8 Best Work Prioritization Tools for 2025

Every new year, month, or week, you promise yourself you’ll be more productive. Yet, somehow, you still get buried in low-value tasks while the most important work waits.

Why? It’s not rocket science, but you seem to have a poor relationship with time and, above all, with prioritization.

While the first takes time to get solved, I can help with the latter by sharing this honest guide with tested work prioritization tools that are up to date for our times.

❗Before diving in, here are two disclaimers: This review is completely independent. None of the featured tools sponsored this content. I’ve evaluated these tools based on specific criteria that impact your prioritization:

• Prioritization features: Does the app truly help you rank and organize tasks?
• Visual clarity: Does it make priority levels clear, and it’s the interface user-friendly?
• Integration capabilities: Does it work well with most used tools?
• Mobile accessibility: Can you manage priorities on the go?
• Team collaboration: Does it help teams manage multiple projects?

TL;DR – Work prioritization tools at a glance

1. Timeular

Main functionality: Comprehensive time tracking tool with AI-powered insights, task tagging features,

Best for: Teams of all sizes, freelancers, creatives, and anyone looking to optimize their time use through data-driven insights and automated tracking.

I’ve been using Timeular for almost two years now to track both my work and personal time. Through its AI analysis, I discovered I was spending 40% of my peak productivity hours on low-priority tasks as a way of procrastinating, and later in the day, when my energy was lower, I would do the critical tasks. I completely changed how I structure my day since then.

The feature I liked the most:

• The AI insights dashboard analyzes your work patterns, at what times you’re productive and when not, and flags tools, apps, and websites that waste your time.

Discover how an IT Team at Bang&Olufsen saves 10 hours a week thanks to Timeular

Read more

Notable features:

• Automatic time-tracking takes the hassle out of time tracking, as it intelligently captures your activities in the background, allowing you to focus on your work and prioritize tasks without context switching.
• A comprehensive tagging system that lets you analyze time spent across different types of tasks, clients, or projects.
• Work hours tracking to precisely monitor work hours which helps you make better time estimations and more insightful time audits.
• Smart project budget monitoring that tracks your time against allocated budgets and alerts you before you exceed them to help you prioritize tasks and projects accordingly and avoid over-delivery.
• Automated time reporting features that generate customizable and detailed reports for clients or team leads, saving you hours of manual work each week.
• AI-powered productivity dashboard that gives you personalized insights about when you’re most productive and what activities might be wasting your time.
• Billable hours tracking so you can track client work and bill with accuracy by assigning values to different activities.
• Leave and PTO tracking features so you can effortlessly track all types of leaves and absences, which helps you to create a more balanced workload for the entire team.
• 3,000+ integrations with other apps to seamlessly connect Timeular with your existing workflow.

Start tracking your time to understand where your time goes

“I would highly recommend Timeular for small teams like ours. Timeular has been a game-changer for us, and we couldn’t be happier with our choice.” – Keith Reynolds, CEO of spokemedia.io

Try Timeular for free

Reviews:

• G2: 4.6/5
• Capterra: 4.6/5
• Product Hunt: 5/5

Price:

• Personal account: $6.63/month
• Personal Pro: $10.10/month
• Team: $18.41/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

2. Todoist

Main functionality: Intelligent task management with natural language priority setting.

Best for: Productivity enthusiasts and professionals who need a reliable system for task prioritization, which can also work as a project management tool and to-do list.

I’ve been using this reliable productivity tool as my main to-do list for the past two months, and I’ve managed to handle important tasks in a more method and calmer way. Using the priority levels P1 through P4, I’ve managed to reduce my “urgent but not important” tasks by half and focus on what truly matters.

The feature I liked the most:

• Natural language priority input that lets me type “Submit report today p1” and automatically sets it as a top priority. This effortless priority setting has saved me countless clicks and made prioritization effortless.

