13 Simple Project Management Software (That Don’t Require Training)
Learn which best project management software tools require little to no training and are simple for managing projects and tasks.
In this article, I’ll uncover 13 simple project management software tools, along with my top 5 recommendations to lighten the burden.
ClickUp
Monday.com
Wrike
Smartsheet
Notion
Keep all of your work affairs balanced by using the simple project management software tools above to manage your projects or tasks without becoming overwhelmed.
Yet, we have many complex and sophisticated project management tools that can become a nightmare. Many of these tools have a steep learning curve, and it can take your team weeks or even months to get accustomed to them. Make your team more productive without them breaking a sweat.
Fortunately, we have compiled a list of 13 top free and simple project management software tools that you can use to get more work done and save on costs.
Top Free & Simple Project Management Software Tools
Here is a list of 13 simple project management software tools.
- ClickUp
- Monday.com
- Wrike
- Smartsheet
- Notion
- Todoist
- Asana
- Basecamp
- Trello
- TeamGantt
- Hitask
- Yodiz
- SmartTask
1. ClickUp
Best Overall Simple Project Management Software
- Intuitive user interface for easy onboarding
- Offers unlimited tasks for all plans
- 24/7 live chat support
- The free version has limited storage and features
After you sign up, a quick video tour walks you through the basics of using the software. You can also try out their on-demand demos or browse through their support articles to familiarize yourself or your team with this easy project management software. ClickUp keeps things easy from the first start.
ClickUp is a free project management software that allows you to use simple task lists to manage projects and set specific goals in one place. You can also enjoy using premium features and handle unlimited projects even with its free plan.
Its efficient project management features include Gantt charts, custom statuses, spreadsheets, reminders, recurring checklists, priority support, workload charts, knowledge bases, and automation.
You can easily customize ClickUp to manage any work and enhance collaboration within your organization. They have use cases in project management, startup, health, remote work, development, CRM, design, non-profit, and so on.
Key Features
Automation
With automation that includes actions, conditions, and triggers, you can streamline business processes based on your needs. In addition, you can also use pre-built automation to create consistent processes to spend more time on what matters the most.
Team collaboration
Work with your team no matter where they are with powerful collaboration features to tackle any type of project and streamline teamwork.
Everything view
Use this bird's-eye view for managing projects and task viewing across several organizational levels, with the ability to sort, filter, and save for any need. You can find anything you're looking for, even in a complicated Hierarchy.
Time management
Get time estimates and reports to make the most of your time by using their global time tracking functionality.
1000+ integrations
Bring all your favorite tools together in one place with just a few clicks. Use the automatic import to bring every bit of information or data from other simple project management apps like Trello, Jira, Todoist, Monday.com, and more.
Pricing
- 24/7 Support
- 100 Automations/Month
- Built-in Time Tracking
- Kanban & Calendar View
- 100 MB Storage
- Live Chat Support
- 1000 Automations/Month
- Guest Access Control
- Unlimited Map & Gantt Views
- Unlimited Storage
- Unlimited Dashboards
- 10000 Advanced Automations/Month
- Unlimited Teams
- Timesheets Integration
- Unlimited Timeline Uses
- Priority Customer Service
- 25000 Pro Automations/Mo
- Unlimited Subtasks in Multiple Lists
- API calls: 1000/Minute
- Custom Capacity for Workload
Read more ClickUp pricing or ClickUp review
ClickUp has a Free Forever Plan with up to five users. It also offers Unlimited Plan, Business Plan, and Business Plus Plan at $5, $12, and $19 per member per month.
There is an Enterprise Plan with custom pricing.
2. Monday.com
Best Simple Project Management Software for Remote Work
- Customizable to fit specific needs
- It has unlimited boards for visualization
- Integrates with other platforms like Trello and Basecamp
- The activity log can be restrictive
If you're looking for a free project management tool with no long and complicated onboarding and training process, Monday.com is another excellent option. Monday.com has a highly visual and intuitive interface that allows every team member to start using it successfully with no time-wasting.
