Engineering project management software has to handle dependencies, resource load and revision control, and no single tool wins on all three: Jira leads for software teams (free for up to 10 users, Standard $8.48 per user per month), while Microsoft Project ($679.99 one-time for Standard 2024) and Smartsheet (Pro $9 per member per month billed yearly) lead on scheduling. This guide compares six tools for engineering teams on those requirements, with prices read from the vendor pages on 2 November 2026.
What engineering work demands from a project tool
- Dependencies and critical path: work is chains of blockers; a Gantt view with dependencies and a calculated critical path is the baseline.
- Resource and capacity planning: specialists are bottlenecks across several projects, so per-person load matters.
- Documents and traceability: specs and test reports need versions, approvals and an audit trail, especially in regulated work.
- Developer workflow fit: sprints, issue hierarchies and repository integrations matter for software teams.
Software and product teams mostly need the first, second and fourth; hardware, manufacturing and regulated teams lean on the third.
Prices and plan limits compared
| Tool | Free tier | Entry paid price (billing) | Scheduling and dependency signals on the vendor page | SoftwareSift verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jira | Free forever for 10 users | Standard: $8.48 per user per month (monthly billing view); Premium $15.56 | Premium: cross-team planning and dependency management; Free and up: timeline view | Software engineering teams |
| Smartsheet | None listed on the page read | Pro: $9 per member per month, billed yearly (1-10 members); Business $19 (3+ members) | Gantt, table, board and calendar views on Pro; timeline and workload tracking on Business | Spreadsheet-native teams that need dependencies |
| Wrike | Free: $0 per user per month, active task limits | Team: $10 per user per month (2 to 15 users); Business $25 (5 to 200 users) | Interactive Gantt charts on Team; resource and capacity planning on Business | Engineering mixed with operations |
| Microsoft Project | None listed | Standard 2024: $679.99 one-time; Professional 2024: $1,129.99 one-time | Baselines, milestones, critical path, resource leveling, network diagram | Heavy schedules and resource leveling |
| monday dev | Free trial, no credit card | Basic: $9 per seat per month (3 seats $27, billed annually); Standard $12; Pro $20 | Timeline and Gantt from Standard; capacity planning and sprint tools | Smaller dev and product teams |
| ClickUp | Free Forever, unlimited tasks and free members | Core: $9 shown (regular $12) per user per month, billed yearly | Unlimited Gantt charts on Core; sprint management listed on Free | Cross-functional teams that will configure it |
Sources: vendor pricing pages fetched 2 November 2026 between 06:00 and 06:03 UTC. Verify offers before buying.
Entry paid price per user per month, USD (billing basis as shown on each vendor page)
Microsoft Project is a one-time license ($679.99 or $1,129.99) so it is not charted per month.
Jira: the default for software delivery
Jira Free covers up to 10 users with unlimited projects, forms, backlog, board, timeline and calendar views and 150 automation steps per subscription per month. Standard at $8.48 per user per month adds roles and permissions and external collaboration; Premium at $15.56 adds cross-team planning, dependency management and customizable approval processes. The page states Standard supports up to 100,000 users per site. For hardware-led work, check whether its scheduling is deep enough before adopting it alone.
Smartsheet: dependencies in a spreadsheet layout
Smartsheet Pro is $9 per member per month billed yearly for 1 to 10 members with unlimited free Contributors, and lists Gantt, table, board and calendar views and 250 automations per month. Business at $19 per member per month (3+ members) adds unlimited free Guests, timeline view, workload tracking and unlimited automations. Enterprise lists portfolios and scenario planning.
Wrike: engineering that coordinates with operations
Wrike Free is $0 with active task limitations. Team ($10 per user per month, 2 to 15 users) adds interactive Gantt charts, custom fields and workflows and shareable dashboards; Business ($25, 5 to 200 users) adds resource and capacity planning and workflow customizations. It fits teams where engineering hands work to procurement, operations or design.
Microsoft Project: scheduling depth, one-time price
Project Standard 2024 is $679.99 as a one-time purchase and lists baselines, milestones, critical path, resource leveling and Calendar, Gantt, Network Diagram and Task Sheet views. Professional 2024 at $1,129.99 adds comprehensive resource management and timesheets. Each is licensed for one user and one PC, so a team pays per person up front rather than monthly.
monday dev and ClickUp for smaller teams
monday dev Basic is $9 per seat per month (3 seats shown as $27 per month billed annually) with capacity planning and unlimited free viewers; Standard ($12) adds timeline and Gantt views, sprint management, GitHub integration and guest access; Pro ($20) adds time tracking, agile reporting and private boards. ClickUp Core lists unlimited Gantt charts and custom fields, and its Free Forever plan lists sprint management.
Which should you choose?
- Software team shipping in sprints: Jira.
- Schedule-driven program with resource leveling: Microsoft Project.
- Spreadsheet-native team that needs dependencies: Smartsheet.
- Engineering plus operations: Wrike.
- Small cross-functional team: monday dev or ClickUp.
Related guides: best project management tools for small teams, Asana vs monday.com, SEO project management software, project management software with client portal and manufacturing project management software.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best engineering project management software?
It depends on the work. Jira fits teams that ship software through sprints, Smartsheet and Microsoft Project fit schedule-driven programs with dependencies and critical paths, and Wrike fits engineering that coordinates with operations. monday dev and ClickUp suit smaller or cross-functional teams.
Which engineering project management tool has a free plan?
Jira Free is listed as free forever for up to 10 users, Wrike Free is $0 per user per month with active task limitations, and ClickUp Free Forever lists unlimited tasks and free members. monday dev lists a free trial with unlimited users and boards.
Does Microsoft Project charge per user per month?
On the plans page read for this guide, Project Standard 2024 is $679.99 and Project Professional 2024 is $1,129.99, both as a one-time purchase licensed for one user and one PC. Project Server Subscription Edition is listed without a price.
Which tool models critical path and dependencies?
Microsoft Project lists baselines, milestones, critical path and resource leveling on Standard 2024. Jira Premium lists cross-team planning and dependency management. Smartsheet Business lists timeline view and workload tracking, and Wrike Team lists interactive Gantt charts.
How much does engineering project management software cost for 10 people?
At the list prices shown: Smartsheet Pro at $9 per member per month billed yearly is $90 a month for 10 members; Jira Standard at $8.48 per user per month (monthly billing view) is $84.80; Wrike Team at $10 per user per month is $100; ClickUp Core at $9 shown is $90. Microsoft Project is a one-time license per user instead.
SoftwareSift Team. Prices are vendor-page figures dated 2 November 2026 and change; verify before buying.