Free Project Management Software 2024: The 10 Best Tools

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Project management is crucial, but so is cash flow. Fortunately, there are many free project management tools that can help you plan and manage your tasks and projects without a monthly fee.

We've compiled some of the best free options for you and highlighted what features you might miss out on with free project management software.

Top Project Management Software 2024
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monday
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ClickUp
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Asana
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Teamwork
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What Do Free Project Management Tools Offer?

Free software always comes with limitations, and project management software is no exception. Since providers earn more from paying customers, they often withhold certain features to entice users to upgrade to premium licenses.

The good news is that the free plans of project management tools are usually much more than just simple “trial versions”. Despite some limitations, they often offer a robust set of features that can be more than sufficient for small teams or individual projects.

Still, you'll have to put up with certain restrictions, such as:

  • Project and task limits
    Free plans sometimes cap the number of projects and/or tasks you can manage. This makes them more suitable for smaller organizations with less extensive projects.

  • Storage limits
    Even if the number of projects and tasks isn't restricted, free versions often come with storage limits, which constrain the size of datasets or the total amount of stored data.

  • Limited views
    A major advantage of project management software is the ability to visualize projects in different views (e.g., Kanban, Table, Calendar, Gantt). Free plans often provide only a limited selection of these views.

  • User limits
    The larger the team, the less likely it is that a free option will suffice for your project management needs. These plans typically have a cap on the number of users you can have.

  • Few features
    Project management tools do not include all their features in the free version. Many features — such as automations, integrations, time tracking, forms, or reports — are unlocked only in the premium plans.

Free software is always a compromise, but project management tools tend to offer non-paying subscribers quite a bit. For individuals (e.g., freelancers) or small organizations with simple projects, the free options may be sufficient for the time being; you can always upgrade later.

The only question is: which platform should you choose?

The 10 Best Free Project Management Tools

Every provider handles their free plans differently. We’ve compiled the ten best project management tools with free options, detailing the advantages and limitations of each.

1.

ClickUp: Unlimited Tasks, Unlimited Members

ClickUp
ClickUp
(30,026 )
ClickUp is one of the most flexible project management tools because almost every feature and setting can be personalized. However, this makes the platform relatively complex - and sometimes a little slow.
huge flexibility
chats and real-time collaboration
forever free-plan
good documentation
complex and (sometimes) slow
8.6
good
Users
unlimited
Projects
5 - ∞
Tasks
unlimited
Views
up to 10
ClickUp Free
 $0.00
monthly price

ClickUp* offers an impressive level of flexibility, allowing nearly every feature, setting, and view to be configured and tailored to the specific needs and requirements of different teams.

This flexibility secured ClickUp the second place in our ranking of the best project management tools. It's a bit more complex than other solutions, especially for beginners, and the interface occasionally lags or freezes. Still, ClickUp is a great choice — with a generous free plan.

ClickUp is highly customizable and versatile.

What Does the Free Version of ClickUp Offer?

ClickUp’s Free Forever plan is described by the provider as best suited for “personal use.” However, its feature set and reasonable limitations also make it appealing for teams and small organizations.

  • Unlimited tasks
    There are no task limits in ClickUp’s free plan.

  • Unlimited members
    You can add as many team members as you want, there's no user cap.

  • All basic views
    Free Forever supports essential views, including List, Table, Kanban, and Calendar views.

  • Many features
    Advanced features such as time tracking, integrations, chats, whiteboards, and custom fields are included in their basic form.

The free version of ClickUp is an excellent choice if you need to manage projects with numerous tasks and visualize them from different perspectives, whether alone or with team members.

What Are the Limitations of ClickUp's Free Version?

Naturally, ClickUp’s free plan has certain restrictions:

  • 100 list limit
    While tasks are unlimited, projects are not. You can create up to 100 projects. Depending on how you organize and archive your projects, this should suffice for many teams.

  • Maximum of 5 Spaces
    In ClickUp, projects are divided into Spaces, which can represent teams, departments, overarching projects, or clients. The free plan allows up to five Spaces.

  • 100 MB storage limit
    Total storage is capped at 100 MB. If you upload many attachments or images, you might quickly exceed this limit.

  • Missing views and features
    Some views, features, and settings are reserved for paying customers across different plans.

