10 Best Free Project Management Software & Tools for 2024

monday work management: Best for scalability

monday work management often features on the best project management software lists, as it offers everything you expect from a top project management solution. The free version of monday work management features all main dashboards, but the number of items you can create is limited. You also get a search function, team collaboration tools, file upload, kanban view and several other features on the free plan. That said, you won’t be able to invite clients or viewers on the free plan, making it ideal for individuals and small teams.

Standout features of the free version

• Access to all main boards: In the free plan, you and your team get access to all of the main boards of monday work management. That said, you’re limited to three total boards, and there is a limit to the total number of items you can create.
• Files and forms: In the free plan, you can see all of the files you uploaded in preview or full mode. You can also convert any of the boards into custom forms to collect and track data.
• Templates: monday work management free plan gives you access to over 200 customizable templates, so you don’t have to start creating project boards from scratch.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You need more than two seats: monday work management free plan is only available to two team members. So if your company needs more people to work on a project, consider other PM tools.
  • Alternatives: ClickUp and Wrike allow unlimited free plan members.
• You want to integrate with third-party services: monday work management free plan doesn’t allow you to integrate with other applications that may be useful for your workflow.
  • Alternatives: Asana offers you over 100 free integrations, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Slack. Notion and Teamwork also allow you to connect with some third-party applications, including Zapier and Slack.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid pains

monday work management offers four paid plans. Each plan caters to the needs of various users, depending on the features they need. In the chart below, I’ll outline the cost of each plan and its core features.

Why we chose monday work management

We chose monday work management because of how intuitive and adaptable its free version is. The 200+ templates it offers will meet the needs of teams of all sizes, and its kanban boards are easy to set up and follow. The free version also offers up to three boards with up to two members.

For more information, check out our full monday Work OS review.

Asana: Best all-round choice

Asana is a flexible project management and collaboration tool offering multiple views, customization tools, automation and more. Asana’s free plan offers many features, including unlimited storage and team messaging tools. You also get various project views, including calendar, kanban, lists, workload and more. However, the free plan is limited to three project views, no timeline views and fewer admin controls.

Standout features of the free version

• Unlimited use: What makes Asana’s free plan so outstanding is that you get access to many unlimited features, including activity logs, messaging, file storage and more.
• Agile and scrum support: If your business uses Agile philosophy, you would be glad to know that Asana’s free version supports Agile and scrum.
• Three project views: List, board and calendar view.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You need a time tracking feature: Asana free plan doesn’t support time tracking capability; even their lowest paid tier also lacks this feature. If your company wants to track employee, contractor or freelancer billable hours, consider another PM software.
  • Alternatives: Teamwork free plan includes a time-tracking feature, while the ClickUp free plan supports time tracking through integrations.
• You want to integrate with Salesforce and Tableau: Asana free plan users cannot connect the tool with Tableau or Salesforce.
  • Alternative: ClickUp allows you to connect natively with 50+ third-party apps, including Salesforce and Tableau.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid pains

When you buy any of the Asana premium plans, you will automatically get access to the available features that are lacking in the free plan. See the cost of Asana premium plans and their core features in the table below.

Why we chose Asana

Even though it can take a while to adapt to Asana’s vast features, Asana is a thorough project management tool that constantly surprises you with the breadth of its feature set. You can use it to manage almost any kind of project. You get unlimited projects, tasks, storage, comments and activity logs in its free version, with List, Board and Calendar views, plus free integrations with everyday apps.

For more information, check out our full Asana review.

Airtable: Best for customization

Airtable is a project management software that evolved from spreadsheets, but over time it has changed its interface to be more modern and streamlined. The excellent free version of Airtable offers a host of features and multiple views, including kanban boards, gallery view and grid view. With the free plan, you get limitations on revision history and file storage.