Monday.com is one of the easy project management tools suitable for remote teams. This platform allows your remote team to track project progress and work on multiple tasks with tools like data maps, data-driven dashboards, timelines, and custom automation.
They offer a time-tracking capability that can be adjusted for different time zones and integrations that help remote teams manage tasks efficiently and avoid bottlenecks.
Monday.com is a popular top management software with over 152.000 customers worldwide that lets project managers create workflows in minutes and promote collaboration among the team members.
Key Features
Automation
Stay focused by using code-free automation like automated workflows, progress updates, status updates, project tracking, email notifications, and due date alerts to ensure your team is always aligned. With automation, you can avoid repetitive tasks, lengthy email chains, and unnecessary meetings.
Custom templates
You can create custom templates or use over 200+ pre-built templates for every team, business, or industry to reflect all of your needs for effective remote work. They offer templates for time-tracking, daily team tasks, remote equipment checks, employee onboarding, and more.
Secure file storage
You can set permissions on specific files to control who gets access or who doesn't. Then, add clients, stakeholders, or freelancers to view or edit files with strict security measures.
Gantt charts
Plan, execute, and track your projects using powerful Gantt charts to visualize milestones, important dates, and dependencies to ensure every task gets done on time. You can also use the Gantt charts to track project budgets for efficient resource allocation to streamline workflows.
Integrations
Integrate with all the tools you already use for sharing and communication, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Outlook, Dropbox, and Slack. You can also connect with CRM tools like Salesforce, Zendesk, Copper, Shopify, WooCommerce, and more.
Pricing
- 3 Work Boards
- 2 Team Members
- Unlimited Docs
- 500 MB Storage
- 200+ Project Templates
- Unlimited Boards
- Unlimited Team Members
- Unlimited Viewers
- 5 GB Storage
- 1-Week Activity Log
- Calendar, Timeline, Map Views
- 250 Actions for Automations
- 250 Actions for Integrations
- 20 GB Storage
- 6-Month Activity Log
- Unlimited Guest Access
- 25000 Actions for Automations
- 25000 Actions for Integrations
- 100 GB Storage
- 1-Year Activity Log
- Dedicated Customer Agent
- 250000 Automations
- 250000 Actions for Integrations
- Enterprise Analytics
Read more Monday pricing or Monday review
Monday.com has five plans. The Individual Free Forever Plan, Basic Plan at $8 per seat per month, Standard Plan at $10 per seat per month, Pro Plan at $16 per seat per month, and a custom-priced Enterprise Plan.
There is a 14-day free trial across all paid plans except Enterprise Plan.
3. Wrike
Best Simple Project Management Tool for Work Transparency
- Excellent for visibility and workflows
- Built-in automatic time tracking software
- It has a powerful proofing tool
- Lacks advanced filtering functions
Do you love managing projects with transparency? Then, I believe Wrike is a task management app that you can use to track project progress, collaborate with your team, and organize projects. Wrike has got everything you need from a three-pane view, forms and requests, intuitive charts, and infographics for a consolidated view of your workflow.
Wrike is a simple project management software trusted by over 20,000 customers worldwide like Google, Snowflake, Syneos, Siemens, and Ogilvy.
Therefore, it's suitable for all types of businesses and industries and transforms how your team works with features like powerful automation, cross-departmental collaboration, and 360° visibility for maximum work transparency.
The best thing with this platform is that you can customize it to suit any organization through team-specific automation, custom workflows, and dashboards to streamline all business processes.
Key Features
Work Intelligence
Use the power of AI with Wrike's Work Intelligence for project risk prediction and smart automation to accelerate results and avoid project management bottlenecks. You can also use advanced communication tools such as document processing, smart replies, and voice commands for streamlined workflows.
Purpose-built templates
Use pre-built project templates to speed up onboarding, task management, and product delivery. It has templates for all kinds of work to help agile teams assign tasks, track projects, and collaborate.
Visual proofing
Keep every task assigned to one team member or more on the project team organized and on record faster with online proofing software. You can create more assets in less time and ensure every project is handled with maximum transparency for streamlined workflows.