If your projects use large amounts of data or need to be organized into multiple Spaces, you might quickly hit the limits of what ClickUp Free Forever can offer.

Review
8.6
good
Check Review
Advanced Features
9.4 / 10
Tasks & Planning
9.4 / 10
Dokumentation & Support
8.6 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
8.0 / 10
Configuration & Usage
7.4 / 10
2.

Asana: Intuitive Free Platform for up to 10 People

Asana Project Management
Asana Project Management
(78,141 )
Asana is a fast and highly polished project management all-rounder that is equally suitable for simple projects and complex processes. It offers powerful automation and reporting capabilities.
very easy to use
many different views and task features
powerful automations
a wide range of reports
no solo plan
8.5
good
Users
15 - ∞
Projects
unlimited
Tasks
unlimited
Views
up to 8
Asana Basic
 $0.00
monthly price

Looking for something a bit more snappy and intuitive? Then Asana* is worth a look. It boasts a more streamlined and appealing interface, and its process-oriented approach and powerful task management features make can effectively enhance team-wide project management.

However, Asana is less versatile than ClickUp. Customization options, including custom fields for tasks, are a bit limited, and it's lacking dedicated communication and collaboration tools.

Asana supports all key views even in the free plan.

What Does the Free Version of Asana Offer?

The free plan of Asana provides all the basics that individuals or small teams need to manage their tasks from a central dashboard. The benefits include:

  • Unlimited tasks and projects
    There are no limits on tasks or projects, allowing you to fully digitize your projects even with the free plan.

  • Unlimited storage
    Asana also caps storage at 100 MB, however, unlike ClickUp, this is per file and not cumulative.

  • Up to 10 team members
    You can invite up to 10 team members, which should be sufficient for small teams.

  • Multiple views
    The free plan grants access to List, Kanban, Calendar views, and a project overview.

The free version of Asana is ideal for freelancers and small organizations with up to ten members who seek a beginner-friendly platform for digital task management.

What Are the Limitations of Asana's Free Version?

The free version of Asana primarily restricts customization options:

  • Lack of views
    Some important views, such as Gantt or Timeline, are only available in higher-tier plans.

  • No automations
    You'll need to purchase a subscription if you want to automate your workflows with rules and conditions.

  • No custom fields
    Free users cannot use custom fields and must stick to Asana’s default task template.

  • Limited features
    Many other features, like forms, time tracking, and reporting dashboards, are not available in the free plan.

Asana’s free version offers all the basic features but makes it challenging to customize projects beyond the predefined templates and structures to fit individual needs.

Review
8.5
good
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Advanced Features
9.4 / 10
Configuration & Usage
9.4 / 10
Dokumentation & Support
8.6 / 10
Tasks & Planning
8.6 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
6.6 / 10
3.

Notion: Powerful Wiki Platform With Project Management Features

Notion
Notion
(103,009 )
As a wiki-like knowledge base with task management features, Notion is ideal for storing your teams data and documents in one central location. It is less process-focused than traditional project management tools, though.
useful wiki features
good value for money
built-in AI assistant
lacks time tracking & reporting
no chats possible
8.0
good
Users
1 - ∞
Projects
unlimited
Tasks
unlimited
Views
up to 7
Notion Free
 $0.00
monthly price

Notion* isn't a pure project management tool like ClickUp or Asana, but a wiki-like database with integrated project and task management features. This hybrid approach makes Notion incredibly versatile: you can use it to plan and manage projects, as well as a variety of other purposes — from taking notes and tracking habits to building an entire knowledge base for your business.

Because Notion is less process-based and project-focused than other tools in this space, setting it up requires a bit more initiative. And while it's not short on features, it does lack a few basics, such as time tracking or (extensive) reporting tools.

Still, Notion is a powerful project management solution that can be fully customized to your team's needs and project specifics, while also serving as a company wiki.

Notion is a wiki tool with project management features.

What Does the Free Plan of Notion Offer?

Notion’s free plan provides a full-featured user experience. You have access to all basic features, allowing you to create a comprehensive knowledge database for small teams and organize your projects within it. Here's what you get:

  • All key views
    Users of the free plan have access to most important views, including Kanban board, Timeline, and Calendar.

