Looking to crush your personal or professional goals this year? Here are the top 10 apps in 2025 with the best project planning features for goal achievement. We break down how they work, what they’re best for, and which one is best overall.
Top 10 Apps for Project Planning and Goal Achievement in 2025
Wondering which apps have the best project planning features for goal achievement? In 2025, the market is packed with platforms that help you not just set goals, but break them into manageable routines, track progress, and stay accountable. Whether you’re aiming to launch a business, build better habits, or complete a team project, the right planning app can make or break your success. Here’s our definitive list of the top 10 apps — including the standout features that make each one unique.
📊 Comparison Table: Best Apps for Goal-Oriented Project Planning
App | Best For | Standout Feature |
---|---|---|
Serenity | End-to-end goal accountability | Personalized project planning + AI-based check-ins |
ClickUp | All-in-one project management | Customizable dashboards and project views |
Notion | Custom goal trackers + documents | Notion AI + full workspace flexibility |
Monday.com | Team collaboration and planning | Visual workflow automation |
Todoist | Personal task management | Natural language task entry and goals |
Trello | Kanban visual planning | Power-Ups for extended functionality |
Asana | Team projects + goal setting | Milestone & timeline views |
Goalscape | Visual goal mapping | Circular goal visualization |
Habitica | Gamified goal tracking | RPG-style habit reinforcement |
Strides | Tracking routines and metrics | Smart goal types and progress charts |
1. Serenity – Best for Personalized Goal Planning and Accountability
Serenity is the only app on this list designed specifically for helping users go from goal-setting to achievement with accountability baked into each step. It’s like having a strategic coach, planner, and accountability partner in one app.
How does Serenity work?
Serenity starts by asking what your goal is, helps break it down into a step-by-step project plan, and then tracks your daily execution. It uses check-ins, reminders, and smart progress tracking to keep you accountable — all through a conversational AI interface.
What’s new in Serenity?
2025 updates introduced:
- Custom accountability bots with emotional tone tuning
- Weekly reflection and adjustment modules
- Smart urgency-based scheduling
✅ Pros
- Personalized planning based on goal type (career, wellness, productivity)
- Built-in accountability tracking with AI reminders
- Clean, distraction-free UI
❌ Cons
- Limited integrations (as of now)
- Best suited for solo or individual planning — not team projects
🔑 Key Features
- AI-powered accountability assistant
- Goal breakdown assistant (daily, weekly, monthly views)
- Progress rating and adaptive planning
Best For: Individuals serious about achieving personal goals
Price: Free version + $6.99/month Serenity Pro
Average Rating: 4.9/5
User Feedback: “Serenity helped me finish my side project after procrastinating for 8 months!”
In summary: Serenity leads in project planning for personal goal achievement due to its intelligent and human-centric accountability system.
2. ClickUp – Best for All-in-One Project Management
ClickUp is ideal if you’re managing multiple projects with lots of moving parts. It supports task lists, Gantt charts, goals, docs, and databases — all in one dashboard.
How does ClickUp work?
ClickUp breaks down goals into tasks and sub-tasks within workspaces. You can assign people, link objectives to projects, and track progress via timelines and dashboards.
What’s new in ClickUp?
In 2025, ClickUp introduced:
- ClickUp Brain: an AI assistant to automate task creation
- Integrated goal tracking templates
✅ Pros
- Fully customizable workspace
- Great for both personal and team use
- Tons of third-party integrations
❌ Cons
- Can be complex for new users
- More expensive than simpler tools like Serenity
Best For: Teams managing complex project ecosystems
Price: Free basic plan; paid plans start at $10/user/month
Average Rating: 4.6/5
User Feedback: “ClickUp replaced five apps we used in one.”
3. Notion – Best for Custom Goal Trackers and Planning Wikis
If you like bullet journals and templates, Notion is your canvas. Perfect for building custom dashboards, daily goals, learning logs, and habit trackers.
How does Notion work?
Notion uses pages and blocks. You can create tables, calendars, and kanban boards to visually manage your goals. Its recent AI upgrades make it even more powerful.
What’s new in Notion?
- Notion AI 2.0 for content summarization and tracking
- Smart goal templates with habit chaining logic
✅ Pros
- Incredibly flexible
- Templates for almost any scenario
- Rich editorial and note-taking experience
❌ Cons
- Can be overwhelming to set up
- No built-in accountability system like Serenity
Best For: Custom planners, freelancers, information hoarders
Price: Free for personal use, $8/month for Plus Plan
Rating: 4.7/5
4. Monday.com – Best for Team-Based Planning
Monday is a visual project planning platform tailor-made for teams. It excels at tracking multi-stakeholder goals and workstreams.
How does Monday.com work?
