Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Whether you’re a blogger or freelance writer, being able to organize your day is incredibly beneficial. In fact, I don’t know how I would juggle everything I do without project management apps, and finding a free one can get you off to a great start.
Otherwise, it might be back to spreadsheets and notebooks…which I still use anyway.
But, being able to see what I and my team have scheduled while sharing docs and comments is beyond helpful.
It’s simply amazing.
Let’s take a look at 11 apps that will help you stay focused and productive for 2023.
Why Use Free Project Management Apps?
Project management apps can help you organize the day. Things you need to write, ideas for content, and setting up completion timeframes can keep you focused and on task.
As a freelancer, you’re only accountable to yourself. And any tool that can help you remain productive is ideal.
For instance, I’ll use Asana to assign myself blogs and video content. I’ll also use it to assign content to others. Since I can keep track of all my blogs as separate projects, I can manage them more efficiently than just trying to remember them.
If you handle private clients, you can invite them to keep track of your progress or to make changes and suggestions.
The bottom line is that software like this just streamlines the process of working from home as a freelance professional. And to be honest, it’s helped me be far more productive.
With all that being said, not every freelancer can afford paid services. Especially if you’re just starting out using content mills or gaining your first private client.
The free apps below can help get you started on the right path while keeping you focused on project management.
If you decide the service is worth the extra money to unlock more abilities at a later date, then you can simply upgrade. Otherwise, freelance writers and bloggers can use the free versions almost indefinitely.
11 Free Project Management Apps Freelance Writers Can Use
There are a lot of project management apps out there on the Internet. But, not everyone can afford the more expensive and elaborate platforms. So today, I’m looking at free systems you can use right now.
If you like what you see, there’s nothing wrong with upgrading from the free accounts. Though, I haven’t had the need to go beyond the basic platform.
In this list, I’m looking at FREE project management apps, and not those that merely have free trials. And, I’m not putting these in any particular order of importance.
1. Asana
First, I might as well start with Asana. After all, it’s the management app I use to keep track of just about everything. I’ve even made a short YouTube video regarding the free version.
I was turned onto Asana by one of my clients as that is the system they use. It lets you set up various projects and an unlimited number of subtasks under each. In the free version, you can also have up to 15 people working with you.
In reality, I was looking for a good to-do list style of layout. Every time I complete a task, I want to check it off and move on to the next. Asana lets me do this while saving past completed tasks so I can reference them later.
From a blogger’s perspective, there’s probably no other better tool. I can collaborate with team members, set up writing tasks, keep track of ideas, and remind myself to send emails to clients.
For those who work from home, Asana is also powerful as freelance project management software. You can keep track of clients, create blocks of time for work, invite clients to your projects, and otherwise manage your entire day’s workload.
There is also desktop and mobile device versions if you prefer it over using a web browser.
2. Trello
A lot of people love using Trello. It’s a great system to let you see projects quickly, including things like comments, attachments, or even due dates. As a writer, this is helpful for keeping track of what you’re doing.
Like most of the project management apps in this list, Trello also comes with an intuitive app available for Android and iOS devices. This means you can stay productive and updated while on the move.
The free version gives you unlimited cards and lists. However, you’re limited to 10mb file attachments. In reality, this is usually plenty for writers. And that’s even if you plan on uploading files to your account.
As far as a project organizer, this app has a lot to offer freelancers of all kinds.
3. Wrike
If you’re looking for something simple for just a handful of team members, Wrike is another good choice. In the free version, you’re able to add up to 5 users to the account.
You can customize the dashboards, share calendars, reschedule tasks, or take a look at project reports. Though, most of the better features are locked behind the paid version of Wrike.
However, you probably don’t need a lot of the bells-and-whistles as a freelance writer. Most of us just need a task management system to check off completed projects. And Wrike can do this with a nice interface.
Using its free project tracking tools, you can keep up with what work needs to be done while keeping your day organized.
4. Teamwork
The Teamwork project management app has a nice appearance and is loaded with various tools. One aspect I like most, though, is the time tracking ability. This helps you create invoices based on billable time, should your client pay you as such.
Another great aspect of Teamwork is the unlimited free client users you can set up. If you decide to collect as many clients as you can, this can help you easily keep track of them all.
Perhaps the only real reason why I don’t use Teamwork is because the free version only provides 2 projects. Since I have a lot of things going on right now, this free project management software is just not ideal.
But if you’re starting out as a beginner freelancer, it might be a perfect fit until you expand.
5. Bitrix24
The Bitrix24 app has a lot of interesting features. In fact, it does so much that I could write several blog posts about each section of the app.
According to Bitrix24, you get access to contact center functions, telephony, extensive project management tools, a landing page, and an online store (currently in beta).
Need chats and video calls? Bitrix24 offers that as well under its free plan.
While it does have a lot of features, that’s probably one of the downsides for many freelancers. It may seem overwhelming and a bit overkill…especially if you’re just starting out.
In reality, this free task management app is more likely perfect for medium to large-sized businesses. However, it could be exceptionally valuable to the right freelancer.
It really depends on just how much you plan to expand your writing business.
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6. Citrix Podio
Citrix’s Podio platform has a bit of functionality and is comparable to other project management apps. Most importantly, you have free task management and workspaces for up to five accounts.
The overall layout is clean with projects having detailed and relevant fields to complete tasks. One of the things I like is how prominent it has the comment section.
