10 Best Teamwork Alternatives & Competitors in 2025
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Looking for the best Teamwork alternatives to manage your projects and streamline collaboration? You’re not alone. 

Teamwork may have staked claim to the most-often used of collaborative idioms, but this doesn’t necessarily make it the best office collaborative solution for your specific case.

In this guide our experts dive into the world of best Teamwork alternatives—tools that promise smarter workflows, better collaboration, and features tailored to your needs. Let’s kick off with a quick overview of the leaders on the market.

Best Teamwork Alternatives Compared – Our Experts’ Take

Our experts have analyzed the 10 best Teamwork alternatives and competitors in 2025 to better understand which teams could stand to benefit and any shortcomings to look out for. We have actually tested each software alternative over a period of time, comparing how each one fares with respect to particular features.

Before we get into the detailed reviews, here’s an overview of each of our top-ranking best Teamwork alternatives to help you zoom in to the best options that cater for the specific needs of your team.

Software Key FeaturesEase of UseScalabilityCustomer Support OptionsStandout ProsCons
TeamplateAll-in-one collaboration platformEasySmall to large teamsEmail, live chat, help centerComprehensive and advanced features offered for freeLimited 3rd party apps
ClickUpTask management, dashboards, viewsModerateSmall to large teams24/7 chatProject management flexible pricingCan feel overwhelming for beginners
WrikeGantt charts, resource managementModerateMid to large teamsPhone, emailStrong reporting toolsOverwhelming due to inflated features
Monday.comVisual workflows, automationEasySmall to large teams24/7 chat, emailIntuitive interface, highly visualLimited free plan functionality
HiveTime tracking, kanban boardsEasySmall to mid-sized teamsEmail, live chatGreat for team collaborationLimited scalability for larger teams
AsanaTask dependencies, integrationsEasyMid-sized to large teams24/7 supportSimple and clean designFewer advanced project management tools
TrelloCard-based task organisationEasySmall teamsEmail, forumsVery beginner-friendlyLimited features for larger projects
SlackReal-time messaging, channelsEasySmall to mid-sized teams24/7 supportGreat for communicationNot ideal for task or project tracking
Zoho ProjectsMilestone tracking, automationEasySmall teamsEmail, live chatAffordable and highly integrativeLacks advanced customization options
JiraAgile workflows, issue trackingModerateLarge teamsPhone, emailTailored for development teamsSteeper learning curve for non-developers

What is Teamwork?

The word ‘teamwork’ immediately evokes collaboration platforms, shared goals, and efficient working strategies. An apt name for Teamwork, the software was designed to streamline the way teams organise, track, and complete their work. 

Before looking into the best Teamwork alternatives and competitors in 2025, it’s good to understand exactly what this platform can deliver, and where it falls short.

At its core, Teamwork is a project management tool that helps teams of all sizes plan projects, assign tasks, and monitor progress. It’s built to adapt to the needs of different types and sizes of teams, which is part of the reason it became so popular. It can be used both by start-ups and larger and long-established businesses as it adapts to the type of collaboration that’s needed. 

Many teams turn to Teamwork because it simplifies the complexities of managing projects by providing a centralised platform for all daily tasks. The software is known for being intuitive and user-friendly, so most people can hit the ground running even if they’re unfamiliar with project management platforms. Anyone looking at the best Teamwork alternatives would need to ensure that the replacement fulfills all these expectations.

When should you start looking at the best Teamwork alternatives?

While Teamwork is a comprehensive and versatile tool, it is not necessarily the perfect fit for every team. Here are some scenarios where considering the best Teamwork alternatives would make sense:

  1. Budget constraints: There are free or lower-cost options available that can meet your needs without the added expense. One such example is Teamplate, which is 100% free.
  2. Specific integrations: If your team relies heavily on software or tools that Teamwork doesn’t integrate with, you might find a better fit with a tool like Asana. Alternatively you can opt for a tool that offers all functionalities and removes the need for 3rd party integration, like Teamplate.
  3. Overly complex features: For smaller teams or simple projects, Teamwork’s advanced features may feel unnecessary or overwhelming. An app like Trello is far more straightforward.
  4. Scalability concerns: If your team is rapidly growing, you may need software that scales more seamlessly with your expanding operations. Teamplate will unlock new potential for your team without any constraints.
  5. Lack of offline capabilities: Teams needing regular offline access might find that other apps cater for this feature more seamlessly.

What to Look for in Teamwork Alternatives

Naturally, it would not make sense to opt for the best Teamwork alternatives without first ensuring that your new software actually meets and exceeds the functionalities offered by the original. Here’s the full range of tools you need to look for when researching which Teamwork competitors best suit your needs.

  1. Task management: Assigning tasks, setting deadlines and implementing task dependencies for team accountability and clarity.
  2. Project planning: Creating project timelines, setting milestones, and managing resources efficiently.
  3. Team communication: Access to built-in messaging features to keep conversations centralised, both in real time and also for asynchronous communication via email, task comments and so forth.
  4. File sharing: Upload and organise files so that all project resources are easily accessible.
  5. Customisation: Tailor workflows, templates, and dashboards according to your team’s preferences.

Best Teamwork Alternatives – The Detailed Reviews

Ready to get into the nitty-gritty of what makes the best Teamwork alternatives and to find out how to identify the best solution for you? Our experts have compiled detailed descriptions based on their own personal experiences, using real-life cases, for each of our recommended tools.

Teamplate

Teamplate Homepage
Photo: Teamplate

Teamplate starts off strong at the very top of our best Teamwork alternatives. It is a versatile all-in-one platform designed to streamline and optimise team workflows by integrating task automation with customisable templates. With its intuitive, drag-and-drop interface, your team can create, modify, and share templates tailored to your unique business needs. 

For document sharing and version control, Teamplate offers a centralised file repository that integrates with platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox, ensuring all resources remain easily accessible and up to date. 

Communication is handled easily, both in real-time via direct and group messaging, and through e-mail and video conferencing capabilities with screen recordings.

Categories in common with Teamwork:  Like Teamwork, Teamplate supports task delegation, timeline tracking, and team communication within its platform. Both tools integrate with third-party software, enabling smooth workflows across different organisational tools. Both also offer customisable features, such as task boards and reporting dashboards, to cater to diverse operational needs.

What makes it one of the best Teamwork alternatives is the ability to automate recurring processes through its extensive library of templates and its focus on task standardisation. While Teamwork primarily targets comprehensive project management, Teamplate’s edge lies in adding on intuitive automation capabilities, making it more efficient for teams handling repetitive workflows. 

Additionally, Teamplate offers more granular data insights with its advanced analytics tools, enabling teams to identify bottlenecks and optimise performance in real-time. The list of advanced tools includes Gantt charts and kanban boards, to ensure clear task tracking and efficient project management. 

FeatureTeamplateTeamwork
Kanban style project management with easy setup✔️✔️
Drag-and-drop editor✔️✔️
Real-time collaboration with email & video conferencing✔️✔️
Screen recording✔️
Secure Data Room✔️
Spaces for team collaboration✔️✔️
Personal spaces for individuals✔️
Integrated calendar✔️✔️
100% free✔️

What Users Say

  • Users love Teamplate for its user-friendly interface and the flexibility it offers in creating personalised templates. 
  • Many highlight the time saved by automating recurring tasks and the ease of integrating the platform with existing tools. 
  • Its real-time analytics and insights are particularly praised for helping teams make informed decisions quickly. 
  • Users find it to be a cost-effective project management tool that helps start-ups and larger businesses flourish and scale up.
  • Users have also described the seamless integration of chat with the board and tickets as being a game-changer.
  • Overall, Teamplate is recognised as one of the best Teamwork alternatives for its ability to foster productivity while maintaining simplicity and reliability.

ClickUp

Clickup Kanban Board
Photo: ClickUp

ClickUp is another favorite on the list of best Teamwork alternatives. It’s packed with features that make managing projects easier for all kinds of teams. Whether you prefer task lists, Kanban boards, or Gantt charts, you can set the visuals according to your preference. Its flexibility is one of the most prized features as you can literally adapt it to fit the way your team works best.

Categories in common with Teamwork: If you’re already familiar with Teamwork, ClickUp offers similar features like advanced task management, smart project planning tools, and built-in time tracking. Plus, it really shines as a team collaboration tool. ClickUp takes things a step further than Teamwork by giving you more room to customise workflows and make the platform truly your own.

What Users Say

  • User reviews often state that ClickUp offers more control over how they visualise and manage tasks compared to Teamwork. It can handle complex workflows easily, thanks to features like nested subtasks and custom statuses. 
  • The software’s automation capabilities also save teams a lot of time by reducing repetitive tasks, like automatically assigning new tasks to team members based on triggers. 
  • While all of this is excellent news for productivity, some users also mention that setting up these advanced features can take time and requires a bit of trial and error.

Wrike

Wrike: Project Management Board
Photo: Wrike

Remote team collaboration lies at the heart of Wrike. With real-time updates, you and your team members can comment directly on tasks, share files, and tag colleagues to ensure no detail slips through. The tool also integrates with popular platforms like Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and over 400 other apps, making it easy to bring all your tools under one digital roof. 

Scalability is another of the platform’s strengths, making it one of the best Teamwork alternatives. As your business grows, the platform adapts to your needs, offering enterprise-grade security, user permissions and making it one of the best Teamwork alternatives in 2025.

Categories in common with Teamwork: Wrike shares several essential features with Teamwork, such as advanced task management, project scheduling, and time tracking. Additionally, Wrike stands out with its resource management tools, which allow teams to allocate personnel and assets efficiently. Teams transitioning from Teamwork will appreciate Wrike’s collaborative capabilities and integrations with tools like Salesforce and Microsoft.

What Users Say

  • Wrike is often praised for its advanced reporting features, such as custom dashboards and real-time analytics, which make it easy to monitor project progress and team performance. 
  • Users also highlight the tool’s ability to handle resource allocation, ensuring the right people are assigned to the right tasks. 
  • However, Wrike’s interface can feel overwhelming, and some users suggest that the onboarding process requires additional support to fully grasp its extensive functionality. This detracts considerably from its status as one of the best Teamwork alternatives.

Monday.com

Photo: Monday.com

At the heart of Monday.com’s claim to fame as one of the best Teamwork alternatives are its boards, which act as dynamic canvases for organising tasks, projects, and workflows. These boards can be tailored to include columns for tracking deadlines, assigning team members, setting priorities, and even incorporating automated reminders to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Your team can choose from a variety of templates to kick-start their projects, whether they’re planning a marketing campaign, managing a product launch, or tracking progress in software development.

Categories in common with Teamwork: Monday.com offers similar functionalities with Teamwork, such as task management, project planning, and time tracking. It also makes it easier to visualise workflows through colour-coded boards and status updates, making it easier for teams to understand project timelines and priorities at a glance. However, the fact that can get very pricey pushes it further down on our list of best Teamwork alternatives.

What Users Say 

  • One potential drawback of Monday.com is its pricing structure, which can become expensive for larger teams or organisations requiring advanced features. While the platform offers various pricing tiers, some users may find the cost prohibitive as they scale up. 
  • For teams that need detailed time logs or resource allocation tools to optimise productivity, Monday.com may feel less efficient than Teamwork, and require additional integrations or manual workarounds to achieve the same results.

Hive

Hive Project Management
Photo: Hive

Hive is a productivity platform engineered to consolidate task and project management while facilitating efficient team collaboration. Its intuitive interface is optimised for teams concurrently managing complex projects. It is highly configurableand offers advanced communication integrations with detailed performance analytics.

Categories in common with Teamwork: Hive offers several overlapping features with Teamwork, including task management, project tracking, and time management. It also encourages productivity through powerful automation and in-app communication tools such as direct messaging and shared notes. 

What Users Say

  • Users recommend Hive as one of the best Teamwork alternatives for its ability to track time within projects, providing detailed analytics. This is particularly helpful if your team needs precise data for client billing or resource allocation.
  • Its collaborative features, such as action cards and shared project views, make it easy to keep everyone aligned. 
  • However, some users mention that Hive’s interface can occasionally feel cluttered when handling larger projects or a high volume of tasks. 

Asana

best-teamwork-alternatives
Photo: Asana

Asana is a popular choice in the project management space, known for its clean interface and user-friendly design, making it a good contender on our list of best Teamwork alternatives. It’s particularly suited for teams that need a straightforward way to manage their work, whether that’s organising daily tasks, setting priorities, or tracking long-term project progress. While it caters to teams of all sizes, its sweet spot seems to be mid-sized to large teams looking to speed up their workflow. Incidentally, we’ve also asked our experts to come up with the best Asana alternatives.

Categories in common with Teamwork: Asana shares several features with Teamwork, such as task assignments, project timelines, and team collaboration tools. Both tools allow you to break down projects into digestible tasks and provide a clear visual overview of what’s happening across the team. For those transitioning from Teamwork, Asana’s integrations will feel familiar and smooth, especially thanks to Google Workspace and Slack integrations.

What Users Say

  • Users often praise Asana for its ease of use, particularly its drag-and-drop interface and the ability to switch between list, board, and calendar views seamlessly. The tool’s focus on simplifying task dependencies and due dates is frequently highlighted as a major strength. 
  • However, some users feel that Asana lacks advanced features like built-in time tracking and complex reporting, which may limit its functionality for larger or more data-driven projects.
  • Another common critique is that as projects become more complex, Asana’s minimalist design can feel limiting. It’s fantastic for straightforward workflows, but might struggle with multi-layered projects where advanced customisation and automation are needed so go over this carefully when deciding about the best Teamwork alternatives for you.

Trello

Photo: Trello

Trello is a project management tool that keeps things refreshingly straightforward – however, whether it’s actually one of the best Teamwork alternatives totally depends on how vast your needs are. It’s built around the idea of boards, lists, and cards, making it easy to visually organise tasks and workflows. Think of it as the digital version of a sticky note system, but one you can access from anywhere. It’s perfect for small teams or individual freelancers, and its user-friendly design allows you to dive in without any steep learning curves or complicated setups.

Categories in common with Teamwork: Trello and Teamwork share some essential features, like task organisation, and collaboration tools. However, features such as time tracking, Gantt charts, and advanced reporting are either absent or reliant on third-party integrations in Trello.

What Users Say

  • Trello’s drag-and-drop functionality and user-friendly design are consistently praised by users. Many highlight how quickly teams can get started without the need for extensive training. 
  • The tool’s ability to integrate Power-Ups, such as calendar views and automation, adds flexibility. 
  • However, users note that Trello’s feature set may feel limiting for larger projects or those requiring in-depth reporting. Its reliance on third-party Power-Ups for advanced functionalities can also increase costs for growing teams.

Slack

Slack Banner
Photo: Slack

Slack is credited with revolutionizing the way teams communicate, earning its place on our list of best Teamwork alternatives. It is designed for simplicity, but still packs a punch with its range of features that combine real-time messaging, file sharing, and extensive integrations. 

The chat interface has become synonymous with effective communication, with conversations organised into channels which can be tailored by topic, team, or project, ensuring that discussions remain focused.

Categories in common with Teamwork: Slack and Teamwork both prioritise enhancing team collaboration, but they approach this goal from different angles. While Teamwork focuses on project management, Slack specialises in streamlining real-time communication, making it ideal for dynamic, fast-paced teams. Teamworks’ strength, however, lies in its sturdy project and task management features, which Slack lacks natively.

What Users Say

  • Slack is often praised for its intuitive interface, making it easy for teams to adopt and start using right away. 
  • The platform’s notification system helps users stay on top of conversations without feeling overwhelmed. 
  • However, users note that while Slack excels in communication, it lacks native task management features, which means teams often need to pair it with other tools for a complete project management solution.

Zoho

Photo: Zoho

Zoho Projects is a cost-effective yet powerful project management platform designed to streamline how teams organise tasks, track timelines, and allocate resources. Its biggest advantage lies in its ecosystem that allows you to switch seamlessly between other applications like Zoho CRM for customer management or Zoho Finance for accounting.

Categories in common with Teamwork: Zoho Projects’ task management places its focus on automation capabilities, which streamline repetitive workflows, whereas Teamwork’s strength lies in its intuitive task interface that requires minimal onboarding. 

When it comes to project scheduling, both platforms provide Gantt chart formats, but Zoho takes it a step further by incorporating baselines, allowing your team to track deviations and stay ahead of potential delays. That said, Zoho’s customisation options are not as advanced as Teamworks’, limiting how much you can tailor the platform to your specific needs. This can affect its suitability to be one of the best Teamwork alternatives.

What Users Say

  • Users appreciate Zoho Projects for its affordability and the comprehensive nature of its tools. Features like Gantt charts, milestone tracking, and dependency management help teams stay on track.
  •  The platform’s integration with other Zoho apps, like Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk, ensures smooth workflows across different departments. 
  • However, some users mention that Zoho’s interface can feel outdated, and its customisation options may not be as advanced as those offered by competitors.

Jira

Jira Banner
Photo: Jira

Jira is a specialised project management and issue-tracking platform designed with software development teams in mind. It’s not just a tool for managing tasks; it’s a powerhouse for planning, tracking, and deploying software with an emphasis on precision and collaboration. Custom workflows are another standout feature of the software, so it hits many points on our list of best Teamwork alternatives. 

Jira lets you design workflows that mirror your exact operational requirements, with a level of flexibility that is particularly valuable for teams handling diverse projects or those adhering to specific compliance standards.

Categories in common with Teamwork: Both tools allow for task assignment, project scheduling, and facilitating team collaboration. What sets Jira apart, making it one of the best Teamwork alternatives, is its comprehensive support for Agile methodologies. For example, Scrum boards in Jira are highly customisable and allow teams to break projects into manageable sprints, complete with backlog prioritisation. 

What Users Say

  • Jira’s reporting tools provide actionable insights. For instance, sprint velocity reports allow your team to estimate how much work they can realistically complete in upcoming sprints, while burndown charts offer a snapshot of progress against sprint goals.
  • New users often find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer breadth of features, particularly if they’re unfamiliar with Agile frameworks, limiting its efficacity as one of the best Teamwork alternatives. 
  • Configuring Jira to suit a team’s unique needs can be time-intensive, requiring a thorough understanding of the tool’s settings and capabilities.

Teamplate – Overall Best Teamwork Alternative

Toe to toe, our experts agreed that Teamplate is top on our list of best Teamwork alternatives overall, because it offers every single feature that the latter has and then goes a few extra steps beyond that. The tool is truly comprehensive and removes any need to use other platforms. 

This not only leads to a more streamlined workflow and more synchronized communication, but also translates into a highly cost-effective choice. In short, you can access all features of Teamplate for free, and you can stop other paid subscriptions.

How to Migrate Your Data to One of the Best Teamwork Alternatives

If one of the above best Teamwork alternatives has caught your eye, but you’re already using Teamwork itself, migration is a very real concern. After all, if you have to stall your operations or lose important data, swapping over may not be worth it. Here’s how to get ready to start using your chosen Teamwork alternative.

  • Pick a low-impact time for migration: Schedule the migration during periods of minimal system usage or business downtime to reduce disruptions to daily operations.
  • Involve all stakeholders early: Ensure team members, department leads, and other relevant parties are informed about the migration timeline, goals, and potential impacts.
  • Establish a robust backup plan: Create a comprehensive backup of all data before starting the migration to safeguard against unexpected losses or errors.
  • Communicate a clear timeline: Set realistic deadlines for each stage of the migration and regularly update stakeholders on progress and any changes.
  • Assign a dedicated project team: Designate a team responsible for overseeing the migration, including IT specialists and decision-makers, to ensure accountability and smooth execution.
  • Test the process in stages: Conduct a phased migration, starting with smaller, less critical datasets to identify and resolve issues before scaling up.

Ready to discover the top performer on our list of the best Teamwork alternatives? Join Teamplate here – it’s free, fast, and simple.

If you’ve ever managed a construction project, you’re familiar with juggling a number of moving parts from timelines to budgets, materials, subcontractors, safety regulations, and unexpected delays. 

That’s where construction management software comes in, a digital command centre designed to help you organise, track and streamline every aspect of your project in one place. And we’ve tested all the best ones to help you pick the best options for your team.

Let’s kick off with a quick explanation of what you can expect the right construction management software to achieve, before moving on to our shortlisted tools.

What is Construction Management Software?

Simply put, the right construction management software helps you and your teams stay on top all project, scheduling, and compliance needs.

Instead of a chaotic mix of spreadsheets, emails and phone calls, you get a single platform where you can schedule tasks, manage costs, communicate with your team, and even handle compliance paperwork.

Most modern construction project management tools also offer real-time collaboration, which means your contractors, architects, and clients will always be on the same page. Cloud-based access means you can check updates from anywhere, whether you’re on-site or at the office.

In short, the right construction management software removes the complexity of construction projects and simplifies it, helping you stay on time and within budget while reducing stress.

12 Best Construction Management Software (Free & Paid)

SoftwareFree Plan AvailableBest ForOur Rating
TeamplateFree advanced features & all-in-one dashboard⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ClickUpGeneral project management⭐⭐⭐⭐
OrangeScrumAgile projects⭐⭐⭐⭐
AsanaTeam collaboration⭐⭐⭐⭐
ClockifyTime tracking⭐⭐⭐
OpenDocManDocument management⭐⭐⭐
WrikeLarge teams⭐⭐⭐
FieldwireField team management⭐⭐⭐⭐
MethvinEstimations⭐⭐⭐⭐
FluixWorkflow automation⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zoho ProjectsSmall businesses⭐⭐⭐

What to Look for in Free Construction Management Software?

If you’re on a tight budget, one of your priorities is likely to be to find free construction management software. Unless you’re really familiar with the world of remote collaboration tools, this is probably easier said than done. While many softwares offer a free version, these often come with limitations. However, some do offer a reasonable range of features in the free version. The trick lies in knowing which features a nice-to-have, and which are absolutely essential and 

  1. User-friendly interface – The software should have an intuitive layout, making it accessible for all your team members, including contractors and subcontractors who may not be tech-savvy.
  2. Task and project scheduling – Look for construction management software that provides task management, scheduling tools, and Gantt charts to help organise workflows, assign responsibilities, and track progress efficiently.
  3. Collaboration and communication tools – Effective communication is key, so choose software that includes real-time messaging, document sharing, and team collaboration features to enable hassle-free communication among all the project members.
  4. Budgeting and cost tracking – While free construction management software may not offer full-scale financial management, it should at least include basic budgeting and expense tracking to help keep costs under control.
  5. Document management – Construction projects involve a vast number of documents, from blueprints to contracts, so look for effective and safe document storage, version control, and quick access to necessary files.
  6. Mobile accessibility It’s very likely that you and your team will be conducting a lot of the work on-site, rather than in an office. A mobile-friendly platform ensures remote access to crucial project details, update progress, and communicate in real-time from wherever you are.

