Best Free Project Management Software for Startups

Trello is the easiest tool in this guide for a startup to start with. A founder can set up a board for a product launch in minutes, add cards for each task, and invite the team without training or setup calls. The free plan covers up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per workspace, which fits a founding team of two to ten people working on a small set of projects.

The first step up is Standard at $5 per user per month billed annually, which removes the board limit and adds unlimited storage, custom fields, and more automation runs. A startup should check the board cap before it commits, because a team that runs many projects at once will hit 10 boards fast. Trello has no Gantt view on the free plan, so a team that needs timelines should look at ClickUp or Asana instead.

Price: $5 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: trello.com

Asana suits a startup that wants structure from the start. The free Personal plan covers up to 10 collaborators with unlimited tasks, projects, and messages, so a small team can run real work without a card limit. Tasks carry due dates, assignees, and comments, and projects can switch between list, board, and calendar views. A startup that plans to grow past ten people should know the cap now, because the eleventh teammate forces a move to a first step up.

The first step up is Starter at $10.99 per user per month billed annually, which adds timeline and Gantt views, dashboards, and more automation. Asana has no time tracking on the free plan, and the timeline view is the feature most startups miss first. A team that needs to see work on a timeline should budget for Starter from the start, or pick ClickUp, which includes a Gantt view for free.

Price: $10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: asana.com

monday.com suits a startup of two founders who want a visual board to track a launch. The free Individual plan covers up to 2 seats with unlimited docs and boards, so a pair of cofounders can plan a product, track leads, and manage a launch without cost. Templates cover common startup work, from product roadmaps to marketing campaigns, which saves setup time for a team that has none to spare.

The first step up is Basic at $9 per seat per month billed annually, which adds unlimited viewers, more storage, and a larger item limit. A startup should check the seat cap first, because the free plan stops at two seats, and the third hire forces a move to Basic. Time tracking sits on the Pro plan at $19 per seat per month, so a team that bills by the hour should look at Teamwork or ClickUp instead.

Price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: monday.com

Wrike suits a startup that wants Gantt charts and a folder structure from the start. The free plan covers task management with board and table views, while the Team plan at $10 per user per month billed annually adds Gantt charts, shareable dashboards, and calendars. A startup that manages several workstreams at once will value the folder structure, because projects can sit inside folders by product, client, or team.

The Team plan covers 2 to 15 users, which fits a startup through its first hires, but a team that grows past 15 people must move to Business at $25 per user per month. Time tracking is missing from the Team plan, so a startup that bills clients by the hour will need Business or a separate time tool. The free plan is a fair way to test the interface, but most startups will want the Gantt view that comes with Team.

Price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: wrike.com

Teamwork suits a startup that does client work and needs to track billable time from the start. The free plan covers up to 5 users and 5 projects, which fits a small founding team that serves a few clients. Billable time tracking comes with the Basics plan at $9.99 per user per month billed annually, and clients can join projects for free, which keeps the seat count low when the team works with outside partners.

The Basics plan has a three seat minimum and a 300 project cap, so a very small team should check the minimum before it commits. Timesheets are missing from Basics, which means a startup that needs formal timesheet approval will need Accelerate at $24.99 per user per month. A startup that only needs task lists and billable time will find Basics a fair fit, while a team that needs capacity planning should look at the higher plans.

Price: $9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: teamwork.com

Zoho Projects suits a startup that wants to keep costs low for a long time. The free plan covers up to 5 users and 2 projects, which fits a very small team working on one or two products. Premium at $4 per user per month billed annually is the lowest cost step up in this guide, and it adds Gantt charts, more projects, and more storage. A startup that already uses Zoho tools will find the integration a bonus, because tasks can link to Zoho CRM and Zoho Books.

The free plan is the tightest in this guide, with only two projects, so a startup that runs many projects at once will outgrow it fast. Storage is limited on the free plan, and some reporting features sit on higher plans. A startup that can live with two projects will pay almost nothing for a long time, while a team that needs more projects should move to Premium early, because the cost is low.

Price: $4 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: zoho.com

Notion suits a startup that wants one workspace for docs, wikis, and tasks. The free plan covers unlimited pages and blocks for individuals, with boards, tables, and calendars for tracking work. A startup can write its handbook, plan a launch, and track tasks in the same place, which suits a small team that does not want to manage several tools at once.

The first step up is Plus at $10 per member per month billed annually, which adds unlimited file uploads, longer page history, and more automation. Notion has no native time tracking, and it has no true Gantt view with dependencies on the free plan, so a team that needs strict project scheduling should pick a dedicated tool. A startup that values docs and notes as much as tasks will find Notion a strong fit.

Price: $10 per member/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: notion.com