“Free project scheduling software” gets tossed around loosely. A tool lists a free plan, you sign up, and the Gantt chart, timeline view, or task dependencies sit behind a paywall. The free plan gives you a task list and maybe a board. That is not scheduling. That is a to-do app.
Real scheduling means you can set a start and end date, connect tasks so one begins when another finishes, and see the whole project on a timeline. Some free plans genuinely include this. Others save it for the paid tier and hope you will not notice until you are already committed. The difference matters more than the number of features on a marketing page.
Below are seven project scheduling tools with real free options. For each one, the free plan details and scheduling limits are stated plainly so you know exactly what you are getting before you create an account.
Free project scheduling software at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Free plan limit | Gantt/timeline on free? | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| actiPLANS | Team availability and leave scheduling | Up to 3 users, forever | Visual timeline included | $1.50/user/mo |
| ClickUp | All-in-one workspace | Unlimited tasks, 5 spaces | Yes, capped at 60 uses | $7/member/mo |
| Asana | Flexible project structures for growing teams | Up to 2 users, unlimited projects | No (Starter plan and up) | $13.49/user/mo |
| Zoho Projects | Budget-friendly scheduling with Gantt | 3 users, 2 projects | Yes, with dependencies | $4/user/mo |
| Monday.com | Visual work management | Up to 2 seats, 3 boards | No (Standard plan and up) | $9/seat/mo |
| Wrike | Cross-functional teams with complex workflows | Unlimited users, 200 active tasks | No (Team plan and up) | $10/user/mo |
| Smartsheet | Spreadsheet users who want a timeline | 1 user, 2 sheets | Yes, Gantt included | $9/user/mo |
7 free project scheduling tools
1. actiPLANS
- Visual team calendar
- PTO balance tracking
- Location scheduling
- Automated leave accruals
actiPLANS handles the part of project scheduling that most tools skip: who is actually available. Before you assign anyone to a task, you need to know who is on vacation, who is working remotely, and whose leave request was just approved. actiPLANS puts all of that on a visual timeline the whole team can see.
The scheduling side works through work schedules and leave management. You configure which days each person works, set up PTO accrual rules, and define approval workflows. When someone submits a leave request from the mobile app, their manager approves in one click and the timeline updates right away. The project schedule reflects real availability, not a roster that was accurate three weeks ago.
It also tracks employee locations (office, remote, client site) and company events, so you see not just who is working but where. Absence reports filter by team, department, and leave type, which helps spot staffing gaps before they stall a project milestone. actiPLANS integrates with actiTIME for time tracking and connects to Google Calendar and Outlook via iCal.
Pricing: Free for up to 3 users. Standard is $1.50 per user per month (billed annually). Growth is $1.20 per user per month for teams of 41 to 200. Enterprise is $270 per month for unlimited users. A 30-day free trial includes every feature.
Best for: Teams whose scheduling bottleneck is availability and leave, not task dependencies.
2. ClickUp
- Gantt chart (60 free uses)
- Task dependencies
- Calendar and board views
- Collaborative docs
ClickUp tries to be the everything tool: tasks, docs, chat, whiteboards, and scheduling views all live in one workspace. The free plan is generous with unlimited tasks, unlimited members, and access to board, list, calendar, and Gantt views. There is a catch: the Gantt view on the free plan is capped at 60 uses, and that counter does not reset. Once you use it up, you need a paid plan to keep the timeline.
For scheduling, ClickUp supports task dependencies (finish-to-start, start-to-start, and others), milestones, time estimates, and workload views. You can break work down into spaces, folders, and lists, which gives large projects a logical structure. The free plan also includes 100 MB of storage, collaborative docs, and basic automations (100 per month).
Where ClickUp gets complicated is the sheer volume of options. New users often spend their first week configuring the workspace instead of scheduling their project. If your team has the patience for a setup period, the depth pays off. If you want something running in 20 minutes, it can feel like overkill. The paid Unlimited plan starts at $7 per member per month (billed annually) and removes the Gantt cap.
Best for: Teams that want one tool for tasks, docs, and scheduling and will invest time in setup.
