Effective stakeholder management is crucial for the success of any project or business initiative. However, managing stakeholders can be challenging, especially with large and diverse groups.
This is where stakeholder management software comes in. These tools can help you streamline the process, improve communication, and build stronger stakeholder relationships.
In this article, we’ll explore 11 of the best stakeholder management software options available in 2024, catering to a variety of needs, usability, and budgets. We’ll delve into their key features, functionalities, and potential benefits to help you choose the right solution for your requirements.
If you want to know what stakeholder management software is and its importance, you can directly jump to the section below.
What is a stakeholder management software?
Stakeholder management software is essentially a toolbox designed to help you effectively engage with the individuals and groups who are impacted by or can impact, your projects or initiatives.
These “stakeholders” can be internal (like colleagues, team members, or management) or external (like customers, investors, or the public).
By using stakeholder management software, you can:
- Save time and resources: Automate tasks and centralize information, freeing up your time to focus on building relationships.
- Build stronger relationships: Foster trust and collaboration with your stakeholders by demonstrating transparency and responsiveness.
- Make better decisions: Gain valuable insights from your stakeholders to inform your decision-making process.
- Improve communication: Ensure all stakeholders are kept informed and have a clear understanding of your project or initiative.
Overall, a stakeholder management tool is a valuable technology asset for any organization looking to improve its stakeholder engagement and achieve its goals.
11 Best stakeholder management software in 2024
A huge number of stakeholder management tools are in the market with varying features. We have compiled the list of the top 11 tools based on our hours of research, real user reviews and ratings, and first-hand experience with the tool (thanks to the free trials).
We have covered the key features, pros, cons, pricing, and user ratings of each tool so that you get all the information to decide in one place.
1. ProofHub
ProofHub stands out as a compelling stakeholder management software solution due to its comprehensive personalization functionalities, user-friendly interface, scalability, focus on real-time communication, robust security measures, and affordable (flat fee) pricing.
Unlike many competitors, ProofHub offers an all-in-one solution, eliminating the need for multiple tools to manage various aspects of stakeholder engagement. Within a single platform, you can collaborate with your team, assign tasks, share files, and communicate with stakeholders seamlessly. This centralized infrastructure promotes transparency, simplifies workflows, and ensures project sustainability.
ProofHub prioritizes user experience with a clean and intuitive interface. This ensures both tech-savvy individuals and non-technical users can quickly adopt the platform. Additionally, ProofHub’s unique unlimited user model and mobile app accessibility make it incredibly scalable and adaptable to growing project needs and stakeholder networks.
Key features
- Record all the information of project stakeholders of a project at one place including stakeholder analysis, mapping, and communication plan with files and notes
- Centralized task management, Kanban Board, and Calendar for project manager and teams to manage tasks
- Keep the most important stakeholders in the power-interest matrix engaged throughout the project with Discussions
- Custom roles (Owner, Admin, and Normal user) to manage the access of the stakeholder to a project
- Provide the real-time progress of the project with project status report, resource utilization report, and time reports
- Product roadmap to view progress and track milestones and goals
- Gantt chart for stakeholders to visualize the project plan and their roles at different stages of the project
- Forms to collect stakeholder requests and manage grievances
- Online proofing for feedback and approval from stakeholders on digital assets
Explore ProofHub’s powerful features designed to empower your team and take your projects to the next level.
What makes ProofHub an ideal stakeholder management tool?
- Provides project management with stakeholder relationship management under one app.
- Flat fee plan allows you to onboard an unlimited number of stakeholders without worrying about per-user fees.
- A simple and intuitive user interface makes it easy to understand and use.
- A minimal learning curve makes it super easy to adopt by every team member.
- Tools like proofing, chat, and time-tracking are all in-built, so no need to invest in other tools.
- Our customer support is top-notch (we are famous for it😊).
Cons
- No pre-built templates for stakeholder management
Pricing
ProofHub offers you two simple flat-free plans for unlimited users:
- Essential: $45/month for unlimited users and up to 40 projects when billed annually
- Ultimate Control: $89/month for unlimited users, unlimited projects, and all the premium features when billed annually
You get a 14-day free trial to try all the premium features of ProofHub!
