Best Free Project Management Software for 2023
Compare our picks of the best free project management software for 2023. Learn more about standout features, benefits and drawbacks with our guide.
There is no doubt that project management solutions help streamline workflows and boost team productivity. However, not everyone needs advanced features. A basic or free version is enough for their needs. In some cases, business leaders or project managers want to try out the free version before they upgrade to a paid plan.
SEE: The 10 best project management software and tools for 2023 (TechRepublic)
This list highlights the best free project management software for 2023. You will also find information on the benefits and limitations of using free software for project management and our methodology for compiling this list.
Top free project management software comparison
This table compares the top free project management software in terms of relevant features, support and starting price for paid plans.
| Software | Gantt charts | 24/7 customer support | Kanban boards | Mobile app | Starting price (per user) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| monday work management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $8 per month |
| Asana | Only with paid plans | Yes | Yes | Yes | $10.99 per month |
| Airtable | Only with paid plans | No | Yes | Yes | $10 per month |
| Wrike | Only with paid plans | No | Yes | Yes | $8 per month |
| Trello | Not available | No | Yes | Yes | $5 per month |
| ClickUp | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $5 per month |
monday work management: Best for scalability
monday work management often features on 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, files 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 more ideal for individuals and small teams.
Free and paid plans
- Free: No cost for up to two seats and three boards.
- Basic: $8 per user per month, billed annually, or $10 per user billed monthly.
- Standard: $10 per user per month, billed annually, or $12 per user billed monthly.
- Pro: $16 per user per month, billed annually, or $20 per user billed monthly.
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote.
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.
Pros
- Clean and intuitive interface.
- Highly customizable.
- Access to all main boards.
Cons
- Default notification settings can be annoying.
- Limited views in the free plan.
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.
Free and paid plans
- Basic: No cost for unlimited tasks, projects, messages, activity logs and file storage.
- Premium: $10.99 per user per month, billed annually, or $13.49 per user billed monthly.
- Business: $24.99 per user per month, billed annually, or $30.49 per user billed monthly.
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote.
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.
Pros
- Agile and scrum support.
- Unlimited teams and projects in the free plan.
- Multiple project views.
Cons
- You can only assign one task to one team member.
- Limited time tracking.
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.
Free and paid plans
- Free: No cost for up to five users and editors as well as unlimited commenter and read-only users.
- Plus: $10 per user per month, billed annually, or $12 per user billed monthly.
- Pro: $20 per user per month, billed annually, or $24 per user billed monthly.
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote.
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.
Pros
- Powerful customization capabilities.
- Multiple views.
- Variety of Airtable apps and add-ons.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Permissions for user access are a bit confusing.
For more information, check out our full Airtable review.
Wrike: Best for independent workers
Wrike is a versatile 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.
Free and paid plans
- Free: No cost for Board and Table views with limited active tasks.
- Team: $9.80 per user per month for two to 25 users.
- Business: $24.80 per user per month for five to 500 users.
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote.
- Pinnacle: Contact sales for a custom quote.
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.
Pros
- Variety of project templates.
- Powerful tools for security.
- Customized reports and dashboards.
Cons
- Initial setup can be difficult.
- Mobile app lacks functionality.
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 you only get to upload files that are 10MB or less.
Free and paid plans
- Free: No cost for individuals or small teams.
- Standard: $5 per user per month, billed annually, or $6 per user billed monthly.
- Premium: $10 per user per month, billed annually, or $12.50 per user billed monthly.
- Enterprise: Starts at $17.50 per user per month, depending on the number of users.
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.
Pros
- Flexible and customizable.
- Unlimited cards and lists in the free plan.
- Drag-and-drop interface is easy to use.
Cons
- Difficult to track multiple projects at a time.
- Maximum limit of 50 automated command runs per month.
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.
Free and paid plans
- Free: No cost for unlimited free plan members with unlimited tasks.
- Unlimited: $5 per person per month, billed annually, or $9 per user billed monthly.
- Business: $12 per person per month, billed annually, or $19 per user billed monthly.
- Business Plus: $19 per person per month, billed annually, or $29 per user billed monthly.
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote.
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.
Pros
- Unlimited users.
- Easy to create and customize reports.
Cons
- Maximum of 100 uses of custom fields.
- File storage is limited to 100MB.
For more information, check out our full ClickUp review.
What are the benefits of free project management software?
The most significant benefit of free project management software is that you get to try the software without having to pay anything. The best project management software offers a variety of features in the free version, so for some businesses or users, the free plan will be all they need for their project management.
In addition, the free version provides a feel for the user interface and overall functionality of the software, so if you want to upgrade, you have a good idea of what to expect from the software.
What are the limitations of free project management software?
The limitation of free project management software is specific to each solution. Some of the more common limitations may include:
- Most free versions don’t offer integration capabilities with third-party applications.
- There are sometimes limits on the number of projects, users, file storage, activity log and other parameters.
- In most cases, there is a limit to the number of project views, reporting and analytics and other advanced features.
How to choose free project management software
When choosing the best free project management software for your needs, you must decide which features are most important. For example, if you need software with 24/7 customer support or Gantt charts, you must shortlist vendors offering those features.
Once you have shortlisted a few solutions based on specifications, you need to dig deeper through expert reviews and customer ratings. You should also test out the software to make an informed decision if it is the right fit for your needs.
Review methodology
We used the software’s features, pricing, customer support, usability and other criteria to compile the best free project management software list. Each software’s popularity, user ratings, expert reviews and hands-on experience were evaluated.
The evaluation was focused on the features offered in the free version of each software. This includes features such as file sharing, project views, collaboration tools and mobile app.
Read next: 6 best project management software for small businesses (TechRepublic)
