As IT departments juggle growing project complexity, tighter budgets, and cross-functional teams, Project Portfolio Management (PPM) tools are more essential than ever. These platforms go beyond task tracking, and they help IT leaders prioritize projects, allocate resources strategically, forecast ROI, and align execution with business goals.

Why Do PPM Tools Matter for IT Governance?

PPM software allows IT leaders to:

• Gain visibility into project pipelines

• Evaluate trade-offs between cost, risk, and value

• Centralize project governance and reporting

• Automate resource planning and capacity management

• Align project execution with strategic goals

Whether you're managing cloud migrations, DevOps initiatives, or security upgrades, the right PPM tool will enhance agility and cost governance.

What is Project Portfolio Management?

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is a strategic approach to managing projects, programs, and resources to achieve organizational goals and objectives. It involves prioritizing, coordinating, and monitoring these initiatives to ensure they align with the organization's overall strategy and maximize the value delivered to the business.  

Is Jira a PPM tool?

Jira Align is an enterprise-level PPM tool that enables alignment and collaboration across multiple teams, programs, and portfolios. It focuses on scaling Agile practices and provides robust strategic planning, portfolio management, and cross-functional coordination capabilities.

What is the difference between PMO and PPM?

A project portfolio is a group of projects being worked on by an organization. Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is typically a function of the PMO team and is a formal approach to orchestrate, prioritize, and analyze the potential value of a set of projects.

What are the 5 phases of portfolio management?

• Evaluate your current situation.

• Figure out your investment objectives.

• Determine your asset allocation.

• Choose investment options.

• Monitor your portfolio and rebalance as needed.

Is Jira a PMP tool?

Excellent outcomes start with Jira. The only project management tool you need to plan and track work across every team. Using a work email helps find teammates and boost collaboration.

What are the objectives of SIP?

SIPs help build wealth over time by reducing risks and averaging market highs and lows. New and experienced investors who want to progressively achieve their financial goals without worrying about market timing will find it an excellent option.

Top 10 PPM Tools for IT Projects (2025)

1. Planview Portfolios

Overview: A leading enterprise PPM tool built for strategy execution, resource planning, and value stream management.

• Planview Portfolios Pricing: Custom enterprise quotes

• Planview Portfolios Licensing Options: SaaS subscription

• Best For: Large enterprises and PMOs

• Pros: Deep visibility, AI-driven forecasting, Agile/Hybrid support

• Cons: Learning curve, premium pricing

• G2 Score: 4.2★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.3★

Screenshot:

2. Microsoft Project for the Web

Overview: Microsoft’s cloud-native PPM offering is ideal for Office 365 users and enterprise IT teams.

• Microsoft Project Pricing: From $10/user/month

• Microsoft Project Licensing Options: Per-user Microsoft 365 plans

• Best For: Mid-to-large IT teams on Microsoft stack

• Pros: Familiar UI, great MS Teams/Power BI integration

• Cons: Limited portfolio-level analytics

• G2 Score: 4.0★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.2★

Screenshot:

3. Smartsheet

Overview: A flexible, spreadsheet-style PPM and work management platform supporting Agile, Kanban, and Gantt.

• Smartsheet Pricing: Starting at $7/user/month

• Smartsheet Licensing Options: Per user, enterprise plans

• Best For: Agile teams and hybrid project environments

• Pros: Intuitive UI, great dashboards, scalable

• Cons: Lacks complete financial governance tools

• G2 Score: 4.4★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.5★

Screenshot:

4. Clarity PPM (Broadcom)

Overview: A robust enterprise PPM solution focused on financial governance, strategy, and IT alignment.

• Clarity PPM Pricing: Enterprise pricing (quote-based)

• Clarity PPM Licensing Options: SaaS and on-premise

• Best For: IT governance, budgeting, and PMO control

• Pros: Rich financials, roadmap planning, customizable

• Cons: Requires configuration, complex UI

• G2 Score: 4.1★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.3★

Screenshot:

5. Asana Enterprise

Overview: Widely adopted work and portfolio management tool with advanced enterprise and reporting features.

• Asana Pricing: Free basic; Premium from $10.99/user/month

• Asana Licensing Options: Per-user SaaS, enterprise plans

• Best For: Cross-functional Agile teams

• Pros: Easy to use, strong integrations, great UI

• Cons: Limited budget/resource tracking

• G2 Score: 4.5★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.4★

Screenshot:

6. Wrike

Overview: Highly customizable work and portfolio management platform with robust IT project support.