Teamplate

This construction management software offers a revolutionary way to centralize all work flows and communications via an all-in-one platform.

Key features

  • Centralised construction management software – Keep all project-related information, including blueprints, permits, and schedules, in one accessible platform, reducing paperwork and miscommunication.
  • Real-time collaboration – Full coordination between on-site workers, project managers, and stakeholders through instant updates and messaging.
  • Automated workflows – Approval processes and documentation handling are standardised to improve efficiency and compliance with industry regulations.
  • Integrated time tracking – You can monitor labour hours, subcontractor tasks, and equipment usage to optimise resource allocation and minimise downtime.
  • Custom reporting and analytics – Generate detailed reports on project progress, costs, and performance metrics to support data-driven decision-making.
  • Mobile-friendly access – Your team will be able to access critical documents, update project statuses, and report issues directly from their mobile devices while on site.

Limitations

  • Customisation constraints – While Teamplate is highly flexible, highly complex workflows may require additional configuration beyond standard templates.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures
Free$0Advanced construction management software and tools, document storage, real time communication, email, video conferencing, mobile access

ClickUp

Designed to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and keep construction teams aligned, ClickUp offers a flexible and customisable experience to fit the construction industry’s demands. 

Key features

  • Project scheduling & Gantt charts – This construction management software allows you to plan construction phases, manage dependencies, and to ensure tasks align with project timelines. 
  • Blueprint & document storage – Store, access, and share blueprints, permits, and contracts.
  • Task management for job sites – Assign work orders, track progress on subcontractor tasks, and ensure site activities remain on schedule.
  • Field-to-office communication – Use real-time updates and tagged mentions to streamline communication between project managers, site supervisors, and field crews.
  • Safety compliance tracking – Maintain safety checklists, log incidents, and ensure compliance with OSHA regulations or industry standards.
  • Equipment & materials tracking – Monitor inventory levels, schedule maintenance, and prevent project slowdowns due to missing tools or materials.
  • Time tracking for crews – Log work hours for field teams, track billable hours, and integrate with payroll systems for accurate compensation.
  • Automation for approvals – This construction management software helps you speed up processes, permit approvals, and material orders with automated workflows.

Limitations

  • Complex interface for small contractors – This construction management softwarecan be overwhelming due to its extensive features.
  • Potential lag on large projects – Large-scale developments with thousands of tasks may experience slow performance, especially when managing multiple sites.
  • Limited offline functionality – Construction sites with poor internet access may struggle with real-time updates and mobile app limitations.
  • Customisation may require setup time – While highly customisable, setting up industry-specific workflows and automations can take time.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures
Free$0Basic plan with limited storage, suitable for small teams managing a single project.
Unlimited$7 per user per monthIdeal for small-to-medium construction firms, offering unlimited integrations, dashboards, and guest access for subcontractors.
Business$12 per user per monthAdvanced features like goal tracking, workload management, and timeline views, perfect for larger firms managing multiple sites.

OrangeScrum

Keep your projects on track with structured workflows thanks to this construction management software.

Key features

  • Task and project tracking – This construction management software offers extensive task tracking, allowing construction managers to assign, monitor, and update tasks in real-time. This feature is particularly useful for tracking work across multiple job sites, ensuring that deadlines are met and project timelines stay on course.
  • Resource management – This feature helps teams optimise their workforce and materials efficiently, reducing delays caused by resource shortages or misallocation.
  • Time tracking and invoicing – essential for tracking billable hours of subcontractors and ensuring accurate payroll processing. 
  • Collaboration tools – Multiple stakeholders, from architects to engineers to on-site workers, can align through document sharing, discussion boards, and real-time updates.
  • Gantt charts and workflow automation – This makes it easier for construction managers to spot potential bottlenecks. 

Limitations

  • Steep learning curve – While OrangeScrum has numerous features, the interface can be overwhelming for teams unfamiliar with digital project management tools. Onboarding time may be required to get construction teams up to speed.
  • Limited integration with industry-specific software – Unlike some competitors, OrangeScrum does not natively integrate with many construction-specific tools like AutoCAD or Procore, which can be a drawback for firms relying on these platforms.
  • No built-in compliance tracking – Teams must rely on external solutions for compliance when using this construction management software.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures
Free plan$0Suitable for small teams, but limited in features and user capacity.
Startup planStarting at $9 per monthIncludes essential project management features but is capped at a certain number of users.
Professional planStarting at $19 per monthOffers advanced project tracking, reporting, and integrations, making it ideal for mid-sized construction firms.

Asana

Construction management software that lets you organise tasks, track deadlines, and keep construction projects moving efficiently.

Key features

  • Project timelines with Gantt charts – This construction management software helps all tasks, from material procurement to final inspections, stay on schedule.
  • Task dependencies – You can automatically adjust work schedules if a prior task, such as site excavation, gets delayed.
  • Team collaboration – Keeps site managers, architects, and subcontractors connected in real time to reduce miscommunication.
  • Budget tracking – Monitor expenses for labour, materials, and equipment, ensuring projects stay within budget.
  • Permit and compliance tracking – Assigns and tracks required permits, ensuring all necessary approvals are in place before work begins.
  • Safety checklist integration – Maintain a record of site inspections, equipment checks, and safety briefings to reduce workplace accidents.

Limitations

  • Limited offline functionality – On-site workers in remote areas may struggle with access, as Asana relies on an internet connection.
  • Complexity for large projects – Large projects with thousands of tasks may require additional integrations to manage efficiently. Asana alternatives like Teamplate handle this better.
  • No built-in blueprint annotation – Users need separate software to mark up plans and schematics.
  • Steep learning curve for non-tech-savvy workers – Labourers and site supervisors unfamiliar with construction management software may require training.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures
BasicFreeIdeal for small subcontractors managing individual tasks but lacks advanced reporting and automation.
Premium$10.99 per user per monthBest for small-to-mid-sized contractors needing timeline views, custom fields, and basic workflow automation.
Business$24.99 per user per monthDesigned for mid-to-large construction firms requiring workload balancing, advanced approvals, and custom dashboards.

Clockify

Designed for contractors, site managers, and construction teams, this construction management software ensures every minute on-site is accounted for, helping with payroll, budgeting, and client invoicing.

Key features

  • Project and task tracking – Through this construction management software you can assign tasks to specific team members, track their progress, and get real-time updates on project timelines.
  • Timesheet and work-hour monitoring – Working hours can be logged manually or via the automatic timer to capture time spent on specific construction phases.
  • GPS and location tracking – This ensures workers are clocking in and out from designated job sites, reducing fraudulent time entries.
  • Overtime and break tracking – Keeps track of legally required breaks and overtime hours, ensuring compliance with employment regulations.
  • Cost estimation and budgeting – You can allocate labour costs per project, track expenses, and prevent budget overruns.

Limitations

  • No built-in payroll processing – Although work hours are tracked, this construction management software does not directly process payroll, so you’ll need to integrate it with accounting software.
  • The free version is very basic – Advanced features like invoicing and timesheet approvals require a paid plan.
  • Minimal automation for shift scheduling – Site managers may need an additional tool to automate shift planning for large construction crews.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures
Free$0Basic time tracking, unlimited users, projects, and reports
Basic$3.99 per user per monthTime audits, GPS tracking, and timesheet approvals
Standard$5.49 per user per monthBudgeting, invoicing, and detailed time reports
Pro$7.99 per user per monthLabor cost calculations, profit estimation, and time tracking reminders

OpenDocMan

This open-source construction management software is also a document management system (DMS) designed to simplify document storage, access, and compliance. 

Key features

  • Open-source and customisable – Unlike many construction management software tools, OpenDocMan is open-source, meaning you can tweak and modify it to fit your project-specific needs.
  • Role-based permissions for subcontractors and teams – OpenDocMan allows you to set different access levels to ensure only authorised users can view or edit specific files.
  • Version control for blueprints and contracts – Built-in version control ensures the latest blueprints, contracts, and safety regulations are always accessible.
  • Workflow approval system for regulatory compliance – The process is structured in such a way as to ensure compliance before work progresses.
  • Compliance-focused for construction regulations – OpenDocMan supports compliance with industry regulations such as OSHA, ISO 9001, and local building codes, making it an excellent choice for construction teams dealing with strict regulations.

Limitations

  • Outdated interface – while functional, this construction management software is not the most modern or intuitive, which may create team issues.
  • Limited integration with construction software – It doesn’t integrate with software like Procore, AutoCAD, or Primavera P6
  • No built-in cloud storage – You’ll need to manually set up cloud hosting or rely on on-premises servers, adding extra steps for IT teams.
  • Basic reporting features – While it offers some reporting, OpenDocMan’s analytics capabilities are not as solid as, say, Teamplate’s or Clickup’s. 
  • Support depends on community – As an open-source solution, official customer support is limited. Users typically rely on community forums and documentation, which may not be ideal if you need dedicated support.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures 
Free (Open-source)$0Basic document management, user permissions, workflow approvals, and version control
Hosted versionVariesPricing depends on hosting provider; may include additional support and maintenance

Wrike

Plan, schedule, and manage construction projects with real-time collaboration and tracking tools.

Key features

  • Project management tailored for construction – This construction management software tailors timelines and tasks specifically for site work, subcontractors, and compliance requirements.
  • Real-time budgeting & cost tracking – Helps you prevent overspending with live updates on material costs, labour expenses, and unexpected site changes.
  • BIM (Building Information Modelling) integration – Fully compatible with 3D modelling tools.
  • Automated compliance checks – This ensures adherence to local building regulations, health and safety protocols, and environmental impact assessments.
  • Equipment & material tracking – You can reduce downtime by tracking the availability, location, and maintenance schedules of machinery and materials.
  • Subcontractor management – Handles contracts, work schedules, and payment milestones.
  • RFIs (Request For Information) & document control – All construction-related documents are kept in a single digital repository, ensuring easy access and version control.

Limitations

  • High initial setup cost – When using this construction management software , customisation and onboarding require significant investment, especially for large-scale projects with complex needs.
  • Limited offline functionality – While mobile-friendly, some cloud-based solutions require an internet connection, which can be an issue in remote construction sites.
  • Customisation constraints – Flexibility is limited, which will be a hindrance for companies with unique workflows that don’t follow standard construction processes.
  • Integration challenges – Not all platforms easily sync with legacy systems, requiring additional workarounds or third-party solutions.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures 
Basic$49/userProject tracking, budgeting, mobile access, and basic reporting
Pro$99/userEverything in Basic + BIM integration, automated compliance, and accounting software sync

Fieldwire

Access blueprints, track site progress, and coordinate teams in real time thanks to this agile construction management software.

Key features

  • Real-time task management – Fieldwire acts as a digital command center, allowing foremen, engineers, and project managers to assign, track, and update tasks in real time. 
  • Blueprint and document management – Construction teams can upload, mark up, and share plans directly within the app. 
  • Offline access for jobsite reliability – Drawings and tasks can be accessed offline, with the newly logged information syncing  once back online.
  • Issue tracking and punch lists – You can generate punch lists, log defects, and assign corrective actions with timestamps and photos. This speeds up issue resolution and reduces the risk of disputes.
  • Forms and reports – This construction management software simplifies compliance and reporting by digitising daily logs, inspection checklists, and safety reports. This ensures that critical information is never lost in paper-based systems.
  • Collaboration across trades – The platform connects general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers in one place, making coordination smoother and reducing conflicts between different trades.

Limitations

  • Limited BIM support – While Fieldwire allows teams to work with 2D plans efficiently, it lacks BIM features.
  • Task management complexity for larger teams – Fieldwire’s task management tools may feel restrictive for large-scale enterprise construction firms that need more advanced custom workflows.
  • No built-in estimating tool – Your team will need a separate tool for project costing and bidding.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures
BasicFree (up to 5 users)Task management, blueprint viewing, and file sharing
Pro$39Advanced task tracking, markups, reports, and issue tracking
Business$59Custom forms, workflow automation, scheduling tools, and priority support

Methvin

This construction management software is excellent for project planning, bidding, and execution for contractors and construction professionals. 

Key Features

  • Estimating software – This tool allows contractors to create detailed cost estimates while supporting linked worksheets and enabling users to drag in resources or worksheets from a master project. It also supports the use of JavaScript functions to automate estimates, enhancing efficiency.
  • Takeoff tool – This construction management software allows you to measure areas in both imperial and metric scales directly from digital plans, facilitating accurate quantity measurements, which are essential for preparing competitive bids. The tool also allows for the import of DWG and DXF files, ensuring compatibility with various file types.
  • Gantt scheduler: You can create a visual representation of project timelines to ensure that all team members are aligned with the project schedule.
  • Collaborative platform: Methvin is an excellent remote collaboration tool, enabling multiple stakeholders to work on the same estimate simultaneously. The platform also allows you to share project details and updates easily via email.

Limitations

  • File Type Support – Methvin can read DWG and DXF files, but it does not support some other popular file types, which can be a limitation for users who work with these formats regularly.
  • Measuring commands 0 The software lacks certain measuring commands such as pan and zoom functions, full plan view, measuring curvilinear lines, and snap and ortho functions. Nor does it allow you to edit, add, or delete points after measuring.
  • Project management features: While the Gantt project management tool is solid, it lacks certain features like the ability to track changes and updates, which can make project management more challenging.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures
Free$0Project Management Information System (PMIS) with unlimited users, one free app, 24/7 support
Business$27 per monthAll free plan features, collaboration for up to 5 users, API integrations with Xero, SAP, and JDE, support response within 24 hours

Fluix

This construction management software is designed to streamline operations in industries that rely on extensive paperwork and compliance.

Key features

  • Mobile-friendly document access – Field workers can access, fill, and sign critical documents from their mobile devices.
  • Automated workflows – You’ll be able to automate repetitive processes such as safety checklists, permit approvals, and compliance reporting, reducing administrative overhead and errors.
  • Real-time collaboration – Project managers, contractors, and site supervisors can share and review documents in real time, minimising delays.
  • Offline functionality – Your team can work offline and sync data once a connection is restored.
  • E-signatures and approvals – The platform supports legally binding digital signatures, speeding up approval processes for contracts, permits, and change orders.

Limitations

  • Limited integrations with construction-specific software – Procore and Buildertrend aren’t available, requiring workarounds.
  • Not a full-fledged project management tool – Fluix focuses on document and workflow management, so it does not replace dedicated construction project management software like Teamplate.
  • Subscription costs for larger teams – Costs can add up for larger construction teams with multiple users, especially if additional storage or custom integrations are needed.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures
Basic$20/monthCore workflow automation, cloud storage integration, basic analytics, email support
Pro$50/monthAll basic features, advanced workflow automation, custom branding, priority email support
Business$100/monthAll Pro features, API access, role-based permissions, enhanced security controls, dedicated account manager

Zoho Projects

A versatile construction management software that supports collaboration across various teams. 

Key features

  • Task and milestone tracking – From site preparation to finishing work, this construction management software allows managers to break down projects into tasks and milestones, assign them to specific team members, and set deadlines.
  • Gantt charts for project planning – Construction managers can visualise project timelines, identify task dependencies, and adjust schedules to prevent bottlenecks.
  • Time tracking and billing – Teams can log hours spent on-site or on specific tasks. This feature integrates seamlessly with invoicing tools, simplifying payroll and billing.
  • Document management – A central repository where teams can upload, share, and version-control important files ensures that everyone has access to the latest information.
  • Risk and issue tracking – The team can identify potential problems such as weather delays or material shortages early on, logging incidents and implementing corrective actions before they escalate.

Limitations

  • Limited offline functionality – Construction sites may not always have reliable internet access, and Zoho Projects’ dependency on cloud connectivity can be a drawback in remote locations.
  • Complex setup for large-scale projects – While Zoho Projects is user-friendly for small to mid-sized projects, large infrastructure projects may require extensive customisation and integration, which can be time-consuming.
  • Limited integration with some industry-specific software – Zoho does not natively support some construction-specific software, so you’ll need to use third-party software.

Pricing

PlanPriceFeatures
Free$0 (up to 3 users)Basic task management, Gantt charts, file storage
Premium$5 per month per userAdvanced task automation, resource management, time tracking, reporting tools
Enterprise$10 per month per userCustom workflows, unlimited project templates, portfolio management, advanced analytics

What Makes Teamplate your Go-To Construction Management Software?

construction-management-software
Photo: Shutterstock

Managing construction projects comes with a set of challenges unlike those for other industries. With multiple stakeholders, site visits, compliance issues and more, your chosen construction management software needs to be a cut above the rest so as to enable seamless communication between the various stakeholders. 

Teamplate is designed to address these industry-specific concerns, with a flexible – but strong – t set of tools that enhance efficiency and collaboration both on-site and off-site. This is why so many professionals have picked Teamplate as their chosen construction management software.

Real-time team collaboration
Construction projects require constant coordination between contractors, engineers, and project managers. Teamplate’s built-in communication tools, including real-time messaging and video conferencing, ensure that all stakeholders stay aligned, reducing delays and miscommunication.

✅ Efficient task management and scheduling
You will have free access to customizable Kanban boards, backlog management, and sprint planning, to help your construction teams keep projects on track. Task assignments, deadlines, and progress tracking make it easy to stay ahead of schedules and meet milestones efficiently.

✅ Centralized document storage and access
Construction projects involve extensive documentation, from blueprints and permits to contracts and compliance reports. Welcome to Teamplate’s secure Data Room, which ensures that all documents are easily accessible, properly organized, and always up to date.

✅ Integrated calendar for project timelines
If you want to avoid costly overruns you’ll need to keeping track of key construction phases and deadlines. Teamplate’s integrated calendar helps teams schedule important events, set reminders, and maintain a clear project roadmap.

✅ Personalized workspace for team productivity
Individual team members, from site supervisors to architects, can manage their tasks efficiently with Teamplate’s Personal Space feature, ensuring that every role is aligned with project goals without getting overwhelmed by unrelated tasks.

✅ Seamless on-site and remote access
Whether on-site or in the office, you’ll gain real-time access to all project details. Teamplate’s cloud-based platform allows you to retrieve and update information from any device, with your data synching as soon as you’re back online.

✅ A free, scalable solution
Construction professionals often rely on multiple tools for project management, communication, and document storage. Teamplate consolidates these functions into one platform, reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency without compromising on features.

Teamplate provides an all-in-one solution that directly addresses the challenges you’ll encounter in this specific industry.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help your construction firm streamline workflows, enhance communication, and improve project outcomes, get in touch with our team by filling in our contact form. You can also register here for free and start benefiting from all the Teamplate features immediately.

Finding the right free collaboration tools is one of the most crucial aspects of running an organisation or a team. And yet, it is far from being straightforward. 

Many platforms that claim to be free come with hidden costs. Even those that genuinely don’t require payment have their hidden pitfalls, in particular for teams that require very specific, or advanced, functionalities.

And, of course, different teams have different priorities, making it even more difficult to zoom into which free collaboration tools are particularly well-suited for your team. To help simplify your choice, we’ve brought together a number of founders and team leads to test different softwares for different case uses.

From the best startup software to process management, real-time collaboration and more, we’re bringing you the best in class for each category.

How to Choose the Best Free Collaboration Tools by Category 

CategoryRecommended Tools
Project ManagementTeamplate, Trello Asana
CommunicationTeamplate, Slack, Microsoft Teams
Document Collaboration & File SharingTeamplate, Dropbox, Jumpshare
Best for All-In-One DashboardTeamplate, ClickUp, Monday.com

Before finalising your choice of best free collaboration tools, you need to ask yourself one question: what is the main priority for your team or organisation? Do you require support for complex project management? Or are you more in need of real-time communication? Is document sharing super important for you?

Once you identify your overriding priority, head straight over to the relevant category to discover our experts’ shortlist of top free collaboration tools. Here, you’ll be able to identify all the pros and cons for each choice, making your final choice simple and data-driven.

Best Free Collaboration Tools for Project Management

ToolFree FeaturesNumber of Free UsersBest For
TeamplateGantt charts, Kanban boards, task dependencies, multiple projects, goal trackingUnlimitedTeams wanting a comprehensive, all-in-one solution for free
TrelloKanban boards, automationUnlimitedVisual task management
AsanaTask dependencies, timeline15 usersSmall teams

Teamplate

Looking for a project management tool that keeps everything streamlined and tailored to your workflow? Teamplate is all about customisation, allowing you to create templates that suit your specific needs. 

Why is Teamplate one of the best free collaboration tools? You’ll find it very straightforward to stay on track, whether you’re managing marketing campaigns, product development, or client projects. There are several easy-to-apply automation features included, so you will also be helping your team reduce manual effort and focusing on productivity.

✅ Highly customisable templates

✅ Gannt chart and Kanban board formats available for free

✅ Caters for complex task dependencies and multiples projects

✅ Automation functionalities help reduce repetitive work 

✅ Very user-friendly interface 

✅ Works for a large variety of project types

❌ Limited integrations, albeit unnecessary thanks to Teamplate’s all-in-one approach. 

Trello

If you prefer a visual approach for your free collaboration tools, Trello will suit you just fine. It’s known for its signature Kanban-style boards, which are presented in a simplified format to make project management extremely easy. 

You will be able to create unlimited boards, lists, and cards for free, as well as make use of some basic automation features and add simple file attachments. However, advanced features like timeline views, dashboards, and more automation rules are locked behind premium plans. If you need features such as priority support, advanced security controls, or extensive reporting tools, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan.

