Best Free Task Management Tools for 2023

Boost Your Productivity: Top Free Task Management Tools to Streamline Your Workflow

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The best free task management tools are extremely valuable in today’s fast-paced workplace. Whether you’re embracing the trend of hybrid and remote working patterns, or you’re simply trying to keep your internal team on the same page, task management tools can help.

With the right software, you can easily keep track of all the tasks in your workplace waiting to be completed. There’s also the option to assign specific tasks to certain people, share files over the web, and even apply deadlines to projects.

Today, we’re going to be exploring some of the most attractive, free task management tools available online.

In this article:

What is Task Management?

What to Look for in a Free Task Management Tool

When you’re shopping for a free task management tool, it’s worth noting you may not get exactly the same level of functionality you’d get from a premium service. While there are a lot of free options out there, they tend to be pared down versions of much larger solutions.

Despite this, it’s still worth making sure you’re getting the right tool for your needs. Just some of the functionality you might want to consider are:

  • Ease of use: Simplicity is crucial when working with any essential software. Your employees should be able to easily access and navigate the task management interface. Drag-and-drop to-do lists are often popular, as well as combined calendars and synced deadlines.
  • Robust planning and scheduling: A good task management tool helps to keep everyone on the same page. Gantt chat features are helpful for teams working on complex projects with multiple deadlines to manage.
  • Time tracking: Time tracking tools can be useful for determining how much time each staff member spends on each project. It also helps when companies outsource projects to freelancers and need to calculate payment.
  • Integrations: A good task management tool may also integrate with the other services you use, like online calendars and data sharing tools. Integrations make it easier to keep work flowing smoothly on a single app.
  • Collaboration tools: Collaboration tools are excellent for ensuring teamwork. A good task management tool might come with access to instant messaging features, synced annotation, and cloud updates. Look for how you can keep teams connected.
  • Reporting and analytics: Reporting and analytics tool help you to keep track of your productivity levels over time. They’re excellent for ensuring you stay up-to-date with your tasks.
  • Data security: A good task management tool also needs to keep the information you’re sharing online as safe and secure as possible. Look for privacy and safety features built into your technology.
  • Tracking and notifications: You’ll need tools to help you track the progress being made on projects. It’s also worth setting up notifications to send instantly to your staff when deadlines are approaching.

It’s also worth looking for a task management tool with the scalability to evolve with your business. As your needs change and your company evolves, you might want to upgrade with a paid account.

What are the Best Free Task Management Tools?


1. Basecamp

basecamp - Best Free Task Management Tools

A popular all-in-one tool for project management and task assignments, Basecamp is fantastic for teams of all sizes. Well-suited to managing remote team workflows, Basecamp ensures you can track the projects on your to-do list, set up a schedule, and even access a shared repository of crucial files.

To-do lists come with check boxes, so you can mark them off when they’re done. There are also automatic check-ins team leaders can set up to keep in touch with staff wherever they are. The message board and group chat functionality set a good foundation for regular collaboration between your staff members too.

Basecamp is wonderfully easy to use, and it comes in a selection of both a free, and premium version, so you can upgrade your access to advanced tools when you need to. The free package is limited, with support for 20 users, 3 projects, and 1GB of storage space. For everything else, you’ll need the $99 per month Business package.

Pros 👍

  • Excellent range of task management features
  • Convenient to-do lists
  • Share knowledgebase content with staff
  • Schedule with calendar access
  • Recurring tasks and dedicated assignments
  • 1GB of storage space for free users

Best for: Basecamp is well-suited to remote workers who want to keep track of their tasks in an easy-to-follow environment. Everything on the dashboard is laid out in a clean and intuitive way, and it’s possible to customize your experience to suit you.

2. Asana

asana - Best Free Task Management Tools

One of the most popular task management software solutions on the current market, Asana focuses on managing not only tasks, but full workflows too. The easy-to-use and flexible interface is a delight for all kinds of users, with the opportunity to adjust your workflow however you like.

Asana might take a little while to get used to for beginners, but it’s extremely flexible, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble diving in. You can follow almost every stage of a project with ease, track all of your groups in seconds, and assign work effortlessly. There’s also the option to set goals and targets for your staff members to keep them motivated.

With extensive analytics features, you can track whether your employees are really making any positive progress with their work. There’s also a host of collaboration tools to bring staff members together, as well as due dates with notifications.

The free plan for Asana is pretty generous too, featuring everything from unlimited tasks, projects, messages, file storage, and activity logging, to collaboration with up to 15 team members. There’s also a range of to-do list view options, and mobile apps.

