5 Best Workflow Applications With Pros and Cons

If you search around and will find there are so many workflow applications on the market. It will be struggling to choose the correct workflow application for your business.

How to know which workflow application is the best? To help you make a quick decision, we list the 5 best workflow applications here. You can choose the one suitable for you directly after going through it.

What is Workflow Application?

Workflow application is software that can help you automate the process from the beginning to the end. It will break down the whole process into several steps and a path for them to follow. When the users enter the specific step, it will trigger the premade action.

For instance. If you need to get authority to check your company sales and you are required to apply through the set workflow, you can submit an application via the workflow app. It will go on automatically and finally, you will receive the authority once the process ends.

This sample is for a little complicated task. You can also use the workflow application to manage and track your tasks in team collaboration projects.

Why Do You Need One Workflow Application?

Before investing, you need solid reasons as to how a workflow application can benefit your business’s growth. Here are the benefits that provide proof of why you need a workflow application:

· Improves Efficacy and Reduces Errors:

Applications like these break down the total workflow to make sure you complete your tasks in an orderly way. Other than that, It is an automatic process and there is less chance of errors. Moreover, it will reduce your time on repetitive work and continuous following up one by one.

· Helps You with Multitasking:

One of the most important tasks to master is multitasking. A workflow application will put all your tasks in an organized way. It will help you manage different tasks with ease.

· Speeds Up the Process:

Workflow applications arrange your tasks in an orderly way and go on automatically. They will also offer you some great features such as comments, notifications, tagging somebody, and more to help you track and follow up the process. All these can make sure that you can complete your tasks within their deadlines and increase the process rate by a considerable margin.

What You Should Consider When Choosing a Workflow App?

You must know the factors that make a workflow application worth investing in. Here are some factors every workflow app must have:

Should be able to keep a record of your progress:

The best workflow applications are those that track your every progress. This helps you to know how is the process going on and take control of your tasks and projects.

Must be efficient in creating an automatic structured process:

One purpose of using a workflow app is to save time for repetitive work. When the process needs to be used again and again, it will be better to have an automatic structured workflow.

Should have an interactive interface:

The workflow application that you are looking into should be easy to work with. Not everyone is familiar with workflow application tools. It will be great if you do not need to learn and can use them directly.

5 Best Workflow Apps to Improve Your Working Efficiency:

For your ease, we’ve made a list of the top five best workflow apps that can help improve your working efficiency. The five best workflow apps are as follows:

1. Monday.com:

Monday.com has all the features that you would want in your workflow application. It lets you customize your dashboards with over fifty templates to choose from. It features an automated system that enables you to sync with tasks from third-party tools and have all your work in one place.

How to Use This Workflow App?

Follow the steps below to use the app like a pro:

Step 1. Create one new board for your project or task. You can create one blank board, from one template, or by uploading a table.

Step 2. Then, add all the tasks you need to track or submit. Add the requester and people who need to approve or solve them. Add statuses such as urgency and process rate on each task. You can also add a timeline for when you want to finish the task. You can set automatic actions for each status change and you can get notifications.

Step 3. Once all things are set. Your team members will receive a notification and check the task. When the status changes, you will get a notification. It will be easy for you to track the process and follow up on the workflow.

Pros:

Here is what Monday.com specializes in:

1. Customize your workflow as you want.
2. Great for multitasking.
3. Not costly.

Cons:

Some downfalls that the app can work on:

1. Hard for a complicated workflow.
2. Lack of help for beginners.

Pricing:

The basic version of the app retails for $8.

Reading: Asana vs Monday: What is My Thought After Using Them?

2.ClickUp:

Most workflow apps can only work for companies with a team. However, ClickUp is perfect for solo entrepreneurs and freelancers too! Moreover, it is one of the free workflow apps that are non-profitable. The functions that this app has to offer are divided into different categories.

How to Use This Workflow App?

Here are some steps that you can follow to take out maximum benefits from the app:

Step 1- Create one space according to the task.

Step 2- In each space, create one list. Add tasks on it, tag employees responsible for its completion, add due dates and create a timeline. Same as Monday.com, you can add automation to this list.

Step 3. You can follow up on the task now and check the status directly.