✅ Easy-to-use Kanban boards 

✅ Great for visual organisation

❌ Lacks advanced reporting features 

❌ Can become cluttered with too many boards 

❌ Not ideal for complex project tracking 

❌ Free version has limited features

Asana 

Asana provides a free version that’s great for individuals and small teams, offering essential task management features like unlimited tasks, projects, and messages. You can also take advantage of list and board views, along with basic integrations with apps like Slack and Google Drive. However, features like timeline views, automation, workload tracking, and reporting tools are only available with paid plans. If you need admin controls, enhanced security, or advanced workflow automation, you will be asked to pay or change to other free collaboration tools.

✅ Excellent task organisation

✅ Multiple project views (list, board, timeline) 

❌ Can feel overwhelming for beginners 

❌ Limited free features 

❌ Notifications can become excessive 

❌ Not as visually intuitive as Teamplate

Best Free Collaboration Tools for Communication

ToolKey FeaturesLimitsBest For
TeamplateInstant chat, email, video conferencing, screen recordingUnlimited messages & users A vast diversity of teams
SlackChannels, integrations10,000 messages storedStartups & small teams
Microsoft TeamsVideo calls, Office 365 integration100 usersCorporate teams

Teamplate

Teamplate is one of the best collaboration tools, offering an all-in-one platform designed to unify workflows and enhance team communication. The free version offers a full suite of communication tools that range from synchronous to asynchronous. These include integrated chat, video calls, and emails.

Moreover, the integrated calendar helps overall communication by simplifying the scheduling of events and meetings. 

✅ Integrated chat and video calls for real-time communication

✅ Integrated email for more formal communications within the same platform

✅ Intuitive interface with minimal learning curve

✅ Calendar and meeting scheduling also available through the dashboard

❌ Limited user community compared to more established platforms

Slack

Slack has built a reputation as one of the most user-friendly communication tools, and the free version still packs a punch. It offers real-time chat, file sharing, and integrations with other apps, making it a solid choice for teams looking for quick and seamless communication at no cost. There are also channels to help keep conversations organised.

However, unlike with Teamplate, the free version of Slack comes with a message limit (you can only access the last 90 days of messages), and video calls are restricted to one-on-one meetings, so larger teams will need to look elsewhere for group video conferencing.

✅ Intuitive and user-friendly interface

✅ Real-time messaging with organised channels

❌ Message history limited to 90 days on free plan

❌ Group video calls not available on free version

❌ Can become cluttered with too many channels

❌ Lacks built-in email-style communication

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams offers a strong mix of chat, email-style messaging, and video conferencing, even in its free version. It’s great for businesses that are already using Microsoft products, as it offers deep integration with Outlook and OneDrive. The video conferencing feature supports group calls, which is a plus over Slack’s free version. 

However, if you’re not using the Microsoft suite you’re likely to run into difficulties with integrations. The interface can feel cluttered, and the learning curve is steeper compared to more intuitive tools like Teamplate. Also, while it offers chat and email-style communication, storage limitations on the free plan can be restrictive if your team is managing large amounts of data.

✅ Full-featured chat, email-style messaging, and video conferencing

✅ Integrates well with Microsoft products like Outlook and OneDrive

❌ Steeper learning curve compared to competitors

❌ Can feel cluttered, especially for new users

❌ Storage limitations on the free plan

❌ Works best within the Microsoft ecosystem, limiting flexibility

Best Free Collaboration Tools for File-Sharing & Documents 

ToolKey FeaturesStorage LimitBest For
TeamplateFully free, cloud-based collaboration2GBTeams requiring comprehensive storage and sharing solutions
DropboxCloud-based storage with limited real time collaboration2GBMedium-sized organisations
JumpshareFile sync, sharing links2GBSmall teams and individuals

Teamplate 

If you’re looking for a streamlined way to collaborate on documents, Teamplate offers a free plan that allows for advanced file sharing and document storage. You have up to 2GB of storage available for free, and you can also access both the mobile and desktop apps, along with file sync across devices.

The free plan allows you to share files quickly, collaborate in real-time, and access a variety of essential templates. It also includes version control, ensuring that previous document versions are always accessible. Unlike other platforms, Teamplate’s free plan prioritizes structured workflows and document integrity, making it ideal for teams handling shared projects.

✅ Real-time document collaboration and version control

✅ Free plan includes essential templates for workflow management

✅ Easy tracking of edits and changes within shared documents

✅ Structured workflows that enhance team collaboration

❌ No integration with third-party cloud storage providers

Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the most recognisable names in cloud storage, and its free plan reflects that popularity. The free tier includes limited cloud storage, real-time collaboration, and access to essential templates. 

However, unlike with other software like Teamplate, if you need advanced features like premium templates, custom branding, or team-wide workflow automation you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan. The free version is great for small teams or individuals, but scaling up will require a hefty investment.

✅ Reliable cloud storage with automatic file sync across devices

✅ File sharing via direct links with preview options

❌ File recovery and version history are restricted in the free plan

❌ No password protection for shared links in the free version

❌ Paid plans are relatively expensive compared to competitors.

Jumpshare

Jumpshare allows you to not only share files but also present ideas through multimedia tools. The free plan provides 2GB of storage and supports file uploads up to 250MB, so it’s a good option for individuals who work with visual content, such as designers, marketers, and content creators.

For collaboration, you’ll be able to share files via direct links with preview options. But unlike competitors like Teamplate, Jumpshare does not offer extensive real-time document collaboration. You will be able to annotate images and PDFs on the free version, which is a plus for feedback and design reviews, but advanced document collaboration features are limited. Additionally, while the free version supports screen recording and GIF creation, these are capped with time limits and watermark branding.

✅ Free plan includes annotation tools for images and PDFs

✅ Direct link sharing with preview options

❌ Free plan limits file uploads to 250MB

❌ No real-time document collaboration features

❌ Screen recording in the free version includes a watermark

❌ Limited storage space without upgrading to a paid plan

Best Free Collaboration Tools with an All-In-One Dashboard

FeatureTeamplateClickUpMonday.com
Built-in Messaging✅ Yes❌ ❌ 
Video Conferencing✅ Yes❌ ❌ 
Task Management✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ 
Automation✅ ✅ Yes (but limited on free plan)
File Sharing✅ ✅ ✅ 
Customisability✅ ✅ 
Integration-Free❌ ❌ 
Free Plan User LimitUnlimitedUnlimited2 users

Teamplate

If you’re after a sleek and efficient collaboration tool, Teamplate offers a super comprehensive solution that eliminates the need for third-party integrations. From messaging and email to video conferencing, file sharing, and complex task management, everything is built-in for free.

What sets Teamplate apart from competitors like the free Monday.com plan are the highly-customisable templates. These allow users to quickly set up workflows tailored to their needs in a simple manner. Whether you’re managing content calendars, product launches, or team sprints, Teamplate is equipped to deal with it, making it undeniably one of the top free collaboration tools. 

The free version offers unlimited users, making it an attractive option for growing teams. You get task assignments, file sharing, real-time commenting, and full-fledged communication tools, ideal for keeping everything organised without unnecessary complications.

✅ All-in-one platform with built-in communication tools

✅ Unlimited users on the free plan

✅ Highly customisable workflow templates

✅ Truly comprehensive, with all features native to the platform

✅ No need for third-party integrations

❌ Limited external integrations for those who prefer third-party tools

ClickUp

Also considered one of the best free collaboration tools, ClickUp has made a name for itself for being versatile. Whether you’re a solopreneur or part of a large team, ClickUp adapts to your needs with a highly customisable interface. 

However, despite its versatility, ClickUp has some notable drawbacks. While it aims to be an all-in-one solution, many of its advanced features, such as document collaboration and deeper automation, require additional add-ons or integrations. Unlike competitors like Teamplate, this can make it less convenient compared to fully self-contained tools. Its highly customisable nature, while beneficial for some, can also lead to a steep learning curve—new users may find it overwhelming to navigate and configure workflows effectively.

Moreover, ClickUp’s free plan, though generous in terms of tasks and storage, limits the number of automation actions and advanced reporting tools. Teams looking for truly seamless, out-of-the-box collaboration may find themselves needing to integrate external apps to fill in the gaps, which somewhat negates its all-in-one appeal.

✅ Powerful automation tools

✅ Integrations with popular third-party apps

❌ Requires add-ons for full all-in-one functionality

❌ Can be overwhelming for beginners

❌ Limited automation on the free plan

Monday.com

If you’re looking for a visually intuitive collaboration tool, Monday.com might be a good fit. Known for its colourful interface and drag-and-drop functionality, Monday.com makes project tracking easy and engaging. You’ll be able to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress in real-time, with minimal learning curves required.

However, the free plan comes with significant limitations. Unlike fully-integrated platforms like Teamplate, it lacks built-in messaging and video conferencing, meaning you’ll have to rely on external apps for real-time communication. Additionally, automation capabilities are heavily restricted, which can slow down workflow efficiency for growing teams.

Another drawback is that Monday.com’s reliance on integrations for key functionalities makes it less of a true all-in-one solution. While the interface is user-friendly, if you’re looking for comprehensive built-in features you will probably need to upgrade to paid plans or integrate multiple third-party services to achieve a fully-functional workspace.

✅ Strong integration support for third-party tools

❌ No built-in messaging or video conferencing

❌ Limited automation on the free plan

❌ Requires integrations for key features

❌ Free plan is restricted to two users

What to Look For in Free Collaboration Tools

In today’s world, free collaboration tools have become essential for remote teams and freelancers who keep a strict eye on their budget. But, as we’ve seen from our reviews above, while free plans can be useful, they often come with limitations. 

If you’re still looking for more insight about choosing the right free collaboration tools for your team, here’s what you need to look for and where to compromise.

Key features to consider

  1. Ease of use  –  The perfect free collaboration tools should have an intuitive interface that doesn’t require hours of training. The idea is to enhance productivity, not slow your team down or stress them out with complex systems.
  2. Integrations/Self-Sufficiency  –  Does your chosen tool connect with other apps you rely on, such as cloud storage, project management software, or communication platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams. Or, even better, is it self-sufficient, providing all functionalities from within a single dashboard?
  3. Security  –  Even if it’s free, security matters. Look for features like end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, flexible permission controls, and clear data privacy policies.
  4. Collaboration capabilities  –  Depending on your needs, this could mean real-time document editing, task assignment, video calls, or shared calendars. Ideally, it means all of them.
  5. Scalability  –  If your team grows, will your chosen free collaboration tools support expansion, or will you have to switch to a new platform?

Limitations of free plans

FeatureCommon Free Plan Limitations
StorageLimited to 20GB
Self-sufficiencyRequire you to use other apps due to lack of native functionalities or limited third-party integrations
SecurityNo advanced encryption
User LimitOften capped at 2 – 10 users
SupportNo priority support

There are plenty of free collaboration tools around, but very few offer a gold-standard across all functionalities for free.  Here are some common limitations to be aware of:

  1. Storage limits  –  Many free plans offer only a small amount of cloud storage, which can be restrictive for teams that share large files. nTask is one such example, with very limited storage on the free plan.
  2. User restrictions  –  Some platforms limit the number of free users per workspace, making it less practical for larger teams. Wrike, for instance, only supports up to 5 users in its free version.
  3. Limited features  –  Free versions often exclude advanced functions such as detailed analytics, automation, or premium customer support. If you’re after Gantt charts and you’re on the Asana free plan, to give one example, you’ll need to pay for an upgrade.
  4. Time restrictions  –  Some free collaboration tools provide free access only for a limited time, after which you’ll need to upgrade or lose access to certain features.
  5. Ads and branding  –  Some free plans may include advertising or require you to use the platform’s branding, which could impact your own image with clients.

If you’re looking for a long-term solution, understanding these limitations can help you avoid scenarios where you need to pay for a subscription unexpectedly, or even find yourself constrained to switch to a different platform with urgency. 

Verdict: Why Teamplate is Among the Best Free Collaboration Tools

free-collaboration-tools
Photo: Teamplate

Having compared the different functionalities that every category would require, our experts identified Teamplate as being the most comprehensive free solution every single time. It goes right to the top of our list of free collaboration tools for the simple reason that the free plan offers considerably more than other tools, removing the need of upgrading to a paid subscription or using third-party apps to fill the gaps.

Here’s a list of what you get when you subscribe to the free Teamplate plan:

  • 2 Organisations
  • An unlimited number of users
  • Multiple projects
  • Personal Space 
  • Shared Spaces
  • Group Video Conferencing
  • Screen Recordings
  • Agile Project Management
  • File Storage 
  • Reports
  • Integrated Chat
  • Integrated Calendar
  • Integrated email
  • Versatile templates and visualisations
  • Data Room Storage
  • ChatGPT integration

The list of free features is comprehensive enough to make sure that you won’t need to face any unexpected costs, crowning it as the best of all free collaboration tools. If you’d like to subscribe now for free, or to learn more about Teamplate, get in touch with our team here.

The search term ‘Monday free plan’ is extremely popular among those seeking comprehensive team software that doesn’t destroy the budget. It’s easy to see why, with the app offering a range of features that are essential for modern-day workflows.

Monday.com’s free plan, known as the Individual Plan, is designed for small teams or individual freelancers looking for basic project management and collaboration tools. The Monday free plan comes with a number of excellent features. 

However, these may not suffice to cover all that’s expected from the remote collaboration tools for your team. In this guide we will present you with hypothetical case scenarios to help you identify whether what you need is the Monday free plan, or if your team will be better served by a different option.

Real-World Use Case: Is Monday.com Free Plan Right for Your Team?

The best way to understand the intricacies of the way the Monday free plan works is through a real-life case study. We asked one of our clients, whom we knew is in the market for a Monday.com free plan alternative, to give us some specs about the team and the functionalities the chosen platform would need to satisfy. This is what he sent us:

“I was looking for the Monday free plan primarily for task and project management, and as a way to streamline communications among the team. I don’t run a big team – we are only six people at the moment, so I figured that there’s no point in paying fancy prices for a team communication platform

“However, our projects show promising signs of growing, so I do want to make sure that I won’t suddenly have to switch to a different platform. I’m also wary of starting out with a free tool and then discovering I have to foot a huge bill. I’m looking for very specific functionalities. I want to be able to communicate in real time with the others. I also need to be able to source comments and tag and to visualize timelines. And I want all this to be available as soon as we start scaling up within a few months. Right now we have two projects going on concurrently.”

His question was simple: will the Monday free plan fulfill all these needs?

Why the Monday.com Free Plan Might Not Be Enough

The answer is very straightforward in this case. A paid plan will be needed, even though the size of the current team is very small. Here’s why:

  1. User Limitations: The free plan supports only up to 2 users, while his team consists of 6 people.
  2. Real-Time Communication: The free plan does not include native chat or email integration, which is essential for real-time communication.
  3. Timeline Visualisation: The free plan only offers a Kanban view, which does not support timeline visualisation. To access Timeline and Calendar views, the Standard Plan (€10/month) is required.
  4. Project Management: Managing multiple projects with task tagging, comments, and timeline views will require features available in the Standard or Pro Plan.

The Best Monday.com Free Plan Alternatives in 2025

So what would work for the given scenario? The best remote collaboration tools come in many shapes and sizes, some of them offering more free functionalities, others offering less expensive and more comprehensive plans.

In the above situation, we can recommend six alternatives to check out. Each comes with pros and cons, and each of them has a cap on the free functions that you will be able to access. Right below we’ll give you an overview so you can rule out at a glance any options that don’t apply.

Free Monday.com Alternatives That Offer More

Here’s a quick overview of what to expect from the best free process management softwares on the market.

SoftwareUsers SupportedKey FeaturesNative ChatVideo ConferencingGantt ChartsStorage
TeamplateUnlimitedAll-in-one native project management and collaboration platformYesYesYesUnlimited
TrelloUnlimitedKanban boards, task tagging, comments, attachmentsNoNoNoUnlimited
AsanaUp to 15Task tracking, tagging, commenting, calendar view, real-time updatesNoNoNoUnlimited
ClickUpUnlimitedKanban boards, calendars, Gantt charts, task tagging, real-time collaboration, native email/chatYesNoYes100 MB
WrikeUp to 5Task tagging, commenting, Gantt chartsNoNoYes2 GB
nTaskUp to 5Task tagging, prioritisation, comments, Gantt chart viewsNoNoYesLimited

Each of these tools for remote teams may, at first glance, appear very similar. Many of the features overlap, and unless you’re an expert reviewer figuring out where the shortcomings will take a lot of time and stress. 

This guide is designed to tackle precisely this, thanks to our very own expert reviewers. We have analyzed each tool carefully and broken down the important information right below. We will be explaining the pros and cons of each platform, before going further into detail as to what makes Teamplate the best Monday free plan alternative for many teams, irrespective of the size.

Teamplate – The Best All-in-One Alternative

Teamplate Homepage

Teamplate’s free plan feels like that go-to person who always seems to have everything under control – no drama, just results. It’s designed to hit that sweet spot for teams of all sizes, offering unlimited users and tasks right out of the box. 

Its intuitive interface makes it a breeze to pick up, even if you’re new to project management tools. Teamplate also comes with built-in collaboration features like tagging and file sharing, so your team’s communication game stays strong.

This Monday free plan alternative  does exactly what it says on the tin – it provides all features for free. Unlike the Monday free plan, there won’t come a point when you’ll be expected to cough up the moolah to continue accessing your data and to scale up.

Trello – Simple Task Management Solution

Trello Project Management Board
Photo: Trello

Trello’s free plan keeps things simple but gets the job done, as long as you’re not expecting too many complex functionalities. Its visually appealing Kanban boards are a dream for teams who love a good drag-and-drop interface. 

With unlimited users and boards, it’s also very well-suited for larger teams to jump on board (pun intended). Collaboration is a breeze – you can tag, comment, and attach files with a click, keeping everyone in the loop without breaking a sweat.

There are a few serious ‘buts’. Trello’s free plan skips out on timeline and Gantt chart views, so if your team needs flexible and advanced project visualisation tools, you’ll be right out of luck. 

Unlike with Teamplate or ClickUp, native tools on the platform aren’t comprehensive, and integrations and automations are limited and locked behind a paywall. Trello’s best kept for straightforward task management, rather than a fully-blown Monday free plan alternative.

ClickUp – Feature-Packed Project Management

Clickup Kanban Board
Photo: ClickUp

ClickUp’s free plan is indeed packed with features and can probably take you the extra mile compared to, say, Trello. You’ve got unlimited users, unlimited tasks, Kanban boards, calendars, and even Gantt charts to keep your projects on track and looking good. 

Real-time collaboration tools like tagging, comments, and even built-in email and chat are excellent for teamwork. However, if you’re after advanced reporting and automation tools these are hidden behind the paid plans. 

Asana Board
Photo: Asana

Asana’s free plan offers most of the things you’re after in terms of basic task management, including tracking, tagging, and commenting, with a handy calendar view to keep your deadlines in check. And let’s not forget the real-time updates and notifications that keep everyone in the loop without those predictable “Wait, where are we on this?” moments.

But, it does have its limits. If your team is most comfortable working with Gantt charts, or prefers sturdy customisation options like the ones Teamplate provides, you’ll need to shell out for the paid plan. Automation is also pretty basic in the free version, so if you’re looking to work smarter, not harder, you might hit a wall with this Monday free plan alternative. 

Wrike – A Reliable Free Project Tracker

Photo: Wrike

Wrike’s free plan sneaks on the list quietly, but it does have some strong merits going for it. It certainly does not have all the bells and whistles, but it gets the job done with minimal fuss. It’s adequate for smaller teams (up to five users), and it covers the basics like task tagging, comments, and real-time collaboration. And here’s a nice bonus: Gantt chart visualisation is included, which is a pretty sweet deal for a Monday free plan option.

That said, Wrike’s free plan isn’t going to win any awards for flexibility. Integrations and customisation options are missing, and you’ll have to make do without native chat or email tools. But if you’re after a no-nonsense task manager for a very small team, it makes for a solid choice.

nTask – Budget-Friendly for Small Teams

Photo: nTask

This Monday free plan alternative is very much like Wrike, in the sense that it has no frills, but is super dependable. It’s good for teams of up to five users, it’s packed with handy features like task tagging, prioritisation, and even Gantt chart views to keep your projects on track. Collaboration is easy too, with options to comment directly on tasks and stay in sync without endless email threads.

Of course, it isn’t without its limits. Unlike, say, with Teamplate, real-time communication tools like chat or email are noticeably absent, and if you’re managing media-heavy projects, the lack of storage will be a hurdle. 

Why Teamplate is the Best Monday.com Free Plan Alternative

free-kanban-board-teamplate

Remember the earlier case study, where one of our clients detailed exactly why they were interested in the Monday free plan and what the team would use it for? The verdict was that Monday wouldn’t serve the team’s needs at all, unless they went on a paid subscription.

We’ve run Teamplate through the exact same scenario, and guess what – it came up trumps. Because the software doesn’t have any features that are behind a paywall, it ticks all the boxes while remaining extremely cost-effective. By which we mean, it costs nothing. Here’s why it works:

  1. Team Size Compatibility: Teamplate is designed to support companies of all sizes, making it appropriate for a team of six or even a larger team.
  2. Task and Project Management: The platform offers free Kanban-style boards and backlog features, enabling effective planning, tracking, and management of various work types across multiple projects.
  3. Real-Time Communication: Teamplate includes free integrated chat and video call functionalities, allowing for seamless real-time communication among team members.
  4. Comments and Tagging: The chat and board features support comments and collaborative discussions, enhancing team interaction.
  5. Timeline Visualization: Teamplate’s calendar feature allows for scheduling events and meetings, helping your team stay on track with day-to-day activities and providing a visual timeline of tasks and deadlines.

With such credentials, it would be difficult to find a better Monday free plan alternative. The beauty is that Teamplate can really cater for all team sizes. Sometimes, even the best startup tools that work amazingly upon launch become inadequate as soon as team members start being added. Here, we don’t run into danger of this happening, which means that there won’t be any unexpected blockers to collaboration.

Understanding the Monday.com Free Plan: What You Need to Know

While true that users and teams can enjoy a number of features without a paid subscription on the Monday free plan, reality is that there are a number of size and functionality restrictions that may catch you unawares and facing an unexpected and sizeable bill in order to be able to access crucial features.

If you’re still curious, let’s take a look at what the unpaid package actually offers.

