Asana vs OpenAir

Last Updated:

Our analysts compared Asana vs OpenAir based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Project Management Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Asana Software Tool
OpenAir Software Tool

Product Basics

Asana is a cloud-based project management platform designed to help teams of all sizes manage and organize projects with customization, automation, AI and collaboration. Users can build custom workflows, templates and tasks, and visualize projects in multiple ways, including list, timeline, calendar, Kanban and Gantt views.

You can also build and trigger automation rules when tasks are moved or status or priority is changed. Stay aligned with goals, locate risks and hit project deadlines with reports and collaboration tools. Connect with other solutions using its open API and native integration with dozens of apps.

Our Research Process for Asana

Taking software at face value for a product page review is so passe. Luckily, with a little help from my company’s email address, I got a free trial of Asana’s Advanced plan for 30 days.

I set up a dummy project for content creation, complete with the stages and automations we currently use, so I’d have a more apples-to-apples comparison of a real-world project.

Additionally, I tested some “standout” features our researchers suggested and investigated the pros and cons users mentioned on review sites.

To learn the ropes, I visited the help center, watched demo videos and scoured Reddit for shortcuts. This webpage is the result of a week of dedicating all my working hours to living and breathing Asana.

read more...

OpenAir by NetSuite, Inc. is a comprehensive software solution designed to streamline project management tasks. It is particularly well-suited for businesses looking for an all-in-one platform to manage projects, resources, and expenses efficiently. One of the key benefits of OpenAir is its ability to enhance project delivery through improved planning and resource allocation, making it a valuable tool for organizations aiming to optimize their project management processes. The software boasts popular features such as time tracking, expense management, and invoicing, which collectively contribute to its robust project management capabilities. When compared to similar products, users often highlight OpenAir's seamless integration with other business systems and its scalability as significant advantages. Pricing considerations for OpenAir typically involve a subscription model, where costs are based on the number of users and the specific features required, allowing for flexibility to suit various business sizes and needs.

read more...
$10.99/User, Monthly, Freemium
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
$399/User, Monthly
Free Trial is unavailable →
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
we're gathering data
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
we're gathering data

