The Best Resource Management & Planning Software in 2025
Choosing the right resource management software in 2025 is all about choosing the right tool that can transform how your organisation plans projects, allocates skills, forecasts capacity, and ultimately delivers results.
In this article, we’ve cut through the noise for you to bring you a curated list of the very best options available in 2025, perfect for all sizes of workforce
Why All Organisations Should Be Managing Their Resources
No matter the size or industry, every organisation relies on one thing above all else, its people. Effective resource management ensures that workloads are balanced, deadlines are realistic, and projects are delivered without pushing teams to the brink of destruction. It’s not just about productivity, it’s about protecting employee wellbeing.
When resources are managed well, individuals have the space to do their best work without suffering from stress and burnout. This not only boosts morale and job satisfaction but also helps to reduce staff turnover, as team members are more likely to stay in an environment that respects their time and energy.
Properly structured and managed resource planning also means businesses can adapt faster and deliver better results by using their talent strategically. Some resource management tools have unique features like “talent management”, helping you to make more informed decisions.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up our top 7 resource management software picks for 2025, purposely selected to suit organisations of every size, from startups to large-scale global enterprises.
1) Retain – the best choice for large and enterprise teams
Founded in 1992, Retain is our number 1 resource management software pick because its’ built for organisations that treat resource planning as a strategic lever. Its core advantage is simple and consequential: it plans around capability as well as availability, so scheduling decisions improve utilisation, delivery quality, and margin uplift in complex, multi-entity environments.
Why choose it
- Skills-aware planning at scale – skills libraries and taxonomies support capability-based staffing across large portfolios
- Credible forecasting – capacity, utilisation and portfolio rollups leaders can trust
- Enterprise governance – granular permissions and auditability suitable for regulated environments
- Integration fit – ERP, HRIS, CRM and practice management integrations to reduce swivel-chair work
Best for
Enterprises and professional services organisations with 100+ seats that need skills-based staffing, trustworthy forecasts and strong governance.
Not right for
Small teams that do not require more advanced capacity planning and utilisation features. There are much more basic softwares available at a lower price. Retain remains the gold standard management software solution.
Visit: https://www.retaininternational.com/
2) Dayshape – a good choice for AI-assisted staffing in professional services
Founded in 2013 (originally as Airts), Dayshape targets consulting and accounting firms that want automation to place the right people on the right engagements and balance utilisation. Its AI scheduling and scenario modelling reduce manual effort when you operate PS-style workflows.
Why choose it
- AI-powered allocation and optimisation across engagements
- Scenario planning to test options and impacts before committing
- PS-first product direction suited to multi-office practices
Best for
Mid to large PS firms with structured grades and engagement models seeking automated scheduling.
Falls short
The data model and integrations are tuned to professional services. Diversified portfolios or complex multi-entity finance rollups may need extra configuration.
3) Resource Guru – a good choice for simple, fast scheduling
Launched in 2012, Resource Guru prioritises clarity and speed. Teams moving off spreadsheets get an easy planner for people, rooms and equipment, a quick adoption curve, and lightweight reporting that makes it obvious who is booked and who is not.
Why choose it
- Clean drag-and-drop scheduling with minimal setup
- Lightweight utilisation and availability reporting for day-to-day control
- Friendly pricing and pace for smaller teams that value speed over depth
Best for
Small to mid-size agencies and internal teams replacing spreadsheet scheduling.
Falls short
Forecasting and skills depth are limited. Long-range capacity, revenue modelling and capability-based matching are not its strengths.
4) Float – a good choice for creative and product teams tied to task tools
Founded in 2011 and publicly launched in 2012, Float shines as a visual planner that mirrors where work already lives. Tight connections with tools like Asana and Jira keep schedules aligned with tasks, giving managers a live view of capacity without heavy admin.
Why choose it
- Strong native integrations for near real-time sync from task tools and calendars
- Proven agency pedigree and adoption across studios and product teams
- Clear capacity views that help avoid over-allocation in fast-moving environments
Best for
Creative, marketing and product teams that want a live capacity view tied closely to task systems.
Falls short
Reporting, skills taxonomies and complex scenario modelling are lighter. Executive-grade portfolio analytics often require exports.
5) Teamwork – a good choice when you want PM plus basic resourcing in one
Founded in 2007, Teamwork brings projects, time, invoicing and resource or workload management into a single suite. If you prefer fewer tools and tighter client collaboration, it offers a familiar PM environment with integrated capacity views.
Why choose it
- Unified PM and workload planning to keep delivery and resourcing in one place
- Pragmatic for SMEs that want task execution, time and billing alongside resource views
- Easier adoption for teams standardising on an all-in-one platform
Best for
SMEs that need solid PM plus light resource planning without adopting a full PSA.
Falls short
Resource modelling is shallower than specialists. Skills-based staffing and advanced what-if forecasting are limited.
6) Kantata – a good choice for PS organisations standardising on Salesforce
Formed in 2022 from the merger of Mavenlink (2008) and Kimble Applications (2010), Kantata targets services businesses that want pipeline-to-project visibility with strong commercial controls, plus Salesforce-native options.
Why choose it
- Integrated PS cloud with resourcing, financials, BI and delivery
- Salesforce alignment for firms that want CRM, pipeline and staffing tightly connected
- Established customer base and operational pedigree from the combined brands
Best for
Consulting and services firms that live in Salesforce and require robust engagement financials with utilisation control.
Falls short
Implementations can be heavier and change management non-trivial. Non-PS portfolios or non-Salesforce stacks may find fit and total cost less attractive.
7) Runn – a good choice for real-time forecasting in growing teams
Founded in 2018, Runn offers an approachable blend of visual planning and forward-looking insights. For scale-ups and mid-size companies, the ability to see capacity, hiring signals and revenue projections in one place helps replace spreadsheet sprawl with something more reliable.
Why choose it
- Real-time capacity and workload visibility with revenue and profit forecasting
- Integrations and API to sync time tracking and project data for better actuals vs plan
- Friendly learning curve that encourages adoption across delivery teams
Best for
Growing teams that want approachable forecasting and visibility without PSA overhead.Falls short
Governance, cross-entity rollups and skills proficiency are comparatively light. Very large enterprises may outgrow it as controls and complexity increase.
Photo credits: eOffice
