What is a Project Management Software?
As the world is evolving, technology is making things easier for us. In older days, conducting a project meant taking each step individually and manually, which can be stressful. Technology has created a lot of project management tools and resources designed to make projects unique, more accessible, and faster.
Project management software is an application which helps in planning, organizing, allocating, tracking, scheduling and predicting work plans. Freelancers do not only need to worry about creating great content, they also have to self-manage the processes to get it done right.
Importance of Project Management for Freelancers
Easier Task Management
There are several processes in accomplishing particular tasks which may be time-consuming. Project Management tools help to assign tasks and monitor the progress of every handler throughout the entire life cycle of the project.
Efficiency in Time Tracking
To ensure that approved work is completed before the deadline, a freelancer has to schedule their available days ahead of time. This will help embark on new projects accordingly without jeopardising a healthy work-life balance.
Possible Collaboration
As a freelancer, having a user-friendly software that manages your project will encourage working together with other freelancers on some projects that may seem complex, difficult and require collaboration.
Effective Reporting
Writing and forwarding report to the appropriate personnel can be a significant drain of time and resources as a freelancer. Having a tool that will allow you to generate and submit detailed reports quickly is advisable.
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There are numerous project management solutions on the market today; all with different features, plans and pricing. Since it may be quite difficult to determine which one to use, we have identified and analysed the top 5 best project management software, especially for freelancers.
Clickup
Clickup is one of the most collaborative management software designed by Alex Yurkwoski and Zeb Evans in 2017. This is one of the advanced management software that can perform almost every task effectively. Teams of all sizes can use ClickUp and deliver projects effectively. ClickUp has one of the best storage abilities. It can store different documents together, and it allows easy management of other projects by team members simultaneously. This software enables the integration of more than 1000 team members as it allows visualization of work progress by team members simultaneously.
What distinguishes it from other applications is its ability to perform the action of other project management software combined. It is usually referred to as “One app to replace them all”. Among the amazing features of this software are power-user, communication and collaboration tools. Clickup has a well-structured hierarchy design that shows multitask toolbar, allows setting reminders and displays the statuses of each project. Another exceptional advantage Clickup has is support staff are always available in case of any difficulty.
Pros
- It allows teamwork simultaneously.
- Incorporation of third-party App.
- Complete workspace
- Time-saving and structuring
- Resource-saving
- Customer support and Free training
- Real-time editing and reporting
Cons
- Unadvanced UI
- Multiple features can make users confused, especially at the initial set-up
- Calendar is inefficient
Prize
The business price is as follows
$9 – $12 per user monthly
$19 per user annually
Single user
$5 monthly
$9 annually
Both Paid and free versions of ClickUp exist. But the free version lacks some essential features.
Ganttpro
Ganttpro is one of the most advanced project management software with an improved Gantt chart. It can coordinate multiple projects at once and quickly navigate between tasks. This software Is one of the easiest and simplest management software due to its automatic assigning and scheduling of tasks. The taskbar allows users to prioritize tasks and set defenses and duration in a single click. Tasks can be assigned to different team members, switch jobs between team members, giving access to one another’s profile easily. Duties can be reallocated when a team member is underworking, as seen in the team members’ workload, which is one of the unique features of Ganttpro.
Files from different folders, such as Google Docs, spreadsheets, etc., can be attached to the taskbar quickly. Easy customization of notification settings for subsequent notification about the deadline, project steps, start date and also expected date of completion. Ganttpro does not only create and assign tasks alone, it is also capable of creating multiple sub-tasks. Two-factor authentication makes Ganttpro possess high security preventing an unauthorised user from login into your project without your permission. There is the presence of a comment attachment bar and multiple filter options making you view every comment without going into the email.
Pros
- Great scheduling
- Tracking of project progress
- Easy usage
- Time management
- Resource management
- High security
- Very Stable
- Project management
Cons
- Chat management is difficult
- Preparation of chart is complex
- Poor visual aid
Price
$8.90 – $12.99 per user monthly
$15 per user monthly
Business (PRO)
$15 -19.99 per user monthly
There is a free and paid version of Ganttpro. Free versions lack features such as customized filters and fields, reports, portfolios, and Jira cloud integration.
Zoho
Zoho is one of the best cloud-based software that helps you manage tasks, milestones, and projects for small-scale and large businesses. The project management software allows you to interact with your team members irrespective of their locations and keeps you aware of your task, assigning activities, and managing resources. Zoho tracks project excellently by pointing out lapses from the project plan and predicting the result for you. Task automation is more accessible, which saves recurring invoices from spreadsheets.