Notable features:

• One of the few apps that you can use to prioritize tasks based on natural language input and understand dates, times, and recurring schedules in many languages.
• Priority levels and task dependencies help you focus on what matters most, whether you’re in a project manager role or just managing individual tasks.
• It has a Karma system that gamifies your productivity, and it feels almost like a prioritization framework. You receive streaks once you’ve completed tasks.
• Smart scheduling suggestions based on your task completion patterns.
• Filters and labels overview of tasks based on different criteria.

Reviews:

• G2: 4.5/5
• Capterra: 4.6/5
• Product Hunt: 4.8/5

Price:

• Free: Basic features
• Pro: $4/month
• Business: $6/user/month

3. Asana

Main functionality: Comprehensive project management with robust task prioritization capabilities. Best for: Teams handling complex projects, organizations that need detailed task tracking, and project managers focused on multiple workflows who need a reliable project management tool.

I’ve been using Asana with my team for three years, and it’s been a game-changer in how we handle complex projects. Using their workload view combined with custom fields, we reduced our project delays considerably and improved our on-time delivery significantly.

The feature I liked the most:

• The Workload view with priority mapping helped me spot when team members were overloaded, and I’ve been able to redistribute urgent tasks to other members for a more balanced workload.

Notable features:

• Multiple project views that adapt to different work styles, including list, board, calendar, and timeline views for better project visualization.
• Custom fields and forms that ensure all task information is captured consistently, improving project clarity and reducing back-and-forth communication.
• Advanced automation rules that handle routine task assignments and updates, saving hours of manual work each week.
• Real-time progress tracking that shows exactly where projects stand and helps identify potential bottlenecks before they cause delays.
• Comprehensive reporting tools that provide insights into project health and team performance.

Reviews:

• G2: 4.5/5
• Capterra: 4.5/5
• TrustRadius: 4.6/5

Price:

• Basic: Free
• Premium: €10.99/user/month
• Business: €24.99/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

💡 Pro tip: Did you know that Asana is a great AI productivity tool, too? If you’re interested in managing time better, check our article on how to track time in Asana.

4. Trello

Main functionality: Visual project management with powerful prioritization features through Kanban boards.

Best for: Visual thinkers, teams who prefer a card-style view, and anyone who needs a clear visual hierarchy for tasks and projects.

I’ve been using Trello for managing content calendars and client projects on anf off for a couple of years based on client’s preferences too. Its visual nature helps me spot bottlenecks I can’t generally see in list-based tools as I’m quite a visual person. By implementing custom fields and Butler automation, I reduced priority confusion in my workflow quite a lot.

The feature I liked the most:

• The Custom Fields power-up for priority management helped me create a priority scale that includes both urgency and importance scores, improving my high-priority task completion rate by 15%.

Notable features:

• Power-ups system that extends functionality with over 200+ integrations, transforming a simple board into a powerful project management tool.
• Butler automation handles repetitive tasks automatically, like moving cards based on due dates or adding labels based on activity.
• Advanced checklists within cards that help you break down complex tasks into manageable steps while keeping visual simplicity.
• Custom card covers and labels that make priority levels immediately visible and help quickly identify different types of tasks.
• Multiple board views, including timeline and calendar views, for better project planning.

💡 Pro tip: If you’re looking for better time management with Trello, you should check out the best Trello time tracking integrations, as Trello alone can’t fulfill this need for you.

Reviews:

• Capterra: 4.5/5
• G2: 4.4/5
• Software Advice: 4.5/5

Price:

• Free: Basic features
• Standard: $5/user/month
• Premium: $10/user/month
• Enterprise: $17.50/user/month

💡 Pro tip: Looking for more remote work solutions? We’ve included Trello in our top work-from-home app list, as many distributed teams use it as their central hub for project visibility and team collaboration.

5. Notion

Main functionality: All-in-one workspace combining notes, top free digital planner, knowledge management, and task organization. The list can continue, though!

Best for: Knowledge workers, teams looking for a central information hub, and anyone looking to build a customized productivity system.

After using Notion for two years, I’ve transformed how I manage both personal and professional information. Its flexibility allowed me to create a custom productivity system that reduced my time researching articles and improved my project organization dramatically.

