6 Free Project Management Software Options to Keep your Team on Track

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Importance of project management software tools

It’s a hectic world out there. One way to make it less so? A project management tool.

So, what exactly is a project management tool?

Basically, a project management tool is software that helps you plan, execute, and manage tasks.

The agency life is a complicated one, and requires you to wear many hats. But alas, you’ve only got one head to put them on. At least, at one time.

A project management app or similar task management tool helps you keep your head, and your cool, when things go pear-shaped at work. As they inevitably like to do. It also enables you to wear many professional hats with ease.

Common features of project management apps

You can use a project management tool for organizing many different tasks, including:

You can use a project management tool for organizing many different tasks, including:

• Marketing
• Construction
• Software development
• Event planning
• Tasks management
• Team collaboration
• File sharing
• Project tracking.

In addition to task organization, a project management tool also helps you and your team stay on track, on time, and on budget with various project tasks.

Money makes the world go round, and budget management is a critical part of any project. Project management software can help you track your budget and ensure that you’re spending within your means.

The types of budgeting features that most project management tools have include things like expense tracking, invoicing, and cost analysis.

Team collaboration is another important feature of project management software, allowing team members to communicate as they complete various tasks and milestones.

Team collaboration features often include chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and task management.

This all sounds good, right? Well, it gets even better, harried project manager.

Project tracking is yet another handy-dandy feature of the most popular project management software tools.

If too-many scheduling mishaps have you counting down the days until sweet, sweet retirement, then you need project management software asap. It tracks progress and ensures that your project remains on schedule.

Project tracking includes milestone tracking, task lists, timelines, and so much more.

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Selecting the right tool

Selecting the right cloud-based project management software for your needs can be daunting. There are various options available on the market, each with its unique features and pricing structures.

So, when selecting project management software, you’ll need to consider your budget, the size and scope of your project, and the features you require.

Once you’ve chosen the right software and implement into your agency processes, then it won’t be long until you’ll be managing projects more effectively.

No matter what, project management software is a valuable asset to any project. And getting it to run more smoothly. Selecting the right software for your needs ensures that your project is well-organized and on track for success.

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Why do you need project management software?

Do you want to scale your business from a one-person back bedroom operation into something that sells for enough money that you can spend your retirement days in effortless sunshine?

Then to do that, you need to build a great business and team.

And that’s why you need project management software. And even better, if it’s a free project management tool.

Let’s get into the various types of project management tools and software next.

Email is not the best way to manage projects and tasks

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Email is inefficient. There, we said it. And it’s a huge time waster in terms of managing projects.

You’d be better off working with an A4 diary and a fountain pen. At least then, you could easily see what needs to be worked on next. Or you can just continue to get lost in never-ending email threads.

How about no? Ditch the email and go for project management software instead.

Cloud-based project management software systems streamline project management and increase productivity. These systems allow for task assignments, deadlines, progress tracking, and real-time collaboration.

Email can’t do that.

Free project management apps also provide audit trails to see who did what and when. Email can’t compete with that kind of efficiency and transparency.

So, if you’re serious about managing projects and tasks effectively, you need to use project management software — not email.

A project management app helps managers integrate processes, people, and data. It automates project management tasks and project management responsibilities.

If that sounds a bit highbrow, we can assure you it’s not. Once you start using free project management software, you’ll wonder how you ever managed projects without it.

But if you’re a big email fan, don’t worry.

Project management software can be a valuable tool for managing email communications on projects. While email is often the primary method of communication for project teams, it is not the only communication channel project managers need to consider.

Project management software can help project managers track and manage communications across multiple channels, including:

• Social media
• Instant messaging
• Video conferencing

Project managers can use this software to ensure that all project communications are captured and stored in one central location, making it easier (and faster) to find critical information.

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A quick word about “free” project management software

There’s project management software for every business size. But that doesn’t mean the free version is suitable for everyone. Although it might work for you. YMMV and all that.

Depending on the size of your business, the free version of project management software can cost you more money than an upgrade to the paid version. That’s because features like automation and time tracking can save you valuable time and energy. Often, they aren’t included in the free version.

