Best PM Tools for Freelancers
The best project management tools for freelancers and solo professionals. Stay organized, track time, and manage clients.
What We Look For
Our Top 5 Picks
Notion
#1Connected workspace for docs and projects
Notion is an all-in-one workspace that blends notes, docs, project management, and wikis into a single flexible tool.
Pros
- Extremely flexible
- Beautiful design
- Great for documentation
- Strong template gallery
- AI features built-in
Cons
- Not ideal for complex project management
- Can be slow
- Offline mode limited
- Learning curve for databases
Trello
#2Visual tool for organizing work
Trello is a visual collaboration tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to organize projects and tasks.
Pros
- Dead simple to use
- Great free plan
- Perfect for Kanban
- Strong Power-Up ecosystem
- Fast and lightweight
Cons
- Limited for complex projects
- No native Gantt chart
- Reporting is basic
- Not ideal for large teams
ClickUp
#3One app to replace them all
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform that combines project management, docs, goals, and chat in a single application.
Pros
- Most features for the price
- Generous free plan
- All-in-one platform
- Highly customizable views
- Built-in docs and whiteboards
Cons
- Can feel overwhelming
- Performance issues with large workspaces
- Frequent UI changes
- Mobile app less polished
Asana
#4Work management platform for teams
Asana is a web and mobile work management platform designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work and projects.
Pros
- Intuitive interface
- Strong automation features
- Excellent integrations
- Good free tier
- Multiple project views
Cons
- Expensive at scale
- No built-in time tracking
- Limited customization on free plan
- Can be overwhelming for simple projects
Monday.com
#5Work OS for teams of all sizes
Monday.com is a cloud-based Work OS that lets teams create workflow apps to run processes, projects, and everyday work.
Pros
- Highly visual and colorful interface
- Very flexible and customizable
- Strong automation engine
- Great templates marketplace
- Good CRM integration
Cons
- Pricing adds up quickly
- Free plan very limited
- Can be slow with large datasets
- Steep learning curve for advanced features
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Tool | Rating | Free Plan | Starting Price | Integrations | Time Tracking | Sprints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notion | ★ 4.5 | ✓ | Free | 100+ | — | ✓ |
| Trello | ★ 4.4 | ✓ | Free | 200+ | — | — |
| ClickUp | ★ 4.2 | ✓ | Free | 1000+ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Asana | ★ 4.3 | ✓ | Free | 200+ | — | — |
| Monday.com | ★ 4.4 | ✓ | Free | 200+ | ✓ | ✓ |
How We Rank Tools
Our rankings are based on hands-on testing, feature analysis, pricing evaluation, and real user feedback. We re-evaluate tools quarterly to ensure our recommendations stay current. Affiliate partnerships do not influence our rankings or editorial decisions.
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