Ratings
- G2: 4.5
- Capterra: 4.6
2. ProjectManager
ProjectManager is a project management software that provides you with decent stakeholder management capabilities to manage relationships with stakeholders. It provides you with features like a dashboard, reporting, roadmaps, and a Gantt chart to provide stakeholders with the transparency they need. The platform seamlessly integrates with popular platforms like Google Drive, Gmail, and QuickBooks.
Key features
- Gantt chart to visualize project roadmap and see their roles
- Templates for stakeholder analysis and communication plan
- Project planning, scheduling, and management
Cons
- Features are accessible at a costly price
- Bad customer support
- Higher-cost plan for guest or external access
Pricing
- Pro: $13 per user per month (billed annually)
- Business: $24 per user per month (billed annually)
- Enterprise: Contact the team
Ratings
- G2: 4.4
- Capterra: 4.1
Website link – https://www.projectmanager.com/
3. Smartsheet
Smartsheet is an enterprise-grade work management business software that can help you manage stakeholders across portfolios, projects, and programs. It provides you with advanced dashboards, accurate reporting, and real-time visibility to strike the right balance between top-down and bottom-up portfolio management approaches. The tool seamlessly integrates with Slack, Dropbox, and AWS.
Key features
- Dashboard and reporting tools
- Account administration of accounts
- Granular sharing control
Cons
- Quite expensive
- Steeper learning curve compared to some competitors
- Limited communication features
Pricing
- Pro: $7 per user per month
- Business: $25 per user per month
- Enterprise: Contact the team
Ratings
- G2: 4.4
- Capterra: 4.5
Website link – https://www.smartsheet.com/
4. Simply Stakeholders
Simply Stakeholders is a standalone stakeholder relationship management tool that integrates seamlessly with your existing project management software and collaboration tools for effective stakeholder management. It provides you with a wide array of visualization features for stakeholder management such as stakeholder mapping, stakeholder sentiment analysis, communication, reporting, analytics, and restricted access.
Key features
- Stakeholder mapping to visualize stakeholders
- AI-driven sentiment analysis to identify stakeholder sentiment
- Basic reporting
- Stakeholder identification & information management
Cons
- Limited project management functionalities
- Not suitable for managing complex stakeholder engagement strategies or large stakeholder networks
Pricing
- Core: Contact sales team
- Darzin: Contact sales team
- Enterprise: Contact sales team
Ratings
- G2: 5
- Capterra: 5
Website link – https://simplystakeholders.com/
5. Tractivity
Tractivity is all-in-one stakeholder engagement and management software that helps you ensure your stakeholders become part of your organization and projects. It helps you create comprehensive profiles of all stakeholders, map them based on their influence and interest, create a communication plan, track engagement history, and provide a clear view of all projects with reports and dashboards for comprehensive stakeholder management.
Key features
- In-built stakeholder mapping to assess stakeholders
- Engage-360 engagement portal to manage grievances
- Interactive dashboards and digital calendar
- Risk management and issue tracking
Cons
- Complex interface and steeper learning curve
- It might be overkill for simpler projects with less focus on risk management
Pricing
No pricing information is available on the website
Ratings
- G2: 4.5
- Capterra: No reviews available
Website link – https://tractivity.com/
6. Jambo
Jambo is a stakeholder engagement tool that helps you manage the record, communication, and reporting of all the stakeholders from one place. You can record and organize information of all the stakeholders from different projects in one place and consistently log communication records to build a complete history of engagement.
Key features
- Online community management
- Engagement tools to conduct surveys or polls
- Analytics to track engagement metrics
Cons
- Limited project management functionalities
- Not ideal for managing complex projects
- No transparent pricing structure
Pricing
Jambo Professional: $995 per month (one-year subscription)
Ratings
- G2: 4.7
- Capterra: 5
Website link – https://www.jambo.cloud/
7. StakeWare
StakeWare is another platform for stakeholder management that helps you build trustworthy relationships with stakeholders based on the information collected from the stakeholders. It helps you manage relationships by gaining the most valuable type of information directly from your stakeholders and proactively addressing and taking responsibility for the issues they care about most.