Automation
Build a critical path feature by automating all of your approval processes. You can save time without emailing or attaching additional files by building a path for your team where tasks are auto-assigned, and you're notified when a task is ready for approval.
360° visibility
Use tools like invoicing software, online to-do lists for work, advanced analytics, time tracking, and project portfolio management to showcase project progress to shareholders, partners, or clients for work efficiency.
Pricing
- Unlimited Users
- AI-Powered Processes
- Custom Work Views
- Different Project Templates
- Available in 8 Languages
- 2-25 Users*
- 2 GB Storage/User
- Custom Fields & Workflows
- Project Dashboards
- Calendar and Gantt Chart Views
- 5-200 Users*
- 5 GB Storage/User
- 200 Automations/User
- Enhanced Collaboration
- Resource Management Features
Read more Wrike pricing
Wrike offers a Free Version with up to five users. Its paid plans include Professional at $9.80 and Business at $24.80 per user per month. There is also a quote-based Enterprise Plan with unlimited users.
It also offers custom-priced plans for every team, including Marketing Teams and Professional Service Teams.
All paid plans come with a 14-day free trial period.
4. Smartsheet
Best Simple Project Management Software for Enterprises
- Easy to learn and understand
- Provides automated proofing and approvals
- Quite powerful spreadsheet-based task management
- There is no free version
Do you manage your tasks mostly on spreadsheets? If so, Smartsheet might be the ideal platform that combines the power of project management software with spreadsheet capabilities to organize tasks and monitor project timelines to streamline workflows. You can create a hierarchy within a project since it allows you to create one single task list and add other tasks below it. Additionally, you can test Smartsheet without paying a single dime for at least one month with its 30-day free trial.
Smartsheet is the best project management software that enables every team member to work swiftly on complex tasks and respond to changes in an enterprise with agility.
This platform enables a project manager to track project progress and use plenty of templates to manage multiple teams easily for streamlined workflows. Use its task assignment features to empower everyone, manage projects, and rapidly build solutions at a scale.
Key Features
Resource management
Manage projects based on team capacity through project budgeting, time tracking, and reporting for effective portfolio management. Forecast hiring needs by finding the best project team to handle specific complex tasks through resource management and project planning.
Activity log
View changes made to a sheet in real-time by filtering the activity log by collaborator, type of action, or data range. You can also share activity log details with partners, stakeholders, or other team players via email.
Premium add-ons
Provide solutions to your growing portfolio needs by using premium add-ons to drive value across your organization. You can streamline communication and deliver real-time visibility across numerous business systems by bringing diverse data together.
WorkApps
Build intuitive web and mobile apps without coding to simplify collaboration and streamline your business processes. You can create an app directory from your sheets, dashboards, reports, and forms with a single mouse click and no coding required.
Integrations
You can get more work done without wasting time switching from one app to another by using Smartsheet, which allows out-of-the-box integrations with most cloud-based tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, G-suite, and more.
Pricing
- 1 User + 2 Editors
- 2 Project Sheets
- 500 MB File Storage
- Several Project Views
- 100 Automations per Month
- 10 Users + 10 Paid Editors
- Unlimited Project Sheets
- 20 GB File Storage
- Unlimited Reports
- 250 Automations per Month
- Unlimited Users & Free Editors
- Activity Log
- Proofing Support
- Easy-to-Use Document Builder
- Unlimited Automations
Read more Smartsheet pricing
Smartsheet has three paid plans, including Pro at $7 per user per month, Business at $25 per user per month, and a custom-priced Enterprise Plan. There is also a separate Smartsheet Advance Plan with tailored pricing.
Pro and Business Plans have a 30-day free trial.
5. Notion
Best Simple Project Management Software for Startups
- Offers affordable pricing plans
- Great note-taking task management tool
- Easy to use
- It has a slow mobile app
If you're a freelancer or a startup looking to execute and manage projects quickly, Notion is one of the cheapest project management tools. You can also be eligible for the $500-$1000 credit if you work with Notion's partners. This software is one of the most cost-effective options on our simple project management software tools options because it can save you user fees for months. In addition, you have access to tutorials and guides to help you get started on the platform.
