When you’re running a business, emails, to-do lists and sticky notes have a way of piling up. Whether you’re a freelancer or solopreneur looking to keep overhead low or the head of a small, community nonprofit with no software budget to speak of, free project management software can streamline your day-to-day by centralizing the important functions on one platform and not breaking the bank.
To aid your search for the best free project management software, we’ve evaluated an array of providers and narrowed the list down to the top six, covering what you need to know to make the right choice.
We receive compensation from our partners for Featured Offer placements, which impacts how and where their offer is displayed.
Featured Offers
ClickUp
Free plan
Yes
Paid plan price (monthly)
Starts at $10/user
Free trial
Yes
monday.com
Free plan
Yes
Paid plan price (monthly)
Starts at $12/user
Free trial
Yes
Methodology
To help small and medium-sized businesses choose the best free project management (PM) software, we evaluated 30 top PM tools using more than 5,100 data points to develop a ranked list. Choosing only the products that offer a free plan, we assessed each PM software’s features, value, customer ratings, and service and support. We then assigned our Editors’ Score to the top 13 and ultimately narrowed our recommendations down to the top six. Read our full methodology here.
Show summary
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ClickUp
: Best free project management software for small businesses
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Coda
: Best for simplicity
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Notion
: Best for reporting and analytics
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Hive
: Best for task management
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Teamwork
: Best free option with dedicated client management features
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monday.com
: Best security-conscious option
ClickUp
Best free project management software for small businesses
User limit
Unlimited
Available views
Kanban, Gantt, Calendar
Storage limit
100MB
4.9/5
Our rating considers features, customer support, overall value and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.
On ClickUp’s website
Why we picked it
ClickUp stocks its free plan with an array of features to help business owners on tight budgets. Although the company’s site says the free plan is best for personal use, we think it’s robust enough for business use since it allows unlimited plan members and unlimited tasks. You can assign multiple team members to a single task to prevent productivity bottlenecks. ClickUp’s free plan also offers time tracking, though it’s limited to 60 total uses.
Like any software that offers a free forever plan, ClickUp limits usage on several features: timeline, Gantt, workload and mind map views are each limited to 60 uses for the life of the plan. Automations — such as creating tasks or updating statuses — are limited to 100 per month. The free plan doesn’t allow unique permissions for guests, so you have to allow full access for everyone (like clients or any freelancers you collaborate with). And if you want to use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate and fine-tune your writing, create action items and so on, ClickUp AI is only available for paid plans at $5 per seat per month.
If you’re looking for additional features, upgrading to ClickUp’s Unlimited plan costs $10 per user per month (when billed monthly) and adds unlimited storage, guest permissions and integration with Google Drive and Dropbox. The Business plan ($19 per user per month, billed monthly) adds Google SSO (single sign-on, meaning users can access the tool with their Google account credentials), advanced automations, time tracking and dashboard features, and timeline and mind map views.
Pros
- Unlimited seats
- 24/7, real-time support
- Multiple task assignees
Cons
- Limited chart views
- Single-day activity history
- No AI with free plan
Who should use it
If you have many tasks and collaborators but a limited (or no) budget right now, ClickUp could be a great fit. ClickUp’s two-factor authentication (2FA) security will help keep things secure across all those logins, and if you anticipate needing guidance as you integrate the software into your workflow, ClickUp’s 24/7, real-time chat support can be a vital asset.
Coda
Best for simplicity
User limit
Unlimited
Available views
Kanban, Gantt, Calendar
Storage limit
1GB
4.5/5
Our rating considers features, customer support, overall value and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.
Why we picked it
Coda’s platform is unique because it consolidates all of its functions in one “doc,” which makes for a much simpler project management solution than many of the all-in-one platforms we’ve reviewed. If you’re used to juggling multiple tools (toggling between Google Docs, Google Sheets and Dropbox, for example), Coda streamlines things considerably. Starting from scratch or using one of Coda’s templates, you can create a team hub with roles and responsibilities, project requests, and announcements and important resources.
Coda’s free plan doesn’t skimp on features. Unlimited viewers and editors; Kanban, Gantt and calendar views; and time tracking all come standard. Doc size is unlimited for unshared docs (though shared docs are limited to 50 objects and 100 rows). You’ll also get a free trial of Coda’s AI. And whereas ClickUp limits version history to one day, Coda allows recovery for up to a week.
