10 Best Free Product Management Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 22 tools reviewed.
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
With so many different free product management software available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You need all of the essential features for roadmap planning, task management, documentation, team collaboration, and integration with other tools, but you still have to stick to a limited budget. I've got you! In this post I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences using multiple free tools with larger teams and dozens of product launches on a tight budget, with my picks of the best free product management software.
What is free product management software?
Free product management software is a type of tool that helps teams to plan, organize, and optimize the product development process.
Free product management software will offer limitations in its features unless you are dealing with open-source software. Expect limitations in the level of customer support, the number of products you can build roadmaps for, users who can access the software, and available integrations. Most of the tools on this list offer the ability to join for free, and then upgrade to a paid plan as your needs change or your team grows.
Overviews of the Best Free Product Management Software
Here’s a brief description of the best software and free version of paid tools that can help you get started.
Visor is a collaboration solution that integrates natively with SaaS applications, specifically designed to keep teams and their data in sync. It is particularly beneficial for Jira data-driven team collaboration, as it allows users to customize processes using real-time information from Jira.
This tool has a unique offering of native two-way integrations with SaaS applications like Jira, Salesforce, and HubSpot. This makes it stand out as it allows you to synchronize data in real time and create custom views with up-to-date information. Custom views give you the power to build colorful roadmaps that are more user-friendly and can help your team consume the information in a better way.
Visor offers a range of features tailored for project management, including real-time collaboration capabilities and advanced field protection for sensitive data within spreadsheets. The platform provides unlimited commenting for team communication and supports a variety of pricing plans to suit different organizational needs, including options for non-profits and students.
Baserow is a no-code platform designed to bring structure and clarity to various projects, ideas, or business processes. It is particularly useful for those who find themselves juggling multiple tools for a single job. The platform is user-friendly, especially for those familiar with spreadsheets, as it employs a similar operational style. Baserow allows users to manage diverse data sets, ranging from customer databases to product inventories and even airplane fleets, providing a versatile tool for organizing and streamlining information.
The software is highly flexible, tailored to meet the specific needs of its users. It offers a single interface for managing different types of data, ensuring that information is clear and accessible to all team members. Baserow stands out for its real-time collaboration capabilities, allowing unlimited rows and boasting impressive speed. Additionally, it can be easily integrated with other software, enhancing its utility and adaptability in various business environments.
Baserow positions itself as an open-source, no-code database and a viable alternative to platforms like Airtable. It empowers users with developer-like capabilities without the need to leave the browser, making it an accessible tool for a wide range of users. Its open-source nature not only fosters a community-driven development approach but also ensures transparency and flexibility in its usage and customization.
Miro
Best for seamless collaboration and visualization for product management tasks
Miro is a digital whiteboard platform that caters to teams focused on collaboration and brainstorming within product management. It's particularly suited for remote teams, offering a space where ideas can be expressed through various formats like sticky notes, diagrams, numbers, images, and videos. Its infinite canvas removes the limitations of physical space, allowing for continuous expansion of ideas.
Integration with tools like Confluence, Notion, Jira, and Asana ensures a cohesive workflow, linking essential resources and tools directly within the platform. Miro also supports asynchronous teamwork through comments, reactions, and TalkTrack, a feature that lets team members record explanations of process maps or project details. This combination of visual freedom, tool integration, and communication features positions Miro as a platform for teams to collaboratively manage product development tasks.
FigJam by Figma is an online whiteboard tool designed to support team collaboration, allowing for strategic planning and brainstorming in a shared digital space. It stands out due to its real-time collaboration capabilities, customizable features, and seamless integration with Figma, positioning it as a comprehensive whiteboard solution for teams that require a closely integrated environment for their design and planning workflows.
What I find compelling about FigJam is its ability to bring together teammates, ideas, and tools in one place, facilitating real-time collaboration with features like audio calls and voiceovers. This makes it an ideal tool for product management, where communication and the alignment of various moving parts are crucial. Plus, the availability of free templates for different workflows, including agile and remote design, positions FigJam as a versatile tool for various project management scenarios.
Taskade is a free product management tool that works with iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, and all popular internet browsers. The tool can help users do everything from mind mapping to meeting planning. Their versatility is something all startups need.
