Best Free Project Management Tools in 2026 (Real Limits Compared)

~12 min read · Published February 27, 2026

1. Why Free PM Tools Are Good Enough for Most Teams

The project management software industry is worth over $7 billion, and vendors want you to believe you need enterprise plans with dozens of features. The reality is that most teams, especially those under 15 people, can manage projects effectively with free tools.

Here is why the free tiers have become so capable:

• Competition drives generosity. Notion, Trello, Asana, ClickUp, Linear, and Monday are all fighting for market share. The best way to acquire users is to give away a product good enough that people become dependent on it before they need to upgrade.
• The core features are universal. Task creation, assignment, due dates, status tracking, and basic collaboration are available on every free plan. These fundamentals are what 90% of teams actually use daily.
• Paid features target enterprises. Advanced reporting, resource management, portfolio views, time tracking, and custom workflows are paid features that small teams rarely need. They exist to justify $10-$30/user/month pricing for organizations with hundreds of employees.
• Switching costs are high. Once your team adopts a PM tool and builds their workflows around it, migrating to a competitor is painful. Vendors know this, so they invest heavily in making the free tier sticky enough to keep you long-term.

The practical threshold: if your team is under 10 people and you do not need advanced reporting, permissions, or integrations, a free plan will serve you well. Upgrade only when a specific limitation blocks your workflow, not because a sales email tells you to.

2. What Actually Matters in a PM Tool

Before comparing tools, understand what features genuinely impact your productivity versus what looks impressive in a demo but rarely gets used.

3. Notion Free Plan

Notion is not just a project management tool. It is a workspace that combines notes, docs, databases, wikis, and project tracking in one platform. Its flexibility is its greatest strength and its biggest challenge.

Free Plan Limits

Key Features on Free

• Databases with multiple views. Create project databases that can be viewed as tables, Kanban boards, calendars, galleries, or lists. Switch between views of the same data without duplicating anything. This is Notion's killer feature.
• Templates. Hundreds of free templates for project management, meeting notes, product roadmaps, sprint planning, and more. You can start with a template and customize it to your workflow.
• Nested pages and wiki structure. Organize information hierarchically. Create a team wiki, documentation hub, or knowledge base alongside your project management setup. Everything lives in one workspace.
• Real-time collaboration. Multiple people can edit the same page simultaneously. Comments, mentions, and discussion threads are built in.
• Markdown support. Write in Markdown and Notion renders it beautifully. Import existing Markdown files seamlessly.
• API and integrations. Connect Notion to other tools via its API or through Zapier/Make. Build custom workflows that pull data into or out of Notion.
• Notion AI (limited). AI-powered writing assistance, summarization, and Q&A over your workspace content. Free users get a limited number of AI queries.

Limitations

• The free plan is designed for individual use. For team workspaces, you need the Plus plan at $10/user/month. The free tier supports up to 10 guest collaborators, but guests have limited permissions.
• 5 MB file upload limit. If you work with large files (videos, design assets, datasets), this is restrictive. Paid plans increase the limit to 5 GB per file.
• 7-day version history. If you need to recover changes made more than a week ago, you are out of luck on the free plan. Plus plan provides 30 days, Business plan provides 90 days.
• Steep learning curve. Notion's flexibility means there are dozens of ways to set up any workflow. Beginners often spend hours configuring their workspace before getting any actual work done. Start with a template rather than building from scratch.
• Performance can slow with large databases. Notion pages with 1,000+ database entries can feel sluggish compared to purpose-built PM tools.

Best For

Notion is best for individuals and small teams who want an all-in-one workspace that combines project management with documentation, notes, and knowledge management. It excels for content teams, startups building their internal wiki alongside their task management, and anyone who wants maximum customization. It is not ideal for teams that want a simple, focused task management tool with no setup required.

4. Trello Free Plan

Trello pioneered the Kanban board approach to project management and remains the simplest, most intuitive PM tool available. If you want to start managing projects within 5 minutes of signing up, Trello is the answer.