Pros 👍

  • Very generous free package
  • Unlimited messages, tasks, and storage options
  • Great mobile apps for people on the move
  • Customizable and easy-to-understand interface
  • Collaboration for team members
  • Analytics makes it easy to track progress

Best for: Asana is great for teams who want to keep track of multiple projects with different deadlines in one unified space. You can easily manage a host of different tasks without getting confused, and there’s even reporting available too.

3. Wrike

wrike - Best Free Task Management Tools

Wrike is a fantastic project management tool used for various purposes, such as product development and marketing., Due to the flexibility of Wrike, various teams can easily use the software to communicate and collaborate while handling a range of tasks. With this tool, you can customize your workflows, color-coded tasks, and even create custom fields for exporting data.

With Wrike, it’s easy to customize tools for any team, equipping your staff with all the functionality they need. There’s the option to share files and reports instantly and gain complete 360-degree visibility across all of your departments.

There’s access to fully scalable software for your entire organization, with interactive Gantt charts, Kanban boards, purpose-built templates and more. You can even utilize custom requests forms and collaborate with context using visual proofing techniques, digital proofing and more.

There’s a free plan for Wrike which includes various features for centralized task management, including desktop, web, and mobile apps, task and subtask management, external and internal collaboration options, and account-wide schedules.

Pros 👍

  • Excellent free package with custom boards
  • Personalized app experience for all users
  • Ideal for keeping track of activities
  • 2GB of storage included per account
  • Integrations with leading technology tools
  • Live activity stream across project, global and task levels
  • Mobile, desktop and web apps

Best for: Wrike is a convenient tool for creating custom workflows, applying color coding, and creating custom fields for the exportation of data. Wrike offers a free task management plan, ideal for basic functionality.

4. Monday.com

monday - Best Free Task Management Tools

Monday.com is an excellent tool for running, building, and scaling your business workflows. The comprehensive tool isn’t just for task management. With Monday.com, you can gain access to marketing tools, CRM and sales features, project management, creative design tools, HR and recruitment workflows, and so much more.

With a clean and intuitive interface – perfect for almost any user, Monday.com supports more than 125k companies around the world, including leaders like Adobe, and Hulu. The technology ensures companies can manage everything they need in one space, with plenty of tools for planning, tracking, and delivering all kinds of functionality.

With hundreds of custom templates to get you started, it’s also easy to start experimenting with what you can do on Monday.com. You can sort through templates based on their “theme”, such as HR or marketing.

The individual (free) plan is intended for only up to 2 people, but it comes with access to unlimited boards and documents, more than 200 templates, over 20 column types, and various Android and iOS apps. However, you might find you need to upgrade quite quickly.

Pros 👍

  • Extensive templates to help get you started
  • Unlimited boards and documents
  • More than 200 templates to choose from
  • Over 20 different column types
  • Easy-to-use and intuitive interface
  • No credit card required for the free trial
  • Relatively affordable paid packages

Best for: if you’re looking for a way to build more efficient workflows, Monday.com has you covered. The easy-to-use solution is perfect for tracking task assignments and keeping everyone on the same page in today’s digital world.

5. Trello

trello - Best Free Task Management Tools

Trello defines itself as the tool for “moving work forward”. A popular solution for companies who like working with boards to keep tasks running smoothly, Trello ensures all your staff have the power to collaborate, manage projects, and remain as productive as possible. You can start with a simple board, add cards and lists, then customize and expand as your business grows.

Manage your projects easily, organizer tasks, and build engaged employees all in the same place. There’s even the option to change how your boards look, so you can ensure everyone on your team has a streamlined experience when tracking work.

The Trello ecosystem thrives on cards, which you can drag and drop into different segments of the workflow based on your individual needs. There’s also a fantastic no-code automation solution, so you can create workflows with AI, rather than having to code things yourself.

The free version of Trello is reasonably generous, with unlimited free cards, up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited power-ups, unlimited storage, and custom backgrounds. You also get assignee and due dates, apps for mobile, and two-factor authentication.

Pros 👍

  • Lots of unlimited features on the free package
  • Fantastic range of cards and tools
  • Unlimited activity log
  • Android and iOS solutions
  • Easy to use with drag-and-drop cards
  • Plenty of great guidance from online helpdesk
  • 2-factor authentication for security

Best for: If you want a task manager which makes it easy to track to-do list, drag-and-drop tasks, and create automations with AI, Trello is a great choice. It’s one of the most popular task management tools on the market, and it’s wonderfully easy to use.

6. Todoist

todoist - Best Free Task Management Tools

One of the more popular task management apps on the market, Todoist is a project management software solution that helps teams stay on track. With a custom calendar view and a series of checklists, you can determine exactly what you need to do each day.

