Organizations of all sizes struggle with messy workflows, missed deadlines, and poor communication without a way to efficiently manage tasks and projects. Structured task management isn‘t just nice to have – it‘s essential for organizations who want to execute efficiently and delight customers with reliable delivery.
Fortunately, today there are excellent free and freemium tools available specifically designed to bring sanity to chaos through flexible task and project collaboration. These tools provide capabilities like:
- Centralized task and project overview
- Task assignment and tracking
- Deadline management
- File sharing and comments
- Custom workflows
- Visual boards and calendars
- Time tracking
- And more!
Benefits of Task Management Tools
Here are some of the biggest reasons organizations can benefit from using an online task or project management tool:
- Increased efficiency – Tools automate manual processes so workers can focus on execution rather than administration
- Better collaboration – Teams have transparency into workloads and progress
- Enhanced productivity – Tools help structure work in a manageable, logical way
- Greater reliability – Tasks have ownership and deadlines are tracked
- More flexibility – Tools allow visibility and progress tracking regardless of location
This article outlines 11 excellent free online task and project management tools perfect for solopreneurs, small teams, and organizations.
nTask
nTask is an online project management software that makes it simple for teams to plan projects, assign tasks, set priorities, create Gantt charts for deadlines, and track time spent. The tool provides a centralized place to manage all components of project execution so you can get work done efficiently.
Key Features:
- Task management with to-do lists
- Project roadmap planning
- Time tracking
- Resource management
- Gantt charts and calendars
- File sharing
- Progress dashboard
- iOS and Android access
- Customizable platform
nTask is free for unlimited members and projects, with paid upgrades available that include features like timesheets, analytics, portfolios, and integrations.
ClickUp
ClickUp is a highly flexible project management platform that allows customization of tasks, projects, and workflows to match your team‘s needs. The tool brings collaboration, documents, spreadsheets, reminders, calendars, and goals into a single unified interface.
Key Features:
- Custom hierarchies
- Shared team calendars
- File attachments
- Searchable conversations
- Recurring tasks
- Progress dashboards
- 100+ integrations
- iOS and Android access
ClickUp offers a forever free version supporting unlimited members, folders, docs, tasks and more – making it a great free option for teams. Paid plans unlock additional admin controls, reminders, goal tracking and priority support.
Trello
Trello pioneered Kanban-style boards for task and project management. The tool is intuitive and flexible, allowing any methodology you can imagine – from simple to-do lists to complex agile sprints and workflows.
Key Features:
- Kanban boards
- Custom views
- File attachments
- Conversations and comments
- Calendar view
- Dashboard overview
- Mobile apps
- Integration with tools like Slack, Salesforce, Hubspot and more
Trello offers unlimited free boards, lists, cards members, and attachments with upgrade options for more controls. The tool is easy for both beginners and power users alike.
MeisterTask
MeisterTask is a beautifully simple task management tool centered around projects, sectioned task lists, and an efficiency-focused dashboard. Straightforward boards make it simple to assign, schedule, track and monitor task progress.
Key Features:
- Project-centric Kanban boards
- Assignee and due date tracking
- Comments and attachments
- Progress reporting
- Workload visualization
- Calendar view
- iOS and Android access
- API and Zapier integration
MeisterTask offers a free plan for individuals with unlimited projects, task lists, and up to 5 collaborators. Paid plans add features like workload, custom fields, time tracking, and priority email support.
Notion
Notion is an innovative workspace for notes, tasks, wikis and databases. The flexible platform allows you to manage tasks and projects your way – tailored to your personal or team needs.
Key Features:
- Custom databases
- Kanban boards
- Wikis
- Documents
- Spreadsheets
- Charts and statuses
- Comments and activity log
- Zapier integrations
- Web, MacOS, iOS, Android, Windows
Notion offers a free personal plan so you can experience the versatile platform for notes, tasks, docs and data. Paid plans add collaboration features like sharing, permissions and version history.
monday.com
monday.com takes a workflow automation approach to task and project management. The tool allows you to create any process you need from the ground up or start with one of many template. All key information stays centralized so teams know who is doing what by when.
Key Features:
- Custom workflows
- Kanban task views
- Timeline schedules
- Dashboards and reports
- File storage
- Notifications and reminders
- iOS and Android apps
- 130+ app integrations including Github, Jira, Trello & more
monday.com offers their Basic plan free forever for up to 2 users. Paid plans add features like unlimited views, automations, integrations and priority support.
Todoist
Todoist is a long time favorite tool for personal task management that also shines for teams. The platform allows users to quickly capture tasks, schedule due dates, organize projects, and track daily progress.
Key Features:
- Quick add tasks
- Due dates
- Recurring schedules
- Filters and views
- Kanban board
- Reminders
- Comments
- Activity log
- Apps for iOS, Android, MacOS, Windows and more
Todoist offers their feature-rich Premium plan free for 30 days. Following the trial period, free plans cover up to 5 projects, 30 active tasks, and collaboration with up to 5 people.
