ProofHub Project Management Software Review

ProofHub
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Pros

  • Ability to choose from more than half a dozen languages
  • An extensive set of features
  • No per-user charges
  • “Me-View” section is pretty impressive

Cons

  • Limited integration options
  • Not the most intuitive solution

ABOUT

Project management started as a traditional discipline of management. It was a pen-and-paper affair with managers having to keep track of a multitude of things manually. With the advent of computers and, most importantly, the internet, this discipline shifted its course and embraced the use of technology. Ultimately, this led to the birth of project management solutions catering to a variety of business needs and sizes. This article takes a look at one such solution – ProofHub.

ProofHub is a web-based startup that focuses on enhancing collaboration and project management. What began as a simple idea for people to connect, share, and work together, has now expanded into a full-fledged SaaS solution. With a host of impressive features baked into the software, it puts up a worthy competition in the project management space.

In this article, I take a look at its features, pricing, integration options, and a lot more. I also take a look at what the software has going for it, and what can be made better. Finally, I will leave you with my two cents on this software and if it is worth considering.

PRICING

ProofHub offers two tiers of pricing for its users. You can switch between the plans as and when you need them. An interesting thing to note here is that there are no per-user charges in either of the plans. Upon purchasing, you can add an unlimited number of users to the software. Below, I have compared the two plans and the features they have to offer.

 

Essential

Ultimate Control

Cost/mo

$45 (billed annually)

$89 (billed annually)

Number of projects

40

Unlimited

Number of users

Unlimited

Unlimited

Storage capacity

15 GB

100 GB

Time tracking features

YES

YES

Proofing and file approval

YES

YES

Gantt chart capabilities

YES

YES

Task management tools

YES

YES

Discussions and group chat

YES

YES

Calendar

YES

YES

File sharing features

YES

YES

Custom visibility options

YES

YES

File versioning

YES

YES

Project templates

YES

YES

Email-in to be part of discussions

YES

YES

Multilingual support

YES

YES

Notes

YES

YES

Integration options

YES

YES

Announcements page

YES

YES

Request forms

YES

YES

Custom roles

YES

White labeling of the software

YES

Custom workflows

YES

Ability to add a project manager

YES

Network control

YES

Manage trashed items

YES

API access to enable data transport

YES

Project and resource reports

YES

Advanced activity logs

YES

Account transfer tool

YES

Access to priority support

YES

Data export

YES

 

FEATURES​

ProofHub has an array of amazing features that make it a near-complete project management solution. Its features cover almost every facet in the completion of a project; right from planning to delivering the result, the software does it all. In this section, I take a look at a few of the most noteworthy features that are present in this software. The features have been organized into five parts to make it easy for you to visualize the entire workflow:

 Plan

  • Kanban boards
  • Custom workflows
  • Gantt chart
  • Tasks
  • Project managers
  • Custom roles
  • Collaborate
  • Proofing
  • Discussions
  • Chat
  • @Mentions
  • Announcements
  • Email-in

Organize

  • Calendar
  • Request forms
  • Files and documents
  • Project templates
  • Notes

Deliver

  • Project and resource reports
  • Project overview
  • Workload report
  • Project progress report
  • Timesheets
  • Daily agenda

Other Notable Features

  • White-labeling
  • IP restrictions
  • Notifications
  • Activity logs

Plan

Tasks

Breaking down a project into its constituent parts is an excellent way to increase productivity. You can create tasks within each project and assign them to one or more people. Furthermore, you can prioritize them based on time, assign time estimates, and labels.

Kanban Boards

Visualizing the workflow goes a long way in maintaining the productivity of your organization. It gives your staff a sense of accountability towards their work. A Kanban board is handy in achieving this. You can neatly lay out the tasks at hand, along with the end-to-end flow of said tasks. Hence, you can see where exactly each task is at and address bottlenecks swiftly.

Custom Workflows

ProofHub understands that you cannot have every organization put through the same cookie-cutter. The needs of each business are different, and consequently, so is the workflow. The software lets you dictate custom stages in your workflow. Moreover, you can determine who is subscribed to each stage, to notify the teams as tasks progress.

