Planio

Planio is a hosted collaborative project-management service based on Redmine, with issue tracking, planning tools, and team utilities. Issues can include configurable status, priority, assignee, dates, completion percentage, time spent, and subtasks; roles and permissions control available workflow steps. Planning options cover agile work as well as roadmaps, milestones, and Gantt charts. The service also includes a wiki, communication tools, Git and Subversion hosting, time tracking, file storage, Help Desk, team chat, search, and an email inbox. It offers Redmine REST API functionality and documents OAuth 2 integration. Android and iOS apps let Planio users manage projects and tasks, and are free for those users. Planio lists a free plan and a 30-day trial. Silver costs $25 a month billed month-to-month, for three active projects, five active users, and 5 GB storage. Higher listed tiers cost $59, $125, $249, and $449 a month. Planio launched in 2009 and is based in Berlin, Germany.

Planio brings project tracking, planning, and team tools together in a hosted Redmine-based service. Review each tier’s project, user, storage, and included-tool limits before choosing a plan.

Planio is aimed at project managers, teams, and start-ups that need issue workflows and project planning. Its mobile apps suit Planio users managing projects and tasks on Android or iOS.

Planio is hosted project-management software built around Redmine, suited to teams that need structured issue tracking alongside planning and collaboration tools. It is strongest when a team can use that breadth; tight entry-tier project, user, and storage caps make plan fit an important part of the decision.

Overview

Planio organizes work as configurable issues, with fields for status, priority, assignee, dates, completion percentage, time spent, and subtasks. Roles and permissions control who can move issues through particular workflow steps, which helps teams formalize responsibility and process. Guest access is supported.

Planning covers agile project work as well as roadmaps, milestones, and Gantt charts. The included toolset extends to a wiki, communication, Git and Subversion hosting, time tracking, file storage, Help Desk, team chat, search, and an email inbox. That range can keep development and project coordination together, though some storage and support capabilities are tier-dependent.

Key features

Structured work and planning

Custom issue fields and permission-based workflows suit teams with distinct stages or responsibilities, rather than groups that only need a lightweight shared checklist. WIP limits and custom card fields support board-based work; roadmaps, milestones, and Gantt charts provide a longer-range view for teams that need to coordinate conventional project plans as well as agile work.

Tools for project teams

Repository hosting for Git and Subversion, time tracking, file storage, Help Desk, team chat, and email tools broaden Planio beyond issue tracking. Integrations and add-ons include GitHub, Bitbucket, Google Chrome and Apps, Dropscan, and desktop repository clients. Redmine REST API functionality and OAuth 2 integration are useful for teams connecting Planio to other systems.

Planio offers iOS and Android apps for managing projects and tasks, free for Planio users. Its stated security measures include SSL and SSH access controls, firewalls, daily encrypted backups, email encryption, and PCI DSS compliance reviewed by Comodo. Email and phone support are included across plans, and existing data imports are free.

Pricing

Planio has a free plan and a 30-day trial. Paid plans are billed month-to-month. Issues and Git and Subversion repositories are unlimited, but active project and user allowances and storage vary by tier.

Silver is the entry paid tier for small teams that can work within five users and three active projects. Gold adds room for more concurrent work and four times the storage, while Diamond is the first tier with Help Desk and Team Chat included. Platinum suits larger teams that want those tools at Pro level and Planio Storage bundled. Enterprise raises the project, user, and storage thresholds and allows customization, but may carry additional charges. The lower paid tiers can be restrictive for growing teams, and storage or Help Desk Pro adds cost before Diamond.

Platforms

Planio is available on the web, iOS, Android, through its API, and as self-hosted software. The mobile apps cover project and task management, while API access supports integrations and customized connections.

Who it's for

Planio is a strong fit for project managers, teams, and start-ups that want configurable workflows, multiple planning styles, and development and collaboration tools in one service. It is less compelling for teams with few process needs or uncertain growth that could quickly outstrip the lower tiers’ active-project, user, or storage limits.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Configurable issue fields and role-based workflow permissions support teams with specific tracking and approval processes.
• Pro: Agile planning, roadmaps, milestones, and Gantt charts cover different approaches to scheduling work.
• Pro: Repository hosting, time tracking, Help Desk, chat, and other tools reduce the need to split project work across separate services.
• Con: The lowest tiers cap projects, users, and storage, so expansion can require an upgrade even though issues and repositories are unlimited.
• Con: Storage and Help Desk Pro cost extra on Silver and Gold, and Storage Pro remains an extra on Diamond.

Alternatives

For teams comparing project and board tools, see Kanban Software and Project Management Software.

• Jotform is worth considering when a free plan centered on forms is a better fit: its Starter plan allows 5 forms and 100 monthly submissions.
• MeisterTask offers a free plan with unlimited tasks, up to 3 projects, and up to 5 notes, making it an option for teams whose work fits those caps.
• PLANKA may suit teams seeking a self-hosted community edition, with a free Community plan and a paid Pro Self-Hosted plan at €36 a month.
• SwiftKanban has a free Team plan limited to 3 users and 2 boards, an option for small teams focused on Kanban boards.
• Trello may fit teams who want a free plan with up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace, with 10MB per-file limits.
• Kanban Tool has a free tier capped at 2 boards and 2 users, with no file attachments.
• KanbanFlow offers a free, no-time-limit plan with a Kanban board and standard support.
• WeKan is an alternative for those who prefer a free option or cloud plan; its free app has no admin access, while WeKan Cloud costs $50 a year.

Verdict

Choose Planio if your team needs configurable issue workflows, both agile and traditional planning, and project collaboration tools in one Redmine-based service. Its principal advantage is that breadth; its principal drawback is the tier structure, which makes project, user, and storage ceilings—and the extra cost of some tools—central to the choice. Teams with simple task needs or tight growth budgets should compare lighter alternatives first.