Best free project management software: 10 tools worth using today

Best free project management software options at a glance

How we selected these tools

Not every tool that calls itself “free” made this list. To keep things useful, we applied a few ground rules when deciding what to include. Our criteria included:

• Permanent free plan: Every tool here offers a free plan with no expiry date. If it’s a trial dressed up as a free tier, it didn’t make the cut.
• Core project management features: We only included tools that cover the basics, like task creation and assignment, at least one project view (such as a Kanban board, list, or timeline), and some form of collaboration. Note-taking apps and basic to-do lists weren’t considered.
• Established and well-reviewed: Each tool on this list has a track record. We looked for software with a meaningful user base, consistent reviews, and enough stability that you can rely on it for real work.
• Transparent about what’s free: Some tools make it genuinely difficult to figure out what you get without paying. We prioritized tools that are upfront about their free plan limits, and we’ve done the work of laying that out clearly for each one below.

Below, we’ll explore these 10 free project management tools in more detail. 

1. Wrike: Project management software that’s free forever for unlimited users

Wrike is a project management tool used by over 30,000 companies worldwide, including Siemens, Fitbit, and Walmart Canada. It’s built for teams that need a flexible, collaborative workspace that can scale as their needs grow. Our free plan is free forever and supports unlimited users at no cost.

Even on the free plan, Wrike provides customizable folder structures, multiple project views, external collaborator access, and enterprise-grade security. And when you’re ready to upgrade, paid plans unlock Gantt charts, 400+ integrations, AI-powered automation, and advanced reporting.

What can you do with Wrike’s free plan?

• Manage tasks and subtasks for your whole team, with assignees, folder structures, and company-wide work schedules included.
• Visualize work your way with Kanban boards, tables, and charts.
• Collaborate with people outside your organization, including external reviewers and stakeholders, at no extra cost.
• Get started quickly with free templates covering use cases from marketing planning to software development.
• Keep your data secure with enterprise-grade security and two-factor authentication included on the free plan.

What can you do with Wrike’s paid plans?

• Access Gantt charts, calendars, and custom item types for more advanced project visualization and workflow control.
• Set up personal dashboards and real-time reporting so every team member has a personalized view of their work.
• Connect to 400+ native integrations and set up custom approval flows for internal and external stakeholders.
• Automate repetitive tasks and use Wrike AI to forecast project risk, identify automation opportunities, and generate content.

Wrike pricing

• Free: $0 (unlimited users)
• Team: $10/user per month
• Business: $25/user per month
• Pinnacle: Custom pricing
• Apex: Custom pricing

Find out more about your options on our plan comparison table.

2. Trello

Trello is a project and task management tool that’s known for being simple and easy to use. Trello’s free plan can help you manage a limited number of basic projects. 

What sets Trello apart from other project management tools is that it’s primarily a Kanban board, with cards that you can drag and drop between different statuses. The free plan offers Kanban functionality, but you will need to pay more if you want other types of visualizations. 

What can you do with Trello’s free plan?

• Use Kanban boards to track project progress. You get unlimited cards (representing tasks), but you can only set up 10 separate projects. 
• Automate some very basic tasks, such as changing the status of cards. 
• Set assignees and due dates, so you can see who needs to do what. 
• Track projects on both desktop and mobile apps. It helps you manage your simple projects wherever you are. 

What can you do with Trello’s paid plans?

• See your work in different views, such as timeline, table, and calendar. 
• Get insight into project metrics with reporting tools. 
• Create as many projects as you need. Trello’s higher plans offer unlimited projects. However, it’s still a good choice only for simple projects.

Trello pricing

• Free: $0 for unlimited users
• Standard: $5/user per month (billed annually)
• Premium: $10/user per month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: $17.50/user per month (billed annually)

3. Notion

Notion is better known as a platform where you can create business documentation and company wikis. However, it does have some project management features too, such as task assigning, reporting tools, and some automations.

