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15 Best Free Project Management Software For Remote Teams (Features & Pricing Reviewed)

35 Min Read

Building remote teams is one of the best ways to drive innovation and collaboration in a modern workplace. The only problem? Many of those aspiring organizations don’t have the right workflows, strategies, and apps to reap the benefits. But don’t worry, we did the heavy lifting for you and compared the best project management tools for hybrid and fully distributed teams.

Let’s dive in! 👇

🌟 Productivity Tips For Remote Teams

Creating a well-synced remote team isn’t easy.You need apt leadership, a balance of hard and soft skills, as well as the right communication and collaboration dynamic.

Equipping your virtual team with the best project management software is also key, but we’ll get to that in a moment. So, what else do you need to get your squad off the ground?

💬 1. Sustainable Communication Dynamic

Communication expectations tend to differ across teams and departments.

Mike from sales and Emma from design may use chat and email daily, but their communication cadence—frequency and rhythm—are vastly different.

When you bring those two on board, you need to figure out a new cadence and communication dynamic so that remote team interactions don’t interfere with the actual work.

As an added bonus, things will be easier if you’re using a project management tool that a majority of your staff are comfortable with.

image 1

✅ 2. Manage Workflows Holistically

A remote workplace can (and often does) get chaotic. Sure, everybody technically works on the same project, but they do so using unique techniques and domain-specific sets of tools.

The overarching goal is to unify workflows, project management tools, and business intelligence to increase trust and transparency amongst remote teams.

image 2

🌟 3. Create a Single Source of Truth

Knowledge management is king in hybrid and remote organizations.

The ability to effectively store, organize, and share information lets teams increase velocity, which is paramount in a remote setting.

Create a single source of truth – a knowledge base or a team wiki – and make sure your remote team has 24/7 access to critical business intelligence.

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The good news? 

All of the collaboration tools we compare below (you’re welcome!) will help you check those boxes. So, what do you say we take a look at prices, screenshots, and collaboration features to find the perfect match? 👇

🧘‍♂️ Best Free Project Management Software

Taskade

Have you ever wondered why so many collaboration tools are so darn confusing? After all, how many features, tabs, and menus do you need to get stuff done? If you’re looking for powerful software that won’t give your users a headache, Taskade has you covered.

Taskade workspace view.


Taskade boosts transparency and project visibility by bringing your tasks, documents, communication, and of course, your team, under one roof. Now you can finally work and chat in the same app, in the same window, without jumping between platforms.

Taskade project view.


Your remote team is a unique blend of subject matter experts, all with strong workflow preferences. So, why not give them the freedom to work the way they want? Cycle between flexible project views that include lists, boards, mind maps, and more.

Taskade kanban view.


Every project manager worth their salt knows communication is everything in the project management world. That’s why Taskade comes with free, integrated video conferencing, chat, comments, and VoIP calls so your team can stay connected 24/7.

If you’re looking for a task and project management app for your remote team, Taskade is your best bet.

Project Management in Taskade 🌟

  • Workspaces, Folders, and unlimited Projects to organize anything
  • Flexible workflows (Kanban, Org Chart, Mindmap, Table, List)
  • 500+ customizable templates across 26 categories
  • Team permissions and workspace management features
  • Synchronization with Outlook, Microsoft, and Google calendar
  • Countdown timers, recurring tasks, and assign with @mention
  • Bulk assign, bulk due dates, and multi-select for quick editing. 
  • Activity feed, project history, and notifications to stay in the know
  • Branding options (logo, custom backgrounds) to make you feel comfy
  • And much more…

Taskade (Super-Simple) Pricing Tiers 💰

🟢 Free (forever!)
Real-time multiplayer syncing and collaboration
Unlimited Projects and tasks
Unlimited guests and Workspace users
Automation via customizable templates
1 GB of storage for files and documents per Workspace (25 MB per file)
Integrated chat, calls, commenting, and video conferencing
Task List, Kanban Board, Action Sheet, Mindmap, and Org Chart view
Pomodoro countdown timer, and screen sharing
@mention, #tags, reminders, and due dates
Project + version history (7 days) and activity feed
Shared team calendar with a Roadmap and Agenda
Embed YouTube, Figma, Invision, Typeform, and more
Data encryption, regular backups, Google/Twitter/Meta SSO
24/7 support and 99.9% uptime guarantee

🔵 Unlimited ($5/month per user)
Everything in the Free plan +
Unlimited storage space (up to 250 MB per file)
Repeat tasks, bulk assign, and bulk due dates
Workspace branding and customization options
Unlimited project history and version history
Email and Google calendar synchronization
Google Drive, Dropbox, and One Drive integrations
Priority support and custom onboarding

Check the full list of Taskade features here. 🐑

Notion

Notion user interface.


