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Freedcamp is a solid but quite basic and unremarkable project management software. It has all of the conventional makings of a great tool but does very little to set itself apart from competitors when considering its paid options. However, if you're looking for a free task management platform, this tool exceeds expectations.
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Every few years, a new trend is introduced either by some revolutionary thinker or by accident.
Interestingly, it doesn't really matter who thinks it up or introduces it; what matters is what changes because of it and the aftermath of its introduction, which is typically a long string of copycats and ripoffs that attempt to cash in on the new trend until it dies off.
While testing Freedcamp, I couldn't help but feel like I was testing yet another copycat in a long line of copycats in project management software.
Don't get me wrong; the software takes what other vendors have done and delivers those features in a convenient and reliable package. But the only thing setting Freedcamp apart from the competition is the free version of its software and its relatively cheap pricing model for paid options. More on that later.
Freedcamp is perfect for users looking for a straightforward software that covers the project management basics without all of the complications and fancy features -- especially if you're on a tight budget.
In fact, I would recommend this tool to any team and project manager new to this kind of software.
There are very few project management tools on the market that offer unlimited users, storage, and projects with the free version of the software, and that is Freedcamp's secret sauce.
Once you get past those benefits, though, you'll find a paint-by-numbers project management tool beneath the surface. Once you graduate to its paid versions, Freedcamp doesn't have any unique functions that you can't find in any other tool -- many of which are cheaper.
Freedcamp offers many of the basic features you'd expect from a paid project management software but leaves a few behind, such as budgeting, Gantt charts, and kanban boards.
As I've mentioned, Freedcamp really shines with its free version, which offers unlimited users, projects, and storage -- almost unheard of with free project management tools.
Freedcamp includes a docs and files section where you can upload images, documents, and spreadsheets from your computer and organize those files into their own respective folders.
Working in conjunction with the time-tracking feature, you can create and send detailed invoices to your clients.
Freedcamp is simultaneously easy to use and somewhat difficult to navigate. In the main dashboard, you have access to some of your most important pieces of information such as a simple task list, important updates, a project list, and a simplified shared team calendar.
The only available menu is the top navigation bar, which includes buttons for the home dashboard, projects, the task list, the main shared calendar, and the widget creator.
Unfortunately, this home dashboard doesn't give you a direct path to other features such as files, discussions, time tracking, or reporting. Instead, I had to search for these features, which was a little frustrating at first.
To navigate to the dashboard for a specific project, click on the "choose project" dropdown at the top left-hand corner of the screen and click on a current project, which takes you to its dashboard.
Once there, there's a new side menu giving you access to the aforementioned discussions, time tracking, and files -- but still no reporting. I tested the "Minimalist" tier, which is just above the free tier, but you need to upgrade to an even higher level to get access to any reporting functions.
I find it quite surprising that such a key feature such as reporting (even simple reporting capability) is hidden behind not one pricing tier, but two. Not exactly a dealbreaker considering the low prices for this tool, but surprising nonetheless.
Once you nail the navigational quirks, Freedcamp is pretty easy to use. Task creation, calendar management, file storage, and discussions work as expected.
As of the end of 2020, Freedcamp has added new task management functions, including Gantt charts and kanban boards, which really add to the versatility of the platform. When I reviewed Freedcamp in 2019, the only real options for task management were the simple task list and a shared calendar for visualizing task due dates.
These features, although useful, don't give enough contextual information into the execution process of the project, such as the span of time it takes to complete work, or the bottlenecks that are slowing things down.
However, the addition of these features really improves my view of the Freedcamp platform. While the functionality and design are still unoriginal within the project management software market, I always welcome the inclusion of more easy-to-use features that users are actually looking for.
Freedcamp has almost supplanted Podio as one of the cheapest project management tools I've ever seen.
Freedcamp's free version has a lot to offer, including task management, shared team calendars, file sharing, team communication, and many other options. The reason I say Freedcamp "almost" beats Podio is because while the monthly rates for the paid tiers are very inexpensive considering everything you get, the former structures its pricing on a per-user basis versus the latter's flat rate.
That being said, Freedcamp is extremely affordable for its first two pricing tiers and even relatively affordable when it comes to the top Enterprise tier:
My main complaint with Freedcamp in terms of pricing is that it reserves seemingly basic features such as reporting and templates for the higher pricing tiers. I understand placing specialized features such as private cloud servers or two-factor authentication in the more advanced options, but basic features belong in the basic options.
For this reason, I took a few points off of Freedcamp's features and pricing scores.
All of Freedcamp's pricing tiers have access to some kind of support, but it hides phone support behind another paywall: You'll have to buy into the Enterprise pricing tier for that, and for $16.99 per user, per month, that's a high price to pay to speak to a real human being.
The lower tiers allow access to a multitude of useful video tutorials and product guides, but contact forms are your one form of customer support at those levels. You can expect to get a response within 24 hours.
The greatest benefit of Freedcamp is the price. This software has a lot to offer for very little.
If you're looking to learn the ropes of project management software and don't want to waste tons of money in the process, this is the perfect tool for you. Freedcamp can do almost anything most other project management tools can do.
Sure, you'll leave certain functions behind, such as integrations, templates, and reporting, but you'll be hard-pressed to find another free tool that offers unlimited users, projects, and storage.
If you're looking for a tool that can manage your tasks, track the time spent on those tasks, store files, create team discussions, build invoices, and create reports, then Freedcamp has you covered.
Additionally, Freedcamp also takes pride in its security capabilities -- particularly important during 2020, which has seen a dramatic increase in cyberattacks. Along with its SSO, 2FA, and account permissions features, Freedcamp has partnered with Cyberoo, an Italian cybersecurity firm.
Cyberoo has put Freedcamp through sessions of penetration testing and determined that the platform is secure against hacking attacks, making it a solid option for distributed teams. This is great news for those working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic who are concerned about the vulnerabilities of a decentralized workstyle.
In a bubble, Freedcamp is a solid option. It offers almost everything you'd need to track and manage your project to a successful conclusion, albeit with a few features left on the table (Gantt charts, budgeting, and kanban boards).
It's a quality software option -- especially for the price -- despite a few disappointments, such as making reporting available only for Business users and higher.
However, we don't live in a bubble, and I can't help but wonder why an experienced project manager would choose a paid version of Freedcamp when you can get far more for less money with options like Podio. If everything you need is provided by the free version of Freedcamp, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better option, but if you're already prepared to pay for a tool, you can do better.
File Sharing | Budgeting | Collaborative Tools | Phone Support | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Freedcamp | ||||
Mavenlink | ||||
Podio | ||||
Asana | ||||
Jira |
Yes! This is the single best highlight of Freedcamp, hands down. Freedcamp offers a very generous free version of its software that offers task management, a shared team calendar, file storage, team discussions, project milestones, and time tracking. Even better, Freedcamp puts no limitations on the number of users, the number of projects, or storage used with its free option.
I would recommend Freedcamp for any team new to using project management software, with the exception of teams that need to track budgets. This software has all of the basics you'd expect from any project management system, but at a very affordable price. This tool is especially great for training teams on project management software with the goal of eventually graduating to a more feature-rich platform.
Freedcamp offers all kinds of customer support, including video tutorials, help guides, contact forms, and (if you sign up for their top tier) priority phone support. All of this onboarding content is very comprehensive and covers most, if not all functions and potential issues.
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