-centered design. Built-in client access. Hill charts show progress visually. Check-in questions prompt updates.
Why I Passed: Opinionated workflow doesn’t match how I work. Limited customization. Feels dated compared to modern alternatives.
Who Should Use It: Agencies focused on client communication over advanced project features.
10. Airtable – Good for Database Projects
Price: Free; Plus at $10/user/month
Best For: Data-heavy projects
Interesting Features: Spreadsheet meets database. Multiple views show same data differently. Form submissions create records automatically.
Complexity Issues: Steep learning curve for database concepts. Overkill for basic task tracking. Expensive for advanced features.
Who Should Use It: Data-driven businesses needing complex project relationships.
How to Choose the Right Project Management Tool
Evaluating Project Management Software Options
Start Here:
How many projects run simultaneously? Single projects need simple tools.
Do you work alone or with others? Solo builders can use personal tools. Team collaboration requires sharing features and user permissions.
Is mobile access critical? Field work demands good mobile apps. Desk work can rely on desktop interfaces.
What’s your budget? Free plans work for basic needs. Advanced features cost money. Calculate true cost including necessary add-ons.
How much setup time do you have? Simple tools start immediately. Complex systems require weekend setup sessions.
My Project Management Software Recommendations
Just starting: ClickUp free plan handles unlimited projects with basic features. Grows with your business without switching tools.
Working with VAs: ClickUp paid plan adds collaboration tools and automation features. Team management without per-user costs.
Client collaboration: Google Workspace provides familiar sharing and collaboration features. Everyone knows how to use it.
Full business system: GoHighLevel combines project management with client management and marketing automation. All-in-one for established businesses.
Visual simplicity: Trello offers drag-and-drop project boards with minimal learning curve. Perfect for visual thinkers building after hours.
Love customization: Notion allows infinite customization and database relationships. For system builders who enjoy the setup process.
My Current Stack (And Why)
Breaking Down My Current Setup
ClickUp handles all tasks and deadlines. Recurring tasks, project templates, custom fields for my workflow. One place for everything that needs to get done when building after hours.
Google Workspace manages file storage and collaboration. Shared folders for VAs. Client collaboration on documents. Video calls for project reviews. Simple systems that work with limited time.
GoHighLevel tracks client-facing project progress. Opportunities pipeline connects projects to revenue. Automated client updates without manual effort. Advanced project management features when you need them.
Yes, I copy links between them manually. The perfect integration everyone promises doesn’t exist yet. But each tool does what it does best.
ClickUp keeps me organized when my brain is scattered. Google Workspace makes collaboration simple when working with team members. GoHighLevel handles client stuff automatically while I focus on project management.
Why This Project Management Software Stack Works
Three tools beat forcing one tool to do everything poorly. These three work with my ADHD brain and inconsistent energy levels. Monday morning me needs different views than Friday afternoon me. The tools adapt, not the other way around. Simple stack that works at 6 am when I’m barely awake or 11 pm when I should be sleeping. Task management that supports building a side business without burning out.
The best project management software for your side business isn’t the most feature-rich. It’s the one that works with your energy, your schedule, and your workflow.
Most project management platforms promise everything. Few deliver when you’re managing projects between meetings, during lunch breaks, and after long work days. These three do.
Each one earned its place by solving specific problems without creating new ones. ClickUp for internal task management and project organization. Google Workspace for external collaboration and file sharing. GoHighLevel for client-facing project tracking and automated updates.
Pick one. Use it for thirty days minimum. See if it sticks when you’re tired, when deadlines pile up, when your day job demands everything. The best project management tools for side business success are the ones that still work when everything else falls apart.
