Having a clear idea how to develop and monetize a product is extremely important, as it drives collective decision-making at key points. In some industries, product development cycle can take years, and keeping track of the initial vision can become a challenge.

Most organizations use professional software solutions to manage the entire process and make sure the plan is realistic and the realization is as efficient as possible. There are numerous software packages designed specifically for this purpose, and choosing the most optimal roadmap planner tool is a very impactful strategic decision.

To help entrepreneurs in this regard and enable them to proactively tackle challenges that stand in the way of a successful product launch, we reviewed some of the most widely used product roadmap planner suites and compared their main features.

What is Product Roadmap Planning?

Product roadmap planning involves all activities related to the development of a commercial product from design stage all the way to the market. Since this process requires careful planning and coordination as well as the efficient use of human and material resources, it must be conducted in a very precise manner. Product development and all associated activities frequently involve multiple teams that need to communicate in real time, while logistical and financial considerations have an impact at every step.

To manage complexity and streamline the process as much as possible, organizations need to adopt clear working procedures and establish a chain of responsibility that covers every task. Planning for any eventuality is prudent, and there should be an alternative for every key outcome. Even the most capable planners can’t foresee everything, so flexibility and redundancy are very important. All of those challenges require the use of advanced product roadmap planner software that has built-in tools for the most common tasks and assists people in charge of the product to track the process closely and impartially.

How to Select a Roadmap Planner?

Each product roadmap planner solution is different, but there is a group of core features that can be found in most high-end products from this class. Here are some functionalities that can be considered essential for any software that aims to serve in a roadmap planning role:

• Project boards and other visualization tools
• Task assignment and monitoring system
• Simple way to manage timelines and budgets
• Communication and team collaboration features
• Document sharing, conversion, and exporting
• Time tracking and performance measurement tools
• Social features (comments, mentions, re-posts…)
• Reminders and notifications
• Extensive customization capacity and flexibility

10 Best Product Roadmap Planner Tools

ProductBoard

As an established solution with countless high-profile users, ProductBoard is a safe choice if you need a stable and logical solution. It brings numerous tools that simplify product management, but it never lets managers lose sight of the end-user and his needs. No matter how complex the roadmap may be, this software gives you complete control over it.

Outstanding features:

• Customer-centric solution that allows end-to-end management of the product cycle
• Interactive roadmaps can be quickly built with very intuitive tools
• Direct way to collect user feedback during product testing
• Strong team collaboration and analytics tools

Reported flaws:

• Built-in presentation tools are not great
• Integrations with popular task management apps are missing

Pricing options: Essentials plan costs $20/month, Pro plan costs $80 per month, Custom plans available

User ratings:

• G2: 4.3 (215 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7 (139 reviews)

Craft.io

Every step of the journey from idea to market can be tracked very closely with this software. It presents a framework into which to load product data from disparate sources, while providing excellent tools for deriving business intelligence out of the accumulated data. Ultimately, it allows organizations to make smarter and more profitable decisions.

Outstanding features:

• Flexible platform suitable for managing all stages of product development
• User-friendly tools for defining strategic objectives and priorities
• Visual roadmaps can be easily created and shared internally or externally
• Simplified portfolio management lets larger organizations keep track of all endeavors

Reported flaws:

• Overabundance of features can be confusing for beginners
• Migrating projects from other platforms can be cumbersome

Pricing options: Essential plan costs $39 per user monthly, Pro plan costs $89 per user monthly

User ratings:

• G2: 4.5 (41 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4 (29 reviews)

Coda

This is a very innovative app that blurs the line between document creation, project planning, and task management. Starting from a blank slate, users can shape their projects any way they like and use simple building blocks to create unique workflows. It’s perfect for businesses that don’t neatly fit into established categories and products that defy traditional market niches.

Outstanding features:

• Document-based solution that gives users the possibility to model their processes
• Executive dashboard summarizes the most important information in a visual format
• Task boards gradually evolve as the project progresses and some are completed or added
• Changing any data item results in automatic updates of all tables and fields containing it

Reported flaws:

• The app can slow down when the document contains a lot of data
• Only a limited number of document templates are provided

Pricing options: Free plan is available, Pro plan costs $10 per doc maker monthly, Team plan is $30 per doc maker

User ratings:

• G2: 4.7 (386 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6 (84 reviews)

ProductPlan

Developed specifically for product managers and organizations seeking to expedite their time-to-market, this software performs admirably regardless of the project scope. It can be used as the roof solution for roadmap planning and integrated with other business software tools, allowing multiple teams to take advantage of its powerful capacities.

Outstanding features:

• Product roadmap software with simple and visually appealing interface
• All tasks can be scored for performance and effort
• Customizable permissions allow project owners to control access to key data
• The app has SOC 2 security certificate as proof of its data protection prowess

Reported flaws:

• Roadmaps can’t be copied or changed without the owner’s permission
• The portfolio view needs to be improved

Pricing options: Basic plan costs $39 per editor monthly, Professional can be obtained for $69 per editor per month

User ratings:

• G2: 4.4 (145 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4 (54 reviews)

Zoho Sprints

As a part of a well-known business software suite, Sprints has the advantage of familiarity as well as ensured compatibility. It’s a web-based application that allows for long-term planning and dynamic task scheduling/tracking across different teams or projects. Basically, it’s acting as the connective tissue that allows remote teams to collaborate in real-time.

