20 Best Online Project Collaboration Apps for Freelancers
There are plenty of online solutions in today’s project management and collaboration tools segment aiming to ease freelance and distant work. The search for the one that is most suitable to you can be no less exhausting than the pursuit of your significant other.
The majority of teamwork apps have a specific focus: Do.com only for task assignment, SugarCRM for sales management, Intuit for accounting. Some well-established project management market players like 37 Signals or Zoho have a whole bunch of tools, but each of their services is intended for separate deployment.
Nevertheless, in the dynamic online world with tons of information to process daily “all in one” solutions seem to be more and more tempting. When saving time and resources is a priority, either dictated by your client or freelance needs, you will definitely address apps where most of the tasks can be fulfilled centrally in one service or portal.
To help you make up your mind on what is the online project collaboration tool for your freelance business, this post will cover the most versatile and well-reputed services, while taking into account a series of important factors including:
- Intuitive Interface – speaking about “all in one” solutions, it’s of vital importance to grasp how everything works from the first minutes and without reading a heap of guides.
- Comprehensive feature-set – for a freelancer to get hold of the maximum functionality, a virtual office can provide, it should combine tools on task management, forum or instant messaging, file sharing, calendar, CRM and invoicing.
- Accessibility – cutting edge technologies have given way to cloud apps easily reached from any location in the world with only an internet connection needed.
- Data Synching and Integration – no matter how many features a service boasts, it’s always handy when it can be easily integrated with other useful or popular apps to provide more opportunities for working in one and the same workspace without additional installs or tab switching.
- Customization – any collaboration or project management service should be ready to serve the needs of a variety of professional spheres and the more customization options it can provide the better for users.
- Affordability – cost effectiveness is everything. Some apps stick to the freemium model, giving away a part of functionality for free, meanwhile the majority will allow you only a free trial, with the flexible pricing options offered according to the number of users and amount of storage space used.
Top Cloud-Based Project Collaboration Tools for Your Freelance Business Work
1. DeskAway
- At first glance: navigation elements centered around a project.
- Must-haves: projects, timesheets, calendar, files.
- Benefits: recurring tasks, which is often demanded by users; focus on reports – 6 types including Gantt chart and very illustrative tables.
- Integration: FreshBooks, Google Apps and Google Docs.
2. Huddle
- At first glance: quite convenient dashboard demonstrating your calendar, what’s new section, tasks and files.
- Must-haves: project collaboration using whiteboards, file sharing, calendar.
- Benefits: built-in phone conferencing tools, media viewer to view videos directly in Huddle, multiple options for customization and branding.
- Integration: Fileboard (to automate CRM); developer’s API.
3. TeamLab
- At first glance: workspace logically divided into four main modules – Community, Projects, Documents, CRM.
- Must-haves: forums, projects, online editing, calendar.
- Benefits: HTML5-based online document editor with almost all the functionality of a desktop word processor, a complete built-in CRM suite.
- Integration: Google Drive, Dropbox, Box; Import from Zoho; REST API.
4. Teamworkpm
- At first glance: calendar-typed view of past, current and upcoming milestones.
- Must-haves: projects, files, calendar, instant messenger.
- Benefits: risk register (chart) for assessing the most critical risks in your projects, invoices, expense tracking.
- Integration: Resources tab allows users to embed 3rd party applications, links and web pages in a popup window such as Google Documents, YouTube Videos etc.; Email integration.
5. Wrike
- At first glance: projects in folder tree structure; task status and workload can be viewed as lists, tables, timeline or calendar.
- Must-haves: projects with dynamic Gantt charts, files, calendar.
- Benefits: single workspace for all projects; regular webinars for newcomers.
- Integration: Outlook, Email, Google Docs, Excel export, Excel import, RSS, iCalendar, MS Project.
6. WizeHive
- At first glance: fast signup with gmail, not overloaded tab switching interface.
- Must-haves: team collaboration, files, calendar, reports.
- Benefits: apart from PM the app offers a form builder for online contests and grant management system.
- Integration: Zoho Docs, Twitter, API.
7. FengOffice
- At first glance: simple tab switching interface.
- Must-haves: workspaces, Gantt chart, calendar, documents.
