Struggling to manage your freelance projects? Check out our expert-recommended project management software designed specifically for freelancers.
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Freelancing gets difficult at the time, but who doesn’t like being their boss? This means, when things slide out of control, you buckle up and do the best you can. You are the one who schedules, delivers, and charges, so you better do the best job you can.
True, the more you work, the more difficult it will be to manage the burden. Not even to mention the requests from your clients, or the need to document everything and keep appointments under control. Sticky notes and calendars will do the trick at the beginning, but they won’t do it forever. Eventually, you will need project management software and a good one!
Choosing the best project management software is a toughie, but it doesn’t compare to managing projects without it. The more projects you handle, the more aware of this you will become. On the bright side, there is enough project management software for freelancers to make your life easier. If you don’t want anything fancy, you’ll even end up paying small amounts for it.
Most project management tools for freelancers are free. They still have all the basic features that help you complete your work and meet your deadlines. Let’s check them out:
1. Asana
Asana has a great free version. The appraised project management software lets you assign tasks and make to-do lists. Yet, the best features of Asana are available in the pro versions.
With an upgrade, you will get Kanban Boards, List View, Calendar View, and Timeline View. The system keeps track of multiple projects at once, and lets you involve as many team members as you want. The more advanced features you use, the higher the price.
Freelancers love Asana, but most of them struggle with the learning curve. The project management software for freelancers has more features than expected. Better yet, it comes with customization! It will take you some time to tailor it to your work, but once you do, it will do miracles for your productivity.
You can use Asana for free if you have a team of up to 15 people. The Premium plan costs $10.99/per user/month if you pay annually, and $13.49/per user/month if you pay monthly. There is also a Business plan charged $24.99/user/month, respectively $20.49/user/month.
2. Trello
Trello is a great Asana alternative, foremost because it is easy and comfortable. This project management software for freelancers is very straightforward. It can also be considered for small businesses. You are greeted by a rich board where you can add tasks as cards. You can also power the tool up with a variety of integrations and automation.
What can Trello do for your team?
- It eliminates manual copy/paste, and thus imports DeskTime information automatically. This means that your team won’t do any double work.
- It tracks the time spent on every task and provides clarity on who is accountable for what. This is even more important for teams who work hybrid or entirely remotely.
- It compares project time to DeskTime’s cost calculation and facilitates billing.
Trello also has a free plan, but the real value is revealed within the paid plans. There is Standard ($5 per user, per month), Premium ($10 per user, per month), and Enterprise ($17.50 per user, per month). All of them are billed per year.
3. Todoist
If you want more of a scheduling tool that keeps you on track, check Todoist. This project management software is perfect for short-time planning. It will be especially helpful if you work with tailored views.
Todoist is a great project management software for freelancers. Reason – there is only one simple screen where you can create projects and tasks! The tool reinvents the way we listed tasks on paper, as it assigns these tasks to projects and clients. It also lets you rearrange them, prioritize them, and set due dates. You will get started in no time!
Best of all, you won’t have to pay to use Todoist. If you need advanced features such as reminders, check the Pro Plan ($4/month) or the Business Plan ($6/month).
4. TickTick
TickTick is relatively new in the project management software world, but it deserves attention. Think of it as a practical to-do list that also has nice extras. For instance, you can divide lists in different ways, and add tags to your tasks. The more precise you are, the more interesting options will pop up.
We also like how the project management software lets users make notes. Notion may be the absolute leader for that, but TickTick has Kanban boards. The tool is not perfect, but why not give the free version a look?
TickTick also offers paid plans: Premium at $2.99 per month or $27.99 per year. This makes it the most affordable to-do tool on the market.
5. ClickUp
If you ask the ClickUp team, they didn’t develop a project management tool, but rather an app for productivity. They intend (quite successfully so!) to provide you with all features you need. You can save documents, make notes, and even manage emails through the app. You can manage projects end-to-end, even with advanced capabilities. To give you an example, ClickUp comes with roles and permissions, and lets you set goals.
The free version of the project management software offers:
- 100 MB Storage
- As many tasks as you need
- As many users as you need
- Secure Two-Factor Authentication
- Collaboration on documents
- Chat in real time
- Emailing
- Kanban Boards
- Sprint Management
- Native Time Tracking
- Video Recording
- Support around the clock
ClickUp also comes with a fully customizable dashboard, where you can track widgets, and send and export reports for your clients. To optimize the use, you can even connect the tool to other apps you use, for instance, billing or time-tracking software.
If you like ClickUp as much as we do, check the paid plans. You can choose Unlimited: $5 user/month (annually) or $9 user/month (monthly) or Business: $9 user/month (annually) or $19 user/month (monthly).
6. nTask
nTask is the perfect example of how an affordable project management tool can also be an advanced asset. You get the most out of task management at a fraction of the price and also get to manage time. The project management app lets you delegate tasks, change the status of a project, or assign priority. There will be a timer for each task, and you can easily estimate whether due dates are met or not.
Users get to plan projects better and allocate resources more carefully. Not that many project management tools manage costs, but nTask does so perfectly. It lets you plan your budget, set the currency, and even produce financial summaries. Teams also love the time-sheet feature, as it provides enough transparency for every user.
nTask will be free forever if you want it to be. The bigger the team, however, the more features you will need. Check their Premium plan for $2.99 per month. Custom pricing is also possible for bigger teams.