It is a user-friendly software that allows customization of projects to suit needs, such as creating a personalized layout, statuses, and fields. Automation of document processing, such as search, revision tracking, and access control, makes the final results of Zoho software unique. Notification settings can be customized by adding business hours and turning off features like timesheets, budget features etc. Emails can be sent automatically and task defenses can be customised to be able to execute important tasks before others according to preference. It has an intuitive UI and time tracking tools that help in managing tasks and avoid wasting time on a single project.
Pros
- Seamless integration
- Helps in project budgeting
- Helps in project scheduling
- User-friendly
- Cost management
- Easy communication
- High team productivity
- Reliable customer support
Cons
- Poor dashboard functionality
- Seldom downtime occurrence
- The learning curve is quite high
Price
Free plan: 2 projects and three users
Premium plan
$4 per user monthly
Enterprise
$10 per user monthly
Teamwork
Teamwork is one of the best management software in which projects, support teams, freelancers, and clients can be effectively managed. The presence of many unique features for resource allocation, budgeting, time tracking, and workload management makes it a great tool to maximize resources and execute projects successfully. The display of accountability scores and work progress on the dashboard makes it easy to handle complex projects. It’s time-saving due to its high collaboration features. Teamwork can also function in task management which allows you to add different tasks, assign them to individuals or multiple team members, and set deadlines.
Teamwork is the only software created for handling clients, making it easy for clients to deliver projects on time and eliminate client chaos. It comes with a unique report system that compares the project plan versus where it’s going, making it easy to tackle any incoming problem. A portfolio can be created to send files easier. Client board view is also available, making important information and project progress to be shared easily.
Pros
- High flexibility
- Good commenting and reporting capabilities
- Well-designed user interference
- Availability of Gant chart
- Easy to operate
- Budget-friendly
- Behavior can be customized based on the project
Cons
- Gradual increase in price without features advancement
- Report setup is complex
- It takes longer to assign a date to a task due to some features
Price
Free trials for 30 days are available
Delivery
$10 per user monthly when billed annually
$12.50 per user monthly when billed monthly
$28 per user monthly when billed annually
$22.50 per user monthly when billed monthly
Enterprise
Price changes constantly
Wrike
It is a versatile project management software that provides many different solutions, including marketing teams, agencies, etc. It is among the most advanced software with high utility and no code automation. Wrike is created in such a way that allows customization of tools used in project conduction for individual team members. The software prevents the risk of contention due to some helpful information the leaders get through communication. Wrike offers tremendous advantages over other software because it supports live editing, commenting, notifications, and information sharing. Wrike allows you to merge work processes with business tools you already have to make your epicenter to make work faster. It will enable accessible communication between team members on the spot rather than sending emails. Wrike helps plan projects strategically to have excellent output, which is time-saving. It also helps track helpful information such as member comments, activity progress, and timing. This software is specifically designed to have two versions; desktop and mobile app version. Unique customised calendar and Gantt chart are also available on both free and paid version.
Pros
- Easy collaboration
- Offers unique client management
- Wrike lock helps in Protecting personal client information
- Real-time workspace
- Accessible resource and staff allocation
- Easy tasks management
- Easy to use
Cons
- Expensive
- Multiple features causing confusion
- Minimized initial set-up
- Unadvanced UI
Price
It comes in 4 different plans, including;
Professional
$9. 80 per user monthly
Business
$24.80 per user monthly when billed annually
Enterprise
$45 per user monthly
Pinnacle
$60 per user
Conclusion
Project management applications are utilized to manage the planning, development, execution and completion of a project via the web, Android and IOS devices. As a freelancer, understand that choosing the best fit for project management is expedient.
You must first consider what the weekly, monthly or yearly budget, making you have the knowledge of what it is to incur as expenses. Making a list of the basic and essential features you need to execute a project will guide a freelancer choose the best project management software.
Moreover, it is fair to consider the level of tech experience the team has before making a list of project management software that meets the destined criteria. This will significantly help to choose the best project management software that suits your purpose as a freelancer.
| Our pick | Clickup | Ganttpro | Zoho | Teamwork | Wrike |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Prize per person monthly |
$5 |
$8.90-$12.99 |
$4 |
$12.50 |
$9.8 |
|
Storage |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
100GB |
100GB |
50GB |
|
Free version |
Available |
Available |
Available |
Available |
Available |
|
Time estimate |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
|
Gantt chart |
Absent |
Available |
Available |
Available |
Available |
|
Permission |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
No. of project for
free account |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
Unlimited |
|
Storage for free account |
100MB |
Unlimited |
10GB |
100GB |
2GB |
