Top 10 Project Portfolio Management Software in 2025

Project portfolio management (PPM) is no longer just about tracking projects. It's the discipline of aligning every initiative with strategy, balancing risk and resources, and ensuring leaders can make data-driven decisions at speed. The right project portfolio management software is what turns this discipline from theory into practice.

Below, we'll break down what PPM software really is, how it supports strategy, what features you should demand, and which platforms are leading in 2025.

What Is Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Software?

Project portfolio management software is a centralized system that helps organizations evaluate, prioritize, and execute projects in alignment with strategic goals.

Instead of scattered spreadsheets or siloed project tools, PPM software provides:

• Portfolio Prioritization & Planning: Select the right mix of projects based on business value, cost, and risk.
• Real-Time Tracking: Monitor progress and health across multiple projects.
• Cross-Level Collaboration: Connect strategy, portfolio leaders, and execution teams in one place.
• Performance Insights: Use dashboards and analytics to see whether outcomes match expectations.

Think of it as the command center where strategy meets execution.

What Features Are Essential in Modern PPM Tools?

Not all PPM platforms are equal. If you're evaluating solutions, look for these essentials:

✔ Strategic Alignment Capabilities: Map projects directly to objectives.

✔ Portfolio Dashboards & Analytics: Real-time, executive-level reporting.

✔ Scenario Planning: Simulate trade-offs across cost, risk, and benefits.

✔ Scalable Architecture: Handle multiple teams, portfolios, and business units.

✔ Integrations: Sync with tools like Jira, Slack, Google Workspace, or ERP systems.

✔ Automation & AI: Automate workflows, forecasting, and reporting.

Businessmap stands out here by combining Kanban-based execution boards with executive dashboards - making it easier to drill down from high-level strategy to individual work items.

Connecting strategic and work coordination boards in Businessmap

How to Choose and Implement PPM Software

Rolling out a PPM tool is less about "buying software" and more about driving organizational change. Here's a practical checklist:

1. Clarify your goals: Do you want better visibility, stronger strategic alignment, or resource balancing?
2. Engage stakeholders early: Involve portfolio leaders, finance, and frontline teams in requirements.
3. Evaluate integrations: Ensure the tool fits into your existing ecosystem.
4. Start small, scale fast: Pilot with one portfolio, then expand.
5. Train and coach: Adoption fails without cultural change; provide enablement, not just logins.

What Are the Top PPM Platforms in 2025?

Here's a comparison of the leading project portfolio management software platforms in 2025:

1. Businessmap (formerly Kanbanize)

Businessmap is a cost-effective Lean project and portfolio management software built to close the strategy-to-execution gap. With its AI-powered strategic whiteboards, portfolio managers can visualize goals and map them directly to programs and projects. Coordination boards highlight dependencies and priorities across teams, while flexible execution boards empower teams to deliver faster without losing sight of the bigger picture.

Powerful reporting tools provide real-time visibility into OKRs, KPIs, project forecasts, costs, and custom portfolio metrics. Unlike rigid platforms, Businessmap adapts to your workflows - not the other way around.

• Trial: 14 days
• Pricing: From $9.93/user/month (annually) with no limitations on all features. Custom enterprise plans available. Less than $7/user for 1000 users.

2. Planview Portfolios

Planview Portfolios is an enterprise-grade PPM solution designed for large-scale portfolio oversight. Its strength lies in resource capacity and demand management, helping organizations allocate staff and budgets efficiently. Scenario planning lets leaders test investment strategies before committing, while advanced analytics provide confidence in executive decisions.

Key capabilities include portfolio prioritization, resource balancing, and comprehensive reporting, making it a fit for organizations needing enterprise-wide alignment.

• Trial: Contact vendor, personalized demo
• Pricing: Custom pricing

3. Jira Align

Jira Align is Atlassian's enterprise solution for scaling Agile across portfolios and programs. It connects sprints, user stories, and team-level work directly to high-level business goals through strategic roadmaps. Program boards make dependencies and risks visible, ensuring large initiatives stay on track.

Because it's tightly integrated with Jira, updates flow seamlessly from teams to executives.

