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Free Project Management Software

Best Free Project Management Software

We researched and tested dozens of free project management software solutions to help you find the best for your business.

Anna Baluch

Jamie Ostroe

March 15, 2024

Fact Checked

With a project management platform, you can become a more efficient, profitable organization. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to take advantage of one. Free project management software is available to help you improve your workflows and optimize your resources without any type of monetary investment.

If you’re looking for the ideal free project management solution for your unique needs, you’re in luck. We’ve done the research for you and compiled this list of our top picks.

Our Top Picks

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Free Project Management Software Reviews

First, our team researched 85 project management platforms. Then, we narrowed down our findings to nine of the best options based on factors like pricing, brand reputation, features, and customer service. Check out our methodology for the full scoop.

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Monday.com

Best for Integrations

Monday.com is a cloud-based project management system that uses visual building blocks. It helps enhance visibility so that all parties can closely collaborate and meet their goals.

Why We Picked It

Monday.com Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$9 per user per month	5	“Free”	14 days

Monday.com integrates with just about every business tool or app you can think of, such as Zoom, Google, and Slack, allowing you to automate your workflows and reduce the need for repetitive, manual tasks.

Monday.com’s free plan accommodates up to two users and includes three boards, unlimited documents, 200+ templates, and mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. For more robust capabilities such as guest access, time tracking, and automation, you can upgrade to a paid plan.

With Monday.com’s customizable templates, you can quickly plan a project from scratch. These templates are designed for a variety of use cases, such as event planning, help desk tickets, and customer onboarding.

Monday.com also stores all essential documents in one place so you can access them with ease. With the free plan, you can store up to 500MB of files.

Who Should Use It

Monday.com may be best if you already use many other tools and want to ensure seamless integrations.

Monday.com Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

Monday.com lets you choose from different views, like Kanban boards, calendars, Gantt charts, and timelines. Source: Monday.com free trial.

Pros and Cons

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Zoho Projects

Best for Scalability

Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management software that supports scaling. It comes with many features that are particularly useful for growing businesses.

Why We Picked It

Zoho Projects Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$5 per user per month	3	“Free”	10 days

Thanks to its countless integrations and seamless compatibility with other Zoho products, like Zoho CRM, Zoho Finance, Zoho Mail, and Zoho IT Management, Zoho Projects allows you to easily scale your business.

Designed for up to three users, Zoho’s free version offers 5GB of storage space, task management, project feeds, calendar and forums, and mobile apps.

Upgrade to a paid plan, and you’ll get unlimited projects, 20 to 30 templates, task automation, and custom fields.

The compliance automation feature in Zoho Projects stands out as it can allow you to automate repetitive tasks and notifications. This is a great way to reduce the risk of errors and compliance issues.

Zoho Projects also comes with a file storage database so all stakeholders can quickly access documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, and other project docs.

Who Should Use It

If you’re in search of a project management software that can grow with you, Zoho Project is worth exploring.

Zoho Projects Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

The Zoho Projects customizable dashboards provide all the valuable information you want in one spot. Source: Zoho free trial.

Pros and Cons

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Teamwork.com

Best for Marketing and Creative Agencies

Teamwork is a cloud-based project management tool that allows you to collaborate on a variety of tasks in real-time. You can share files, monitor progress, and analyze results.

Why We Picked It

Teamwork.com Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$5.99 per user per month	4	“Free”	30 days

With Teamwork, you can add various teams and subteams to your workspace.

Once you add a team, you may include a company’s name and logo to customize it. Then, you’ll be able to invite external stakeholders from the company to view the projects that apply to them and make comments or give feedback.

Teamwork’s free version is intended for up to five users and comes with all the basics like time tracking, timesheets, file sharing, client views, and client company management.

A paid plan will get you expense tracking, company timesheets, retainer management, and other additional features that may be useful if you run a marketing or creative agency.

Teamwork also integrates with more than 80 popular tools.