Notion is the right project management software with powerful note-taking capabilities that allows you to plan and track projects with tools like creating wikis, roadmaps, project attachments, and meeting notes.
Notion enhances team collaboration through timeline views, host discussions, reminders and mentions within task lists, and the ability to leave comments on projects. You can also create linked databases to manage recurring tasks and promote consistent management.
Key Features
Multiple views
With its drag and drop Kanban board interface, you can switch between multiple views to organize tasks and projects for visualization to streamline workflows and improve productivity.
Template Gallery
Try new templates or even share your own templates with other users on the platform and the community. You can find project templates for all industries by browsing Template Gallery to discover new and creative ways to use Notion.
Meeting notes
Use this note-taking system to document everything you or your team tackles to get more visibility and collaborate on different tasks simultaneously.
Website publishing
Build a portfolio, personal resumes, team blogs, or company websites with just a few clicks. You can also create a website by clicking the page you want to share with other users and switching on the “Share to the Web” option.
Integrations
Connect with other business tools like Zapier and Slack and others made by its partners such as Automate.io, Neeva, and Qonto to streamline workflows. Additionally, you can bring tasks from other project management tools like Asana, Jira, and Trello within minutes.
Pricing
Notion has a Free Personal Plan with up to five users. Its paid plans include Personal Pro at $4 per month, Team at $8 per user per month, and a quote-based Enterprise Plan.
There is an unlimited free trial with a 1,000 blocks limit for Personal Pro and Team Plans.
6. Todoist
Best Simple Project Management Tool for Task Collaboration
Todoist is a cheap project management software tool for managing projects using task lists. Before assigning tasks to team members, you can create tasks with priorities and organize them into sections. As a result, this platform encourages cross-departmental task collaboration for more efficient workflows.
Todoist also provides real-time notifications with every task and allows project managers to award karma points for completed tasks.
Millions of users trust Todoist, and it has completed over 1.5 billion tasks in 150+ million projects. You can also add any task to its to-do lists via email, calendar, or file sharing.
Key Features
Quick add task
Capture and organize tasks with the quick add task functionality on the Todoist. You can also set recurring dates and include sections and subtasks for better visualization and organization of tasks.
Custom task views
You can create your own task views to suit your personal preferences and workflow requirements. Then, customize your theme to match your mood or personality with more than ten colors. In addition, you can set filters based on the project name, assignee, or due date and label tasks for faster searching at any moment.
Auto backups
You won't have to worry about manually backing up your projects or tasks because this platform takes care of it. Even if you delete a project or task by accident, you can restore it from the backups. Avoid starting from scratch by dragging and dropping the restored project file into a new project file to restore all tasks.
Calendar sync
Every project created on the platform can be synced to your calendar via Apple calendar, Google calendar, or Outlook. Therefore, Todoist allows you to see every task on your calendar to know the exact due dates and the completion dates for transparency.
Time tracking
This simple project management app integrates with most time tracking tools like HourStack, Flat Tomato, Time Doctor, and TrackingTime. These tools help you gain insight and streamline workflows by seeing where your time is usually spent.
Pricing
- 5 Projects
- 5 Members per Project
- Files up to 5 MB
- 1-Week Activity Log
- Support Integrations
- 300 Projects
- 25 Members per Project
- Files up to 100 MB
- Unlimited Activity Log
- 150 Filter Views (Custom Views)
- 500 Projects
- 50 Members per Project
- Team Inbox for Tasks
- Assign User Roles
- 150 Filter Views per User
Todoist has a Free Plan and two paid plans, including Pro at $4 per month and Business at $6 per user per month.
The Business Plan comes with a 30-day free trial. They also offer a 50% discount for non-profit organizations.
Pros
- It's cheaper than the other simplest project management tools on our list
- Quickly format text and add hyperlinks to your tasks and comments
- You can see all your recurring tasks at once
Cons
- The free version can only manage up to five active projects at once
7. Asana
Best Simple Project Management Software for Streamlined Collaboration
Asana is the best project management software that is unrivaled for streamlining collaboration. You can create and assign tasks, set deadlines, ask questions, comment on specific tasks, and receive updates from team members about a particular project.