  • Advanced features
    Automations, task dependencies, forms, and other advanced features are supported in the free plan.

  • Up to 10 teammates
    Free users can collaborate with up to 10 colleagues in a Notion Workspace.

  • Unlimited blocks and pages for individuals
    Content on Notion is organized in pages with content blocks (e.g., checklists, views, images). Individual users can add unlimited blocks to their pages.

With its generous free plan, Notion is an excellent choice if you want to build a wiki page for yourself and/or your small team and systematically organize and store information, whether project-related or not.

What Are the Limitations of Notion's Free Version?

The premium version of Notion is significantly more powerful, especially for teams. Free users face the following limitations:

  • 5 MB file upload limit
    Large file attachments aren't possible with Notion Free: images, videos, and other files can only be 5 MB or less.

  • Limited blocks for teams
    Individual users can use unlimited blocks, but teams have a limit on the number of blocks they can use.

  • Restricted automations
    While basic automations are supported in the free plan, the selection of triggers and actions is limited.

Teams may find the block and upload limits restrictive in Notion’s free version, but there's still a lot they can achieve within these bounds.

Review
8.0
good
Check Review
Tasks & Planning
8.6 / 10
Configuration & Usage
8.6 / 10
Dokumentation & Support
8.0 / 10
Advanced Features
7.4 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
7.4 / 10
4.

Airtable: Excel on Steroids Is a Good Freebie Too

Airtable
Airtable
(37,407 )
As a hybrid of spreadsheet and database software, Airtable offers almost unlimited possibilities - also, but not only, for project management. The platform can be a real blessing for data-intensive projects, but it is also quite complex.
numerous field types
generous free version
good AI integration
great for data-heavy projects
complex for beginners
7.8
good
Users
5 - ∞
Projects
unlimited
Tasks
1,000 - 125,000
Views
up to 8
Airtable Free
 $0.00
monthly price

Airtable* isn't your run-of-the-mill project management platform, either. As a hybrid solution combining database, spreadsheet, and project management features, it offers nearly endless possibilities for organizing, filtering, and visualizing project and other data.

If you're looking for a process-oriented platform that can be set up quickly and adapted to standard project workflows, Airtable might not be the best choice. However, if you want to create a central platform as a “Single Source of Truth” for data-oriented projects, Airtable provides an incredibly versatile playground, even for free users.

Airtable excels in data-oriented projects.

What Does the Free Version of Airtable Offer?

Airtable's free plan comes with most of the platform's essential features. Key benefits include:

  • Unlimited Bases
    Projects in Airtable are organized in Bases, and free users are not limited in the number of Bases they can create.

  • 1,000 records per Base
    Tasks and other data entries within a Base are called records. The limit of 1,000 records per base is quite generous.

  • All key views
    Free users can visualize their bases using all important views, including Table, Calendar, Kanban, List, and Gallery views.

  • Up to 5 editors and 50 commentators
    Your Airtable Base can be managed by up to five editors, with an additional 50 commenters who can access and comment on your tables.

Airtable's free plan is so comprehensive that teams with smaller and simpler projects might never even notice its limitations.

What Are the Limitations of Airtable's Free Version?

Of course, paying subscribers get even more. Here's some of what's missing in the free plan:

  • Missing extensions
    Airtable can be enhanced with numerous integrations, but these are not accessible in the free version.

  • No Gantt or Timeline views
    Some views, such as Gantt and Timeline, aren't included in Airtable Free.

  • Limited automations
    Automations are capped at 100 executions per month. Bases with multiple workflows will reach this limit sooner rather than later.

  • Expensive upgrade to premium
    This is less a problem of the free version and more about Airtable’s general pricing structure. If you end up outgrowing the free version, the price jump to the cheapest premium plan is significant, with at least 20 USD per seat per month.

If you can do without extensions, automations, and timeline views, Airtable’s free version is still a powerful tool. However, if you find yourself needing these features in the future, be prepared for a steep price increase.