Taskade also has a whole host of startup-oriented literature and information, including an ideas checklist, reading list, business pitch ideas, investor wishlist trackers, cofounder questionnaire, and more.
Backlog bills itself as a project and code management platform but, really, it handles a lot of product management needs very well. Highlight-worthy features include boards, Gantt charts, burndown charts, Git graphs, milestones, and versions.
Backlog does issue and bug tracking particularly well. For example, users can create Backlog issues in bulk via their native Google Sheets integration.
They also encourage tracking progress via pull-requests right from issue cards.
Asana is more of a general project management tool than a dedicated product development app. However, it boasts a whole range of features that product managers and their teams will find useful.
In particular, users can tap into their product roadmap templates, simplify sprint planning, and collect user feedback pre- and post-launch.
They make collaboration particularly engaging with social-media-esque messaging, easy file uploading, and flexible notifications.
Confluence is an intuitive team workspace with a flare for keen product management. Product teams will, for example, enjoy their take on actionable meeting notes and collaborative content management.
Confluence has a library of templates to assist with product planning.
Browse through dozens of template options like product requirements, marketing plans, email drip campaigns, incident communication, competitive analysis, and product requirements.
Bitrix24 helps product teams with communications, tasks and projects, CRM, and workload planning all in one place. Bitrix24 even lets users build free websites, landing pages, and online stores for their products.
Product teams will particularly benefit from their deep CRM dashboards and supporting features, like the ability to generate leads via multiple channels and leverage dozens of sales and marketing automation rules.
LoopedIn is a free product management software that helps you manage your product development process, from idea generation to launch. It's designed to help teams collaborate, track progress, and stay organized. It's a great fit for startups, small businesses, and even larger organizations that need a simple, straightforward way to manage their products.
I chose LoopedIn because it's super user-friendly. You don't need to be a tech wizard to figure it out. It's got a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy to keep track of everything. Plus, it's free, which is a big plus for small businesses or startups on a tight budget.
The task management feature lets you assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and track progress all in one place. The roadmap feature is also pretty cool. It gives you a visual overview of your product development process, so you can see at a glance what's been done and what's still to do. And the feedback feature is great for keeping everyone in the loop. Team members can leave comments and suggestions, which helps to foster a collaborative environment.
LoopedIn also integrates with other tools, like Jira, SyncSpider, and Pably Connect. You can link it up with your email, calendar, and other productivity apps, so you can manage everything from one place. Plus, it has an available API you can use to build custom integrations.
Overall, I'd say LoopedIn is a solid choice for anyone looking for a free product management tool. It's easy to use, packed with features, and integrates with other tools, making it a versatile solution for managing your product development process.
The 10 Best Free Product Management Software Comparison Chart
Here is a table where you can compare all the tools we just covered in the overviews.
Tools | Price | |
---|---|---|
Visor | From $9/user/month | Website |
Baserow | From $5/user/month (billed annually). | Website |
Miro | From $10/user/month | Website |
FigJam by Figma | From $3/user/month | Website |
Taskade | From $5 /month | Website |
Backlog | From $35/month for up to 30 users | Website |
Asana | From $13.49/user/month | Website |
Confluence | From $5.75/user/month | Website |
Bitrix24 | From $49/month (5 users) | Website |
LoopedIn | From $15/user/month | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareOther Free Product Management Software Options
Here are a few more that didn’t make the top list but are worth your consideration.
- Coda
Best product management software for integrations
- Odoo
Best free open source product management software
- Wrike
Best for customizable work management
- Jira Software
Best for software development teams
- ZenHub
(free on public, academic, or open-source repositories) — Best Kanban boards
- monday.com
(free for students or nonprofits) — Best for nonprofits
- ClickUp
(free 100MB storage) — Best mobile apps
- Zoho Desk
(free 3 users) — Best workflow automation
- Zepel
(free 5 users) — Best Jira alternative
- Roadmap
Best visual product roadmaps
- Yodiz
(free 3 users) — Best product backlog analytics
- Meister Task
(free for 3 projects) — Best product strategy mind mapping
How I Picked the Best Free Product Management Software
My process began by creating a long list of the most popular free product management software available, with high user rankings. Then I closely assessed each software vendor’s website to make sure that their tool covered all the basic features a product manager would need to manage the entire product life cycle.