Monday.com Free Plan Features

FeatureDetails
Number of UsersUp to 2 users can collaborate. Ideal for solo users or small partnerships but not suited for larger teams.
Boards and WorkflowsUnlimited boards to manage projects, tasks, and workflows. Customisable columns to track status, dates, and priorities.
TemplatesAccess to over 200 templates tailored for different industries and project types.
Storage500 MB of file storage, suitable for basic documents and small files but not for larger media assets or extensive data.
ViewsOffers Kanban view for visual task management by dragging and dropping tasks into different stages of progress.
IntegrationsNo support for external app integrations such as Google Calendar, Slack, or Zoom.
DashboardsAllows creation of one dashboard to display data from a single board for basic visualisation and monitoring.
Activity LogsLimited access to activity logs, showing only recent changes to boards and tasks within a certain timeframe.
SupportAccess to a self-serve knowledge base only. No priority or live customer support included.
AutomationNo automation features. Users must manually manage task assignments, reminders, and updates.
Security and PermissionsBasic security features only, without advanced controls like user permissions or two-factor authentication available in paid plans.

Who Should Use the Monday.com Free Plan?

The Monday Free Plan has its value, especially with respect to freelancers looking for increased productivity, or micro-teams of two looking for a simple collaboration tool. 

If you exceed the parameters described above, you’ll be directed towards one of the paid up plans, each catering to different business needs and team sizes. 

Selecting the right plan depends on the size of your team, the complexity of your projects, and your budget. Each tier builds on the previous one, adding more features to scale up with your requirements.

FeatureFree PlanBasic Plan (€8/month)Standard Plan (€10/month)Pro Plan (€16/month)Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing)
Number of UsersUp to 2UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Boards and DocsUnlimited boardsUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Storage500 MB5 GB20 GB100 GBCustom
Templates200+ templates200+ templates200+ templates200+ templatesCustom
Dashboards1 board per dashboard1 board per dashboard5 boards per dashboard10 boards per dashboard50+ boards per dashboard
ViewsKanban view onlyKanban view onlyTimeline, Calendar, KanbanTimeline, Calendar, Gantt, ChartAll views available
IntegrationsNoneNone250 actions/month25,000 actions/monthCustom
AutomationNoneNone250 actions/month25,000 actions/monthUnlimited
Activity LogsLimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Private BoardsNot availableNot availableNot availableAvailableAvailable
Time TrackingNot availableNot availableNot availableAvailableAvailable
Guest AccessNot availableNot availableUp to 4 guests freeUp to 4 guests freeCustom
SupportKnowledge base onlyKnowledge base onlyPriority email supportPriority email supportDedicated account manager

Ready to Kick off your Monday.com Free Plan Alternative?

Our team is ready to help. Get in touch here and we’ll onboard you and your team on to Teamplate, at no cost.

FAQs

What is similar to Monday.com but free?

Teamplate is widely considered to be one of the best Monday free plan alternatives as it offers a comprehensive, all-in-one platform that incorporates project management, real-time collaboration, data storage, email, calendar and more. These are all included in the free plan.

Is Teamplate a good Monday free plan alternative?

Yes, Teamplate is considered a good alternative for those want to use team collaboration software without the need for a paid subscription. Its free plan includes all the features that Monday.com offers in the paid plans.

How long can I use Monday for free?

The Monday free plan is available indefinitely. However, unlike other remote collaboration software such as Teamplate, it has restricted features and is best suited for basic project management needs.

Is there a free version of Monday.com?

Yes, Monday.com offers a free plan for individuals or small teams with basic features. It includes up to two team members and limited boards. Other platforms like Teamplate, on the other hand, offer free versions for larger teams.

Is Monday.com free for students?

Monday.com provides a free plan specifically for students and educators through their Education Program. You need to verify your student status to access it and you won’t have access to the full features. If you’re a student who needs access to a larger range of features, a solution like Teamplate will work better.

Asana has become almost synonymous with online project management. However, while its strengths remain undisputed, nowadays we have access to an ever-evolving number of online collaboration tools. And, in some cases it’s likely that they will suit your team’s needs even better than Asana.

With this in mind, our experts have taken a deep dive into the highest-rated office platforms in a bid to identify the best Asana alternatives. We’ve compared the top-ranking tools in different categories, identifying which ones deserve their excellent reputation and which others fall a bit short in some areas.

Before we start, this guide is intended to cover the top options for those looking to replace Asana. If your team is more geared towards a connected workspace for documents, check out our guide to the Top Notion Alternatives instead.

The Best Asana Alternatives at a Glance

Before we delve into more detail, let’s cut straight to the chase with the best Asana alternatives and an overview of what you can expect from each of them.

ToolBest ForStandout Features
TeamplateAll-in-one, comprehensive collaboration platformPre-built templates, intuitive setup, full collaboration tools like messaging, email, calendar syncing, video conferencing and more
TrelloVisual task trackingKanban boards, drag-and-drop interface, power-ups for integrations
Monday.comCustomisable workflowsAutomations, visual project dashboards, integration with multiple apps
WrikeEnterprise-level project managementAdvanced analytics, resource allocation, Gantt charts
JiraSoftware development teamsAgile-focused tools, issue tracking, sprint planning
ClickUpTemplate driven task managementCustomisable views, goal tracking, extensive integrations
TaigaAgile teams and developersSimple UI, sprint management, built-in backlog
SlackTeam communicationReal-time messaging, file sharing, app integrations
NotionConnected workspaceCustomisable templates, knowledge management, task tracking

What is Asana?

Asana is a cloud-based work management tool that helps you and your team plan, organise, and track projects and tasks with zero stress. Fun-fact: it was founded in 2008 by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and software engineer Justin Rosenstein. Since then, it’s become very much a go-to for businesses, but it would be a mistake to automatically assume it’s the best solution for your team simply because of its strong brand name.

What Asana does right

  1. User-friendly interface: Design is clean and intuitive, so it’s easy to get started, even if you’ve never used a project management tool before. The basics are simple enough to figure out thanks to the drag-and-drop functionality, customisable workflows, and easy-to-navigate dashboards.
  2. Task and project visualisation: You can visualize your tasks and projects using multiple views like list, board, timeline, and calendar. Choose whichever works for you.
  3. Integration capabilities: Asana integrates with tools you probably already use, like Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and others. You won’t need to switch between apps.
  4. Automation features: You’ll be able to save time on boring recurring tasks so you can focus on your goals while Asana takes care of the grunt work.
  5. Collaboration and communication: Keep all your team’s communication in one place. You can also comment directly on tasks, tag teammates, and attach files.

What Asana lacks

  1. Limited offline functionality: Asana relies heavily on an internet connection, so it’s not as helpful if you need access while travelling or in areas with spotty connectivity.
  2. Steeper learning curve for advanced features: While the basics are straightforward, some of the advanced features—like custom rules, integrations, and reporting—take significantly longer to learn. Your team will probably need training to get the hang of it.
  3. Cost for premium features The free version of Asana is very limited, andt if you’re looking to scale or use advanced features like timelines and custom fields, you’ll need to pay for a premium plan. 
  4. Overwhelming notifications Asana tends to send a lot of email notifications by default, which can get overwhelming fast. You’ll need to spend some time customising your settings to make sure you’re only getting the updates you care about.
  5. Limited time-tracking features Unlike some competitors, Asana doesn’t have built-in time-tracking. If you need this feature, you’ll have to rely on third-party integrations, which can add extra cost and complexity.

3 Best Asana Alternatives for Kanban Lovers

10 Kanban Board

If you’re a fan of Kanban-style project management but feel Asana might not fully meet your needs, here are some excellent alternatives to consider.

Teamplate

Strengths: Teamplate’s Kanban-style dashboard stands out for its clean layout and customisable columns, allowing you to effortlessly track task progress at a glance. You can colour-code tasks, add due dates, and set priorities directly on the board, making it easy to focus on what matters most. The dashboard also supports drag-and-drop functionality, letting you reorganise tasks and adapt workflows in real time for maximum efficiency. Teamplate also excels at balancing ease-of-use and depth, offering just enough features without overwhelming you.

Weaknesses: Teamplate’s integrations are more limited compared to some other tools. However, the all-in-one approach includes all the third-party functionalities commonly used by most organisations. This includes email, calendar, real-time messaging, and more, so it’s unlikely that this will have a negative impact on your workflow.

Trello

Strengths: Trello is a simple yet powerful Kanban-based tool that’s perfect if you love visualising your tasks on boards. The drag-and-drop interface makes it incredibly easy to organise tasks into lists and cards, allowing you to keep track of your projects in a way that feels natural. Trello’s biggest strength lies in its simplicity—you can set it up in minutes and start working right away. 

Weaknesses: However, Trello’s simplicity can also be a drawback if you need more advanced features. While it’s great for straightforward projects, it lacks some of the automation and reporting tools you might find in Asana. Additionally, managing larger and more complex projects can become cumbersome as your boards grow.

Monday.com

Strengths: Monday.com offers both the visual appeal of Kanban boards and powerful customisation options, so it’s excellent if you’re lookignf or the best Asana alternatives that offer flexibility. You can create workflows tailored to your specific needs, whether that’s tracking marketing campaigns, managing product development, or handling client onboarding. The platform also offers excellent reporting features, giving you a clear overview of your team’s progress.

Weaknesses: On the downside, Monday.com can feel overwhelming when you’re just getting started. If you want to make full use of the extensive features you’ll need to go through a steep learning curve, especially if you’re new to project management tools. It’s also worth remembering that the cost can add up quickly if you need access to advanced features, or if you have a larger team.

3 Best Asana Alternatives for Project Management

Managing multiple projects, meeting tight deadlines, and keeping every team member on track is one of the biggest challenges reported by many team leads. Here are our best Asana alternatives that are specifically designed to help teams juggle competing priorities with ease.

Wrike

Strengths: Wrike is a powerful project management solution designed for teams handling complex projects with multiple stakeholders. You’ll be able to make use of advanced task management capabilities that allow you to create detailed project timelines, assign tasks with clear dependencies, and adjust schedules dynamically to adapt to changes. The platform also offers good reporting tools so you can generate custom dashboards and visualise KPIs in real time. Wrike also integrates seamlessly with tools like Salesforce and Dropbox.

Weaknesses: Despite its comprehensive feature set, Wrike can be overwhelming for new users. Setting up projects and workflows may take time, particularly for smaller teams without dedicated project management expertise. Moreover, advanced features, such as custom workflows and time tracking, are only available in higher-tier plans, which can make it a costly option for organisations with limited budgets. 

Teamplate

Strengths: Teamplate offers functionalities tailored to streamline workflows and improve task coordination, making it a top contender when it comes to the best Asana alternatives. Its intuitive task creation and organisation features allows you to set up projects quickly and to adapt to dynamic requirements. Workflow automation is stellar, and the task scheduling allows you to set dependencies, allocate resources, and monitor deadlines.

The built-in Gantt charts and workload views provide comprehensive oversight of project progress and resource allocation, enabling managers to identify bottlenecks and optimise productivity.

Weaknesses: Teamplate offers super-solid project management capabilities that are designed to remove the need of third-party tools, so it’s not geared to be combined with different third-party apps.

Jira

Strengths: Jira is specifically designed for agile and software development teams. It excels in sprint planning, backlog prioritisation, and task tracking, so you can manage every aspect of a project lifecycle efficiently. Thanks to the customisable workflows you can create tailored processes that align with unique project methodologies. There are also advanced reporting features included, such as burndown charts and velocity metrics, providing you with actionable insights to improve performance and meet deadlines.

Weaknesses: While undoubtedly one of the best Asana alternatives, Jira’s extensive feature set and customisation options can make it difficult for new users to navigate. Setting up and maintaining workflows will certainly require significant time investment, with some teams even having designated human resources for this. If your organization can’t afford to hire someone to be in charge of Jira logistics, you may end up struggling to use the tool properly.

3 Best Asana Alternatives for User-Friendly Work Management

project-management-tools-startups

The best Asana alternatives are those that allow you to hit the ground running without too much fuss, providing an intuitive environment that doesn’t require specialist knowledge. Let’s take a look at how three of the top collaboration platforms currently on the market fare in this regard.

Teamplate

Strengths: Teamplate is a highly customisable project management tool designed to streamline workflows and enhance team collaboration. Thanks to its intuitive interface you will be able to create and organise tasks effortlessly, both if you’re leading small or large teams. The workflow automation functionalities are easy to enable, so your teams can set up the platform to eliminate repetitive tasks with a few clicks. This also applies to the advanced scheduling tools that allow managers to set priorities, deadlines, and dependencies with ease. 

Weaknesses: While Teamplate shines in customisation and automation, if you’re specifically looking for third-party integrations these are less easily available as this is intended to be an all-in-one platform that offers all remote collaboration tools that your team may need.

ClickUp

Strengths: ClickUp is known for its detailed approach to project management. Beyond Kanban boards, it includes features like mind maps, whiteboards, and task prioritisation tools, making it ideal for teams that need creative and collaborative spaces.The advanced document management system allows you to store, edit, and link documents directly to tasks, streamlining your workflow. ClickUp can also create team-specific dashboards to give everyone a personalised view of their priorities.

Weaknesses: One of ClickUp’s challenges is the time it takes to set up and customise. While its versatility is a major advantage, it can feel overwhelming to navigate the numerous features and options, especially for smaller teams. Users have also reported occasional performance lags, particularly when working with large projects or multiple integrations. These issues can disrupt workflows and require troubleshooting to maintain efficiency.

Taiga

Strengths: This project management tool prioritises simplicity and ease of use, so it’s an excellent choice if your priority is finding a user-friendly workflow management solution. Its intuitive design supports agile methodologies, including scrum and Kanban boards, with features like sprint planning, task boards, and backlog management. This is an open-source tool, so it’s very cost-effective, too.

Weaknesses: While Taiga is user-friendly and efficient for basic workflow management, its features may not meet the needs of larger teams or those managing complex, multi-faceted projects. Advanced reporting and resource management tools are limited, which is a drawback if you require detailed project analytics. Moreover, if you’re after advanced customisation or scalability you may need to look at other options.

3 Best Asana Alternatives that are Free

Kanban Board

If it’s free online collaboration tools that you’re looking for, one of your priorities is likely to be full access to advanced features without the need of a subscription plan. Many softwares nowadays offer a full version, but this doesn’t necessarily include access to all the functionalities you need. Let’s take a look at how the below three best Asana alternatives compare.

Teamplate

Strengths: Teamplate is 100% free, and you will enjoy all the features and functionalities without a paid subscription, easily maing it one of the best Asana alternatives in this case. This project management tool offers strong workflow automation and task scheduling capabilities at no cost, while the intuitive design makes it easy to assign tasks, set dependencies, and monitor deadlines. Key free functionalities include:

  • Workflow automation: Do not waste time on repetitive tasks and dealing with notifications.
  • Task scheduling: You can set deadlines and dependencies with ease.
  • Calendar integration: Sync with your team’s calendar for seamless scheduling.
  • Data sharing: Collaborate in real time by uploading and accessing files for collaboration with team mates.
  • Video conferencing: You can hold virtual meetings with features like screen sharing and recording.
  • Email integration: Manage project-related communication directly within the platform.
  • Instant chat: For those times when quick communication and updates among team members is required.
  • Team & personal spaces: Allows you to organise your team’s and your individual tasks and priorities separately.
  • Tool compatibility: Integrates with Slack and Google Workspace for enhanced functionality.

Weaknesses: Teamplate’s free model provides solid advanced features, so it’s difficult to find a downside here. The only disadvantage is that you’re likely to find other third-party apps that you already paid for redundant.

Slack

Strengths: Slack is a primarily a neat communication platform that doubles as a project management tool for smaller teams needing seamless collaboration without cost. Its channel-based structure allows you to organise conversations by project, while integrations with tools like Google Drive and Asana introduce the element of task management. Slack’s extensive library of bots and apps can extend its functionality to suit any workflow.

Weaknesses: Slack’s project management features are extremely basic compared to dedicated tools that are also 100% free, like Teamplate. It lacks native capabilities for advanced task scheduling, dependencies, or comprehensive reporting. Teams needing structured project timelines or visualisation tools, such as Gantt charts or Kanban software, may find Slack insufficient for managing more complex projects.

Notion

Strengths: Notion offers a versatile, all-in-one workspace offering free access to a range of project management features. You can use customisable templates to create Kanban boards, calendars, and task lists that adapt to various workflows. Its ability to combine documentation, task tracking, and team collaboration in one platform makes it a popular choice for small teams or startups.

Weaknesses: While Notion’s free plan is highly versatile, it comes with limitations that may affect larger teams or more complex project requirements. Advanced features, such as higher storage limits, admin controls, and advanced analytics, are locked behind paid tiers. This makes it a lot less useful if you need detailed reporting or advanced management capabilities. Moreover, teams managing high volumes of data might experience slower performance compared to specialised tools.

Why Does Teamplate Top the List of our Best Asana Alternatives?

  • User-friendly interface: Teamplate offers an intuitive and clean design that makes it easy to navigate, even for beginners.
  • Task management features: You can create, assign, and track tasks with due dates and priority levels.
  • Customisable workflows: Tailor workflows to fit specific project requirements with ease.
  • Collaboration tools: Provides real-time collaboration features, such as comments, file sharing, and team tagging.
  • Versatile views: Choose between Kanban boards, Gantt charts, lists, or calendars for visualising tasks and progress.
  • Mobile app: You stay connected to your projects on the go with a responsive mobile application.
  • Automation: Reduces repetitive tasks through rules and automated workflows.
  • Scalability: Suitable for small teams and large organisations, accommodating various project sizes and complexities.
  • Reporting and analytics: Offers insightful dashboards and progress tracking to monitor productivity and project health.
  • 100% free: Teamplate provides a completely free plan for all your digital collaboration needs, no matter the size of your organisation.
  • Highly secure: Implements enterprise-grade security protocols to protect sensitive data.

Ready to start using Asana and to level up your team’s productivity? Get in touch here  and we’ll set you up at no cost.

FAQs

What are the best alternatives to Asana?

The best alternatives to Asana include Teamplate, Wrike, Jira, Notion, Slack, and Taiga. Each of these offers unique project management features tailored for specific needs and organisations. 

What is the best alternative to Asana?

The best alternative to Asana is a platform like Teamplate, that covers all communication, workflow, and project management needs from one platform and is 100% free. 

What is best: Trello or Asana?

Asana is better for complex projects with detailed task dependencies, while Trello is ideal for smaller teams and simpler workflows using a visual kanban system. A platform like Teamplate combines the best of both in one single software.

What is the best free Asana alternative?


Teamplate is one of the best Asana alternatives that is also totally free, offering subscribers access to every single feature and functionality at no charge.

Is there a Microsoft equivalent to Asana?

Yes, Microsoft Project and Microsoft Planner are considered equivalents to Asana, offering task management and tracking capabilities.





 

Office team culture has changed drastically in the past five years, with remote collaboration tools nowadays being regarded as more efficient and practical even for organizations that have retained an office-based presence.

We’ve rounded up the most well-known names on the market in terms of process management software, and asked a group of experts to give us their brutal feedback. Based on this, we’ve compiled a list of the seven best remote collaboration tools for modern teams.

The Trend for WFH & Remote Collaboration Tools

Why are remote collaboration tools so important? New businesses and start-ups are increasingly favoring remote work from day one, according to a 2023 survey conducted by Gusto, with 35% of new organisations preferring to hire fully-remote teams. This figure increased from 22% in 2022, so the trend is clearly going in one direction.

And, while longer-established companies and corporations keep pushing for a return to the office, employee feedback does not quite support this. Just for some perspective, in the US, 35% of workers with jobs that can be done remotely are working from home all of the time, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year.  And, according to the Home Office Life, 84% of workers surveyed said that they got more work done working remotely or within a hybrid model. 

The writing’s on the wall. Project management tools for start-ups are essential – but this also applies to larger or more established organizations. It’s simply impossible for a company nowadays to function at an optimal level without the right remote collaboration tools. 

How do Remote Collaboration Tools Help?

Does your team really need remote collaboration tools, you might wonder? Isn’t email and video conferencing enough? The best team collaboration software goes beyond a collection of disparate, unconnected office tools. 

For the best remote collaborations we’re looking at preferably using one central interface that’s integrated with all the tools and apps that your team uses. In this way you’re guaranteed seamless work and alignment. Put simply the best remote collaboration tools can:

  • Enhance team communication and reduce misunderstandings/stress
  • Enable real-time file sharing and collaboration
  • Improve project tracking and accountability
  • Increase productivity with task management features
  • Facilitate remote meetings and discussions
  • Support flexible work across different time zones
  • Centralize work resources and documentation

Our Experts’ Top 7 Best Remote Collaboration Tools

  1. Teamplate – Comprehensive, full integration of collaboration tools, 100% free
  2. Monday.com – Project-centric, visually-intuitive, highly-organizable
  3. ClickUp – Versatile, productivity-enhancing, goal-trackable
  4. Jira – Agile, software-centric, developer-oriented
  5. Wrike – Full customization, collaborative approach, multi-layered interface
  6. Microsoft Teams – Kanban-style, tracks tasks, visually-organized
  7. Trello – Visual, simple, drag & drop functions

How We Reviewed these Collaboration Tools

To help us reach an accurate, and honest opinion of which are the best online collaboration platforms, we brought in three experts who currently lead fully remote teams. We asked them to evaluate these softwares based on the following features:

  • Usability 
  • Features
  • How comprehensive they are or whether they require a lot of third party integrations
  • Pricing

Below, we go into detail about the experts’ findings for each specific tool so you can compare pros and cons for each one and apply them to your particular team needs. All user reviews have been taken from leading reviews site TrustPilot.

Teamplate – ‘Completely Satisfied’

remote-collaboration-tools

Product Description: One platform to unlock full remote collaboration without the need of using any other apps or tools. Includes functionalities like email, instant message, video conferencing, free Kanbanstyle software, task automation, screen recording, real-time document sharing and editing. 