For additional features, there’s the Pro plan ($12 per user per month, billed monthly), which offers unlimited doc size uploads, 30-day version history, custom icons and branding and other doc customization options. The Team plan is $36 per user per month (when billed monthly) and increases automations and version history to unlimited. At the highest tier, you also get doc locking to prevent unintentional changes and syncing to reuse tables and buttons across docs to further streamline workflows.
For some businesses, Coda’s simplicity may also be a drawback. The main thing to note is that without paying for an additional “Doc Maker,” only the account holder can create new project docs; everyone else is limited to editing and sharing. Additionally, plug-ins — which the company calls “packs” — are limited to 25 preselected apps on the free plan. While useful ones like Dropbox, Google Drive and Salesforce are included, many critical apps, such as Slack, Gmail and Figma come at an extra cost or require upgrading.
Pros
- Large storage capacity (1GB)
- Unlimited users (editing and sharing only)
- Free AI trial
Cons
- Additional users can’t create new projects
- Limited customer support
- Minimal app integration
Who should use it
Coda is a great choice if you want fundamental project management features without a lot of bells and whistles. It minimizes confusion by aggregating everything into centralized Docs, and you can limit control over Doc creation by default with its pricing model while still benefitting from collaboration via shared editing.
Notion
Best for reporting and analytics
User limit
10
Available views
Kanban, Gantt, Calendar, Agile
Storage limit
Unlimited
4.5/5
Our rating considers features, customer support, overall value and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.
Why we picked it
Notion stands out from the pack for its reporting and analytics features. Whereas competitors like Hive limit data export to paid plans, Notion allows you to export your entire workspace as CSV, HTML or Markdown files. If a public website is integral to your company, Notion’s free plan also includes basic page analytics to get actionable insights about your customers’ visits.
Notion’s strengths include time management; the free plan includes all project views (boards, timeline, calendar, sprints), unlimited basic formulas and automations (such as setting project statuses and assignees), subtasks, dependencies, and Notion Calendar, which allows you to connect multiple Google calendars to streamline time management. You can invite up to 10 guests and integrate with tools like Slack and Zapier.
On the negative side, Notion limits blocks (the company’s term for content items, such as to-do lists and text paragraphs) if you have more than two members on your team. However, blocks are unlimited for individual users. Notion’s page history is only seven days, and its 5MB file size allotment is tiny in comparison to many competitors.
If you like Notion’s customizable approach to project management, upgrading to its Plus plan ($10 per user per month, billed monthly) ups page history to 30 days and allows roughly 5GB per file. This plan also accommodates up to 100 guest collaborators like clients or freelancers, while the Business plan ($18 per user per month, billed monthly) increases guests to 250 and page history to 90 days. It also adds private team spaces, bulk PDF export and advanced page analytics.
Pros
- Wide assortment of views
- Free basic API
- Unlimited basic automations
Cons
- Very limited file size (5MB/file)
- Content item restrictions
- Free plan more geared toward individuals
Who should use it
If you have team members who could benefit from a high number of automations and formulas, Notion is a solid choice since it doesn’t have monthly limits like many competitors. Notion’s basic API is also a nice addition for tech-savvy businesses. The availability of a sprint view makes this a promising platform for teams that employ the Agile methodology. Overall, the free plan has enough functionality to make it worth putting some time in before upgrading down the line.
Hive
Best for task management
User limit
10
Available views
Kanban, Gantt, Calendar
Storage limit
200MB
4.4/5
Our rating considers features, customer support, overall value and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.
Why we picked it
Hive’s assortment of task-related features makes it the best free option if you’re focused on the task-level of project management. The free plan allows up to 10 teammates with unlimited tasks and unlimited collaborative notes to keep projects running smoothly. While it’s limited to 10 total projects, you can break projects down with unlimited tasks and subtasks. Each task can have a designated priority level and multiple assignees so nothing falls through the cracks, and you can use task templates and recurring tasks to save time. You’ll also get up to 100 workflows, which reduce manual labor by automating sequential tasks.
Hive’s paid plans start at $7 per user per month (when billed monthly); the first tier adds unlimited storage, Gantt charts, cloud storage integrations and unlimited AI assists. The Teams plan ($18 per user per month, billed monthly) includes unlimited projects, unlimited workflows, time tracking and more.
There are some limitations worth noting; Kanban, Gantt and calendar views all max out at 100 uses on the free plan; you’ll need at least the Starter plan ($5 per user/month) for unlimited views. Time tracking, timesheets and utilization aren’t available for free, and reporting is drastically curtailed (only allowing basic overviews and no JPG, Excel or CSV exports).