It's a versatile tool that uses a Kanban-style user interface, making the onboarding process quick within just a few minutes. With Asana's Kanban boards, you can quickly spot bottlenecks and provide visual help to your team to ensure they are adequately managed for streamlined operations.
Asana is packed with useful features for project planning and allows you to handle multiple projects simultaneously, making it one of the simple project planning tools.
Key Features
Team collaboration
Share Google docs, PDFs, and any type of file with every team member to enhance collaboration. You can use a single card to assign tasks and priorities, set or adjust due dates, create task dependencies and chat with every team member until the project is completed.
Multiple project views
You can enjoy a quick overview of project tasks and activities on multiple views. Project managers can also switch between views to have a clear picture of where the complex projects stand to boost team productivity. These views include the Kanban board, timeline, workload, portfolio, list, and calendar.
Automation
You can set super easy automation for repetitive tasks for streamlined workflows. Use the workflow builder to create custom rules, triggers, and actions with a single mouse click. Free up time to focus on other critical areas of your business by automating processes with Asana.
Agile and scrum support
Asana supports agile project management and scrum support through features like task lists, work requests, roadmaps, feedback, product launches, bug tracking, and tracking task iterations.
Integrations
Asana makes remote project management easy by integrating with over 200 popular third-party apps like Google Drive, Zoom, Dropbox, Zapier, and Salesforce. It allows big or small teams working remotely to receive notifications whenever a task is altered or updated.
Pricing
- Unlimited Projects & Tasks
- Unlimited Storage & Logs
- 100+ Free Integrations
- Status Updates
- Calendar View
- Unlimited Dashboards
- Workflow Builder
- Task Dependencies
- Task Templates
- Timeline & Milestones
- Workload Management
- Advanced Reports
- Built-in Time Tracking
- Create Custom Rules
- Premium Integrations
Read more Asana pricing
Asana has a Free Basic Plan. The paid plans include Premium at $10.99 and Business at $24.99 per user per month. It also has a quote-based Asana Enterprise Plan.
Premium and Business Plans come with a 30-day free trial. They also offer 50% off for non-profits.
Pros
- Easy-to-use intuitive interface
- Integrates with many other task management software tools
- Streamlines collaboration across companies and teams
Cons
- Lacks a project tracking feature
8. Basecamp
Best Simple Project Management Tool for Enhanced Communication
Basecamp is the best project management software built for restructuring communication, especially for remote teams. They allow you to get an overview of your project tasks no matter where you're located.
Easily manage unlimited projects with unlimited users with Basecamp since it offers a business plan with monthly flat-rate pricing. You can't find many task management tools offering flat-rate pricing, which explains why Basecamp stands out among the other simple project management tools on our list.
Basecamp is a complete solution for team communication through project management features like to-do lists, message boards, team schedules, and group chats.
Key Features
To-do lists
Check project progress with to-do lists that lets you create tasks, assign items, set due dates, and discuss with team members for efficient task management. Additionally, you can split tasks into projects and further split projects into phases with the possibility of assigning one or multiple users to those projects.
Real-time communication
This project management tool has various collaboration features like message boards, group chats, and pings to promote real-time communication for streamlined workflow management. Other project management tools mostly use comments on tasks and boards.
Client access
Manage tasks with the right level of security by putting everything private unless you choose to share. Client access lets you share tasks with clients to track the progress of your projects without worrying about data or information breaches.
Automatic check-ins
A project manager can use automatic check-ins to create team questions that can be daily, weekly, or monthly. Team members can leave answers in one easy-to-digest thread without having to sit down for status meetings.
File sharing
Share files, documents, and images by dragging and dropping them on any workspace for easier access to all people. You can also re-order the files or color-code them to keep things organized to know what needs to be done and when.
Pricing
Basecamp has a Free Version but with limited features. Its main and single-paid plan is the Basecamp Business at $99 per month.