Who Should Use It

If you’re a freelancer or run a client-facing business like a marketing or creative agency, Teamwork.com can meet your needs.

Teamwork.com Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

The Teamwork.com dashboard clearly outlines projects and due dates. Source: Teamwork.com desktop app.

Pros and Cons

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Trello

Best for Ease of Use

Trello is a simple yet very popular project management platform that uses Kanban boards. These drag-and-drop Kanban boards make it easy to plan projects, manage tasks, and track progress.

Why We Picked It

Trello Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$5 per user per month	4	“Free”	14 days

No matter your technical skill or experience, Trello is a breeze to use. Anyone on your team is likely to get the hang of it quickly as there’s essentially no learning curve.

Trello’s free plan can cover your entire team and comes with up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited cards, custom backgrounds and stickers, assignee and due dates, unlimited storage, and mobile apps.

For more advanced capabilities, you can upgrade to a paid plan and enjoy access to multiple views, like Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard, and Map as well as unlimited boards, saved searches, and organization-wide permissions.

Regardless of the plan you choose, you can collaborate with your team via comments, @mentions, notifications, and document sharing.

Who Should Use It

If you’re looking for a simple, highly intuitive free project management software, Trello should be on your radar.

Trello Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

Trello’s Kanban view project management boards involve different cards. Source: Trello user dashboard.

Pros and Cons

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GanttPro

Best for Collaboration

GanttPro is specifically designed for small teams with more complex project management needs. It can help you visualize projects with lots of moving parts so you can successfully complete them on time and on budget.

Why We Picked It

GanttPro Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$7.99 per user per month	4	Not Available	14 days

While GanttPro doesn’t offer a free plan, it was worth including on our list due to its 14-day trial and affordable pricing structure.

Where GanttPro truly shines is its team collaboration functionality. All project stakeholders can easily delegate tasks, leave comments, and share files at any point in the project.

Wherever a change is made to a project, real-time notifications are sent to ensure all stakeholders are in the know.

GanttPro relies on responsive Gantt charts (hence its name), which can allow you to think critically about each project and make the most informed decisions. You may look at a project and decide whether your resources are being used well and what you can do to improve project flow and progress.

Who Should Use It

For a budget-friendly project management solution that allows for seamless, real-time collaboration features, you can’t go wrong with GanttPro.

GanttPro Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

GanttPro’s Gantt chart setup makes it easy to get a bird’s eye view of a project. Source: GanttPro free trial.

Pros and Cons

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Miro

Best for Templates

Miro is known as a cloud-based whiteboard project management software. You can use it to brainstorm, plan, and launch projects in one place.

Why We Picked It

Miro Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$8 per user per month	4	“Free”	14 days

Miro offers a blank canvas you can use to unleash your creativity and tackle your projects in any way you’d like. There are plenty of widgets, like shapes, arrows, sticky notes, and freeform pens that may help spark ideas so you can build smart workflows.

Miro’s free plan, which supports unlimited users, includes a single workspace with three editable boards as well as access to more than 2,500 templates designed by Miro and its community.

Chances are you’ll find a template for virtually any scenario but there’s always the option to design one from scratch if you prefer.

If you upgrade to a Miro paid plan, you’ll unlock unlimited project folders, board version history, a built-in timer, and unlimited boards.

In addition, Miro integrates with more than 100 apps, like Google Drive, Zoom, Zapier, and Sketch.

Who Should Use It

Miro is a great fit if you’re looking for a long list of templates that can help you jumpstart your projects with minimal time and effort.

Miro Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

The Miro dashboard makes it easy to create a board. Source: Miro free plan.

Pros and Cons

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ClickUp

Best for Reporting Tools

ClickUp is a feature-rich project management solution you can use to track projects, organize documents, and generate reports. It’s highly customizable to meet the needs of all types of small businesses with varying projects.

