freemium · From Free plan available; Team plan starts at 9.80 US dollars per user per month billed annually
Best for: Cross-functional teams that need deep Gantt chart dependency tracking, configurable dashboards, and built-in AI across every plan.
At a Glance
Shortcut
Teamwork
Wrike
Primary category
Project Management
Project Management
Project Management
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium, per-user subscription
freemium
freemium
Starting price
Free (up to 10 users); paid plans from $8.50/user/month billed annually
Free (paid plans from $9.99/user/month billed yearly)
Free plan available; Team plan starts at 9.80 US dollars per user per month billed annually
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Platforms
Not documented
Web
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Yes
Public API
Yes
Not documented
Yes
Standout Differences
Wrike bundles AI Agents into every plan at no extra cost
As of January 2026, Wrike includes AI Agents and an AI Priority Inbox across all plans, including Free, a move it positions against competitors that charge extra for comparable AI add-ons.
Wrike
Shortcut stays narrowly focused on software teams
Shortcut combines Stories, sprint-style Iterations, and native GitHub, GitLab, and Figma integrations in a lighter interface aimed specifically at engineering workflows rather than general cross-functional work.
Shortcut
Teamwork is the only one built for client billing
Teamwork pairs task tracking with native time tracking, budgeting, and invoicing that syncs to Xero and QuickBooks, a workflow neither Shortcut nor Wrike offers out of the box.
Teamwork
Wrike has by far the deepest integration catalog
Wrike connects to more than 400 external tools, including an especially deep, bidirectional Adobe Creative Cloud integration, well beyond the integration lists Shortcut and Teamwork publish.
Wrike
All three offer a free tier, with different limits
Shortcut's free plan covers up to 10 users, Teamwork's covers up to 5 users and 5 projects, and Wrike's free plan supports unlimited users but only basic boards and tables.
Shortcut, Teamwork, Wrike
Feature-by-Feature
Core Planning and Tracking
Feature
Shortcut
Teamwork
Wrike
Kanban boards
Available
Available
Available
Gantt charts with dependency tracking
Not documented
Available
Available
Resource and capacity management
Not documented
Available
Available
Team and Client Collaboration
Feature
Shortcut
Teamwork
Wrike
Client billing and invoicing
Unavailable
Available
Unavailable
Native GitHub integration
Available
Not documented
Available
AI and Automation
Feature
Shortcut
Teamwork
Wrike
Built-in AI assistant
Not documented
Available
Available
Deployment and Pricing
Feature
Shortcut
Teamwork
Wrike
Free plan
Available
Available
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Shortcut
Free — $0 Monthly (up to 10 users)
Team — $8.50/user/month Billed annually
Business — $12/user/month Billed annually
Enterprise — Contact sales Custom
Teamwork
Free — $0 monthly
Basics — From about $9.99/user/month billed yearly (monthly billing also available at a higher rate)
Accelerate — From about $24.99/user/month billed yearly (monthly billing also available at a higher rate)
Optimize — Custom annual contract
Enterprise — Custom annual contract
Wrike
Free — $0 Free forever
Team — $9.80 per user per month Annual billing
Business — $24.80 per user per month Annual billing
Enterprise — Custom pricing Custom contract
Pinnacle — Custom pricing Custom contract
Pros & Cons
Shortcut
Pros
Purpose-built for software engineering teams rather than general project management
Simpler, faster interface than heavier tools like Jira
Generous free tier for teams up to 10 users
Transparent per-user pricing with no hidden enterprise-only paywalls at the Team/Business level
Strong native integrations with GitHub, GitLab, and Slack
Cons
Less suited to non-engineering teams than general-purpose PM tools like Asana
Fewer deep workflow customizations than enterprise-grade tools like Jira
Mobile app is less mature than the web application
Reporting depth trails some larger, more established competitors
Enterprise pricing is not published and requires a sales conversation
Teamwork
Pros
Combines project management with native time tracking and invoicing, reducing the need for separate billing tools
Strong fit for agencies and client-services teams managing many concurrent projects and budgets
Multiple project views (Gantt, board, list, table) suit different planning styles on the same data
Resource and capacity planning tools help prevent team over-allocation
Generous free tier for very small teams to evaluate the platform