User Sentiment: 

  • Streamlined Workflow is its main benefit, and Switching between chat, file sharing, and project boards within the same platform can boost efficiency. – Christian Teuma
  • Teamplate is easy to use and helped me eliminate the need to use multiple apps.
  • Now everything is in one tool and it’s made me more productive and efficient – Brmfiveseven
  • I’ve been looking for a long time for software where I can do everything in one and don’t have to switch between different programs for video calls, tickets or calendar entries. So far completely satisfied! – Mello
Types of TeamsBest UsesChallengesPricing
Flexible & intuitive, suitable for all sizes & industriesTask management, remote communication, realtime collaborationNone identified on TrustPilotFree for all features

Monday.com – Good Idea, But Complicated

remote-collaboration-tools

Product Description: A highly-customizable work operating system that allows you to create your ideal workflow. Functionalities are visually-driven, and include built-in automation to reduce repetitive tasks and improve productivity. It also integrates seamlessly with other remote collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams to provide a cohesive work experience.

User Sentiment:

  • Monday.com has all the bells and whistles, but using it feels like assembling IKEA furniture without instructions. – Maria M Platt
  • Due to its high price, I might move to something else as I can not afford another 300 pounds annual cost for my start up. – Shukurulloxon Olimov
  • Overall it’s a solid product and has been a critical portion of our operations. A few months ago, they pushed an update that broke our system without any notice. – M. Roy
Types of TeamsBest UsesChallengesPricing
Medium to large teamsProject managementCustomization overwhelm$36 per month for 3 users on the standard plan

ClickUp – Monitor Your Billing Closely

Product Description: ClickUp is a feature-rich productivity platform that aims to consolidate multiple project management tools. It offers a wide range of capabilities including task management, document collaboration, time tracking, and goal-setting, but the interface can overwhelm new users who need a simpler approach. Third party integrations are needed to achieve all functionalities offered by other remote collaboration tools. 

User Sentiment:

  • I recommend staying vigilant with billing dates, removing inactive users, and reviewing the payment information saved on your account to avoid unexpected charges. – Troy Teeples
  • We can really recommend ClickUp for large task lists, documents, and planning. – Tamino
  • In task list mode, after I create a new task, and I start to normally see my list, the interface glitches and auto-refreshes. – Niklas
Types of TeamsBest UsesChallengesPricing
Medium-sized organizationsTask management, Gantt charts, timelinesSlow load times for large projects$12 per user per month for midsized teams

Jira – Fully Customizable, Yet Complex

Product Description: This is one of the most powerful collaboration tools, designed primarily for software development teams to help them implement Agile methodologies. Nowadays it has expanded for use across all industries. However, the sheer vastness of its functionalities is also its downfall, with many teams complaining that it is too complicated. It offers features like customizable workflows, Scrum and Kanban boards, and advanced reporting, and can be integrated with other Atlassian tools like Confluence and Bitbucket.

User Sentiment: 

  • I have to say, the product is overall good and the pricing is fair. There are of course still things that could be better. – SysAdminFromGermay
  • Unfortunately, my experience has gone from positive to frustrating due to their poor customer service – BuddIt’s 
  • Awfully slow and complicated to add a new task/subtask. – Fred
Types of TeamsBest UsesChallengesPricing
Advanced features make it best for large teamsAgile-focused features like Scrum and Kanban boardsConfiguring it to your specific needs is complex$7.75 per user per month on the Standard Plan

Wrike – Resource Optimization Takes Time

Product Description: Wrike takes a unique approach to project management by emphasizing customization for different industries and team types. It features more dynamic request forms, advanced automation, and workload management functions than many other remote collaboration tools. These can help teams optimize resources and simplify complex workflows. One of its notable drawbacks, however, is its complicated interface as users may find it difficult to navigate through multiple layers of settings, and can end up initially bogged down. 

User Sentiment:

  • Software was overly complicated/involved. After using for several months, we decided to jettison it. – Daniel Schlanger
  • This inflated system will have your employees glued to their screens in a very non productive manner – Maureen
  • The software is overall well built but with much more features then we actually require and was hard to get the team engaged with it. – Rui Abreu
Types of TeamsBest UsesChallengesPricing
Medium to largeWorkflow customizationMastering the interface$9.80 per user per month on the Team Plan

Microsoft Teams – Classic Layout Worked Better

Product Description: One of the most well-known remote collaboration tools, integrating deeply with Microsoft 365. This is perfect if you’re already using other tools in the Microsoft ecosystem as you’ll get seamless access to chat, video conferencing, and shared document editing. However, it can easily become cluttered with too many channels and conversations, which may reduce efficiency if not well-organized.

User Sentiment: 

  • Super slow, buggy and forces bluetooth headset to use hands free mode instead of stereo – Kristoffer Halkjaer
  • Overengineered, non-intuitive, and adds some extremely extremely annoying features – Boris Zhmud
  • Bring back classic teams layout! – Clipping Point
Types of TeamsBest UsesChallengesPricing
Medium to largeIntegration with other Microsoft toolsCluttered channels$4 per user per month on the Essentials lan

Trello – Cumbersome for Large Projects

Product Description: This board-based task management tool excels at simplifying project workflows through a drag-and-drop interface. It uses cards, lists, and boards, making organizing tasks intuitive and easy to adapt for different types of projects. Trello’s power-ups allow you to integrate third-party apps such as Google Drive, Slack, and Evernote. However, it has very limited scalability for complex project management, and can become cumbersome when managing large projects with multiple dependencies.

User Sentiment:

  • Trello has been a game-changer in my journey from artist and media producer to structured content creation – Bjorn Callius
  • The issue expressed by others – No Card Description Visible – has apparently been ignored by Trello. For me it’s a deal killer. – Robert Anderson
  • It’s been more than 4 months we started use Trello with my team, and collaboration became much easier. I especially recommend for small to medium size teams – Busra Gezen
Types of TeamsBest UsesChallengesPricing
Small to mid-sized teamsBasic task managementStructured collaboration$5 per user per month on the Standard Plan

Are there any Free Remote Collaboration Tools?

No cost collaboration tools for teams are difficult to find as you’ll see from our reviews above – the only one that truly fits the bill is Teamplate. All the other tools reviewed have low-cost and higher-cost plans to achieve full functionality. Below, you can see exactly which remote collaboration tools offer a free plan, what this includes, and what you get if you power up to a subscription.

ToolFree Plan AvailabilityFree Plan FeaturesPaid Plan Features
TeamplateYesN/AN/A
Monday.comYesUp to 2 users, unlimited boards, over 200 templates.Additional features including advanced reporting, integrations, and increased automation capabilities.
ClickUpYesUnlimited tasks, 100MB storage, real-time collaboration, integrations with over 1,000 tools.Unlimited storage, integrations, dashboards, Gantt charts, and custom fields.
JiraYesUp to 10 users, Scrum and Kanban boards, backlog and agile reporting.Advanced permissions, audit logs, and 250GB storage.
WrikeYesUnlimited pages and blocks, sharing with 5 guests, sync across devices.Unlimited file uploads, collaborative workspace, version history.
Microsoft TeamsNoUnlimited messages, video calls, 10GB of shared storageDeep integration with Microsoft 365, video conferencing, screen sharing, and extensive third-party app integration.
TrelloYesUnlimited cards, up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited Power-Ups per board, 10MB file attachment limit.Unlimited boards, advanced checklists, custom fields, 250MB file attachment limit.

How to Make Remote Collaboration Tools Work for you

  • Set Clear Goals and Expectations: This ensures that everyone is aligned and knows how to contribute effectively.
  • Use Any Integration Features: Alternatively, choose remote collaboration tools that have everything included within the dashboard, like Teamplate. 
  • Create Dedicated Channels or Spaces: Keep all information organized by creating channels (Microsoft Teams) or Space (Teamplate).
  • Use Task Management to Break Down Work: Features like boards, lists, and cards can help break down complex projects into manageable tasks. 
  • Customize Workflows to Fit Your Team: Create a system that matches your team’s specific working style and requirements.
  • Encourage Real-Time Collaboration: Use shared documents, live editing, and collaborative boards to minimize back-and-forth communication and speed up decision-making.
  • Establish Guidelines for Communication: Set guidelines for when to use chat, email, or calls. This helps prevent over-communication or missed messages and keeps interactions efficient.
  • Onboard Your Team: Set up a session so your team can learn how to use online collaboration tools effectively. 

Teamplate: Why it Should be at the Top of your Remote Collaboration Tools

We’ve taken a deep look at the most popular remote collaboration tools available on the market. Teamplate is right at the top of the best collaboration platforms for a number of reasons. Let’s recap our experts’ findings:

✔️ Access to all features is 100% free for all members of your team.

✔️ You won’t need any third-party integrations as it’s an all-in-one tool.

✔️ You gain access to email, instant messaging, calendar, and video-conferencing from a central dashboard.

✔️ You can manage tasks and projects using a Kanban-board software system.

✔️ You can share documents and collaborate on them in real-time.

✔️ You have dedicated Spaces for different departments or teams.

Teamplate has received unwaveringly positive reviews from users, praised not only for being so comprehensive but also for being highly-intuitive. The onboarding process is extremely easy, and you won’t need to set aside long sessions for the team to become familiar with it. The minimalist visuals are optimized to enable your team to identify tools and actions at a glass, without having to dig deep or use up time trying to figure out where everything is. This not only results in higher productivity, but also in a happier, less stressful environment for all concerned.

Ready to start using one of the most powerful remote collaboration tools? Get in touch with the Teamplate team now.

FAQs

What is the best remote collaboration tool?

There are plenty of remote collaboration tools available, but user reviews point towards Teamplate as being one of the best. This is due to its all-in-one, comprehensive suite of functionalities that you can use from one central dashboard.

Is Teamplate a remote collaboration tool?

Yes, Teamplate is an award-winning, comprehensive remote collaboration tool, offering a fully-integrated suite of functions such as email, calendar, chat, video conferencing, task management, and more. 

Does Google have a team collaboration tool? 

Yes, Google offers Google Workspace. However, you will need to integrate other tools from within the Google ecosystem, such as Google Meet, Google Chat, and Google Docs. If you’re after one centralized dashboard, a tool like Teamplate may meet your requirements better.

Does Microsoft Teams have a collaboration tool? 

Yes, Microsoft Teams can be a powerful collaboration tool as it provides chat, video conferencing, and document sharing. However, it doesn’t support project management, so you’ll need a third party app to oversee workflow.

So you’re all set to take the world by storm with your new project, keen on dotting the i’s, crossing the t’s and getting market-ready. But wait – every new team needs some solid backing, and we’re not talking finances here. We’re talking essential startup tools that will help you shine brighter than all the competition.

With so many softwares, apps, and platforms hogging the cyberwaves, where do you draw the line? Welcome to our tried, tested, and scored list of must-have startup tools to streamline your team’s workflow and maximize productivity in any sector. 

We’ll start out by highlighting some of the top startup tools for specific categories, before moving on to dissect which ones serve you well, and which fall short in some aspects.

Essential Tools for Startups by Category

CategoryBest Startup Tools
Project ManagementTeamplate, Asana, Monday.com
Collaboration and CommunicationSlack, Loom, Teamplate
Automation and Workflow OptimizationTeamplate, Trello, Slack
Time Management and ProductivityTeamplate, Notion, Hubspot
Team and Resource ManagementHubspot, Teamplate, ClickUp
File Storage and Document ManagementTeamplate, Google Drive, Dropbox
Scaling and Growth ToolsTeamplate, HubSpot, Asana
Performance Monitoring and AlertsHubspot, Teamplate, Asana
User Access and Role ManagementTeamplate, Hubspot, Asana
Mobile AccessibilityNotion, Grammarly, Teamplate

Benefits of Startup Tools

What do the right startup tools add to your team’s workflow, productivity, and motivation? A lot, it turns out. Here’s why making an informed choice is important:

✅ Increased Efficiency: Automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time for creative and strategic activities.

✅ Cost Savings: Affordable pricing and scalable plans that help startups keep costs low while accessing powerful features. Some startup tools like Teamplate are even 100% free.

✅ Better Collaboration: Streamline team communication to improve collaboration across remote or hybrid teams.

✅ Scalability: Choose startup tools that grow with the startup, accommodating new team members, customers, and operational demands.

✅ Data-Driven Decision Making: Gain access to analytics and insights that help you make informed decisions.

✅ Enhanced Productivity: Time tracking, to-do lists, and other productivity features help your team stay on schedule and hit deadlines.

✅ Resource Optimization: Distribute workloads efficiently, reducing bottlenecks and preventing burnout.

✅ Centralized Information: Store files, documents, and important information in one place for easy access and retrieval by the team.

✅ Rapid Onboarding: The best startup tools offer intuitive user interfaces and support resources that help new employees get up to speed quickly.

✅ Better Security: Secure data storage, compliance management, and role-based access help startups protect sensitive information.

✅ Flexibility: Use customization to suit your specific needs.

✅ Remote Work Support: Cloud-based startup tools enable remote work, ensuring your team can contribute from anywhere with internet access.

✅ Increased Accountability: Task tracking and team management features improve accountability, making it clear who is responsible for what and by when.

Best Startup Tools Ranked

The best tools for startups are the ones that offer the most functionalities, allowing you to streamline operations by using the least number of tools or softwares possible. Here are the current top performing startup tools on the market.

Teamplate – Best in Class

Teamplate Homepage

Teamplate is one of those very rare breed of startup tools – it’s 100% free for all your team members. You can access the most advanced features for free, and you can even invite external collaborators. 

Let’s start with the very basics. As a startup, you’ll want your team to have access to the full host of essential office applications – we’re talking email, instant messaging, calendar scheduling, video conferencing and screen recording. To these you’re going to want to add workflow aides like project management, task tracking, and automation. Finally, you’re going to need a secure and reliable file sharing system, that also allows you to store directly on the platform. And, of course, a brainstorming space for those team sessions.

Teamplate offers them all. The best thing is that you won’t even need third party integrations, which is what most startup tools try to sell you. It does all of this from one interface, with one highly intuitive dashboard that gives you and your team access to everything.  Looking for more? You don’t need a paid subscription to access any of the features, so it’s literally one of the best free online collaboration tools.

Star Features:

FeatureDescriptionUse Case
Chat IntegrationReal-time communication tool that allows you to convert messages into tasks, events, or notes, streamlining workflow without switching between multiple apps.Enables quick task creation directly from conversations.
Kanban BoardVisual task management system with free Kanban board, including features like tickets, checklists, epics, and sprints to organize and track project progress.Helps teams manage tasks efficiently, monitor progress, and maintain an organized workflow.
Calendar IntegrationSpace-based calendars that provide an overview of all project-related meetings and events, with options to create events directly or convert chat messages into meetings.Ensures all team members are informed about schedules, reducing the risk of missed meetings.
Video Calls & Screen SharingIntegrated video conferencing and screen sharing capabilities, allowing teams to connect and collaborate without the need for third-party applications.Allows your team to conduct meetings and presentations seamlessly within the platform.
Personal SpaceA dedicated area for individual users to manage their own personal tasks, events, and files, with customizable boards and data rooms.Team members can organize their work and resources privately, enhancing personal productivity.
Data RoomSecure storage space for project-related files and documents, accessible to all team members within a project.Centralizes important documents, ensuring easy access and collaboration among team members.

Asana – Feature-Rich, But Learning Curve

Asana Board
Photo: Asana

Asana a robust project management tool designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work efficiently. It offers versatile features that help teams break down large projects into manageable tasks, assigning responsibilities, and setting deadlines. 

Asana offers startup tools that are well-suited for teams of all sizes, and caters to a wide range of industries. The platform offers a free basic plan for individuals and small teams with limited needs, while premium startup tools features such as advanced reporting, automation, and timeline views are available at $10.99 per user/month when billed annually. For larger organizations, the Business plan at $24.99 per user/month includes additional tools like workload management and portfolio tracking. Custom pricing is available for enterprises needing more tailored solutions, including advanced security and support features.

Star Features:

FeatureDescriptionUse Case
Task DependenciesAllows team leads to define relationships between tasks, indicating which tasks are waiting on others, ensuring a clear sequence of work.Helps teams manage complex projects by clarifying task order and preventing bottlenecks.
Custom FieldsEnables the addition of specific data fields to tasks and projects, so your team can  track information like priority, status, or cost.Provides flexibility to tailor Asana to your unique workflow needs, enhancing data organization.
Timeline ViewOffers a Gantt-style visual representation of project tasks and deadlines, facilitating better planning and scheduling.Helps you visualiza project progress, identifying potential delays, and adjusting plans accordingly.
Automation RulesAllows users to automate routine tasks by setting up triggers and actions, reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency.No more wasting your time assigning tasks or updating fields.

Hubspot – Built for Marketing, Not All-Purpose

Photo: Hubspot

This all-in-one customer relationship management (CRM) platform offers a range of startup tools that help you scale your marketing, sales, and customer service efforts. Features range from email marketing and content management to customer support and advanced analytics.

HubSpot is ideal for small to mid-sized businesses as well as larger enterprises that need startup tools with a centralized CRM solution for a variety of task types, from managing leads to running automated marketing campaigns. The pricing structure is quite flexible, with a free CRM version that covers basic features also available. More advanced require the premium ‘Hubs’ – Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS, and Operations – which can be purchased individually or as a bundled package. Prices start from $50 per month for the Starter plans.

Star Features:

FeatureDescriptionUse Case
Lead ScoringAutomatically ranks your leads based on their engagement and behavior, helping sales teams prioritize outreach efforts.Enables sales teams to focus on high-potential prospects, increasing conversion rates.
Email TrackingNotifies your team when emails are opened or links are clicked, providing insights into recipient engagement.Allows you to gauge interest levels and tailor follow-up communications effectively.
Social Media ManagementIntegrates social media accounts for scheduling posts, monitoring interactions, and analyzing performance from a single dashboard.Streamlines your social media marketing efforts, ensuring consistent brand presence and efficient engagement.
Content Management System (CMS)Provides tools to create, edit, and optimize website content, with built-in SEO recommendations and analytics.Empowers your marketing team to manage website content effectively, enhancing user experience and search engine visibility.

Slack – Master of Communication, Task Management Lite

Photo: Slack

Slack is one of those suite of startup tools that focus on enhancing team collaboration and communication through real-time chat features, integrations, and customizable channels. Unlike traditional email, Slack it allow you to organize conversations by topic, project, or team by setting up dedicated channels.

The tool is well-suited for teams that work in fast-paced environments where immediate and fluid communication is crucial, and is particularly popular among tech companies and remote teams that need an efficient way to stay aligned on daily tasks and projects. 

You can access a free version with limited startup tools and features, while the Standard, Plus, and Enterprise plans provide enhanced capabilities, such as greater message retention, increased integrations, and advanced security, making it adaptable to different team sizes and requirements.

The Pro plan is priced at $7.25 per user per month, while the Business+ plan costs $12.50 per user per month.

Star Features:

FeatureDescriptionUse Case
ChannelsDedicated spaces for team conversations, organized by topics, projects, or departments, facilitating focused and organized communication.Allows your teams to collaborate efficiently by keeping discussions relevant and accessible to appropriate members.
Slack ConnectEnables secure communication and collaboration with external organizations directly within Slack, replacing traditional email exchanges.Facilitates seamless partnerships and client interactions by bringing all communications into a single platform.
Workflow BuilderA visual tool that allows users to automate routine tasks and processes without coding, streamlining workflows and increasing productivity.Automates repetitive tasks such as onboarding new team members or gathering daily stand-up updates, saving time and reducing errors.
App IntegrationsSupports integration with over 2,400 third-party applications, allowing you to bring your preferred tools and services into Slack for a unified workflow.Notifications, data, and actions from various apps are centralized, reducing the need to switch between multiple platforms.

Monday.com – Visually Appealing, Prone to Clutter

Photo: Monday.com

Monday.com is a versatile work operating system (Work OS) with a range of startup tools designed to manage projects, processes, and everyday tasks. It has an intuitive interface that makes use of various column types to capture essential data. 

This project management software supports multiple views, including Kanban, Gantt, and calendar, and has the potential to scale up with you as you grow. It’s particularly suited to those seeking a flexible solution to coordinate complex projects and workflows, especially within the marketing, software development, and human resources sectors. 

This is one of the top startup tools that allow for a free plan up to two users but free features are very basic. Paid plans start at $8 per seat per month, the Standard plan at $10 per seat per month, and the Pro plan at $16 per seat per month, all billed annually. 

Star Features:

FeatureDescriptionUse Case
Customizable DashboardsCreate personalized dashboards to visualize project data, track progress, and gain insights tailored to your team’s needs.Enables your team to focus on key metrics and visualize project health at a glance.
AutomationsSet up custom automation rules to streamline repetitive tasks, such as status updates and notifications.Simplifies workflows by reducing manual effort, saving time on repetitive processes.
IntegrationsConnect with third-party apps like Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams to centralize work processes.Allows seamless collaboration by integrating tools your team already uses.
Time TrackingMonitor the time spent on tasks directly within the platform for better resource management.Helps you track team productivity and accurately estimate project timelines.

Grammarly – Writing Savior, Project Management Novice

Photo: Grammarly

As startup tools go, this one is best suited for content-related roles. Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps your team improve the quality, clarity, and tone of their writing across various contexts, including emails, documents, and social media posts. 

Its user-friendly interface offers real-time grammar, spelling, and style suggestions, along with more advanced features like tone detection and readability scoring. Grammarly integrates smoothly with numerous platforms, such as web browsers, Microsoft Office, and Google Docs, allowing for consistent writing enhancement wherever it’s needed. The platform is ideal for professionals, students, and content creators aiming to produce polished, effective communication. 

You can get a Free plan with essential grammar and spelling corrections, while the Premium plan, priced at $12 per month, includes advanced suggestions for tone, word choice, and engagement. 

Star Features:

FeatureDescriptionUse Case
Tone DetectorAnalyzes your writing to identify the tone, helping ensure your message is conveyed as intended.Helps you match the desired level of formality or friendliness.
Plagiarism DetectionChecks your text against billions of web pages and academic papers to identify potential plagiarism.Ensures the originality of academic papers, articles, or any content requiring unique material.
Style GuideAllows teams to create a customized set of writing guidelines to maintain consistent communication.Helps your team ensure all written content aligns with the brand voice and standards.
SnippetsYou can save and reuse commonly used phrases or responses to streamline communication.Saves time for customer support teams by providing quick access to standard replies.

