20 Best Free Resource Management Software In 2025
10 Best Free Resource Management Software Shortlist
Here are my picks for the 10 best free resource management software tools, out of 20 total that I reviewed.
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Struggling to figure out who's working on which projects, prioritize work for your team, or meet project deadlines, but don't have the funds to invest in fancy software? There are plenty of free resource management software tools available for teams and organizations on a budget.
Here are my picks for the best free resource management software tools on the market and notes on my personal experience using each one to help you simplify the process of choosing the right fit.
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Compare Software Specs Side-by-Side
While the tools on this list have freemiums or free versions available, most also have a paid version that typically comes with more features or customization options. Quickly compare these prices below.
| Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Wrike Wrike suggests who to assign tasks to, so you don’t have to search for suitable employee | Best for ease of use | Freemium version available | From $10/user/month (min of 2 seats) | Website |
| 2 |  Celoxis Celoxis' resource management feature optimizes workloads and provides analytics by role, skills, and custom fields. | Best for AI-powered resource planning | 14-day free trial + free demo available | From $25/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 3 |  Bonsai Agency Software The main dashboard of Bonsai Agency Software provides an overview of current projects and tasks, making it easy to manage resources effectively. | Best for time and resource management | Free trial available | From $9/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 4 |  Acuity PPM Acuity PPM's resource portfolio allows businesses to take a more detailed and coordinated approach to their resource management, including forecasting, capacity planning, and utilization analysis. | Best for providing a centralized view of project resources | 15-day free trial | From $599/month | Website |
| 5 |  Runn Runn provides powerful analytics capabilities with visual reports that enable businesses to gain valuable insights into how their resources are being used. | Best for creating custom templates | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $10/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 6 |  Hub Planner The resource scheduler lets you see what your resources are up to and who needs more or less work. | Best resource management software for project-based businesses | 14-day free trial + free demo available | From $7/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 7 |  Caspio Caspio’s free resource scheduling app focuses on managing physical resources like equipment and rooms. | Best for facility management | Free plan available | From $100/user/month, (billed annually) | Website |
| 8 |  Bitrix24 Adding task dependencies is easy with Bitrix24 | Best open source RM software | Free plan available | From $43/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 9 |  GoodDay GoodDay’s calendar view shows what everyone in your team is working on. | Best for unlimited projects | Free plan available | From $4/user/month | Website |
| 10 |  Cirkus Create tasks and assign subtasks to ensure everything gets done. | Best for freelancers and small teams | Free version available | From $30 per member per month. | Website |
How to Choose Free Resource Management Software
Here are some factors to keep in mind as you're choosing a free resource management software tool:
| Factor | What to Consider |
|---|---|
| Free Offer Scope | Assess what’s included in the free version of the software. Look for limitations like user caps, storage size, or missing features to make sure it meets your team’s basic needs. |
| Scalability | Consider whether the software can grow with your team. Tools that offer paid plans or modular upgrades will save you from having to switch platforms later. |
| Integrations | Make sure the software integrates with tools you already use, like Slack, Google Workspace, or Trello, to streamline your workflows. |
| Ease of Use | A user-friendly interface reduces the learning curve. Opt for tools with intuitive dashboards and quick onboarding for your team. |
| Customization | Look for features like custom workflows, labels, or dashboards that adapt to your team’s unique processes. |
| Collaboration | Check for features like shared calendars, real-time updates, and task assignments to keep your team aligned. |
| Reporting | Choose software that offers clear, actionable insights through visual reports or dashboards, even on the free plan. |
| Support Options | Free tools often lack customer support. Check for self-service resources like knowledge bases, forums, or tutorials to help your team troubleshoot issues. |
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Smartsheet
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.4 -
Wrike
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2 -
monday.com
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6
Overviews of The 10 Best Free Resource Management Software
Here’s a brief description of each of the free resource management tools on my list. I’ve included what each one does best, plus screenshots to showcase some of the features.
