Five Apps: Free project management alternatives
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Five free Microsoft Project alternatives
Poor planning is the root of most project failures andrninterestingly, the smaller the project, the less scrutiny the plan gets! Ifrnyou’re managing projects, execution will benefit from tight tracking. Unfortunately,rnproprietary software is usually expensive or ransomed via subscription fees.
rnrnIf you’re supporting arnsmall organization with an even smaller budget, consider one of these freernsoftware management solutions. At the end, you’ll find a short list of feature comparisonsrn(Table A). All five are desktoprnapplications for Windows, although some are compatible with Mac OS and Linux.rnBe sure to read all licensing agreements to make sure you meet allrnrequirements.
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ProjectLibre 1
Five Apps
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1: ProjectLibre
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ProjectLibrern(previously known as OpenProj) is open source project managementrnsoftware that openly bills itself as a replacementrnfor MS Project. (Cheeky!) It’s compatible with MS Project 2003, 2007, and 2010,rnand Linux, MacOS, and Windows, so it covers almost everybody. It also supportsrnseveral languages.
rnrnFigure A shows its similarities to MS Project. Creatingrndependencies and resources is easy and intuitive (mostly). Whether you’re inputrnor interface oriented, you’ll find projects easy to set up and maintain. Ganttrnview calculates and displays your project’s path visually by default. Durationsrnand task dependencies work as expected and for the most part, finding the optionsrnyou use most will be easy.
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ProjectLibre 2
You can easily print or preview this window and you canrnprint to a PDF file, but you’ll probably rely more on Reports view, shown in Figure B. The defaults are reasonablernand easily customized. The result is low-frills reporting that you can use torndocument your project or share with others.
rnrnThis program lives up tornits hype. Its only negative is its lack of user documentation, but it does havernan active online community.
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GanttProject 1
2: GanttProject
rnrnGanttProject’s claim to fame isrnsimplicity and if you specify duringrninstallation, as shown in Figure C, itrnwill open MS Project files. It’s free and supports versions for Windows, Mac OSrnX, and Linux.
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GanttProject 2
CustomizingrnGantt view, shown in Figure D isn’trnas easy as it could be, but it’s easy enough. Dependencies are easy to creaternand display, similar to MS Project and ProjectLibre. Its reporting options arernimpressive, but it doesn’t support costing features.
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ToDoList 1
3: ToDoList
rnrnFor simplified and flexiblerntask management, ToDoListrncan’t be beat. It’s not a full-blown project management application, but it’srnperfect for keeping smaller projects on task.
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ToDoList 2
Figure E shows the main windowrnwhere you’ll enter tasks. You can add and delete options, to suit your workingrnneeds. Calendar view, shown in Figure Frnoffers a day-by-day accounting. Using XML style sheets, you can customize reports.rnOnline 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
rnrnEverything that ToDoListrnisn’t, 2-plan Project Management Software is.rnIt’s the enterprise version you might need if your organization is larger andrnyou juggle several projects at once. FigurernG shows two projects with 2-plan’s high-end perspective. It comes with arnserious 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 newrnmilestone.
rnrnYou can download a desktoprnversion for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Windows systems also need a JavarnRuntime Environment. 2-plan supports English and German versions. If teamrnmembers need mobile access, consider 2-plan Team, which you can use to accessrnprojects via a mobile phone.
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Open Workbench 1
5: Open Workbench
rnrnOpen Workbench isn’trnas intuitive right out of the box as other offerings in this list and it’srnstrictly a Windows app. You can create milestones, and assign tasks, resources,rnand dependencies. You can also track and compare budgetary allowances. It allrnworks, but the learning curve is steeper than the others. The interface isn’t friendlyrnor as intuitive as most of us have come to expect. For instance, adding arndependency 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 avoidrnmost of the menu hunting and right-clicking. You’ll probably spend most of yourrntime in Gantt Chart view, shown in FigurernJ.
rnrnAnother difference (orrnadvantage depending on your perspective) is its emphasis on resources ratherrnthan duration. This behavior might be just what you need. Once you’re familiarrnwith the interface, you’ll find a robust set of tools. Because of the learningrncurve, it’s best suited for larger projects, but it does offer a lot, for free.
Table A: Feature comparison (opinion) with 1 being the lowest and 3 beingrnthe highest rating.
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| rn rn | rn
ProjectLibre rn |
rn
GanttProject rn |
rn
ToDoList rn |
rn
2-plan rn |
rn
Open Workbench rn |
| rn
Tasks rn |
rn
3 rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
3 rn |
| rn
Scheduling rn |
rn
3 rn |
rn
3 rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
3 rn |
| rn
Resources rn |
rn
3 rn |
rn
3 rn |
rn
NA rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
2 rn |
| rn
Reports rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
2 rn |
| rn
Costs rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
NA rn |
rn
1 rn |
rn
2 rn |
rn
3 rn |
| rn
RBS rn |
rn
Yes rn |
rn
Yes rn |
rn
NA rn |
rn
Yes rn |
rn
Yes rn |
| rn
WBS rn |
rn
Yes rn |
rn
Yes rn |
rn
Plug-in rn |
rn
Yes rn |
rn
Yes rn |
| rn
MS Projectrn compatibility rn |
rn
Yes rn |
rn
Yes rn |
rn
No rn |
rn
Yes rn |
rn
Yes rn |
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