Microsoft Project was certainly the most powerful program for managing the activities of a project, for planning the work and use of resources, dividing it into phases and sub-phases so as to have a spreadsheet that summarizes all the necessary tasks and their sequence until the completion of an entire project.
This Office program was widely used by Project Managers from all over the world because, in addition to having many features, it is also simple to use and to learn, therefore it is not necessary to have special IT skills and can be used by concentrating on the work to be done, without wasting time understanding its functions.
In this article, we see not only some free programs to install on PC, but also the best web-based online programs .
READ ALSO: Programs to create Gantt charts
Today there are better programs than Project, not only for a fee, but also for free, which make project management and planning work easy, which can also be used to manage housework, school tasks, the plan of study at university, sporting events, training cards and for the organization of many other daily and not only professional things. Without therefore going to buy an expensive program, we see here the best project management programs to manage and plan projects, with various methodologies.
Most of these tools are designed for managing team projects and therefore are often paid, but for individual use or small organizations it is possible to use them for free.
READ ALSO: Best project management web applications .
This Office program was widely used by Project Managers from all over the world because, in addition to having many features, it is also simple to use and to learn, therefore it is not necessary to have special IT skills and can be used by concentrating on the work to be done, without wasting time understanding its functions.
In this article, we see not only some free programs to install on PC, but also the best web-based online programs .
READ ALSO: Programs to create Gantt charts
Today there are better programs than Project, not only for a fee, but also for free, which make project management and planning work easy, which can also be used to manage housework, school tasks, the plan of study at university, sporting events, training cards and for the organization of many other daily and not only professional things. Without therefore going to buy an expensive program, we see here the best project management programs to manage and plan projects, with various methodologies.
Most of these tools are designed for managing team projects and therefore are often paid, but for individual use or small organizations it is possible to use them for free.
Free and open source PC project management programs
- ProjectLibre is the main open source and free project management software, which is proposed as an alternative to Microsoft Project, also translated into Italian. While the interface is rather spartan and boring, based on Java, in terms of functionality it allows you to create Gantt diagrams, network diagrams, graphs, histograms and manage projects all along the way.
- GeeTeeDee is a simple program for Windows 10 PC with a sidebar on the left that allows you to create groups of projects, convenient for keeping the activities of each project separate. After creating a project, you can add the list of activities, with titles, descriptions and deadlines. Once completed, they can be checked off and archived. It is a very generic basic software, good for personal needs or small groups that do not require more elaborate tools.
- 2-Plan is an advanced software which offers support for multiple users and teams. You can easily create, configure and manage projects, even through Gantt charts. After creating a project, people, roles, objectives and calendar of activities can be set, setting the tasks for each person and sending them to those who participate in the project. Project progress reports can be generated as HTML or CSV.
- GanttProject is a cross-platform desktop project management software also for Windows 10 which focuses on Gantt charts. This is certainly the most structured program on this list, which can certainly be used professionally without limitations. You can then plan projects by dividing them by activity and assigning roles to people. You can generate HTML reports or PDF reports and you can also use it cloud in a shared way with other people.
- GNOME Planner is another cross-platform project management software based on Gantt diagrams that works perfectly on Windows 10. Its goal is to be a program to manage projects that is simple to use and intuitive, with support for PDF or HTML reports and all functionality for an activity manager.
- Fengoffice is a very popular open source program, perfect for managing projects, documents, personal data, time. The application presents data using different interfaces such as lists, dashboards and calendar views.
Free web-based programs for project planning
- Trello is the number one web-based project management program that uses the Kanban-style organizational approach. It is a management tool for personal use, especially for do-it-yourself projects, which also has a subscription plan for teamwork. In Trello, you can create unlimited projects, add people and activities using the Kanban tabs. Using the models, it is not necessary to create a management scheme in Trello, but simply import a model and customize it as you wish. About this website, we have written a specific guide article on how to organize activities, projects and group work with Trello on PC, Mac, tablet and smartphone.
- MeisterTask is another online project management tool that represents a perfect combination of simplicity and management, also in Italian. This tool uses a Trello-style approach to manage projects, without limitations and also with the possibility of adding up to 20 MB of files per attachment. The user interface is very elegant, you can create unlimited sections in the project, add any number of activities, due date and comments to track progress. In the case of collaboration, people can be invited to any project and work together.
- Teamweek is a good online project management program for organizing the work of individuals and groups. This tool uses the Gantt organization to plan all activities and also has the activity calendar for weekly, monthly or quarterly viewing. Like all other online tools, Teamweek also supports collaboration.
- Paymo is an advanced complete project management tool, which uses the Kanban approach for managing activities but with more options and filters than Trello. You can start by choosing one of the ready models depending on the type of project to be planned and it goes from the general model to website design, video production, development, marketing plan, consultancy, work on social media, SEO and much more. Customers, users, accounting, daily schedules and future planning can be managed. The accounting section allows you to manage your invoices to keep track of all your income and expenses. All this makes it a versatile project management tool that has the potential to meet all the needs of a freelancer.
- MakePad allows you to manage activities online and monitor your progress with ease, create a project, add notes, bookmarks, attachments and Kanban cards. The free account allows you to manage only one project.
READ ALSO: Best project management web applications .