Pros
- Large file size (200MB)
- Custom priority levels
- AI assistance
Cons
- Limited to 10 projects
- No time tracking
- Very limited reporting
Who should use it
If you need a high level of task control, Hive is a great choice. Built-in group messaging, direct messaging, email and Zoom make Hive a strong choice for teams that thrive on constant communication. The company’s AI assistance is also more robust than many competitors — particularly at the free level. Hive’s AI Assist can create projects, respond to emails, summarize large amounts of information and more.
Teamwork
Best free option with dedicated client management features
User limit
5
Available views
Kanban, Gantt, Calendar
Storage limit
100MB
3.6/5
Our rating considers features, customer support, overall value and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.
Why we picked it
Teamwork includes a respectable number of features in its free plan: up to five users, an array of project views (list, table, boards and Gantt), 100 automations per month and more. Teamwork also offers a mobile app so you can manage projects on the go without sacrificing functionality.
Several of Teamwork’s features make it a standout choice for client management. First is the client view, which centralizes important information (such as project activity and health) for all your customers, which you can then search by individual clients. With Teamwork, you can also create invoices for billable hours and expenses or at fixed rates. For an additional fee, Teamwork has an integrated help desk feature for assigning tickets to triage client and customer inquiries.
Noteworthy limitations of the free plan include only allowing five projects and dashboard overviews when it comes to reporting, so you won’t be able to run or export data. Two-factor authentication (2FA) security is also absent, which may pose a security concern. While the free plan allows integrations with Slack, Zapier, MS Teams and other popular apps, it doesn’t support Google Drive, Dropbox or Sharepoint, so you’ll be limited to onboard storage and file sharing.
For businesses seeking additional features, the Deliver plan ($13.99 per user per month, billed monthly with a three-user minimum) allows unlimited client users, provides 2FA security and increases storage from 100MB to 100GB. Plans at this level and above offer integration with Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft Office and QuickBooks. The Grow plan ($25.99 per user per month, billed monthly with a five-user minimum) adds compelling functions like company timesheets, time reminders, resource scheduling and additional integrations.
Pros
- Time tracking
- Invoicing
- Live chat, email and phone support
Cons
- Very few integrations
- Limited customer support
- No data exporting
Who should use it
Teamwork will appeal to companies that need client management functions with their project management software. The billable time tracking and invoicing features are great benefits that you won’t find in many of its competitors. Generally speaking, this provider is also a great option for companies that want their project management software to help with finance and labor management since the free plan includes time tracking, time sheets, budget tracking and user rates, which is the ability to set hourly labor costs.
monday.com
Best security-conscious option
User limit
2
Available views
Kanban
Storage limit
500MB
3.5/5
Our rating considers features, customer support, overall value and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.
On monday.com’s website
Why we picked it
monday.com’s main advantage over many of its competitors is its inclusion of 2FA security on the free plan. The company also touts its adherence to “the most rigorous security, availability, and confidentiality standards.” Another benefit of monday.com is its iOS and Android apps. You can build project boards, track statuses, communicate with team members and more from the palm of your hand. The Android app also comes with a widget that displays critical notifications at the top of your home screen.
On the other hand, the limitations of monday.com’s free plan make it a tough sell compared to the other options on this list. On the free plan, you’re allotted just two seats and limited to a Kanban board view. There’s no time tracking, and customer support is just a self-service knowledge base. Integrations and automations aren’t supported on the free plan (or even the least expensive paid plan). However, if it’s just you and a partner, or only a few members of your team have projects that require enough tracking to make a project management tool worth it, the free plan does offer unlimited docs and messaging and a large library of templates to customize your docs to suit any industry-specific needs.
If you try and like monday.com but need more functionality, the Basic plan starts at $12 per user per month (billed monthly) and includes unlimited seats, items and boards. The Standard plan ($14 per seat per month, billed monthly) is the least expensive plan that includes timeline, Gantt and calendar views; automations (250 per month); and Zoom integration. The Pro plan ($24 per seat per month, billed monthly) adds time tracking, portfolios and dependencies (so you can identify hold-ups in your workflows).
Pros
- 2FA security
- iOS and Android apps
- Free trial for paid plans
Cons
- Small seat capacity (2)
- No integrations or automations
- Kanban view only
Who should use it
Solo operators and teams of two who prefer Kanban board views for their projects will get something out of monday’s free version. It does offer free trials of its paid plans, so if you find yourself needing to scale in the future, you can test any upgrades before committing.