There is a 30-day free trial for the Basecamp Business Plan.
Pros
- Offers monthly flat-rate pricing with unlimited projects and unlimited users
- It has a friendly user interface
- Has built-in communication features
Cons
- Lacks project views such as the Gantt chart view
9. Trello
Best Simple Project Management Software for Visualization
Trello is a top project management software with a visually appealing design that lets you manage tasks on multiple views like the dashboard, timeline, calendar, table, and map view.
Trello has a user-friendly interface where you can create and assign tasks, upload and share files and documents, and automate your projects with a butler for efficient workflow management.
Trello is the best free project management software tool that offers a free plan for the whole team. The free version gives access to multiple users but with limited task management features. It's the best software for small teams.
Key Features
Automation
Stay updated on task progress with workflow automation that is easy to set up. Answer a few questions or triggers and let the butler automation configure everything, such as due dates commands and notifications.
Multiple views
Manage creative projects through multiple views like calendar, timeline, dashboard, map, board, and table view for better project visualization. These views help you see and prevent bottlenecks before they begin.
Team collaboration
Trello is an all-in-one project management tool that enhances team collaboration with advanced features like comments, mentions, notifications, tagging, and document sharing.
Custom templates
Give your team a success blueprint with custom project templates readily available and tested by the Trello community. Add templates by copying and customizing them to fit your workflows needs.
Power-ups
You can fire up your team by using Trello plugins to connect with other powerful tools like Jira, Slack, List Limits, Read Me, Voting, Time Tracker by Timecamp, and many more.
Pricing
Trello has a Free Plan and three paid plans. They include Standard at $5, Premium at $10, and Enterprise starting at $17.50 per user per month.
There is a 14-day free trial available with the Premium Plan.
Pros
- Easy to use and has a straightforward onboarding process
- Ideal for task management in a to-do list format
- Sends out instant notifications
Cons
- Lacks reporting tools
10. TeamGantt
Best Simple Project Management Tool With Interactive Gantt Charts
TeamGantt is the easiest project management software built for seamless scheduling with interactive Gantt charts that you can create by dragging and dropping them without training.
It's a free online Gantt chart maker software for managing projects and has over one million users, including companies like Netflix, Amazon, Nike, Intuit, and Uber. Plan, schedule, manage projects and invite teams and clients for efficient project planning.
TeamGantt's paid plans offer unlimited tasks, unlike most other project management software tools. Additionally, it provides a Gantt chart view and allows you to switch to Kanban or calendar views.
Key Features
Team collaboration
It's the best project management software with advanced collaboration features like task comments, file sharing, and team dashboards. You can also use its mobile version to keep in contact with your team and streamline workflows on the go.
Gantt charts
Use Gantt charts for managing projects by incorporating visual tools that work best for you and your team. You can also switch from Gantt chart views to the portfolio, calendar, and list views.
Custom templates
You can create custom templates tailored for your business or use the premade templates to jump right into the action with minimal preparation time. What's more? You can use a template as many times as you wish.
Shared team calendar
You can view tasks from start to finish in a Gantt chart for better project management and planning. The calendar view also helps you identify potential conflicts and bottlenecks before they become issues.
Time tracking
Use time tracking for managing projects to see where you stand with project deadlines, hours, and resources in real-time. This project management tool saves your team time and effort by eliminating the need to calculate project hours manually.
Pricing
- 5 Projects per Manager
- 5 Users per Manager
- 150 Tasks in a Project
- Support Integrations
- 20 Projects per Manager
- Unlimited Users
- Unlimited Tasks
- Priority Support
- Unlimited Projects
- Dedicated Customer Agent
- Uptime SLA
- Customized Training
TeamGantt has a Free Plan, Standard Plan at $19 per user per month, Advanced Plan at $24 per user per month, and a quote-based Enterprise Plan.
There is a 30-day free trial available for Standard and Advanced Plans.