Notion aspires to be many things. But it also turns out to be a solid collaboration and communication project management tool for remote teams. The platform offers a holistic approach to project management, even if its customizability may be a bit overwhelming at first. Give Notion a go if you want to spend some extra time building workflows from scratch.

Alternatively, here’s a list of alternatives to Notion.

Project Management in Notion 🌟

  • Good for planning, knowledge bases, and team wikis
  • Includes List, Board, Calendar, Table, and Gallery views
  • 100+ project templates and a databased-oriented workflow
  • Real-time collaboration with team permissions
  • Task/project management, chat, and comments
  • Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive integrations

How Much Does Notion Cost?

🟢 Personal (free)
Unlimited pages & blocks, 5 guests editors
Multi-platform synchronization

🔵 Personal Pro ($4 per month)
Everything in the Personal plan +
Unlimited file uploads and guests
Access to version history

🟡 Team ($8/month per user)
Everything in the Personal plan +
Unlimited team members, advanced permissions
Collaboration tools and admin toolkit

Want to know why Taskade is the best free Notion alternative?

Asana

Asana user interface.


As far as looks are concerned, you can easily mistake Asana for Monday’s (older) sibling. Launched almost 10 years ago, Asana supports remote collaboration with a competent lineup of task and project management features. That includes everything from flexible workflows through work automation to real-time reporting, making it quite a reliable project management tool.

Project Management in Asana 🤝

  • List, Board, Calendar, Progress, Form, and Timeline view
  • Projects organized into a task list, with subtasks, and milestones
  • Document sharing, automation, and approvals
  • Custom templates, project export, and integrations
  • Workload tracking, team management, and private messages

How Much Does Asana Cost? 💰

🟢 Basic (free)
Unlimited tasks, projects, and storage (up to 100MB per file)
Activity log, up to 15 collaborators, 100+ integrations
List, Board, and Calendar views

🔵 Premium ($10.99/user per month billed annually)
Everything in the Basic plan +
Unlimited dashboards and guests
Timeline view
Custom fields, private projects, and admin console

🟣 Business ($24.99/user per month billed annually)
Everything in the Premium plan +
Custom rules, customization, advanced integrations
And more…

🟡 Enterprise (custom)
Everything in the Business plan +
Advanced security and priority support
Custom branding options

Want to know why Taskade is the best free Asana alternative? Check our comparison here. 👈

ProofHub

ProofHub user interface.

ProofHub is another interesting all-in-one platform that delivers in all key PM areas. That includes a strong communication component with chat, comments, @mention, and announcements on board. ProofHub is also a powerful proofing tool (no surprise there), complete with markup, threaded comments, and file versions. 

Project Management in ProofHub 🤝

  • Chat, group discussions, and team announcements
  • Flexible workflows (Table, Kanban, Gantt)
  • Calendar, daily agenda, project progress report
  • Timesheets, version control, document uploads
  • Customizable templates, integrations, and more

How Much Does ProofHub Cost? 💰

Smartsheet doesn’t have a free plan

🟢 Essential ($45/month flat fee billed annually)
Time tracking, proofing, and file approval
Task management, Gantt, calendar, and integrations
Group chat, announcements, and discussions
Note-taking, project templates, file sharing

🔵 Ultimate Control ($89/month flat fee billed annually)
Everything in the Essential plan +
Custom roles and workflows
API, project reports, and activity logs
Data export and priority support

GoVisually

GoVisually user interface.

GoVisually stands out from the competition as a great visual-oriented project management tool for distributed creative teams. The platform will help your team manage multiple projects, submit them for review, and secure approvals the easy way. Consider GoVisually if you’re looking for a user-friendly but powerful online proofing tool.

Project Management in GoVisually 🤝

  • Share project links with reviewers
  • Invent clients to add comments on projects
  • Annotate PNG, JPG, PSD, PDF, and videos 
  • Version control, @mention, notifications
  • User permissions and client management

How Much Does GoVisually Cost? 💰

GoVisually doesn’t have a free plan

🟢 Solo ($20/month billed annually)
Limited to one user
Limited to 10 projects
Unlimited reviewers
@mention and smart compare
Email support only

🔵 Team ($50/month billed annually)
Everything in the Solo plan +
Limited to 5 users (+$10 per additional user)
1000 projects, private internal comments, project archive
Due dates, deadlines, activity dashboard
Custom branding and emails, Zapier integrations
Chat support

Hive

Hive user interface.


