Best Free Project Management Software

As a project manager with a smaller budget or testing the waters, getting a great free plan is critical. And, despite the connotations of the word ‘free,’ the fact that you’ve chosen not to go all out (monetarily) on a solution doesn’t mean you should go for a less-than-satisfactory experience. While some providers would love to restrict their top features behind a paywall, several great options allow you to manage and organize projects efficiently from a free plan.

What Makes the Best Free Project Management Software?

You’re exploring your options to determine which free project management software best fits you. It can be difficult to choose a solution alone, which is why we do this research. To find the best free project management software, we use the same framework for the overall best solutions, with the difference that we look at free plans only and that the pricing is out of the equation. Our evaluations and reviews determined that the following criteria are essential when looking out for a free project management solution. Many free plans will offer more attributes and features than we listed below. However, these six criteria are the most popular across multiple products:

1. Access

With the flexibility of accessing powerful project management tools from any device, whether desktop or Mac, you can work on the go, further optimizing productivity and deriving value from the project management software. Creating multiple tasks and projects is crucial, so we looked out for this in choosing the best free solutions. Find more information about how we evaluate access here.

2. Features

The more advanced features are, the better you can enjoy your free project management platform. There are tons of features, depending on your business needs. Different providers give managers different features, such as forms and checklists. The key is finding a solution with key features.

3. Admin Controls & Reporting

One of the best facts about project management software solutions is that they make the management and administration of projects easier. They do this by providing features that allow the manager to get a constant panoramic view of the project and make instant, enforceable changes where they see fit. Some administrator reporting features in free project management software administrator reporting features are project dashboards, custom fields, and custom reporting. This helps you to stay updated as a manager. Additionally, the ability to assign duties, set workloads, and manage user permissions helps you to stay in control and accelerate progress.

4. Integrations

The presence of common third-party apps as integrations helps to improve the overall usability of a project management solution. Gmail makes email easy, Hubspot makes CRM management a breeze, and Slack makes in-house communications efficient and integrated. Having everything all in one place amplifies the experience even further. When choosing a project management solution, select one with as many integrations as you need. What is essential to you will depend on your business type and preferences. You can check out this page to find out more about integrations.

5. Customer Support

Although customer support is not the first thing you’d think of when considering free software, several great solutions offer a good deal in support. As a project manager, you certainly don’t want to run into an issue with no one to call (or email), so it’s worth checking out the customer support options available. If you’re in a fast-paced industry, you may want to look out for 24/7 or phone support. But if you (or your team members) are in a different country from the provider, email will be a great option.

6. Security

It’s important to ensure that your company's and client's data are protected. This is why security is critical, even if you use a free solution. Explore the solutions for features such as multifactor authentication, SSO, SAML, and SCIM. Also, ensure that the solution provides for backing up your data. This assures you don’t lose important information or find that you can not stash your data away for future use. With a secure project management platform, you can stay assured of the safety of your business data.

7. Ease of Use

When choosing a project management solution for your business, your employees need a smooth user experience. Because of this feature's importance, we ensure to assess every solution’s ease of use. From UI/UX design to navigability, we use multiple criteria to assess how easy it will be for your team members to use each project management solution.

8. Project Views

One of the most important ways project management software makes the task easy for managers is by providing a panoramic view of projects. We check critical viewing options such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and project maps. Here you can learn more about each project view that we have evaluated as part of our ranking.

10 Best Free Project Management Software

How to Choose a Free Project Management Software for Your Needs

When choosing a free project management solution, you’re looking for the perfect mix of features to suit your needs. Because all free solutions, by definition, cost the same, there’s every reason to go all out in your research. Explore the features, security, usability, and even upgrade pricing. Find the features and attributes that you consider the most important, and add the best software to your list. This way, you’d end up with a solution that meets your needs effectively, elevating your work as a project manager.

You can check out our Comparison Tool if you’d like to compare similar products in more detail to choose the best solution for your business. You can also check out our Finder Tool for a more tailored search for software solutions that meet specific needs.