The Best Product Management Software in 2023

By Samarpit Nasa | Last Updated on April 4th, 2024 11:57 am

In the dynamic world of product management, having the right tools at your disposal can be a game-changer. While there's no one-size-fits-all solution, the best product management software can empower you to craft an effective product strategy, gather valuable feedback, prioritize features, and seamlessly integrate with your existing tech stack. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the top product management tools of 2023, evaluating them based on essential criteria such as ease of use, integrations, value for money, support, reporting capabilities, customization, and scalability.

What makes the Best Product Management Software?

The best product management software should offer a comprehensive set of features and capabilities to help product managers and teams effectively plan, develop, and deliver products. Here are some key factors that contribute to making the best product management software:

User-Friendly Interface: The software should have an intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows product managers and team members to easily navigate and use the tool without a steep learning curve.
Collaboration Tools: Effective product management requires collaboration among cross-functional teams. The software should facilitate communication and collaboration, allowing team members to work together seamlessly.
Roadmap Planning: It should enable the creation and management of product roadmaps, including features like timeline visualization, dependency tracking, and prioritization capabilities.
Requirement Managements: The software should support the collection, organization, and tracking of product requirements. It should allow for the definition of user stories, epics, and acceptance criteria.
Task and Workflow Management: Robust task and workflow management features are essential for tracking the progress of tasks, assigning responsibilities, and ensuring that work is completed on time.
Integration Capabilities: The ability to integrate with other essential tools and platforms, such as project management software, version control systems, and bug tracking tools, is crucial for a seamless workflow.
Reporting and Analytics: It should provide insightful reporting and analytics features to help product managers make data-driven decisions, monitor progress, and identify areas for improvement.
Customization: The software should allow for customization to adapt to the specific needs and processes of the organization. Custom fields, workflows, and templates can be valuable in this regard.
Scalability: As the organization and its product portfolio grow, the software should be able to scale to accommodate increased complexity and larger teams.
Security and Compliance: Data security is paramount. The software should adhere to best practices for data protection and compliance with industry regulations, especially if it involves sensitive customer information.

What are the Top Product Management Systems in 2023?

Here is a list of the top product management systems in 2023:

Craft.io: (Web) - Unleash Your Product Strategy

Craft.io emerges as a frontrunner in the realm of product management software, offering a comprehensive suite of features tailored to empower your product strategy. This versatile platform equips you with the tools to collect feedback, prioritize feature development, create roadmaps, define product specifications, and seamlessly integrate with collaboration tools like Jira and Azure DevOps.

One standout feature of Craft.io is its Strategic Inputs functionality, which allows you to consolidate objectives, key results, and personas to align your product goals with customer needs. This information is effortlessly shareable within your team and even with external stakeholders through live links, file exports, or presentation mode.

Craft.io's Guru tool streamlines your product management journey with built-in views and customizable templates. Additionally, features like Talk and Chat facilitate team communication, while the Notes feature provides a space for jotting down ideas.

While Craft.io's rich feature set may require some learning, the platform offers ample support through its help center, knowledge base, templates, guides, videos, and glossary. Email and chat-based support are also available, with more personalized assistance provided in the Enterprise plan.

Pricing: Craft.io does not offer a free plan, but you can kick-start your journey with a 14-day free trial. The Essential plan costs $39 per user per month (annual billing) and covers product strategy, feature prioritization, and product specs. For additional features like feedback collection, capacity planning, and detailed views, the Pro plan is available at $89 per editor per month (annual billing). Enterprises seeking top-tier security and tailored support can request a custom quote for the Enterprise plan.

Productboard: (Web) - Customer-Centric Product Management

Productboard shines as a product management tool dedicated to putting customer feedback and insights at the forefront of your decision-making process. The platform excels in gathering feedback from various sources, allowing for comprehensive evaluation and prioritization of product ideas.

Productboard offers multiple prioritization frameworks and integrations to determine which features will have the most significant impact on customers and your bottom line. It takes customer involvement to the next level by enabling the creation of a product portal where customers can track upcoming developments and validate ideas.

Beyond features, Productboard fosters a supportive community through the Product Makers Community, where you can connect with other product leaders to enhance your product management journey.

Pricing: Productboard offers a free Starter plan that includes feedback collection and one flexible roadmap. The Essentials plan is available at $20 per maker per month (annual billing) and provides unlimited products, features, and roadmaps. For feedback collection and prioritization features, the Pro plan is priced at $80 per maker per month (annual billing).

airfocus (Web) - Streamlined and User-Friendly

airfocus stands out for its user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and native apps, making it an excellent choice for startups and growing businesses. The platform offers a smooth onboarding experience with helpful tips and notifications as you explore its features.

One of airfocus's strengths is its transparent and well-explained templates, allowing users to select the most suitable ones for their needs. The platform also offers native apps for insights, forms, portals, and priority ratings, ensuring flexibility while keeping the software lightweight.

Pricing: While airfocus does not provide a free plan, a 14-day free trial is available. The Essential plan is priced at $19 per editor per month (annual billing) and includes five contributors, one workspace, and roadmap and view creation. For unlimited contributors, workspaces, feedback collection, insight generation, and integration with development tools, the Advanced plan is available at $69 per editor per month (annual billing).

Aha!: (Web) - All-in-One Product Development Software

Aha! is an all-encompassing product management and development solution offering a vast array of tools, making it ideal for larger organizations prioritizing scalability and flexibility. However, it comes with a steeper learning curve due to its extensive feature set.

This platform and its integrations covers everything from research and chart creation to release management, making it versatile for any product management scenario. While it lacks ready-made templates, it compensates with a demo company and available support features.

For smaller companies, the complexity of Aha! may be overwhelming, so consider your organization's size and needs before diving in.

Pricing: Most Aha! products offer a 30-day trial period. Aha! Create offers a free basic plan, while paid plans for other products start at $39 per user per month. Our focus here is on Aha! Roadmaps, the complete product management solution, which begins at $59 per user per month.

Roadmunk (Web) - Simplified Product Roadmaps

Roadmunk specializes in creating and customizing roadmaps at an affordable price point, making it a viable choice for organizations looking to complement their product stack with a dedicated roadmapping tool.

The platform offers a seamless onboarding experience, allowing users to personalize their roadmap creation journey by selecting from scratch, using templates, or viewing examples. Numerous templates are available, catering to various needs.

Roadmunk's intuitive interface simplifies customization, and users can create different roadmap views for distinct audiences. However, the platform's integrations are somewhat limited, and its prioritization features are confined to two frameworks: Value vs. Effort and RICE.

Pricing: Roadmunk provides a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $19 per month, offering one editor, three viewers, basic roadmap features, and most feedback and idea features. More advanced plans with additional users and viewers are available, starting at $49 per editor per month.

Conclusion

In the landscape of product management, selecting the right software is crucial for success. Whether you prioritize customer-centricity, user-friendliness, comprehensive capabilities, or streamlined road mapping, there's a solution that can elevate your product management journey. Evaluate your organization's requirements, test the platforms through free trials, and choose the one that aligns best with your goals and objectives. With the right product management software by your side, you'll be well-equipped to create exceptional products that resonate with your customers and drive business success.

Samarpit Nasa

Content Team Lead at Appy Pie