The feature I liked the most:

• The database system, with its ability to create linked views and relationships between different types of information, helped me build a comprehensive project-tracking system that improved my workflow efficiency.

Notable features:

• Flexible page organization that lets you structure information exactly how you need it, from simple notes to complex project databases.
• Template gallery with hundreds of pre-built templates that can be customized for any workflow or project type.
• Real-time collaboration features that make team editing and updating seamless and efficient.
• Advanced database capabilities that can be viewed as tables, boards, calendars, or galleries.
• Custom formulas and properties that help automate information organization and tracking.

Reviews:

• G2: 4.5/5
• Capterra: 4.7/5
• Product Hunt: 4.9/5

Price:

• Free: Unlimited pages for individuals
• Plus: $10/user/month
• Business: $15/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

💡 Pro tip: Time tracking in Notion needs an integration. Check the linked article to understand how an integration with a time tracker could work.

6. Wrike

Main functionality: Professional project management with enterprise-grade prioritization features.

Best for: Large teams and organizations that need sophisticated project management across multiple departments with complex workflows with critical tasks.

I implemented Wrike for our 15-person team last year, and its robust prioritization features enhanced our delivery process. I wouldn’t say it added some innovation, and it dramatically improved our processes, but I did enjoy its three-tiered priority system.

The feature I liked the most:

• The custom request forms with built-in priority assessment automated our intake process and reduced our priority categorization time.

Notable features:

• Advanced workflow automation that adapts to your team’s processes and automatically routes tasks based on custom criteria.
• Resource management tools that help prevent team burnout by showing exactly who’s working on what and when.
• Cross-tagging system that makes it easy to track work across different projects and departments simultaneously.
• Time-tracking integration that helps monitor project budgets and team capacity in real-time. Note, though, that tracking time in Wrike has considerable drawbacks.
• Custom dashboards that give different teams exactly the view they need of their work.

Reviews:

• G2: 4.2/5
• Capterra: 4.3/5
• TrustRadius: 4.4/5

Price:

• Free: Basic features
• Professional: $9.80/user/month
• Business: $24.80/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

7. JIRA

Main functionality: Agile project management and issue tracking system.

Best for: Development teams and organizations using Agile methodologies who need detailed task and bug tracking.

Maybe the tool I’m less familiar with, but a tool that I’ve tried with curiosity with our development team, JIRA, helped me think more in agile and sprint completion concepts, even in my writing job. The comprehensive tracking system helped us identify bottlenecks we didn’t even know existed in our workflow.

The feature I liked the most:

• The automated sprint reports showed us we were consistently overcommitting by 30% – adjusting our sprint planning based on this data improved our delivery predictability by 50%.

Notable features:

• Customizable workflows that can match any team’s development and release processes exactly, which helps you understand task importance much faster and learn if you need to delegate tasks, prioritize projects differently altogether, or maybe use another prioritization method.
• Advanced JQL (JIRA Query Language) that makes finding and reporting on any aspect of work simple and powerful.
• Agile boards that adapt to both Scrum and Kanban methodologies support any team’s preferred way of working but also enhance project prioritization.
• Integration capabilities that connect with your entire development toolchain for a seamless workflow.
• Time tracking features that help improve future sprint planning and estimates.

Reviews:

• G2: 4.4/5
• Capterra: 4.4/5
• TrustRadius: 4.3/5

Price:

• Free: Up to 10 users
• Standard: $7.50/user/month
• Premium: $14.50/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

8. Microsoft To Do

Main functionality: Personal task management with seamless Microsoft 365 integration

Best for: Microsoft 365 users, individuals, and small teams needing simple but effective priority management.

After using Microsoft To-Do for managing my personal and small team priorities for about 3 months, I’ve found its simplicity to be its strength. The My Day feature, combined with priority flags, helped me increase my high-priority task completion. The integration with Outlook and Teams makes it perfect for Microsoft-centric workflows! 📋

The feature I liked the most:

• The smart My Day planning feature helped me reprioritize tasks each morning, and you could reshift the focus of all your tasks, too. It suggests high-priority items from various lists and lets me build a focused daily plan.