Hive is a communication and collaboration hub for buzzing (no pun intended) distributed teams. The platform has a solid track record with marketing teams, agencies, startups, and in education. Apart from its rich choice of project management tools, Hive packs proofing and approval features for much shorter feedback loops.

Give Hive a run if you’re looking for a collaboration tool to help with your remote projects.

Project Management in Hive 🤝

  • Task, project, and collaboration features
  • Multiple project views including Gantt and Kanban
  • Time and progress tracking with estimates and timesheets
  • Chat, comments, proofing, and approvals
  • Automation, analytics, and project templates

How Much Does Hive Cost? 💰

🟢 Solo (free)
Communication and collaboration (limited to 2 users)
To-Do, Gantt, Kanban, Calendar, and Portfolio views
Unlimited storage 
Community support

🔵 Teams ($12/user per month billed annually)
Everything in the Solo plan +
Time and progress tracking

🟣 Enterprise (custom)
Everything in the Teams plan +
Proofing and approvals with reporting
Analytics, timesheets, and team resourcing
Customer success manager and adoption training
Extended security + SSO

Smartsheet

Smartsheet user interface.

Smartsheet is one of the older platforms in the “remote collaboration” flock, but it still holds up pretty well against other tools on our list. Branded as a “dynamic workspace,” Smartsheet improves the visibility of projects across teams and departments. It also enables automation, content management, data collection, and team communication.

Project Management in Smartsheet 🤝

  • Dashboards and activity log for project planning
  • Calendar and reminders for tracking project timelines
  • Automation, add-ons, and integrations
  • Permissions and sharing with external users
  • Flexible workflows, including Gantt charts and Grids

How Much Does Smartsheet Cost? 💰

Smartsheet doesn’t have a free plan

🟢 Pro ($7/user per month)
For teams with 3–25 users
Unlimited sheets, reports, and dashboards
Grid, Gantt, Card, and Calendar views
250 pre-built automations per month
20 GB of storage for attachments

🔵 Business ($25/user per month billed annually)
Everything in the Pro plan +
Unlimited collaborators
Unlimted automations
Proofing, activity log, and user management
Custom branding

🟣 Enterprise (custom)
Everything in the Business plan +
Unlimited storage
Single-Sign-On (SSO)

Monday. com

Monday user interface.


Project management software doesn’t have to be purely functional (read: ugly). And Monday delivers on the aesthetic aspect. Your team will appreciate a simple and colorful UI, customizable columns, and the ability to handle all kinds of projects. It’s a complete PM package for sales, marketing, and IT teams. 

Project Management in Monday. com  🌟

  • Central dashboard for team management
  • Visual-first workflow with a simple user interface
  • Customizable columns and 200+ templates
  • Communication and collaboration on mobile
  • Real-time collaboration on files and documents

How Much Does Monday. com Cost? 💰

  • 🟢 Free/Individual
    • Unlimited boards limited to 2 team members
    • 200+ templates and 20+ column styles
  • 🔵 Basic ($8 per user/month billed annually)
    • Everything in the Individual plan +
    • Unlimited viewers and 5 GB for file storage
  • 🟣 Standard ($10 per user/month billed annually)
    • Everything in the Basic plan +
    • Timeline, Calendar, and Gantt workflows
    • 250 automations/integrations per month
  • 🟡 Pro ($16 per user/month billed annually)
    • Everything in the Standard plan +
    • Private boards and Chart view
    • Time and progress tracking
    • Additional automations/integrations
  • 🟤 Enterprise (custom)
    • Enterprise automations/integrations
    • Advanced security features
    • Reporting and analytics 

Find out why Taskade is the best free Monday alternative.

TickTick

ticktick

TickTick is a task management tool that was founded by Appest Inc in 2013. Appest Inc originally created an app on Android called GTasks. TickTick was then created based on GTasks with added features to help with productivity such as cross-platform synchronization. TickTick was co-founded by Zhimin Chen, and the company’s main goal is to help people get more work done.

TickTick is frequently compared to Todoist because both tools serve a similar purpose for task management and as a to-do list.

