Hey, Sobat JBers! Did you know there are many free project management tools that can help your team achieve goals and meet deadlines while staying within budget? Keep reading to discover some of the best free project management software options.
These project management tools can automate various steps involved in the planning and execution of projects. This includes everything from task scheduling and resource allocation to tracking company milestones. With these tools, project managers can implement a structured work model where team members collaborate on individual tasks in sequence. This means that contributions to the project can be synchronized in real-time, accommodating different work styles.
What are the 5 Basic Principles of Project Management, and How Can They Help SMEs?
Project management activities typically consist of five phases: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and completion. With the help of project management software, team leaders can visualize and manage all these phases more easily. Here’s why implementing project management tools can be beneficial:
- Assess the feasibility of the project, its goals, risks, and constraints.
- Allocate resources or responsibilities and establish control points or performance indicators.
- Monitor team activities and create performance reports for stakeholders.
- Track progress, resolve scheduling conflicts, and adjust budgets.
- Release resources and personnel, prepare project reports, or communicate updates.
This article reviews seven top-rated free project management software tools from Capterra Spain, listed alphabetically. These tools feature free premium versions and Spanish-language websites, and each has earned an average rating of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars over the past two years. You can check out the full methodology at the end of the article.
1. Asana
Asana is a project management software where users can view real-time data on projects and teams. This allows team leaders to monitor the progress of their team and each member through custom graphs and control panels called roadmaps. These roadmaps make it easy to create custom timelines, update priorities, and communicate with stakeholders about project developments. The platform also features Agile workboards customizable with various pre-defined templates, facilitating file sharing. Scrum and Kanban boards are available through this tool, helping improve project and task management. Users can also measure team performance and generate detailed reports on the platform.
Features offered by Asana include:
- Task creation and workflows powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
- Collaborative teams of up to 500 members with access to classifiable idea panels.
- Access to forms with customizable fields.
- Gantt chart and timeline views.
- Billing features.
- Unlimited project dashboards.
- Time tracking and billing with the “TaskBill” browser extension.
- Integration with reporting and business intelligence (BI) tools.
For collaboration with more than 10 colleagues, Asana offers Jira software for free indefinitely. It also provides a maximum of 2 GB storage capacity and features like Scrum and Kanban boards, customizable workflows, and roadmaps.
2. Clockify
Clockify is a project management tool for desktop and mobile devices suitable for both office-based and remote work. It allows companies with teams in different locations to track work hours and project progress. Users can utilize various time-tracking tools, such as timers, weekly timesheets, and automatic trackers that monitor app and website usage. Managers can also schedule shifts, assign tasks, and even approve timesheets through the platform. Users can manage user profiles, define billable hours for each team member, and control group access.
Additional features of Clockify include:
- Tracking of app and website usage, screenshot overviews, and live GPS tracking.
- Billable tasks with automatically generated billing data.
- Desktop and mobile versions with automatic synchronization.
- Calendar view with task scheduling using drag and drop.
- Clock-in and break times with a PIN code.
- Dashboards with charts on team activity and time spent.
- Gantt chart and timeline views for project progress and user availability monitoring.
- Customizable invoicing with importing of time and expense data.
Clockify can be tried for free without restrictions on the number of projects and users. Other features like team chat and reports are also available. If you need more advanced features, there is an option to subscribe to a paid plan.
3. Flowlu
Flowlu is a project management software that provides real-time overviews of projects with metrics like the number of completed tasks, documentation, and revenue. Users can also create and update workflows through the platform, defining phases, milestones, and more. Flowlu offers Kanban boards with drag-and-drop editors, making it easy to visualize project progress. Financial forecasting tools are also available to ensure budgets are kept in check.
Some of the tasks users can perform with Flowlu include:
- Generate income and expense reports to project budget and revenue forecasts.
- Create tasks with integrated templates, viewable as lists or Kanban boards.
- Create a searchable help center for clients and employees.
- Issue individual and recurring invoices.
- Gantt chart and timeline views.
- Automatic generation of tasks, collaborations, and budgets.
The free version of Flowlu offers 1 GB of storage for two users indefinitely, with unlimited contacts and projects. Standard features include invoicing, expense tracking, and automated CRM. The Team plan upgrade provides task automation, email integration, and time tracking. Higher-tier plans offer additional features.
4. MeisterTask
MeisterTask is a project management tool that supports both remote and hybrid teams. It’s particularly useful in software development, marketing, and event management but can also be used by professionals needing ongoing work management, like product development. Whether applying Scrum and Agile methodologies or simply needing to manage to-do lists, MeisterTask helps ensure detailed workflows and collaboration. This is achieved through the platform’s productivity features and developer platform integrations.
MeisterTask features include:
- Personal dashboard with notifications and task and due date views.
- Gantt chart and Kanban boards for quick scheduling.
- Chronological view with activity tracking and alerts.
- Team performance metrics, graphs, and other analytics.
- File sharing and emojis within task cards, as well as idea management.
- Time-tracking reports for each task, user, and team.
To use core task management features like customizable project boards, users can sign up for the free Basic package, available for up to three projects, five collaborative notes, and as many project members as needed. The Pro version offers unlimited projects and notes, with file attachment sizes up to 200 MB. Other paid plans offer additional features.
5. OpenProject
OpenProject is an open-source project management tool suitable for both traditional and Agile project management. On-premise implementation allows users to manage the tool on private servers, ensuring control over sensitive data, while the developer also offers a cloud version as a standard option. Features like drag-and-drop task scheduling, project wikis, information management, and integrated comment boxes allow users to collaborate in real-time. Side-by-side panels provide in-depth perspectives so team leaders can stay focused on the most important tasks and priorities.
OpenProject features include:
- A project overview page.
- Work packages with tasks, subtasks, milestones, and assignment options.
- Project planning with Gantt charts, timelines, and shareable files.
- Manual or automated task scheduling.
- Scrum task boards, backlog charts, and idea management.
- Shareable Agile boards for team members.
- Time tracking and log history.
- Budgeting, tracking, and reporting.
Community members of OpenProject can access all features for free, but the enterprise and professional paid plans offer customer support as an additional service. The open-source plan upgrade is available with the Basic plan for a minimum of five users, providing access to team planners, Kanban boards, alerts, quick chart access, and custom fields. All paid plans are available for on-premise deployment only.
Sobat JBers, that’s a wrap on some free project management tools that you can take advantage of. Choose the one that fits your needs the best! Don’t forget to share this article on your social media so your friends can learn about these cool tools too!