Free Plan Limits

Key Features on Free

• Kanban boards. Trello's core experience. Create columns (lists) representing workflow stages (To Do, In Progress, Done) and drag cards between them. It is the most natural and visual way to manage tasks.
• Unlimited Power-Ups. Trello opened up Power-Ups (integrations) to free users in 2022. Connect Google Drive, Slack, Jira, GitHub, Salesforce, and hundreds of other tools. This was previously the main reason to upgrade.
• Butler automation. 250 automated command runs per month. Create rules like "When a card is moved to Done, mark the due date as complete and post in Slack." For small teams, 250 runs is sufficient for basic automation.
• Card features. Each card supports descriptions, checklists, due dates, labels, attachments, comments, and member assignments. Cards can also have custom fields via Power-Ups.
• Mobile apps. Full-featured iOS and Android apps for managing boards on the go.
• Templates. Start with pre-built board templates for project management, product roadmaps, content calendars, hiring pipelines, and more.

Limitations

• 10 boards per workspace. For teams managing multiple projects, this limit can be reached quickly. Standard plan ($5/user/month) provides unlimited boards.
• No timeline, calendar, or table views on the free plan. You get Kanban boards only. Dashboard, Timeline, Table, Calendar, and Map views require a paid plan. This is significant if you need to see tasks across time or in a spreadsheet format.
• 10 MB file attachment limit. Larger files need to be linked from external storage (Google Drive, Dropbox).
• Limited reporting. No built-in analytics or project progress tracking. You can add reporting Power-Ups, but they are basic.
• 250 automation runs per month. Active teams using automation will hit this limit. Standard plan includes 1,000 runs.
• No guest access controls. Free plan members have the same access level. Granular permissions require an upgrade.

Best For

Trello is best for small teams and individuals who want the simplest possible PM tool with zero learning curve. It is perfect for freelancers managing client projects, small marketing teams running content calendars, and anyone who thinks visually and loves drag-and-drop. It is not ideal for teams that need multiple views (timeline, table) or manage more than 10 active projects simultaneously.

5. Asana Free Plan

Asana is the most structured of the free PM tools, designed for teams that want clear task hierarchies, multiple project views, and standardized workflows. It sits between Trello's simplicity and ClickUp's complexity.

Free Plan Limits

Key Features on Free

• Multiple project views. List view for structured task management, Board view for Kanban-style workflows, and Calendar view for date-based planning. Three views on the free plan is more than Trello offers.
• Task hierarchy. Tasks can have subtasks, and projects can have sections. This allows for more granular project planning than flat Kanban boards.
• 100+ integrations. Connect with Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, GitHub, Figma, Salesforce, and more. All available on the free plan.
• Asana mobile app. Full task management, commenting, and project access on iOS and Android.
• Unlimited projects and tasks. No cap on how many projects or tasks you can create, which is more generous than Trello's 10-board limit.
• Comments and collaboration. Threaded comments on tasks, file attachments, and @mentions for team communication.
• Due dates and assignees. Set due dates (but not start dates on the free plan), assign task owners, and set task priorities.
• 100 MB file attachments. Much more generous than Trello's 10 MB limit, allowing you to attach documents, images, and presentations directly to tasks.

Limitations

• 15 team members maximum. This is the main limitation. If your team grows beyond 15 people, you must upgrade to the Starter plan at $10.99/user/month (billed annually).
• No Timeline (Gantt chart) view. Visualizing project schedules with dependencies requires the Starter plan. This is a significant gap for teams doing project planning.
• No custom fields. You cannot add custom metadata to tasks (like priority levels, effort estimates, or project types) without upgrading.
• No workflow automation. Asana's Rules feature (automating task assignments, status changes, etc.) is paid only.
• No portfolios or goals. Tracking multiple projects at a high level or setting team OKRs requires higher-tier plans.
• No start dates on tasks. You can set due dates but not start dates, which limits your ability to plan task duration on the free plan.
• Limited search and filtering. Advanced search with multiple filters and saved search views requires an upgrade.