Standout features of the free version

• Airtable apps and add-ons: There is an entire Airtable marketplace with a lot of options to choose from. Of course, only some of the apps and add-ons are available in the free version.
• Add views and commenters: The free plan allows an unlimited number of viewers and commenters in your workspace. You can upgrade this feature in the paid plans if you want the user to have editing capabilities.
• Integration: Airtable has some quality integrations, the most popular being Slack, Google Drive, Salesforce, Jira and Zendesk.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You need a simple project management tool: While Airtable is highly customizable, it can quickly get overwhelming and clunky as you add more team members and collaborators.
  • Alternatives: Notion and Trello are simple, straightforward and easy-to-use project management tools. They are ideal for individuals, startups and SMBs looking for a user-friendly PM tool to manage basic projects that don’t require a lot of setup or customization.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid pains

Airtable free plan has many limitations and a very low file storage space of 1GB. If you want to enjoy Airtable’s top-tier features, which make it one of the top-rated project management software, you should subscribe to one of the company’s paid plans.

Why we chose Airtable

For spreadsheet-style project management, Airtable is highly customizable and has a great, user-friendly interface. You can use this free project management app to create databases without having to write a single line of code. Airtable’s free tier offers unlimited databases and all views except for Gantt and timeline.

For more information, check out our full Airtable review.

Wrike: Best for independent workers

Wrike is an adaptable project management software suitable for all industries. It’s also highly customizable and offers robust collaboration tools. The free plan is ideal for solopreneurs and small businesses. Users get access to kanban boards, tables, spreadsheets and 2GB of storage space. An advantage of Wrike’s free plan is that you can access artificial intelligence features, such as AI subtasks creation.

Standout features of the free version

• Kanban boards: Users can check the progress of different projects using Wrike’s kanban boards. This feature also allows users to set up or edit the priority of tasks.
• Customized templates: There are prebuilt templates that can be customized for different types of projects, including project scheduling, complex projects and professional service management.
• Integrations: With over 400 integrations, Wrike’s integrations include Google Drive, Box, GitHub, Jira, IBM Watson Workspace, Bitbucket and more.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You need resource management: Wrike free plan lacks resource management features such as resource view, workload charts, effort allocation, resource assignment, time tracking and timesheets.
  • Alternative: Though limited, Teamwork offers basic resource management features, including workload capacity, time-tracking and timesheets.
• Automations need: Wrike free plan doesn’t allow you to perform any automation actions.
  • Alternatives: With the ClickUp free plan, you can have 50 active rules, 100 automation executions and multiple actions and conditions. Teamwork’s free plan also allows you to perform up to 100 automation actions per month.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid pains

Wrike tries its best to make its free plan feature-rich but the features it offers may be insufficient for most teams. Hence, when you upgrade to the paid plans, you can expect to get additional features and benefits, such as:

Why we chose Wrike

While Wrike’s features for the free tier are limited, its incorporation of generative AI for rapid content generation for its Work Intelligence solution saves lots of time that would’ve been spent on content, communication and workflows. Aside from the AI project risk prediction feature, all its Work Intelligence features are available in Wrike’s free plan.

For more information, check out our full Wrike review.

Trello: Best for simplicity

Trello is this list’s most easy-to-use free project management software. The interface is based on kanban boards, making it easy to manage and visualize projects.

The free plan includes unlimited cards, lists and up to 10 boards per team. This means that if you need less than 10 boards, you can use the free plan forever. The only major limitation of the free plan is that you only get to upload files that are 10MB or less.

Standout features of the free version

• Team collaboration tools: Trello comes with a wide range of communications tools, including document sharing, comments and notifications. Users can configure the notifications according to their preferences.
• Powerful mobile app: Trello’s app is well-designed, allowing users to perform various project management functions through the mobile app with just a few clicks.
• ​​Integrations: Trello’s 190+ integrations, which they call Power-Ups, include Slack, Miro, Jira Cloud, Dropbox, Confluence, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams and Zapier.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You need advanced project management features: Trello may not have all the advanced features (Gantt charts, resource allocation or time tracking) that some businesses require.
  • Alternative: ClickUp’s free plan includes all the necessary features you need to manage simple projects. It includes Gantt chart capability, time tracking via integration and basic resource management features.
• Automations need: Wrike free plan doesn’t allow you to perform any automation actions.
  • Alternatives: With the ClickUp free plan, you can have 50 active rules, 100 automation executions and multiple actions and conditions. Teamwork’s free plan also allows you to perform up to 100 automation actions per month.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid pains

The chart below includes the monthly and annual rates of Trello paid plans, as well as its core features and functionalities.