Gantt Chart

Gantt charts are a well-known project, and time management tool frequently used in workplaces. Much like Kanban boards, these help you visualize the tasks at hand. In this case, however, it is a visualization of the time allotted to each task. You can also adjust your plans as deadlines move with respect to task dependencies.

Project Manager

The software lets you assign a manager for each project. This feature keeps them notified of all upcoming deadlines and even the ones that were missed. Besides, managers can stay accountable as they’re on top of all the essential project-related information.

Custom Roles

You can control the visibility of data based on criteria set by you. This flexibility lets you use their responsibilities to dictate what they can see and access. Ultimately, the software puts you at the driver’s seat and empowers you to make well-informed decisions.

Collaborate

Proofing

Incorporating changes into designs and documents should not be a hassle. It should be transparent and collaborative for the best possible outcome. ProofHub has many features built-in that helps achieve this. From markup tools to threaded comments, the software makes it very easy to keep track of suggestions and changes.

Discussions

Nobody keeps track of long email threads, and as a result, it is very easy to lose track of what is being discussed. The software allows you to keep all your discussion in one place, be it with your client or with your team members. This collation of information lets you save a lot of time and keeps your team members on the same page.

Chats

It is super easy to start one-on-one and group chats with your clients or team members. The software has a full-fledged chat system with support for emojis and file sharing. As a result, you don’t need to rely on emails and other slower means of communication.

@Mentions

The software lets you directly address any user in a discussion or group chat. This facility helps eliminate any potential communication issues within the team. Furthermore, this also enables you to grab the attention of that specific person. This tool can be vital during those times when online conversations accidentally get derailed.

Announcements

It is essential to recognize the achievements of your co-workers and acknowledge other important milestones. However, it should not come at the cost of productivity and in between stints of work. For this reason, ProofHub has included an “Announcements” page on each user’s profile. Here, they can see all the latest announcements without missing a beat, while remaining plugged into their work.

Email-in

This software ensures that you never miss out on any crucial discussions. You can always respond to email notifications, and it gets added to ProofHub automatically. This feature lets you be actively involved in any critical conversation while not having to necessarily login to your ProofHub account.

Organize

Calendar

All of us rely on a calendar in some way, shape, or form. For a project manager, a calendar is quintessential to know what needs to be done and by when. ProofHub lets you schedule your tasks, set up automatic reminders, and have multiple calendar views, all from a single app. This simplification enables you to subscribe to one calendar and avoid juggling information between various calendars.

Files And Documents

The software makes it very easy for you to organize and store all the files that you might need. It also comes equipped with file management tools. Using the versioning feature, you can access all the versions of the same file to see what has changed. Essentially, this gives you a seamless way to keep track of the files that are key to your project.

Project Templates

ProofHub lets you save a ton of time and put it to better use, by automating all redundant tasks. One major feature is the ability to create project templates. This feature lets you create similar projects without having to enter every detail all over again. Thus, you can save some time and better manage your projects in the meanwhile.

Request Forms

This feature helps you organize the way you receive queries and support tickets. You can collate all work requests from all channels and bring them into ProofHub. As a result, you will have all your work lined up in a single platform instead of having to keep track of multiple channels.

Notes

Note-taking does not have to be a very cumbersome process. This software lets you take easy notes about project information, minutes of a meeting, ideas, etc. You also have the flexibility to color code it for an extra level of organization. Ultimately, you can save a lot of time and effort by knowing which note is where without having to search for it.

Deliver

Project And Resource Reports

The software lets you visualize team progress and the project itself using reports. These detailed reports are available at a single click. They give you useful insight into resource utilization and the functioning of your organization.

Workload Reports

Know your personnel and how much work they have on their plates using this feature. It helps you visualize team capacity and allot work accordingly. Additionally, you can also see per-person metrics for all their assigned work. This information lets you manage your human resources effectively.

Timesheets

The software lets you keep track of the time spent on any project. This information is useful for future time estimates and to estimate the cost by tracking billable hours. You have the option to track time manually or using the built-in timer. As a project manager, you can calibrate the economic viability of your projects by having this info at your fingertips.

Project Overview

An overview always helps you get information at a glance. Using this feature, you can get an idea of how each project is doing as a whole. This summary gives you useful insights that can drive your planning process.