Best For

Asana is best for teams of 5-15 people who want a structured project management approach with multiple views and clear task hierarchies. It is ideal for teams transitioning from spreadsheets to a proper PM tool, marketing and operations teams with recurring workflows, and organizations that need more structure than Trello but less complexity than ClickUp. The 15-person limit makes it a strong choice for startups and small businesses that will not outgrow it quickly.

6. ClickUp Free Plan

ClickUp positions itself as "one app to replace them all" and delivers on that promise by packing an extraordinary number of features into its platform. The free plan is the most feature-rich of any PM tool, which is both its strength and potential weakness (feature overload is real).

Free Plan Limits

Key Features on Free

• Most views of any free plan. List, Board (Kanban), Calendar, Table, Activity, and Gantt chart (limited) views are all available. This gives you more flexibility in how you visualize work than any competitor's free tier.
• Custom fields. Add custom metadata to tasks: dropdowns, numbers, dates, checkboxes, ratings, and more. This is a paid feature on Asana and Trello.
• ClickUp Docs. Built-in collaborative documents with real-time editing, embeds, and nested pages. Similar to Notion's docs functionality but integrated directly with your task management.
• Whiteboards. Visual collaboration canvases for brainstorming, planning, and mapping workflows. Available on the free plan.
• Goals and OKR tracking. Set measurable goals and link tasks to them. Track progress automatically as tasks are completed.
• Time tracking. Built-in time tracking on tasks. Start a timer, log time manually, and see time reports. Most competitors charge extra for this.
• Sprint management. Built-in sprint planning for agile teams, including sprint points, velocity tracking, and sprint reports.
• Automations. Limited to 100 automation runs per month on the free plan. Create rules for automatic task management.
• ClickUp AI (limited). AI-powered writing, summarization, and task generation with a limited number of uses per month.

Limitations

• 100 MB total storage. This is the most significant limitation. Not 100 MB per file, but 100 MB total across your entire workspace. You will hit this quickly if you attach files to tasks. Use external storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) for files and link them instead.
• 100 automation runs per month. Active teams will exhaust this quickly. Unlimited plan ($7/user/month) provides 1,000 runs.
• 1 dashboard only. Advanced reporting and custom dashboards require a paid plan.
• Feature overwhelm. ClickUp has so many features that new users often feel lost. The setup process takes longer than Trello or Asana. Expect to spend 1-2 hours configuring your workspace before it feels productive.
• Performance issues. ClickUp has historically been criticized for slower load times compared to competitors, especially on larger workspaces. Performance has improved significantly in recent updates but is still noticeable on free-tier shared infrastructure.
• No guest access on the free plan. All collaborators must be full workspace members.

Best For

ClickUp is best for teams that want maximum features without paying. If your team needs custom fields, multiple views, time tracking, docs, goals, and sprint management on a free plan, ClickUp is the only option that includes all of these. It is ideal for development teams, product teams, and agencies that need a comprehensive tool but cannot justify per-user subscription costs. It is not ideal for teams that want simplicity or have members who are not tech-savvy.

7. Linear Free Plan

Linear is the PM tool built specifically for software development teams. It prioritizes speed, keyboard shortcuts, and developer-friendly workflows over marketing features and visual flexibility. If you have used and been frustrated by Jira, Linear is the antidote.

Free Plan Limits

Key Features on Free

• Blazing fast interface. Linear is built with performance as a first principle. Everything loads instantly. Keyboard shortcuts for every action. Batch operations on multiple issues. If speed matters to your workflow, no PM tool matches Linear.
• Issue tracking. Create issues with priorities, labels, estimates, and cycle assignments. Issues have statuses (Backlog, Todo, In Progress, Done, Canceled) with automatic workflow transitions.
• Cycles (Sprints). Plan and execute development sprints with automatic issue carry-over, velocity tracking, and cycle reports. Built-in agile methodology support without Jira's complexity.
• Roadmaps. Visualize your product roadmap with projects plotted on a timeline. Link issues to roadmap items to track progress automatically.
• Git integrations. Deep integration with GitHub and GitLab. Link pull requests to issues, auto-close issues when PRs merge, and track development activity directly in Linear.
• Slack integration. Create issues from Slack messages, receive notifications, and update issue statuses without leaving Slack.
• Triage system. Incoming issues (bug reports, feature requests) land in a triage inbox for review before being assigned to a project or cycle. Prevents your backlog from becoming a dumping ground.
• API and webhooks. Full API access for building custom integrations and automations.