Notion – Powerful Yet Pricey, Can Be Overwhelming

Notion Project Management
Photo: Notion

Notion combines note-taking, project management, databases, and collaboration tools into a single platform. You can create pages that include a mix of content types, such as text, tables, lists, and embedded media, making it easy to organize information in a way that suits individual or team needs. 

It includes a solid range of startup tools designed to serve various industries and workers, from solo entrepreneurs needing a central place to track tasks and notes, to larger teams looking for a unified space to coordinate projects and share knowledge. 

Notion, and other Notion alternatives, are well-suited to teams looking for startup tools related to content creation, product development, and education as the collaborative features make it easy to share documents, leave comments, and assign tasks. There’s a Free plan for individuals with limited block storage, while the Plus plan is priced at $8 per user per month. The Business plan, which includes more advanced features like admin tools, is available at $15 per user per month.

Star Features:

FeatureDescriptionUse Case
TemplatesProvides a vast library of pre-built templates for various purposes, including project management, note-taking, and personal planning.Allows you to quickly set up structured pages tailored to specific needs, enhancing productivity.
DatabasesOffers customizable databases that can be viewed as tables, boards, calendars, or lists, enabling efficient data organization and retrieval.Makes complex data management tasks easy.
Integration with Other ToolsSupports integration with over 70 other SaaS tools, such as Slack, GitHub, GitLab, Zoom, Jira, Cisco Webex, Zapier, and Typeform.Allows you to centralize their workflows by connecting Notion with other essential applications.
Notion AIUses artificial intelligence to help you with tasks like content generation, summarization, and translation.Helps your team draft documents, generate ideas, or translate text directly within the platform.

ClickUp – Feature Overload, Potential for Confusion

Clickup Kanban Board
Photo: ClickUp

If you’re looking for startup tools that centralize task management, document collaboration, goal tracking, and time management, ClickUp offers precisely this. Its modular design allows users to tailor their workspace with features like custom fields, statuses, and views, accommodating diverse workflows and project requirements. 

This software is very adaptable, so it’s suitable for sectors such as marketing, software development, and operations management. The pricing structure includes a Free Forever plan with essential features for personal use. However, teams would need to upgrade to a $7 subscription per user per month. 

Star Features:

FeatureDescriptionUse Case
Custom Task TypesAllows you to create and define unique task types to represent various work items, such as accounts, cases, or backlog items, tailored to specific workflows.You can customize the task management system to align with your unique processes and project requirements.
Universal SearchProvides a comprehensive search functionality that enables you to find any file, whether it’s within ClickUp, a connected app, or a local drive, all from one place.You gain quick access to necessary documents and information, reducing time spent searching across platforms.
WhiteboardsOffers a collaborative space where teams can brainstorm, plan, and visualize ideas in real-time, integrating tasks and content directly into the whiteboard.Allows your team to engage in creative collaboration and strategic planning by providing a dynamic and interactive visual workspace.
Mind MapsEnables you to create visual representations of ideas, tasks, and projects, facilitating better organization and understanding of complex information. 

You can plan projects with a clear visual structure, using brainstorming sessions and a clear visual structure.

Trello – Simple, Limited for Complex Projects

Trello Board Banner
Photo: Trello

One of the most visual startup tools you can get is Trello, which uses a card and board system to help you organize tasks, collaborate, and track progress effortlessly. Its simplicity makes it accessible for a wide range of users who want to create and customize boards to categorize tasks. Moreover, its drag-and-drop functionality and checklist features enable easy updating and progress tracking/

Trello is usually preferred by teams that prefer startup tools with a straightforward approach to managing tasks and projects, and that don’t require complex dependencies. There’s a Free plan with essential features, a Standard plan at $5 per user per month, and a Premium plan at $10 per user per month billed annually. 

Star Features:

FeatureDescriptionUse Case
Butler AutomationA built-in automation tool that allows you to create custom rules, buttons, and commands to automate repetitive tasks and workflows without coding.You can streamline processes such as moving cards between lists, setting due dates, and assigning members.
Power-UpsIntegrations that extend Trello’s functionality by connecting with external applications.Allows you to add features like calendars, time tracking, and reporting through third party apps.
Advanced ChecklistsAllows you to create checklists within cards, assign due dates and team members to individual checklist items, and track progress.Helps you break down complex tasks into manageable steps, ensuring accountability and timely completion.
Card Covers and ColorsAllows you to add images or colors to card fronts, making it easier to identify and differentiate tasks at a glance.You can navigate quickly between tasks without wasting time sourcing what you need.

Why Do You Need Tools for Startups?

Having the right startup tools is something that you should start thinking about even before launch. The best way for a team to hit the ground is running – and we’d also add stress-free, and motivated. 

If you haven’t planned ahead for the essential tools for startups, it’s going to be a case of limping, rather than running. And as for that stress-free environment, a bursting inbox and dozens of uncategorized chat threads never help. 

How Startup Tools Like Teamplate Help You Stay Ahead of the Competition

Offering the full range of comprehensive startup tools, Teamplate provides the infrastructure to support your team’s growth and adaptability, allowing you to pivot as needed while maintaining efficiency. 

The dashboard includes everything from project management to realtime communication, document sharing and storage, as well as calendar functions integrated into one cohesive platform. The only thing you need to do is enjoy the streamlined processes and watch productivity improve without stressing about it. 

This centralized approach to startup tools not only simplifies operations but also reduces overhead costs, as multiple needs are all addressed by Teamplate, eliminating the need for piecemeal solutions.

The cherry on the cake? By leveraging automation and collaboration features, your team can gain an edge over competitors who are still relying on manual or disconnected processes. The startup tools included within Teamplate empower your teams to make informed decisions in real-time, ensuring rapid response to market changes, and fostering seamless communication across the organization. 

Ultimately, using Teamplate can help you create a more agile business environment, providing a foundation for sustainable growth and competitive advantage. 

Ready to start using the king of startup tools? Get in touch here.

Finding free Kanban board software tools online is relatively easy nowadays. It feels like every app developer has launched their own version. The trick is finding one that works efficiently across all functionalities and does what it says on the box, offering you access to the majority of features without asking for a paid subscription.

We’ve asked a set of independent reviewers to take a deep dive into this topic, issue, taking a close look at the most popular options available and putting them through various tests. Here are our top recommendations, based on a series of rigorous testing sessions.

10 Best Free Kanban Board Software to Try

Right below we’ve compared our experts’ curated list of 10 top free Kanban board software tools based on performance and on the free features available. Be aware that the latter may change from time to time, so it’s always best to go directly to the source before subscribing. However, based on the hands-on research we’ve conducted, you can get a very good overview of what to expect for free from each app.

ToolFree Plan Features
TeamplateUnlimited Kanban boards, unlimited users; includes chat, video calls, boards, calendar, data room, and spaces.
Kitchen.coKanban project management tools available, specific free plan details not listed
TrelloUnlimited personal boards, up to 10 team boards, unlimited users, 10 MB file attachments, very basic automation, 1 Power-Up per board
AsanaUnlimited Kanban boards, up to 15 users, unlimited storage, access to basic features, advanced features like timelines and automation require a paid plan
WrikeUnlimited Kanban boards, up to 5 users, 2 GB storage, basic task management features, advanced features (Gantt charts, custom workflows) require a paid plan
ClickUpUnlimited Kanban boards, unlimited users, 100 MB storage, access to most features with limits on advanced tools (e.g. Goals and Portfolios)
KanbanFlowUnlimited Kanban boards, unlimited users, basic features; advanced tools (e.g., time tracking, integrations) require paid plan
Kanban Tool2 Kanban boards, up to 2 users, 1 MB file attachments, basic features; advanced tools (e.g., time tracking, analytics) require paid plan
Monday.comUnlimited Kanban boards, up to 2 users, 500 MB storage, basic features; advanced views (timelines, calendar views) require paid plan
JiraUnlimited Kanban boards, up to 10 users, 2 GB storage, access to basic features; advanced features (e.g., advanced roadmaps) require paid plan

Which is the Best Free Kanban Board Software Tool?

Our experts’ analysis of the best free process management software that’s currently on the market, revealed that Teamplate offers the best free Kanban board software hands-down, given all the advanced features that it includes for free. We based our decision on a series of data-driven, testing sessions that took place across five mock projects. Further down, we will list our experts’ findings in more detail.

How we Reviewed the Top 10 Free Kanban Board Software

Our reviewers had three main priorities while conducting their testing:

  1. Identifying which free Kanban board software offers the most comprehensive task management and task tracking functionalities
  2. Sourcing that that offered the biggest number of these functionalities for free
  3. Discovering which tool also added extra features such as chat, screen recording, email and forth.

We found that many free Kanban board software tools were only free up to a certain extent. Some of the tools, like ClickUp and Monday.com, offer the entire suite of functionalities – but only to a very limited number of users. While they may be excellent options for freelancers, reality is that teams are usually composed of more than two or five people, which will make a paid subscription necessary.

Other tools, like Asana, Wrike, and Jira, allow a large number of users on their free Kanban board software plan, but most of the necessary advanced features will not be accessible unless you upgrade to a paid plan. This also kind of defeats the purpose, as any team needs comprehensive free online collaboration tools to function properly.

Why We Chose Teamplate as the Best Free Kanban Board Software

free-kanban-board-teamplate

Teamplate, on the other hand, hits all the requisites our independent reviewers look for in free Kanban board software. You can onboard your entire team (including external partners) and you will have access to all functionalities on the free plan. Additionally, this free Kanban software offers a truly comprehensive dashboard that goes beyond the regular project management tools, with calendar, chat, and email integrations as well as designated Spaces for further collaboration and a highly secured data room.

In view of this, it would be difficult to find a free Kanban board software that performs better than Teamplate. However, we will be reproducing our findings about each individual tool in further detail below. To start using it at no cost, get in touch with our Teamplate team.

Teamplate – Best Overall for Full Collaboration & Task Management

Allows you to collaborate effortlessly with unlimited boards and advanced tools for every project included for free.
Teamplate Homepage

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan? 

Teamplate’s free Kanban board software plan is literally unlimited. For €/£/$0 you get a comprehensive suite of features created to help any team achieve seamless team collaboration and project management.

  • Unlimited Kanban Boards, where you can create and manage multiple boards to visualize and track project progress.
  • Unlimited Users, with the possibility of inviting and collaborating with an unrestricted number of team members.
  • Integrated Email, unlimited email access to all your team members right within the platform.
  • Chat Functionality, allowing you to engage in real-time messaging with individuals or groups.
  • Screen Recording, making brainstorming, note taking and presentations more effective.
  • Video Calls, so you can conduct virtual meetings directly within the platform and record them, for 100% effective remote collaboration.
  • Calendar Integration, where you can schedule and manage events, deadlines, and milestones to keep the team aligned.
  • Data Room to securely store and share documents and files, ensuring easy access to members of the team who are granted secure access.
  • Spaces, where you create dedicated areas for different projects or teams to maintain organized workflows.
  • Checklist Functionality, helping you break down tasks into subtasks with checklists.
  • Backlog and Sprint Management to facilitate agile project management.
  • Aggregated Calendar and Ticket View that offer a unified perspective of all assigned tickets and events across various spaces.

There are no paid plans available as Teamplate is 100% free. No paid subscriptions are needed to access advanced features.

Kitchen.co – A Lightweight Solution

Offering simple, but effective, Kanban management for today’s agile teams.
Photo: Kitchen.co

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan?

  • 2 Internal Users, so it’s best suited for freelancers rather than organizations.
  • Invoices & Quotes for financial reporting.

Teams numbering more than two users won’t be able to use the free Kanban board software and will need to upgrade to a subscription. Kitche.co favours Lifetime Plans, so the outlay is quite expensive. The first choice is priced at $599 as a one-time payment and includes unlimited internal users, unlimited clients, and projects.

The Lifetime 5-User Plan is available for a $299 one-time payment and offers the same features as the Unlimited Plan but is limited to five internal users, so it only works for very small organizations that have no intention of ever scaling up.

Trello – For Multiple Workspaces

A highly visual organizer, bringing teams together with simplicity.
Photo: Trello

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan?

  • Unlimited Personal Boards to create and manage as many personal boards as needed for various projects.
  • Unlimited Cards and Lists, so you can add an unrestricted number of cards and lists to boards.
  • Unlimited Members to invite and collaborate across departments.

Teams requiring project management beyond the basic cards will need to sign up to Trello’s Standard plan, which costs $5 per user/month and includes advanced checklists, unlimited boards, custom fields, and unlimited storage with a 250MB file size limit. 

While this is great for small teams scaling beyond the free plan, if you’d like to add features like timeline, calendar, table, dashboard, and map views you’ll need to upgrade to the Premium plan for $10 per user/month.

Asana – Excellent for Task Visualization

Allows you to organize, track, and hit your project goals with ease.
Asana

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan?

  • Unlimited Tasks to create and manage an unrestricted number of tasks.
  • Unlimited Projects that you can initiate and oversee without limitations.
  • Unlimited Messages, allowing you to communicate seamlessly with team members.
  • Unlimited Activity Logs, giving you access to comprehensive records of all activities and changes within your projects.

Asana’s features really come into their own not when using the free Kanban board software version, but when you subscribe for one of the four paid plans—Starter, Advanced, Enterprise, and Enterprise+. The Starter plan costs $10.99 per user per month and should be enough to cover the needs of small to medium-sized organizations.

It includes unlimited tasks, projects, messages, and activity logs, along with unlimited storage (100MB per file). You will also have access to list, board, and calendar views, as well as integrations with over 100 free apps like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Slack. 

The Advanced plan, at $24.99 per user per month, is far from being a free Kanban board software. However, it introduces advanced functionalities such as timeline (Gantt) views, goals, portfolios (up to 100), workload management, and advanced reporting metrics.

Wrike – For Flexible Workflows

Helps you empower your team with streamlined task management.
Photo: Wrike

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan? 

  • Unlimited Users, to collaborate with an unrestricted number of team members.
  • Task and Subtask Management, to organize work efficiently.
  • Board and Table Views that help you visualize tasks using Kanban-style boards or spreadsheet-like tables.
  • Real-time Activity Stream that keeps you updated with live notifications of project activities and changes.
  • Email Integration, allowing you toonvert emails into tasks and manage them within Wrike.

Small teams looking for advanced features would need to go beyond the free Kanban board software and subscribe to Wrike’s Team plan, priced at $10 per user per month.  This plan includes unlimited projects, tasks, and subtasks, custom fields, request forms, interactive Gantt charts, custom workflows, and 2 GB of storage per user. 

If your team counts more than 15 people you’ll need to upgrade to the Business plan which is available at $24.80 per user per month. It accommodates up to 200 users and adds features like nested projects, cross-tagging, project blueprints, custom item types, 5 GB of storage per user, reports, time tracking, and dashboards. 

Wrike’s more expensive Enterprise and Pinnacle plans include advanced security, scalability, and analytics tools. Pricing for these plans is available upon request.

ClickUp – Comprehensive Project Management

Helps you streamline your workflow across all departments.
Clickup Kanban Board
Photo: ClickUp

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan? 

  • Unlimited Tasks to create and manage an unrestricted number of tasks to organize your work.
  • Unlimited Members, allowing you to collaborate across your entire organization
  • Two-Factor Authentication to enhance security.
  • Collaborative Docs where you can create and edit documents collaboratively within the platform.
  • Whiteboards for brainstorming and visual collaboration.
  • Everything View, so you can visualize all tasks and projects in one place.

The next tier after ClickUp’s free Kanban board software plan is the Unlimited plan. It costs $7 per user per month and should suit most startups as it provides unlimited storage, integrations, dashboards, Gantt charts, and custom fields. You will also be able to access advanced reporting and time tracking features.

If you upgrade to the Business plan, costing $12 per user per month, you will also be able to use advanced automation capabilities, goal tracking, portfolios, and custom exporting options. It also offers enhanced security features such as Google Single Sign-On (SSO) and two-factor authentication, catering to organizations that require more sophisticated data security.

Finally, there’s the Enterprise plan, which includes all features alongside  advanced permissions, unlimited custom roles, and dedicated support. Pricing for the Enterprise plan is available upon request.

KanbanFlow – Simple Tool with WIP

Helps your team get more done with time-tracking Kanban boards for focused teams.
Photo: KanbanFlow

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan?

  • Unlimited Boards & Tasks to manage the workflow according to your preferences
  • Subtasks to make project management easier.
  • Filters for a more organized workflow.
  • Recurring Tasks so as to maximize time management.

Beyond its free Kanban board software, KanbanFlow offers one paid pricing plan at $5 per user per month with a 10% discount for annual payments. This includes all features of the Free plan and adds advanced analytics and reporting tools such as cumulative flow, cycle and lead time, burndown, throughput, calendar, due date performance, dashboard, Monte Carlo forecasting, revision history, time estimate reports, and task count reports. 

The paid plan also offers integrations with Excel and CSV import, task addition via email, API and webhooks, calendar feed/iCal, Zapier, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Box. Enhanced security and control features include two-factor authentication, view-only permission roles, and custom permission roles. 

Kanban Tool – Customizable & Integrations-Ready

Makes it easy to visualize workflows and boost productivity with basic boards.
Kanbachi Board
Photo: Kanban Tool

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan? 

  • Work-In-Progress (WIP) Limits to optimize workflow and prevent bottlenecks.
  • Subtasks, allowing you to break down tasks into smaller, manageable subtasks to monitor progress effectively.
  • Easily filter tasks by user, label, color, or due date to focus on specific items.
  • Set Recurring Tasks to repeat at specified intervals, eliminating the need to recreate them manually.

Requirements that involve more than two users and two boards don’t qualify for this free Kanban board software, so you’ll need to upgrade to the Team Plan. Priced at $6 per user per month, this offers unlimited boards and file attachments and is suitable if your team is seeking to scale up operations with more comprehensive features.

At the higher end of the scale there’s also the Enterprise Plan, costing $11 per user per month. This option gives you a range of advanced functionalities such as time tracking and reporting, user groups management, and process automation. 

Monday.com – Enables Deep Collaboration

Customizable and easy project management for your team.
Monday.com Kanban
Photo: Monday.com

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan? 

  • Up to 2 users for work collaboration.
  • Up to 3 boards with unlimited docs and a set number of templates.
  • iOS and Android App Compatibility so you can manage your work on the go.
  • 500 MB of File Storage & Unlimited Free Viewers allowing you to share your boards at no additional cost.

Starting at $8 per seat per month, the Basic plan offers prioritized customer support, and the ability to create a dashboard that combines up to 1 board. This plan is designed for small teams that need to go beyond the free Kanban board software capabiities.

Medium-sized teams would fare better on the Standard Plan, costing $10 per user per month. The plan adds a timeline and Gantt views, calendar view, guest access, automations (250 actions per month), integrations (250 actions per month), and the ability to create a dashboard that combines up to five boards. 

If you need more boards you’ll need to fork out $16 per seat per month, with private boards and docs, chart view, time tracking, formula column, dependency column, more automations (25,000 actions per month) and integrations (25,000 actions per month), and the ability to create a dashboard that combines up to 10 boards. 

Jira – Focused on Scrum

Built for agile teams to plan, track, and release like a pro.
Jira Banner
Photo: Jira

Which Features Can You Access in the Free Plan?

  • Up to 10 Users, ideal for medium-sized teams.
  • Unlimited Scrum & Kanban Boards to manage workflows.
  • Basic Customizable Workflows, allowing you to tailor issue statuses and transitions to fit your team’s processes

At $7.75 per user per month, the Standard plan accommodates up to 35,000 users and offers 250 GB of storage and includes advanced permissions, project roles, audit logs, and data residency options. 

The Premium plan is priced at $15.25 per user per month and adds unlimited storage, advanced roadmaps, sandbox environments, release tracks, and 24/7 support.

What is a Free Kanban Board Software?

A free Kanban board software helps you organize tasks visually without it being a burden on your organization’s budget. At its very basic, free Kanban Board software offers a digital version of a whiteboard filled with sticky notes. Each note represents a task, but it’s not cluttering your desk and it can be shared with other members of your team, other departments and – with the really best free Kanban boards – even externally.

The app allows you to create columns like ‘To Do’,  ‘In Progress’,  and ‘Done’, and you simply drag tasks from one column to the next as work moves forward. It couldn’t be simpler, as it rids you of a never-ending list of emails or messages with requests and information that you can’t track.

The beauty of the best free Kanban board software lies in its simplicity. The whole team can keep track of what’s being worked on, who’s responsible, and what’s coming next. With a free version, you get some of the core features without the need for a subscription, making it an ideal starting point for small teams, freelancers, or anyone wanting to stay organized on a budget. 

To put it in a nutshell, a free Kanban board software is all about staying organized, seeing the bigger picture of your workload, and making it easier to prioritize – all without opening your (virtual) wallet.

Why is a free Kanban Board Software the Best Tool for You?

Research has shown that using free Kanban board software helps increase the productivity and motivation of teams. Here’s how.

  • Offers highly visual task management
  • Is easy to use, with no steep learning curve
  • Gives you instant progress tracking
  • Includes flexible customization options
  • No cost means no risk
  • Helps boosts the whole team’s efficiency

Start Using Teamplate for Free Now

All you need to do is get in touch with our team for a full and free onboarding.

FAQs

Is there any free Kanban board?

Yes, Teamplate is a 100% free Kanban board software that offers access to all features without ever asking you to pay for an upgrade.

Does Google have a Kanban tool?
No, Google does not offer a native Kanban tool within its suite of applications. However, free Kanban board software like Teamplate offer comprehensive functionalities that you can use from within your Google profile.

Does Office 365 have a free Kanban board software?
Yes, Office 365 includes Microsoft Planner, a tool that offers Kanban board features. However, the free plan offers limited access to plans and task management and workflow. 

Is Trello Kanban free?
Trello offers a free Kanban board software tier that provides basic Kanban board functionalities, including task creation, list organization, and collaboration features. However, if you’d like access to features like nesting, additional integrations, automation, and enhanced security options, you’ll need the paid plan.

By opting for process management software free of charge, companies can improve efficiency considerably, while staying within budget. This applies especially to startups, where it’s vital to set up efficient workflow processes that allow your team to perform at its best efficiency without burdening you with a steep monthly subscription.