Wrike is an all-in-one platform that helps you with project management, organizing your work, and increasing collaboration among your team.
Why I picked Wrike: Wrike’s resource management features help you easily schedule and allocate resources for your projects. I particularly like the resource planning job role placeholders. You can use these to map time allocation to a position that you either don't have and need to hire, or you have but have not decided which resource to assign.
Besides the resource management features, Wrike is a powerful project management tool that helps you manage tasks, store files and marketing collateral, create approval workflows and much more.
Wrike's Standout Features & Integrations
Features include budgeting tools that let you customize everything from the preferred currency to hourly rates (which you can also customize within specific projects, rather than use the same hourly rate for all projects) and automatic calculations for planned vs actuals. You can also drag-and-drop team member work directly from the resource workload view, which allows you to make bulk changes to workloads for the team as a whole.
Integrations include over 400 popular apps, like ADP, Airtable, BambooHR, Asana, Salesforce, Clearbit, Dropbox, Google Drive, Jenkins, and Mailchimp. Additionally, you can build custom integrations using universal connectors to apps with available APIs.
Celoxis is a powerful project portfolio management software that offers advanced AI-driven resource management capabilities, allowing organizations to optimize their resource planning and enhance team productivity.
Why I picked Celoxis: It offers auto staffing, an AI-powered capability that automates resource allocation based on skill set, availability, and workload. This ensures that the right resources are assigned to the right tasks without the need for manual intervention, eliminating the risk of overallocation or underutilization. Additionally, Celoxis simplifies resource management further by using simple command functionality, enabling project managers to assign and adjust resources without requiring complex technical knowledge.
Celoxis also provides detailed time and performance tracking across all tasks, offering valuable insights into resource utilization, effort, and costs. By using real-time visibility and workload balancing tools, Celoxis ensures that resources are allocated optimally, even when managing teams across multiple time zones and projects. Additionally, the platform’s interactive workload charts and capacity planning tools enable managers to compare planned vs. actual effort, ensuring projects stay on track and teams maintain a sustainable workload.
Celoxis Standout Features & Integrations
Features include sophisticated analytics and customizable dashboards, which facilitate what-if analyses and dynamic project planning. It also includes intake management, custom workflows, Kanban workflows, portfolio monitoring, advanced scheduling, Gantt charts, time tracking, and automated alerts.
Integrations include Microsoft Project, Excel, Google Drive, Outlook, Salesforce, JIRA, Slack, Trello, QuickBooks Online, Zapier, and more.
Bonsai Agency Software is a comprehensive platform designed to help agencies manage resources effectively. It offers tools for project planning, time tracking, and budget monitoring, all within a single interface.
Why I picked Bonsai Agency Software: Bonsai's resource planning and forecasting tools let you allocate work based on your team's capacity and track utilization in real-time. This helps ensure that projects are staffed appropriately and deadlines are met.
Your team can also easily log hours, providing a clear view of project progress and individual contributions. You can monitor your team's availability and utilization and set custom billable and cost rates for members, tasks, and projects. This level of detail aids in accurate billing and financial planning.
Bonsai Agency Software Standout Features & Integrations
Features include forecasting for staff shortages before your project officially starts, which can help you start and complete your projects on time and hire proactively. The tool also has strong reporting capabilities that allow you to track and forecast profitability based on billed work, hourly rates, budget, and your current margins.
Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Zapier, Calendly, Xero, Stripe, and PayPal.
Acuity PPM is a lightweight project portfolio management software that helps organizations efficiently manage their resources and projects.
Why I picked Acuity PPM: It is a cloud-based platform that allows teams to collaborate, plan, and execute projects more effectively. Acuity PPM’s key feature is its ability to provide a centralized view of all project resources, including people, equipment, and finances. This allows project managers to allocate resources more effectively and avoid conflicts and overbooking. Its tools enable them to break down complex tasks into manageable steps, assign resources to specific tasks, and track real-time progress. The software also provides reporting and analytics tools to help teams track progress, identify issues, and make data-driven decisions.