Pros
- Excellent interactive Gantt charts
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Provides excellent tutorial content for easy onboarding
Cons
- It doesn't provide budget reporting features
11. Hitask
Best Simple Project Management Tool With Unlimited Projects
Hitask is one of the free project management tools on our list with unlimited tasks and projects. This platform does not require any training or instructions because it allows you to create an account in seconds and begin managing projects immediately.
Hitask comes with a few more features like reports, issue tracking numbers, time tracking, and repeating tasks. However, such advanced task management features can only be accessed with paid plans.
Hitask is a simple project management software with an intuitive user interface dedicated to streamlining workflows. You can easily create new tasks and assign and share them with multiple users for better collaboration.
Key Features
Team collaboration
Use various collaboration features such as TeamChat, tags, and task comments to ensure your team is on the right track for streamlining workflows. Hitask sends out notifications and reminders to teams, clients, or shareholders through direct email.
Task organization
Easily distinguish workflow and project timeline aspects by tagging your tasks and projects with colors. Use sub-tasks and Hierarchy to organize your tasks properly.
Project tracking
Track time spent on projects and tasks and generate time reports to see which projects fit your needs and which ones you should halt or stop.
Selective sharing permissions
Only share tasks with specific team members and choose who can modify or complete tasks. This software gives you full control of your tasks without worrying about unauthorized access.
Integrations
Hitask integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar to provide a complete synchronization between these two free project management apps. Any task changes or modifications on Outlook will appear on Google Calendar and vice versa.
Pricing
Hitask has a Free Plan with up to five users. Its paid plans include Team Business at $5 and Enterprise Plan at $20 per user per month.
There is a 14-day free trial available with the Team Business Plan. Additionally, you can get two months for free with annual subscriptions.
Pros
- Easy to use
- It offers a free version with unlimited tasks and projects
- Quickly create tasks by sending an email to your Hitask account
Cons
- It doesn't allow task workflows customizations
12. Yodiz
Best Simple Project Management Tool With Issue Tracking
Yodiz is an agile project management and issue tracker tool which helps in project planning and team management, particularly for software development teams. They offer advanced features that help you manage backlog, sprints, epics, and releases.
It's the best project management software for small teams like freelancers and students because it provides a free version, which you can use to manage unlimited projects.
Yodiz gives you the clarity, collaboration, and control you need for workflow management, and it scales to match your business's demands, no matter how big or small they are.
Key Features
Custom workflows
Create workflows that match your team's needs and use boards, widgets, and columns for better visualization. You can also see multiple reporting graphs with sprints, epics, and releases for better task and issue management.
Product backlog
Get instant visibility on all of your tasks or projects with a product backlog that provides size, complexity, trend, and insights for improved smart analytics. Therefore, your team can focus on critical areas and know the necessary items to deliver first to save on time.
Planning board
You can view project data side by side through epics, backlog, sprints, releases, and issues with the planning board. It helps you prevent overplanning and shows you who is responsible for a project or task, allowing you to track and plan more effectively.
Release management
Plan, track, and manage releases to understand what is happening with all of your workflows to have the best release management experience. It allows you to boost your team's productivity, communication, and coordination.
Grab-browser extension
Using the grab-browser extension for Chrome or Firefox, you can capture and annotate any web page screenshots and upload them to Yodiz as attachments. The browser extension allows QA teams to report issues to Yodiz directly.
Pricing
Yodiz offers a Free Version with unlimited projects. The paid plans include Issue Tracker at $3 and Agile Tool at $5 per user per month. It also offers a Self Hosted Plan with custom pricing.
A 30-day free trial is available across all paid plans.
Pros
- Intuitive user interface
- The free version comes with unlimited projects
- 24/7 customer support
Cons
- There aren't many integrations available
13. SmartTask
Best Simple Project Management Software for Time Tracking and Reporting
SmartTask is the best free project management software with many features like to-do lists, powerful search, location tracking, custom charts, auto-scheduling, and so on.
You can access most SmartTask features with the free version because it offers unlimited users, tasks, projects, and contacts. You only need to pay for the paid plans if you require more advanced features.
SmartTask has an easy onboarding process because of its simple user interface, which allows you to manage tasks using boards or to-do lists to streamline workflows.