- Benefits: billing option, free open source community edition for technical personal use, academic research.
- Integration: Google Docs, Google Calendar.
8. Activecollab
- At first glance: simple tab switching between main categories.
- Must-haves: project management and collaboration, client work and invoicing.
- Benefits: project requests, options on tracking a project budget and creating invoices.
- Integration: Import from Basecamp; API.
9. Asana
- At first glance: easy sign-in with Google, extremely light interface.
- Must haves: projects, tasks, contacts.
- Benefits: projects are easily converted into lightweight CRM and bug tracking modules.
- Integration: Email clients, REST API.
10. 5pmweb
- At first glance: workspace with the switch between projects, timeline, people and reports.
- Must-haves: projects, Gantt Chart, files, time tracking, reports.
- Benefits: a series of useful features like task dependencies, autoarchive, deadline reminders, timetracking desktop widget to get done by 5pm.
- Integration: email, Google Apps, iCalendar, open API, Import from CSV/Excel and MS Project, Basecamp.
11. Goplan
- At first glance: workspace with the division into 2 main sections – projects and people.
- Must-haves: task management, calendar, files.
- Benefits: issue (ticket) system that can be helpful for software bug tracking.
- Integration: Github, API.
12. Happytodos
- At first glance: very simple dashboard with projects centred around the calendar.
- Must-haves: to-do lists, file sharing, time tracking/reporting.
- Benefits: a dynamic task tray with a handful of most important tasks today.
- Integration: no features detected.
13. Pelotonics
- At first glance: workspace with the switch between projects.
- Must haves: messaging, tasks and milestones, calendars, file management.
- Benefits: apart from task management options, users can work with a variety of to-do-lists.
- Integration: Evernote and Google Documents.
14. Easyprojects
- At first glance: lots of features in the dropdown menus in the upper panel.
- Must-haves: interactive Gantt chart, calendar, documents,reports, CRM.
- Benefits: ability to hold online conferences, create custom forms for CRM, HR or IT.
- Integration: Outlook integration,import from MS Project, import from CSV (MS Excel).
15.Same-page.com
- At first glance: required tools can be enabled or disabled any time, some features not easy to find – hidden in the dropdown menus in the upper panel.
- Must-haves: agile task management, documents, scheduling, finance management.
- Benefits: video meetings and screen share, budgets, expenses, receipts.
- Integration: Email, MS Project.
16. Liquid Planner
- At first glance: dashboard with the most important info on the home tab and other features in the corresponding sections.
- Must-haves: portfolio management, task management, reports.
- Benefits: analytics tools; adding multiple tasks at a time and via email.
- Integration: Calendar integration (Google + Outlook), Import from MS Project and Excel, Programming API, QuickBooks.
17. Getharvest
- At first glance: dashboard including main info on invoices, time summary and active projects.
- Must-haves: time tracking, reports, invoicing.
- Benefits: focus on gaining maximum efficiency with time and financial resources.
- Integration: Google Apps, Basecamp, Quick Books, API.
18. Mavenlink
- At first glance: workspace divided into a dashboard, projects and activity feed, to find financial tools users are forwarded to the Settings section.
- Must-haves: tasks, files, scheduling, custom branding.
- Benefits: financially oriented with the options on invoicing, tracking time and expenses.
- Integration: Quick Books and PayPal.
19. LightHouse
- At first glance: you’re offered to get stared by creating a project with tickets, messages and milestones available inside of it.
- Must-haves: projects, online documents, messages.
- Benefits: issue tracking, open source projects (with codes open).
- Integration: Beanstalk, Exceptional, GitHub, Airbrake, API.
20. Teambox
- At first glance: intuitive dashboard with switching tabs.
- Must-haves: projects with Gantt charts, calendar, instant messenger, files, Wiki.
- Benefits: group chat to ease distant team collaboration.
- Integration: multiple services incl. Google Apps, Dropbox, Github.
After reviewing the twenty online project collaboration apps above, let us know in the comments which one you’ll be using for your freelance business. Are you leaning towards an all-in-one project collaboration tool? Are you happy with your current project collaborative application? Or are you looking to try one of the online project management solutions featured here? What do you feel is the best collaboration app to fit your project management needs? And what features are on your must have list?