Acuity PPM provides Gantt charts and task lists to help teams visualize and manage project timelines. It includes a resource scheduler that allows project managers to schedule and allocate resources and a timesheet module that makes it easy for team members to track their time and expenses.
Acuity PPM’s data analysis and reporting features allow users to quickly generate insightful reports about their projects and resources at any given time. These reports provide detailed insights into project costs, timelines, and resource utilization levels—allowing users to make informed decisions about their projects at every step.
Acuity PPM Standout Features & Integrations
Features include advanced algorithms for identifying which resources are best suited for specific tasks based on their skill set and availability, and for predicting future trends based on historical data from past projects. The tool also has features for managing resources across a portfolio of projects, including dashboards and reporting capabilities that will help you track budgets and priorities across your org.
Integrations with external apps are done through the make.com platform and include Jira, Smartsheet, monday.com, Asana, Wrike, and ClickUp.
Runn is a free resource management software platform that enables businesses and organizations to manage their tasks, projects, and resources more efficiently.
From project planning to budgeting and tracking, it simplifies the process of resource management with its intuitive design. The software allows users to create custom templates for project plans and assign resources accordingly. This makes it easy for teams to stay organized and on track with tasks. The drag-and-drop feature also makes it easy for users to quickly adjust schedules if needed. Additionally, Runn integrates with Clockify, WorkflowMax, and Harvest, which means users can easily sync their data between different platforms without having to enter all information manually. The free version provides up to 5 people managed with unlimited users and projects, making it an excellent choice for smaller teams.
They offer robust tracking capabilities specifically for managing resources. Users can easily track how resources are allocated across different projects as well as how much time is being spent on each one. This helps teams get a better understanding of where they need to focus more attention in order to best utilize their resources. Its budgeting feature allows users to set spending limits on individual projects or team members so they don’t go over budget when managing projects or tasks.
Runn provides real-time reporting capabilities that allow users to monitor progress without having to wait until the end of the project or task cycle to assess performance results. This helps teams stay on track with deadlines by providing quick feedback on performance so changes can be made quickly if needed. The software also offers analytics capabilities that provide insights into overall performance trends so teams can identify any potential issues early on before they become bigger problems down the line. This information is invaluable when making strategic decisions about how best to allocate resources to maximize efficiency and productivity across the board.
Best resource management software for project-based businesses
Hub Planner is a cloud-based resource management software that enables you to manage your team's schedule, workload, and time off in one place.
Why I picked Hub Planner: Mainly its user-friendly interface and the flexibility it offers in terms of customization. Unlike some of the other resource management tools that are overly complex, Hub Planner makes it easy for you to plan and allocate resources based on your business needs. The ability to track and monitor the capacity and utilization rates of your team members in real-time will help you to better manage the team's workload and schedule.
The capacity planning tool provides insights into your team's workload and helps you to identify any potential over or underutilization issues. This feature is particularly useful for businesses that rely heavily on project-based work or that have a large number of employees.
Hub Planner Standout Features & Integrations
Features include the ability to plan and adjust project schedules to accommodate paid time off (PTO) for team members and the ability to request resources from other teams within the organization. The tool also includes strong capacity planning features that take into account not only availability but also the skills of available team members.
Integrations include DIY options via the Hub Planner API and webhooks. Additionally, you can access thousands of apps using a Zapier account.
Caspio is a no-code platform for business applications where you can custom-build apps to support your projects.
Why I picked Caspio: It lets you list the assets you want to manage alongside information about each one. People search for the asset they need, check the resource availability, and then schedule or reserve it. This will then update the resource’s availability.
The process happens automatically, so you don’t have to approve each reservation manually. And you even get to see basic metrics around usage history to measure the popularity of each asset. The program supports point-and-click app building to create DIY forms, reports, charts, and calendars.