Investing in paid project management software is a smart move for large teams if you’re serious about growing your business empire.

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Free project management tools we recommend highly

Many free project management tools are available today, each with different features.

At ScaleTime, we’ve done all the heavy lifting for you and saved you the brain power so you can quickly discover the best project management solution for your business.

Here are six popular (and free) project management software tools we’ve personally used and recommend, their best features, and the things they don’t do so well.

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Our top six project management tools

Asana

Asana is one of the most popular project management tools on the market, and for a good reason.

It’s simple to manage tasks, and features include project templates, task dependencies, and Gantt charts.

However, one downside of Asana is that it can be challenging to keep track of tasks not assigned to you.

Asana project management software is more straightforward and visually intuitive than most other software solutions. You can quickly move your task and assign work with the convenient drag-and-drop feature.

Asana is fast becoming the project management software solution for individuals and small businesses who want something that’s easy to use and doesn’t require much training.

Project management features:

• Project templates — Asana offers templates for common types of projects, making it easy to get started with the proper structure and process.
• Gantt charts — Asana’s Gantt charts help visualize project timelines and dependencies, so you can better plan and execute your project.
• Time tracking — Time tracking in Asana lets you see how much time is spent on each task so that you can optimize your project timeline better.
• Task dependencies — Asana enables you to create task dependencies to manage project dependencies better and avoid conflicting deadlines.
• Commenting — Commenting in Asana lets team members discuss tasks and projects in one place, making it easy to collaborate and stay on the same page.

Monday.com

monday.com is another free and popular project management tool. You can create project boards, add tasks and subtasks, assign project members, set deadlines, and track the team’s progress.

You can also add files and attachments to project boards so everyone can access the most up-to-date project information.

monday.com integrates with various other software platforms, making it easy to stay connected to your team no matter where you are.

Whether you’re managing a small project or a large-scale initiative, monday.com has the tools you need to get the job done right.

Project management features:

• Real-time collaboration — monday.com allows users to collaborate on projects in real-time.
• Visual project management — The software uses a visual project management system, which makes it easy to see what needs to be done and who is responsible for each task. This system helps improve project efficiency and ensures that all team members know their roles and responsibilities.
• Multiple project views — monday.com offers multiple views of projects, which means that users can see the big picture or focus on specific tasks.
• Flexible project management — The software can be used for various project types. This flexibility makes it an excellent tool for businesses of all sizes and ensures that it can be adapted to meet the changing needs of any organization.
• Outstanding customer support — monday.com offers superior customer support, giving users help when they need it.

ClickUp

ClickUp is the most feature-rich project management software on this list, which sometimes can overwhelm new users with the seemingly endless array of setup choices.

However, if you take the time to learn how to use all of its features, you’ll find that ClickUp is a potent project management tool that can help you get your work done more efficiently.

Users can choose to create project boards that reflect their specific workflow. Or they can use ClickUp’s pre-built templates to get started quickly.

With ClipUp you can have different dashboards and spaces, add tasks and subtasks, create Gantt Charts, assign project members, set deadlines, and track progress.

Additionally, ClickUp provides a wide range of features and integrations that allow users to customize their experience.

As a result, it can help you not only complete projects on time and within budget, but also identify opportunities for improvement in your project management process.

Project management features:

• Time Tracking — ClickUp allows you to see how much time your team is spending on each task and project. In addition, it can help you identify which tasks are taking longer than others so that you can adjust your project plan accordingly.
• Task Views — Choose from 11 task views, including lists, kanban, and calendar views. Users can configure their preferred display layout individually.
• Priority Tasks — Quickly and easily “flag” tasks that need priority.
• Calendar Sync — Sync your Google calendar both ways.
• Flexible project management — ClickUp can be used for different project types. Arrange and track all your project tasks and get an overview of your project progress with the Gantt Chart tool and other tools the software has.
• Templates — Find different project management templates or create them according to your needs.
• Task dependencies — ClickUp lets you create task dependencies. You can highlight tasks acting as “blockers” to complete other tasks.
• Real-Time Updates — Text updated in a ClickUp task is viewable straight away by other users.