Project Progress Report

Stay updated with the progress of your projects using the many available reports. You can get details about the tasks and milestones completed and the overall progress of the project. Lastly, you can use daily, weekly, and monthly reports to have an accurate picture of how your organization is functioning.

Daily Agenda

You can bid farewell to missed deadlines and delaying work owing to this neat feature. You can receive your daily schedule by email at the start of every day. This feature gives you an overview of your day and keeps you on top of your schedule.

Other Notable Features

White-Labeling

ProofHub gives you an easy way to add the company’s branding to your software. This useful feature makes it look more professional while eliminating any dull-looking elements. You can choose your logo, theme, and even a custom domain.

IP Restriction

It is paramount to ensure the security of your data and your office network. For this reason, the software lets you determine the exact IP addresses that have access to your data. This feature adds a layer of security that is otherwise missing.

Notifications

You can get real-time notifications using this software. The notifications can be in-app, via email or through the mobile app. This way, you will never miss a beat and will always be in the loop. The same can be said about the other members that are in your organization. Ultimately, this increases the overall efficiency of the group.

Activity Logs

It is very easy to lose track of the progress in each project when you’re dealing with a lot of them. For this reason, having a continuously updated activity log keeps you informed about what is going on. You can then approve/disapprove of the latest developments and ensure that the project is on track to get done in the stipulated time.

INTEGRATIONS

ProofHub offers a few integration options to expand the capabilities of the software. I’d have liked to see a few more options included. Nevertheless, here are the external apps that connect to ProofHub:

  • FreshBooks Classic
  • FreshBooks QuickBooks
  • Google Calendar
  • iCal
  • Box
  • Dropbox
  • Google Drive
  • OneDrive
  • Outlook

More About ProofHub Project Management Software

Setup And Ease Of Use

Setting up ProofHub is an easy and intuitive affair. First, you will have to furnish your organization’s details along with your own. The next step is to add the people with whom you work. After that, you have to add your first project. Here, you’ll have to give some necessary information regarding the project, start date, and end date. Henceforth, for each project you are part of, it is just a matter of adding relevant tasks and sub-tasks.

The user experience is excellent for the most part, with a few exceptions. The interface, while clean-looking, does take a while to get familiar. The Gantt chart is overly complicated, and it becomes an inconvenience in some situations. Apart from this, my experience in using the software was pretty satisfactory. The user interface is neat and orderly. Simply put, the experience was pretty good, with a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out.

Device Compatibility

Desktop Browser App

Android App

iOS App

Windows Phone App

Apple Watch App

X

X

ProofHub is a cloud-based software that runs on the browser. Besides, they have mobile apps for Android and iOS platforms. These apps offer most of the functionality of the core platform when you’re on the move, thus keeping you connected to your projects.

Customer Support

The customer support offered by the folks over at ProofHub is top-notch. They offer multiple ways to get to know about the product and get in touch with them. There is an extensive set of manuals that cover each feature in-depth. This resource will prove to be indispensable for someone who is just starting. Besides, you can use their chat support to get in touch with a representative. They also offer ticket and email-based support. From this standpoint, the software does a commendable job.

Online Security

For a cloud-based service like ProofHub, online security is a top priority. With over 85,000 clients worldwide, they have cemented a name for themselves. Your data is continuously being backed up in their redundant storage servers for easy retrieval. Even during transit, the data is secured using the SSL protocol. Lastly, they put you in full control by letting you decide who gets access to the data using their IP address.

PROS AND CONS

PROS

  • Ability to choose from more than half a dozen languages
  • An extensive set of features
  • No per-user charges
  • “Me-View” section is pretty impressive

CONS

  • Limited integration options
  • Not the most intuitive solution

CONCLUSION

After spending some time with the software, I can easily say that it is a complete project management solution. The absence of a per-user fee makes this very ideal for medium-sized companies who can just pay a flat amount depending on the package they want. As is in the name, it is perfect for proofing, suggesting changes to a design or document, incorporating suggestions, etc. While it does not perform poorly in other aspects, it is a little rough around the edges and can use a bit of polishing.

Simply put, it is a software that is well worthy of its praise. The folks over at ProofHub are definitely onto something big here. As a buyer, your decision should be determined by your needs. If your needs align with the vast expanse of features present, then the 30-day free trial awaits you!

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