Zoho Projects
Project Management Verified May 2026
Zoho Projects deal: Free trial available
Zoho Projects blends affordable task management with the wider Zoho ecosystem—ideal for SMBs already running Zoho CRM or Books.
- Fraction of Asana's cost
- Zoho ecosystem integration
- Multi-view flexibility
- Time tracking and budgeting built-in
How Zoho Projects scored 61/100
6 weighted criteria, each scored out of 10 and published with its reasoning. Featured placements never move a score.
Deal Strength
3.0 /10There's no exclusive coupon; the value is a free plan for up to five users (three projects) plus a 15-day trial of the paid features with no card. It's a functional free tier as the on-ramp rather than a discount, letting a small team run real projects before paying.
Value for Money
9.0 /10Value is Zoho Projects' strongest pillar: paid per-user pricing sits well below most dedicated PM tools while including Gantt charts, time tracking, timesheets, budgeting and automation, with yearly billing saving 15%+. For SMBs — especially those already using other Zoho apps — the capability-per-dollar is hard to beat.
Capability
8.0 /10The feature set is broad for the price: task and subtask management, blueprints/workflow automation, Gantt charts, time tracking and timesheets, budget management, advanced reporting and Zia AI, plus deep integration with Zoho CRM, Analytics, Sprints and Books and 15+ third-party tools like Slack, Teams and GitHub. It covers most SMB project needs; the very top of the enterprise PM market has more depth.
Time to Value
5.0 /10This is the honest trade-off: Zoho Projects is powerful but not the fastest to master — configuring blueprints, workflows, Gantt dependencies and reporting takes some learning, and the interface is denser than the simplest task apps. A basic project starts quickly, but getting full value from automation and reporting is a setup investment measured in days.
Trust & Reliability
7.0 /10Zoho Projects is backed by Zoho, a large, profitable, long-established software company serving millions of businesses, with enterprise security and a long operating history — a solid trust signal. The score is good rather than top mainly because Projects is one product in a vast suite rather than a category-defining standalone PM leader.
Flexibility & Exit
5.0 /10Data and reports export and per-user billing is flexible, but the practical lock-in is real once projects, workflows, time data and automations live in Zoho Projects — and the platform pulls hardest toward the broader Zoho ecosystem (CRM, Books, Analytics). Migrating a mature setup to a standalone PM tool takes meaningful effort.
Free trial available
Affiliate link — same price for you, and it never moves the score.
- Fraction of Asana's cost
- Zoho ecosystem integration
- Multi-view flexibility
- Time tracking and budgeting built-in
About Zoho Projects
Quick answer
Zoho Projects is a capable, budget-friendly project management tool that punches above its price on features like Gantt charts, time tracking, issue tracking, and automation. It's a buy for SMBs that want one tool to handle tasks, docs, and client work without paying Asana, Monday, or ClickUp prices—but only if you're willing to navigate a denser interface than the slicker competitors.
What is Zoho Projects?
Zoho Projects is the project management module of Zoho Corporation's broader productivity suite, which now includes more than 55 integrated business apps. Launched in 2006, the tool has steadily evolved into a full-featured alternative to higher-priced platforms like Asana, Monday.com, and Wrike. Where many modern PM tools lead with slick Kanban boards, Zoho Projects leads with substance: it offers Gantt charts, task dependencies, time tracking, resource allocation, issue tracking, document management, project forums, and a custom automation builder called Blueprints, all under one roof.
The product is part of a wider Zoho strategy that bundles CRM, Books accounting, Invoice, Meeting, Assist (remote support), and Cliq (team chat) at steeply discounted rates. That ecosystem angle is Zoho Projects' biggest selling point. If your business already runs on Zoho CRM or Zoho Books, integrating project delivery into the same data layer is genuinely useful, not just marketing fluff.
Key features that actually matter
Gantt charts & dependencies
The drag-and-drop Gantt view is one of the strongest in the budget PM space. You can set task dependencies, baselines, milestones, and critical path highlighting, then push changes back to the underlying task list automatically.
Time tracking & timesheets
Built-in timers, weekly timesheets, and billable/non-billable hours feed directly into Zoho Invoice for invoicing—a real win for agencies and consultancies who bill by the hour.