3. Asana
- List, board, and calendar views
- Subtasks and sections
- My Tasks personal view
- Large integration library
Asana is one of the most widely used project management tools. Its free plan supports up to 2 users with unlimited tasks and projects. The limitation that matters for scheduling: the Timeline view (Asana’s Gantt chart) is locked behind the Starter plan at $13.49 per user per month. On the free plan, you get list, board, and calendar views, which work for task management but not for dependency-based scheduling.
If you do upgrade, the scheduling features are strong. Timeline supports drag-and-drop rescheduling, dependency lines, and milestones. You can set up automation rules to move tasks between sections or notify people when upstream work finishes. Asana also handles multi-project portfolios, so managers can see timelines across several projects on one screen.
The free plan still works for a pair that organizes by boards (kanban-style) or lists and does not need visual dependencies. Calendar view shows due dates, which is enough for simple scheduling. Asana also has a large integration library covering Slack, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and most major tools.
Best for: Pairs or solo users who need solid task management for free and can upgrade later when they need timeline scheduling.
4. Zoho Projects
- Free Gantt chart with dependencies
- Critical path highlighting
- Milestones and issue tracking
- Zoho ecosystem integrations
Zoho Projects is one of the few tools where the free plan actually includes Gantt charts with task dependencies. The free tier covers up to 3 users and 2 projects, which is limited but workable for freelancers or a small team with a focused workload. You get task management, milestones, issue tracking, document sharing, and the Gantt timeline without paying anything.
The Gantt chart supports four dependency types (finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish, start-to-finish), critical path highlighting, and baseline comparisons. You can drag tasks to reschedule them and the dependent tasks adjust automatically. For a free tool, that is a more complete scheduling experience than what most competitors offer at the same price.
If your team uses other Zoho products (CRM, Invoice, Books, Analytics), the native integrations move data between project scheduling and the rest of the business without third-party connectors. The paid Premium plan starts at $4 per user per month (billed annually) and adds unlimited projects, resource utilization charts, and custom workflows. Zoho also offers a 15-day trial of the paid features.
Best for: Small teams that need real Gantt scheduling on a free plan, especially if they already use the Zoho ecosystem.
5. Monday.com
- Color-coded task boards
- Kanban and table views
- Automations on paid plans
- 200+ integrations
Monday.com is known for its color-coded boards that make task status obvious at a glance. The free plan supports up to 2 seats with 3 boards and up to 200 items. You can create tasks, assign owners, set due dates, and use the Kanban view. What you cannot do on the free plan is open a Gantt chart or timeline. Monday.com locks those views behind the Standard plan ($9 per seat per month, billed annually).
On paid plans, the Gantt and timeline views work well. You can set dependencies, adjust schedules with drag-and-drop, and build dashboards that pull data from multiple boards. Monday.com also has strong automation (if-this-then-that rules for notifications, status changes, and assignments) and integrations covering Slack, HubSpot, Jira, Salesforce, and more.
The free plan is really a lightweight task board for two people. If your scheduling needs go beyond simple due dates, you will hit the paywall fast. But for a duo tracking a single project with clear tasks and owners, the free tier is fine as a task management tool.
Best for: Two-person teams that want visual task boards and can upgrade for timeline features as the team grows.
6. Wrike
- Unlimited users on free plan
- Table and board views
- Custom workflows
- File proofing and markup
Wrike’s free plan has an unusual structure: unlimited users but a cap of 200 active tasks. For a small project or a team that keeps its task list lean, that can be enough. You get folders, task management, a board view, file sharing, and real-time activity updates. The scheduling gap: Gantt charts require the Team plan ($10 per user per month, billed annually).
What makes Wrike worth considering for scheduling-heavy teams is the depth of its paid features. The Team plan adds interactive Gantt charts with dependencies, project and task automations, dashboards, and request forms. The Business plan ($24.80 per user per month) adds resource management with workload views, time tracking, project blueprints, and cross-tagging for items that belong to multiple projects.
On the free plan, you can still structure work into folders and projects, assign tasks, add due dates, and comment on work. Wrike also supports proofing (markup on images, PDFs, and videos), which is useful for creative teams reviewing deliverables. The unlimited-users policy means you can invite stakeholders and reviewers without worrying about seat costs.
Best for: Teams with many collaborators that need a free workspace for tasks and can upgrade to unlock Gantt and resource views.