Photo credit: Some rights reserved by NexusPlexus.
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I really like trello.com for task tracking and collaboration
Same here. Using Trello.
me too.. really great. the only thing i am missing is a way to see all projects at a glance and the related timelines to try and figure out overall priorities
And what about redmine? (or plan.io)
This is a wonderful list. Thanks for the informative and well scheduled review. HappyTODOS, give you a real inspiration to complete your projects.
Thank you, Hank! As for HappyTODOS, it’s undoubetdly a good tool, but the list focused on versatile, all-in-one solutions and this app is mainly for creating to-do lists.
Thanks for responding Mr. Galkin Alex. You seem to be very right, but as far I know they (www.happytodos.com) are launching a new , more extensive version soon.
We’ve been using Siasto – it’s pretty good. Integrated with Google.
This is a great list, will have to bookmark it and go through them over time.
I have found Project Pier is a very good open source self hosted option (set it up on a sub domain) for project management and collaboration. Not quite as pretty as and user-friendly as Basecamp but similar functionality – and free!
Thank you, Damien, for your good words and suggestions!
I have successfuly been using Teamwork PM and Asana for different businesses and I agreed with your points. A very comprehensive list; thank you.
Nice to hear it, Jennifer! Thank you.
Try Breeze ( letsbreeze.com), it’s a simple agile project management tool. Also includes time tracking and reports.
What do you personally use, and lean towards?
Wow, glad to see TeamLab here!
Really great tool, using it more than a year by now and the docs editor is really impressive!
Some sites worth checking out in addition to the above:
podio.com
Podio is really fit for this category, as a do it all app, it’s still young, but very flexible and it has a very ambitious and professional team behind it.
Some other site I like to use, though they do not have everything ion a box they do their own thing really well:
pipedrive.com
Pipedrive is a CRM with sales/deal management and task manager
capsulecrm.com
Capsule CRM is similar to Pipedrive, though less polished and feature rich, it has better integration with Google Apps (Mail widget)
FreeAgent.com
FreeAgent is a very nice invoicing and accounting suite. Integrates with Capsulecrm, and has a well documented API.
Thanks, Mikkel, for your additions!
Good list but missing binfire.com and basecamp!
Thanks, Dan. I’ve mentioned at the beginning of the article that 37 signals boast a whole bunch of services, but we were more interested in one service that could replace many apps.
I actually recommend you using Groopt.com which is totally free and unlimited
I use it for my own business and they’re the best!
Nice to see Easy Projects here. Its Gantt chart was really helpful and easy to use.
I’ve used Trello and Basecamp — they both have their advantages/disadvantages. Since I’m a full-time freelance writer, the only productivity tools I use is Evernote and Apple’s Calendar with iCloud.
I am a big fan of Trello for tracking and managing tasks. For full on projects, I’ve been using Podio and I really like that a lot.
I use Tine20. It has calendar, projects, todos, file storage, active sync etc
Apollo wasn’t mentioned. http://www.apollohq.com/ It’s similiar to basecamp but looks like it handles tasks better in my opinion.
I second Mikkel’s recommendation of Podio.com. I’ve been using it to work on a multimedia presentation for a play and find it very useful for sharing and gathering resources.
Some great apps here! I personally use Producteev for task/project management.
Nice list thanks a ton, Freedcamp is quite cool as well, Free BaseCamp style system
Good list!
I don’t really use online ones but I’ve been looking for a FREE solution that integrates with Google (calendar, docs (drive now), and email).
I still use Ora Time and Expense so can anyone recommend a good free alternative that integrates with Google?
Thanks!
I feel as if most of these tools are geared/priced towards teams/groups. If you are a one-man freelancing shop, a lot of these tools are overkill. The perfect tool for me would manage simple invoicing/proposals/ simple CRM/ Task,Milestone, Project Management and would have a client-facing side that would not cost me any extra – this way my clients can keep on the pulse of what is going on. The closest thing I found is grafire.com, but it does not seem to keep history of past projects.
I know that every business/ freelancer is different, but does anyone have similar requirements as me?
