The Best Project Management Partner: Top 3 Management Tools and their Free Plans

March 13, 2023

Whether you're working in a small business, large corporation or even as an entrepreneur in your spare time, creating a system of systems that works for you is the key to getting things done. Project management tools are made for this exact purpose. They are used to help track of your tasks, projects and progress which also help improve overall productivity. Listed below are the top 3 popular project management tools available online for free. You can use these tools to create your task tracking chart, notes and also attach files for further reference.

  1. Trello 
Trello is an online project collaboration management tool that allows you to organize tasks with colleagues, track work and get updates on their status. It helps in saving time and money as every bit of information can be accessed at any time.

The most valuable feature of Trello would be the project boards as it keeps things organized as if putting sticky notes on white board for each task or assignment of each team member. Especially when working with a large team, things can get messy and disorderly, but with Trello, team members can make sure everything is on track and that no one is missing on deadlines.

Compared to other online management tools, Trello is known to be more generous when it comes to their free plan. It includes personal boards, team boards, lists, cards, Power-Up feature, file attachments and basic security.

First, they have unlimited personal boards for one to manage their personal projects and goals. Team boards on the other hand are only limited  to 10 boards although each team board is not limited to a number of team members. In other words, you can work with as many members as you prefer. Trello also provides unlimited lists feature. These are customizable lists used to categorize projects and tasks to help keep track of progress easier (e.g. not started, in progress, completed). There is also the unlimited cards feature which is usually where individuals put the tasks they need to carry out and they can drag and drop it from one list category to another to specify the current task status. In addition to this, there is a Power-Up feature which literally ‘power-ups’ boards by adding other apps or features directly on it such as Office File Viewer, Reports by Blue Cat, Visitors Check-in, etc. As for the file attachments in Trello, while they allow you to attach files from your PC, Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive, their free plan doesn’t allow files larger than 10MB. Lastly, free Trello only provides two-factor authentication.

  1. Asana 

Asana is known to be Trello’s main competitor when it comes to online management tools. Asana has brought a lot of value to the project management industry just like Trello. It is a cloud based project management tool that helps in simple, quick and easy task scheduling based on the calendar or Microsoft Outlook Tasks. When it comes to their free plan, Asana is not stingy with their features and compared to other project management tools, they might have the best free plans yet. Their free plan includes working and collaborating with a maximum  of 15 team members, create projects and tasks as well as assign it to individual members. You also have access to a variety of free project templates. Users can view your projects in a few different ways such as list view, board view, and calendar view. It also included a feature similar to Trello’s Power-Up where you can integrate with other apps, such as Harvest, a time tracker application. In using free Asana, you can also create two different account types one of which is an organization and another, which is a workspace. Asana app is also available in iOs and Android, this means  you can manage your on-going projects anytime, and anywhere. Overall, Asana is definitely a good option. 

  1. Clickup 

ClickUp is also one of the most popular project management tools available, and it offers a wide range of free features compared to its competitors.

One of the most useful features of ClickUp is its task management system. You can create tasks, assign them to team members, set deadlines, and track progress. You can also add comments, attachments, and tags to tasks, making it easy to keep track of all the details. ClickUp also offers a Gantt chart view, which allows you to visualize your project timeline and make sure everything is on track. 

Another great feature of ClickUp is its collaboration tools. You can create teams, assign tasks, and communicate with team members in real-time. You can also create custom workflows and automate processes, making it easier to manage complex projects. ClickUp also offers a range of integrations with other popular tools, such as Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox, so you can easily access and share files. 

ClickUp also offers a range of reporting and analytics tools, so you can track progress and measure performance. You can also customize the look and feel of your workspace, making it easier to stay organized and focused. 

The main pros of ClickUp are its intuitive user interface, wide range of features, and integrations with other popular tools. It is also very affordable, making it a great option for small businesses and startups. The main con of ClickUp is that it can be a bit overwhelming for new users, as there are a lot of features to learn. However, once you get the hang of it, it is a powerful and useful tool.

Key Takeaway:

As you can see, there are quite a few benefits of using project management tools online especially for any business or organization that needs to manage multiple projects at once. In addition, if you are working on your own and trying to balance several different areas that require your personal attention, it allows you to stay on top of things and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks in your day-to-day routine. And when it comes time for crunch time due to difficult deadlines, these tools will let you respond quickly and efficiently when you need to. The key is finding the right project management tools that not only works for you but also provide generous features in their free plan.