The top free project management tools you can start using today — with feature-rich free plans, upgrade paths, and options for solo users, small teams, and growing businesses.
Free plans are a low-risk way to standardize tasks, collaborate, and test workflows before committing to a paid platform. The key is knowing where each free plan’s limits are.
Use this guide to pick a starting tool based on team type, comfort level, and the kind of work you manage.
Feature-rich free plan with tasks, docs, whiteboards, basic dashboards, and a strong upgrade path as you grow.
Simple lists and boards with strong task hierarchy for individuals and small teams needing clarity and structure.
Card-based boards that make it easy to visualize work. Great for simple workflows, content calendars, and personal projects.
Colorful boards and simple views for individuals or small teams, with a clear upgrade path to more advanced features.
Notion’s free plan lets you build connected pages, databases, and simple task boards—ideal for knowledge-first teams and solo users who want docs and tasks living together.
These short summaries help you quickly compare the strongest free plans. Use them with our full software reviews to plan trials and decide when to upgrade.
ClickUp’s free plan includes tasks, docs, whiteboards, simple dashboards, and basic automation. It’s ideal for teams who want an all-in-one tool with room to grow into paid plans later.
Asana’s free tier focuses on lists, boards, and basic collaboration. It’s excellent for individuals and small teams who want structure and clarity without heavy configuration.
Trello’s boards and cards are easy to understand and adopt. Great for content calendars, simple pipelines, and teams that want a visual, low-friction starting point.
Monday.com’s free plan is a good way to test its visual boards and layout. Ideal if you expect to upgrade into its more powerful paid tiers later.
Notion lets you store documents, notes, and databases, then layer in simple task tracking. Perfect for knowledge-first workflows and lighter project tracking.
Airtable’s free plan works well for teams who think in tables and databases, but still want Kanban, calendar, and gallery views to manage work visually.
Teamwork’s free tier is tailored more for small client projects and billable work. It’s a good entry point if you plan to later upgrade for full agency features.
Todoist is excellent for individuals needing powerful to-do lists and light project organization, with labels, filters, and recurring tasks on the free plan.
If your organization already uses Microsoft 365, Planner offers simple boards integrated with Teams and Outlook — often at no extra cost beyond your existing license.
Wrike’s free plan is more limited than its paid tiers but still works for small teams who want a starter experience before moving into powerful paid features.
Use this high-level comparison to understand the tradeoffs between each free plan before you invest time in setup and onboarding.
| Tool | Free Users | Key Views | Automations on Free? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClickUp Free | Unlimited (feature-limited) | List, Board, Calendar, basic dashboards | Limited | Teams wanting all-in-one flexibility |
| Asana Free | Small teams | List, Board, Calendar | Very limited | Structured tasks & projects |
| Trello Free | Multiple users, limited boards | Kanban boards | Limited rules | Simple pipelines & visual boards |
| Monday.com Free | Small teams | Boards, basic dashboards | Very limited | Visual work for small teams |
| Notion Free | Individuals & small teams | Pages, databases, simple boards | No/limited | Docs, notes, and light project tracking |
| Airtable Free | Small teams | Grid, Kanban, Calendar, Gallery | Very limited | Data-heavy teams and operations |
| Teamwork Free | Small teams | Tasks, boards, time tracking (limited) | Limited | Small client or agency projects |
| Todoist Free | Individuals | Lists, sections | Basic recurrence | Personal productivity & light PM |
| Microsoft Planner | Included with Microsoft 365 | Boards, buckets | Limited | Teams already on Microsoft 365 |
| Wrike Free | Small teams | List, Board, basic Gantt | Very limited | Teams testing Wrike before upgrading |
Free plans are a great start, but you don’t want to migrate multiple times. Use this framework to pick a tool you can grow with for at least 12–24 months.
For most teams, ClickUp Free is one of the best overall free project management tools. It combines tasks, docs, basic dashboards, and multiple views, with a strong upgrade path if you outgrow the free plan.
Free plans are usually enough for individuals, small teams, or early-stage startups. As you grow and need reporting, governance, advanced permissions, and automations, you’ll likely need to move to a paid plan.
Trello, Asana Free, and Monday.com Free are typically easiest for beginners. They use simple boards or lists that are intuitive for non-technical users and stakeholders.
Todoist and Notion are excellent for personal use. Todoist is great for structured to-do lists and recurring tasks, while Notion is ideal if you want notes, docs, and basic tasks in one place.
Yes. Most tools support CSV exports and imports. A common best practice is to migrate active projects and key templates first, then decide whether historical data is worth the extra effort.
Use PMWorld360 calculators, templates, and guides to standardize workflows and quantify the value of your free project management software.
21 proven templates to eliminate guesswork and save hours.
$79 — Download Toolkit →
