Project management software refers to the types of software including scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management, and documentation or administration systems, which are used in large and complex projects. Project management software helps the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives.

Project management software varies according to the methodology of usage. Desktop project management software can be installed as a program that runs on the desktop of each user. This usually gives the most responsive and graphically-intense style of interface. Web-based project management software works by centralizing complete project information onto a single server that tracks all the work being done. As a result, every member of a team can access the required information anytime.

Web-Based Project Management Software

Web-based project management software has advantages and disadvantages of many web applications including the ability to access data from any type of computer without installing software, ease of access-control, multi-user capabilities, only one software version and installation to maintain, slower to respond than desktop applications, and the project information will not be available when the user (or server) is offline. Some packages do allow the user to "go-offline" Personal project management software is used at home, usually to manage lifestyle or home projects. Single user project management software is programmed with the assumption that only one person will ever need to edit the project plan at a time. This may be used in small companies or where only very few people are involved in top-down project planning.

Desktop Project Management Software

Desktop project management software generally falls into this superset. Collaborative project management software is designed to support multiple users modifying different sections of the plan at once. Web-based tools, including extranets, generally fall into this category. Integrated project management software combines project management or project planning with many other aspects of company life, such as source control (CVS) software and bug-tracking software, so that each piece of information can be integrated into the same system.

Special features of project management software include issue tracking systems, project portfolio management, resource management, document management, and collaborative and Web-based systems as well. Effective project management software is an important project management tool since technology keeps steadily advancing and the operation of organizations is becoming increasingly challenging.