Hate wasting time in meetings (reallife or virtual ones) you definitly should take a look at http://www.agreedo.com. Easy to use, elegant combination of meeting agenda / minutes and decisions, tasks etc.
Podio is the way to go for me, it have everything and their support is fast and smooth.
One more thumbs up for Trello….I have tried so many collaboration tools & had just about given up when I came upon it. Simple yet motivating. I’m pretty much in love.
Another one is http://kanbantool.com/. This is a online task board that provides many useful features for real-time collaboration.
I can add one more tool which is Comindware task manager and I think that it deserves to be here as well.
I would recommend checking out http://www.Gtdagenda.com for an online task/project manager.
You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, and a calendar.
Syncs with Evernote, and also comes with mobile-web version, and Android and iPhone apps.
I really like Asana, well like task management system teamwox, they swill free version even has a SaaS, more details here http://www.teamwox.com/en/buy/saas, or you can look for other tools in google
TRELLO user- so much more at one glance, and easy to learn for clients.
I’d recommend taking a look at Workgroups (http://www.metacommunications.com/workgroups) for a project management/collaboration tool. Has a lot of great features as far as proofing, DAM, workflow, financial management and lots of points of integration with popular software.
I’d recommend taking a look at http://skylightit.com/ for a all in one project, sales, contacts, task and billing tool. I started using it last year when they launched on a free account. Think they still offer a permanent free account.
I think the most pressing problem with most of these vendors is two-fold. First, most provide a single point solution (i.e. Dropbox, Skype) that tries to do everything. These are great tools, but they need to have a more user-centric approach outside of the feature they provide. Second, most of the collaboration tools lack of ease-of-use. Features are abundant but those same features (file sharing, micro-blogging, task management, etc), have become commodities. All the vendors have them. But not all the vendors have the same user adoption (Sharepoint anyone?). The reason of course is that users find them to be too complex. Most users are simple when it comes to using technology. But we NEED them as part of our online collaboration experience. I suppose the overall complexity is the dirty secret of most collaboration tools.
The biggest single complaint we hear: ‘Our customers and employees wouldn’t use them…’ This is why we’re using Centroy. They’re focused on dead simple ease-of-use. The layout even has a Facebook feel. Humans are a creature of habit. The more they’re familiar with, the more likely they’ll be comfortable using it.
Centroy seems to get this. They really nailed it. All the same fancy features and security are there (they came first). But as I mentioned before, the features are a commodity. It’s the ease-of-use that’s become an untapped opportunity. Check them out. There’s a live demo sandbox. http://centroy.com
Nicely written review! It’s amazing to see how companies have evolved to be alternatives to…MS Project. Another company to take a look at sometime is Fuseboard (www.fuseboardapp.com). They are haven’t released, but their approach looks interesting for SMB.
Why not Jira? http://www.atlassian.com It is simple, powerful and they provide onDemand services as well as self hosting. The community is extremely big.
I prefer Jira as well. It is the most used solution in this field. So, why should I use copies when Jira provides all features in one? And if not, they provide great extensions as well as open source support!
Good review. but I would suggest to use “Forecast” (http://www.forecast.pm/). Its an online based pm app with very cool, user friendly interface & many features.
Thank you for the above list. Additionally, one may even consider deploying on premise RHUB online collaboration appliances in order to conduct webinars, web conferences, online meetings, online presentations etc. http://www.rhubcom.com
Nice list! Recently I have signed up for Brightpod ( http://www.brightpod.com ) , a project management app specifically for marketing teams. Includes readymade workflows & a whole bunch of collaboration features
Great list…though I must say that an important topic often ignored is how to simplify the timesheet process. Really simplify. You should add CreativeWorx TimeTracker to this list. It’s a novel approach to automating the capture of how one spends his/her time. Timesheets are generated AUTOMATICALLY on-demand for easy clean-up and submission. Best of all, it works directly with Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Exchange and more. See for yourself. (http://www.creativeworx.com)
Hi guys,
I miss one amazing tool called EASY REDMINE here.
It is realy helpful and smart, it has nice UI a many extension so it adapts easily to your needs. Ih has for example time tracking system, resource management, budget plugin, flexibile dashboard. All you want. I am using it and I am happy with it.
http://www.easyredmine.com