Finding the right free task management software may sound like a big ask, but it’s not. Granted, there are many confusing options out there, with many business process management tools (BPMs) claiming to be free when in reality you’ll be asked to pay as soon as you access crucial features apart from the very basic.

Here, we’ve ranked all the  best tools for remote teams that also come with a free version. Our team has tested each app in depth to discover which of these offer process management software free of charge, 100%. We’ll start off with a comparative overview, before taking a deep dive into the pros and cons for each.

The Best Free Process Management Softwares at a Glance

ToolsBest ForStandout FeaturesFree Plan
TeamplateAll-in-one, streamlined workflowFlexible template-based workflow management that includes chat, email, video calls, file sharing, calendar & more100% free plan with unlimited users and features
TrelloVisual task management Simple board-based project trackingUp to 10 boards per Workspace
AsanaTeams needing comprehensive task and project managementTask assignment, timelines, project tracking,Up to 15 users with basic task and project management features
ClickUpCustomized task viewsProject management with time trackingFree up to 5 spaces, 100MB storage limit
JiraSoftware development teams and agile methodologiesIssue tracking, sprint planningFree up to 10 users with basicfeatures
Monday.comVisual project trackingCustomizable dashboards, automationFree up to 2 users with access to basic boards 
ConfluenceDetailed documentation management and knowledge sharingVersion control, permission managementFree plan for up to 10 users with basic documentation features
WrikeComplex project management needsAdvanced Gantt charts, real-time reportingFree up to 1 shared space, basic project management only
NotionNotes and databasesCollaboration in a flexible digital workspaceFree up to 10 users
HiveProject management with communication features Integrated project management with communication tools Free up to 10 users with limited project and task management features

What Makes the Best Free Process Management Software?

What makes the above the best free process management softwares? All of them possess certain basic features that are an essential requirement for the top online communication platforms. Let’s take a look in more detail below.

Top Features to Look For in Free Process Management Softwares

  • A free version: You can use any of the above process management software free of charge at least in their basic format.
  • Strong collaboration features: Every software allows your team to collaborate seamlessly across various functionalities.
  • Flexibility: Features like permission controls, addition of members, and even customized views are available.
  • Hosted: You don’t need specialized knowledge to set up any of these free process management softwares as they’re hosted by the company that created them.
  • Advanced Integrations: The above process management software free options can all be integrated with other popular tools and apps for a fully seamless workflow. 

How We Evaluated & Tested the Apps

While testing process management software free of charge we followed a specific process to decide which of these deliver the full suite of functionalities that are needed for efficient remote team collaboration.

First of all we went through the actual signup process for each of them, and completed any onboarding provided. This gave us a good indication of exactly how intuitive or time consuming these tools are.

For the purpose of reviewing, we created a test project and applied the same methodology while using each process management software free of charge. We also set up a handful of fake tasks, complete with details like deadlines, attachments, users, adding links and so forth to determine whether all functionalities are supported.

Our experts then had free reign to customize each project as they saw fit, toggling between view options, adding new users, automating some processes and so forth.

By carrying out these process management software free trials we gained a 360-degree view of the capabilities of each tool, allowing us to reach a final verdict as to which ones are truly the best.

How to Choose the Best Free Process Management Softwares

So maybe you’d like to carry out your process management software free trials? In this case, it helps to have a structured plan so that you know what to look for and to help you pick the best solution for your team. The below checklist will help you reach an informed decision.

FeatureWhat to Consider
BudgetIs the process management software free to use? Or does it come  with hidden costs?
ValueDoes the free version provide enough features to meet your core requirements before upgrading?
Ease of UseIs the software intuitive enough for your team to start using it without a steep learning curve?
ScalabilityCan the software adapt as your team’s needs expand and projects become more complex?
CustomizabilityAre the workflows flexible enough to adjust to your team’s specific processes and preferences?
Collaboration FeaturesDoes it facilitate efficient teamwork, with tools for communication and real-time collaboration?
Security SafeguardsDoes the platform ensure robust data security and comply with industry standards?
IntegrationsDoes it seamlessly connect with your team’s existing tools and platforms?
Mobile AccessIs the software optimized for managing tasks and workflows remotely from mobile devices?

A Detailed Look at the Best Free Process Management Softwares

Several platforms offer process management software free trials, allowing you to test the features before committing. But what we’re looking for here are remote tools that you can use for free in the longterm. Below, we go into more detail about which apps allow you to do this and to which extent, delving into pros, cons, user reviews, and pricing details.

Teamplate – Best Streamlined Workflows & Comprehensive Functionalities

Teamplate Homepage

Pros

All communication needs are centralized in one hub: You won’t need to use any third party applications such as email or Kanban boards. Instead, you can do everything from one comprehensive dashboard.

Instant Messaging: Your chats will be stored and you can convert them straight to tickets automatically.

Integrated Email: There is no need to switch applications, and full automation is also available here to turn emails into tasks.

Integrated Calendar: Schedule your daily meetings and stay on track right through the dashboard.

Board and Tickets: Plan, track, and oversee all your team’s tasks from a Kanban-style dashboard

✔ Video Calls & Screen Recordings: Unlimited remote meetings which can be recorded for improved reporting.

Data Room: A secure place where to keep all your company’s files and documents, with flexible permission controls.

Spaces & Personal Space: A secure place where to collaborate with other team members. Each team member also has access to their own personal space where to keep track of personal notes and ideas. 

100% Free: This is the only process management software free of charge that gives you access to the full suite of functionalities.

Cons

To date, Teamplate is the only product on this list to have received consistent five stars on verified user review platforms like TrustPilot and Capterra.

Customer Stories

process-management-software-free
All photos: G2.com

Using process management software free has never been easier with Teamplate, and user reviews confirm this. Users on G2.com all agree that Teamplate is easy to use, facilitates collaboration and has no real ‘cons’ to speak of. The five star ratings reflect these views, such as the one pictured above by Arash T.

Price Options

  • 100% Free, Every Time: Includes all features like chat, email, video conferencing, screen recording, project management and more without limitations.

Trello – For Visual Project Management

Pros

Attachments and Due Date Management: Trello allows you to attach files directly to cards and set due dates, making it easy to keep track of important documents and deadlines.
Visual Task Tracking with Boards and Cards: The board and card layout provides a clear, visual way to manage tasks and projects, perfect for teams that prefer visual organization.
Butler Automation for Repetitive Tasks: Trello’s Butler feature automates repetitive tasks such as moving cards, sending reminders, and updating fields, saving time for teams.

Cons

Limited Free Plan Features: The free plan limits users to only 10 boards per workspace, which can be restrictive for larger teams or more complex projects.
No Built-in Gantt Charts: Trello lacks native Gantt charts, a key feature for project timelines, forcing you to rely on third-party integrations or Power-Ups.
Basic Reporting and Analytics: It doesn’t offer advanced reporting or analytics features, so it’s difficult to track project progress at a high level.
Limited Dependency Management: The process isn’t straightforward, so handling complex workflows with interdependent tasks is an issue.
Storage Limit on Free Plan: There is a 10MB attachment limit per file, which can be limiting when working with larger documents or media files.
Power-Ups Can Be Costly: Although you can enhance functionalities by adding Power-Ups for added functionality, many of these come with additional costs after a certain number on the free plan.

Customer Stories

Not everyone is as fond of Trello’s visual boards as you might imagine. Some users like David D have reported problems when dealing with larger project where you “have to scroll back and forth”.

Price Options

  • Free Plan: Unlimited cards and members, 10 boards per Workspace, and 1 Power-Ups per board.
  • Standard Plan: $5 per user/month, adds unlimited boards, custom fields, and advanced checklists.
  • Premium Plan: $10 per user/month, includes dashboard and calendar views, timeline, and unlimited automation.
  • Enterprise Plan: Starting at $17.50 per user/month, designed for larger organizations with enhanced security, permissions, and admin controls.

Asana – For Large Teams

Pros

Task Assignment with Due Dates: You’ll find it very easy to assign tasks to team members with specific due dates, ensuring accountability and clarity on project timelines.
Custom Project Views: You can switch between list, board, calendar, and timeline views to manage tasks in a way that fits your team’s preferences.
Integration with Over 100 Tools: Asana integrates seamlessly with popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams.

Cons

No Built-in Time Tracking: There are no native time-tracking capabilities, so if you’re after detailed time management you’re going to need third-party apps.
Limited Free Plan for Large Teams: The free plan is best suited for small teams, as it lacks advanced features like project milestones and dependencies.
Learning Curve for New Users: You can use a very wide range of features and views, but these are often overwhelming for new users and require training or time to get used to.
Advanced Features are Not Included: Features like workload management and detailed project reporting are only available in the paid tiers.
Dependency Management is a Paid Add-On: You can only access task dependencies like ‘waiting on’ or ‘blocked by’ in the paid versions, so there is very limited flexibility for complex projects in the free plan.
Limited Mobile App: Although you can carry out basic task management via the mobile app, it lacks full functionality compared to the desktop version.

Customer Stories

free-process-management-software

While many users appreciate its myriad functionalities, most users complain that Asana is less flexible than its competitors, while the visual dashboard is not intuitive when it comes to data integrations.

Price Options

  • Free Plan: Includes unlimited projects, tasks, and basic collaboration for up to 15 users, but lacks advanced features.
  • Premium Plan: $10.99 per user/month (billed annually), includes advanced project tracking features such as timelines, reporting, and task dependencies.
  • Business Plan: $24.99 per user/month (billed annually), adds portfolio management, goals tracking, and workload management.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing with advanced security, admin controls, and priority support for large organizations.

ClickUp – For Customized Task Views

Pros

Built-In Time Tracking: ClickUp includes a native time-tracking feature, so you and your team can monitor how much time is spent on each task without needing third-party integrations.
Highly Customizable Dashboards: You can create custom dashboards with widgets for tracking key metrics, tasks, and goals, giving you full visibility over team productivity.
Unlimited Task Hierarchy: The software supports subtasks, checklists, and nested folders, making it easy to organize even the most complex projects with multiple levels of tasks.

Cons

Steep Learning Curve for Advanced Features: ClickUp’s vast customization options can be overwhelming for new users, requiring more time to master.
Limited Offline Functionality: The platform requires an internet connection for most of its features, which can be a drawback for teams working in areas with unreliable connectivity.
Mobile App Can Be Buggy: The ClickUp mobile app, while feature-rich, can occasionally suffer from slow loading times and bugs, making it less reliable for mobile task management.
Complex Setup for Automations: Setting these up  can be tricky, especially for users unfamiliar with automation logic, requiring more effort to configure correctly.
Limited Free Plan Features for Larger Teams: While the free plan is generous, it lacks some advanced features like goal tracking and detailed reporting, which larger teams might need.
Overly Complex for Simple Projects: ClickUp can feel bloated due to its wide array of features, leading to unnecessary complexity.

Customer Stories

process-management-software-free

ClickUp’s functionalities and integration options come in for criticism for users, with some pointing out that competitors do a much better job where these are concerned.

Price Options

  • Free Plan: Offers unlimited tasks and users, with limited storage (100MB), up to 5 spaces, and basic project management features.
  • Unlimited Plan: $5 per user/month (billed annually), includes unlimited storage, integrations, and dashboards.
  • Business Plan: $12 per user/month (billed annually), adds advanced features like goal tracking, timelines, and custom fields.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, offering advanced security, white labeling, and dedicated support for large organizations.

Jira – For Developers

Pros

Solid Agile Tools: Jira is tailored for agile teams, offering features like sprint planning, backlogs, and real-time agile boards, making it ideal for software development projects.
Comprehensive Issue Tracking: It excels in tracking bugs, issues, and tasks with detailed workflows and custom statuses, making it easier to manage complex development cycles.
Advanced Reporting and Dashboards: The platform provides highly customizable reports and dashboards, offering insights into team performance, progress, and workload distribution.

Cons

Steep Learning Curve for Non-Technical Teams: Jira’s technical nature and focus on software development can make it difficult for non-technical teams to adopt and fully utilize its features.
Limited Free Plan for Large Teams: The free plan only supports up to 10 users, which is insufficient for larger teams that need strong project management tools.
Overly Complex for Simple Projects: For teams not using agile methodologies or working on simple tasks, Jira’s extensive features can feel unnecessarily complex and overwhelming.
Expensive for Smaller Teams Needing Advanced Features: If you want to use Jira’s more advanced features, like advanced roadmaps and reporting, you will need to fork out for higher-tier plans.
Heavy Reliance on Add-Ons: Functions like time tracking or invoicing require add-ons, which can quickly increase costs.

Customer Stories

process-management-software-free

While Jira is one of the most recognisable process management software free-to-use, this does not remove the fact that many find it too complicated, requiring a steep learning curve that can put off some team members.

Price Options

  • Free Plan: Supports up to 10 users with limited features, including agile boards and backlog management.
  • Standard Plan: $7.75 per user/month (billed annually), includes up to 35,000 users with additional storage (250GB) and permissions management.
  • Premium Plan: $15.25 per user/month (billed annually), includes unlimited storage, advanced roadmaps, and 24/7 support.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, includes enterprise-level security, administration controls, and dedicated support.

Monday.com – For Visual Project Tracking

Pros

Highly Visual Interface: Monday.com offers a visually appealing interface with customizable columns, colour-coded tasks, and drag-and-drop functionality, making project tracking simple and intuitive.
Automations for Repetitive Tasks: The platform allows you to set up automations to handle repetitive tasks, such as status updates and notifications, reducing manual work without requiring any coding.
Multiple Project Views: Your team can switch between multiple views like Kanban, Gantt, timeline, and calendar to suit their specific project management needs.

Cons

Limited Free Plan for Small Teams: The free plan is restricted to 2 users and lacks access to advanced features such as automations, integrations, and Gantt charts, which limits its usefulness for growing teams.
Complexity Increases with Advanced Features: While the platform is easy to start with, more advanced features like automations and detailed reporting require a steeper learning curve to configure properly.
No Native Time Tracking: Team that need this feature must rely on third-party integrations or external tools.
Price Increases Quickly with Larger Teams: As the number of users grows, the pricing can escalate rapidly, especially when adding premium features and integrations.
Limited Customization in Basic Plans: While there are customization options in the basic tier, full flexibility (such as creating advanced dashboards or using complex automations) is reserved for higher-tier plans.
Mobile App Missing Key Features: The mobile app is functional but lacks some key features available in the desktop version, such as certain integrations and advanced project views.

Customer Stories

process-management-software-free

Once again, simplicity is key when using process management software free. As the above user April L points out, project management functionalities on their own aren’t enough to make it a winner if the overall UX is “confusing”.

Price Options

  • Free Plan: Allows for up to 2 users with basic task tracking features and limited project boards.
  • Basic Plan: $8 per user/month (billed annually), includes unlimited boards, 5GB of storage, and a few integrations.
  • Standard Plan: $10 per user/month (billed annually), adds timeline views, automations (250 actions/month), and guest access.
  • Pro Plan: $16 per user/month (billed annually), includes advanced integrations, unlimited automations, and time tracking.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, offering enhanced security, advanced reporting, and premium support for larger organizations.

Confluence – For Centralized Knowledge Sharing

Pros

Centralized Knowledge Sharing: Confluence excels as a documentation and knowledge-sharing tool, allowing you to store, share, and collaborate on company knowledge in a central location.
Page Versioning and History: It offers version control, enabling users to track changes, view past versions of documents, and easily revert to earlier drafts when necessary.
Integration with Jira: If your team is already using Jira, this is a great companion for project management and issue tracking.

Cons

Steep Learning Curve for Non-Technical Users: Confluence’s feature set and layout can be intimidating for non-technical teams, requiring some initial training to use effectively.
Limited Collaboration on Free Plan: Only basic collaboration features are free, so advanced features like team calendars and real-time collaborative editing need to be paid for.
Search Functionality Can Be Weak: Despite its strength in storing documentation, Confluence’s search feature sometimes struggles to retrieve relevant information from large databases.
Limited Customization on Basic Plans: Customizing pages and workflows requires premium features.
Requires External Apps for Full Functionality: To unlock additional features like diagrams or reporting, Confluence often relies on third-party apps from the Atlassian Marketplace, which can increase costs.

Customer Stories

When the main complaint is that “there are better out there”, you’ve got to take notice and look at other process management software free trials before committing. In the words of Brandon S, Confluence is “just okay”, and your organization needs more than just okay.

Price Options

  • Free Plan: Available for up to 10 users, offering basic document creation and collaboration with limited storage (2GB).
  • Standard Plan: $5.75 per user/month (billed annually), includes up to 35,000 users, more storage (250GB), and enhanced collaboration tools.
  • Premium Plan: $11 per user/month (billed annually), adds advanced features like analytics, admin insights, and team calendars.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, offering unlimited storage, advanced security features, and enterprise-level admin controls.

Wrike – For Spreadsheet-like Features

Pros

Advanced Task and Project Dependencies: Wrike allows you to set multiple task dependencies, making it easy to manage complex projects with interrelated tasks and milestones.
Customizable Workflows: Your team can create and modify workflows to fit their specific processes, allowing for a more tailored approach to project management.
In-Depth Reporting and Analytics: Wrike offers detailed reporting capabilities with customizable dashboards, providing insights into project progress, team performance, and workload.

Cons

Overwhelming for Small Teams: Wrike’s feature set can be too extensive for small teams or simple projects, leading to unnecessary complexity for those who only need basic task management.
Limited Features on Free Plan: The free plan restricts access to advanced features such as Gantt charts, time tracking, and custom workflows, making it less suitable for growing teams.
Difficult to Navigate at First: Wrike’s interface can feel cluttered, and new users often complain about the steep learning curve when trying to navigate the platform efficiently.
Expensive for Full Feature Access: Unlocking features such as advanced reporting, resource management, and integrations can drive up costs.
Customization is Limited on Lower Plans: Only higher-tier plans offer full customization options, such as custom fields and advanced workflows, which can be limiting on the lower-cost plans.

Customer Stories

process-management-software-free

User-friendliness comes under fire again with this free process management software. The main complain here appears to be that Wrike requires a specialist project manager to oversee admin, which is far from ideal.

Price Options

  • Free Plan: Limited to basic task management for up to 5 users with simple boards and task lists.
  • Professional Plan: $9.80 per user/month (billed annually), includes Gantt charts, dashboards, and up to 200 tasks.
  • Business Plan: $24.80 per user/month (billed annually), adds custom workflows, time tracking, and reporting for more advanced project management.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, includes advanced security, user permissions, and enhanced integrations for large-scale projects.

Notion – A Hub for Notes, Tasks & Databases

Pros

All-in-One Workspace: Notion combines note-taking, databases, task management, and wikis into a single platform, removing the need for multiple tools to manage projects and documents.
Highly Customizable Databases: You can create custom databases with different views, filters, and properties, allowing for a flexible way to manage information and tasks.
Collaborative Editing in Real-Time: Teams can collaborate on documents and projects in real-time, with changes instantly reflected across the workspace.

Cons

Limited Features on Free Plan for Teams: While the free plan is great for personal use, it lacks advanced collaboration features and restricts file uploads, which can hinder team productivity.
No Native Time Tracking: There is no built-in time-tracking functionality, requiring integrations or workarounds for users who need to track time spent on tasks.
Complexity with Large Databases: As Notion databases grow larger, they can become slow and difficult to navigate, especially when using complex filters or views.
Steep Learning Curve for New Users: The flexibility and customization options in Notion can overwhelm new users, who may need significant time to learn how to structure their workspace effectively.
Mobile App is Less Intuitive: The mobile version of Notion is not as user-friendly as the desktop version, making it harder to manage complex projects and databases on smaller screens.

Customer Stories

This is a recurring complaint with Notion, where users are under the impression they’re using a process management software free and then they are slapped with unexpected charges. Using 100% subscription-free collaboration tools like Teamplate eliminates such surprises.

Price Options

  • Free Plan: Available for individual use with basic note-taking and task management features, up to 5MB file uploads, and limited sharing options.
  • Plus Plan: $8 per user/month (billed annually), adds unlimited file uploads, advanced permission settings, and team collaboration.
  • Business Plan: $15 per user/month (billed annually), includes advanced collaboration features, API access, and team permissions for large teams.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, offering enhanced security, compliance, and dedicated support for larger organizations.

Hive – For Seamless Project Management

Pros

Built-In Email Integration: You and your team will be able to send and receive emails directly within the platform.
Native Time Tracking: Hive comes with built-in time tracking, allowing teams to monitor how much time is spent on individual tasks without needing additional integrations.
Flexible Project Views: The software offers a variety of views—such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendar views—giving teams the flexibility to manage projects in the way that works best for them.

Cons

Steep Pricing for Full Features: Access to advanced features such as resourcing analytics, advanced reporting, and time tracking requires higher-tier plans, which can be costly for small teams.
Limited Free Plan for Teams: The free plan only allows access to basic task management features, limiting collaboration tools and advanced analytics.
Occasional Performance Issues: Hive can experience performance lags when dealing with large projects or extensive data, which may disrupt workflows for teams working on complex projects.
Learning Curve for New Users: While Hive offers powerful tools, new users often face a learning curve when navigating the platform and setting up workflows.
No Native Offline Mode: Hive requires an internet connection to function, which can be a drawback for teams needing to manage tasks offline.

Customer Stories

Using process management software free is still expensive if your team is using valuable time just to figure out how it works. Judging by user reviews, Hive has fallen into this trap that makes it appear too overwhelming for it to be efficient.

Price Options

  • Free Plan: Allows access for unlimited users but limits features to basic task management and chat functionality.
  • Teams Plan: $12 per user/month, includes project views, action templates, unlimited storage, and external integrations.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, offering advanced security, dedicated support, and customized solutions for larger organizations.

Benefits of Free Process Management Softwares Like Teamplate

Using process management software free of charge remains the best way to optimize operations, but only one software actually delivers the full range of features and gains consistently positive user reviews – Teamplate. This remote collaboration tool offers end-to-end project management in one powerful platform, with all features available for free.

The award-winning product includes all the communication and project management tools that your team needs on a daily basis – all without charging a cent. Here are some of the benefits that have been reported by over 1,000 customers who are using Teamplate’s process management software free.