Although I am a fan of Asana, you have to scroll to the bottom to read comments from others. In Podio, it’s just right of the task itself.
And like some of the others in this list, Podio offers private workspaces. This means you can set reminders and projects that you don’t necessarily want other people to view.
This makes Podio a decent choice for task management software in a team environment, especially since it’s free.
7. nTask
Although nTask has one of the lowest file storage capacities in this list for free project management apps (only 100MB), it does provide a lot of useful tools. For example, you get unlimited workspaces and tasks.
You can set up meetings, track registered issues, or even set up timesheets. Again, this may be useful for a freelance writer if the client is paying per hour or if you are paying employees or other freelancers for work.
There’s nothing wrong with outsourcing some of your workload.
If you’re thinking about adding team members, you can easily track progress and collaborate without much of a hassle. nTask allows up to 5 members per team under the free plan.
8. PivotalTracker
In some ways, PivotalTracker reminds me of Hootsuite. Probably because of the overall columned layout. You can see various windows in columns to easily keep an eye on projects, comments, and updates.
This overall appearance may be why many freelancers like the project management software in its free version.
The analytics segment is interesting, as the system will show charts covering a wide aspect of data. Most importantly for writers, you’ll get task lists, file sharing, and project history.
Though, you won’t get a full history of the project unless you pay for an Enterprise account. But, you might not even need that much.
Using PivotalTracker, you can add up to 5 collaborators on the free plan while being limited to 5 projects. So if you manage more than 5 websites, clients, or other major elements, you’ll have to upgrade.
9. Freedcamp
Perhaps one of the more expansive free project management apps in this list is Freedcamp. On its most basic plan, you’ll get unlimited users, storage capacity, projects, and tasks!
Though, you can only upload 10MB at a time. But unless you’re uploading video content, 10 megs should be plenty for those who aren’t graphic designers.
Some images, even for blog headers, can get pretty massive in PSD format.
Like several others here, Freedcamp offers tasks, milestones, an easy-to-use calendar, file access, and time tracking for specific jobs. You’ll also get Zapier integration if you use that application.
Because of this integration, Freedcamp is easily one of the best free project management app. Mostly because I know a lot of freelancers who use Zapier on a daily basis.
One thing that stands out to me is the price to upgrade to a “Minimalist” premium account. It’s only $1.49 per person, per month. This comes with cloud storage integration, added task features, and Google Calendar syncing.
10. Todoist
Next, we have Todoist. This platform is among the lowest cost on this list should you decide to upgrade. For one thing, it’s a flat low fee as opposed to paying per user.
In Todoist, freelance writers have access to 80 active projects, assigning 5 people per project, assigning task priorities, and integrations with other platforms.
It has a simple design that is easy to navigate while offering a bit of gamification to the project management app.
For instance, you can gain “Todoist Karma.” This helps you set and meet goals as you work to improve your overall score to reach new levels. I like this idea as it helps to motivate freelancers to stay on task.
Not to mention how you can integrate your account with Google, Alexa, Chrome, Slack, Zendesk, Gmail, and many other apps you might use as a freelance professional.
In fact, I might start using Todoist as well just because of the gamification aspect.
11. Hubspot Free CRM and Suite
I was debating on whether I should add Hubspot as a free project management app. The truth is, it’s a full suite of tools that can easily boost any business type.
You have access to free marketing, sales, service, and operation tools as well as one of the more popular customer relations management software on the Internet.
The reason I wasn’t sure whether it would fit this article is because of just how much you can get for free. There are a lot of functions and features you’ll probably have no use for.
It may seem a bit overwhelming if you just need something to manage your projects.
However, if you plan on growing your writing business into something much larger, Hubspot is probably the perfect app to have on hand.
Forms, live chat, ticket systems, app integrations, tasks and activities, delivering quotes, ad management, and so much more can easily help you drive a business. And all of this is for free.
Just beware of the learning curve compared to other apps on this list.
Do You Need Free Project Management Apps to Be Success?
The whole premise behind these types of apps is to help with time management for writers. It’s simply a way to make you more productive throughout the day by helping you organize the workload.
This doesn’t mean you absolutely need project management apps to be successful. In fact, I didn’t start using them myself up until a few years ago.
For me, it was all about tracking everything in a spreadsheet.
However, I can say that I would have easily jumped on any of the above apps when I started as a freelance writer. Being able to schedule and organize tasks and projects would have saved me a lot of grief.
So, although you don’t need them, I highly recommend trying some of them out for yourself. Since they all have free versions, you don’t have to worry about trial periods and can easily explore these project management apps.
I know nowadays, Asana has made a massive impact on how I get things done throughout the week. From bog content to managing client work, it’s probably the most used app on my computer.
Keep Track of Your Day
These are some of the best free project management apps on the Internet. Sure, there are plenty of others. But as I said earlier, I’m only looking at those with free basic accounts…not free trials.
The best part about using apps like this is keeping your day organized. You can be successful without them, but it’s far more difficult. And since these are free to use, why not streamline your freelance writing career?
Unfortunately, maintaining a list like this is quite difficult. That’s because companies often change policies and remove features. I’ve even seen several that dumped their free platforms altogether.
So, if you see anything in this list that no longer supports a free project management app, please let me know. I’ll be sure to remove or replace the app.
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