Key features
- Stakeholder mapping & analysis
- Send targeted messages
- Analytics to generate reports and gain insights
- Customer relationship management capabilities
Cons
- Limited project management capabilities might not be suitable for projects requiring extensive task management
- No transparent pricing structure
Pricing
You will have to contact sales for pricing
Ratings
No reviews available
Website link – https://www.stakeware.com/
8. Darzin
Darzin is a stakeholder CRM that is similar to CRM but specifically for managing stakeholders. For example, it not only makes entries to the CRM and keeps track of the information but also helps you segment your stakeholders based on their level of influence, interest, and impact. It allows you to map relationships between stakeholders, collect real-time feedback, and manage grievances with issue tracking.
Key features
- Create your custom fields
- Track stakeholder relationships, tasks, and history
- Manage grievances with automatic notifications
- Qualitative, quantitative, and spatial analysis
Cons
- Limited reporting and analytics capabilities
- Might be overkill for simpler stakeholder needs
Pricing
Starting from $10,000 (picked from Capeterra)
To get a quote, you can contact Darzin via phone, email, or by filling out the form on their pricing page.
Ratings
- G2: 4.8
- Capterra: No reviews
Website link – https://www.darzin.com/
9. Insightly
Insightly is another customer relationship management tool that can help you with stakeholder management if your main stakeholders are customers. It provides you with a CRM solution, marketing automation solution, and customer service ticketing software all in one place to create a joint system for effective stakeholder management. Along with project management features, it provides a complete solution for stakeholder management.
Key features
- Marketing automation and CRM solutions
- Centralized repository for all customer queries
- Performance dashboards & reporting
Cons
- Can be complex for beginners with its extensive CRM functionalities
- Might be pricier for smaller teams or projects
Pricing
- Plus: $29 per user per month
- Professional: $49 per user per month
- Enterprise:$99 per user per month
- All-in-One plan: Starting at $349 per month
Ratings
- G2: 4.0
- Capterra: 4.2
Website link – https://www.insightly.com/
10. Totango
Totango is customer success software that can provide you with the tools you need to create a customer success program and keep all stakeholders informed on the progress of the account. It allows you to record data of all the customers to create your book of workspace, manage communication with them, develop strategic account plans and manage tasks, and create shared visibility for stakeholders by allowing them to view the timeline of account activity for every customer.
Key features
- Pre-built customer success program templates
- Customer touchpoints for monitoring and tracking activities
- View the timeline of account activity for every customer for shared visibility for stakeholders
Cons
- Not specifically designed for general stakeholder management
- Might be expensive for non-customer success use cases
Pricing
- Starter plan: $2,988 per year
- Enterprise plan: $18,000 per year
- Premier plan: Custom price
Ratings
- G2: 4.4
- Capterra: 3.9
Website link – https://www.totango.com/
11. Thryv
While Thryv isn’t exclusively designed for stakeholder management, it offers functionalities that can be valuable for small businesses to manage stakeholder engagement alongside other company operations. However, for projects requiring advanced stakeholder engagement features, reporting capabilities, or handling large and complex stakeholder networks, exploring dedicated stakeholder management software might be more appropriate.
Key features
- Store and manage stakeholder contact information
- Provide stakeholders with a secure online portal
- Create and automate marketing campaigns
- Client communication through email, SMS, and social media
Cons
- Limited reporting and analytics
- Might not be suitable for complex stakeholder needs or large teams
Pricing
- Thryv Command Center: $20 per user per month
- Thryv Business Center: $199 per month per location
- Thryv Marketing Center: $199 per month per location
Rating
- G2: 4.6
- Capterra: 4.2
Website link – https://www.thryv.com/
Features to look for when choosing a stakeholder management software
A project includes various types of stakeholders; internal and external. Competent stakeholder management tool provides you with the tools to manage relationships with both types of stakeholders and streamline your business process.