Issue & bug tracking
A dedicated Issues module lets dev and support teams log bugs, assign severity, and route them through workflows. It plays well with Zoho BugTracker-style setups and is rare to find in tools at this price.
Blueprints automation
Zoho's workflow builder lets you script multi-step automations across modules without code. Trigger a task, send a notification, update a CRM deal, log a timesheet—it's surprisingly powerful for the price.
Resource utilization
The Premium and Enterprise plans include a heat-map view of who is allocated to what, helping managers rebalance workloads before burnout hits.
Client portals
External users (clients, freelancers) can be invited to specific projects with limited permissions, view progress, leave comments, and approve deliverables—handy for service businesses.
Zoho Projects pricing in 2026
Zoho Projects uses a per-user, tiered model with five plans. The exact prices shift during promotions and by billing region, so always verify the cart total before checkout, but the structure is consistent:
The Enterprise tier (typically around ~$25/user/month) unlocks SSO, custom fields, advanced reporting, sandbox, and audit logs. Annual billing generally saves around 20% versus month-to-month, and there is usually a 10–15% discount when you bundle Projects with other Zoho apps. A 10-day free trial is available on paid plans—longer than the 7-day trial most competitors offer.
Zoho Projects vs the alternatives
Here's how Zoho Projects stacks up against the three tools SMBs most often compare it to. Prices reflect publicly published annual rates per user and will vary by region and promotion.
| Feature | Zoho Projects (Premium) | Asana (Advanced) | Monday.com (Pro) | Trello (Premium) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (per user/mo) | From ~$15 | From ~$24 | From ~$19 | From ~$12 |
| Free plan | ✓ (3 users) | ✓ (up to 10) | ✓ (2 users) | ✓ (10 users) |
| Gantt charts | ✓ Premium+ | ✓ (Workload add-on) | ✓ (Pro+) | ✗ (Power-Up) |
| Built-in time tracking | ✓ Express+ | ✓ (limited) | ✓ (Pro+) | ✗ (Power-Up) |
| Resource utilization | ✓ Premium+ | ✓ (Workload) | ✓ (Pro+) | ✗ |
| Automation builder | ✓ Blueprints | ✓ Rules | ✓ Recipes | ✓ Butler |
| Native CRM/finance bundle | ✓ (Zoho suite) | ✗ (third-party) | ✗ (third-party) | ✗ (third-party) |
| Best for | SMBs + Zoho users | Cross-functional teams | Visual-first teams | Lightweight Kanban |
The headline here: Zoho Projects undercuts Asana and Monday by 30–50% at comparable feature tiers, while offering tighter integration with a real CRM and finance stack than any of them. Trello is cheaper for pure Kanban, but it lacks the planning depth most growing teams eventually need.
Who should (and shouldn't) buy Zoho Projects
✓ Use Zoho Projects if you:
- Already pay for Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, or any other Zoho app and want shared data without paying for Zapier.
- Run a service business that bills by the hour and needs time tracking that flows straight into invoicing.
- Need Gantt charts, dependencies, and resource management on a tight budget (under $15/user).
- Have 5–50 users and want enterprise-style features without the enterprise contract.
- Operate across multiple time zones and need translated interfaces (Zoho Projects supports 20+ languages).
✗ Skip Zoho Projects if you:
- Want the slickest, most modern UI on the market—Monday.com and Asana still feel more polished to most reviewers.
- Are a 2–5 person team that only needs Kanban and checklists—Trello's free tier will do the job.
- Live entirely in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 and have no interest in the wider Zoho suite.
- Need deep, native product roadmapping or OKR tooling—Aha! or Productboard are better specialized choices.
- Require SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA out of the box on every plan; Zoho offers these on Enterprise but not lower tiers.
What's included
- Gantt charts with dependencies
- Kanban boards
- Calendar view
- Spreadsheet view
- Time tracking
- Budget management
- Task dependencies and milestones
- Multi-project templates
- Team collaboration and comments
- Zoho ecosystem integration
- Mobile app (iOS/Android)
- Custom workflows and automation
Zoho Projects pricing
Verified May 2026. Vendor's published rates at the time we checked — always confirm at checkout.
| Plan | Price | Term | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free | Limited time | Full feature access · No credit card required · All views (Gantt, Kanban, calendar, spreadsheet) |
| Starter | £3–4 per user/month | Monthly or annual | Gantt charts · Task dependencies · Time tracking · Budget management · Multi-project support · Team collaboration |
| Pro / Custom | Contact sales | Custom | Advanced automation · Custom workflows · Enhanced integrations · Dedicated support · Enterprise compliance options |
How to claim it
4 steps. The last one is the part most people skip.