7. Basecamp
Basecamp is another great project management app to consider. It is the perfect tool for remote project management with a variety of great features:
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited projects
- Even 500 GB of use-as-you-wish storage
- Company HQ
- Collaboration on projects
- Management of unlimited clients
- Advanced access for clients
- Templates for different projects
- Priority support
Basecamp offers 30 days of a free trial. During the trial, you can cancel at any time and you won’t pay any penalties. You are not even required to enter your credit card details to try the tool.
If you like it, go for the Personal Plan (free) or Basecamp Business ($99 flat rate).
8. Paymo
Paymo is a one-stop shop for task management, project management, and timesheets. Although the main users are small teams, freelancers can benefit big time too. For instance, they get a custom dashboard where they can conduct project management.
If you are a new user, you may dislike how project estimates are handled. When you start, you start from scratch. However, Paymo uses previous timesheet data to make such estimates, and the process will only get easier in the future.
Check Paymo’s free trial to see whether it works for you. Fully free plans are not available, but the pricing is fair – you pay only $9.95 per user per month.
9. Notion
Notion is one of the best project management software tools used worldwide. It combines task management and not taking in a very interesting way, and does an excellent job. It combines private and professional and gives you all the project management features you need. Plus, we are talking free project management software here! Teams, however, pay only $4 per month per user.
If you want to learn more about handling freelance projects in Notion, read our dedicated review of the app.
10. Microsoft To-Do
´How about old good Microsoft? This is perhaps the best catch when it comes to free project management software, as we all feel comfortable with it. Freelance projects are divided into smaller and more manageable tasks, each with due dates and reminders. Users even get a checklist where they can strike tasks through as they do them.
Microsoft’s To-Do Smart Daily Planner is also part of the deal. The tool even lets you personalize lists as you want to have them. If you own a Microsoft account, the tool will be free to use.
11. Freedcamp
How about a task management tool that helps plan your personal life too? It is not a marketing trick, it is the truth! Freedcamp invites you to schedule personal appointments. No wonder, as this is its original purpose!
It started with couples planning their wedding, all the way to businesses planning the project of a lifetime. Or more projects!
Best of all, the free version of Freedcamp is offered to everyone. You can manage multiple projects without extra cost. The free version also lets you schedule tasks, manage deadlines, and store up to 10 MB of files. The Premium plans are Minimalist ($1.49/user/month) and Business (custom, starts at $7.49).
12. Hive
Our list of project management apps would not be complete without Hive. The free project management tool is extremely friendly, as it was built based on user expectations. You will feel welcomed and served, and the features will surprise you. Hive has multiple project views, unlimited projects, and note-taking. Everything you need to complete tasks is already there.
Let’s check the main features of the free version:
- To-do lists with actions
- Robust project management and task management
- Kanban tables, Gantt views, and calendars
- Project summaries
- Project portfolios
- Project baselines
- Linking of projects
- Recurring tasks and automated workflows
- Build forms for customization
13. Podio
Let’s call Podio the freelance project management software that large corporations love. True – Podio is a scalable solution for businesses of all sizes. Its features are very advanced, such as replicating projects, or end-to-end personalization.
Podio is your winner for complex and detailed projects. The project management solution makes sure you’re on top of your tasks, and that you have a tool you enjoy using every day. Podio comes with more personalization options than any other freelance project management software.
Teams of up to five members can use the tool for free. The project management tools also come in paid plans, such as:
Basic: $9/employee/month (monthly) or $7.20/employee/month (annually) or
Plus: $14/employee/month (monthly) or $11.20/employee/month (annually).
14. MeisterTask
MeisterTask also provides a customizable and visual environment for your project management. There is almost no learning curve. You sign up, and start using their inbuilt Kanban project boards right away. You can take them as they are, or customize them to your needs. Either way, the freelance project management software will amaze you.
It is not at all difficult to set MeisterTask apart from similar products. To do so, look at the direct import from Wunderlist or Asana. It is also one of the few apps on this list that lets you attach files to any task. It also tracks time and provides insights for more productive project management.
The Basic version is free, be also that you have unlimited projects or unlimited users. However, Basic only offers limited integration options. Your file attachment will also be reduced to 20 MB per file.
If you want more features and unlimited attachments, check their Pro plan for only $8.25 per user per month.
15. Wrike
Wrike is not only good for freelancers but also freelancer teams. It belongs to the family of remote project management tools, and it focuses on easy task assignments.
We are huge fans of the automation feature. Next to it, you can create custom request forms for your clients, and eliminate endless email threads. For the first time, all your communications will be under the same roof.
While has both a free 14-day trial and a free version. The paid plans are slightly more expensive than other tools but worth it. After all, we are talking about one of the Top 5 project management tools in the world!
Their Professional plans begin at $9.80 per user per month. The Business Plans begin at $24.80 per user per month.
16. HeySpace
Lastly, there is a platform that combines communication with efficient project management. As expected, this app is both simple and user-friendly, and teams love it. Its main features are live chat, calendars, timelines, and boards. Say hi to HeySpace!
HeySpace integrates seamlessly with Zapier, Dropbox, and Google Drive. Part of the package is also the Trello integration, making sure you can plan and execute projects from the same location.
All basic task management tools are there, and they are offered for free. If you are running a bigger team, consider the premium plans that start at only $5 per month per user. Does it get any better?
Final thoughts on project management software for freelancers
Every freelancer wants to make the most out of time, and be more efficient. But as projects hit in, it gets more and more difficult to keep things under control and to learn from our mistakes. That’s when a project management tool comes in to save the day!
It is not easy to find the perfect project management software, but the search is worth the time. We hope that our list made this at least a bit easier. Enjoy the search!
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