Free project management tools have made it easier for individuals and small teams to manage work without committing to a paid plan. The catch is that most free plans are built to get you in the door, not keep you productive. Features are capped, storage runs out, and what felt like enough at the start rarely stays that way. As someone who has tested more than a few, I narrowed down the platforms that actually offer generous free plans worth using.
| Provider | Best for | Free user limit | Starting monthly price | Free plan inclusions |
| monday.com | Best for individual use | Two users | $9 per user | • 3 Task boards • 200+ templates • Embedded docs |
| ClickUp | Best for complex workflows | Unlimited | $7 per user | • Kanban boards • Sprint management • Calendar view |
| Smartsheet | Best spreadsheet-style project management | Unlimited | $9 per user | • Gantt chart • Rich formula • Unlimited sheets |
| Jira | Best for agile software teams | 10 users | $9.05 per user | • Unlimited projects • Backlog view • Reports & dashboards |
| Wrike | Best for complex timelines | Unlimited | $10 per user | • Task management • Folder hierarchy • Project templates |
| Notion | Best for notetaking & task tracking | Unlimited | $10 per user | • Databases • Subtasks & dependencies • Basic sites |
| Teamwork.com | Best for client work | 5 users | $10.99 per user | • Time tracking • Client view • Project budgets |
| Miro | Best for collaborative ideation | Unlimited | $8 per user | • Editable boards • 7,000+ templates • In-app video recording |
| Trello | Best for visual project planning | 10 users | $6 per user | • Assignee and due dates • Unlimited cards • Built-in automation |
| Asana | Best for basic task tracking | 2 users | $10.99 per user | • 100+ integrations • Unlimited tasks • List view |
Over the past four years as a project management writer, I have personally tested nearly 20 PM platforms, and several of them have become part of my own workflow. I have written dozens of buyer’s guides covering a wide range of use cases and company sizes, which gave me a broader understanding of what project professionals actually need from these tools. Beyond hands-on testing, I design custom scoring rubrics for each evaluation to make sure every platform is assessed accurately and on equal footing, not ranked on gut feel or vendor claims.
Marianne Sison
Senior Staff Writer for Project Management
- 1. monday.com – Best for individual use
- 2. ClickUp – Best for complex workflows
- 3. Smartsheet – Best spreadsheet-style project management
- 4. Jira – Best for agile software teams
- 5. Wrike – Best for complex timelines
- 6. Notion – Best combined notetaking and task tracking
- 7. Teamwork.com – Best for client-facing work
- 8. Miro – Best for collaborative brainstorming
- 9. Trello – Best for visual project planning
- 10. Asana – Best for basic task tracking
- How I chose the top free project management tool
- Free vs paid project management apps: Key differences
- FAQs
- How to choose the right free project management tool
1. monday.com – Best for individual use
Overview
The monday.com free plan supports up to two users and offers three project boards with up to 1,000 task items. Users can access over 200 customizable templates, multiple view formats, and basic integrations with popular apps. However, advanced features like automations, time tracking, and detailed reporting require upgrading to paid tiers.
Why I picked monday.com
I’ve used monday.com for managing my own projects and tasks, and it’s why I recommend it as the best project management software for solopreneurs and project professionals. Its simple and visually appealing interface lets you quickly create projects and track tasks, making navigation effortless for any skill level. With its drag-and-drop interface and customizable templates, I can build workflows that match my priorities and planning style.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
- Monday AI: Utilizes artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks and provide data-driven insights
- Embedded documents: Allows integration and editing of documents directly within your monday boards
- Custom notifications: Enables personalized alerts to keep team members informed about relevant updates and priority tasks
monday.com pricing
- Free plan: Up to 2 users and includes 200+ templates, Kanban view, embedded documents, and shareable forms
- Basic: $9/user/month — Adds 5GB storage, custom fields, unlimited documents, and monday AI credits
- Standard: $12/user/month – Adds Gantt view, 20GB storage, guest access, and automation & integration
- Pro: $19/user/month — Adds private boards, chart view, time tracking, and formulas
- Enterprise: Custom — Adds portfolio reporting and esource management
2. ClickUp – Best for complex workflows
Overview
ClickUp’s free plan offers unlimited users, native time tracking, and multiple project views such as lists, boards, and calendars. However, it only provides 100 MB of storage, which limits file-sharing capabilities for smaller teams on a budget. Advanced features like extensive automation and resource management require upgrading to paid tiers.