Most of this is available on Notion’s free plan. However, this basic plan has time limitations on page history if you want more than one user, which can be frustrating. Plus, while Notion is known for its AI tools, these aren’t available on the free version at all. 

What can you do with Notion’s free plan?

• Choose from a range of project views, including calendar, timelines, and boards.
• Set up tasks, link dependencies, and create subtasks too. 
• Access extremely limited analytics, including just one analytics chart of your choice. 
• Publish content to the web. As Notion is also a content management system, you can publish any content you create. However, you won’t be able to link your site with Google Analytics on the free plan. 

What can you do with Notion’s paid plans?

• Perform basic automations, such as setting task assignees and deadlines. 
• Get better CMS tools, including search engine indexing and site customizations.
• Secure your site and organizational data. Notion limits most of its security features, such as single sign-on and HIPAA compliance, to higher plans. 
• Use AI at an extra cost. Notion’s additional AI features cost $8/user on top of what you’d be paying already. 

Notion pricing

• Free: $0 for individuals
• Plus: $10/user per month (billed annually)
• Business: $15/user per month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: Custom 

If you want AI, you can add it to each of the plans for an additional $8/month per user (billed annually). 

4. Zoho Projects

Zoho is a software company offering business platforms for everything from customer relationship management (CRM) to invoicing. Zoho Projects is its project management software. 

While its free features are limited, if you’re looking for an affordable project management tool, Zoho Projects could be a good choice. You’ll notice that pricing is lower than that of other providers. Just be aware that it’s not quite as robust as other platforms out there.

What can you do with Zoho Projects’ free plan?

• Manage just two projects, for up to three team members. 
• Set up tasks, subtasks, and task dependencies within those projects. 
• Integrate with some platforms, including Zapier, Dropbox, Slack, and three of Zoho’s other products.
• See some basic reporting and analytics charts. 

What can you do with Zoho Projects’ paid plans?

• Access Gantt charts and workload reports. 
• Use resource management features, such as time tracking. 
• Integrate with 11 external collaboration tools and all nine other Zoho applications. 

Zoho Projects pricing

• Free: $0 
• Premium: $4/user per month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: $9/user per month (billed annually)
• Ultimate: $14/user per month (billed annually)

5. Nifty

Nifty is a less well-known project management software. However, it’s a good option for startups and smaller teams that want an affordable tool with lots of features on its cheaper plans. While it does the basics well, what you won’t get on the free plan is any robust security or other advanced features. 

What can you do with Nifty’s free plan?

• Manage two active projects at a time, with unlimited members. 
• Use key features, such as tasks, milestones, docs, and dependencies. 
• Chat with team members using the native chat messenger.
• Self-serve support through the help center. 

What can you do with Nifty’s paid plans?

• Manage an unlimited number of projects and team members, but only at the most expensive plans.
• Access advanced features, such as time tracking, custom fields, and budget and goals tracking.
• Secure your data with much more robust security procedures. 

Nifty pricing

• Free: $0
• Personal: $7/user per month (billed annually)
• Pro: $10/user per month (billed annually)
• Business: $16/user per month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: Custom

6. OpenProject

OpenProject is a free and open-source software for project management. That means it’s built for the community, with everyone allowed to access and view its code. 

As a result, OpenProject has a large range of free features and always offers community support, allowing you to access help whenever you need it. If you want to upgrade, there are options for that too, with enterprise features to add to your software. 

What can you do with OpenProject’s free plan?

• Visualize your work in Gantt charts, and share them with stakeholders.
• Schedule your work throughout the week, accounting for time off.
• Track and evaluate costs and budgets. 
• Set up custom fields and workflows.

What can you do with OpenProject’s paid plans?

• Access OpenProject’s enterprise features, such as Kanban, version, and team boards.
• Build a work breakdown structure.
• Get help from professional support, including on-site support. 
• Integrate with GitHub, GitLab, Nextcloud, and OneDrive.

