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Paradesk vs general project management tools

Tools like Trello, Asana, and Monday are good at tracking tasks. Engineering and architecture projects revolve around documents that get reviewed, revised, resubmitted, and billed, and Paradesk is built around those documents.

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Free for 14 days, with every feature included.

A plumbing riser diagram in Paradesk with its own tasks, reviews, and files
A plumbing riser diagram in Paradesk with its own tasks, reviews, and files

What they do well

Flexible boards and lists, friendly interfaces, and integrations with almost everything. They're a good fit for work that isn't tied to drawings.

A sign you've outgrown them

Your team keeps a spreadsheet next to the board to track submittal status, because the board can't track the documents themselves.

Paradesk's board shows every document by stage, with its tasks attached

Each card is a drawing, report, or calculation package, with its tasks, files, reviews, and revisions attached. The columns are stages you name, such as QA/QC, client review, and agency review, and each card shows where the document's review stands.

Paradesk's document board with drawings, reports, and calculations from several projects in Backlog, Drafting, In Review, and Issued columns
Paradesk's document board with drawings, reports, and calculations from several projects in Backlog, Drafting, In Review, and Issued columns

Feature comparison

CapabilityParadeskGeneral project management tools
What you trackDocuments, with their tasks, reviews, and revisionsTask cards
BoardEvery document in the firm by stage, with its tasks and reviews attachedTask cards in columns
Task viewsYour list by due date, a board, bulk changes, saved views, and keyboard shortcutsLists, boards, timelines, and many other views
Tasks from drawingsAny review markup can become a task that links back to itAttach the file to a task
Markup and checklist reviewYesAttachments only
VersionsEvery revision kept with the documentNew attachments added alongside old ones
Outside reviewersEmailed link, no account, no seatGuest access, varies by tool
BillingContracts, time, invoices, QuickBooks OnlineNot covered
AssistantDrafts proposals, change orders, and invoices from your contracts and approved timeMany include AI features for tasks and summaries
Non-project workBuilt for project deliveryVery flexible

  • What you track

    Paradesk
    Documents, with their tasks, reviews, and revisions
    General project management tools
    Task cards

  • Board

    Paradesk
    Every document in the firm by stage, with its tasks and reviews attached
    General project management tools
    Task cards in columns

  • Task views

    Paradesk
    Your list by due date, a board, bulk changes, saved views, and keyboard shortcuts
    General project management tools
    Lists, boards, timelines, and many other views

  • Tasks from drawings

    Paradesk
    Any review markup can become a task that links back to it
    General project management tools
    Attach the file to a task

  • Markup and checklist review

    Paradesk
    Yes
    General project management tools
    Attachments only

  • Versions

    Paradesk
    Every revision kept with the document
    General project management tools
    New attachments added alongside old ones

  • Outside reviewers

    Paradesk
    Emailed link, no account, no seat
    General project management tools
    Guest access, varies by tool

  • Billing

    Paradesk
    Contracts, time, invoices, QuickBooks Online
    General project management tools
    Not covered

  • Assistant

    Paradesk
    Drafts proposals, change orders, and invoices from your contracts and approved time
    General project management tools
    Many include AI features for tasks and summaries

  • Non-project work

    Paradesk
    Built for project delivery
    General project management tools
    Very flexible

Which one fits

A general tool

For internal work that isn't project delivery, like hiring or office tasks.

Paradesk

For the projects themselves: drawing sets, reviews, and billing.

Trying Paradesk on one project

Move one active project's documents into Paradesk and stop updating its status spreadsheet. After a couple of weeks, you'll know whether the board and the dashboard can replace it.

More comparisons

Try Paradesk on a project you're working on now

Set up a project with its contract and phases, invite your team, and give the assistant some of the routine work. Your first 14 days are free, with every feature included.

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