Product management software refers to applications that help product managers and teams efficiently execute a part of or all stages of the product life cycle. It simplifies the process of developing and enhancing products, making them more rapid and effective.

These applications help greatly in the facilitation of product teams working remotely. They also help other stakeholders to understand what is happening in product development. Without these tools, product management can become more tasking and confusing.

There are numerous types of product management software out there. What we have here are some of the best, judging by criteria such as features, usability, user interface (UI), integrations, and value for money.

Productboard

One of the most popular options currently available for product professionals, Productboard provides you with a seamless view of the entire product cycle. It lets your team easily know what your audience needs most and prioritize really well. Microsoft is one of the reputable organizations that reportedly makes use of this tool.

One of the areas that this application excels particularly is in the gathering of insights and customer requirements across diverse sources. You can collate data from email, social media, and Slack, among others.

In addition to Slack, other available integrations include Trello, Jira, Intercom, Zendesk, and Pivot Tracker. There are a number of alternatives that offer more in this regard, though.

A major downside is that this tool doesn’t seem to have the product strategy in mind. It is practically useless when it comes to defining the product vision, goals, and personas.

Its prices start at about $50 a month.  Be ready to pay around $100 a month if you desire more advanced features, including Jira integration.

ProductPlan

Favored by companies such as Coca-Cola, ProductPlan will prove useful when you are looking for a way to communicate your product strategy effectively. It is a top piece of software for roadmap creation and management, coming with more than 25 templates.

It is somewhat like a stroll in the park creating roadmaps with this tool, thanks to its drag-and-drop capability. You are enabled to add color codes to items and link the related ones together clearly and effortlessly.

However, ProductPlan doesn’t only offer templates for roadmaps but also launch plans and OKRs, among others. It excels in usability. The application also does well in terms of integrations, with options including Jira, Trello, Slack, and the REST API.

A major downside to the tool is that it falls almost flat when it comes to the management of requirements. However, it can help with release planning, unlike Productboard that offers practically nothing for requirement management.

ProductPlan starts at $39 a month for each team.

Roadmunk

Built for creating highly customized roadmaps, this tool makes it possible for different teams to have roadmaps tailored to them alongside a general one. It lets you present to each group of stakeholders versions of the roadmap that is most suitable to them.

Roadmunk integrates with Jira. It also has an API that affords you access to more integration options.

However, this product management software is exclusively for road mapping. You need to look elsewhere if you need a tool for more than roadmaps. It is also not the ideal choice if you need an application to help with requirements management.

In terms of pricing, a Basic user says $19 a month to use Roadmunk. The team plan goes for $49 monthly. It’s $99 a month if you want more advanced features, including two-way Jira integration.

Productfolio

Compared to the other product management software on this list, this one is relatively new. It does look like a very promising tool for product managers, though, which is why it features here.

Productfolio is designed to keep you more focused on what matters most: building winning products. You should find it very helpful when you are looking to align workflows, thanks to its end-to-end workflow tools.

Creating an effective, visual roadmap is a breeze with this application. It simplifies things with the ability to drag and drop elements. You should find the user interface enjoyable to use.

Product strategy definition is one of the areas where Productfolio excels. This makes it one of the more useful tools for product management here. It helps you to clearly articulate the “what” and “why” of the product to guide your work properly. You can define everything, ranging from the vision to the objectives or goals and themes.

However, if integration is a major criterion for you, this tool may not impress you so much yet. It seems to only offer Jira integration for now.

In terms of pricing, Productfolio is currently the most affordable on this list, starting at just $15 a month. The Pro plan will cost you only $49, which is a great offer considering all you can do with it.

Airfocus

Here is another option to consider if the type of product management software you need is for road mapping. Airfocus ranks highly when it comes to creating roadmaps in as little time as possible. It also makes it easier prioritizing opportunities and initiatives based on the scoring criteria that you’ve set.

Like ProductPlan, this tool makes the process of creating your roadmap seamless with its drag-and-drop interface. It is used by Nike and Etoro, among other notable companies.

Priority Poker is arguably one of the leading features that make Airfocus popular. This feature offers you a fun and collaborative means of prioritizing initiatives and promoting better-informed decisions.

Aside from theme definition, Airfocus doesn’t help much with the product strategy. It is also not the ideal tool for discovery, falling short when talking about feedback aggregation for decision-making.

The tool also still has room for improvement in terms of how the integration works. For instance, you cannot import tasks into Trello automatically; you have to do that manually.

As a basic user, you pay $19 a month, as is the case with Roadmunk. The Team and Pro plans cost $39 and $79 per month respectively, making it relatively more affordable.

Aha!

One of the best product management software for roadmaps, Aha! is said to be used by more than 250,000 product teams across the world. No surprise it dubs itself the world’s No. 1 road-mapping tool.

Like some other highly-rated tools for roadmap creation, Aha! offers you the drag-and-drop capability to make creating your strategic document easier and offer better document management. It is also easy to share your roadmap with stakeholders once you are done creating it.

Although it is described as a road mapping tool, Aha! does more than just roadmaps. You can find it helpful during the discovery process. It is relevant for the aggregation of product insights and user feedback/requests. This gives you a solid basis for creating user stories and great products.

The tool doesn’t seem to impress in terms of ease of use, though. You may need some time to get used to it before you will be able to use it effectively. If simplicity is a major consideration, this may not the best option for you.

Pricing starts at $20 a month per Basic user. The Pro plan goes for $100 monthly. There’s a 30-day trial on offer, however.

ProdPad

Here’s one of the product management software that may be worth checking out when integrations are a key factor. It might especially be perfect for you if roadmap capabilities aren’t a major driver in your decision.

ProdPad is among a few of the tools on this list that helps (to an extent) with your product strategy. You can find it helpful when defining the vision, goals, and personas. It is also useful to an extent in the discovery process.

The application integrates with diverse product development processes while also promoting collaboration across the organization. Integration options include Trello, Jira, Slack, Pivot Tracker, Azure DevOps, Confluence, and Google Apps. You can also integrate with numerous other options via Zapier.

If you are looking for a tool for requirements management, ProdPad isn’t going to cut it. You cannot use it for release planning or creating requirements backlog.

Pricing starts at $149 per month for three users and goes up to $1,299 for 50 users a month.