Cheapest Project Management Software: Actual Prices and What You Get

Let's cut to the chase: you're looking for project management software that won't destroy your budget. The good news is that affordable options exist—and some of them are genuinely good. The bad news is that "cheap" often comes with trade-offs you need to know about before signing up.

I've dug through the current pricing for all the major players to give you real numbers and honest takes on what you're actually getting at each price point.

Quick Comparison: Cheapest Project Management Software

Here's what you're looking at for paid plans (billed annually):

But price alone doesn't tell the whole story. Let's break down what actually makes sense for different situations.

Best Free Project Management Software

Before you spend anything, consider whether a free tier will do the job. Here are your best options:

ClickUp Free Forever

ClickUp's free plan is legitimately impressive. You get unlimited tasks, unlimited users, and access to most core features including Kanban boards, calendar views, and basic time tracking. The catches: 100MB storage limit and only 100 automations. For a freelancer or small team just getting started, this is hard to beat.

ClickUp allows unlimited users on the free plan with no per-user fees—a rarity in this space. However, you can't adjust permission levels for other users on the free plan, which becomes a problem as your team grows.

Trello Free

Trello's free tier gives you unlimited cards (tasks) and up to 10 boards per workspace. You also get unlimited Power-Ups (integrations) per board, which is a major improvement from their old free plan. The limitations: 10MB file attachments and only 250 automation runs per month.

Trello works great for simple Kanban-style task management. If your workflow is straightforward—moving tasks from "To Do" to "In Progress" to "Done"—this might be all you need. But if you need Gantt charts, advanced reporting, or complex workflows, you'll outgrow it fast.

Asana Personal

Asana's free plan supports up to 10 teammates with unlimited tasks and projects. You get basic views (list, board, calendar) and over 100 integrations. The downside is no timeline views, custom fields, or workflow automation—features that many teams need for anything beyond simple task lists.

For a deeper look at free options, check out our guide to free project management software.

The Ultra-Budget Tier ($1-$5/user/month)

Freedcamp Pro - $1.49/user/month

This is the absolute cheapest paid option I found. Freedcamp Pro includes basic project management features at a price that's almost negligible. It meets basic needs and works for teams who don't need much more than task tracking and simple collaboration.

The trade-off: it's basic. You're not getting the polish or feature depth of tools like Monday.com or Asana. But if you just need something functional and don't want to pay much, it works.

Zoho Projects - $4/user/month

Zoho Projects at $4/user/month is another ultra-affordable option. It works especially well if you're already using other Zoho apps (CRM, Books, etc.) since everything integrates seamlessly. As a standalone PM tool, it's capable but not exciting.

Trello Standard - $5/user/month

Trello's Standard plan unlocks unlimited boards, advanced checklists, and custom fields. At $5/user/month, it's a reasonable step up from free if you need more organization. The plan also includes 1,000 automation command runs per month and single-board guest access.

However, this plan is restrictive regarding project visualization—Kanban is still the only view available. For timeline views, calendars, and dashboards, you'll need to jump to Premium at $10/user/month.

The Sweet Spot ($7-$12/user/month)

This is where you start getting real project management capabilities without breaking the bank.

ClickUp Unlimited - $7/user/month

At $7/user/month (billed annually), ClickUp Unlimited is one of the best values in project management software. You get unlimited storage, unlimited integrations, Gantt charts, custom fields, automations, and time tracking. The plan removes all the caps from the free tier.

ClickUp's pricing undercuts major competitors—you'll pay more for equivalent plans from Wrike, Asana, and Teamwork. The only caveat: ClickUp can feel overwhelming with its extensive feature set. There's a learning curve.

Monday.com Basic - $9/seat/month

Monday.com's Basic plan at $9/seat/month gives you unlimited items, unlimited boards, and 5GB file storage. It's designed for small teams that need to manage work in one place.

Here's the catch with Monday.com: their pricing uses "bucket pricing" with a minimum of 3 seats. You can only add users in increments of 5 after that. So if you have 4 people, you're paying for 5. If you have 6 people, you're paying for 10. This can add up quickly.

Also worth noting: the Basic plan doesn't include automations or integrations. You need the Standard plan at $12/seat/month to unlock those. For a more detailed breakdown, see our Monday.com pricing guide.

Asana Starter - $10.99/user/month

Asana's Starter plan (formerly Premium) costs $10.99/user/month billed annually or $13.49 billed monthly. You get timeline views, task dependencies, custom fields, and unlimited automations—essential features for managing complex projects.

Asana includes its full range of integrations on all plans, which is a nice touch. But at nearly $11/user/month, it's on the pricier side of the "affordable" spectrum.

What to Watch Out For

Per-User Pricing Adds Up Fast

A $7/user/month plan sounds cheap until you have 20 people. That's $140/month or $1,680/year. As teams grow, per-user pricing becomes the main driver of total cost. Consider this when planning for growth.

Feature Gating

Many tools put critical features behind higher tiers. Gantt charts, automations, advanced reporting, and timeline views often require upgraded plans. Make sure the features you actually need are available on the plan you're considering.

Billing Cycle Matters

Annual billing typically saves 20-30% compared to monthly billing. For example, Monday.com's Standard plan is about 33% more expensive when billed monthly versus annually. If you're committed to a tool, annual billing makes sense.

Hidden Minimums

Monday.com requires a minimum of 3 seats. Some enterprise plans have spending minimums (Trello Enterprise starts at $10,000/year minimum). These minimums can make "cheap" per-user prices less attractive for small teams.

My Recommendations

For Solo Users or Tiny Teams (1-3 people)

Start with ClickUp Free or Trello Free. Both are genuinely usable without paying anything. If you need more, ClickUp Unlimited at $7/user/month is the best value for feature-rich project management.

For Small Teams (4-15 people)

ClickUp Unlimited at $7/user/month gives you the most bang for your buck. If you want something simpler, Trello Standard at $5/user/month works for basic Kanban workflows.

If you prefer a more visual, spreadsheet-like interface, Monday.com at $9-12/seat/month is worth considering—just watch those seat minimums.

For Growing Teams (15-50 people)

At this size, you need more than the cheapest option. Look at ClickUp Business ($12/user/month) or Monday.com Standard ($12/seat/month) for better team management, advanced permissions, and guest access.

For more comprehensive comparisons, check out our guides on best project management software and project management software comparison.

Bottom Line

The cheapest project management software that's actually usable is ClickUp—free for basic use, $7/user/month for the real deal. Trello comes in second at $5/user/month but lacks the feature depth. Ultra-budget options like Freedcamp ($1.49) and Zoho Projects ($4) exist but come with trade-offs in polish and capabilities.

Don't just look at the lowest price. Consider what features you need, how many people will use it, and whether you'll need to upgrade later. A slightly more expensive tool that grows with you often costs less in the long run than switching platforms.

For most small businesses on a budget, starting with ClickUp Free and upgrading to Unlimited when needed is the smartest play. It's cheap, it's capable, and it won't force you to migrate to a new platform as your needs grow.