Why We Picked It

ClickUp Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$7 per user per month	4	“Free Forever”	No

If you’d like insights on how your team is performing, ClickUp’s reporting tools may come in handy.

You can quickly and easily create reports so that you know which projects each team member is working on, whether they’ve missed any deadlines, and what tasks they’ve completed.

ClickUp’s Free Forever plan is designed for new teams and includes 100 MB storage, unlimited tasks, whiteboards, two-factor authentication, and collaborative documents.

To take ClickUp to the next level, you can invest in a paid plan with extras like native time tracking, unlimited storage, advanced automation, and workload management.

If you manage projects across different departments, the Spaces features allow you to create a new “Space” for each department and customize task statuses based on the types of assignments you typically assign.

Who Should Use It

For robust reporting tools and detailed insights on your team members, ClickUp is your best bet.

ClickUp Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

The ClickUp dashboard features a sidebar that allows you to quickly switch between spaces, task lists, dashboards, and documents. Source: Clickup free trial.

Pros and Cons

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Atlassian

Best for Software Development Teams

Atlassian is a software company with three main project management products: Jira, Confluence, and Trello. Its original intent was to help software developers track bugs.

Why We Picked It

Atlassian Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$8.15 per user per month	4	“Free”	30 days

Atlassian’s Jira is made up of roadmaps and dependencies, as well as Scrum and Kanban boards, making it the ideal choice if you manage software developers.

Confluence can be a good fit if you prioritize collaboration and documentation, while Trello is worth exploring if you appreciate user-friendly Kanban boards for simple project management.

Jira’s free plan covers up to 10 team members, offering project management features like unlimited project boards, reporting and insights, 2 GB of storage, and community support.

Paid plans offer more advanced features, such as audit logs, advanced roadmaps, and artificial intelligence.

Who Should Use It

Atlassian’s Jira solution is a great option if you’re managing software development projects.

Atlassian Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

Jira Roadmaps allow you to hold your team accountable through every stage of a project. Source: Jira free trial.

Pros and Cons

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Wrike

Best for AI Tools

Wrike is a collaboration and project management tool. You can use it for managing projects, subtasks, milestones, task dependencies, and schedules in real-time.

Why We Picked It

Wrike Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$9.80 per user per month	5	“Free”	14 days

If you’d like to take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI), Wrike’s free version has you covered. It can automatically suggest to-dos and organize them based on order of importance.

Wrike also responds to voice commands so you can say things like “Add X Task.” Other noteworthy features you can expect with the free plan include board and table views as well as apps.

With Wrike’s paid plans, you can reap the benefits of project blueprints, custom workflows, calendar views, budgeting, cross-tagging, and more.

Wrike has four role assignment features: Full, Editor, Limited, and Read Only, so you can control what internal and external stakeholders can see and do.

Additionally, Wrike integrates with more than 400 productivity tools and apps.

“Some of our team uses the free version of Wrike and says it’s good. They understand the organization of the system, so it’s an easy go-to platform for them to reference in a pinch,” says Robert Brill, owner of Brill Media.

Who Should Use It

If you want to simplify your projects and save time through AI, Wrike is your best bet.

Wrike Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

Wrike makes it a breeze to set up your first project. Source: Wrike Business Plus free trial.

Pros and Cons

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Smartsheet

Best for Automation and Customization

Smartsheet automatically gives tracking and progress reports from the moment you sign up. It allows multiple people to work on data simultaneously in a single sheet, enhancing team collaboration and communication. It’s user-friendly interface and online web support make it a great project management tool for both beginner and experienced workers.

Why We Picked It

Smartsheet Pricing and Plans

Starting Price	Number of Plans	Name of Free Plan	Free Trial
$7 per user per month	4	“Free”	30 days

Smartsheet makes visualizing and managing your projects easy. You can create multi-step projects in the dashboard, adding subcategories and subtasks to better track progress. Smartsheet lets you view projects in multiple formats, including grid view, Gantt view, calendar view, and card view.

