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The Project Management Insider’s Guide

Every one of the 80 project management tools we grade in one document: the top three, what they cost, the grades and the full list. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Project Management

The Insider’s Guide

Shared workspaces for planning projects, tracking work and keeping a team aligned.

  • ClickUp
  • Jira
  • OpenProject
  • GitHub Issues
  • Freedcamp
  • Huly

Every one we grade, what they cost, the best buy at each budget and the three to look at first.

Checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com

80graded

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat these tools do, how many we grade and what to know before choosing
  2. 02Our top threeThe three we'd look at first, and who each one suits
  3. 03What they costWhat paid plans start at, the best buy at each budget and the free plans
  4. 04The gradesThe highest graded, and how the whole category does on each subject
  5. 05Keep or make?Which are worth paying for, and which you could make yourself
  6. 06Every toolAll of them, best graded first, with what each costs
  7. 07Quick answersThe questions people ask when choosing, each answered in a line or two
  8. 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from each tool’s own pages, their app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on the Project Management page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What these tools do, how many we grade and what to know before choosing

80

project management tools we grade, from their own pages

Shared workspaces for planning projects, tracking work and keeping a team aligned.

Before you choose, here are 8 things to know about project management tools, worked out from every one we grade.

  1. 1

    We grade 80 project management tools

    56 of them are free or have a free plan, and 22 more let you try before paying. Everything in this guide comes from their own pages and our grades.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at $8 a month in the middle

    From $1.12 (GanttProject) to $49.08 (TeamGantt), going by what each one's paid plans start at.

  3. 3

    Best value: Airtable, ClickUp, Freedcamp and Redmine

    Nothing on our chart scores higher than these without costing more.

  4. 4

    57 of 80 have iPhone and Android apps

    76 run in a web browser and 30 have a Windows app. Check the one you need before you fall for anything.

  5. 5

    The middle GPA is 2.4

    16 score 3.0 or higher. The highest is GitHub Issues, at 3.4.

  6. 6

    Best free option: GitHub Issues

    GitHub Issues has the highest GPA of the free ones, 3.4. Issue tracking and project planning built into GitHub.

  7. 7

    79 worth keeping, 0 you could make

    By our keep-or-make rules, 79 do something you couldn't reasonably build yourself, 0 are simple enough to make with an AI app builder, and 1 are a close call.

  8. 8

    6 price changes in the past year

    That's how many price moves we've recorded for project management tools in twelve months. Prices change, so check the maker's page before you pay.

Part 02 · Top three

Our top three

The three we'd look at first, and who each one suits

The three project management tools we'd look at first. First place suits the most people; second and third are the best picks for the people it leaves out. Each has an Insider's Guide of its own.

  1. 1st

    3.0GPA

    ClickUp

    Free plan · from $7/mo

    For: Most teams

    ClickUp puts tasks, docs, chat, whiteboards and dashboards in one workspace and shows the same tasks as a list, board, Gantt chart or calendar. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. The Free Forever plan has unlimited tasks and members, and Unlimited is $7 per user a month, billed yearly, with Gantt charts and time tracking. Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from about 9,800 ratings. Know the limits: the free plan stops at 60MB of storage and 5 spaces, timeline view and unlimited dashboards need Business at $12 per user a month, billed yearly, and AI is billed separately.

    The ClickUp Insider’s Guide

  2. 2nd

    3.2GPA

    Jira

    Free plan · from $9.70/mo

    For: Software teams tracking bugs and development work

    Jira tracks bugs and development work through a workflow each team defines for itself, shown on boards, in lists, on a timeline or on a calendar, with connections to code hosts such as Bitbucket and GitHub. Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from about 41,000 ratings. Standard is $9.70 per user a month, billed monthly, since October 13, 2026. It is second because it is aimed at software teams first, its Free plan stops at 10 users and 2 GB of file storage where ClickUp's has no member limit, and it is listed for the web, iPhone and Android only.

