Top 10 Open Source Project Management Apps for Freelancers
Successful freelancers know that time is money. Efficient task and time management are the key factors for freelancers. One freelancer may simultaneously lead several projects, need to communicate with a dozen of clients, and have numerous deadlines to hit. To turn freelance chaos into prioritized work order, there are many project management tools in the getting things done software market.
However, most project management tools are expensive or don’t meet freelance needs. Let’s face the truth: the majority of freelancers are budget-limited, work in small teams with multiple clients located worldwide, or are scattered all over the country. Thus, freelancers want cheap, ideally free, highly customizable project management solutions for efficient team-working.
Let me introduce 10 free, open source project management products that are likely to fit your freelance requirements:
1. Collabtive
Collabtive
Collabtive is a web-based open source project management suite. A quick look inside shows that Collabtive has all the basic features: milestones, task management, time tracking, calendar. Moreover, you can import Basecamp projects and get RSS updates. Laconic, clean interface can be enriched by paid plugins provided by the vendor.
2. GanttProject
GanttProject
GanttProject is a free cross-platform project management tool. If you are a Gantt chart addict, than give a try to GanttProject. You can set milestones, plan resources, measure results, make reports and share projects.
3. phpCollab
phpCollab
phpCollab is a customizable open source team-working solution. You can manage projects, set tasks, view milestones. Launched in 2002, phpCollab stands out for sufficient online collaboration tools such as discussions, notifications, support requests.
4. phpEasyProject
phpEasyProject
phpEasyProject is invented for small teams. Though the interface is incredibly simple and clean, all the basic collaboration features are packed. You can create projects, set up tasks and manage to-do list. Dotproject includes a report export feature and performance statistics. So you can keep track of all current team activity.
5. Project.net
Project.net
Project.net describes itself as enterprise-level project management software with open code. You can manage projects, collaborate, and use social sharing tools within your team. To tack projects easier, try project templates and dashboards. Besides, Project.net offers paid services like training or top-priority support so you can migrate to the new project management system smoothly.
6. ]project-open[
![]project-open[](http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/project_open.png "project_open")
project-open
]project-open[ is more than just a project management suite. It claims to cover related business areas like CRM, invoicing and payments. Standing close to ERP software, ]project-open[ performs all basic project management tasks. You can manage projects, assign tasks, generate reports and track overall results.
7. Redmine
Redmine
Redmine is a flexible web-platform for project management. Redmine is based on Ruby on Rails framework and has multiple database support: Postgre SQL, SQLite and MySQL. The application is multilingual and available in more than 30 languages. Redmine provides users with Gantt chart, calendar, time tracking features which are essential for project planning.
8. TaskJuggler
TaskJuggler
TaskJuggler is project management software for serious project managers as it’s written on the website. No matter how serious you are, TaskHuggler will help you to manage tasks, project files, analyze project performance. The data is presented in dashboards and charts so you can have all info at your hand.
9. Teamlab
Teamlab
Full Disclosure: I work on Teamlab.
Teamlab is a A-grade free project management software. It has 4 modules: project management, business collaboration, documents processing and instant messaging. You can set tasks, milestones, track project activity and generate reports, share bookmarks and wiki pages with your colleagues, keep your teammates up to date with news and even create a poll. Teamlab has a fully featured document management suite. Users can edit, store and share documents right on the corporate portal. Thus you can get rid of Google Docs or Dropbox/Box.net file uploads.
10. WebCollab
WebCollab
WebCollab is online collaboration platform suitable for freelancers. You can make to-do lists, manage tasks via calendar, and manage projects. WeCollab supports social activity. You can post messages in forums or add new contacts or files for further team work.
Leave a Comment
You have forgotten about OpenAtrium (http://openatrium.com/)
@Raphael
It is not a project manager. From their site:
“…a blog, a wiki, a calendar, a to do list, a shoutbox, and a dashboard to manage it all…”
Note: No project management in there. (I didn’t see that in any of the demo videos either).
Drupal always gets left out, even when the Drupal profile Open Atrium kicks all these open collab cms’s ass’s.
@Raphael & @PG, Open Atrium looks great. I read up on it awhile ago, but have never used it. I used to do a lot of work with Drupal a few years ago and got really familiar with setting up sites on that CMS. Thx for the recommendation guys.
You should add ChiliProject to the list as well. It’s a fork of Redmine by a number of the core devs that didn’t like where things were going with redmine.
Thanks a lot for a helpful hint! Yes, ChiliProject may be a good addition to the list.
Had no idea there were so many free options available… Thanks…
I am a big fan of Projectfork which runs on Joomla. I run my whole company off it including tracking my subcontractors time per task.
http://www.projectfork.net
Also add http://www.projectpier.org which works very well.
I think one of the common reasons freelancer’s resort to open source apps is because most CRM/PM apps are built for SMBs/ERPs, and don’t fit the dynamic workflow of a freelancer.
