For most of us, our first experience with project management tools is with names like Monday.com, Basecamp, or Asana — tools that are simple and accessible, perfect for organizing personal tasks or managing small teams. Wrike, on the other hand, isn’t the first tool people think of because it’s designed for businesses that need more than just basic task tracking.
Yet Wrike is project management software that teams love because it offers advanced features like customizable workflows, detailed reporting, and industry-specific templates. In this article, we’ll answer the question “What is Wrike?”, explore its features, and look at how it compares to other tools.
What is Wrike?
Wrike is a robust, enterprise-grade work management platform designed to centralize and streamline workflows for teams of all sizes. With a focus on flexibility and scalability, Wrike helps organizations manage everything from daily tasks to complex projects.
It’s trusted by over 20,000 organizations worldwide, including major companies like Siemens, Ogilvy, and Walmart. Whether you’re managing a marketing campaign, overseeing IT operations, or aligning resources across multiple departments, Wrike provides project managers the tools to get the job done efficiently.
What is Wrike Used For?
Wrike’s versatility makes it a popular choice across industries. Here are some of its primary use cases:
Managing Projects
Wrike offers Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and dashboards to help teams visualize project timelines and progress. Dependencies and task hierarchies are easy to manage, making it ideal for complex projects.
Managing Resources
With Wrike’s advanced resource management tools, teams can plan capacity, track workloads, and allocate resources effectively. This ensures that multiple projects stay within scope and on deadline.
Collaborating with Teams
Wrike breaks down silos by offering shared workspaces, real-time collaboration tools, and integrations with platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Teams can work together seamlessly across departments.
Automating Workflows
Wrike automates repetitive tasks like approvals, task creation, and assignments. Its blueprint feature allows teams to standardize and scale processes quickly, saving time and improving efficiency.
Visualizing Data
Wrike’s customizable dashboards and analytics provide insights into project performance, budgets, and team productivity. Data visualization tools help teams make informed decisions.
Wrike Features
Wrike is a comprehensive work management platform designed to help teams plan, execute, and track their projects more efficiently. Its features cater to businesses of various sizes and industries. Here’s an overview of Wrike’s key features:
Task Management
Wrike supports multiple task views, including Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and calendars, making it easy to manage projects according to your team’s preferences.
Here’s a summary of the top things you can do with Wrike’s task management feature:
- Task Creation and Assignment: Create tasks with detailed descriptions and assign them to specific team members or groups.
- Custom Statuses: Use pre-set or custom statuses to track progress, such as “In Progress,” “Under Review,” or “Completed.”
- Prioritization: Organize tasks by priority to focus on critical work and deadlines.
- Deadline Management: Set due dates, track deadlines, and receive reminders to ensure timely task completion.
- Dependency Management: Link tasks with dependencies to visualize the order and timing of workflows.
- Collaborative Comments: Use task-level discussions to share updates, feedback, and ideas directly within tasks.
- File Attachments: Attach documents, images, or files directly to tasks for centralized reference.
- Recurring Tasks: Automate repetitive tasks by setting up recurring schedules.
- Time Tracking: Log time spent on tasks to manage workloads and monitor project costs.
- Integration with Workflows: Sync tasks with Gantt charts, calendars, and dashboards to align with overall project goals.
Workflow Automation
Automation tools reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, such as approvals and request forms, allowing teams to focus on high-value work.
- Custom Workflow Triggers: Automate actions based on specific triggers, such as task creation, updates, or project milestones.
- Approvals Workflow: Set up automated approval processes, notifying approvers and advancing tasks once approved or rejected.
- Status-Driven Dependencies: Automatically adjust project timelines or trigger task dependencies based on status changes.
- Team Notifications: Notify teams about critical updates or next steps in the workflow without manual input.
- Project Kickoffs: Automate the creation of project templates or tasks when a new project is initiated.
- Cross-Tool Integrations: Sync workflows with external tools like Salesforce, Slack, or Google Drive for seamless collaboration.
- Recurring Process Automation: Automate entire workflows for processes like onboarding, content review cycles, or campaign launches.
- Workload Automation: Reassign tasks or redistribute work automatically when team capacity changes.
Project Reporting
Advanced reporting features allow teams to monitor progress, identify bottlenecks, and generate insights. Real-time dashboards provide a clear view of project health.
- Customizable Dashboards: Create personalized dashboards to track project metrics, team performance, and overall progress.
- Real-Time Status Updates: Access live data to monitor project statuses, task completions, and bottlenecks instantly.
- Visual Reports: Generate charts, graphs, and tables to visualize key project insights and trends.
- Pre-Built Templates: Use ready-made reporting templates for common needs like workload distribution, overdue tasks, or budget tracking.
- Custom Reports: Design detailed, tailored reports by selecting specific data points, filters, and visualizations.
- Workload Analysis: Analyze team capacity and workloads to identify over-allocation or availability.
- Progress Tracking: Track project timelines, milestones, and task dependencies to ensure deadlines are met.