Review
7.8
good
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Dokumentation & Support
8.6 / 10
Advanced Features
8.6 / 10
Tasks & Planning
8.0 / 10
Configuration & Usage
8.0 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
6.0 / 10
5.

monday.com: Great platform, OK free plan

Best Overall 2024
monday Project Management
monday Project Management
(72,984 )
monday.com combines an intuitive interface with a broad range of customization options to deliver one of the best project management solutions on the market for small and medium-sized teams.
intuitive user interface
200+ integrations
many views and field types
great support
chats and PMs are missing
8.8
good
Users
2 - ∞
Projects
3 - ∞
Tasks
1,000 - ∞
Views
up to 8
monday Free
 $0.00
monthly price
Try for Free

monday.com* secured first place in our ranking of the best project management tools. That's because it's user-friendly and highly customizable, with a wide range of features, all wrapped in an intuitive dashboard that makes it easy for beginners to get started.

monday.com strikes a great balance between tools like Asana, which is very process-focused, and Airtable, which is more data-driven. It combines the best of both worlds, offering a versatile set of project management features.

Our winner, monday.com, also offers a solid free version.

What Does the Free Version of monday.com's Offer?

The free plan of monday.com is best suited for individuals and (very) small teams who want to store tasks and data centrally.

  • Unlimited documents
    You can create documents directly on monday.com and collaborate on them in real-time with your team members.

  • 200+ templates
    monday.com offers plenty of templates for different industries, all of which are available in the free plan.

  • 8 types of columns
    Organize your tasks with custom columns, using up to eight different column types.

The free plan of monday.com enables basic task management for one to three people but imposes more restrictions than other tools.

What Are the Limitations of monday.com's Free Plan?

Unfortunately, monday.com isn't as generous with its free plan as other providers in our top 5:

  • 3 team members maximum
    The free plan is only suitable for tiny teams, as you can only invite up to two team members.

  • Lacking views
    Many views, such as Calendar, Timeline, Map, Workload, and Chart, are not available in the free version.

  • 200 elements (expandable up to 1,000)
    By default, you can only add up to 200 items in the free version. This limit can be increased to 1,000 if you invite enough people.

monday.com's free plan is less 'standalone' than other solutions and only suitable for small, simple projects.

Review
8.8
good
Check Review
Dokumentation & Support
9.4 / 10
Advanced Features
9.4 / 10
Tasks & Planning
8.6 / 10
Configuration & Usage
8.6 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
8.0 / 10

Other Providers

Our top 5 is just a small selection; many other project management tools are available for free. In fact, out of the eleven platforms we tested, ten offer a free version. We don’t want to keep the remaining five from you:

Wrike

Wrike Project Management
Wrike Project Management
(17,621 )
Wrike is a solid project management tool for teams that can be tailored to the needs of different team sizes and project workflows. However, many useful functions are only available in premium plans.
good free plan
many task features
user-friendly interface
limited field types
no solo plan
8.0
good
Users
25 - ∞
Projects
unlimited
Tasks
200 - ∞
Views
up to 6
Wrike Free
 $0.00
monthly price

Wrike* is most comparable to Asana and monday.com. It boasts an intuitive interface suitable for beginners, versatile task features, and easy-to-set-up automations.

Wrike's free plan includes most of the essential project and task management features, but only allows for 200 active tasks, and many advanced tools (e.g., forms, automations, custom fields) are missing or restricted.

Review
8.0
good
Check Review
Dokumentation & Support
8.6 / 10
Advanced Features
8.6 / 10
Configuration & Usage
8.6 / 10
Tasks & Planning
8.0 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
6.0 / 10

Teamwork.com

Teamwork.com
Teamwork.com
(2,444 )
Teamwork is an agency-oriented project management tool with built-in time tracking, budgeting and invoicing features, making it particularly suitable for managing client projects.
budgeting & billing features
ideal for client projects
solid free plan
few field types
more complex than other tools
8.4
good
Users
5 - ∞
Projects
unlimited
Tasks
unlimited
Views
up to 7
Teamwork Free
 $0.00
monthly price

Teamwork.com* is a project management platform designed for teams working on client projects, such as agencies.

The free plan of Teamwork.com supports up to five projects for up to five people. However, the more interesting features for client work — like the ability to invite clients — are reserved for paying customers, and the budget features the platform is known for are limited.