• Wrike Pricing: Free plan; Business starts at $24.80/user/month

• Wrike Licensing Options: Tiered SaaS plans

• Best For: Mid-size IT teams needing flexibility

• Pros: Dynamic request forms, Gantt charts, time tracking

• Cons: Can be overwhelming without training

• G2 Score: 4.2★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.3★

Screenshot:

7. ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management

Overview: Built into the ServiceNow platform, enabling alignment of strategy, demand, and delivery in IT operations.

• ServiceNow SPM Pricing: Enterprise pricing (custom quotes)

• ServiceNow Licensing Options: SaaS-based, per-user

• Best For: ITSM and ITOM integrated PPM

• Pros: Native integration with IT workflows

• Cons: Enterprise-only focus, high cost

• G2 Score: 4.2★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.3★

Screenshot:

8. WorkOtter (Prism PPM)

Overview: Cloud-based, cost-effective PPM solution for IT teams and small PMOs.

• WorkOtter Pricing: From $35/user/month

• WorkOtter Licensing Options: SaaS subscriptions

• Best For: SMBs and mid-market IT teams

• Pros: Affordable, easy-to-use dashboards

• Cons: Fewer enterprise-grade features

• G2 Score: 4.3★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.2★

Screenshot:

9. Jira Align (Atlassian)

Overview: Enterprise-level extension of Jira for scaling Agile programs across large IT organizations.

• Jira Align Pricing: Quote-based; ~$50+/user/month

• Jira Align Licensing Options: Enterprise SaaS

• Best For: Agile transformation, SAFe®, enterprise scaling

• Pros: End-to-end Agile visibility, roadmap tracking

• Cons: Expensive, steep learning curve

• G2 Score: 4.2★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.1★

Screenshot:

10. Celoxis

Overview: All-in-one PPM tool with time tracking, financials, and reporting in one package.

• Celoxis Pricing: From $22.50/user/month (cloud) to $450/user (on-prem)

• Celoxis Licensing Options: SaaS and perpetual

• Best For: Financially driven IT project portfolios

• Pros: Cost-effective, strong analytics

• Cons: UI is slightly dated

• G2 Score: 4.4★

• Gartner Peer Insights: 4.3★

Screenshot:

PPM Tools Comparison Table

‍

FAQ:

What are the three basic categories for project portfolios?

Three General Types of Portfolios

• Value creating: Strategic or enterprise projects.

• Operational: Projects that make the organization more efficient and satisfy fundamental functional work.

• Compliance: "Must-do " projects required to maintain regulatory compliance.

What are the concepts of project portfolio management?

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is the coordinated management of interconnected projects to align with organizational objectives, maximize benefits, and optimize resource usage. A well-managed portfolio maintains a balanced mix of projects in terms of risk, reward, strategic alignment, and other factors.

What are the three main objectives of portfolio management?

Aim to provide capital appreciation through earning consistent returns, understanding individuals' needs, and customizing their portfolio according to the investor's preferences and objectives. Balancing risk and return optimally so that an individual obtains desired returns while staying within their risk limit.

What are the 3 P's in project management?

The 3 Ps of project management, People, Processes, and Products, form the foundation for successful project execution.

What is the central concept of project management?

Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge, and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables constrained to a finite timescale and budget.

How many types of portfolio management are there?

Types of Portfolio Management Services. PMS can be classified based on two key factors: Investment Control: Who is responsible for decision-making and execution in your portfolio. Asset Class of Investments: The categories of investment instruments used, such as equities, debt securities, or a combination.

Which is the best project management tool?

There's no single "best" project management tool, as the ideal choice depends on individual needs and project requirements. However, some popular and well-regarded options include Asana, Trello, ClickUp, monday.com, and Wrike. These tools offer various features and functionalities for planning, task management, workflow optimization, and team collaboration.

Streamline IT Project Licensing with CloudNuro.ai

Managing multiple PPM tools, their licensing, and renewals across your enterprise? CloudNuro.ai, a Gartner-recognized SaaS Management Platform, helps IT teams:

• Track usage and compliance for PPM tools like Jira, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, and more

• Monitor cost and renewals from a centralized dashboard

• Optimize SaaS ROI with actionable license insights

👉 Book a Demo to modernize your IT procurement and SaaS governance today.

‍