Why I picked ClickUp
ClickUp’s free plan stands out for me as a powerful tool for complex workflow management. Unlike competitors that reserve advanced views and task dependencies for higher tiers, ClickUp makes these available on its free version. This allows me to manage multiple projects effectively and add layered or dependent tasks.
As someone handling multifaceted projects with numerous tasks, subtasks, and dependencies, I find ClickUp’s structure quite useful. I can set task dependencies, create checklists, and enable sprint planning For projects that require detailed planning, ClickUp provides me great value at no initial cost.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
- Column calculations: Performs automatic calculations like sum, average, or range within list and table views
- Everything view: Provides a comprehensive overview of all tasks across your workspace, regardless of their location within the platform
- In-app video recording: Allows you to record and share screen recordings directly within tasks or comments
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever: Includes unlimited users, Kanban view, collaborative docs, 60MB storage, in-app video recording, and sprint management
- Unlimited: $7/user/month — Adds integrations, forms, Gantt charts, real-time chat, time tracking, guest permissions, portfolios, and resource management
- Business: $12/user/month — Adds timeline view, activity views, whiteboards, workload management, and sprint points and reporting
- Enterprise: Custom — Adds conditional logic in forms, custom workload capacity, SSO, advanced permission, enterprise API, and custom roles
3. Smartsheet – Best spreadsheet-style project management
Overview
Smartsheet’s spreadsheet-style interface makes it easy for teams who are accustomed to working with spreadsheets to transition to the platform. It offers a 30-day free trial, giving users full temporary access to its project management and spreadsheet capabilities. After the trial, however, users can only view documents but lose editing privileges. Continuous editing, advanced collaboration, and reporting features require ongoing paid subscriptions.
Why I picked Smartsheet
Smartsheet’s grid-based format closely resembles Excel and Google Sheets, making it ideal for me as a user familiar with traditional spreadsheet tools. Unlike more visually driven platforms, Smartsheet provides me with robust formulas, cell linking, and data analysis capabilities with an easy-to-navigate interface.
Smartsheet is a natural fit for data-driven work, catering to my preference for a spreadsheet-style approach to managing tasks and budgets. I can connect cells across multiple sheets, apply conditional logic, and build logical workflows using functions like IF, VLOOKUP, and COUNTIF. This level of flexibility makes it easier for me to manage budgets and track project health.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
- Rich formulas: Offers advanced formula capabilities for complex calculations and data analysis
Team workload tracking: Visualizes team members’ workloads to optimize resource allocation - Conditional formatting: Applies formatting rules to cells based on specific criteria to highlight key information
Smartsheet pricing
- Pro: $9/user/month — Includes unlimited viewers, formulas, sheets, and project views for up to 10 members
- Business: $19/user/month — Adds free guests, unlimited automations, conditional form logic, timeline view, workload tracking, and admin capabilities
- Enterprise: Custom — Adds work insights, AI formulas, charts, role-based sharing, unlimited attachment storage, and SSO
- Advanced Work Management: Custom – Adds Control Center, granular sharing controls, and app connectors
4. Jira – Best for agile software teams
Overview
Jira’s free plan supports up to 10 users and offers agile-specific tools like Scrum and Kanban boards, backlog management, and agile reporting. It includes 2 GB of storage, enough for small-team usage. However, it restricts advanced user permissions and administration settings on higher-tier subscriptions.
