Five Apps: Free project management alternatives

ProjectLibre 1

Five Apps

1: ProjectLibre

ProjectLibre (previously known as OpenProj) is open source project management software that openly bills itself as a replacement for MS Project. (Cheeky!) It's compatible with MS Project 2003, 2007, and 2010, and Linux, MacOS, and Windows, so it covers almost everybody. It also supports several languages.

Figure A shows its similarities to MS Project. Creating dependencies and resources is easy and intuitive (mostly). Whether you're input or interface oriented, you'll find projects easy to set up and maintain. Gantt view calculates and displays your project's path visually by default. Durations and task dependencies work as expected and for the most part, finding the options you use most will be easy.

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ProjectLibre 2

You can easily print or preview this window and you can print to a PDF file, but you'll probably rely more on Reports view, shown in Figure B. The defaults are reasonable and easily customized. The result is low-frills reporting that you can use to document your project or share with others.

This program lives up to its hype. Its only negative is its lack of user documentation, but it does have an active online community. 

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GanttProject 1

2: GanttProject

GanttProject's claim to fame is simplicity and if you specify during installation, as shown in Figure C, it will open MS Project files. It's free and supports versions for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

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GanttProject 2

Customizing Gantt view, shown in Figure D isn't as easy as it could be, but it's easy enough. Dependencies are easy to create and display, similar to MS Project and ProjectLibre. Its reporting options are impressive, but it doesn't support costing features.

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ToDoList 1

3: ToDoList

For simplified and flexible task management, ToDoList can't be beat. It's not a full-blown project management application, but it's perfect for keeping smaller projects on task.

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ToDoList 2

Figure E shows the main window where you'll enter tasks. You can add and delete options, to suit your working needs. Calendar view, shown in Figure F offers a day-by-day accounting. Using XML style sheets, you can customize reports. Online documentation isn't comprehensive, but it's a reasonable start.

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2-plan Project Management Software 1

4: 2-plan Project Management Software

Everything that ToDoList isn't, 2-plan Project Management Software is. It's the enterprise version you might need if your organization is larger and you juggle several projects at once. Figure G shows two projects with 2-plan's high-end perspective. It comes with a serious learning curve.

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2-plan Project Management Software 2

Consider 2-plan for enterprise-level project management. Figure H shows the addition of a new milestone.

You can download a desktop version for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Windows systems also need a Java Runtime Environment. 2-plan supports English and German versions. If team members need mobile access, consider 2-plan Team, which you can use to access projects via a mobile phone.

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Open Workbench 1

5: Open Workbench

Open Workbench isn't as intuitive right out of the box as other offerings in this list and it's strictly a Windows app. You can create milestones, and assign tasks, resources, and dependencies. You can also track and compare budgetary allowances. It all works, but the learning curve is steeper than the others. The interface isn't friendly or as intuitive as most of us have come to expect. For instance, adding a dependency takes a bit of discovery, as you can see in Figure I.

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Open Workbench 2

Fortunately, the interface is interactive, so you can avoid most of the menu hunting and right-clicking. You'll probably spend most of your time in Gantt Chart view, shown in Figure J.

Another difference (or advantage depending on your perspective) is its emphasis on resources rather than duration. This behavior might be just what you need. Once you're familiar with the interface, you'll find a robust set of tools. Because of the learning curve, it's best suited for larger projects, but it does offer a lot, for free.