Product Insights

  • Use Asana AI: Leverage AI in your project management strategy by using AI studio to draft workflows and create custom charts. Summarize your project and tasks using AI and use draft with AI to view next steps and actions. I drafted a project update by clicking on the Set Status tab and selecting “Draft update with AI.” After setting a status and date range, I also added an extra custom heading. The final product was comprehensive and easy to edit, which is great if you find staring at a blank page can be a stumbling block.
  • Create Tasks via Email: Make it easy to create tasks on the go by sending an email to your project email with all the details you need. I found the email associated with that project by clicking on the project dropdown and selecting import and then email. After that, I copied the email address and pasted it and added my email so I’d be the assignee, filled out the subject as the task name, added an additional description in the body and sent it. Like magic, the task showed up with all the details I wanted – 10/10, would recommend.
  • Set Up and Implement Custom Templates: Save time by creating your own custom cards and projects and converting them to templates or choosing from the built-in project templates. Click on the Customize button to add task templates and custom fields. I added a new article template with a relative start date, dependency and custom field for the editor and team.
  • Collaborate with External Users: Stay in sync with clients and suppliers by creating guest accounts and inviting them to access specific tasks and projects. I could invite users with a different email domain name and set access permissions like admin, editor, commentator or viewer in the invite.
read more...
  • Visibility: Track KPIs through graphical analysis, see which employees are on PTO and who has requested time off on specific days.  
  • User-Friendly: Report search capabilities are easy to use. Lets users browse through numerous reports using basic search terminology and find specific documents.  
  • Individualized Solution: Can be customized to meet individual needs. Develop reports that measure data points relevant to operational needs with drag-and-drop tools. 
  • Increased Productivity: Lets users visualize labor allocation for streamlined employee scheduling. Employee availability, skill and experience can be measured for project assignments.
  • Communication: Add notes to the workflow to ensure standardized communication. Add notes to clarify information about time entries.  
read more...
  • Task Management: Create tasks with custom fields, deadlines, tags, subtasks, dependencies and descriptions during setup, adding tasks to the section you want when you create your first project or forwarding an email to [email protected]. Save time by converting your custom tasks into a template you can apply to new tasks and using AI to summarize tasks and draft subtasks. Switch between list, board, timeline, calendar and Gantt views to optimize visualization and drag-and-drop tasks between sections.
  • Project Planning and Scheduling: Kick your projects off with a plethora of templates ranging from product rollouts to hiring pipelines, or import your project from a spreadsheet. Convert tasks into milestones on the card and add details about why it’s a milestone. Add tasks to multiple projects and organize strategic initiatives by creating a portfolio where you can track the updates of all your projects.
  • Resource Management: Keep track of what’s on everyone’s plate by switching to the workload view. Drag and drop tasks to manage timelines and assignees and assign custom values like hours or points to tasks to accurately factor in employee effort.
  • Sprint Management: Hit the ground running by applying the sprint template to a new project. Add custom fields, use the timeline tab to map out sprint tasks and deadlines and set start and finish dates in the project view.
  • Collaboration Features: Add updates, questions and notes into the description. Comment on cards with mentions, files, lists, code blocks and even AI assists. Send messages directly to individuals or teams using the inbox. Keep your clients in the loop by creating guest accounts and sharing specific tasks and projects with them.
  • Reports and Insights: Tap into a bird’s eye view of your project by clicking on the dashboard tab where you can monitor overdue, complete and incomplete tasks and burnup charts and create custom charts with their AI tool. Visit the reporting tab to view trends, progress, resourcing and work health.
  • Custom Automations and Workflows: Build a workflow that’s a perfect fit for your project in the workflow tab by adding sections for each step in the process with custom transitions and rules when tasks are moved. Add custom automations and rules from scratch, use the options provided as a starting point or get a helping hand from the AI studio. Check out the automations we built in depth below.
read more...
  • Time Tracking: Customizes timesheet approvals by client and project, supports multi-level and project-based approvals and lets users track leave and vacation time. View who is in or out of the office to schedule meetings and appointments. Add notes and descriptions to each input, and sort time by billable and non-billable hours.  
  • Project Management: Users can view the complete status of a project to keep tasks on-track and reduce the potential for errors or incomplete deliverables. Develop “what if” project planning scenarios to adjust margins, billing rates, pricing and staffing. Also supports Gantt charts, project status summaries and exceptions reports.  
  • Reporting/Dashboard: Dashboards reflect KPIs on initial login. Present profit margins, resource utilization and projected vs. actual budgets as graphs to make development of actionable insights faster and easier. Build reports using drag-and-drop tools. 
  • Resource Management: View labor resource allocation and deploy staff members to different projects based on experience, skills, availability and more. using the resource management tool. Deploy labor resources from across the globe, attribute work back to the correct project teams and bill labor resources in the appropriate currency.  
  • Expense Tracking: Integrates with workflows like project accounting and invoicing to expedite the expense management cycle, including expense submission, approval and reporting. Expenses are tied directly to projects, eliminating confusion regarding where an expense came from and who should be billed.  
  • Invoicing: Supports multi-currency and multi-taxation requirements such as PST, VAT and GST. Manages finances from the time a bid is prepared to the time an internal charge-back is issued. Project profitability is tracked on a case-by-case basis due to the complexity of measuring ROI for diverse projects. Revenue recognition is conducted separately from project billing. 
read more...

Product Ranking

#2

among all
Project Management Software

#7

among all
Project Management Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

85
we're gathering data
84
we're gathering data
77
we're gathering data
69
we're gathering data
Show More Show More

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Asana
OpenAir
+ Add Product + Add Product
Customizations Dashboards And Reporting Mobile Capabilities Platform Features Project Planning And Scheduling Project Tracking Task Management Team Collaboration Time Tracking And Management 84 77 69 93 82 58 95 97 50 0 25 50 75 100
86%
0%
14%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
80%
0%
20%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
57%
0%
43%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
88%
0%
12%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
75%
8%
17%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
43%
14%
43%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
83%
17%
0%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
92%
0%
8%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
14%
0%
86%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

89%
0%
11%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
88%
0%
12%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 27379 reviews
Good User Sentiment 295 reviews
89%
of users recommend this product

Asana has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 89% when considering 27379 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