Google Workspace (formerly Gsuite)

Google workspace is not so much project management but is more of a suite of tools that helps with user collaboration.

Google workspace is the best cloud-based office suite available. It provides an all-in-one solution for project management, file sharing, and collaboration, including Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

It also integrates with other Google products such as Calendar and Drive. Google workspace is very user-friendly and fast and helps you manage various tasks.

Google Workspace features:

• Project management — Get an overview of your project progress with the Gantt Chart tool, and share project files securely with your team using Drive.
• Email — Gmail is a powerful email platform that offers features like conversation view, search, labels, and filters to help you manage your inbox. With Google Chat, you can communicate with colleagues in real time, and with a calendar, you can easily schedule meetings and keep track of events.
• Cloud storage — Drive provides a secure place to store your files in the cloud so that you can access them from anywhere. With Docs, Sheets, and Slides, you can create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations collaboratively with your team.
• Document collaboration — With Google Docs, multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously. See who’s editing and leave comments for specific document sections.
• Real-time communication — With Hangouts Meet, you can video conference with up to 250 people. You can share presentations, slideshows, and notes during the meeting for a more interactive experience.

Teamwork

At its most basic, project management software helps you track and collaborate on tasks related to a specific goal or project. But it also give you valuable insights into how your team works together, where bottlenecks occur, and where you might need to make changes to stay on schedule.

The best project management software gives you a centralized place to track your various tasks, deadlines, and progress. But it also offers powerful features for tracking time, managing resources, and monitoring project performance.

Project management features:

• Time Tracking — The best feature of Teamwork is its time-tracking functionality.
• Resource Management — See which team members work on tasks and projects. It can help you identify overloaded team members and which ones are underutilized.
• Project Performance Monitoring — It allows you to see how your project progresses over time. In addition, it can help you identify areas where your project is falling behind schedule or over budget.

Trello

If we rate all project management software in features, then ClickUp would come out on top, and Trello would be at the bottom of the list. But don’t let its simplicity fool you! Trello is excellent project management software, and with good reason.

Trello uses a kanban style visual board, and it’s simple to create new lists and then add tasks (cards) to the lists. Each task can have attachments and due dates. Trello is brilliantly simple!

The main drawback of the free version of Trello is that you can have a maximum of ten projects. But that should be enough to get anyone started.

Project management features:

• Board view — Board view is the default view when you first open Trello, giving you an overview of all your projects and tasks. You can create new boards for different projects; each panel can contain multiple lists.
• List view — List view lets you see all the tasks in a separate list, which is helpful if you want to focus on one project at a time. Or if you need to see all the details of a particular task.
• Card view — This view allows you to see a specific task’s details on one screen, which is helpful when working on a complex task with many steps.
• Calendar View: Calendar view lets you see your jobs in a calendar format if you need to see when assignments are due or if you want to plan your project.
• Activity view — This view shows you all the activities on your boards, including who made what changes and when tracking progress on your project and keeping everyone accountable.

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Project management software: Punchline

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In today’s fast-paced business world, it’s more important than ever to streamline your workflows and get the most out of your team. That’s where a project management tool can come in handy.

Keeping everyone on the same page and assigning tasks to the right people ensures that every project is completed on time and within budget.

Not only that, but you can also keep track of progress and identify any potential bottlenecks before they become a huge problem.

With so many benefits, it’s no wonder that project management tools are becoming increasingly popular in businesses of all sizes.

If you want to improve your team’s productivity, you’ve got to jump on this bandwagon. Remember that you have free project management software options to do it, from the most simple tools like Trello to the even most robust ones like ClickUp.

• Asana
• Monday.com
• ClickUp
• Google Workspace (formerly Gsuite)
• Teamwork
• Trello

Get your project managers the app they need for task management. At least one of these project management tools will be a great solution for you and your team.

In the meantime, download our ScaleTime Project Management Checklist to help them improve their work.

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