Best Free and Paid Product Roadmapping Tools for 2023
Product roadmapping tools help visualise how a product will be built and how product teams will reach their product goals. All team members should know the project’s trajectory during the product development process. The best product roadmap tools can help you plan, focus on, and map a suitable product strategy.
Roadmapping tools help product teams and managers stay on track and in control of development.
Are you looking for the best product roadmap tools? This article will review the best product roadmap tools, including their key features and list-worthy reasons.
What is a product roadmap?
A product roadmap is a shared source of information that details a product’s vision, progress, and priorities. It acts as a guiding mechanism for your product’s development journey. It operates like a map, providing directions on what, why, and how the teams will build the product.
A product roadmap serves as a visual guide to the product vision showcasing the journey to achieve it. It often incorporates detailed notes and task assignments for designated product team members.
Source: slidemodel
A product roadmap visualises project advancement, provides estimated timelines, and highlights upcoming tasks. It also ensures organisational focus and efficiency in product development and delivery.
The best roadmap tool can keep the team on the same page for reaching long-term goals.
Why do roadmapping tools matter?
A product roadmapping tool enables effortless management of extensive to-do lists, backlogs, and ideas. Product roadmaps keep teams and stakeholders aligned for development goals and foster collaboration.
Roadmapping tools allow product managers to optimise their effectiveness in:
- Communicating priorities – A roadmap clearly represents why a particular task holds significance in the project.
- Fostering stakeholder engagement – Regular updates are necessary to keep stakeholders apprised of progress and ongoing activities. Roadmaps are visual catalysts, promoting efficient communication and consensus-building for your product vision.
- Facilitating visibility into work processes – Building trust with stakeholders requires transparency. A roadmapping tool offers visibility into your team’s work and its intentions.
- Heightening operational efficiency – Roadmaps centralise critical data, simplifying priority comprehension and task allocation for cross-functional teams.
- Encouraging teamwork – Real-time communication in roadmapping tools allows rapid virtual team huddles for Q&A and idea sharing.
Why should you plan the product roadmap?
For many reasons, product roadmaps are indispensable in the product development journey.
Effective communication between internal and external stakeholders is fundamental to product roadmaps. Through the effective communication of product priorities, they ensure understanding for all parties. In essence, the roadmap serves as a mediator, catering to the needs of both groups.
Product roadmaps are instrumental in pinpointing the product’s positioning. Marketing, management, and product teams use product roadmaps in their strategic analysis to uncover hidden opportunities. You can also save time with practical roadmapping tools as they reduce the need for sprint meetings.
Types of product roadmap
Product roadmaps take centre stage in the software development industry. Its value proposition includes smoother collaboration, progress tracking, and product strategy visualisation.
#1. Progress-based roadmaps
This type of product roadmap categorises actions into groups based on their progress. It operates like Trello task statuses, such as completed, in progress, and backlog.
#2. Time-based roadmaps
This method helps visualise the product’s growth, development, and future advancements. Time-based product roadmaps segment tasks according to milestones, dates, and deadlines.
#3. Mixed roadmaps
Like a mixed soup, mixed roadmaps contain diverse components, offering a well-rounded approach. Mixed roadmaps incorporate both progress and time-based aspects.
How to choose the best product roadmap tools for your project
Picking the best product roadmap software depends on your team, work style, budget, and desired business outcomes.
Here are some key points to assess when implementing a new product roadmap software.
#1. Functionality
Consider the necessary tools to support your team in effectively utilising a roadmap.
Is your team familiar with GANTT charts, PERT charts, kanban boards, or any other tools for their project management? Are export/import functionalities necessary to you? Do you need to differentiate viewing permissions between stakeholders and your team?
Answering these questions will help you find the best roadmapping tool for you.
#2. Visualisation
A visually appealing roadmap can enhance your ability to make sound decisions when prioritising items in the backlog. Data visualisation simplifies product strategy communication for teams, customers, and stakeholders.
#3. Budget
Budget constraints are not a concern for some companies. However, some companies still exercise caution when it comes to their expenses. When selecting roadmapping tools, it is essential to consider your company’s budget and your needs as a product manager.
#4. Collaboration
Excellent product roadmapping tools support dynamic real-time modifications and promote effective communication. Roadmapping software offers the advantage of centralised feedback incorporation into your roadmap.
#5. User Interface (UI)
The best roadmap tools show precise positions of project phases. It should clarify where the project’s beginning, middle, and end lie.
It should also highlight the milestones to achieve throughout the project development journey. This requires a layout that is both clean and intuitive.
#6. Integrations
A product roadmap serves as an essential step in the product planning process. Consequently, connecting it with multiple tools such as wireframing, collaboration, bug tracking, project management, and more becomes paramount.
Is your product roadmapping tool free? If not, does it have free trials, or is it a paid third-party integration product roadmap tool?
#7. Freemium limitations
Does your roadmapping tool have any restrictions on the number of users, storage space, historical data, or integration capabilities? How do these affect a product manager’s success as they create product roadmaps?
8 Best product roadmapping tools
Effective product roadmapping tools can be simple without unnecessary complexity. It can be a simplified chart that outlines your key targets and the measures you’ll take to reach them.
If simplicity is your mantra, there’s no need for complexity and hefty price tags. Luckily, a few free product roadmap tools allow you to create and share your product roadmap.
#1. Google Sheets: A simple roadmap tool ideal for small teams
Source: Google Sheets
- Free option: Yes
- Paid option: No
- Ready-made roadmap templates: A quick Google search will reveal several options scattered across the web.
- Integrations: The API connector streamlines integrating your data with Google Sheets.
Google Sheets, the beloved online spreadsheet software, has become a staple for many. It’s not explicitly designed as a roadmapping tool. However, its recognisable elements and ease of use make it ideal for teamwork and straightforward planning.