OpenProject pricing

• Community: Free
• Basic: $7.25 per user per month (billed annually)
• Professional: $13.50 per user per month (billed annually)
• Premium: $19.50 per user per month (billed annually)
• Corporate: Custom

7. Freedcamp

While it’s another tool that’s not so well-known in the project management space, Freedcamp is often cited as an effective free option for streamlining work processes. It also has affordable plans if you choose to upgrade. 

As such, it may have a lot of what you need from a free project management app. But, like many of the other tools on this list, most of the very useful functions are reserved for the paid plans. 

What can you do with Freedcamp’s free plan?

• Create tasks and milestones, chat with colleagues, and share files.
• Set up a workspace with an unlimited number of colleagues.

• Connect to other apps via the Zapier integration. 

• Make projects public to spread awareness of your work. 

What can you do with Freedcamp’s paid plans?

• Integrate with other tools more easily, including Google Suite, Dropbox, and email.
• Create templates from past projects. 
• Benefit from add-ons such as Gantt charts, custom fields, and recurring tasks. 

Freedcamp pricing

• Free: $0
• Pro: $1.49/user per month (billed annually)
• Business: $7.49/user per month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: $16.99/user per month (billed annually)

8. ClickUp

ClickUp is a project management tool that offers an unusually large number of features in a single platform. On top of task management, it includes docs, whiteboards, and time-tracking tools all in one workspace. 

Its “Free Forever” is one of the most generous free tiers in this space. That said, the free plan does cap storage at 100MB and limits things like custom fields and dashboards, so heavier users will eventually likely need to upgrade to keep using the software effectively. 

What can you do with ClickUp’s free plan?

• Manage unlimited tasks with unlimited users, no matter how many people are on your team.
• Track time directly within the platform, a feature most tools save for paid plans.
• Create wikis, project briefs, and process docs with the full docs editor, linked directly to your tasks.
• View work as a list, board, or calendar, with custom statuses and checklists included.
• Organize work into up to 5 Spaces and use custom fields up to 100 times.

What can you do with ClickUp’s paid plans?

• Unlock unlimited custom views and guest permissions on the Unlimited plan, starting at $7/user per month.
• Remove the caps on custom fields, dashboards, and whiteboards that limit the free plan.
• Access advanced automations and deeper reporting on higher-tiered plans. 
• Integrate with tools your team already uses, including Slack, HubSpot, Google Drive, and more. 

ClickUp pricing

• Free Forever: $0 (unlimited users)
• Unlimited: $7/user per month (billed annually) 
• Business: $12/user per month (billed annually) 
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

9. Monday.com

Monday.com is a project management tool with visual, intuitive boards. The software’s clean, polished interface is easy to use and doesn’t come with a steep learning curve. 

The free plan is genuinely free with no time limit, but it’s quite restricted. Teams are capped at 2 users and 3 boards, with no automations or integrations included. It works well for individuals or pairs tracking basic work, but teams of three or more will need to upgrade straight away.

What can you do with Monday.com’s free plan?

• Access up to 3 boards and 3 docs, along with 200+ templates and 8 column types.
• Track tasks visually with Kanban view, which makes it easy to see what’s in progress at a glance.
• Manage work on the go with the iOS and Android apps.

What can you do with Monday.com’s paid plans?

• Unlock automations, integrations, and Gantt views on the Standard plan, the features that reduce the most manual work.
• Set up automated workflows for repetitive tasks like status updates and notifications.
• Get unlimited boards, time tracking, and advanced reporting on Pro and Enterprise plans.
• Access portfolio and resource management, along with multi-level permissions and enterprise-grade security.
• Use credits for AI tools, including an AI meeting notetaker, Sidekick AI assistant, and AI workflow builder. 

Monday.com pricing

• Free: $0 (up to 2 users)
• Basic: $9/user per month (billed annually)
• Standard: $12/user per month (billed annually) 
• Pro: $19/user per month (billed annually) 
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

10. Asana

Asana is a widely used project management tool for freelancers as well as Agile, operations, and marketing teams with a clean interface and structured approach to task and project tracking.

