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Project management is not a complicated process if you have the right tools to make it simpler. However, if you have got the best project management apps, meeting deadlines, executing tasks and paying attention to your team will not anymore be a can of worms for you. And you don’t have to spend a dime if you follow this list of free project management software/tools for better productivity.
1. Freedcamp
You name a feature and Freedcamp has got it all. The project management software has a beautiful design, has got tasks and kanban view, optimized communication, ample amount of functions, unlimited storage, unlimited projects and unlimited users.
The Good Side
- Upgrading is inexpensive (though there is no trial limit)
- Can differentiate user permissions and provides invoices, templates and time tracking
- Awesome collaboration features
- Provides updates through innocuous notifications without a miss, hence great user satisfaction
The Other Side
- Lacks recurring tasks, task dependencies, and Gantt charts
- Working on site navigation
2. Casual
When I think about simplicity blended with creativity, Casual comes to my mind. This project management app manages your project very creatively by creating flowcharts. They have a 14 day free trial offer. All you need to do is to sign up. Then, you can go for other plans if you like the app.
The Good Side
- Easily tracks down your task’s dependencies
- Convenient to visualize your projects
- Intuitive and supports small teams or personal projects.
- Projects are like templates
The Other Side
- Lacks flexibility
- Not meant for big size teams (50+)
3. Taiga.io
When it comes to agile software development project management, Tiaga.io is the one among the top project management apps to watch out for. The app is free for unlimited public projects and one private project. The best about the app is that it does not reduces its features with unpaid version.
The Good Side
- Sleek
- Flexible
- Backlogs, Multiple modes (scrum, kanban), user stories and much more things supporting agile development
- Has an inherent wiki and a video-conferencing tool
The Other Side
- Is in beta version (sometimes can be slow)
- Free for a single private project (not well suited for small businesses)
- Some users do not like its interface
- Lacks Gantt chart functionality.
4. Zoho Projects
You can add as many users as you wish in Zoho Projects. If you ignore the 10 MB storage restriction, there are no other restrictions in the unpaid version. You can upgrade the plan by paying $25 per month.
The Good Side
- Intuitive Layout
- Huge list of features
- Amazing Gantt chart functionality
- Allows you to set milestones
- Offers timesheets
- Offers 50 templates which help in detailed reporting
The Other Side:-
- Free version does not have document management system
- Only one project for free version users
5. 2 Plan Project Management Software
The software package has three components in it:-
- Work 2-gether- Scrum based task management board (used in projects consisting of a single team). Works like Trello as it uses Kanban system and can develop itself into a detailed workchart.
- 2-Plan Team- web-based tool with numerous hosting options
- 2-Plan Desktop- Project management tool (integrates seamlessly)
The Good Side:-
- Can create animated graphical WBS
- Make project control systems
- Execute bottom-up and top-down planning
- Can keep record of time invested on tasks
- Can integrate well with remote teams with 2-Plan
The Other Side:-
- Free version has limited features
- In Work-2gether, the team is restricted to 3 people and you can only utilize two task boards (if you are using it for free).
Note:- The upgrade option is available at a price of $15 per month.
6. Asana
Asana has acquired the spot as it is one of the most used project management tools in business world (1.4 million users and 140,000 customers). You can utilize the tool for free (upto 15 users).
The Good Side
- An intuitive management system that is simple and aesthetic
- Can get updates easily and quickly
- Assign and prioritize tasks
- Track time on tasks
- Visualize goals
- Can view tasks directly on dashboard through calendar function
- Available as an Android App
- Can turn task into dashboards, conversations, and projects
The Other Side
- No Offline use
- Sometimes, seems less intuitive and adds frustration while searching tasks
7. MeisterTask
You can get unlimited projects and users through MeisterTask. In addition, MeisterTask has apps for iPad and iPhone and provides integrations with Google Drive, Zendesk, GitHub, and Dropbox for free.
The Good Side
- Association with external and internal users
- Effectively tracks issues
- Provides time tracking
- Perfect for agile methodologies (highly customizable boards and has different mixed forms)
- Beautiful layout and smooth communication
- Options for team coherence
- Can create tasks from emails and add task relationships
The Other Side
- Working on Gantt chart and CCPM
8. Orangescrum
The project planning software is locally hosted and free. Orangescrum prepares the foundation for resource management and agile development. The cloud version starts with $9 per month plan but the local software is free.
The Good Side
- Well suited for IT teams
- Highly customizable
- Can view projects in Gantt charts and Kanban view
- Integrations with Dropbox and Google Drive in the unpaid version
The Other Side
- Require coding skills to use the tool efficiently
- Gets support from forums (not for beginners)
9. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is completely free for any amount of users and it has restricted the storage size to 5GB per month. Well, you can upgrade the plan by paying $39 per month.
The Good Side
- Can be used as local software and as a cloud service
- Provides employee workload planning, time management, layered task options, and Gantt charts
- Smooth communication (includes instant messenger, videoconferencing or group chat)
- Can use the 5GB space as storage (DropBox alternative)
- Can create task templates which includes checklists and subtasks.
The Other Side
- Can easily get confused between CRM tools and project management functionality
10. ProjectManager
ProjectManager.com is the leading online project management software for managers and their teams. Feature-packed yet still easy-to-use, ProjectManager.com makes it easy to finish projects on time and under budget.
The Good Side:
- Easily plan, schedule, and monitor projects & teams
- Collaboration tools keep your team connected
- Built-in task and time management tools for scheduling
- Timesheets and resource management features
- Real-time dashboard
- Over 400 integrations
- Available on desktop, Apple, and Android devices
The Other Side:
- No offline use
- Personal version doesn’t come with reports
These are my personal favorites that I recommend to you. Hope you love them as I do. Do comment if you think that the list needs an addition and share your experience about using these tools.
Have a wonderful time managing your projects.