    The Jira Insider’s Guide

  3. 3rd

    2.6GPA

    OpenProject

    Free plan · from $7.25/mo

    For: Teams that want the software on their own servers

    OpenProject is open source, and its free Community edition installs on your own servers with no user minimum. That edition includes Gantt charts, agile boards, Scrum backlogs, time tracking, a wiki and meetings. If you would rather not run a server, the vendor hosts it in the EU from $7.25 per user a month, billed yearly, with a 5-user minimum. It is third because fewer teams can take it as it comes: the free edition has to be installed and run on your own Linux servers with community support only, and its iPhone and Android apps are in beta. Single sign-on needs the Professional plan, which starts at 25 users.

    The OpenProject Insider’s Guide

Part 03 · Pricing

What they cost

What paid plans start at, the best buy at each budget and the free plans

$8

A month to start, in the middle of those that charge

Going by our grades, Airtable, ClickUp, Freedcamp, Redmine and 1 more give the most for the money among project management tools: no tool on this chart scores higher without costing more.

Paid plans start at a middle price of $8 a month across the 75 that charge, from $1.12 (GanttProject) to $49.08 (TeamGantt). 3 more cost nothing at all.

14 of the 78 score above the category's average while starting at or below its middle price. 21 cost more than the middle price and score below the average.

The best buy at each budget

  • Free

    Fizzy, Redmine

    Costs nothing. Nothing at that price or less scores higher.

  • Up to $5 a month

    Freedcamp, Superthread, GitHub Issues, GoodDay, YouTrack, Hive

    Starts at $1.49 a month for each person. Nothing at that price or less scores higher.

  • Up to $10 a month

    ClickUp, monday.com, Smartsheet, Jira, Linear

    Starts at $7 a month for each person. Nothing at that price or less scores higher.

  • Up to $20 a month

    Airtable

    Starts at $20 a month for each person. Nothing at that price or less scores higher.

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 78 project management tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. The green line is the best score at each price.

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20$50More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessAirtableClickUpFreedcampRedmineFizzyJiraOpenProjectMicrosoft ProjectTeamGantt

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

The best free ones

  • GitHub Issues

    Free plan · Free plan · from $4/mo

    3.4

  • Freedcamp

    Free plan · Free plan · from $1.49/mo

    3.2

  • Huly

    Free plan · Free plan · from $19.99/mo

    3.2

  • Jira

    Free plan · Free plan · from $9.70/mo

    3.2

  • ProjectLibre

    Free plan · Free plan · from $9.99/mo

    3.2

  • WeKan

    Free plan · Free plan · from €50/yr

    3.2

Part 04 · Grades

The grades

The highest graded, and how the whole category does on each subject

3.4

The highest GPA, GitHub Issues's

Every tool gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. Here are the 12 highest graded project management tools, then how the whole category does on each subject.

ToolValueFreeFeaturesEasePlatformsGPA
GitHub IssuesAABBB3.4
FreedcampABBCA3.2
HulyAABCB3.2
JiraCBAAB3.2
ProjectLibreAABCB3.2
WeKanAABCB3.2
YouTrackBAACB3.2
AirtableDCAAA3.0
AsanaCBBBA3.0
ClickUpCCABA3.0
FizzyAACCB3.0
GoodDayBBBCA3.0

How the whole category does

Each bar is every project management tool we grade, cut by the letter it got on that subject.

  • Value for moneyavg 2.2
  • Free plan and trialavg 2.4
  • Featuresavg 2.7
  • Ease of useavg 2.2
  • Platforms and integrationsavg 3.2

Part 05 · Keep or make

Keep or make?

Which are worth paying for, and which you could make yourself

0

Simple enough to make yourself, of 80

Some software does something you couldn’t reasonably build yourself. Some is simple enough that an AI app builder could make the core of it in an afternoon. Here’s where project management tools land, by the same rules for every tool.

  • 79

    Keep it

    It does something you could not reasonably make for yourself, or it costs nothing.

  • 1

    Your call

    You could make the core of it, and you would give something up.

  • 0

    You could make this

    What it does is the kind of thing an AI app builder makes well, and it charges every month.