Next, I turned to my selection criteria below to help me make my final selections. Using these criteria as a framework, I was able to compare each free product management software to see how it stacked up to the others. That's how I finalized the shortlist you see here.
User Interface (UI)
Product managers and their teams need to be able to navigate between different elements of their product planning quickly and efficiently. Does the UI promote ease of use, clean interfaces, and real-time data updates?
Key Features
- Product Roadmap Tools — Roadmapping is essential to building better products. Does the tool have intuitive, aesthetically pleasing, and flexible roadmap templates as well as start-from-scratch options?
- Detail-Oriented User Stories — User stories are critical to understand what type of customer you are marketing to and what problems you need to solve for them. Does the tool provide a way to deeply customize and visualize your user stories?
- Gantt Charts and other Task Management Functionality — Free product management apps shouldn't skimp on the high levels of task management required for your internal team.
- Feature Prioritization Feedback — It’s important to have a way for end-users, stakeholders, or product team members to pitch in or vote on what features should be prioritized. User feedback is very important for feature flagging.
- Support Various PM Methodologies — A good product management app should work with you, not against you—be it Scrum, Kanban, Lean Development, or however you work best.
Usability
Product planning can be complex and strenuous so the last thing your team needs is obtuse, difficult-to-learn software while they are trying to collaborate. Any product management software should offer demos, training, and other learning management tools.
Integrations
Product and project management will tug you in all sorts of directions at once. So, it's key that your app workspaces speak together. Common integrations I am checking for include Trello, Aha, Roadmunk, Slack, Airfocus, Intercom, Salesforce, Zendesk, Dropbox, Microsoft, and Google.
Pricing
I am specifically addressing free product management software in this article; however, I am keeping in mind that they should still offer great value to product managers despite their free pricing. Plus, paid plans should be affordable and transparent should your team grow to the point of needing them.
Free Product Management Software FAQs
Find answers to common questions other people ask about this topic.
Why are product management tools important?
Product management tools help teams structure their product strategy. Within these solutions you can house all the tools, documents, and presentations pertaining to product information. Free production manager software provides a single repository to house all of this up-to-date information, without having to pay a monthly or annual fee.
How is free product management software used in small businesses?
Small businesses have small teams. Workloads can easily become overwhelming as a company grows, without dedicated team members to complete each task. Free team management tools help small businesses organize the myriad tasks involved in the product development life cycle, including timelines, customer analytics, and strategy.
What are the benefits of free product management software?
Product management software ensures that development teams are making strategic decisions and optimizing task completion times. These tools help development teams to understand and remain up to date on customer needs, and to use real-time data to improve the contribution of product lines.
What is the difference between product management software and project management software?
Product management software helps product managers and their teams to develop, organize, and communicate the product strategy throughout the product life cycle. Project management software helps project managers and their teams track the execution of a product strategy.
Related Read: A Guide To Product Analytics: Benefits, Metrics & Why It Matters
What are some open source product management tools?
As listed above, Odoo is a great option for open source product management software. However, it’s not the only one. Here are some open source product management apps you can pick from:
- Akeneo PIM Software (Paid)
- StrikeTru (Paid)
- OpenProject (Free Community Edition)
- OpenPLM (Free)
Can I integrate free product management software with other tools we use?
Integration capabilities in free product management software may vary. While the free versions generally support basic integrations, it’s essential to assess whether they align with your team’s specific needs. Look for compatibility with tools crucial to your workflow, such as version control systems (e.g., Git), communication platforms (e.g., Slack), or document sharing services (e.g., Google Drive). Some free versions might have limitations on the number or types of integrations available, so it’s crucial to verify that the software can seamlessly work with your existing toolset. This ensures a smoother and more efficient workflow for your team.
If advanced integrations are critical to your processes, you may need to consider whether upgrading to a paid plan offers more comprehensive integration options.
What's Next?
Learn about the product life cycle management stages and 15 product feature prioritization frameworks that can help you become more proficient in product management. However, if you are looking for something more advanced, we have a great article on product strategy where we highlight 5 key elements of a product development strategy you cannot miss.
Related tool lists:
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