7. Smartsheet
- Gantt chart with dependencies
- Spreadsheet-like interface
- Conditional formatting
- Automated alerts
Smartsheet is for people who think in spreadsheets but want project scheduling features on top. The interface looks like a grid, but it supports Gantt chart views, dependencies, critical path, automated alerts, and conditional formatting. If your team already lives in Excel or Google Sheets for project tracking, Smartsheet bridges the gap between a spreadsheet and a proper scheduling tool.
The free plan is limited to 1 user and 2 sheets with up to 500 rows per sheet, but it includes the Gantt view and basic automations. That is enough for a solo project manager or freelancer scheduling a single project with dependencies and milestones. The Pro plan starts at $9 per user per month (billed annually) and adds unlimited sheets, forms, reports, and up to 250 automations per month.
Smartsheet also supports card views (kanban-style), calendar views, and dashboards for reporting. Integrations cover Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Jira, Salesforce, and dozens of others. For teams that outgrow the free tier, the Business plan ($19 per user per month) adds resource management, time tracking, and proofing.
Best for: Solo project managers or spreadsheet-oriented teams that want Gantt scheduling without learning an entirely new interface.
How to pick the right free plan
The comparison table above answers the first question (is it actually free?), but picking the right tool depends on where your scheduling breaks down.
If the problem is availability. Your schedule fails because people are double-booked, on leave, or working from locations nobody tracks. actiPLANS solves this by putting leave, schedules, and availability on one timeline. Start there before layering on a task-level scheduling tool.
If the problem is dependencies. Your tasks finish late because downstream work does not start on time and nobody notices. You need a Gantt chart with dependency lines. Zoho Projects (free, 3 users) and Smartsheet (free, 1 user) both offer this on the free tier. ClickUp does too, but the 60-use cap is a constraint.
If the problem is coordination. Your team needs a shared space to assign work, track progress, and communicate, but you do not need a formal timeline. Wrike (unlimited users, 200 tasks) works well for larger groups. Asana (2 users free) and Monday.com (2 seats free) work for pairs.
If the problem is everything. You want tasks, docs, chat, scheduling, and reporting in one tool and you are willing to configure it. ClickUp covers the widest range of features on its free plan, though the Gantt cap means you may outgrow it.
One pattern that works well: pair a task management tool (ClickUp, Asana, or Monday.com) with actiPLANS for availability. The task tool handles what needs to happen and when. actiPLANS handles who is actually around to do it. Neither tool alone covers both sides.
FAQ
Is there genuinely free project scheduling software?
Yes, but the scheduling features vary widely between free plans. Zoho Projects and Smartsheet include Gantt charts with dependencies on their free tiers. ClickUp includes a Gantt view but caps it at 60 uses. Asana, Monday.com, and Wrike offer free plans with task management but lock the timeline or Gantt view behind paid plans. Always check whether the specific scheduling feature you need (Gantt, dependencies, milestones) is on the free plan before committing.
What is the difference between project scheduling and project management software?
Project management is the broader category: it covers tasks, communication, files, budgets, and reporting. Project scheduling is specifically about when things happen, in what order, and who does them. A scheduling tool focuses on timelines, dependencies, and calendars. Most project management tools include some scheduling features, but the depth varies. A board view with due dates is task management. A Gantt chart with dependency logic is scheduling.
Can free tools handle complex projects with dependencies?
For small projects with straightforward dependency chains, yes. Zoho Projects supports four dependency types on its free plan. Smartsheet’s free plan handles dependencies and critical path for a single-user project. For larger projects with multiple teams, resource constraints, and dozens of interdependent tasks, free plans typically lack the resource management, cross-project views, and automation depth you need. That is where paid plans earn their cost.
What should I look for in free project scheduling software?
Three things, in order: first, whether the free plan includes a timeline or Gantt view (many do not). Second, the user or project cap on the free plan (a 2-seat limit means it will not work for a team). Third, whether dependencies actually function on the free tier, because a Gantt view without dependency logic is just a bar chart. After those basics, consider storage limits, integrations with your existing tools, and whether the free plan has enough automations to reduce manual updates.
How does team availability affect project scheduling?
A schedule built without checking availability falls apart the moment someone is on leave, overbooked, or working from a different location. Tracking availability alongside the project schedule means you catch conflicts before committing to deadlines. Tools like actiPLANS manage leave and work schedules in one place, so the people side of scheduling stays current without a separate spreadsheet.
