In the desktop environment Microsoft Project is one of the popular names of the project management software. We have to admit Microsoft Project is a great tool to manage projects, whether personal projects or team projects. The problem is, we have to spend a huge amount of money upfront to get the copy of the software. Microsoft has actually brought Microsoft Project to the internet by providing online version of it. However, the company still doesn’t provide any free version of Microsoft Project.

Free project management tools often become the choice for project managers with small number of team and freelancers who need a tool to manage their projects. The features offered by free project management tools might not as rich as paid tools. But, do you really need all of the features offered by paid tools?

Here is the list of free online project management tools you can use as the alternatives to Microsoft Project.

1. Nifty

Nifty is a project management tool that allows teams to plan, track, and deliver projects all in one tab. Its freemium version allows teams up to ten people to use it for free, with limited functionality. Even if limited, Nifty offers a lot of features that will help your team achieve maximum productivity. To simplify your workflows, you can assign and fully customize your tasks, tie them to certain milestones for easier tracking. You can manage, edit, and share documents and files while discussing the edits via team chat or project discussions.

Nifty has a sleek and friendly UI, making it easy for you to have a great overview of all the tasks in your project, whether you choose to view it in Kaban Board or Task List view.

On sign up you get a 14-day free trial, giving you enough time to decide if Nifty is the right fit for you and your team.

2. GanttPRO

GanttPRO online Gantt chart software is a choice for anyone who needs powerful project management functionality, intuitive UX/UI, collaboration and resource management features, and of course, free access. Unlike MS Project, this online planning tool offers a free trial with almost all functionality open so everyone can get a chance to test the tool, create an unlimited number of projects, and invite an unlimited number of team members. Moreover, if you decide to choose it as your online MS Project alternative, it won’t cost you a fortune. It is absolutely affordable for a single user and for teams it looks like one of the best cost-effective solutions.

In this Gantt chart maker, users can create and assign tasks, work with dates and deadlines, manage resources and costs, and collaborate with team members. Also, GanttPRO has integration with JIRA Cloud Software.

3. Asana

Asana is a popular online project management tool. This tool is available as a freemium service which means you have a chance to use it without spending any dollar. The free version of Asana is capable enough for handling team projects since you are allowed to add up to 15 team members. You can add as many projects as you want with the free version of Asana. On each project, you can add tasks and assign them to your team members. You can also set the due date of each task to ensure your projects get done on time. Asana also supports a large number of integrations.

4. Trello

Same as Asana, Trello is also a popular name of the online project management tool, probably the most popular one. You can also use it for free as a Microsoft Project alternative since Trello is available as a freemium service. Trello comes with a Kanban-based interface that you can customize as you want. For instance, you probably want to change the default background color with your preferred one. It is also possible if you want use your favorite photo as background of certain project in Trello. The free version of Trello also allows you to create unlimited projects as well as adding as many tasks as you want on each project. In Trello, project is represented as board, while task is represented as card.

5. Freedcamp

Freedcamp is also a great online project management tool you can use to replace Microsoft Project. This tool is also available as a freemium service so you have a chance to use it for free, whether for personal use or team use. The fundamental difference between free version and paid version of Freedcamp is the integration. Paid version allows you to integrate your Freedcamp account with popular third parties such as Google Calendar, Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive. Paid version also allows you to attach larger file sizes. However, the features offered by free version of Freedcamp is also rich enough for helping manage your projects. Everything you get from free version of Trello and Asana, is provided by Freedcamp.

6. Wrike

Same as three previous project management tools above, Wrike is also available as a freemium service. In general, features offered by free version of Wrike are not much different to three tools above. However, the free version of Wrike only allows you to add up to 5 team members. Thus, free version of Wrike might tends to ideal for personal use instead team use. Standard features of project management tool you will get from Wrike include task management, file sharing and messaging.

7. MeisterTask

MeisterTask is also a great project management tool that is great and reliable to manage team projects. No matter how many members you have on your team, you can add them all to MeisterTask. This tool also allows you create unlimited projects. On each project, you can also add as many tasks as you want and assign them to your team member. MeisterTask is a nice option if interface is the aspect you consider the most when choosing an app. Before entering a project, you will be welcomed by a cool background which is set randomly. MeisterTask also supports a wide range of integrations with third party services to enhance its functionalities.

8. Task Pigeon

The way Task Pigeon works is similar to Slack. You need to create a sub domain before being able to use this service. Speaking of feature, Task Pigeon is not much different to all tools above. Standard features of a task management tool are provided by this tool. Task Pigeon is projected to stand between Todoist (that it thinks is too light) and Asana and Wrike, that it thinks are too excessive. Task Pigeon itself is also a freemium tool just like other similar tools on this list. The free version of Task Pigeon only allows you to add maximum 5 team members.