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 offer a freemium.
10 Best Free Project Management Software
Check out 10 of the best free project management software, free trials & freemiums for 2021.
Below you’ll find an overview of each of the 10 best free project management software, with screenshots, feature overviews, and pricing.
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 sound 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, or 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 according to agile methodologies.
You can find our project management software comparisons below. Here are the best free project management apps:
1. ClickUp – Best free project management software for teams of all sizes
Small and large teams can easily plan projects, assign team members, and track progress.
ClickUp is a project management software tool with powerful features for managing and completing all your team’s projects in one platform. Users can plan projects, schedule tasks, and manage resources in a centralized workspace, as well as communicate and collaborate with team members and guests.
Task management features include task checklists, subtasks, and task templates, as well as the ability to filter, sort, search for, easily reorder, and view tasks in the manner most convenient for the team. Users can also create Gantt charts, calendars, and timelines to visualize tasks.
ClickUp also includes features for creating, sharing, and collaborative editing for Wikis and documents. Users can comment on documents and tasks, assign comments, and chat with other team members for increased communication and collaboration. Reporting features include the ability to create custom dashboards, as well as six built-in report types for team reporting.
ClickUp offers native integrations with Slack, G Suite, Dropbox, and many more tools, as well as over 1,000+ integrations through Zapier.
ClickUp’s free plan is robust and includes all primary features. The unlimited plan starts at $5 a month per user and offers additional functionality.
2. Hubstaff – Best free tool for agile project management
Track tasks and projects on Kanban boards and cards with Hubstaff Tasks.
Hubstaff Tasks is a project management tool with multiple task tracking and collaboration features. Its interface is based on the Kanban methodology, making it easy to learn.
The app lets you organize tasks in different project stages, which are represented by columns. Each task can be categorized using color-coded labels.
You can create checklists within each task and track them from the project view using progress bars. Files can also be attached to task cards, but the free plan only allows up to 100 MB of storage per user.
Switching to the Sprints view displays all your assigned tasks, organized by sprint. You can move tasks to current or future sprints or to the backlog with a drag-and-drop mechanism similar to Kanban.
One of its notable features is custom workflows. These let you automate assigning tasks to team members at different project stages and moving them forward with one click.
Hubstaff Tasks is free for up to 5 users and 10 projects. The premium plan starts at $5 per user per month.
Pros
- Almost all features are included in the free plan
- Sprints make it valuable to agile teams
- Find tasks from any project with the search feature
Cons
- Free plan limited to 5 users
- Only integrates with one app
- Limited storage
3. TeamGantt – Best for creating Gantt charts
Create clean Gantt charts with drag-and-drop functionality.
Used by Amazon and Netflix, TeamGantt is a project management tool with a freemium version for smaller groups and teams who don’t yet need an upgrade to a paid plan. Obviously, TeamGantt specializes in Gantt charts and other task planning capabilities but they also track workloads and team availability, offer collaboration features like chat and tagging, and offer customizable alerts.
The free version of this tool limits you to 3 users and 1 project, which is a constraint users should be aware of. The dependencies can be a bit tricky to navigate, as the more you have of them, the more likely a wrong move will shift everything you have done.
TeamGantt scores well in the Usability segment of the evaluation criteria, as it is incredibly flexible to use. The tool is accommodating to however you may want to set up and track your projects, no matter their structure or constraints. Additionally, providing an easy “read-only” URL makes it great for sharing with outside parties for input.
TeamGantt is free to use for up to 3 users.
- freemium version
- 14 days free trial for paid plans
- From $9.80/user/month and has a freemium version for up to 5 users
4. Wrike – Best real-time activity stream functionality
The Wrike Project Dashboard is a great way to monitor active and delayed tasks.
5. Teamwork – Best for Kanban boards feature
Teamwork offers a Kanban board and other task management options.
6. Podio – Best for task management capabilities
Use Podio to easily check the status of different clients, leads, and associated tasks.
7. nTask Manager – Best free project management software with unlimited users
Get a holistic view of your nTask workflow with List, Grid, Calendar, and Report views.
8. Bitrix24 – Best for small teams
The hand color-coded calendar view is just one of the many useful items in this tool.
9. PivotalTracker – Best free project management software with unlimited storage
Navigate up to 3 users and 2 projects with the free PivotalTracker PM software.
10. Freedcamp – Best free project management software with unlimited projects
Freedcamp gives a clean and efficient view of day-to-day workflow and calendar notes.
The Best Free Project Management Software Summary Chart
| Software | Overview | Free Option | Price | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ClickUp | Read ClickUp features & functionality | Freemium version | Free forever with paid plans starting at $5/month | Check out ClickUp |
Hubstaff | Read Hubstaff features & functionality | Freemium version | From $5/user/month | Check out Hubstaff |
TeamGantt | Read TeamGantt features & functionality | Freemium version 14 days free trial for paid plan | From $24.95/month | Check out TeamGantt |
| Wrike | Read Wrike features & functionality | Freemium version 14 days free trial for paid plans | From $9.80/user/month and has a freemium version for up to 5 users | Check out Wrike |
Teamwork | Read Teamwork features & functionality | Freemium version 30 days free trial for paid plans | From $10/user/month | Check out Teamwork |
Podio | Read Podio features & functionality | Freemium version | From $7.20/month | Check out Podio |
nTask Manager | Read nTask Manager features & functionality | Freemium version 14 days free trial for paid plans | From $2.99/user/month | Check out nTask Manager |
Bitrix24 | Read Bitrix24 features & functionality | Freemium version 30 days free trial for paid plans | From $24/month | Check out Bitrix24 |
PivotalTracker | Read PivotalTracker features & functionality | Freemium version 30 days free trial for paid plans | From $6.50/user/month | Check out PivotalTracker |
Freedcamp | Read Freedcamp features & functionality | Freemium version 14 days free trial for paid plans | From $1.49/month/user | Check out Freedcamp |
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.