- 1
Open Zoho Projects through the link on this page
It carries our referral tag. The price you pay is identical either way, and it never changes the score on this page.
- 2
Pick the plan that matches your usage
This offer applies automatically through the link — there is no code to enter.
- 3
Confirm the discount before you pay
The order summary should show the reduced amount. If it does not, stop and tell us — we re-test listings that stop working.
- 4
Check what happens at renewal
Note the renewal date and the rate it reverts to, so the second invoice is not a surprise. Annual plans are usually cheaper per month but harder to exit.
Where Zoho Projects wins and loses
What works
- Fraction of Asana's cost At £3–4 per user monthly, you get enterprise-grade features (Gantt charts, dependencies, time tracking, budgeting) for a quarter of what Asana charges.
- Zoho ecosystem integration Seamless data flow with Zoho CRM, Books, and other Zoho products eliminates manual syncing and reduces toolstack fragmentation.
- Multi-view flexibility Switch between Gantt, Kanban, calendar, and spreadsheet views without switching tools, adapting to how your team actually works.
- Time tracking and budgeting built-in Native time logging and budget management mean you're not bolting on third-party add-ons to track margins and utilization.
- Free trial with no credit card required Validate the tool and interface trade-offs yourself before committing to a paid plan.
- Scales from solo to enterprise Works equally well for bootstrapped teams and larger agencies without forcing you into bloated, expensive tiers.
What doesn't
- UI/UX less polished than competitors The interface feels dated compared to Asana or Monday.com, which may slow adoption if your team prioritizes aesthetics.
- Mobile app is functional but not elegant Mobile experience won't match native apps from premium competitors, limiting on-the-go usability.
- Potential vendor lock-in with Zoho ecosystem Deep integration with Zoho products makes migration harder if you later switch CRM or accounting platforms.
The bottom line
Zoho Projects pairs genuinely affordable task and project management — Gantt charts, time tracking, automation and Zia AI — with tight integration into the wider Zoho suite. Standout value and a free tier make it a buy; a setup learning curve and the pull of the Zoho ecosystem are the trade-offs to weigh.
Zoho Projects has a free plan (up to 5 users, 3 projects, 5 GB storage) plus paid Premium, Enterprise and Ultimate tiers priced per user, with yearly billing saving over 15%. Paid plans add unlimited projects, Gantt charts, time tracking, budgeting and Zia AI. It's positioned as one of the more affordable project-management platforms.
Yes — the free plan supports up to five users and three projects with 5 GB storage, including subtasks, a whiteboard, mobile apps and basic workflow automation. It's enough for a small team to manage a few projects. Unlimited projects, Gantt charts, time tracking and advanced reporting require a paid tier, and there's a 15-day trial of those features.
Yes, on the paid plans. Premium and above include Gantt charts with dependencies and critical-path views, time tracking and timesheets, budget management, blueprints for workflow automation and advanced reporting. The free plan focuses on core task management, so teams needing scheduling and time features move up to a paid tier.
Zoho Projects is generally cheaper and includes Gantt charts and time tracking at lower tiers, plus deep integration with the Zoho suite, while Asana and monday.com offer slicker interfaces and larger third-party ecosystems at higher prices. Teams already using Zoho or prioritizing value often pick Projects; those wanting the most polished all-purpose work platform may prefer the alternatives.
No — Zoho Projects works standalone for task and project management and integrates with non-Zoho tools like Slack, Teams and GitHub. But it delivers the most value when paired with the wider Zoho suite (CRM, Books, Analytics, Sprints), since those integrations connect projects to sales, finance and reporting more tightly than third-party tools do.
The learning curve and ecosystem pull. Its dense feature set means configuring workflows, Gantt dependencies and reporting takes time, so it's not the fastest tool to adopt, and building heavily in it ties you to Zoho's environment. The very top end of enterprise project and portfolio management also offers more depth than Projects provides.