Project Management in TickTick  🌟

  • Sharing lists and assigning tasks
  • Task duration and project timelines
  • Task and location reminders
  • Task prioritization settings
  • Calendar view and integrations

How Much Does TickTick Cost? 💰

🟢 Free
Limited to 9 lists
99 tasks/19 sub-tasks per list
2 reminders per task
1 attachment/day
2 list members
List/task activities
Advanced search

🔵 Premium ($27.99/2.79 billed annually/monthly)
Up to 299 lists
999 tasks/199 sub-tasks per list
5 reminders per task
99 attachment/day
30 members per list
Calendar, Timeline, and Grid views
Task duration, custom smart lists
Premium themes and integrations

Any.do

any.do

Any.do is a task management software that was founded in 2011 by Omer Perchik, Yoni Lindenfeld, and Itay Kahana. The first iteration of Any.do was an Android app known as Taskos.

On Any.do, users can manage their tasks by creating to-do lists and breaking down larger tasks into smaller subtasks. Unlike Remember The Milk which requires users to upgrade to access the subtasks feature, Any.do offers this feature for free.

Project Management in Any.do  🌟

  • Recurring reminders
  • Any.do Moment view
  • Calendar, Kanban, and Agenda
  • Chat and notifications
  • List and file sharing
  • Color-coded tags
  • Integrations with Zapier and WhatsApp
  • Reminders and event notifications

How Much Does Any.do Cost? 💰

🟢 Teams Plan ($4.99 per user per month)
Access to Any.do Premium features
Advanced list sharing
Activity Tab and integrations
User roles for shared items

Google Keep

gkeep

Google Keep is a digital note-taking tool that was launched as part of Google Suite in 2013. When it was first released, Google Keep was given good reviews due to its lean design and simplicity. This meant that it was a simple note-taking tool that was also quick.

You can use Google Keep to collaborate with other users on simple notes and even share to-do lists. The only prerequisite to this is that other users must also sign in to their Google account to use Google Keep.

In 2021, Google discontinued Google Keep’s Chrome app. However, the free popular note-taking tool can still be accessed via web browsers and other apps.

Project Management in Google Keep  🌟

  • Customizable, color-coded lists
  • Labels and search functionality
  • Integration with Google calendar
  • Sharing and task/note reminders

How Much Does Google Keep Cost? 💰

🟢 Free
Basic note-taking capabilities
Collaborative to-do editing
Integration with Google services

ClickUp

ClickUp was founded by Alex Yurkowski and Zeb Evans in 2017. It is a project management platform that was created to organize projects and tasks. ClickUp gained popularity right away when it was released to the market, and it has since grown to be a $4 billion company.

It is believed that ClickUp has more than four million customers. A variety of reasons contribute to its popularity. Among other things, ClickUp wants to be the only productivity tool users will ever require. All in all, it’s a solid project management tools for individuals and project managers who want to mange their teams without issues.

Project Management in ClickUp  🌟

  • Multiple board views
  • Breaking down tasks into subtasks
  • Assign tasks
  • Task status
  • Basic communication
  • Turning comments into tasks
  • Integrates with other apps

How Much Does ClickUp Cost? 💰

🟢 ClickUp Free Forever Plan
ClickUp’s Free Forever plan comes loaded with features and should suffice if you’re an individual trying to organize your tasks. Similar to Taskade’s Free Plan, ClickUp’s Free plan comes with unlimited tasks and members.

It also comes with email notifications and multiple board views to help you visualize your projects and tasks.

However, you’re limited to 100mb of storage and also wont have access to integrations.

🔵 ClickUp Unlimited Plan
If you’re part of a small team, ClickUp’s Unlimited plan has features to help you get more work done. It includes unlimited storage and gives you access to integrations.

You will also be able to create unlimited dashboards and control permissions for guests to your projects.

ClickUp’s Unlimited Plan starts at $5 per month for each user.

🟣 ClickUp Business Plan
If you have a slightly bigger team, ClickUp has a Business plan which offers even more features.

The Business plan is a must for project managers looking to manage complex projects. This plan gives you access to ClickUp using Google Single Sign-On service, saving you some time. You’ll also get access to custom reporting and be able to create unlimited teams.

ClickUp’s Business plan starts at $12 per month for each member.

🟡 Clickup Business Plus Plan
The Business Plan is meant for users who manage multiple teams. It adds more customization when it comes to role creations and permissions, and gives your team the ability to have more automated processes as well.

The Business Plus Plan starts at $19 per month for each user.

Be sure to check our list of ClickUp alternatives next.