  • Centralized information: All documents and digital communication like email and chats are stored in one hub, reducing the risk of miscommunication, lost data, or simple time wasting.
  • Reduced resources: Your team will need less time to complete the same amount of work, thanks to the automation of repetitive tasks.
  • Increased transparency and accountability: All project deliverables and deadlines are clearly visualized alongside task goals.
  • Increased collaboration: Your team will find it easier to brainstorm, collaborate, and share ideas thanks to the dedicated spaces and tools.
  • Improved resource allocation: Visualization of projects ensures that tasks are assigned to the right people, correctly distributing workload and reducing delays.

Best of all, all the above are available to your team for free. If you’d like to start enjoying these benefits for a smoother, more efficient workflow, get in touch with the Teamplate team here and we’ll guide you through the process.

Securing the right project management tools for startups is a very important step in your journey. After all, starting out your own business is complicated enough without also having to hassle about the organization of workflow. 

Here we’re going to present detailed, expert reviews for affordable project management tools. These have all been personally tested by our team and include details about essential features, pricing and performance. 

The Benefits of Using the Right Project Management Tools for Startups

In the excitement of starting a new business, some new organizations forget to set up structured processes, remote team collaboration tools and workflows to optimize productivity. This inevitably leads to repercussions down the line. Let’s take a look at exactly why it’s essential to source the top project management software for small businesses.

Why does your startup need the right project management tools?

  • Increased Productivity: The best project management tools for startups allow you to automate repetitive tasks, oversee workflow, refine processes and manage your team’s time better so the focus is placed on important tasks. 
  • Better Team Collaboration: Remote teams may be located in different countries and timezones. This is a potential block for effective communication, but the right project management tools for startups resolve it. Instant messaging, video conferencing, real-time updates and other features enable both synchronous and asynchronous communication.
  • Improved Project Tracking: You and your team can easily visualiza projects and dependencies, keeping an overview on tasks and subtasks for effective prioritization, assignment and management.
  • Hassle-Free Reporting: Most project management tools for startups offer reporting features so you can automatically collect information and make data-driven decisions.
  • Take Time & Resource Management to the Next Level: Features like deadlines, calendars, task lists and reminders help you track progress. It’s also easier to visualize the team’s workload for better resource management. 

Best Project Management Tools for Startups: Our Experts’ Choices

Time to see which top 10 project management tools for startups made it on our experts’ list. The team carried out meticulous testing of each of these online collaboration platforms over a long period of time to gain better insite into their performance with realistic conditions.

Teamplate – Best Free All-Rounder

Teamplate Homepage

Photo: Teamplate

Pros & Cons

✔️ Kanban style project management with easy setup

✔️ Drag-and-drop editor

✔️ Real-time collaboration with email & video conferencing

✔️ Screen recording

✔️ Secure Data Room

✔️Spaces for team collaboration

✔️Personal spaces for individuals 

✔️Integrated calendar

✔️ 100% free

Teamplate Project Management

Photo: Teamplate

Teamplate is regularly voted one of the best free online collaboration tools, offering comprehensive features at no cost. This makes it one of the most sought-after project management tools for startups, allowing entire teams to carry out daily communications, project management and more from one central hub. 

There’s nothing listed under our ‘cons’ column for the simple reason that many user reviews have struggled to find any disadvantages for this remote team software app. In fact, it has a 100% five-star rating on TrustPilot. 

Teamplate is easy to set up and won’t require a lengthy onboarding process for yourself or your team. It provides a central hub for all collaboration and project management needs, with pre-set templates so you can hit the ground running. 

Whether you want to communicate instantly via chat, send an email, access a file or schedule a meeting – it’s all there, on one, easy-to-use dashboard.Seriously, what’s not to like?

Teamplate Platforms

Photo: Teamplate

Teamplate User Reviews

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
“Its unique selling proposition lies in consolidating essential features like chat, project boards, file sharing, video calls, and calendaring into a single, unified interface.Streamlined Workflow is its main benefit, and Switching between chat, file sharing, and project boards within the same platform can boost efficiency.” – Cristian TeumaNone! 100% 5 star rating on TrustPilotTeamplate is easy to use and helped me eliminate the need to use multiple apps.Now everything is in one tool and it’s made me more productive and efficient. While it’s simple to use, it’s also very powerful. It really depends on the users. But I’ve found it makes myself and my team more collaborative whether I’m in the office or remote.” – BRMFiveSeven

Trello – Simplified Task Management

Photo: Trello

Pros & Cons

✔️ Customizable boards for task organization
✔️ Integrates with apps like Slack, Drive
✔️ User-friendly for quick setup

❌ No instant messaging or email integration
❌ Lacks robust reporting and analytics tools
❌ No built-in time tracking features
❌ Limited handling of complex workflows
❌ Automation features are less advanced

Trello excels in remote collaboration by offering customizable boards, lists, and cards that visually organize tasks. Its integration with apps like Slack and Google Drive allows seamless file sharing and communication directly within the platform. 

However, compared to tools like Teamplate, it lacks built-in email and instant messaging, which limits remote team communication. Moreover, its simplicity doesn’t cater well to highly complex workflows, so start-ups may find it difficult to scale up. While it’s great for straightforward task management, teams needing in-depth analytics or automation may find Trello’s features insufficient.

Trello User Reviews

Trello has only gathered an average 3.3 star rating on TrustPilot. Here’s why.

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
I just started using Trello again this year. I love it tbh. Use it for my own personal task management, as well as for a few of my clients.” – DavidIt was an amazing app, till atlassian came to the game changing it from a easy going app to a freaking complicated way to connect – Zeca VelosoThe software was a game-changer when it was first released in 2011. However since then it’s continued to get more expensive for features that aren’t really that useful. – Point101.com

Asana – Detailed Task Management

Photo: Asana

Pros & Cons

✔️ Advanced reporting and analytics features
✔️ Built-in time tracking with integrations
✔️ Handles complex project workflows seamlessly

❌ Lacks native document editing facilities
❌ Overwhelming for small, simple projects
❌ Free version has limited features
❌ No built-in instant messaging feature
❌ Limited offline functionality

Asana stands out for its ability to handle complex workflows with advanced features like task dependencies, project timelines, and custom fields. Unlike Trello, the reporting capabilities provide in-depth analytics, so it’s very suitable for teams needing detailed project tracking. 

However, it falls short in instant messaging, a feature that platforms like Teamplate provide, which may be frustrating for teams seeking an all-in-one workspace. While powerful, the interface can overwhelm users managing smaller projects, where simpler tools like Monday.com  might be more efficient. 

Asana User Reviews

Asana reviews 2024 on TrustPilot aren’t looking too rosy, with a 2 star average from users. 44% of reviewers actually gave it 1 star.

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
It’s cost effective and my team love using it. They communicate daily. We can track progress of all jobs easily – Hayleigh BarrettI tried using Asana, but it automatically started a paid plan. I contacted support to request a downgrade because I couldn’t do it myself, but the support team required too much verification and ultimately, it was not downgraded. I continued using it, and now I’ve lost access to my tasks because it requires payment – Shota TeliashviliI’ve used every level of Asana’s products. The free product is fantastic. But with the rise of other free softwares like Notion and Trello I would say their pricing for the paid versions is way more expensive than it should be. And it lacks a lot of customization that Notion has right off the bat. – Mark Taylor

Clickup – Customizable Project Views

Photo: Clickup

Pros & Cons

✔️ Highly customizable workspace and views
✔️ Comprehensive task and project management features
✔️ Built-in time tracking and reporting

❌ Steep learning curve for new users
❌ Overwhelming interface with too many features
❌ Mobile app can be glitchy
❌ Limited offline functionality
❌ Free version lacks advanced automation
❌ Occasional slow performance with large projects

ClickUp offers a highly flexible project management platform, with customizable task views, advanced reporting, and time tracking built directly into the system. It excels in providing detailed insights, similar to Teamplate, but with a lot less flexibility for teams looking to adjust their workflows. 

It also falls behind competitors like Monday.com and Teamplate in terms of built-in instant messaging and video conferencing, which limits real-time communication. ClickUp does offer screen recording, a feature that is rare among project management tools, but it lacks seamless email integration. 

The platform’s vast array of features can be overwhelming, especially for smaller teams or simpler projects, requiring your team to use up time on familiarization.

ClickUp User Reviews

Once again, ClickUp fails to impress TrustPilot, with users giving it a 2.7 star average. While its efficiency isn’t in dispute, its prices and steep learning curve have led to multiple complaints.

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
Really good platform with amazing customer support. ClickUp is so versatile and has so many great features with constant updates – TaminoI am unable to recommend ClickUp. On the positive side, they have many features. Unfortunately, those features tend to make the service far too complicated. It becomes a full-time job just trying to stay on top of the software – Patrick CooperBeen a user for 4+ years with 30+ accounts and noticed the platform getting slower each year!! We’ve recently been left with no option but to look elsewhere for a new platform – Nameless

Zoho Projects – Strong Milestone Tracking Capacities

Photo: Zoho Projects

Pros & Cons

✔️ Strong project planning and milestone tracking
✔️ Built-in time tracking and invoicing tools
✔️ Excellent integration with other Zoho apps

❌ Difficult to master the different functionalities
❌ Limited customization of workflows
❌ Mobile app lacks full functionality
❌ No built-in instant messaging feature
❌ Automation features are not as advanced
❌ Free version has limited features and users

Zoho Projects is typically used by startups that need detailed project planning, with integrated milestone and time tracking to facilitate billing. It’s best suited for users who are already integrated within the Zoho suite ecosystem, as it depends on extensive integrations for full functionality.

It doesn’t offer built-in instant messaging, so it lags behind platforms like Teamplate and Monday.com, where team communication is more seamless. Moreover,  automation capabilities are not as advanced as competitors like ClickUp, limiting how much repetitive work can be streamlined. 

The mobile app requires fine-tuning, making on-the-go management harder compared to more mobile-friendly tools like Teamplate.

Zoho Projects User Reviews

Zoho is one of those project management tools for startups that truly has a lot going for it, attracting a solid 4.2 star rating on TrustPilot and making many users happy. Nevertheless, the customer experience has come in for some serious flak, while some users have found the interface too complicated.

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
So far, Zoho Social has helped to streamline our digital marketing processes, making it easy to schedule, respond to messages, and view data – Maria DBIt is completely unintuitive to use, everything is so complicated. I contacted support, got the bare minimum reply – so was completely unhelpful. – MickeyA great tool… especially for businesses already using other Zoho products – Bryn Elise

Jira – Intensive Workflow Management

Photo: Jira

Pros & Cons

✔️ Excellent for software development and agile teams
✔️ Advanced issue tracking and workflow management
✔️ Strong integration with development tools like Git

❌ Limited reporting features in lower plans
❌ Requires plugins for basic project management needs
❌ Complex setup for non-software teams
❌ Search functionality can be unintuitive
❌ Permissions system is overly complicated
❌ No built-in resource management tools

Jira is one of the most powerful project management tools for startups, but it’s designed primarily for software development. It offers robust features for agile teams such as issue tracking, sprint planning and backlog management, but may be a bit too bloated for typical startup processes. 

Unlikes user-friendly dashboards like Teamplate and Notion, its setup can be daunting for non-technical users or teams that aren’t focused on software, Moreover, its reporting capabilities in lower-tier plans are limited, requiring upgrades or plugins to unlock more detailed analytics. 

Finally, compared to tools like Asana and Teamplate, Jira lacks native resource management features, which can make workload balancing more difficult when you scale up with larger teams.

Jira User Reviews

With a 1.6 average star rating on TrustPilot, many startups may be wary of investing in a tool that has great functionalities but also many shortcomings. 

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
After using Atlassian for the last 5 years, I have to say, the product is overall good and the pricing is fair.There are of course still things that could be better” – SysAdminFromGermanyIt’s awfully slow and complicated to add a new task/subtask. The task goes to the backlog after being created and you need then to put it in your board. Doesn’t compare to the intuitiveness of others” – FredMy experience has gone from positive to frustrating due to their poor customer service and questionable billing practices.” – Budd

Teamwork – Great for Client Collaborations

Photo: Teamwork

Pros & Cons

✔️ Strong time tracking and billing tools
✔️ Excellent for client-focused project management
✔️ Easy task delegation and collaboration features

❌ Limited customization options for workflows
❌ Steep pricing compared to competitors
❌ Mobile app lacks full desktop functionality
❌ Lacks built-in video conferencing tools
❌ Automation features are basic and limited
❌ Free version is restricted to small teams

Teamwork is well-suited for client-focused projects, offering excellent time tracking, billing and client collaboration functionalities. It excels in managing tasks, allowing for easy delegation and tracking across different team members, something that smaller tools like Trello don’t emphasize as much. 

However, its customization options for workflows are more limited compared to Teamplate and ClickUp, which might be a drawback for teams with unique processes. Additionally, while it supports task management well, it doesn’t include built-in video conferencing, unlike platforms such as Monday.com and Teamplate. 

Teamwork User Reviews

Teamwork gathers a highly respectable 4.3 star rating on TrustPilot, with users praising the intuitive interface. However, recent changes don’t appear to have gone down so well.

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
I have always found it to have a manageable learning curve, and it provides ample options for people without being overwhelming – Doyle MartinExtremely slow and clunky user interface. Hover-pop-ups take some time to show, tagging people, dragging tasks or opening/closing/toggling UI is all very laggy and slow – Stef Van WiychenFor a long time Teamwork worked smooth. But last (say) 2 years ‘nice features’ were implemented that aren’t so nice at all. Support questions about those nice features, working less nice working in a live area and not in a test area, is disappointing. – Petra

Slack – Excellent Real Time Communication

Photo: Slack

Pros & Cons

✔️ Real-time communication with instant messaging
✔️ Integrates with a wide range of apps
✔️ Easy file sharing and collaboration

❌ Limited functionality for detailed project management
❌ Search history is restricted in free plan
❌ Notification system can become overwhelming
❌ No built-in time tracking or task management
❌ Requires third-party integrations for advanced features
❌ Lack of threaded conversation support in group DMs

Slack is a top choice for real-time communication, offering seamless messaging and quick file sharing, making it one of the go-to project management tools for startups that usually need immediate responses. 

There is a wide range of integrations allowing teams to connect with tools like Google Drive and Trello for smoother workflows. However, unlike project management platforms such as Teamplate or Asana, Slack lacks built-in task management and time tracking. This means you’ll need to bring in external tools for this purpose. 

The search functionality is very limited in the free version, restricting access to older messages, which can be a drawback for teams needing comprehensive history. 

Slack User Reviews

Despite being an efficient messaging platform, Slack is one of those project management tools for startups that are plagued by low ratings. The reason is possible the fact that it’s not as comprehensive as many organizations would wish it to be.

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
For communication and simple team management tools, I find it quite useful. It’s easy to use, beginner or not – Dave SeagravesThe notification system is a constant source of frustration. Despite considering myself pretty tech-savvy, I can’t seem to get my phone to alert me properly when new messages come in” – Tim KSlack used to be amazing, now it’s a complete mess. No idea why they took something that worked and made it almost unworkable – Alex

Notion – Seamless Note Taking

Photo: Notion

Pros & Cons

✔️ Highly flexible and customizable workspace
✔️ Combines note-taking, task management, and databases
✔️ Supports collaborative editing in real-time

❌ Overly complex navigation with nested pages
❌ No built-in time tracking or billing tools
❌ Limited offline functionality, especially for mobile
❌ Lacks robust project management features like Gantt charts
❌ Performance can slow down with large databases
❌ Permissions and user roles can be confusing to manage

Notion blends note-taking, task management and databases into one cohesive platform. Its real-time collaboration feature allows you to work on shared documents or projects simultaneously. 

However, unlike dedicated project management tools like Teamplate or ClickUp, Notion lacks advanced features such as Gantt charts or time-tracking. Its limited offline functionality, particularly on mobile devices, can be a significant drawback for users who need constant access. 

Another downside is that navigating through complex nested pages can make it harder to keep track of information compared to more streamlined apps like Trello.

Notion User Reviews

With a 2.6 star average on TrustPilot, customer support has really failed to impress users, as has the ease with which you’ll find yourself paying for unexpected upgrades. The latter appears to be a commonality to many other project management tools for startups which would otherwise be great.

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
I use it for basic tracking of projects and organising each of these projects. It has been thoroughly useful to have all this is one place – AndyThey make it very easy to accidently upgrade to expensive business plan with single misclick which charges your card immediately. – PeagamrThe product is amazing, but if you have a problem, customer service is one of the worst I’ve seen – Felipe Urzua

Hive – Versatile Project Management

Photo: Hive

Pros & Cons

✔️ Built-in email integration for seamless communication
✔️ Strong project management tools with Gantt and Kanban views
✔️ Advanced automation features for recurring tasks

❌ Limited reporting options in lower-tier plans
❌ Mobile app lacks full desktop functionality
❌ Complex setup required for custom workflows
❌ Task dependencies can sometimes be glitchy
❌ No native time tracking without integrations
❌ Slow performance when handling large projects or teams

Hive offers a robust platform for project management with features like Gantt and Kanban views, making it versatile for different workflows. You can manage communications and tasks in one place thanks to built-in email integration, which is something not all competitors like Trello offer. 

However, Hive’s reporting capabilities are limited in lower-tier plans, unlike tools such as Teamplate, which offers both inbuilt communications and excellent reporting. 

Additionally, while Hive offers powerful automation, setting up custom workflows can be very time-consuming compared to simpler platforms like ClickUp and Teamplate.

Hive User Reviews

Hive comes in at a respectable 4.1 star rating, but if you or your team often need to use it on the go you will likely run into some issues.

Positive User ReviewsNegative User ReviewsOverall User Review
Chatting inside tasks or letting task owners turn sub tasks into their own projects is great. Everyone can keep up with who is working on what – RobertThe mobile app has significantly reduced functionality compared to desktop”  – RobertFundamental functions lacking included: cut, copy, paste,undo (if software does not have these features working, run don’t walk from it – Anonymous

The Top Project Management Tools for Startups Compared

Don’t have time to sift through all the above? This table makes it easier to identify at a glance which project management tools for startups offer all the features you’re after.

FeatureTeamplateTrelloAsanaClickUpSlackZoho ProjectsJiraTeamworkSlackNotionHive
Instant Messaging✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Screen Recording✔️✔️✔️✔️
Built-in Email Integration✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Video Conferencing✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Time Tracking✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Integrated Calendars✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Pre-built Templates✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Team Spaces✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Private Spaces✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
File Sharing✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Free Access to all Features✔️

How to Choose the Right Project Management Tools for Your Startup

best-project-management-tools-for-startups

The features of project management tools for startups can be as comprehensive or as basic as you need, but our experts give the highest scores to tools that perform strongly across all important features. Here are our selection criteria for the best startup management software: 

  • Comprehensive Features: We prefer software that offers the entire suite of project management functions like task management, team collaboration, file sharing, and reporting. Integrated email and chat are a big plus, as is meeting scheduling.
  • User-friendliness: The best project management tools for startups are those that take minutes to set up and have a very low (or non-existent) learning curve. There are better things your team should spending time on! 
  • Pricing: Startups typically have tight budgets, so the best apps are undoubtedly free, or at least offer free access to the majority of features. 
  • One centralized hub: If you need to bring in third party integrations, you’re already using more time and resources than you should. Hence our reference to integrated email earlier on. 
  • On Point Customer Support: Reliable and fast customer service is a huge priority, because you don’t want to find your operations blocked simply because your software is having a day. We like to see live chat options, email, FAQs and community resources – the whole range of options for faster resolution.

How Much do Project Management Tools for Startups Cost?

This is the million dollar question, if you’ll pardon us for being too on the nose. Many project management tools for startups do offer free versions, but invariably you will not have access to all the features that you need. The only one that offers a 100% free service currently is Teamplate – you’ll be able to access everything without paying anything.

Pricing for other project management tools for startups  typically depends on the following elements:

  • Number of users
  • Features
  • Customization
  • Add-Ons
  • Support
ToolBasic/Entry Paid PlanPro/Business Plan
Teamplate100% FreeNot applicable
Trello$5 per user/month$10 per user/month 
Asana$10.99 per user/month$24.99 per user/month 
ClickUp$5 per user/month$12 per user/month 
Slack$7.25 per user/month$12.50 per user/month (Business+)
Zoho Projects$5 per user/month$10 per user/month 
Jira$7.75 per user/month$15.25 per user/month
Teamwork$5.99 per user/month$10.99 per user/month
Notion$8 per user/month$15 per user/month
Hive$12 per user/monthCustom pricing

Why Teamplate is the Best Solution for Startups

Teamplate stands out as the best project management tool for startups because it’s completely free, allowing small businesses to scale without worrying about software costs. Startups often have limited resources and, with Teamplate, your entire team can access essential features like task management, customizable templates, and team spaces without the burden of expensive subscriptions. 

But it’s not just about being free. It also needs to be effective and comprehensive. Teamplate delivers on all counts. Its built-in automation capabilities help streamline repetitive tasks, which is critical for startups trying to maximize efficiency with smaller teams.

Moreover, the intuitive user interface reduces the time spent onboarding new members, meaning startups can quickly adapt and hit the ground running. The platform includes a host of integrated features you’ll use on the daily, such as email, instant messaging, video conferencing, file sharing and more. This removes the need to switch between different tools and keeps all collaboration in one place. This level of efficiency is key for startups that need to stay agile, meet deadlines and manage evolving project needs effectively.

Start your start-up on the road to success and join Teamplate here.

FAQs

Why do startups need project management software?

Project management software helps startups streamline task management, improve team collaboration, and track progress. It ensures an efficient workflow from one centralized hub.

Are all project management software options suitable for startups?

No, not all options suit startups. Many tools like Jira cater to large enterprises with features that may overwhelm smaller teams. Startups should prioritize software like Teamplate, with affordability, scalability, ease of use, and essential features.

What are some common mistakes startups make when choosing project management software?

Startups often choose tools with too many unnecessary features, leading to confusion and inefficiency. Teamplate offers functionalities that are streamlined and easy to use, so you don’t get bogged down in the architecture.

Can startups use free project management software?

Yes, Teamplate is one of very few project management tools for startups that offers its entire suite of features for free. You won’t be asked to pay a subscription.