Caspio offers 5 free 'DataPages,' which encompasses things like forms, reports, charts, search queries, and drilldowns. You are limited to 50,000 data records on the free plan. You'll be allowed unlimited users on your free account.
Caspio Standout Features & Integrations
Features include the ability to create custom, interactive reports that allow clients or other external users to filter, sort, and interpret relevant resource data like utilization or billable hours in whichever way they see fit. You can also create custom web forms to speed up the process of tasks like onboarding new resources to your team or adding new tasks to a project and assigning them to a specific team member.
Integrations are available through built-in connectors and third-party software Make and Zapier. These last two makes it possible to connect to over 5000 apps.
Bitrix24 is a free online workspace for your team to collaborate and do more than just project management-related work.
Why I picked Bitrix24: It has a ton of features like a CRM, website builder, online storage, HR perk features, and more that help teams work together.
The free plan comes with basic task and project management tools that you can use when making project plans. These include the ability to create projects and then delegate tasks. You can set deadlines, add task dependencies, and view all your projects in kanban and calendar views. It’s also possible to see all overdue tasks and projects with a single click, so you can focus on getting this work done.
The tool comes with time-tracking functionality. Although with the free plan you have to do this manually. You can also add unlimited users to your workspace, even on the free plan. Although you only get 5 GB storage.
Bitrix24 Standout Features & Integrations
Features include basic CRM capabilities that allow you to manage both your internal resources and external clients or stakeholders. The tool also has built-in videoconferencing capabilities for up to 48 people, so you and your team can host your daily stand-up or work out resource and task priorities in the same place.
Integrations include over 100 third-party integrations in the on-premise edition of the software. Additionally, there is an API you can use to build custom integrations with your existing tech stack.
GoodDay is a work management platform with a free plan that provides access to the tool’s work management modules for up to 15 users.
Why I picked GoodDay: The free plan has plenty of time tracking features so you can see precise information about how long a task takes. Weekly timesheets collate this information to estimate how long your team spent on a particular task. There’s even an AI engine that analyzes time spent on specific work without your team having to report it.
The tool also has a calendar (which syncs with Google calendars). This shows all your organization’s important events and deadlines—which helps with project planning. Unfortunately, the free plan misses out on advanced planning features like Gantt charts.
Task management is a big part of the software. You can plan unlimited projects and assign them to relevant people. It is easy to create custom workflows and projects by adding tags, checklists, and custom fields to ensure everyone knows what they are doing.
GoodDay Standout Features & Integrations
Features include customer portals that let you invite customers into your projects and give them access to selected views. I also want to highlight Big Screens, which lets you select the screens within GoodDay that you would like to share with the team and display them on big screens around the office to keep everyone on the same page about who is working on what.
Integrations include Gmail, Slack, Google Docs, Google Drive, Dropbox, GitHub, Box, and GitLab. Integrations through a third party are available with Zapier, although you will need a paid account for this. Finally, the GoodDay API will let you build custom integrations with your favorite tools.
Cirkus is a scheduling and collaboration software that has a free plan for up to three team members that gives access to many of the tool’s features and 1 GB of storage per member.
Why I picked Cirkus: The tool lets you create unlimited tasks and projects. You can create subtasks to break your work down into more manageable chunks.
There are plenty of features that help you get to work quickly. For example, reusable project templates help you set up the tool whenever you have new work. Or you can create recurring tasks to ensure that regular work always gets done.
Cirkus Standout Features & Integrations
Features include the ability to not only schedule team members but equipment resources as well, which is helpful when you have limited software licenses for a specific tool, for example. The tool also includes the ability to create workflows for keeping track of external task requests and making sure that they get assigned to the right team member or resource.
Integrations include farmerswife, which lets you do all the resource scheduling within the tool. Additionally there is a Zapier integration you can use to connect to thousands of additional apps.