The best part? Google Sheets is entirely free.
#2. Trello: A simple roadmap tool ideal for small teams
Source: Trello
- Free option: Use unlimited cards and create up to 10 boards on their free plan without any cost.
- Paid options: Choose from Trello’s Standard ($5/mo), Premium ($10/mo), or Enterprise plans (price varies by the number of users). These upgraded plans offer more boards, storage, views, and features. Learn more about Trello’s pricing options by visiting their pricing page.
- Ready-made roadmap templates: Yes
- Integrations: Trello has many integrations. Their featured ones are Slack Power-Up, Jira Cloud, and Miro.
For optimal performance, Trello excels as a basic Kanban board. Navigating, editing, and visually comprehending are a breeze with its user-friendly interface.
Its only downside is that it needs more automation, reporting, and dependency features of specialised roadmapping tools. However, if the optional extras are not of concern to you, it remains a compelling free product roadmapping tool.
#3. Monday.com: Ideal for free product project templates
Source: Monday.com
- Free option: They have a 14-day free trial. Their free plan includes unlimited boards and docs supporting up to 2 users.
- Paid options: Their pricing options include a Basic at $8 per seat/month, Standard at $10 per seat/month, and Pro at $16 per seat/month.
- Ready-made roadmap templates: Yes
- Integrations: Yes, you can connect Monday.com with Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, and many more!
You can create your product roadmap using either Kanban or Gantt-style boards with Monday.com. You can also configure task settings to include assignees, priority markers, and statuses.
Monday.com’s collaboration tools include work management, instant messaging, and file-sharing features.
#4. Asana: A project management tool that excels in integration capabilities
Source: Asana
- Free option: With their free Basic plan, you can enjoy unlimited tasks and projects for up to 15 team members.
- Paid options: The pricing options include Premium at $10.99 per seat/month and Business at $24.99 per seat/month.
- Ready-made roadmap templates: Yes
- Integrations: Yes, you can connect Asana with Microsoft Teams, Splunk, Adobe Creative Cloud, Okta, and many more.
Learn about Asana’s pricing details by visiting their pricing page.
#5. TeamGantt: A full-featured product roadmap tool
Source: TeamGantt
- Free option: Free subscription allows for up to 3 users and 60 tasks.
- Paid options: Upgrade to the $19 per seat/month Lite plan and use 5 projects and 150 tasks per user. Opt for the Advanced plan if your team needs advanced reporting and hourly tracking features. Get the complete picture by visiting TeamGantt’s pricing page.
- Ready-made roadmap templates: Yes
- Integrations: Access 5 major integrations and an API through the Integrations resource page.
TeamGantt specialises in creating Gantt charts, a document closely associated with product roadmaps.
Unlike product roadmaps, Gantt charts feature specific due dates and timelines. TeamGantt offers roadmap functionality with a drag-and-drop interface, collaboration, dependencies, and real-time updates.
#6. ProductPlan: Visually beautiful, ready-to-use roadmap templates
Source: ProductPlan
- Free option: 14-day free trial
- Paid options: Get the Basic plan for $39/month per editor for unlimited roadmaps, basic integrations, and customised views. Unlock more integrations, views, training, and features through Professional and Enterprise plans. Price varies upon consultation; visit ProductPlan’s pricing page for more info.
- Ready-made roadmap templates: Yes
- Integrations: The range of integrations offered depends on your plan selection. The basic plan supports integrating Jira, Trello, Slack, and more.
Create shareable, clear roadmaps with ProductPlan’s purpose-built software. Enhanced security measures ensure data safety, making it an ideal choice for a comprehensive roadmapping tool.
#7. Airfocus: Easily customisable roadmapping software
Source: Airfocus
- Free option: 14-day free trial
- Paid options: There are four plans available. It includes Essential ($19/mo), Advanced ($69/mo), Pro (custom), and Enterprise (custom). The primary distinction lies in the integrations offered by each tier. Check out Airfocus’ pricing page for more details.
- Ready-made roadmap templates: Yes
- Integrations: Yes. But make sure your Airfocus plan supports your required integrations.
Effortlessly create visual roadmaps with Airfocus, thanks to its clean and user-friendly interface. This roadmapping tool’s highlight is Insights, offering a centralised hub for gathering customer feedback. Insights keep product teams updated on users’ interactions with your product.
#8. Productboard: Ideal for prioritisation
Source: Productboard
- Free option: 15-day free trial
- Paid options: Take your pick from the four available paid versions. They have Essentials ($20/user/month), Pro ($80/user/month), and Enterprise (custom). Beyond Essentials, enjoy extra integrations, reporting, and unlimited product feedback. To get complete pricing details, check out Productboard’s pricing page.
- Ready-made roadmap templates: Yes
- Integrations: Yes. You can connect Productboard with Slack, Salesforce, Zendesk, and many more.
Productboard creates highly intuitive and easily digestible roadmaps. Their standout feature is their easily adjustable and shareable roadmaps for diverse stakeholders.
Which product roadmap solution is right for you?
When looking for the best roadmapping tool, you should explore various free trials to find the right one. Focus on selecting one that empowers clear and effective communication of your product strategy. Efficiently track, report, and collaborate using the tool with your team and stakeholders.
Find a roadmapping tool that has high satisfaction reviews and ratings. Focus on the above criteria to find the best one for your product team.
Conclusion
Finding the best roadmapping tool for your product roadmap is tricky. Find one that aligns with your budget. From there, determine the most important features and compare which tool has everything you need.
There’s a lot to choose from, so it’s a good idea to try their free trials to decide which roadmapping tool suits you best.
If you’re looking for user engagement strategies to level up your digital platform, our experts at Mambo can help you. Book a demo now!