Review
8.4
good
Check Review
Advanced Features
9.4 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
8.6 / 10
Dokumentation & Support
8.0 / 10
Tasks & Planning
8.0 / 10
Configuration & Usage
8.0 / 10

Trello

Trello Project Management
Trello Project Management
(161,610 )
Trello offers affordable and intuitive Kanban-style project management for small and medium-sized teams. However, the platform is less flexible than other tools and is not suitable for team communication.
good for Kanban projects
great free plan
simple even for beginners
lots of integrations
limited functionality
7.8
good
Users
unlimited
Projects
10 - ∞
Tasks
unlimited
Views
up to 5
Trello Free
 $0.00
monthly price

Trello* takes a more focused approach than other tools: it's essentially a Kanban platform for smaller teams, with a deliberately limited feature set.

In Trello's free plan, you can create up to ten boards per workspace and an unlimited number of cards per board. However, file storage is limited to 10 MB per file and advanced views beyond the classic Kanban view are missing.

Review
7.8
good
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Configuration & Usage
9.4 / 10
Dokumentation & Support
8.0 / 10
Tasks & Planning
8.0 / 10
Advanced Features
7.4 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
6.0 / 10

Smartsheet

Smartsheet
Smartsheet
(113,916 )
Excel meets project management: Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-based platform that works well as a work tool for data-intensive projects. However, it is less suitable for beginners and visual minded people.
customizable and flexible
numerous dashboards and reports
powerful automations
complex to use
few collaboration features
7.5
good
Users
2 - ∞
Projects
2 - ∞
Tasks
unlimited
Views
up to 7
Smartsheet Free
 $0.00
monthly price

Similar to Airtable, Smartsheet* is a hybrid solution that's best for data-intensive projects and requires spreadsheet know-how.

Smartsheet Free can be used by one person and up to two editors. Users are limited to two Sheets and 500 MB of storage.

Review
7.5
good
Check Review
Advanced Features
9.4 / 10
Dokumentation & Support
8.6 / 10
Tasks & Planning
8.0 / 10
Configuration & Usage
7.4 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
4.0 / 10

MeisterTask

MeisterTask Project Management
MeisterTask Project Management
(13,113 )
MeisterTask is a digital Kanban tool with time tracking that makes it easier to plan simple projects. However, the task structure is strictly predefined; alternative views and advanced features are missing.
user-friendly interface
good for Kanban projects
straightforward automations
limited functionality
relatively expensive
6.8
satisfactory
Users
unlimited
Projects
3 - ∞
Tasks
unlimited
Views
up to 2
MeisterTask Basic
 $0.00
monthly price

MeisterTask* goes all-in on Kanban — even more so than Trello, because it doesn't support other views at all.

In the free plan, you can create up to three projects, customize boards, and invite unlimited project members.

Review
6.8
satisfactory
Check Review
Advanced Features
7.4 / 10
Tasks & Planning
7.4 / 10
Configuration & Usage
7.4 / 10
Dokumentation & Support
6.0 / 10
Collaboration & Communication
6.0 / 10

Conclusion

Project management software doesn't have to break the bank. Many platforms offer free plans that, despite limitations like project or storage limits, are quite comprehensive. The free versions of ClickUp, Asana, Notion, and Airtable are especially generous, enabling small teams and individuals to effectively manage their tasks and projects free of charge.

If you find them useful and want access to additional features, you can always upgrade later. Use our rankings and pricing filters to find the best option for your budget.

Top Project Management Software 2024
Sponsored
from  $0.00
per month
monday
from  $0.00
per month
ClickUp
from  $0.00
per month
Asana
from  $0.00
per month
Teamwork
show all
Author (German Version): Martin Gschwentner
Martin has been a freelance writer in the B2B sector for more than eight years, specializing in technical case studies for tech companies like Google Cloud. He lives in London, where he runs his own company, GSCRIBE, focusing on customer success stories and employer branding. At EXPERTE, he shares his knowledge about software and strategies that help freelancers and self-employed professionals optimize their business processes and work more efficiently.
Translation: D Bare
* Ad disclaimer: For links marked with an asterisk, EXPERTE.com may earn a commission from the provider. The commission has no influence on our editorial rating.
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Best Overall 2024
Sponsored
monday Project Management
intuitive user interface
200+ integrations
many views and field types
great support
8.8
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