Why I picked Jira
Primarily a software development tool, Jira comes with features that support agile project management needs, like scrum boards and sprint planning. Compared to general-purpose tools, Jira provides me with specialized resources to manage product backlogs, sprint cycles, and issue tracking. I can also create user stories, track bugs, and follow project progress through dedicated agile reports.
The Jira platform is designed to simulate the development life cycle, from planning and coding to testing and release. This allows a QA team member or product manager, to break down complex projects into manageable tasks, complete with story points, sprints, backlogs, and version control.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
- Summary views: Provides high-level overviews of project statuses, facilitating quick assessments of progress
- Release tracks: Manages and monitors different versions of your product, ensuring organized deployment cycles
- Custom approval: Enables the creation of tailored approval workflows to match your team’s specific processes
Jira pricing
- Free: Up to 10 users — Includes reports, dashboards, unlimited projects, forms, 2GB storage, and project views (backlog, list, board, timeline, and summary)
- Standard: $9.05/user/month — Adds AI assistant, user roles, external collaboration, 250GB storage, and 1700 automation rule runs
- Premium: $18.30/user/month — Adds dependencies, custom approvals, unlimited storage, and 1,000 rule runs per user
- Enterprise: Custom — Adds advanced admin controls and security, cross-product insights, and unlimited automation rule runs
5. Wrike – Best for complex timelines
Overview
Wrike’s free plan provides unlimited user access, basic task management features, and essential project views like boards and lists. It includes 2 GB of storage for basic document sharing and collaboration. However, detailed Gantt charts, resource management tools, and advanced reporting require upgrading to paid plans.
Why I picked Wrike
Wrike works well for me when managing complex project timelines, thanks to its multiple project views. Even on the free plan, Wrike helps me map out projects clearly, making it easier to track multiple timelines and deadlines simultaneously.
The Wrike platform offers me a suite of timeline-centric features, including the dynamic Gantt chart. It automatically adjusts all the dates when I move a task, and a simple switch highlights “must-finish” tasks in red so I know which ones to prioritize. I can stack several projects on one timeline and take a quick “snapshot” to see how my schedule changes over time and an overview of all my activities.
Another standout feature is the folder hierarchy, an organization system for projects involving multiple teams or departments. It uniquely combines spreadsheet-style task views with boards, catering to users who prefer viewing their timelines alongside task lists. Additionally, Wrike offers robust security and collaboration tools even on its free plan, enhancing its value significantly compared to its competitors.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
- Folder hierarchy: Organizes projects and tasks within a structured folder system for clarity and accessibility
- Dynamic Gantt chart: Provides interactive timelines that adjust automatically as project details change
- AI recommended tasks: Utilizes AI to suggest tasks based on your work patterns and priorities
Wrike pricing
- Free: Unlimited users with basic task management and folder hierarchy
- Team: $10/user/month — For 2 to 15 users and adds cross-tagging, generative AI, custom fields, dashboards, Gantt charts, and portfolio management
- Business: $25/user/month — for 5 to 200 users and adds AI elite features, request forms, templates, approvals, workload charts, time tracking, and guest approvals
- Pinnacle: Custom pricing — Adds advanced reporting, resource and capacity planning, budgeting, and locked spaces
- Apex: Custom pricing – Adds Wrike Datahub, bi-directional integrations with third-party solutions, and advanced security controls
| Looking for free open-source project management tools? Check out our in-depth guide on the best open-source project management software to explore top platforms, compare features, and find the right solution for your team. |
6. Notion – Best combined notetaking and task tracking
Overview
Notion’s free plan provides unlimited pages and blocks for notes, databases, and tasks, with collaboration for up to 10 guests. It syncs across all devices and integrates various apps by embedding links. Premium permissions, larger team collaboration features, and advanced analytics are only accessible on paid plans.
Pros
Cons
Why I picked Notion
Notion uniquely combines note-taking and task tracking in one platform, making it my go-to project management tool for documentation and task management. Instead of juggling multiple apps, I can seamlessly integrate task lists with meeting notes, research, and my personal knowledge base.