Limitations

• 250 active issues on the free plan. Once you exceed 250 open issues, you need to upgrade to the Standard plan at $8/user/month. Archived and completed issues do not count toward this limit, so regular cleanup extends the free tier's viability.
• Not designed for non-development teams. Linear lacks features common in general PM tools: time tracking, file management, documents, and CRM-like functionality. It is purpose-built for software development workflows.
• No custom views or filters saved on the free plan. Advanced saved views and custom issue groupings require an upgrade.
• No SLA tracking or customer support features. If you need to track support tickets with response time commitments, Linear is not the right tool.
• Opinionated workflow. Linear enforces a specific way of working (cycles, triage, statuses). If your team's workflow does not align with Linear's model, you will fight the tool rather than benefit from it.

Best For

Linear is the best choice for software development teams and startups building products. Its speed, Git integration, cycle management, and developer-centric design make it the most productive PM tool for engineering teams. If your team writes code and manages sprints, Linear should be your first choice. It is not suitable for marketing teams, creative agencies, or any team that does not follow a software development workflow.

8. Monday.com Free Plan

Monday.com is known for its colorful, visual interface and extreme flexibility. The free plan, called "Individual," is limited but provides a solid introduction to the platform for personal use and solo projects.

Free Plan Limits

Key Features on Free

• Visual board interface. Monday's colorful, spreadsheet-like boards make task management visually intuitive. Color-coded statuses, labels, and progress bars give you an immediate sense of project health.
• 200+ templates. Monday offers one of the largest template libraries. Templates for project tracking, content calendars, CRM, event planning, bug tracking, and dozens more. Each template creates a pre-configured board ready to use.
• Monday Docs. Collaborative documents with real-time editing, embedded boards, and widgets. Similar to Notion's docs but integrated with Monday's board system.
• Forms. Create intake forms that automatically generate items on your boards. Useful for collecting requests, bug reports, or project briefs from external stakeholders.
• Mobile apps. Full-featured iOS and Android apps with push notifications and offline access.
• Unlimited items. No limit on the number of tasks, rows, or items within your boards.

Limitations

• 2 seats only. This is the most restrictive user limit of any PM tool on this list. Monday's free plan is effectively a solo tool. If you need even one additional team member, you must upgrade to the Basic plan at $9/seat/month (minimum 3 seats, so $27/month minimum).
• 3 boards only. With just 3 boards, you can manage 3 projects at most. Many solo users need more than this.
• No timeline, Gantt, or calendar views. These views require the Standard plan ($12/seat/month). The free plan only includes table and Kanban views.
• No automations. Zero automation is available on the free plan. All workflow automation requires the Standard plan or above.
• No integrations. The free plan does not support any third-party integrations. No Slack, no Google Drive, no GitHub. Integrations start at the Standard plan.
• No guest access. You cannot invite external collaborators on the free plan.
• Aggressive upsell prompts. Monday.com actively promotes upgrades within the interface, which can feel intrusive on the free plan.

Best For

Monday.com's free plan is best for solo users who want a visually appealing personal task manager and are willing to trade feature access for aesthetics. It is also useful as a trial to evaluate Monday's interface before committing to a paid plan for your team. However, the 2-seat and 3-board limits, combined with no integrations or automations, make it the most restrictive free plan on this list. For teams, almost any other option here is a better choice on the free tier.

9. Complete Comparison Table

10. Which Tool Should You Choose?

Our recommendation for most teams: Start with Trello if your team values simplicity, or Asana if you need more structure. Both have low learning curves, generous free plans, and affordable upgrade paths. For dev teams, Linear is the obvious choice. For power users who want everything free, ClickUp delivers the most features but demands the most setup time.

11. Setting Up Your First Project (Any Tool)

Regardless of which tool you choose, follow this framework to set up your first project productively:

12. Frequently Asked Questions