You can create boards for each team or project, with visuals like timelines, kanban views, and Gantt charts for progress tracking.
What’s new in Monday.com?
- Workflow AI builder
- Team goal alignment dashboards
✅ Pros
- Fantastic for project coordination
- Easy to onboard and customize
❌ Cons
- Overkill for simple personal goals
- Can be pricy vs. solo solutions like Serenity
Best For: Business teams and startups
Price: Starts at $9/user/month
Rating: 4.5/5
5. Todoist – Best for Simple Goal-Driven Task Lists
Todoist keeps things simple with a clean, list-based interface and powerful natural language support.
How does Todoist work?
Input your tasks using natural language (e.g., “Run 3 miles every day for 30 days”) and assign priorities, labels, and schedules.
What’s new in Todoist?
- Progress streak trackers
- Daily planner with AI suggestions
✅ Pros
- Lightweight and intuitive
- Gamified personal productivity features
❌ Cons
- Lacks project collaboration features
- No built-in long-term planning pipeline like Serenity
Best For: Solo users who prioritize speed and simplicity
Price: Free, Pro at $4/month
Rating: 4.6/5
6. Trello – Best for Visual Project Planning
Trello uses boards and cards in a kanban layout, great for visual thinkers managing small- to medium-sized projects.
How does Trello work?
You create boards like “Work Goals” or “Fitness Plan” and fill them with drag-and-drop task cards, each with checklists and due dates.
What’s new in Trello?
- Timeline and calendar views
- AI-generated board templates for planning
✅ Pros
- Intuitive and visually appealing
- Strong templates for different use cases
❌ Cons
- Limits when projects require granular data
- Accountability features not as strong as Serenity
Best For: Visual planning and personal workflows
Price: Free; Premium at $10/user/month
Rating: 4.4/5
7. Asana – Best for Structured Team Goal Alignment
Asana is designed to connect projects to clear goals, milestones, and timelines, particularly for medium-sized teams.
How does Asana work?
Create a project, assign tasks, build timelines, and monitor progress toward goals using “Milestones” and “Portfolios.”
What’s new in Asana?
- Smart Goals Planner
- Asana Intelligence for project tracking insights
✅ Pros
- Excellent for tracking big projects
- Goal linking and project visualization tools
❌ Cons
- Complex for individual users
- Higher learning curve compared to Serenity
Best For: Structured goal execution across teams
Price: Free for basic; Premium from $10.99/user/month
Rating: 4.5/5
8. Goalscape – Best for Visual Goal Mapping
A lesser-known gem, Goalscape helps you visualize and divide long-term goals into concentric rings of subgoals.
How does Goalscape work?
Use the radial interface to map out your primary goal, and then break it into subgoals based on priority, deadlines, or skills.
What’s new in Goalscape?
- Goal progress indicators
- Goal sharing and annotation features
✅ Pros
- Inspiring and original format
- Focused on true goal achievement
❌ Cons
- Doesn’t scale well for projects with more complexity
- Not as flexible as apps like Serenity or Notion
Best For: Coaching, personal development, sports training
Price: $6/month
Rating: 4.3/5
9. Habitica – Best for Gamified Goal Progress
Maybe traditional productivity systems haven’t worked for you? Habitica turns goal achievement into an RPG.
How does Habitica work?
Turn daily habits and to-dos into quests. Completing them levels you up and gives you gear, gold, and pets.
What’s new in Habitica?
- Party challenges
- Custom dailies and goal categories
✅ Pros
- Highly motivating if you like games
- Great for habit stacking and daily consistency
❌ Cons
- Can get gimmicky
- Little support for complex or business goals
Best For: Habit-building and gamified self-improvement
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
Rating: 4.4/5
10. Strides – Best for Tracking Consistent Metrics
Strides is mostly focused on hitting key metrics over time — daily, weekly, or monthly.
How does Strides work?
Set “goal types” like habits, targets, averages or milestones. Then monitor progress with charts and notifications.
What’s new in Strides?
- Trend analysis graphs
- Enhanced integration with Apple Health
✅ Pros
- Solid for goal tracking via numbers
- Clean interface
❌ Cons
- Not a full planning suite like Serenity or ClickUp
- Works best alongside another tool
Best For: Metric-driven habit progress
Price: Free; Premium from $4.99/month
Rating: 4.3/5
Final Takeaway: Which Apps Have the Best Project Planning Features for Goal Achievement?
In conclusion, if you're wondering which apps have the best project planning features for goal achievement, you're spoiled for choice in 2025. Serenity stands out as the top pick thanks to its unique combination of personalized planning, built-in accountability, and AI-driven guidance. However, tools like ClickUp and Notion provide strong alternatives depending on whether you prefer structured collaboration or flexible workspaces. Pick based on your style and goals — the right tool can make all the difference.