Compare the best free project management software
| Product | Star rating | User limit | Live chat? | Time tracking? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ClickUp | 4.9 | Unlimited | No | No |
Coda | 4.5 | Unlimited | Yes – limited hours | Yes |
Notion | 4.5 | 10 | No | Yes |
Hive | 4.4 | 10 | Yes – 24/7 | No |
Teamwork | 3.6 | 5 | No | Yes |
monday.com | 3.5 | 2 | No | No |
What didn’t make our list
With slightly more limited free plans than the other providers we reviewed, Asana and Trello didn’t quite make the cut of best free project management software. However, these popular software options may still be a good fit for your needs.
Asana
Asana’s impressive selection of unlimited features — including tasks, projects, assignees, messages and activity logs — makes it suitable for many small businesses. The platform also includes iOS and Android mobile apps and 100+ integrations with apps like Slack and Google Workspace. Unlike many competitors, Asana also provides CSV and PDF exporting.
This tool would have ranked higher on our list if not for some key missing elements. Project dashboards, milestones, start dates and times, and other critical project management functions like custom fields aren’t supported on the free tier. You also won’t get Gantt or timeline views, automations, time tracking or AI assistance on the free plan.
Trello
Trello is a Kanban-style project management platform that uses boards for projects and cards for tasks within each board. The company’s free plan allows unlimited cards and up to 10 boards. Unlike its competitors, Trello doesn’t limit integrations (which it calls Power-Ups) or automations. You’ll also get 2FA security and desktop and mobile (iOS and Android) apps with no out-of-pocket costs.
The main downside to Trello is that if your company relies on any view besides Kanban, you’ll need at least a Premium plan (which is $12.50 per seat per month with monthly billing). The free plan also lacks custom fields, unlimited boards and any guests.
What is project management software?
Project management software centralizes essential project management functions and automates many tasks to streamline workflows. These tools act as virtual spaces where everyone on your team can access project information, learn their responsibilities and provide updates on their work. This software helps businesses stay on task by clearly designating responsibilities for tasks, facilitating messaging and data sharing, and tracking key milestones toward project completion.
Benefits of project management software
The benefits you’ll gain from using project management software can vary widely depending on how you use the platform, but some general pros include:
- Improved productivity: Having detailed project plans and clearly defined responsibilities can significantly improve your team’s efficiency and result in greater productivity.
- Minimized risks: Project roadmaps and data analytics can identify where costly errors may arise.
- Simplified billing: Time-tracking features help you send accurate invoices to customers, making it easier to get paid.
- Enhanced collaboration: Centralizing project tasks and bolstering communication make it easy to collaborate with cross-departmental teams (a reality for most startups and small businesses with team members who do it all).
- Increased accountability: No matter what size team is using the software, having clearly defined tasks and expectations keeps everyone on track.
Essential project management features
- Project scheduling: In the initial stages of a project — whether a logo design for a new client or an entire website design and launch — you’ll want to list key tasks, plan milestones and detail key objectives. The best free project management software supports a variety of project views (such as Gantt charts and calendars) so you can visualize the scope of your project prior to getting started.
- Communication: Project management software should facilitate messaging between team members. Effective communication, whether through email, direct messaging or tagging, keeps key stakeholders aware of critical project details and productivity on track.
- Task management: Designating clear responsibility for tasks is paramount. If you have complex projects, choose a software provider that allows you to define subtasks, add custom fields and tags, and create workflows that are as granular as you need them.
- Reporting and analytics: Your project management software is only as good as what you put into it, and reporting and analytics are how you can analyze if it’s helping or hurting your business. While these features are typically limited in free software plans, many providers include basic reporting tools.
- Time tracking: You need to know how you and your team members are spending your work time so you can keep projects within budget and on track, as well as capture your billable hours and expenses if applicable.
How much does project management software cost?
While many solopreneurs can get by with free project management software, you’ll likely need a more robust set of features as your business grows. The main differences between paid plans and free plans have to do with user limits, storage capacity, automations and integrations, customer support, and reporting and analytics.
Project management software costs vary widely. On our list, the cheapest provider is Hive, at $5 per user per month (when billed monthly), while the most expensive is Coda, at $36 per user per month (when billed monthly). Depending on your business’s size and revenue, these costs may be a substantial burden on your budget, but the gains you make in productivity and efficiency can be worth the investment. And many providers offer discounts for yearly subscriptions or special organization types (like nonprofits or recent graduates just getting started with their business idea).
