Best Free Project Management Tools for Small Creative Teams
- Adilla
- Sep 19
- 4 min read
You’ve heard of project management, but the tools that are presented to you don’t really fit your creative teams. Not only that, but they’re also way over your team’s budget. While the realisation of the importance of project management in creative fields has become common, they usually don’t fit smaller indie studio teams.
So, we curated a list that could get you started in trying out free PM software for agencies without breaking the bank, while fulfilling basic requirements like file storage and customer service.
Table of Contents
5 Recommended Free Project Management Tools
Here is a compact list of project management software that has a free plan available for you to try and start:
Tools | Pros | Cons | Price |
TESSR |
|
| Freemium and affordable paying options from $11 |
|
| Free plan is available with a free 30-day trial for any plan. Then the plan starts at $10.99 | |
ClickUp |
|
| Free plan is mainly for personal use; the lowest price is $7 |
Hive |
|
| Free plan available, starts at $3 |
Wrike |
|
| Free plan available; the lowest is at $10 with a 14-day free trial |
Choosing The Right Project Management Tool
If you would like a more in-depth look into choosing a PM software for creatives, we have a guide right here! We have prepared a checklist for you to better check which tools will suit you and your team. So, the more ‘Yes’ you get, the more the software could be the right fit for you.
Other than these questions, you can also consider the storage features, security access and if the tool can be easily integrated into the team’s routine.
When Is the Right Time to Upgrade from a Free Plan to the Paid Plan?
What happens when it’s time for a change or an upgrade? A free tool is great, but investing in ensuring your team’s performance is optimised is essential as well. Especially if your team is growing and the project gets bigger. So, here’s a sign when your free tool no longer serves you.
User and Storage Limits
When your team grows, the limited users in a free plan could affect your team’s workflow. Not only will switching accounts between your teams cost time and effort, but it could also disrupt the creative flow state.
Missing Essential Features
When features like timelines and workload management get locked behind a limited timeframe or paywall, it’s time to consider investing in better assistance for your team.
Inability to Scale
As mentioned previously, when your team or project gets bigger, your free plan might not be enough to hold the requirements needed. So, investing would be a better option for the sake of your team’s growing necessity.
Key Takeaways
You don’t need to leap to invest in a paid version of a project management tool right away, especially when your team isn’t ready.
Consider factors before fully paying for project management software.
If you need a guiding hand in implementing project management for your creative team, we can help you out on that!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I know if my team needs project management software?
It’s time to have a project management tool when your team are showing some signs, such as missing deadlines, struggling with organising their tasks and relying too much on their team leaders to remind them of their responsibilities. There are also other possible factors, but if your team’s performance is affected by these, for which a tool can make the process easier, the time has come to integrate PM software.
Do I need a project manager to use a project management tool?
No, you don’t need a project manager to use the tool. However, if administrative tasks are affecting your own work, then having someone else to help you with these can be productive.
Can I depend on a free tool forever?
While you can use free tools indefinitely, consider upgrading if your creative workflow is hindered by limited features or paywalls.
Author Bio
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies, like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.
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