Other Free Resource Management Software
Here are some tools that did not make it to the top 10, but are worth a look if you didn’t find the right option above.
- Dovico
For tracking project costs
- Sinnaps
For time management
- ClickUp
For unlimited tasks and members
- Productive
For agency resource management
- Zoho Projects
With project collaboration features
- Jira
For software development teams
- eResource Scheduler
For scheduling and financial management
- Ganttic
For project visibility
- Resource Guru
For its user-friendly interface
- Float
Resource management software for capacity management
- Asana
For integrations
- Teamwork.com
For accurate resource forecasts
- Toggle Plan
For time tracking
- Kantata
For professional services project teams
- TeamGantt
For Gantt charts
Related Reviews
Check out these tools closely related to project management software that we’ve tested and evaluated:
- Resource Management Software
- Workflow Management Software
- Time Tracking Software
- Task Management Software
- Collaboration Tools
- Productivity Tools
- Resource Scheduling Software
- Resource Management Software for Agencies
- Project Management Calendar Tools For Scheduling
Selection Criteria for Free Resource Management Software
I used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair, and took into account common buyer needs and pain points like limited budgets and the need for core functionality without unnecessary frills:
Core Functionality: (25% of total score)
- Managing resource scheduling
- Tracking resource availability
- Monitoring project timelines
- Allocating resources efficiently
- Providing basic reporting capabilities
Additional Standout Features: (25% of total score)
- Real-time collaboration tools
- Integration with third-party software
- Customizable resource views
- Mobile accessibility
- Advanced analytics or forecasting
Usability: (10% of total score)
- An intuitive user interface
- Minimal training to use
- Clear navigation
- Clean design aesthetics
- Smooth workflows
Onboarding: (10% of total score)
- Interactive product tours
- Step-by-step guides or tutorials
- Pre-built templates for setup
- Live or recorded webinars
- Accessible customer success resources
Customer Support: (10% of total score)
- Responsive live chat or email support
- A comprehensive knowledge base
- Access to user communities or forums
- Troubleshooting resources
- Customer support across different time zones
Value For Money: (10% of total score)
- A generous free tier of features
- Essential functionalities included at no extra cost
- Limited paywalling of critical tools
- Transparent pricing for upgrades
- No hidden fees
Customer Reviews: (10% of total score)
- Ease of use highlighted in customer feedback
- Praise for the quality of customer support
- Reports of consistent feature performance
- High adoption rates among teams
- Strong retention or loyalty
What is Free Resource Management Software?
Free resource management software refers to tools that allow you to plan, allocate, and optimize resources without incurring any cost for the software itself. These solutions are particularly valuable for small and medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, and startups with budget constraints.
Free resource management software typically includes features such as project scheduling, task assignment, time tracking, and collaboration tools. This type of tool often comes with limitations on features, storage, or number of users compared to its premium counterparts, but it still offers valuable capabilities for teams seeking cost-effective ways to improve their project and resource management processes.
Learn more about the use cases of resource management software here.
Features of Free Resource Management Software
Let’s go over the features commonly found in resource management software, and which ones are usually included in free vs. paid plans.
Typically Free Resource Management Software Features
- Basic scheduling tools: Allow you to assign resources to tasks and projects with drag-and-drop functionality.
- Resource availability tracking: Helps monitor which team members or assets are available for current or future assignments.
- Simple reporting: Provides basic insights into resource utilization and allocation so you can make sure resources are being used efficiently.
- Integration with common tools: Connect with popular platforms like Google Calendar or Slack to streamline workflows.
- Mobile access: Offers the ability to check schedules or assignments on-the-go through mobile apps.
- Team collaboration tools: Including shared calendars and task boards to keep everyone informed and aligned.
- User management: Lets you add or remove users and assign roles to control who can access specific resources.
Typically Paid Resource Management Software Features
- Advanced forecasting tools: Allow you to predict future resource needs based on historical data and project pipelines.