Cons
Per-user pricing can get expensive for larger teams once advanced features are needed
Some advanced features such as CRM integration and multi-currency budgeting are locked behind custom-priced Optimize and Enterprise tiers
Automation actions are capped by plan, which can be limiting for heavy automation users on lower tiers
Interface has a learning curve for teams new to full-featured project management software
Mobile app is generally reported as less capable than the desktop web experience
Wrike
Pros
Deep Gantt chart and dependency management rivaling dedicated scheduling tools
Highly configurable, real-time dashboards with shareable external views
AI Agents and Priority Inbox included on all plans rather than sold as a paid add-on
Very strong Adobe Creative Cloud integration for creative teams
Free plan supports unlimited users for basic use cases
Cons
Business and higher tiers can get expensive per user compared to lighter competitors
Feature depth and configurability create a steeper learning curve for new users
Resource management and proofing are locked behind the Business plan or higher
Complex ownership history (Vista to Citrix and back to Vista) has occasionally raised questions about long-term product direction
Use Cases
Choose Shortcut: Software engineering teams that want lightweight Kanban Stories and sprint-style Iterations tied to GitHub, GitLab, and Slack.
Choose Teamwork: Agencies and consultancies that need project planning combined with time tracking, budgeting, and client invoicing.
Choose Wrike: Cross-functional teams that need deep Gantt chart dependency tracking, configurable dashboards, and built-in AI across every plan.
Shortcut
Agile sprint planning — Plan and track sprint-based work using Iterations and Kanban Workflows.
Cross-team roadmap and OKR tracking — Connect engineering execution to company-level objectives and roadmaps.
Developer-centric bug and issue tracking — Track bugs and technical work with native GitHub and GitLab integration.
Teamwork
Agency client delivery — Agencies use Teamwork.com to plan client projects, track billable hours against budgets, and invoice clients directly from tracked time.
Software and IT consultancy delivery — Consultancies track project scope, resource allocation, and profitability across multiple concurrent client engagements.
Internal cross-functional project management — Teams use Gantt and board views to plan internal initiatives, track dependencies, and manage team capacity without client billing.
Wrike
Marketing and Creative Project Management — Marketing and creative teams use Wrike's proofing tools and Adobe Creative Cloud integration to manage campaign production and review.
Cross-Functional Portfolio Tracking — Operations and PMO teams use Gantt charts and dashboards to track multiple projects and dependencies across departments.
Resource and Capacity Planning — Managers use workload views to balance task assignments and prevent overallocation across team members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these three is best for software engineering teams?
Shortcut, since it is purpose-built around Kanban Stories, sprint-style Iterations, and native GitHub, GitLab, and Figma integrations rather than general cross-functional work management.
Which tool is best suited to agencies that bill clients for time?
Teamwork, because it pairs project and task tracking with native time tracking, budgeting, and invoicing that syncs to Xero and QuickBooks.
Which has the most integrations?
Wrike, which connects to more than 400 external tools including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Jira, GitHub, Tableau, and an especially deep, bidirectional Adobe Creative Cloud integration.
Do all three include AI features?
Wrike includes AI Agents and an AI Priority Inbox on every plan including Free, and Teamwork AI is included on Teamwork's paid plans. Shortcut's publicly documented feature set does not include a comparable AI assistant.
Which has the most generous free plan?
It depends on what you need. Wrike's free plan allows unlimited users but only basic boards and tables, Shortcut's free plan supports up to 10 users with fuller functionality, and Teamwork's free plan is capped at 5 users and 5 projects.
Which tool is best for managing dependencies across many concurrent projects?
Wrike, whose Gantt charts include drag-and-drop dependencies and automatic critical path recalculation, plus resource management for balancing capacity across teams. Teamwork also offers Gantt-style timelines and resource planning on its higher tiers, while Shortcut does not document comparable dependency tracking.