75%
of users recommend this product

OpenAir has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 75% when considering 295 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.8 (15)
n/a
4.4 (10490)
3.7 (198)
n/a
4.2 (33)
4.5 (13154)
n/a
4.3 (1084)
4.0 (22)
4.2 (2636)
3.4 (42)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User Friendly: Reviewers appreciated that the system is easy to use and intuitive with a clean UI, even if you’re new to projects.
Overall Functionality: Workflows and automation, task management and collaboration are everything you’d look for in a project management system, according to users.
Customization: Users liked the customization options for unique team needs, projects and workflows.
Show more
User Friendly: The system is easy to use and intuitive, as noted by approximately 86% of users who mention the system’s usability.
Time Tracking and Expense Reports: Approximately 90% of the users reviewed think this feature increases their productivity and effectiveness.
Customization: Nearly 75% of the users reviewed find this feature to be quite robust.
Reporting: About 57% of the users reviewed find its reporting capabilities to be helpful and informative.
Support: Nearly 67% of the users reviewed think the support offered by OpenAir is helpful.
Show more
>Cost: Users mentioned Asana’s paid plans were too expensive for smaller businesses making it difficult to upgrade from the limited free version.
Set-Up: Getting started can be overwhelming with so many customizations and task options. Users said you may need extra time to implement it effectively.
Advanced Features: Reviewers noted some features like AI, advanced project views, resource management and multiple task assignees require expensive plan upgrades.
Show more
Cost: Nearly 100% of users who mentioned cost reported that OpenAir’s offerings were too expensive for smaller businesses or prohibitive.
Implementation: The physical implementation process misses the mark, and can be difficult according to 70% of reviewers who mention implementation.
Intuitive Interface: Nearly 65% of the users reviewed think that the interface is not intuitive and that administrative tools are limited.
Bugs: Approximately 100% of users that mentioned bugs or slowdowns think that the system is clunky and disrupts work.
Integration: Nearly 60% of the users who mention integration think that integration between OpenAir and NetSuite is not seamless. Also, Microsoft Projects importing is not smooth.
Show more

Asana is a work management platform designed to help users organize and streamline operations with a user-friendly, customizable interface, automation and AI. Key features include the ability to create custom fields, deadlines, and subtasks, utilize various project views like Kanban boards and timelines, and leverage AI for summarizing tasks and drafting workflows. During my test of the software, I liked how easy it was to create a task by email and create project and task summaries using their AI tool.Customization was also a win. I built a task template for my Content Creation project with custom fields, relative due dates, assignees and a bulleted checklist. However, head’s up, adding task templates to existing tasks requires creating a new task with the template and merging it. Hands down, workflow management was one of my favorite parts of testing Asana. Adding in new sections (without having to go to the list view) and creating custom rules for transitions with a little help from their version of prompts was a breeze.Collaboration is another plus, with in-card comments and mentions, an inbox, group and individual messaging in platform and guest accounts with custom permissions for external users.On the downside, if you don’t have access to a free trial of the paid version (like I did), the free version may not be as effective. You won’t be able to access AI features, certain project views and resource management. The setup also isn’t exactly intuitive, and you may need training plus multiple visits to the help center to conceptualize your project and pick the right template.Overall, Asana is a fantastic all-in-one project management solution for users looking for a flexible tool with AI assistance and don’t mind springing for one of the paid plans.

Show more

OpenAir, a project management software solution, has received positive feedback from users for its ability to streamline project management processes. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface, flexibility, and comprehensive features that enhance efficiency and organization. The software's task management, resource management, collaboration tools, and reporting capabilities have significantly improved project outcomes for many businesses. Compared to similar products, OpenAir stands out due to its ease of use and adaptability to various project types and sizes. Users have highlighted its intuitive design, which allows for quick adoption and minimal training time. Additionally, OpenAir's flexibility enables businesses to customize workflows, dashboards, and reports to align with their specific needs. This adaptability is crucial for organizations with diverse project requirements and evolving processes. OpenAir is well-suited for businesses of all sizes seeking to enhance their project management practices. Its scalability and comprehensive features make it an ideal choice for small teams, large enterprises, and everything in between. The software's ability to centralize project information, facilitate collaboration, and provide real-time insights empowers teams to make informed decisions, optimize resource allocation, and deliver projects on time and within budget.

Show more

Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Project Management Software


Airtable

Basecamp

ClickUp

Jira

LiquidPlanner

MeisterTask

Microsoft Project

monday.com

ProofHub

Smartsheet

TeamGantt

Teamwork

Wrike

Zoho Projects

Related Categories

Head-to-Head Comparison

WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more...

Compare products
Comparison Report
Just drag this link to the bookmark bar.
?
Table settings