If you’re starting to bring PM practices to a small or new team, you might start with free project management software. Sometimes free tools are a major help in getting the job done right.
Sure, you might miss out on some fancier features but there is plenty of project management free software that offers a host of useful functions.
This article will help you quickly compare and evaluate the best project management software with particular attention given to free software, like:
- Free Gantt chart software
- Free project scheduling software
- Free scrum tools
- Free kanban boards
- Free online planners
Why these in particular? Because they are necessary elements of any project management system, whether you are a small start-up or a large enterprise. Smaller, low-budget operations still deserve access to the best tools, like the above. This is why we put together a list of project management apps that are free-to-use, free-trial applicable, or freemium.
Free Project Management Software FAQ
Is there a free Microsoft Project Management software?
Microsoft software is essentially ubiquitous as the industry standard for many. While you can use certain Microsoft tools online for free, like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote, there is no project management-dedicated free software from Microsoft. Microsoft Project starts at $12.80/user/month and the on-premise version starts at $769.00.
Should I use free agile project management software?
Some teams are going to require the larger feature set of paid agile project management software. However, many do not. If you answer “Yes” to any of the following, you would probably be a good candidate for free PM software:
- Do I work with a smaller team of between 3-5 people?
- Do I manage only 1-2 projects at a given time?
- Am I interested in a test run of free PM software before committing to a paid plan?
If any of these sounds like you, you could benefit from the free PM tools on our list.
What are some free open source project management software options?
If you are looking for open source project management options in particular, try: OpenProject, Odoo, OrangeScrum, ]project-open[, TaskJuggler, Freedcamp, ProjectLibre, just to name a few.
The 10 Best Free Project Management Tools
Whether you need the best to do list app or the best free Gantt chart software, there’s something here for you. The best free software may simply be free kanban software, free Gantt charts online, free agile software, or all of the above.
Free or freemium PM software comes in many forms. Here is just a sample of what you might come across:
- Free workflow software: Any tool that helps you chart your course, organize task lists, sort resources, manage budgets, and assign duties.
- Free collaboration tools: Any tool that helps your team, near and far, communicate and collaborate in real-time to keep the workflow moving.
- Free Agile tools: Any tool that helps you organize your projects working to any number of agile methodologies.
You can find our project management software comparison below. This is a shortlist of the best free project management apps:
1. Teamwork – The free Teamwork plan allows up to 5 users and feature 100MB file space, 2 active projects, subtasks, color themes, and other basic project management.
Teamwork offers a Kanban board and other task management options.
2. Wrike – The free Wrike plan allows for up to 5 users and features a project board view, task management, file sharing, real-time activity stream, and a spreadsheet view.
The Wrike Project Dashboard is a great way to monitor active and delayed tasks.
3. nTask Manager – The free nTask Manager plan offers unlimited users, workspaces, and tasks; additionally, you get 100 MB of storage space, timesheets, and issue tracking.
Get a holistic view of your nTask workflow with List, Grid, Calendar, and Report views.
4. Podio – The free Podio plan allows for up to 5 users and offers options for task management, like Kanban software, as well as other apps and workspaces.
Use Podio to easily check the status of different clients, leads, and associated tasks.
5. Bitrix24 – The free Bitrix24 allows up to 5 users, 5 GB of online storage, tasks and projects, landing page/website, an online store, a contact center, and real-time support.
The hand color-coded calendar view is just one of the many useful items in this tool.
6. PivotalTracker – The free PivotalTracker plan allows up to 3 users, up to 2 projects with project tracking software, and unlimited storage.
Navigate up to 3 users and 2 projects with the free PivotalTracker PM software.
7. Freedcamp – The free Freedcamp plan offers unlimited Projects, tasks, storage, and users with essential features like calendar, discussions, milestones, and time tracking.
Freedcamp gives a clean and efficient view of day-to-day workflow and calendar notes.
8. Redbooth – The free Redbooth plan allows 2 users, 2 workspaces, 2 GB storage space, exportable Gantt charts, task overviews and calendar, and conversations/chats.
Redbooth displays notifications for categories of your choice: design, sales, new items.
9. Trello – The free Trello plan offers unlimited personal Kanban boards, personal cards, and lists; 100 MB per file attachment; 10 Team Boards; and basic automation options.
Trello is a Kanban specialist with tasks and projects oriented on cards and boards.
10. Airtable – The free Airtable plan offers unlimited bases, 1200 records per base, 2 GB of attachment space per base, 2 weeks of revision/snapshot history, and other PM essentials.
Clean, easy task statuses with Airtable shows what’s in-the-works and what’s blocked.
Not looking for the above project planning software? Check out our other lists of helpful project management programs:
- Every team needs the best communication and collaboration tools to encourage accountability and cooperation. Try these 10 Best Communication Tools & Software.
- If you are looking for project management software free, you might also need CRM for small businesses. Check out The 10 Best CRMs For Small Businesses.
- Anyone interested in free online Project management tools should also be aware of our Best Flowchart Software list for expert brainstorming and planning.
More Free Options
Here are a few more that didn’t make the top list. If you need additional suggestions for handy free online project management software, check these out.
What Do You Think About These Tools?
Free project software can be a quick and easy way to jumpstart smaller projects or teams who don’t yet have the budget (or need) for a full suite of tools. Just think about what item is most important to you. Is it: Free planning software? A free Gantt chart online? Access to a free online kanban board? Free scrum software? Once you know the “must have” item you need for your project, you can most likely find a Simple Project management software solution for little to no cost.
Have you tried out any of the task management software listed above? Do you regularly use any free project management templates? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
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