Worth keeping

  • GitHub Issues

    To replace GitHub Issues you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

  • Freedcamp

    The plain part of Freedcamp you could make: tasks, kanban boards, Gantt & timelines, time tracking, issue tracking and wiki. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.

  • Huly

    To replace Huly you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

  • Jira

    To replace Jira you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Part 06 · Every tool

Every tool

All of them, best graded first, with what each costs

80

Tools, best graded first

Every project management tool we grade, with its GPA and what it costs. Each one has a page of its own on toolgpa.com, with its Insider’s Guide.

  1. 1GitHub IssuesFree plan · from $4/mo3.4
  2. 2FreedcampFree plan · from $1.49/mo3.2
  3. 3HulyFree plan · from $19.99/mo3.2
  4. 4JiraFree plan · from $9.70/mo3.2
  5. 5ProjectLibreFree plan · from $9.99/mo3.2
  6. 6WeKanFree plan · from €50/yr3.2
  7. 7YouTrackFree plan · from $4.50/mo3.2
  8. 8AirtableFree plan · from $20/mo3.0
  9. 9AsanaFree plan · from $10.99/mo3.0
  10. 10ClickUpFree plan · from $7/mo3.0
  11. 11FizzyFree3.0
  12. 12GoodDayFree plan · from $4/mo3.0
  13. 13LinearFree plan · from $10/mo3.0
  14. 14RedmineFree3.0
  15. 15SmartsheetFree trial · from $9/mo3.0
  16. 16SuperthreadFree plan · from $3/mo3.0
  17. 17BasecampFree plan · from $25/mo2.8
  18. 18FavroFree trial · from $5.10/mo2.8
  19. 19FiberyFree plan · from $12/mo2.8
  20. 20GanttProjectFree plan · from €1/mo2.8
  21. 21monday.comFree plan · from $9/mo2.8
  22. 22nTaskFree plan · from $3/mo2.8
  23. 23PlaneFree plan · from $6/mo2.8
  24. 24TaigaFree plan · from €5/mo2.8
  25. 25TrelloFree plan · from $5/mo2.8
  26. 26WrikeFree plan · from $10/mo2.8
  27. 27ActiveCollabFree trial · from $12.50/mo2.6
  28. 28aworkFree trial · from $6/mo2.6
  29. 29KanbanFlowFree plan · from $5/mo2.6
  30. 30KanboardFree2.6
  31. 31LeantimeFree plan · from $8/mo2.6
  32. 32NiftyFree plan · from $10/mo2.6
  33. 33OpenProjectFree plan · from $7.25/mo2.6
  34. 34PlakyFree plan · from $3.99/mo2.6
  35. 35ShortcutFree plan · from $8.50/mo2.6
  36. 36StackfieldFree trial · from €9/mo2.6
  37. 37ZenkitFree trial · from $8/mo2.6
  38. 38Zoho ProjectsFree plan · from $4/mo2.6
  39. 39AvazaFree plan · from $9.96/mo2.4
  40. 40BacklogFree plan · from $30/mo2.4
  41. 41BlueFrom $99 one-time2.4
  42. 42BreezeFree trial · from $9/mo2.4
  43. 43FloatFree trial · from $7/mo2.4
  44. 44HacknPlanFree plan · from €5.8/mo2.4
  45. 45HiveFree plan · from $5/mo2.4
  46. 46KanFree plan · from $8/mo2.4
  47. 47KerikaFree plan · from $9/mo2.4
  48. 48MeisterTaskFree plan · from €13.50/mo2.4
  49. 49Microsoft PlannerFree trial · from $5.40/mo2.4
  50. 50PaymoFree plan · from $5.9/mo2.4
  51. 51PlanioFree plan · from $25/mo2.4
  52. 52PLANKAFree plan · from €7.20/mo2.4
  53. 53ProductiveFree trial · from $10/mo2.4
  54. 54ProofHubFree trial · from $45/mo2.4
  55. 55QuireFree plan · from $7.65/mo2.4
  56. 56SmartSuiteFree trial · from $15/mo2.4
  57. 57TeamhoodFree trial · from $6/mo2.4
  58. 58Teamwork.comFree plan · from $9.99/mo2.4
  59. 59WorksectionFree plan · from $3.75/mo2.4
  60. 60ZenhubFree plan · from $4.99/mo2.4
  61. 61BordioFree plan · from $7.99/mo2.2
  62. 62BugHerdFree trial · from $42/mo2.2
  63. 63CodecksFree plan · from €6/mo2.2
  64. 64FreeloFree plan · from €10/mo2.2
  65. 65GanttPROFree trial · from $8/mo2.2
  66. 66InfinityFrom $6/mo2.2
  67. 67InstaganttFree plan · from $10/mo2.2
  68. 68Kanban ToolFree plan · from $6/mo2.2
  69. 69KanbanchiFree plan · from $3.97/mo2.2
  70. 70OmniPlanFree trial · from $199.99 one-time2.2
  71. 71PodioFree plan · from $11.20/mo2.2
  72. 72Process StreetFree trial2.2
  73. 73ProjectManagerFree trial · from $15/mo2.2
  74. 74Resource GuruFree trial · from $5/mo2.2
  75. 75ScoroFree trial · from $17/mo2.2
  76. 76Success.coFree plan · from $11/mo2.2
  77. 77TeamGanttFree plan · from $59/mo2.2
  78. 78Merlin ProjectFree trial · from $6.99/mo2.0
  79. 79Tom's PlannerFree plan · from $9.95/mo2.0
  80. 80Microsoft ProjectFree trial · from $30.00/mo1.6