Why we chose Trello

Strictly within the confines of free kanban boards, Trello is arguably the top tool. We chose Trello because of how straightforward and intuitive its kanban boards are. Trello also impresses with its Power-Ups, which are unlimited in the free version, although some may require you to pay.

For a closer look, check out our in-depth comparisons of Trello versus Asana, Wrike, Airtable, ClickUp and monday work management.

ClickUp: Best for small teams

ClickUp is a popular project management tool known for its extensive features. Even the free version of ClickUp is loaded with useful tools for project management. This includes unlimited users, activity views and custom fields. The free plan allows you to create up to five spaces, one for each project flow.

Standout features of the free version

• ClickUp Docs: You can create documents and connect them to workflows. You can also edit and share the documents in real time and set access permission rules for each document.
• ClickUp Goals: With this feature, you can create trackable objectives for each task or project. You can also assign various objectives to a single goal.
• Integrations: ClickUp boasts over 1000 tools, with some of the top native ones including ClickUp API, Slack, GitHub, GitLab, HubSpot, Toggl, Harvest, Google Drive, Figma and Microsoft Teams.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You need more than 100MB file storage: Though ClickUp offers a generous free plan, it only provides 100MB of file storage. If you need more storage space, you may need to consider using an alternative solution that offers larger storage capacities.
  • Alternative: The Asana free plan gives you unlimited file storage with a limit of 100MB per file.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid pains

The table below includes the core features you will get when you subscribe to any of ClickUp’s paid plans.

Why we chose ClickUp

ClickUp is such a multifaceted project management tool, even in its free tier. It offers most views you’d expect from a great project management tool, but aside from the List, Board, Calendar, Table, Doc and Chat views, all the other views have restrictions or are unavailable for free. It is highly customizable and has lots of integrations, and aside from views, you get a taste of workload management, dashboards, reminders, mind maps, whiteboards and custom fields in ClickUp’s free tier.

For more information, check out our full ClickUp review.

Smartsheet: Best for spreadsheet collaboration

Smartsheet merges the functionality of spreadsheets with the capabilities of a solid project management platform. It brings a much-needed approach to managing complex projects using powerful spreadsheets, making it particularly valuable for teams that are comfortable with spreadsheet-style interfaces but need more advanced project management features.

Standout features of the free version

• Two Sheets: The free plan offers two sheets for project tracking and management.
• Multiple Views: Smartsheet’s free tier offers Grid, Gantt, Calendar and Card View to enable teams to view their programs and projects in the formats that matter most to them.
• Integrations: Smartsheet offers 90+ integrations across communication, data visualization, content creation, automation and security. They include Slack, Teams, Google Chat, Tableau, Power BI, DocuSign, Adobe Creative Cloud and Zapier.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You need more than two editors and viewers: Smartsheet free plan only allows you to share your project with two editors and viewers.
  • Alternative: Airtable free plan allows you to invite up to 5 editors.
• You have a large file storage need: The Smartsheet free plan gives you up to 500MB of attachment storage with a maximum attachment size of 30MB.
  • Alternatives: Airtable gives you up to 1GB attachment storage per base, while Asana offers unlimited file storage with up to 100MB per file.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid plans:

The table below includes the core features you will get when you subscribe to any of Smartsheet’s paid plans.

Why we chose Smartsheet

Through its unique blend of traditional spreadsheet layouts with modern project management features, Smartsheet simplifies complex workflows and makes it natural to collaborate on projects with a spreadsheet interface. The free version has all the automated workflow features, though automation triggers are limited to 100 per month. Smartsheet also feels easier to use than Airtable, the other spreadsheet-style project management tool on this list.

For more information, check out our full Smartsheet review.

MeisterTask: Best for visual task management

MeisterTask is a visually appealing project management tool that offers a Kanban-style approach to task management. It prides itself on simplicity, intuitiveness and security and is a worthy consideration for teams that find visual workflows and interactive task and project management appealing.