While the free plan is limited in terms of the number of users (only 2 allowed), it does include unlimited tasks, projects, and storage. Free plan users also get access to list, calendar, and board views. 

What can you do with Asana’s free plan?

• Manage unlimited tasks and projects with list, board, and calendar views, with assignees and due dates included.
• Store unlimited files directly within Asana, with each file up to 100MB in size.
• Share progress updates on projects to keep collaborators in the loop on what’s done and what’s coming up.
• Connect to 100+ integrations, including Slack, Google Drive, and Zoom, as well as time-tracking tools.

What can you do with Asana’s paid plans?

• Add timeline and Gantt views on the Starter plan, along with unlimited automations, custom fields, and reporting dashboards.
• Invite unlimited team members and guests without hitting a user cap or paying extra per person.
• Manage a portfolio of work on the Advanced plan, with goals tracking, workload management, approvals, and proofing tools.
• Connect to Salesforce, Tableau, and Power BI for unified reporting across your projects and business data.
• Access enterprise-grade controls at the Enterprise level, including SAML authentication, user provisioning, capacity planning, and view-only licenses.

Asana pricing

• Personal (free): $0 (up to 2 users)
• Starter: $10.99/user per month (billed annually)
• Advanced: $24.99/user per month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Limitations of free project management software

Free project management software can be a great starting point, especially for individuals, freelancers, and small businesses. But it’s worth going in with realistic expectations. Here are some of the most common limitations you’ll run into:

• User caps: Many free plans limit you to two or three users, which rules them out for larger teams straight away.
• Fewer views and features: Things like Gantt charts, timeline views, automations, and advanced reporting are almost always locked behind paid plans.
• File size and storage limits: Even tools with unlimited storage often cap individual file uploads, which can be frustrating for teams sharing large assets.
• Limited customization: Free plans rarely let you customize workflows, statuses, or fields to match the way your team actually works.
• Minimal support: Most free tiers offer community or self-serve support only, with no dedicated help if something goes wrong.
• Scaling becomes difficult: As your team or projects grow, you’ll likely hit the ceiling of what a free plan can handle and need to upgrade anyway.

If your team is small and your projects are relatively straightforward, a free plan may be all you need. Several of the tools in this guide offer "free forever" plans with useful features. 

But if you’re managing complex workflows, growing a team, or require complex project planning it’s worth factoring in what you’d need from a paid plan from the start.

Choose Wrike for scalable project management software

In this guide, we’ve shared some of the best free project management software out there right now. As you’ll have seen, all free plans will pose some limitations on what you can do with the software. Which one you choose will depend on which free features best match your needs.

If you’re looking for a free project management tool that allows unlimited users for an unlimited amount of time and can scale with you as your workflows become more complex, choose Wrike. Get started today.

Frequently asked questions about free project management software

What is the best free project management software?

The best free project management software depends on your team size and needs. Wrike is the strongest option for larger teams, since its free plan supports unlimited users. Other top tools include Trello, Notion, ClickUp, and Asana. 

What is the difference between a free plan and a free trial in project management software?

A free plan is a permanent tier that you can use indefinitely at no cost, though it usually comes with limits on users, features, or storage. A free trial gives you access to a paid plan for a limited time, typically 14 or 30 days, before requiring you to enter payment details. Every tool on this list offers a genuine free plan, not a trial.

What features are typically included in a free project management plan?

The most common features included with free project management plans are basic task creation and assignment, at least one project view such as a list or Kanban board, due dates, and file sharing. More advanced features like Gantt charts, timeline views, custom workflows, and detailed analytics are usually reserved for paid plans.

What are the limitations of free project management software?

The most common limitations include caps on the number of users, restrictions on how many projects or tasks you can run at once, limited storage, and fewer project views. Most free plans also hide advanced features like automations, integrations, and custom fields behind a paywall.

What project management features are available for paid users?

Paid plans often include Gantt charts and timeline views, workflow automation, custom fields and statuses, advanced reporting and dashboards, and deeper integrations with third-party tools. Depending on the tier, you might also get additional guest access and priority support.