When choosing stakeholder management software, make sure to look out for these performance indicators:
- Centralized communication: Look for a platform offering a central intelligence hub for all stakeholder communication. This could include features like real-time chat, threaded discussions, and email integrations.
- File sharing and collaboration: Seamless file sharing and co-editing tools allow stakeholders to access and contribute to project documents effortlessly. Annotation tools further enhance collaboration by enabling real-time feedback and suggestions.
- Customizable reports and dashboards: The stakeholder management tools should allow you to create and share the project reports to provide status updates to the stakeholders.
- Task management: Competent stakeholder relationship management software should empower your business model with essential task management features for seamless collaboration and an efficient way to visualize project progress
- User-friendliness: Opt for a stakeholder engagement platform with a user-friendly interface that minimizes learning curves and allows your team to get started quickly, maximizing efficiency and minimizing adoption hurdles.
- Scalability: As your project database grows and your stakeholder network expands, the tool should scale alongside you, providing the flexibility you need to ensure successful project outcomes and a fair return on investment.
Recommendations
- For small projects & teams: Consider user-friendly and affordable options like ProofHub or Simply Stakeholders.
- For large projects & teams: Explore feature-rich options like Smartsheet, Tracivity, or StakeWare, keeping in mind their potential learning curve and pricing.
- For customer-centric projects: Totango might be a suitable choice, but consider its specialized focus and pricing.
How to choose the best stakeholder management software
Selecting the perfect stakeholder management software from the below list can feel overwhelming, but a clear framework can guide you toward the ideal solution. Here’s a breakdown of key factors to consider:
Factors to consider:
- Match your needs: Identify your essential features, like communication tools, task management, reporting, and mobile accessibility.
- Scalable: Choose software that adapts to your evolving needs, whether it’s adding users, managing larger projects, or integrating with other tools.
- Value for money: Evaluate your allocated budget and compare it to the pricing structures of different software options.
- User-friendliness: If your team has varying technical expertise, prioritize user-friendly software with an intuitive interface and minimal learning curve.
- Collaboration: Look for features that facilitate seamless collaboration, like real-time messaging, discussion boards, and file sharing, regardless of team size.
Conclusion
Selecting the right stakeholder management software is no small feat, but its impact on project success is undeniable. Effective software empowers you to streamline communication, boost engagement, and gain valuable stakeholder insights, ultimately leading to better decision-making and improved project outcomes.
While numerous options exist, ProofHub stands out as a compelling choice. Its user-friendly interface, comprehensive features, and scalable structure are some of its best practices that cater to projects of all sizes and complexities. Whether you’re managing a small team or a large-scale initiative, ProofHub equips you with the tools and functionalities to effectively manage your stakeholders and navigate the path toward project success.
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FAQs
How can software assist in project stakeholder management?
Project stakeholder management software empowers efficient collaboration and boosts project success rates. Here’s how:
- Centralizes communication: Streamlines communication and keeps everyone informed.
- Enhances task management: Provides transparency and visibility into project progress.
- Fosters engagement: Gathers valuable stakeholder insights and feedback.
- Offers reporting & analytics: Tracks engagement and demonstrates stakeholder value.
Scales and adapts: Grows alongside your project and stakeholder network.
How can I measure the effectiveness of stakeholder management software?
Measuring the effectiveness of stakeholder management software involves assessing various key indicators to ensure optimal performance. Here are some methods to gauge the effectiveness:
- Track stakeholder engagement metrics (participation rates, feedback response rates).
- Monitor project performance metrics (on-time completion, budget adherence).
- Conduct stakeholder satisfaction surveys.
- Consider the software’s cost against the benefits gained (improved project success, reduced communication costs).
What is the stakeholder management program?
A stakeholder management program is not a specific software, but rather a strategic framework designed to systematically identify, analyze, engage with, and manage the expectations of individuals and groups that can impact or be impacted by a project, program, or organization. It’s essentially a roadmap that outlines how you’ll build and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders throughout a project’s lifecycle.