Pros:

ClickUp can be perfect for you as it is:

1. Easy to learn.
2. Great features such as documents, chats, and whiteboards make this workflow more powerful.
3. Allows multiple collaborations.

Cons:

ClickUp may not be for you because:

1. Many features need to get updated.
2. Some features don’t offer tutorials.

Pricing:

ClickUp offers three plans. The basic version is $5 per member.

Reading: ClickUp VS Notion: What Are Their Differences and Similarities?

3. Wrike:

To show progress in the growth of a business, it is important to pull off every task in an organized way. However, it is also important for optimal productivity that the team members communicate with each other effortlessly. Wrike is a workflow app that specializes in that. The app also tracks down the working hours of each team member to help you calculate their input.

How to Use This Workflow App?

Understanding how a workflow app works can be a little tricky. Follow the below-mentioned steps to stay one step ahead of everything:

Step 1- First, you will have to choose your occupation so Wrike can offer you its services accordingly. 

Step 2- Select how many members you have in your team. After that, invite them to your account.

Step 3- Create space, and write down all the tasks on the to-do list. Distinguish each space with color.

Step 4- Assign tasks to your employees. Add in the due date.

Step 5- Create a board, and design a timeline of tasks for the upcoming week or month.

 Pros:

The advantages you get with using Wrike are as follows:

• Automated Workspace.
• Effective communication.
• Great project management.

Cons:

Wrike may not be for you as:

• Not beginner-friendly.
• Steep in price.

Pricing:

The standard version of Wrike is suitable for small teams and is available for $7.50 per user.

4. Asana:

Asana helps you manage your workflow by allowing you to distribute your tasks in an orderly way among your team. To increase your team’s productivity, you need a timeline to help create an inspiring vision board. Asana features great templates for timelines that can help you create a dashboard according to your goals.

How to Use This Workflow App?

Here are some steps that can help you manage your workflow using Asana in an effective way:

Step 1- Click on ‘Create a project’ to start your project management.

Step 2- To create a project, use a black space, spreadsheet, or template. 

Step 3- Give your project a name, and choose a view template for it.

Step 4- Add tasks to your project, and assign them.

Step 5- Click on ‘details’ right next to the task name. Add instructions on how to complete the respective tasks.

Step 6- Assign a color to each task to help you stay organized. 

Pros:

By using Asana, you will get the following advantages:

1. Summarized view of all tasks.
2. Great for small business owners.
3. User-friendly dashboard.

Cons:

Asana lacks in some aspects as it:

1. No time-tracking feature.
2. Doesn’t let your download files in PDF formats.

Pricing:

The Premium version of Asana is available for $10.99 per member.

Reading: 6 Best Free And Paid Asana Competitors You Can Choose

5. Zapier:

Every app we’ve mentioned is the most highly rated one. However, out of all the five, Zapier has features that are one-of-a-kind. Zapier lets you customize your web connection with any app for free! You can also manage and handle a bulk amount of data. It offers great security and support from experts.

How to Use This Workflow App?

Step 1- Select two apps that you want to connect and work with. 

Step 2- Choose what action the second app will do when the first app gets a trigger. Action will be initiated by the second app. For example, if you have selected Facebook and Gmail and you get a new lead on Facebook, that is the trigger. This will cause an action through Gmail, this is how a Zap works.

Step 3- Choose a Zap template to get your workflow going. 

Step 4- Track the workflow progress on each Zap.

Pros:

Zapier provides its users with the following:

1. Great security.

2. Explains each feature point by point.

3. Excellent support team.

Cons:

The downsides of the app are:

1. Takes time to learn.

2. The duration of the free trial is short.

Pricing:

Zapier offers four plans to its users. The starter version is available for $19.99.

Which One is Better?

Here is a table that shows an overview of each app with its features and ratings. This will help you to pick the one that resonates with you the most.

By looking at the table above, Monday.com takes a clear lead. The app acts as an all-in-one at a reasonable price.

Final Words:

Choosing a workflow application is not a walk in the park. To help you manage your workflow well, you need a workflow application that is easy to use and versatile. The above five workflow applications are currently the best ones and offer a lot to their users!