Things (Things 3)

Things (Things 3) is a project management app created by German software company, Cultured Code. Released to the public in 2007, the popular task manager has won numerous awards due to its simple design and useful features.

Things is exclusive only to the Apple ecosystem and works well with all Apple devices, making it a popular task manager for Apple product users. It syncs across the Mac, iPad, iPhone, and even the Apple Watch. This allows users to stay connected with the app wherever they are. 

Project Management in Things 🌟

  • Hierarchical note taking
  • Simple task creation
  • Breaking down tasks into subtasks
  • Tags and groups for task organization
  • Cloud sync
  • Supports integrations
How Much Does Things Cost? 💰

Things does not have a free plan. The plans work as a one-time purchase for the device that you want to use it on.

🟢 Things For Mac ($49.99, one-time payment)

🔵 Things For iPhone & Watch ($9.99, one-time payment)

🟣 Things For iPad ($19.99, one-time payment)

Todoist

Todoist is a task management software that was developed by its parent company, Doist. Amir Salihefendic is the founder of Doist, and he developed Todoist in 2007. The main aim of developing Todoist was to help people stay on top of their tasks by organizing it via a simple task management system.

Project Management in Todoist 🌟

  • Lightweight and simple to use
  • Breaking down tasks into subtasks
  • Breaking down projects into sub-projects
  • Assigning tasks and due dates
  • Color-coding tasks
  • Recurring tasks
  • Kanban board view

How Much Does Todoist Cost? 💰

🟢 Todoist Free Plan

The Free Plan is for you if you’re a beginner when it comes to task management. It comes with a limit of 5 projects, a 5MB file upload limit, and up to 5 collaborators on your project. The Free Plan will also keep your activity history up to a week.

There are a few features missing from the Free Plan, but it should suffice if you’re using Todoist for simple tasks such as a personal to-do list.

🔵 Todoist Pro Plan

If you’re looking to use Todoist to organize heavier projects, the Pro Plan will unlock more features to help with your productivity. You will get access to templates, reports on your productivity, and an activity log to view the activities on your account.

The Todoist Pro Plan starts at $3 per month for each user.

🟣 Todoist Business Plan

If you intend to use Todoist for your Business, the Business Plan allows each user to have up to 500 projects with 300 active tasks per project. It also opens up collaboration of up to 50 people per project.

Todoist’s Business Plan starts at $5 per month for each user.

Zenkit

Zenkit is a project management platform developed by a German company, Axonic Information Systems. Launched in 2016, this collaborative software was created to provide a simple, flexible solution to project management that teams can use every day. 

Zenkit is an option for teams looking for a solution that will allow them to keep track of unlimited projects at once. It also allows users to collaborate with their team remotely and to make updates in real-time.

Project Management in Zenkit 🌟

  • Web and mobile access
  • Kanban board view
  • Real-time collaboration with file sharing, commenting, and offline mode features
  • Customization such as different views, custom backgrounds, and rich text editing
  • Activity tracking with a Gantt chart, calendar, task list, and notifications

How Much Does Zenkit Cost? 💰

🟢 Zenkit Free Plan

🔵 Zenkit Plus Plan ($9.00/month or $96.00/year)

🟣 Zenkit for Businesses ($25.00/month or $252.00/year)

🚀 Parting Words

Ready to boost your team’s performance in 2022? Sign up for a free Taskade account or test-drive what we can do for your team by visiting our demo page. Oh, and when you’re done, reach out at 🐑 [email protected] if you have any nagging questions. 

🧰 Before you go… having the best project management tool is just a start. Be sure to check these articles next and add other essential bricks to your digital toolbox.

  1. 👨‍💻  Modern Text Editors Today, With a Dash of Nostalgia 
  2. ✅  Collaborative To-Do List Apps: The Best Way to Get Things Done 
  3. 👁  Think, Organize Visually: The Best Outlining Tools 
  4. 🧠  Mind Over Matter: The Best Mind Mapping Tools
Can I use Taskade to manage projects?

Yes you can! You can use Taskade to manage projects of all sizes. What’s more Taskade is loaded with useful task management features even on the free plan.

What is the best project management software?

There is a lot of project management software in the market. For an extensive list, read our comparisons between the best project management software.

Is Taskade good?

Taskade is a great tool to use for personal and team projects. Check out this complete review of Taskade and get started today.

Is there a free project management tool for nonprofits?

Taskade offers a free plan for nonprofit organizations!

5/5 - (3 votes)