The platform features a highly customizable interface that lets you organize notes, tasks, and databases based on your workflow. Its ability to embed external content directly differentiates it significantly from other project tools. Additionally, Notion’s flexibility appeals to creative professionals looking for a fully personalized note-taking platform.
Its built-in wiki functionality lets me create a knowledge base for my team, combining pages, subpages, and databases in the same workspace. This makes it easy for me to document processes, store onboarding resources, and maintain reference materials.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
- Dynamic link previews: Displays live previews of content from external tools like Jira or GitHub directly within Notion pages
- Collaborative workspace: Facilitates real-time collaboration with team members on shared documents and databases
- Site customizations: Allows customization of your Notion sites with branded domains, favicons, and navigation bars
Notion pricing
- Free: For up to 10 users, 10 boards, templates, activity log, assignee, and due dates
- Standard: $6/user/month — Planner, card mirroring, unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, and collapsible lists
- Premium: $12.50/user/month — Unlimited workspace runs, admin and security features, and views: calendar, timeline, table, dashboard, and map
- Enterprise: $17.50/user/month — Unlimited workspaces, multi-board guests, attachment restrictions, and org-wide permissions
7. Teamwork.com – Best for client-facing work
Overview
Teamwork.com’s free plan supports up to five users and allows you to manage five projects while accessing essential project management tools within a limited credit allowance. It unlocks all project views, including list, table, board, and Gantt charts, along with core task management features like subtasks, tags, and dependencies. Teamwork.com also gives you instant access to AI-powered features, such as content generation, without requiring a paid upgrade.
Track profitability, budgets, project health, and task progress in real time with Teamwork.com’s intuitive project dashboard. 
Manage all your clients, projects, and communications in one organized view with Teamwork.com’s client management dashboard. 
Stay on top of priorities and deadlines with Teamwork.com’s task management view, designed to simplify planning and collaboration.
Why I picked Teamwork.com
As as a client management solution, I highly recommend Teamwork.com for freelancers or companies managing multiple client projects. Its free plan works well for anyone who needs access to essential client-focused features like proofing, project budgets, and invoicing — capabilities that competitors often reserve for higher-tier plans. Professional services and agencies can set as clients active contributors by allowing them to leave comments, create tasks, and log time. Plus, its built-in proofing tools help streamline the feedback process, which makes collaboration more efficient.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
- Workload management: Manage your team’s project capacity with real-time visibility into workloads, quickly spot resourcing issues, and reassign tasks to keep projects on track.
- Budget creation: Set up custom project budgets, monitor hours and expenses in real time, and get notified when spending approaches your defined limits.
- Native time tracking: Track and log time directly, create timesheets, set billable hours, and gain insights into where your team’s time is spent for better productivity.
Teamwork.com pricing
- Free: Up to five users – Includes five projects, 100 automations, time tracking, and core project management features
- Deliver: $10.99/user/month — Add project status reports, intake forms, 20 templates, 100GB storage, and 5,000 automations
- Grow: $19.99/user/month — Add budgeting, time, and financial tools, workload resource planner, utilization report, 600 projects, 20,000 automations, 50 templates, and 250GB storage
- Scale: Custom pricing – Adds profitability reports, resource scheduling, custom reporting, budget expenses, 100,000 automations, and 500GB storage
8. Miro – Best for collaborative brainstorming
Overview
Miro’s free plan allows unlimited users and provides access to three editable public boards. You can choose from over 5,000 community-created templates and connect workflows with more than 160 third-party apps. On shared boards, users can organize content using layers to show, hide, or group objects and record up to five video walkthroughs.
Visualize ideas, manage workflows, and organize project plans on a single Miro board. 
Collaborate on app wireframes and user flows with Miro’s visual workspace. 
Manage project briefs, action items, and timelines in one organized Miro workspace.