Part 07 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask when choosing, each answered in a line or two

10

Questions, each answered in a line or two

What are the best project management tools?

ClickUp first, Jira second, OpenProject third. ClickUp is for most teams.

Which project management tools give the most for the money?

Airtable, ClickUp, Freedcamp, Redmine and Fizzy. Each is the highest-scoring tool at its price or below: Fizzy scores 2.3 out of 4 and is free; Redmine scores 2.3 out of 4 and is free; Freedcamp scores 3.0 out of 4 and starts at $1.49 a month for each person; ClickUp scores 3.7 out of 4 and starts at $7 a month for each person; Airtable scores 4.0 out of 4 and starts at $20 a month for each person.

Which are the best free project management tools?

Of the 3 project management tools here with no paid plan at all, Fizzy and Redmine score highest, at 2.3 out of 4.

Which project management tools are best for under $5 a month?

Freedcamp, Superthread, GitHub Issues, GoodDay and 2 more, with a score of 3.0 out of 4: the highest among the 20 that start at $5 a month or less.

Which project management tools are best for under $10 a month?

ClickUp, monday.com, Smartsheet, Jira and 1 more, with a score of 3.7 out of 4: the highest among the 57 that start at $10 a month or less.

Which project management tools are best for under $20 a month?

Airtable, with a score of 4.0 out of 4: the highest among the 71 that start at $20 a month or less.

Which project management tools cost the most for what they offer?

On this chart, Microsoft Project (starts at $30 a month for each person, scores 2.0 out of 4, and 70 tools score higher for less), TeamGantt (starts at $49.08 a month when paid by the year, scores 2.3 out of 4, and 52 tools score higher for less) and BugHerd (starts at $42 a month, scores 2.3 out of 4, and 51 tools score higher for less).

How much do project management tools cost?

The middle starting price is $8 a month: half of the 75 project management tools with a recurring price start below that and half above.

How is the score on this chart worked out?

It is the average of three of the five grades ToolGPA gives every tool: features, ease of use, and platforms and integrations, with an A worth 4 and an F worth 0.

How does ToolGPA grade project management tools?

Five grades, A to F, for value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them.

Part 08 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 3,189

    tools graded

  • 94

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Project Management: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/categories/project-management

Know someone choosing between project management tools?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/categories/project-management/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The top three project management tools have guides of their own, and so does every category near this one.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what each tool’s pages, app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Product names are trademarks of their owners, and no maker made, paid for or approved this guide. Prices and plans change: check each maker’s own site before you buy.