Essential Project Management Dashboard Features
Essential project management dashboard features include widgets, heatmaps, portfolio rollups, and permission controls. These capabilities ensure you can build meaningful views that surface the insights you need to make faster decisions and keep projects on track.
Look for these capabilities when evaluating project management dashboard software:
- KPI Widgets: Display key numbers with color coding and the ability to click through to see details. These widgets give you instant visibility into project health without digging through spreadsheets or reports. When metrics fall outside acceptable ranges, color changes draw your attention to urgent problems, while drill-down capabilities help you investigate root causes quickly.
- Portfolio Rollups: Automatically combine data such as metrics and status reports from multiple projects to form executive-level summaries so that leadership can see the big picture at a glance. This saves hours of reporting time each week and ensures executives always have current information to make strategic decisions.
- Resource Heatmaps: Identify who is busy and who has capacity across your team. Visual heatmaps help you identify team members with bandwidth to take on new work, as well as spot overallocation before it leads to burnout. By distributing work more evenly, you can prevent bottlenecks and keep projects moving forward without overwhelming your teams.
- Burndown Charts: Track sprint progress and team velocity for Agile projects. These charts show whether your team is on pace to complete committed work by the sprint deadline, making it easy to spot when you're falling behind early enough to adjust. Over time, velocity trends help you estimate future sprints more accurately and set realistic commitments.
- Custom Calculations: Create formulas for metrics specific to your business. Every organization measures success differently, so custom calculations let you track what actually matters to your stakeholders rather than settling for generic metrics. Whether you need weighted priority scores, custom profitability calculations, or industry-specific KPIs, formulas give you the flexibility to measure what drives your business.
- Permission Controls: Control who sees what information, and enable secure external sharing. Granular permissions let you share dashboards with clients, executives, or external partners while protecting sensitive financial data or internal discussions. This means you can provide transparency to stakeholders without compromising security or exposing information they shouldn't see.
These features work together to give you both high-level visibility and detailed insights. You need both perspectives to manage projects effectively.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet is an intelligent work management platform with AI-powered capabilities that enhance dashboards. This means you can ask questions about your data in plain English and get charts automatically created for your dashboards. The platform offers real-time widgets for charts, metrics, and reports. Control Center automates project creation and standardizes reporting across your entire organization. Work Insights provides historical and trend-based advanced analytics that update daily.
Key Features:
- Live dashboard widgets that update as work happens
- Control Center for managing hundreds of projects at once
- AI tools that create charts from simple text questions
- Web content widgets that embed Power BI or Tableau reports
Pros | Cons |
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Smartsheet works well for large organizations that need to standardize processes across multiple projects and teams. Control Center automates project creation and rollups, so you can spend less time on manual reporting and more time on strategic work. The platform’s AI capabilities and extensive widget library give you the flexibility to build dashboards that answer your specific business questions.
Keep in mind that Work Insights refreshes daily rather than continuously, so you won’t see real-time updates throughout the day. Advanced features such as Control Center and Work Insights require higher-tier plans.
Airtable
Airtable’s Interface Designer creates custom dashboards and applications on top of your data. You can build role-specific views without coding knowledge. Airtable AI includes generative AI features for enhancing workflows. The platform combines database functionality with dashboard visualization.
Key Features:
- No-code interface and dashboard builder
- Personalized views with some role-based permissions
- AI agents integrated into workflows
- Flexible database-driven approach
Pros | Cons |
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Airtable works well for operations and marketing teams that need custom dashboards built on relational data. Interface Designer lets you create role-specific views without coding, while AI agents handle routine research tasks and automatically route information. The platform’s flexible database structure allows you to model complex relationships between projects, resources, and deliverables to match your specific business processes.
Feature availability varies by interface type, so you’ll need to evaluate whether your plan includes the customization options your team requires. Advanced security features such as SAML SSO and granular access controls require the Enterprise plan, which comes with additional cost.
Asana
Asana connects project dashboards to company goals and strategic objectives to help you see how daily work contributes to bigger picture outcomes. The platform offers universal reporting across projects and integrated AI capabilities through Asana Intelligence. You can track portfolios, manage workloads, and create custom automations.
Key Features:
- Goal alignment from tasks to company objectives
- Universal reporting across multiple projects
- AI Studio for custom workflow automation
- Portfolio and workload management views
Pros | Cons |
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Asana works well for organizations that want to connect daily project work to strategic goals and company objectives. The platform’s goal alignment features help you see how individual tasks contribute to bigger outcomes, while universal reporting and portfolio management give you visibility across multiple projects. Asana Intelligence provides insights that help you work more efficiently, including workflow automation through AI studio.
Keep in mind that resource management features and other advanced features, such as portfolios, workload management, and AI capabilities, require paid or higher-tier plans. Factor in those costs when choosing your software.