The task management app helps you to create sections and subtasks, integrating with things like Google calendar and Dropbox for important documents. You can also highlight items on your task lists as “priorities” and keep track of how far along a project is.

Todoist supports task delegation, so you can send tasks to people most likely to be suited to them – making this a great time management solution. Ideal for small teams and larger groups alike, Todoist simplifies the art of tracking work without the need for endless spreadsheets.

The free version of this product is suitable for individuals and small teams, with recurring due dates, up to 80 active projects, and access to various integrations to help with project planning. You can even use this simple task management tool to help with planning personal tasks if you prefer or keeping track of personal milestones.

Pros 👍

  • Great for small team collaboration
  • Helps with keeping track of task progress
  • Good way to streamline your to-do list
  • Various timeline view options
  • Good for remote work management
  • Due dates for when teams need to complete tasks

Best for: Todoist is a great tool if you don’t want to need to learn a new methodology for tracking projects. The simple and straightforward tool enables everything from file sharing to delegation, so you can keep track of your team’s tasks with ease.

7. Clickup

clickup - Best Free Task Management Tools

If you’re looking for a popular to-do list app and task management system with lots of customization options, Clickup is a great choice. Ready to integrate with tools like Microsoft Outlook and more, Clickup allows users to manage individual and shared tasks according to their preferences.

You can choose between a variety of views for your Clickup experience, including “Box”, Board, list, and “Me Mode”. This helps teams to make the most of unlimited projects, managing and visualizing tasks more effectively. The Clickup online task management tool also allows users to assign tasks to other team members to keep projects running smoothly.

There’s a “freemium” version of Clickup which offers an extremely generous selection of features. You get support for unlimited users and tasks, although you can only store up to 100mb in your project tasks section. If you want to upgrade to a paid plan with Clickup, you won’t have to pay a fortune, as prices start at around $5 per user per month.

With everything from recurring tasks and workflow automations to more than 50 native integrations, Clickup is great for bringing your docs and people together for a more effective workflow. You can even upload docs from Google drive, keep track of invoicing requirements, and link in a range of other enterprise solutions.

Pros 👍

  • Recurring tasks and easy automations
  • Multiple views for your tasks
  • Lots of integration options
  • Time tracking for remote work
  • Easy to use for all team members
  • Track workflow in real-time
  • Collaboration features (like comments)
  • Upload various documents

Best for: If you want a comprehensive task management solution where you can track the workflow of multiple teams or projects in one place, Clickup is a good choice. Access to unlimited users and projects on the free plan also makes this tool good for smaller companies.

8. Jira

jira - Best Free Task Management Tools

Designed by Atlassian, Jira is a comprehensive tool for any company in search of free task management software. With Jira, companies can capture and organize tasks in a comprehensive set of Kanban and Scrum boards. There’s backlog management and agile reporting features, as well as plenty of solutions for tracking team activity.

There are integrations with tools like Gmail, Slack, Github, and Zapier. Plus, you can access Jira from a range of environments, from your iPhone and Mac, to your online browser. The Jira technology from Atlassian ensures companies of all sizes can keep track of their project roadmap in one convenient environment.

Though Jira is best known for supporting IT teams, it can be suitable for all kinds of business operations. However, you might find it takes a little longer to get used to this technology if you haven’t used Atlassian tools before.

The free version of Jira comes with multiple boards for tracking tasks, backlog management tools, agile reporting, custom workflows, 2 GB file storage, and automation feature for one project. You can also support up to 10 project members, or team members. The paid versions start at $7 per user per month if you need more comprehensive functionality.

Pros 👍

  • Excellent range of integrations
  • High-performance tools for IT teams
  • Multiple boards and task management views
  • Easy to manage workflows
  • Custom automation options
  • Support for multiple team members on the free trial
  • Award winning functionality
  • Integration with other Atlassian tools

Best for: Atlassian’s Jira technology is better-suited to IT teams with lots of experience working on a complex project roadmap. If you’re new to online task management, you might find this technology a little too comprehensive for you.

Choosing the Best Task Management Software

As with most major business investments, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for choosing the ideal task management software. The right tool for you will be the one capable of organizing your timesheets and people as effectively as possible.

Fortunately, the free versions of the tools above means small businesses can easily test a range of tools for their task dependencies, and integrate their chosen system with a range of existing software options. Remember to ensure any task management system you choose works with the operating systems your teams use, like Windows, Mac, and smartphone OS options.

Rebekah Carter

Rebekah Carter is an experienced content creator, news reporter, and blogger specializing in marketing, business development, and technology. Her expertise covers everything from artificial intelligence to email marketing software and extended reality devices. When she’s not writing, Rebekah spends most of her time reading, exploring the great outdoors, and gaming.

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