- Budget and Resource Monitoring: Report on project budgets, resource utilization, and cost metrics in real-time.
- Automated Report Scheduling: Schedule and send reports automatically to stakeholders on a recurring basis.
- Cross-Project Insights: Aggregate data from multiple projects for a high-level overview or portfolio-level reporting.
Integrations
Wrike integrates with over 400 tools, including Salesforce, Adobe Creative Cloud, Jira, and Google Drive. This ensures that teams can work seamlessly across platforms.
Prebuilt Templates
Wrike’s pre-built templates make it easy to launch campaigns, manage operations, and streamline IT workflows. Templates can be customized to suit your team’s specific needs.
- Accelerate Project Setup: Instantly structure new projects with pre-designed task lists, timelines, and workflows.
- Standardize Processes: Use templates to create consistent workflows across teams and departments for recurring projects.
- Milestone Planning: Start with templates that include predefined milestones to map out project phases efficiently.
- Request Intake Forms: Utilize templates that integrate forms to streamline work requests and approvals.
- Portfolio Management: Quickly implement templates designed for managing large-scale projects with multiple stakeholders.
- Scalable Workflows: Scale operations easily by applying templates to similar projects or across multiple teams.
- Risk Management Planning: Use templates for identifying, monitoring, and mitigating risks in projects.
- Data Migration Projects: Set up data migration templates for seamless and repeatable IT processes.
- Customizable Starting Points: Tailor pre-built templates to align with unique business needs and save them for future projects.
Proofing Tools
Wrike’s proofing tools enable efficient collaboration on creative projects, allowing team members to review and approve files directly within the platform.
- In-Document Feedback: Add precise comments and annotations directly on images, PDFs, videos, or other files for clear communication.
- Version Comparison: Compare file versions side by side to track changes and ensure the latest edits are implemented.
- Multi-Page Markups: Provide feedback on specific pages within multi-page documents, such as presentations or PDFs.
- Video Proofing: Annotate specific frames in videos for granular feedback on visuals, audio, or timing.
- Centralized Review Hub: Keep all review-related comments, changes, and versions in one place for easy access.
- Reviewer Collaboration: Allow multiple reviewers to comment simultaneously, ensuring quicker turnarounds.
- Time-Stamped Comments: For video or audio files, use time-stamped feedback to point out exact moments requiring edits.
- Feedback History Tracking: Maintain a full record of all feedback, changes, and approvals for accountability.
Pros & Cons of Wrike
Pros
- Advanced customization options for enterprise users.
- Strong automation features to streamline workflows.
- Powerful reporting and resource management tools.
- Wide range of integrations with popular platforms.
- Enterprise-grade security features, including encryption and role-based access.
Cons
- Steep learning curve for smaller teams or new users.
- May feel overly complex for basic task management.
- Higher pricing tiers may not suit smaller organizations.
Wrike Pricing Plans
Wrike offers several pricing plans to accommodate teams of all sizes:
- Free Plan: Limited to five users, includes basic task management and board views.
- Team Plan ($10/user/month): Includes dashboards, Kanban boards, and unlimited projects.
- Business Plan ($24.80/user/month): Adds advanced tools like resource management, automation, and real-time reporting.
- Enterprise and Pinnacle Plans: Designed for large organizations, these plans include enhanced security, capacity planning, and extensive reporting features. Pricing is customized based on needs.
Alternatives to Wrike
If you’re looking for alternatives to Wrike, several other project management tools offer similar or complementary features. Here are some top Wrike alternatives:
- Ahsuite: Ahsuite is a simpler, more intuitive alternative to Wrike, designed for freelancers and small teams. It offers all the essential project management features that 80% of users need, plus a built-in client portal. This unique feature allows you to share progress and collaborate with clients in a way that’s seamless and intuitive. Additionally, Ahsuite can be white-labeled on your own domain, giving you a professional edge. Try it for free at Ahsuite.com.
- Microsoft Projects: Microsoft Projects is a robust tool for organizations already using the Microsoft ecosystem. It excels in resource management and project scheduling.
- ClickUp: ClickUp is known for its affordability and scalability, offering a customizable workspace that’s great for startups and growing teams.
- Smartsheet: Smartsheet combines the familiarity of spreadsheets with project management features, making it ideal for teams handling data-heavy workflows.
- Asana: Asana is a user-friendly tool best suited for smaller teams and creative workflows. It focuses on task management and team collaboration.
Summary
Wrike is a powerful platform tailored to enterprise users and large teams with complex workflows. Its advanced features, automation tools, and robust reporting capabilities make it a top choice for organizations needing a high level of control and flexibility. However, for smaller teams or individuals, Wrike’s complexity and pricing may feel like overkill.Ahsuite, by contrast, offers a simple, user-friendly solution that covers all the essentials most teams need. With its built-in client portal and the ability to white-label your workspace, Ahsuite provides a seamless way to collaborate with clients and streamline projects. Best of all, it’s free for up to ten portals. Sign up today at Ahsuite.com and experience a smarter way to work.