Other important considerations
- Security: Any software is at risk from data leaks and other cybercrimes. Your project management platform should have basic security features, such as data encryption and 2FA sign-on.
- Client accommodation: If your company’s projects actively include client input, you’ll want a project management tool that makes it easy for external stakeholders to access key project data like proofing and sign-off, and the ability to communicate with you and your team.
- Integration capability: Your business may already rely on tools like Slack for communication or Google Drive for document storage. When choosing project management software, confirm that the provider integrates with your favorite tools and doesn’t have usage limits that will hinder your operations.
- User-friendliness: A software provider may include all the features you need, but it won’t be the best resource for your business if the platform is difficult to use. Before choosing your tool, read online reviews and watch YouTube videos to see if basic operations are simple or difficult.
Methodology: How we evaluated the best free project management software
To help you find the best free project management software, we researched top products using a specific set of desired data points. After we collected this data, we narrowed our list to 13 that offer free PM plans. We then weighted about 60 different metrics across five primary categories based on what matters most for users. Using the final score for each provider, we selected the six that rose to the top for this list.
We also assigned each PM software an Editors’ Score encompassing four key areas before converting final scores to a star rating out of five. This score doesn’t affect our selection methodology or assessment of key data points for ultimate list inclusion.
Here’s how our methodology breaks down:
Project management features (30%)
We developed a list of core features that useful tools should offer to assess the efficacy of project management software for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Encompassing crucial functionality such as Kanban and Gantt views, timelines, budgeting, unlimited tasks, roadmapping and reporting dashboards, this category’s heavy weighting reflects a standard set of project management needs for nearly every SMB.
Other features (30%)
Wanting to determine what additional functionality each project management software offers, we grouped three different feature categories into this section — organizing, technical and collaboration/marketing. Features considered include milestone and expense tracking, guest access, task automation, storage limits, integrations, customizable templates, and invoicing and billing tools.
Pricing and value (10%)
This category wasn’t as heavily weighted as the features sections because we had already narrowed our list to free plans. However, we did want to consider overall value, particularly whether the free plans limit the number of users and, if so, what those limits are.
Service and support (10%)
SMB owners don’t have time for difficult-to-use tools. For this category, we wanted to determine how easy it is for users of these project management tools to get needed support, whether via live chat, phone or an online knowledge base.
Customer ratings and reviews (10%)
Real-world user experience with these project management tools affects a provider’s reputation and provides valuable insight into product efficacy. For this category, we assessed project management software popularity across reputable product directories Trustpilot, G2 and Capterra.
Editors’ Score (10%)
We considered four key factors — included features, popularity, overall value and ease of use — in coming up with our Editors’ Score for the top free project management software for small businesses. After we ranked project management tools using metrics associated with each of the above categories, we evaluated the products at the top of our list and assigned each a score on a scale from terrible to excellent (each descriptor is associated with a numerical value). The final score (inclusive of our Editors’ Score) was then converted into a star rating (where zero stars is the lowest possible score, and five is the max).
We receive compensation from our partners for Featured Offer placements, which impacts how and where their offer is displayed.
Featured Offers
ClickUp
Free plan
Yes
Paid plan price (monthly)
Starts at $10/user
Free trial
Yes
monday.com
Free plan
Yes
Paid plan price (monthly)
Starts at $12/user
Free trial
Yes
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The best free project management software for your business will ultimately depend on your specific needs; different products have different strengths that could make one more appealing than another. ClickUp, Coda and Notion are solid options since they allow unlimited users.
Project management software centralizes tasks so your team can work more efficiently. These tools improve communication with direct messaging and project notes, reduce bottlenecks by clearly delineating responsibilities and grow your business by optimizing workflows.
Make a list of what you want to fix with project management software and specific features you want to have. From there, evaluate tools based on what they offer. For instance, if Gantt charts are crucial to your workflows and you want to stick to a free plan, you’ll want to avoid monday.com since its free plan is limited to Kanban views. Once you’ve chosen a tool, track whether your pain points are improving over time.
Google doesn’t offer native project management software, but many of its products can be useful in tracking and storing important information. Many project management platforms feature plug-ins that allow you to use Google products with the software.
monday.com does have free project management software, but its two-user limit and single view can be restrictive, and the lack of built-in time tracking means you’ll either need to use a plug-in or opt for a paid plan.