Each plan lets you create unlimited dashboards and reports, making project tracking simple in real time. Any time you update a task, the project dashboard automatically updates with critical data. Smartsheet also tracks overdue tasks, which you can quickly find on the Overdue Tasks Report tab within each workspace project.

Automated features like these are already running when you start, making it easy to transition to Smartsheet and get your whole team onboard and tracking progress. Additionally, you can customize the dashboard with unlimited widgets, add outside links and resources, create custom roles, share projects with others, and choose your preferred view format. Plus, it integrates with many other tools, ensuring transitions are seamless.

Smartsheet has four plans for you to choose from, ensuring you can find the solution to best fit your business’s needs. The base package is free and allows up to one user and two editors. You’re limited to two sheets, but can access Gantt, grid, card, and calendar views. The Pro plan and up allows you to create unlimited sheets, however.

Who Should Use It

Smartsheet is best for businesses with small to medium-sized teams working on various projects at once. It’s flexibility, integrations, and sharing capabilities make it a great fit for teams looking for a all-in-one project management tool with high customization.

Smartsheet Features

Reporting tools	✅
Pre-built templates	✅
Storage	✅
Integrations	✅
Mobile app	✅

Smartsheet tracks the progress of each task to show overall project progress. Source: Smartsheet free trial.

Pros and Cons

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Compare the best project management software side-by-side

Brand	Best for	Starting Price	Free Option Name
Monday.com	Integrations	$9 per user per month	“Free” Plan
Zoho Projects	Scalability	$5 per user per month	“Free” Plan
Teamwork.com	Marketing and Creative Agencies	$5.99 per user per month	“Free” Plan
Trello	Ease of Use	$5 per user per month	“Free” Plan
GanttPro	Collaboration	$7.99 per user per month	14-day free trial
Miro	Templates	$8 per user per month	“Free” Plan
ClickUp	Reporting	$7 per user per month	“Free Forever” Plan
Atlassian	Software Development	$8.15 per user per month	“Free” Plan
Wrike	AI Tools	$9.80 per user per month	“Free” Plan
Smartsheet	Automation and Customization	$7 per user per month	“Free” Plan

What is project management software?

Project management software is designed to help individuals and teams of all industries and sizes monitor their projects, goals, and resources. It helps you streamline a variety of small and large projects, keeping you organized and reducing the risk of costly delays and inefficiencies.

Whether you’re a solopreneur, small business owner, project manager, or anyone in between, project management is worth exploring.

Project management software features to look for

As you shop around for free project management software, be sure to look for these essential features:

Task management: With task management, you can assign tasks to various team members. This is a standard feature that makes project management software extremely useful for teams. Trello, Monday.com, and Wrike are a few examples of solutions that offer task management.
Reporting: Reporting is important if you want to make sense of how you allocate your time and resources as well as what you can do to become more efficient. Some solutions offer basic reporting, like Trello, for example. ClickUp, on the other hand, is known for more robust reporting.
Integrations: Chances are you use a number of technologies to run your small business. That’s where integrations come in handy. You’ll save time not having to switch back and forth between tools to get your work done, and information stays up-to-date, keeping everyone on the same page. Monday.com lets you integrate with thousands of popular programs, like Slack and Gmail.
Storage: Since most of your projects likely involve various files and documents, storage is key. It allows you to keep everything associated with a specific project in one convenient place. Out of all the free project management tools on our list, ClickUp excels in the storage department. It offers 100 MB of storage on the free plan and unlimited for paid plans.