Key Features
Task management
Recurring tasks, task dependencies, subtasks, task tags, task reminders, task comments, and rich-text editing are just a few features that allow you to customize and manage your tasks, no matter where you are.
Team collaboration
With collaboration features like automated check-ins, instant messaging, video conferencing, file sharing, and more, you can have a clear understanding of all tasks and the responsibilities and accountability of each team member.
Multiple views
With ready-to-use multiple views, you can track your work in a manner that best suits your team. These include tasklist view, board view, timeline view, calendar view, workload view, and portfolio view. You can also generate a project overview with resource usage, costing, and billing amount for improved project planning.
Auto scheduling tasks
Auto-schedule delayed or misaligned tasks for better project management. You can also set project milestones to track projects progress from start to end.
Analytics and reporting
Analyze your project data using various analytic views to see whether your team has been overworked or underused. Use the powerful search tool to identify or filter data across projects for easier access in the future.
Pricing
SmartTask has a Free Forever Plan, Premium Plan at $5, and Business Plan at $8 per user per month.
Pros
- It’s a cheap project management software with tons of features
- Easy-to-use interface.
- They offer powerful reporting features
Cons
- There are occasional logout issues
Why You Need a Simple Project Management Software
As a project leader or manager, you must know what tasks must be accomplished and what each team member is working on.
You can manage projects manually using emails or spreadsheets, but it's time-consuming and tedious. That's where simple project management software comes in handy.
It would be best to avoid the complex project management tools with many advanced features because they require a steep learning curve. They can wreak havoc on project management rather than streamline it.
So, why should you invest in simple project management software:
- Low learning curve: Complex systems have a long learning curve and can take your team days or weeks to master, whereas simple project management software requires no training and has a straightforward onboarding process that will have your team up and running in no time.
- Get more work done: You don't have to complicate simple workflows by using advanced systems, which mostly come with complex interfaces. Use simple tools to get more work done in less time to focus on other aspects of your business.
- Save on costs: The most advanced project management solutions are expensive because they have many features that you will never use. So, simply use simple tools with the features you need most for managing projects.
Small teams, such as freelancers or upcoming startups, should use simple project management tools. We can only recommend complex project management software when working on technical or complicated projects.
What Makes a Project Management Tool Simple?
Nowadays, there are so many project management software solutions that it has become difficult to figure out which ones are simple and easy to use.
Advanced project management software tools are designed for technical projects and have complex use cases and features. On the other hand, a simple project management system is designed for small teams and individuals and is more straightforward.
Here are a few factors that make a project management tool simple.
- User interface: Simple systems have a user-friendly interface that is easy to understand, and you can use it right away. In contrast, complex systems have a sophisticated user interface that is hard to learn.
- Primary use cases: You can tell if a project management software is simple with various use cases for big and small businesses. However, it should meet all project objectives and goals with ease for streamlined workflows.
- Features: You should ensure that a project management software tool supports all of your primary use cases as quickly as possible. A simple project management app includes the right features to meet your company's project management needs.
How To Find the Best Simple Project Management Software for Your Needs?
Every project is different. So is every team. Therefore, you should choose the best project management software that enables your team to manage projects successfully without being overwhelmed, ensuring that projects are delivered on time, and everything is in order.
Yet we have many project management tools today, making the selection process confusing or hard to crack.
Use this straightforward procedure to choose the best simple project management software for your needs.
- Determine your project's specific needs while keeping your company's size in mind.
- Research different tools that try to meet your project needs.
- Test the project management tool using free plans or trial periods.
- Engage your team and ask for feedback concerning the software.
- Ensure that the software fits your budget, is easy to use, and offers features your business needs.
If all the above steps are ticked, you have found your business's best simple project management software.
Still unsure about which simple project management to go for? You can start with our top five recommendations.
Here are our top five simple project management tools once more:
ClickUp
Monday.com
Wrike
Smartsheet
Notion
If you still need more information to make an informed decision, check out our more in-depth comparison reviews of different project management software.
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Martin Luenendonk
Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.
This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.