• Trial: Not available, personalized demo
• Pricing: $77,400/annually for 50 users (minimum number of users allowed)

4. Triskell

Triskell is an Enterprise PPM software known for its configurable portfolio workflows, allowing organizations to design PPM processes around their business model rather than conforming to predefined templates. It supports OKR tracking, scenario modeling for investment decisions, and integrated risk and resource management.

This flexibility makes Triskell well-suited for organizations that need to tailor portfolio management to diverse strategic contexts.

• Trial: 14 days
• Pricing: Custom, based on requirements

5. Celoxis

Celoxis combines interactive Gantt charts, portfolio dashboards, and resource management tools in a single platform. Its time tracking and billing features make it especially valuable for service-based teams. Portfolio dashboards provide executives with KPIs at a glance, while workload management ensures balanced utilization across departments.

Available in both cloud and on-premise versions, Celoxis is flexible for organizations with specific IT or compliance needs.

• Trial: 14 days
• Pricing: Cloud from $25/user/month (min. 5 users); On-premise - custom pricing
• Integrations: Available as add-ons (Jira, Azure DevOps, QuickBooks Online, Zapier)

6. Planisware Enterprise

Planisware is a solution for product development portfolios, particularly in R&D-heavy organizations. Its roadmapping and lifecycle management tools give end-to-end visibility from concept to delivery. Strong resource and cost tracking help balance investment, while scenario and budget planning features improve forecasting accuracy.

Its advanced reporting capabilities make it especially effective for engineering-driven companies.

• Trial: Personalized demo available
• Pricing: Custom, based on deployment (Enterprise or Orchestra)

7. Smartsheet

Smartsheet blends project management with a spreadsheet-style interface that many teams find familiar. It supports task assignment, collaboration, and cross-team reporting, though the reliance on spreadsheet views can feel overwhelming for some users.

• Trial: 30 days
• Pricing: From $9/user/month; Business plan from $32/user/month

8. Wrike

Wrike is a flexible tool offering Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and resource tracking. It's strong in visibility and forecasting, but can become expensive when layering integrations and add-ons.

• Trial: 14 days
• Pricing: Free version available; paid plans from $9.80/user/month

9. Forecast.app

Forecast leverages AI-driven automation to improve planning and predictability. Its standout features include auto-scheduling and machine-learning-based task duration predictions. However, it lacks scalability for global enterprises and enforces a 20-user minimum on paid plans.

• Trial: 14 days
• Pricing: Lite from $27/user/month (20-user minimum); custom for Pro/Plus

10. Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is a budget-friendly PPM tool with Gantt charts, Kanban boards, time tracking, and collaboration features. While affordable, many advanced customization options are locked behind higher-tier plans.

• Trial: 10 days
• Pricing: Premium from €5/user/month; Enterprise from €10/user/month

PPM Tools Comparison

How Does PPM Software Support Strategic Portfolio Management?

Traditional project management ensures "work gets done." Strategic portfolio management ensures "the right work gets done." PPM software bridges that gap by:

• Aligning initiatives with company goals: Every project is traced back to a strategic driver.
• Balancing capacity and demand: Leaders can see resource constraints before committing to new initiatives.
• Providing scenario modeling: What happens if you cut budgets by 10%? Or if you delay a high-risk initiative? PPM tools help simulate outcomes before making decisions.

With Businessmap, for example, executives can visualize objectives on strategy dashboards, connect them directly to project portfolios, and track execution progress in real time - eliminating blind spots between strategy and delivery.

An executive dashboard with OKRs/KPIs and other important metrics in Businessmap

How Do PPM Tools Improve Collaboration and Data-Driven Decisions?

In many enterprises, portfolio meetings devolve into debates over opinions. PPM software flips that by giving leaders a single source of truth:

• Transparent workflows: Everyone sees status updates, dependencies, and blockers.
• Data-driven reviews: Instead of "how do you feel the project is going?", discussions focus on metrics like delivery lead time, budget burn, and ROI.
• Cross-team coordination: Marketing, IT, Operations, and Strategy all work on the same platform, reducing silos.

Collaboration improves not because people "try harder," but because the tool provides the necessary context and visibility.