Why I picked Miro
Miro is one of my top picks because it offers a unique collaboration experience compared to typical project management platforms. With thousands of pre-built whiteboard templates, I can jump right into generating ideas and collaborate with my team using tools like shapes, sticky notes, and more, whether in real time or asynchronously. Its Create with AI feature lets me use my board content as prompts to generate ready-made outputs. Plus, I can import reference materials, sketch rough ideas, and leverage AI to turn those ideas into diagrams, process flows, and database schemas.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
Miro Assist: With this AI-powered tool, you can speed up the creation of diagrams, organize topics, and map out ideas visually.
Spaces: Spaces revamps the dashboard and sidebar to improve contextual and hierarchical content management, making it easier to organize and navigate through large amounts of information.
Slides: Create and present interactive, engaging decks directly in Miro, with real-time co-creation, annotation, and brainstorming.
Miro pricing
- Free: Includes unlimited members, three editable boards, and templates access
- Starter: $8/user/month – Adds unlimited boards, version history, and video calling
- Business: $16/user/month – Adds unlimited guests and diagramming shapes
- Enterprise: Custom – Adds centralized account management and org-wide controls
9. Trello – Best for visual project planning
Overview
Trello’s free tier offers intuitive Kanban boards with unlimited task cards, 10 boards per workspace, and unlimited integrations via Power-Ups. It features basic customization options such as backgrounds and card labels. Comprehensive reporting tools and timeline views are available only through paid upgrades.
Why I chose Trello
I started testing Trello after seeing it frequently mentioned in community forums when looking for project management recommendations. It features a clean, uncluttered interface that makes task management feel intuitive even for entry-level users. Unlike competitors that pack in layers of features and complex navigation, Trello focuses on accessibility through its drag-and-drop Kanban boards, customizable cards, and straightforward workflow setup.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
- Card mirroring: Syncs Kanban cards across multiple boards while providing real-time updates
- Advanced checklists: Assigns due dates and members to individual checklist items within a Kanban card
- Quick capture: Enables the rapid addition of tasks or notes from various sources, such as emails or Slack, to your Trello inbox
Trello pricing
- Free: For up to 10 users, 10 boards, templates, activity log, assignee, and due dates
- Standard: $6/user/month — Planner, card mirroring, unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, and collapsible lists
- Premium: $12.50/user/month — Unlimited workspace runs, admin and security features, and views: calendar, timeline, table, dashboard, and map
- Enterprise: $17.50/user/month — Unlimited workspaces, multi-board guests, attachment restrictions, and org-wide permissions
10. Asana – Best for basic task tracking
Overview
Asana’s free plan supports teams of up to 10 members, providing unlimited tasks, projects, and activity logs. It includes basic project views such as list, board, and calendar. However, timeline views, workload balancing, and advanced reporting are reserved for paid plans.
Why I picked Asana
Asana stands out as a project management tool that excels in simplifying task management. The platform lets me create tasks easily, set due dates, and maintain transparent communication within each task. Compared to more feature-heavy options like Wrike and ClickUp, Asana provides me with a straightforward project management solution that’s ideal for beginners who prefer a more direct and intuitive approach.
The platform’s simple, intuitive layout is especially helpful for anyone new to digital project management, as I found it easy to start organizing tasks without significant training or onboarding. This makes Asana a great fit for teams transitioning from spreadsheets or emails to a full-fledged project management tool.
Pros
Cons
Standout features
- Advanced search: Allows you to include detailed criteria when searching for items to instantly find tasks, projects, or messages
- Global custom fields: Facilitates consistent data tracking by applying the same custom fields across related projects
- Private teams and projects: Restricts project access to specific teams, ensuring only invited members can view or edit them
Asana pricing
- Free: Up to two users — Includes list, board, calendar views, and 100+ integrations
- Starter: $10.99/user/month — Adds forms, templates, Gantt view, AI studio, automations, custom fields, workflow builder, project dashboards, and unlimited guests
- Advanced: $24.99/user/month — Adds goals, proofing, approvals, time tracking, goals, forms branching, and portfolio workload
- Enterprise: Custom – Adds capacity planning, mobile app controls, and admin controls
How I chose the top free project management tool
This guide highlights the leading project management tools that provide a free plan, designed specifically to help small to midsize business teams manage projects efficiently without needing a developer or additional budget. We selected these tools based on a careful assessment, using five weighted criteria to reflect the features most valuable to typical business users.