Benefits of project management software

While you don’t need project management software to manage your projects, it can certainly come in handy as it offers the following noteworthy benefits:

Improved project planning: By planning for projects, you’ll use your time and resources wisely. Project management software provides a high-level overview of your projects, making it easy to set your venture up for success.
Easier communication: It can be overwhelming to communicate with every stakeholder involved in a certain project. A project management platform can give you the chance to communicate with your team and track communication history without the hassle.
Smarter budgeting: Well-organized projects simplify budgeting because they show you how much your initiatives are likely to cost. Some solutions even offer budgeting tools so you can set a baseline, keep tabs on labor rates, and more.
Faster project completion: Without project management software, a project can get off track and drag on forever, costing you valuable time and money. A project management platform is essential for keeping your projects on track so you can check them off your to-do list and meet your deadlines.

How much does project management software cost?

In general, project management solutions are priced per user or per seat. Most of them range from $5 per user per month to $10 per user per month. More expensive plans typically come with more advanced features as well as personalized support and onboarding.

There are also a number of project management apps with free plans, which may be sufficient if you’re a solopreneur or small business owner with basic needs. The chart below shows how a few of our top choices compare in terms of pricing:

Software	Free tier?	Monthly price for cheapest plan?	Annual price for cheapest plan?
Trello	Yes, for unlimited users	$5 per user per month	$10 per user per month (billed annually)
ClickUp	Yes, for individual users	$7 per user per month	$10 per user per month (billed annually)
Miro	Yes, for unlimited users	$8 per user per month	$10 per user per month (billed annually)

Free vs. Paid Project Management Software

There are several reasons you might opt for free project management software instead of a paid solution. If you’re a startup, entrepreneur, or small business owner with a tight budget, a free tool can help you manage your projects better without any additional costs.

A free project management platform may also make sense if you only need basic features. In addition, you might want to start with free project management software to determine if it’s a good fit before you invest in a paid version with more advanced capabilities.

Project Management Software Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is there any free project management tool?

Trello, Monday.com, Miro, and ClickUp are several examples of free project management tools. It’s a good idea to test out a few to figure out the best choice for your unique needs.

How can I track my project progress for free?

Project management software with a free plan can simplify resource management and allow you to monitor the progress of your project at no charge. You’ll be able to quickly determine where your project is at and what’s required for it to reach the completion stage.

What is the best project management software for a nonprofit?

If you’re a nonprofit organization with a tight budget and strict project timelines, a free project management solution is ideal. However, if you do need to upgrade to a paid plan, Trello and Atlassian offer discounts for qualified non profits and academic institutions. Wrike, Zoho Projects, and Teamwork.com are a few options with robust free plans that you may want to explore as well.

What is the best project management software for small businesses?

The best project management software depends on your particular budget and needs. If ease of use is your priority, for example, Trello is a solid choice. If you’re more concerned about robust reporting, ClickUp should be on your radar.

Methodology: How we chose the best free project management software

We made a list of 85 project management platforms and honed in on 14 reputable vendors with significant market share. From there, we narrowed down our list to nine vendors who excelled through factors like features, pricing transparency, brand reputation, and customer service.

Our team gathers information from project management companies and confirms it through customer reviews, expert reviews, and vendor websites. We scored vendors on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) across the following criteria, each worth 25% of our total score:

Pricing transparency: We gave bonus points to solutions with free versions as well as those who clearly conveyed the costs of their paid plans on their websites.
Features: A mobile app, task management, and integrations are a few of the most important features we looked for.
Customer support: Vendors who offer customer support via multiple channels, like phone, email, and online chat received the highest scores in this category.
Brand reputation: Customer reviews and ratings on trustworthy third-party sites allowed us to get an idea of each company’s reputation.

About the Authors

Anna Baluch

Business Insurance & Financial Software Writer

Anna specializes in business insurance and financial software for the NAWBO Expert Reviews team. Her work has appeared on LendingTree, Credit Karma, Business Insider, and other popular media outlets, helping business owners make informed financial decisions.

Jamie Ostroe

Editor, NAWBO Expert Reviews

Bringing more than a decade of editorial experience to the NAWBO Expert Reviews Team, Jamie is dedicated to ensuring articles are accurate and helpful. Her experience running a small business inspires her to help others choose the best products for their unique business needs.