Outstanding features:

• Established project management and productivity tool based on agile methodology
• Includes release management tools to control all versions of the product
• Allows for direct comparison between projected and realized timelines
• Project boards and other key elements can be personalized

Reported flaws:

• It’s not easy to track availability of team members
• The software can lag sometimes

Pricing options: Start package costs $1 per user monthly, Elite is priced at $2.5 monthly, while Premier is offered at $5 per user per month

User ratings:

• G2: 4.5 (145 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5 (219 reviews)

TeamGantt

When it comes to pure roadmap planning solutions, TeamGantt is considered to be one of the most accomplished competitors in the market. It provides great visual overview of the large-scale effort and all of its components while allowing tight controls over two most important things – time and money. Most importantly, the app is visually clean and won’t overwhelm the user with needless functions.

Outstanding features:

• Web-based software specialized for easy creation and editing of Gantt charts
• Project plans can be easily changed at any point simply by dragging and dropping elements
• Includes a centralized location for storing all documents, conversations, and tasks
• Resource management tools are built-into this app

Reported flaws:

• There is no option for archiving old items
• There is no desktop app available

Pricing options: Single package is free, Standard package costs $9.95/user/month, Advanced package is offered at $14.95/user/month

User ratings:

• G2: 4.8 (850 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6 (194 reviews)

Airtable

Despite using a simple spreadsheet format, Airtable can be a powerful product roadmap planner if utilized the right way. It enables remote teams to closely collaborate at every stage of the project and share ideas and documents without delay. Once the project is well set up, contributions of every member are visible and appreciated.

Outstanding features:

• Scalable roadmap planning solution that unites data from all sources in a single table
• Interfaces can be customized to deliver relevant input to each team member
• Plenty of templates are available to simplify workflow creation
• Automatic data syncing across the entire organization

Reported flaws:

• Integration with other project management platforms requires technical knowledge
• The solution isn’t very practical for printing content of the table

Pricing options: Free plan is available, Plus plan costs $10 per seat monthly, Pro plan is $20 monthly

User ratings:

• G2: 4.6 (2098 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7 (1670 reviews)

Aha!

If you are looking for an innovative solution that will give you total freedom when designing your product roadmaps, you might be thrilled to discover this tool. Aha! Roadmaps can take your project from start to finish while keeping all team members on the same page and minimizing the amount of wasted time and resources.

Outstanding features:

• Practical roadmap planner that helps to connect strategic goals with day-to-day activities
• Allows for segmentation of target groups and separate planning for each
• Excellent visual analytics tools help to recognize lucrative market opportunities
• The software includes time-tracking and reporting mechanisms

Reported flaws:

• Limited possibility for customization
• Visual presentation of workflows is not completely intuitive

Pricing options: Lite plan costs $19 monthly per manager, Pro plan is $49 monthly/manager, and Enterprise is priced at $99 per month per manager

User ratings:

• G2: 4.3 (221 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7 (482 reviews)

Roadmunk

Created primarily as a roadmapping tool, this app allows users to quickly formalize their ideas and customize their business plans. It includes plenty of tools for organizing project activities into a workflow that truly reflects key priorities without restricting creativity. Due to its flexible approach and an ability to present different views to different audiences, this software is perfect for highly dynamic industries.

Outstanding features:

• Product roadmap planner with flexible timeline management options
• Items can be organized and mutually linked in a visual way
• Collecting feedback and incorporating it into the plan is possible
• Milestones and benchmarks can be set up to keep the project on pace

Reported flaws:

• It’s more expensive than other solutions with similar features
• English is the only supported language

Pricing options: Starter plan costs $19 per month, Business plan is offered at $49 per editor monthly, while Professional plan is available at $99 per editor monthly

User ratings:

• G2: 4.0 (67 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4 (81 reviews)

GanttProject

This is one of the better open-source product roadmap planning tools that works quite well for small and medium-sized teams. It’s been in continual use for the past 20 years and it’s constantly upgraded and improved by the community. Currently in its third version, it is well-suited for modern challenges and represents a solid alternative to high-priced roadmap planners.

Outstanding features:

• Desktop-based, open-source tool for Gantt chart creation and project management
• Minimalistic interface design makes it easier to find key functionalities
• Documents can be exported in multiple formats, including PDF, PNG, or CSV
• Video tutorial is available for beginners

Reported flaws:

• Collaboration tools are not very good
• Cost management and reporting features are lacking

Pricing options: completely free (GPL3 license)

User ratings:

• G2: 4.3 (57 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.2 (137 reviews)

Frequently Asked Questions about Product Roadmap Planners

What are the main benefits organizations get from adopting product roadmap planning software?

The main reason to adopt software of this kind is to make the product development process more efficient, which translates directly into saved time and money. Improved productivity, quicker resolution of misunderstandings, strengthened team bonds, and more consistent quality controls are among the effects that can be expected after a successful implementation.

Do remote teams benefit more from roadmap planners than office-based teams?

While most of the benefits described above are universal, it can be argued that roadmap planners are even more essential for teams that don’t share a physical office. Such teams require close coordination, and software tools provide a way to work together in the virtual space and follow the same blueprint regardless of role or location.

How much technical knowledge is needed to set up product roadmap planner?

That depends on the software solution you choose and the complexity of your organization’s activities. For smaller projects, it shouldn’t be too hard to set up the workflow and assign the tasks, but large-scale product development efforts might require presence an IT administrator to create the initial framework in which managers can shape the workflows as they see fit.

Final Words

Product roadmap planner tools are intended for professional use, mostly by companies of considerable size that regularly engage in long-term, high-value projects. These apps are packed with tools that enable managers to keep perfect control over all workers and tasks, and they have the advantage of granting remote access to key documents and communication channels. To put it simply, designing and launching a product without professional roadmap planning software is hard to imagine in the current business environment. That’s why learning more about some of the solutions from this list is a great idea for anyone working in this sector.