ClickUp
ClickUp provides a centralized Dashboards Hub where you can organize and discover all your dashboards. The Portfolio card gives you a high-level view across multiple projects. ClickUp Brain and Autopilot Agents bring AI to project summaries, updates, and Q&A. The platform aims to replace multiple tools with one comprehensive workspace.
Key Features:
- Centralized hub for dashboard organization
- Portfolio cards for cross-project overviews
- AI assistants for summaries and automation
- Flexible card-based dashboard design
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ClickUp works well for teams that want flexible dashboards with extensive AI automation capabilities. The centralized Dashboards Hub makes it easy to organize and discover all your dashboards, while ClickUp Brain and Autopilot help improve workflows, automation, data insights, and task management. The platform’s customizable workspace allows you to build views that answer your specific business questions without switching between multiple tools.
Keep in mind that enterprise security features are limited to the top tier, so you’ll need to evaluate whether your plan includes the access controls and compliance features your organization requires. AI usage is governed by plan limits, which means you might need to upgrade as your team’s automation needs grow or monitor usage to stay within your allocation.
Jira
Jira builds dashboards from configurable “gadgets” that display issues, sprints, and project health. It’s designed specifically for software development teams using Agile methodologies. The Atlassian Marketplace offers additional gadgets to extend functionality. Atlassian Intelligence provides AI assistance across the platform.
Key Features:
- Gadget-based dashboard construction
- Strong Agile development focus
- Extensive marketplace for additional features
- Integration with other Atlassian tools
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Jira is especially appropriate for software development teams that need deep Agile metrics and detailed sprint tracking. The platform’s extensive ecosystem of development-focused gadgets and strong integration with development workflows allows you to track issues, sprints, and project health using Agile methodologies. Over time, these specialized metrics help you improve team velocity and delivery predictability.
Advanced security features in Jira are part of higher-tier plans, which adds complexity and cost to your implementation. Portfolio roll-ups and cross-project reporting might also require premium features, so consider what level of visibility your organization requires as you scale beyond individual development teams.
Monday.com
Monday.com offers more than 50 widgets, including charts, Gantt views, and workload tracking. The platform focuses on visual project management with colorful, easy-to-understand displays. Recent AI additions include automated agents that can handle routine tasks. You can combine data from multiple project boards into unified dashboards, though the number of boards depends on your plan.
Key Features:
- More than 50 widget types for different data visualizations
- AI agents for task automation
- Cross-board dashboard aggregation
- Visual, color-coded project tracking
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Monday.com works well for teams that want quick setup and visually appealing dashboards without complex portfolio management needs. The platform’s extensive widget library and intuitive interface allow you to build functional dashboards quickly, while AI agents help automate routine tasks, so your team can focus on strategic work.
However, board combination limits vary by plan, so make sure your tier supports the number of projects you want to aggregate. Advanced features such as sophisticated automation and AI capabilities require higher-tier plans.
Notion Database Dashboards
Notion uses interconnected databases to power dashboards with table, board, and timeline views. You can create custom KPIs using formulas and rollups across databases. In paid plans, Notion AI provides natural-language question and answer capabilities across your entire workspace. This helps you find information quickly without manually searching through documents.
Key Features:
- Database-driven dashboard creation
- Custom formulas for unique KPIs
- AI-powered workspace search and Q&A
- Combined documentation and project management
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Notion helps teams centralize documentation and projects in one tool and provides lightweight dashboard capabilities. The platform’s database-driven approach lets you create custom KPIs using formulas and roll-ups, while Notion AI helps you find information quickly across your entire workspace without manually searching through documents. This unified approach means you can connect project tracking directly to the documentation and context that supports it.
Notion’s native charting capabilities are basic compared to dedicated project management tools, so you might need to rely on external visualization tools for complex reporting. Some AI features also require paid plans, so you have to account for the additional cost in your budget as your team’s requirements grow.
Teamwork
Teamwork offers agencies and service providers with dashboards designed for client work. You can track billable hours and project budgets. The platform includes resource planning tools and TeamworkAI for intelligent assistance. Dashboards can be shared with clients for transparency.
Key Features:
- Client-focused project dashboards
- Time tracking and budget management
- Resource planning and workload views
- Client-facing dashboard sharing
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Teamwork helps agencies and service providers that need to track billable hours and share progress with clients. The platform’s client-focused dashboards and time tracking features help you monitor project profitability and maintain transparency with external stakeholders, while resource planning tools ensure you allocate team capacity effectively across multiple client engagements.
Keep in mind that shared dashboard limits vary by plan and advanced security features come with additional cost. You’ll need to evaluate whether your tier supports the right number of clients and is the right fit for your budget and team requirements.
Wrike
Wrike provides customizable dashboards with multisource data and AI features. You can use the Ask AI feature to generate metrics or charts based on natural-language questions. The platform includes dedicated resource management views and integrates with business intelligence tools such as Power BI and Tableau. You can create dashboards that pull data from multiple projects and share them with stakeholders.