Any.do
Any.do is a sleek and intuitive task manager for individuals and teams. The tool allows you to capture tasks, share lists, set reminders, attach files and track progress across devices.
Key Features:
- Shared task lists
- Reminders
- File attachments
- Progress sync
- Voice entry
- Personal assistant
- Available for iOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, browsers
- Integration with tools like Slack, Google Calendar, Zapier and more
Any.do offers a free forever plan for syncing unlimited tasks across devices. Premium plans add features like recurring tasks, location-based reminders, and priorities.
OpenProject
OpenProject is a robust, open-source project management tool perfect for agile teams. Capabilities span task, resource and demand management complete with budgeting and reporting.
Key Features:
- Task, milestone and meeting planning
- Budgets and cost reporting
- Gantt charts and calendars
- Document management
- Time tracking
- Custom fields and workflows
- 30+ language support
- On-premise or cloud option
As an open-source platform, OpenProject software is free to use. Paid cloud hosting plans start at €4/month and add support, updates, plugins and authentication.
Asana
Asana is one of the most popular nimble team task managers on the market. The tool is beautifully designed for clarity and collaboration when coordinating projects and tasks.
Key Features:
- Project overviews
- Customizable workflows
- Conversations and comments
- File attachments
- Calendar and timeline views
- Dashboards and reporting
- 100+ app integrations with tools like Salesforce, Dropbox, Adobe CC, Github and more
- Robust free plan
Asana offers their full-featured free plan for teams up to 15 members making it easy to get started organizing your projects and tasks.
Additional Tools to Consider
Here are a few runner up options also worth checking out:
- Quire – Straightforward, collaborative task manager
- Freedcamp – Full-featured project manager
- Taiga – Agile project management
- Restyaboard – Trello-inspired boards
- Bitrix24 – Tasks with CRM and docs
With so many wonderful free and freemium task and project management tools now available, how do you select the right one for your needs?
Here are a few things to consider:
Team Size
If you just need basic task tracking for yourself or a handful of people, simple tools like Any.do, Todoist or Trello boards may suffice. Larger teams will benefit more from robust platforms like Asana, ClickUp, OpenProject or monday.com.
Desired Functionality
Consider must-have features before selecting a platform:
- Do you need time tracking? Gantt charts? Reporting?
- How about reminders? Calendars? File sharing?
- Will you want status dashboards? Workflow automations?
Identify functionality that maps to how your team works best.
Learning Curve
Some tools like Trello are incredibly intuitive, letting you dive right into boards. Others like OpenProject offer more controls through layered menus and configuration options.
Evaluate whether it‘s more important to start fast or have ultimate flexibility.
Future Scaling
Even if you‘re a small team now, consider anticipated growth when selecting a platform. Can the tool support more users, projects and use cases down the road?
Leave room to grow rather than having to migrate tools after just a year or two.
Following these guidelines, and the detailed overviews above, you should be equipped to select the right free task and project management system for your needs!
Once you‘ve selected a platform, here are a few tips to start off strong:
1. Schedule a Kickoff Call
Walk your team through key functionality rather than just sending a link. Provide guidance on how the tool will (and won‘t) be used.
2. Create Structure and Guidelines
Build out templates, columns, and workflows to frame how work should happen. Define what goes where.
3. Import Existing Projects
Don‘t start from scratch if you have current projects underway. Import key data.
4. Assign Owners
Make sure every task and project has a point person responsible rather than general assignments.
5. Review Progress Frequently
Set up recurring sync meetings to talk through statuses – not problems. A little praise goes a long way!
With the right preparation, your team can hit the ground running with your new task management tool.
While free task and project management tools offer impressive capabilities, most limit how many projects, users, integrations or features you can access before requiring paid upgrades.
Here are a few things to consider when evaluating free vs paid options:
Is There a Free Option?
Many tools offer limited but still functional free plans whereas some specialized platforms require payment upfront. Understand restrictions of what‘s available in free versions.
How Large is Your Team?
Free plans typically support just a few members before paid upgrades are required. If you need to collaborate with more than 10 people, this can add up quickly.
What‘s Missing in the Free Version?
Free plans skimp on some functionality like workflow automations, granular permissions, integrations or priority support. Make sure you can still operate effectively.
What is the Paid Pricing?
Compare monthly or annual pricing across tools to get a sense of cost differences. Some offer discounting for annual plans or teams beyond a certain size.
Weigh functionality gaps in the free product against whether paid upgrades deliver sufficient additional value. In many cases starting with a free tool is a great way to get acquainted with new concepts before investing in a more robust paid platform.
Between disjointed communication, lack of visibility, and missed deliverable after missed deliverable, unstructured work takes a heavy toll on productivity and morale.
Whether you‘re an individual or an enterprise team, implementing a structured task and project management platform pays dividends across efficiency, transparency and reliability.
The tools overviewed in this guide make it fast and free to start bringing order from chaos.
So what are you waiting for? Task management nirvana awaits – Get organized and ship work that delights!