Standout features of the free version

• Collaborative notes: Has up to five notes to allow teams to organize their content.
• Unlimited tasks: The free plan offers unlimited tasks for your team to create as many tasks as they need.
• Integrations: MeisterTask offers integrations like Slack, Trello, GitHub, Zapier, MindMeister, MeisterNote, Gmail, Spark, Microsoft Teams and Zendesk.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You need to run more than three projects: If you are a MeisterTask free plan user, you cannot run more than three projects.
  • Alternative: With Asana free plan, you can run and manage an unlimited number of projects.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid plans:

The following are the core features you will get when you buy MeisterTask paid plans.

Why we chose MeisterTask

There’s something about colorful designs and Kanban boards that just fits. MeisterTask has understood the need to deliver a visually appealing and intuitive interface that makes task management a breeze. With these vibrant Kanban boards, teams can enjoy a more interactive way to manage tasks.

For more information, check out our full MeisterTask review.

Notion: Best for note-taking

Notion is a free project management software tool that excels in note-taking and offers a layout whose customizability proves to be impressive. It is adaptable enough to be used by individuals, small businesses and enterprises across design, engineering, product and management teams. Teams that need a flexible workspace for both project management and documentation must consider Notion.

Standout features of the free version

• Unlimited Blocks: For individual users, the free plan offers unlimited blocks; however, there is a limited block trial for teams.
• Guest Invitations: You can invite up to 10 guests to collaborate, be they friends, contractors, family or clients.
• Integrations: A few integrations included in Notion are Jira, Slack, GitHub, Asana, Zapier, Make, Tray.io, Slapdash, Miro, Figma, Google Drive and Webex.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You have a large storage need: Notion gives free plan users up to 5MB of file storage. If you have a large storage need and require more than 5MB of file storage, it would be a good idea to consider using an alternative to Notion that offers higher storage limits.
  • Alternative: Asana free plan gives you unlimited file storage.
• You need a higher row limit per synced database threshold: Notion gives its free users a 100-row limit per synced database.
  • Alternative: Airtable provides a generous limit of 1000 records per base, making it a suitable option for users who need to work with larger datasets or have more extensive databases.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid plans:

The following are the core features you will get when you buy Notion paid plans.

Why we chose Notion

We chose Notion for its unparalleled flexibility and specialized note-taking abilities. The platform allows you to create a workspace that’s as simple or as complex as you need it to be. Its free plan is especially generous for individual users, with tens of templates and almost no restrictions on blocks and basic integrations.

For more information, check out our full Notion review.

Teamwork: Best for client work and invoicing

Teamwork is a free project management tool that is particularly well-suited for client work, which often involves marketing teams, creative teams, agencies, consultancies and more. It has a lot of features, ranging from customizable templates to milestone tracking, which makes it adaptable for many different types of projects.

Standout features of the free version

• Milestones: You can add milestones to task lists to track progress in the free version.
• Client work essentials: Though some may be limited, Teamwork has most of the core project management features for client work, such as full time tracking, in its free plan.
• Integrations: Teamwork integrates with many tools, which include HubSpot, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Skyvia, Atarim, Stripe, Integrately and more.

Pros and cons

When to use an alternative

• You have more than five users: If you have more than five people on your team or in your organization, it might be a good idea to consider using an alternative.
  • Alternative: ClickUp supports an unlimited number of free plan users.
• Large file storage need: Teamwork gives free plan users 100MB only.
  • Alternative: Consider Asana if you have high file storage demand, as the tool gives all its users — regardless of their plan — unlimited file storage with up to 100MB file limit.

What you get when you upgrade to the paid plans:

The following are the core features you will get when you buy Teamwork paid plans.

Why we chose Teamwork

We chose Teamwork for its versatility. The platform offers a range of features that are particularly useful for agencies, consultancies and other client-focused teams. Its milestone tracking makes it easy to manage projects from start to finish, while its invoicing features make it seamless to export invoices based on logged billable hours from Teamwork to accounting software.

For more information, check out our full Teamwork review.