Key Features:
- Customizable widgets with advanced filtering options
- AI-generated insights and dashboard charts
- Resource planning with workload visualization
- Integration with external business intelligence tools
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Wrike works well for cross-functional teams that need flexible dashboards and strong resource planning capabilities. The platform’s AI features help you spot resource constraints before they become problems, while customizable widgets let you build views that answer your specific business questions. Integration with external BI tools such as Power BI and Tableau means you can combine Wrike data with other business systems for comprehensive reporting.
Some AI features are still experimental and might change. While Wrike offers solid built-in analytics, you’ll often need to connect external tools for advanced reporting capabilities, which adds complexity to your setup and might require additional licenses.
Project Management Dashboard Software Comparison Table
Use this table to compare platforms based on what matters most to your organization. Focus on the columns that align with your biggest needs.
Tool | Best For | Dashboard Strengths | AI Capabilities | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tool | ||||
| Smartsheet | Large organizations and PMOs | Live widgets, Work Insights, Control Center roll-ups | AI analyze data, generate formulas, summarize fields | Work Insights refreshes daily |
| Airtable | Operations and marketing teams | Custom interfaces, relational database views | AI workflow assistants | Feature availability varies by interface |
| Asana | Goal alignment focus | Universal reporting, portfolio management | Asana Intelligence | Advanced features require higher tiers |
| ClickUp | Flexible AI automation | Dashboards, Portfolio cards, large number of integrations | Brain Assistant, agents | Enterprise security limited to top tier |
| Jira | Software development teams | Gadget dashboards, Advanced Roadmaps | Atlassian Intelligence | Advanced security requires add-ons |
| Monday.com | Quick setup with visual appeal | 50+ widget types, cross-board aggregation | AI agents | Board combination limits vary by plan |
| Notion | Unified docs and projects | Database views, custom formulas, rollups | AI Q&A for paid plans | Basic native charting capabilities |
| Teamwork | Agencies and service providers | Shared dashboards, time and budget tracking | TeamworkAI | Shared dashboard limits on lower plans |
| Wrike | Cross-functional teams | Custom dashboards, BI integrations, workload views | Ask AI, insights | Advanced analytics need external tools |
How to Choose Project Management Dashboard Software
To find the right dashboard tool for your organization, start by defining your audience and KPIs. Then examine each tool’s integration capabilities, security features, usability, and scalability.
Follow these steps to choose your project management dashboard software:
- Define Dashboard KPIs and Audiences
Start by identifying what each stakeholder group needs to see. Executives care about budget variance and strategic progress. Team leads focus on task completion and resource allocation. Project managers need risk indicators and milestone tracking.
Define each group’s success metrics before you choose your tool. This might include time saved on status reporting, faster decision-making, or improved project completion rates. Having clear success criteria helps you measure the actual impact of your dashboard investment.
- Validate Data Sources and Integrations
List all the systems where your project data currently lives. This might include financial software, CRM systems, time tracking tools, or development platforms. Check whether your dashboard tool can connect to these systems automatically. Manual data entry defeats the purpose of having real-time dashboards.
- Assess Governance and Security
Review each platform’s security features carefully. You need role-based access controls, single-sign-on integration, and compliance with standards such as SOC 2. Consider who will see your dashboards. If you plan to share with external clients or executives, make sure the tool supports secure external access.
- Test Usability and Time to Value
The best dashboard tool is one your team will actually adopt. Complicated interfaces lead to low usage and wasted investment. Run a small pilot with real project data. See how long it takes to build your first dashboard and whether nontechnical team members can use it effectively.
- Confirm Scalability and Performance
Think about your future needs. Test how the platform handles large amounts of data and multiple projects running simultaneously. Look for features such as project templates and portfolio roll-ups that will help you scale your processes as you grow.
The right project portfolio management software can help you deliver project portfolios that adapt and scale fast to create measurable value.
Stay on top of every task, deadline, and deliverable.
Smartsheet gives your team the structure and flexibility to move faster, together.
Project Management Dashboard FAQs
Project management dashboards should include schedule variance, budget status, resource utilization rates, risk counts, milestone completion, and task completion percentages with baseline comparisons to show trends over time.
Project management dashboards focus on operational work data such as tasks and milestones, while business intelligence dashboards analyze broader organizational data for strategic insights and long-term planning.
The most important dashboard features for remote teams are real-time collaboration indicators, workload visibility across time zones, automated status updates, and secure external sharing for stakeholders who aren’t in your main system.
To share dashboards securely with external clients, use platforms such as Smartsheet, which offer viewer-only access, external links for sharing with expiration dates, and the ability to filter specific data for external users while maintaining full internal visibility.
Disclaimer: The information found in this comparison article is sourced from vendor websites, community boards, and some third-party user reviews. AI tools were used to help conduct research.