- Customizable dashboards: Provide tailored views and metrics to suit individual team or business requirements.
- Detailed analytics: Offer in-depth insights into resource performance, costs, and utilization for better decision-making.
- Role-based permissions: Provide secure access by limiting features or data visibility based on user roles.
- Automation capabilities: Reduce repetitive tasks like resource reallocation or notification triggers.
- Integration with premium tools: Connects with advanced platforms like CRM systems, accounting software, or ERP solutions.
- Time tracking and invoicing: Tracks billable hours and integrates directly with invoicing tools for client billing.
- Priority support: Guarantees faster response times and access to dedicated support teams for troubleshooting.
Benefits of Free Resource Management Software
Implementing free resource management software provides several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:
- Cost savings: Get essential resource management tools without adding to your expenses, making it ideal for small teams or startups.
- Improved organization: Use scheduling and task management features to keep projects and resources in one place, which reduces confusion.
- Better resource visibility: Track who’s available and what’s being worked on to avoid overbooking or underutilizing team members.
- Easy collaboration: Shared calendars and team tools make it simple for everyone to stay on the same page.
- Quick setup: Many free tools have user-friendly interfaces and templates that let you get started with minimal effort.
- Basic integrations: Connect with popular tools like Google Calendar or Slack to fit into your existing workflow.
- On-the-go access: Mobile apps let you check schedules and manage tasks from anywhere, so you and your team can stay productive.
Costs & Pricing of Free Resource Management Software
I realize you came to this article looking for the best resource management software options that are available for free. However, since free plans only offer limited features, there's a good chance you'll need to scale your plan up in the future.
The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in resource management software solutions:
Plan Comparison Table for Resource Management Software
| Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 | Basic scheduling tools, resource availability tracking, simple reporting, and team collaboration features. |
| Personal Plan | $5–$25/user/month | Advanced scheduling, integrations with third-party tools, custom views, and mobile app access. |
| Business Plan | $25–$50/user/month | Detailed analytics, time tracking, role-based permissions, and customizable dashboards. |
| Enterprise Plan | $50–$100+/user/month | Advanced forecasting, automation features, priority support, and enterprise-level integrations. |
Free Resource Management Software Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions other people ask about this topic.
What is the best resource management software?
The best resource management software is the one that helps you make the most of your current resources. For some teams, this means employees who are members of project teams. For others, this includes freelancers and other external contributors.
Try to find a tool that lets you look at all those resources important to you in one place. In this list of the best resource management software, you’ll find plenty of options to consider if you are ready to make the jump to paid tools.
What key features should I look for in resource management software?
Most resource management software has similar features. But as the tools on this list are free, you’re unlikely to get access to them all. When choosing software, consider which features are most important to your team and prioritize them.
- Task management: Resource management software tends to have task management functionality. This can include the ability to create tasks, assign them to team members, set dependencies, and create subtasks. It’s perfect for remote teams.
- Project tracking: Tracking gives a complete overview of how a project is progressing. You can track all the tasks within a particular project and how much time and money you have spent on each one.
- Multiple views: Gantt charts, calendar views, and Kanban boards all provide insight and visibility into the work your business is doing. This helps you manage project resources more effectively.
- Time tracking: Some of the tools on this list help employees track the time they spend on a particular project. Other tools integrate with time-tracking software to get the same functionality.
- Projections: Projections and forecasting estimate the resources that are required to complete a project. This can show if a project is on track or running over budget.
What are the benefits of resource management software?
Using resource management can provide multiple benefits:
- Displays current resource allocations
- Helps you determine true resource capacity
- Tracks resource utilization
- Predicts future resource availability
- Reduces unnecessary downtime
- Improves hiring decisions
Learn more details about the benefits of using resource management.
What's Next?
Here's how to master resource management tasks as a project manager so you can put your new software to good use. It's also a good idea to learn more about how to build a kick-ass resource management plan.