- Feature availability in free plan (30%): My top priority in selecting the free tools for project management was ensuring you receive robust functionality at no cost, including essentials like unlimited task creation, sufficient storage, collaboration tools, and custom fields.
- Ease of use (25%): Since smaller teams rarely have dedicated tech support, I favored tools that are intuitive, accessible via mobile devices, and equipped with ready-to-use templates or built-in automations.
- Scalability (20%): Tools received higher marks if they provided clear upgrade paths, allowing you to scale as your business grows, with flexible user limits, guest access, and additional features available as you expand.
- Integration capabilities (15%): Since most teams rely on multiple software platforms, I prioritized tools offering extensive integrations with popular apps and compatibility with automation services like Zapier and Make.
- Support and resources (10%): I considered the availability of onboarding support, knowledge bases, and responsive customer service, which are essential for helping non-technical teams achieve productivity quickly.
Each software option underwent rigorous evaluation against these criteria, supported by factors such as user limits, project capacity, and integration counts. Platforms requiring upgrades for essential functionality or restricting usage to only a single user were ranked lower to prioritize genuinely accessible, forever-free options.
Free vs paid project management apps: Key differences
Choosing between free and paid project management apps comes down to your team’s size, goals, and the complexity of your workflows. While free tools are great for getting started, paid plans often unlock the power and flexibility that growing teams need.
| Feature | Free plans | Paid plans |
| User limits | Often capped for 5 to 15 users | Typically unlimited or much higher limits |
| Projects and storage | Limited number of projects and storage | Unlimited or generous storage and project caps |
| Task management | Basic boards and lists | Advanced views like Gantt, timelines, dependencies |
| Collaboration features | Core features like comments and mentions | Enhanced tools like proofing, guest access, roles, and chat |
| Automations and integrations | Not available or limited | Full automation access and third-party integrations |
| Reporting and dashboards | View-only or basic reports | Custom reports, dashboards, and analytics |
| Support and security | Self-serve support via help center | Priority support, SSO, and admin controls |
While free online project management tools offer a budget-friendly starting point for individuals and small teams, they can quickly fall short as your size and workload grow. Paid tools provide the advanced features, customization, and scalability to manage projects efficiently, making them a cost-effective investment for most businesses.
FAQs
Trello, ClickUp, and Asana are among the top software for project management due to their user-friendly interfaces and comprehensive feature sets, fit for any team size and project needs. However, note that your ideal pick depends on whether you prioritize visual planning, customization, or built-in collaboration tools.
No, Google doesn’t offer a dedicated project management app, but you can build a basic system through Google Sheets, Calendar, and Tasks. It works well for lightweight tasking, especially if your team already uses Google Workspace.
No, Microsoft Project is a paid solution with plans designed for professional and enterprise use. However, Microsoft 365 users can explore more accessible tools like Planner or To Do for simple task tracking.
Yes, Microsoft 365 includes tools like Planner, To Do, and Lists that support project tracking and team collaboration. For advanced features like timelines and resource management, upgrade to Microsoft Project.
How to choose the right free project management tool
When picking free tools for project management, start by considering your team size, project complexity, and workflow needs. Many free plans offer core task management features suitable for small teams, but the ideal tool depends on how you plan, collaborate, and manage your work.
To ensure a good fit, assess each software based on ease of use, integration support, and growth potential so you don’t have to switch tools as your needs evolve. As you pick the right free PM software, focus on the features that match how your team works and can guide you throughout the phases of project management. In the end, it’s all about prioritizing tools that offer flexibility and room to grow without the hefty price tag.