There are more solutions showing up lately though, some worth mentioning some not so much. WORKetc I think is definitely worth mentioning, as it is gaining steam pretty quickly amongst freelancing communities. WORKetc integrates CRM, project management, billing, time tracking, and other tools into one web based SaaS, meaning freelancers manage basically everything they need to do (managing contacts, sales, projects, toDos, calendars, time tracking, invoicing, etc) through one system. There is a multitude of benefits that come with systems like this, IE being able to track every aspect of client relationships through one system, inviting clients to collaborate via WORKetc, attaching items together (IE a project and an invoice and a timesheet) you get the idea.
Also, I found this comparison to be pretty useful: http://www.worketc.com/compare it’s done by WORKetc and compares PM systems feature by feature.
Great list… TeamLab is exactly what I have been searching for!
Thanks so much, very helpful
Nice reviews. Good information you are providing. Keep going on…
We use OpenAtrium, and it’s great. We use it with a TimeTracking Solution. Next step for us is the email-feedback.
Test it.
http://www.openatrium.com (on base of Drupal6)
http://www.drupal.org
We have been using Open Atrium with http://drupal.org/project/time_tracker for a couple of years.
Which time tracking solution are you using? Always interested in finding the best solutions.
If you already use WordPress, CollabPress is worth checking out.
http://collabpress.org/
Missed freedcamp, very good!
good review, thnx
Quick note that most of the core redmine contributors branched from the main project to start a more community engaged open source project at https://www.chiliproject.org.
Project Pier, Streber also very useful tools for project management.
I can’t believe you have left out http://www.freedcamp.com/
This has to be one of the BEST free project management and team collaboration applications available on the web, you can also import all of your basecamp settings!
It includes:
- To-Do’s
- Milestone tracking (and allocation to team members)
- Time tracking & invoicing
- Calendar
- Discussion Boards
- Instant Messaging
Furthermore they are just about to release their 2.0 version at the end of next month with a host of fantastic new features. Definitely worth a check out.
I’m using a free online project management system http://projects-manager.com
If you’d like a tool for managing your time and projects, you can use this web-application inspired by David Allen’s GTD:
http://www.Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage and prioritize your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
Syncs with Evernote and Google Calendar, and also comes with mobile version, and Android and iPhone apps.
FengOffice is my platform of choice since late 2008. I regularly take alternatives for a spin, but none delivers the same all-encompassing, coherent work flow.
http://www.fengoffice.com
A lot of those are not PM solution.
Try qdPM. There is a free version and an extended version.
It is open source and web based.
I really appreciate the review and the feedback. I am just beginning to want to use PM software, and this info will let me try a few out.
Keith
TeamLab is not open source, is t?
Teamlab is an open source project management app. You can grab the code and watch the deployment guide here at http://www.teamlab.com/opensource.aspx
I am surprised that Achievo didn’t make it to this list.
@Peter Drinnan, maybe it got left out, because the last news post on their site is from “Monday 27 September 2010, 20:09″? Just a thought.
I have one more tool to add to the list which is Comindware task management. The tool is fresh, but it is great. I am personallly using it to organize the work of my team.
Hello
I recommend a business application Ipad “Beesy” for note taking/ToDo/Project management.
I often use my iPad at work especially for meetings. I used as note taking EverNote and then Awesome Note for a long time and their ability to sync but both had a disadvantage ; the lack of features to accommodate tasks, to-do and make monitoring.
So I was seeking an alternative application to save time for my meeting. I have almost tested all the apps on Notes/ ToDo on the APPstore and I must admit I am still surprised they do not fit with a pro use. A month ago, I discovered Beesy, an note taking and management app ToDo which include taking notes with a business way. Until now I’m really satisfied by Beesy. It’s really efficient and maybe the only disadavantage is you need a bit time to use it efficiently.
I love shortcuts of Beesy’s icons in order to use it quicky and easily add notes. Also, the advantage is to submit easily by email minutes about my different meeting.
If you are interested you can google “Beesy” of go to the application’s website http://www.beesapps.com/beesy-ipad-to-do/
All the best,
Sam
I recommend adding “Web2Project” for this list. We’ve been using W2P since 2009 for project and task management as well as client billing. The downside is that one must be comfortable managing his own LAMP stack, but if you are, W2P is trivial to set up and use. Finally, it’s GPLv2 licensed, which means you’re “free” to deploy and customize as needed. W2P has a modular backend so you can add features not in the core product.
I recommend Project’Or RIA. It is an open source collaborative project management software. It’s a tool designed to be a Project Organizer as a Rich Internet Application. Web based, it is very easy to use and targets to include every functionality needed to the management of your projects.
Listed as one of the underdogs project management softwares, the frequent updates, the very active support and the growing community refers to it as a tool that is worth a try.
After testing all of the proposed pm systems and searching the web for many more i choosed the qdmp – open source web based project managment system, very flexible!
Hi, I recommend Easy Redmine, it is open source web based project management software, which has many useful features like: Resource management, Project Budgets, Help Desk, Alerts, Knowledgebase. Try it here: http://www.easyredmine.com/.