The history of project management systems goes back further than many believe. The first system was developed in 1896 by Polish economist Karol Adamiecki. Called the Harmonogram, it aimed to establish a workflow process for complex projects.
The Harmonogram was used for less than two decades before Henry Gantt developed the Gantt Chart. Simplifying the process of mapping out complex projects and proven effective during the building of the Hoover Dam, Gantt Charts still form part of many modern project management software systems.
Modernization
Despite revolutionizing project management, early systems such as the Gantt Chart and the Harmonogram were somewhat rudimentary. By 1977, software developers like Artemis and Oracle began creating digital systems.
This led to the rapid modernization of management systems, with multiple developers creating unique frameworks boasting various new and innovative features. Today, hundreds of these systems offer free or paid options.
Free or Paid
With companies and startups frequently eager to cut operating and subscription costs, many opt to use free versions of project management software. While this has multiple benefits, it also has some unique drawbacks.
These free-tier options often have less functionality and don’t offer the same user experience. Some companies may even resort to getting reviewers to promote their system to attract more users, hoping they will later switch to a paid plan.
Because of this, when looking for project management software, it is important to understand free options and do proper research. Looking for reviewers who offer honest and extensive opinions, similar to how casinos.com has reviewed all low deposit casinos in the US, can also aid in ensuring the correct system is chosen.
To help you make the right decision for your business or project, here are the most important pros and cons of using these systems for free.
Advantages
Free project management software offers several great advantages, each carefully curated to appeal to users and draw them in to try out the service.
Cost
The most obvious advantage of free project management software is that it requires no financial investment to use. Some systems can become expensive, particularly for large organizations. However, if a free option offers all the features you need, why pay for them?
Free tiers help save companies money and thus make project management systems much more accessible to businesses.
Accessibility
Most free-to-use project management software is not released as a downloadable program. Instead, it is offered as SaaS (software as a service) and is cloud-based, allowing users to access it anywhere.
Aside from the benefit of promoting collaboration among users in different locations, this also saves companies additional resources because they don’t need to maintain servers that run the software.
No Commitment
One of the more appealing aspects of free project management software is that there is no commitment to using it for an extended period. Unlike paid plans, which commonly tie you in for a year or more, free tiers are open-ended, and you can stop using them at any time.
For those looking to purchase a paid subscription, a unique loophole offers a no-commitment approach. Many platforms offer a free trial that allows you to try the platform’s features and then cancel within a certain period without being charged.
Features
Although free plans do not offer the full array of features that paid plans have, they typically allow users to access the most commonly needed ones. These include task management, scheduling, collaboration, and simple reports.
Depending on the platform chosen, these features might be offered alongside others, like budgeting. However, it is important to carefully select which software to use, as some may not include basic features like simple reporting in the free tier.
Disadvantages
As with any free SaaS, users who don’t pay are restricted to certain functionality or limits. These are usually not severe enough to dissuade companies from using the software, but they can become a consequential factor if a company needs to scale or access specific functions.
Limited Features
The most significant drawback to using free project management software is its limited functionality. Many features, such as resource management, time tracking, budgets, and advanced reporting, are reserved for paid users.
Therefore, if one of these features is essential to your project or company, extensive research should be done to find a free option that provides these features. Failure to find one will require that you bite the bullet and register for a paid account.
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As mentioned, almost all project management software offers free tiers in the hope that users will realize their need for a complete solution and upgrade to a paid tier. While waiting for this to occur, companies still need to cover the cost of resources taken up by free users.
Because of this, free tier subscriptions often include advertisements displayed on user dashboards or watermarks printed on reports. While these don’t make the software unusable, they can distract users or seem unprofessional when seen in reporting documents.
Security
Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important factor in doing business. As such, many companies are employing numerous steps to secure their networks, servers, and information, including project management.
Although project management software providers take steps to secure your data, the risk exists that their servers could be compromised. As many of these are cloud-based, you are essentially entrusting the security of your data to these providers. To avoid this, some software providers offer configurable software for paid users that can be installed on company-owned servers—a feature not available to free users.
Support
It is paramount to access helpful and efficient support should something go wrong. As a free user, however, priority support is often not available, and queries may take up to a day or longer before a response is received.
In contrast, paid users commonly have access to immediate and personalized support that can greatly reduce the disruption to your business should anything go awry.
Conclusion
While the ability to access free project management software can greatly boost the productivity of a business, make sure to balance the pros and cons associated with free SaaS carefully. Should the benefit of paid project management software outweigh the cost, it may be best to purchase it instead of opting for a free option.