Notable features:

• Seamless Outlook integration to sync your tasks with your calendar events effortlessly.
• Smart daily suggestions that recommend the priority tasks you should focus on. In a way, this feature is categorizing tasks for you, which, in essence, makes the entire managing tasks process much easier.
• Built-in importance flags to categorize and prioritize multiple tasks at a glance.
• Shared lists for easy collaboration with teammates or family members.
• Task breakdowns with steps to make large tasks more manageable.
• Due date reminders to stay on top of important deadlines.
• Completion statistics to track your progress and the project team over time.

Reviews:

• Google Play: 4.6/5
• Microsoft Store: 4.7/5
• TechRadar: 4.4/5

Price:

• Free with a Microsoft 365 subscription
• Microsoft 365 Personal: $6.99/month
• Microsoft 365 Family: $9.99/month

How to choose the right priority management tool

After testing these tools extensively, I’ve developed a system for selecting the right prioritization tools. Here’s what matters most:

• Work style compatibility: Consider how you naturally think about priorities. During my testing, I found visual tools like Trello worked better for creative teams, while structured tools like Asana or JIRA suited technical teams better.
• Team Size and Structure: Your team’s size dramatically impacts which tool works best. I discovered that while Todoist works great for small teams under 10 people, larger organizations benefit more from enterprise-focused tools like Wrike.
• Integration Requirements: Look for tools that work seamlessly with your existing tech stack. When I switched from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace, I had to completely rethink my priority management system.

Red flags to watch for

Through my testing, I’ve identified several warning signs that a priority management tool might not be right for you:

• Overcomplicated priority systems that team members avoid using
• Lack of clear priority visualization
• Poor mobile support for priority management
• Limited customization of priority levels
• Insufficient reporting on priority-based progress
• Slow priority updates and synchronization

Tools are not good enough? Try prioritization techniques

You can easily learn how to prioritize tasks, with some using a prioritization framework as a backbone if you’re struggling with organizing the process itself, and then add a tool in the mix to structure your habit even more.

I’ll briefly run you through the best prioritization techniques that you can try, but I recommend clicking on each of the links below to learn more about each technique:

• Moscow method: The Moscow Method is a prioritization technique where tasks are categorized into Must-haves, Should-haves, Could-haves, and Won’t-haves to guide decision-making.
• RICE method: The RICE (reach, impact, confidence, effort) method is a prioritization framework in product management, calculating prioritization scores based on Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort to determine the order of tasks or projects.
• Eisenhower matrix: The Eisenhower prioritization matrix is a prioritization tool that categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance, helping individuals prioritize tasks and improve time management. It’s also called the effort matrix, and it was created by a former US president.
• ABCDE method: The ABCDE method is a prioritization framework that involves categorizing tasks into categories A (very important), B (important), C (nice to do), D (delegate), and E (eliminate) to prioritize tasks and organize one’s workload.
• Kanban board: A Kanban board is a visual project management tool that organizes tasks into columns, allowing teams to track work progress and prioritize effectively by visually representing the workflow stages and highlighting the status of each task.

Conclusion

The right priority management tool can transform your productivity and team effectiveness. Based on my experience:

• For time-based priority management, try Timeular*
• For individual users and small teams, consider Todoist or Microsoft To Do
• For visual thinkers and agile teams, look at Trello or ClickUp
• For enterprise organizations, evaluate Wrike
• For customizable solutions, explore Notion or Asana

💡 Pro Tip: Look for tools that offer priority management templates matching your workflow. I found that starting with a template and customizing it saved significant setup time compared to building from scratch.

Remember: The best priority management tool is one that your team will actually use consistently. Don’t be afraid to try multiple options before making your final choice.

By focusing on these aspects and carefully evaluating each tool against your specific needs, you’ll be able to choose a priority management solution that truly enhances your workflow rather than complicates it.