Side-by-side comparison
| Capability | ProtoPM Free | Fieldwire Basic | Trello, ClickUp, Zoho, Asana | Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price to start | $0 · No credit card | $0 free tier | $0 free tier | $0 |
| Built for construction | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Daily logs and punch list | Included | Tasks and checklists | Build it yourself | Build it yourself |
| Budget and invoices | Included | Paid plans | No | Manual |
| Team | Unlimited people + collaborators | About 5 users | Capped on most free tiers | Whoever has the file |
| Projects | Unlimited | About 3 | Varies by app | Any number of files |
| Storage | 2 GB free · optional extra | Varies by plan | Often tight on free tiers | Your drive |
The 7 best free options, ranked
- ProtoPM Free: built for construction. Crews share schedule, daily logs, punch, costs and changes on unlimited projects. What's included.
- Fieldwire Basic: built for construction drawings. Strong plan viewing and markup; the free tier caps users and projects.
- Trello Free: a general board app. Good for a visual list of jobs; you build every column and checklist yourself.
- ClickUp Free Forever: a general work app with tasks and docs. Tight file storage on the free plan makes site photos hard.
- Zoho Projects Free: general project management with a Gantt chart, capped to a few users and projects.
- Asana Personal: task lists for one or two people.
- A spreadsheet or free Excel template: fine for one person, but nothing is shared or tracked over time.
How we ranked them
Each option was judged on what a construction team needs on a free plan: daily logs and punch items from the field, a schedule, budget and invoices, and room for the whole crew and their subs. Construction-specific tools rank above general task apps, and limits on users, projects and storage count against a free plan.
How ProtoPM works
Free covers unlimited projects and people, your first company free (extra companies are an add-on), and 2 GB of storage per company (more is optional, from $5/mo per company). See every feature.
- General: create the job (a title is enough), then add status, phase and location.
- Financials: track budget and actuals, and send invoices.
- Schedule: set dates and milestones.
- Files: upload plans, emails and spreadsheets, or take site photos with your phone.
- Field: add daily logs and punch items.
- Project Delivery: record changes, risks and lessons learned.
- Administration: invite your crew. New invites are read-only Viewers, who see progress but not your budget.
Why teams pick ProtoPM
- $0 Free plan with no end date. No credit card.
- Sign up yourself. No demo call.
- Plain tabs for schedule, field, costs and changes.
- Projects and users are unlimited on Free; the core tools stay free. Optional company add-ons start at $5 CAD/mo when you need extras like more storage or branded documents — nobody pays per user.
When another free option wins
Pick Fieldwire Basic when drawings and markups are the main job. Pick Trello, ClickUp or Asana if the team already lives in one and only needs a task list. Stay on a spreadsheet if you're the only one updating it. Teams that need ERP integrations or single sign-on fit enterprise suites better.
How to start
- Sign up free and confirm your email.
- Create a project with just a title.
- Open Schedule, Field or Financials, then invite your crew.
Prefer a spreadsheet?
Start with a free Excel template (no account needed), then move the job into ProtoPM when the crew needs it.
Common questions
- What is the best free construction project management software?
- ProtoPM Free, for teams running live jobs: schedule, daily logs, punch list, budgets, invoices and change log at $0 with no end date, for unlimited projects and users. Fieldwire Basic fits drawing markup; a spreadsheet fits solo jobs.
- What is the best free construction management software?
- For construction teams, ProtoPM Free: $0 with no end date for unlimited projects and users, with 2 GB of storage (more is optional, from $5/mo per company). Fieldwire Basic fits drawing markup; a spreadsheet fits solo jobs.
- Is there free construction project management software with unlimited users?
- Yes. ProtoPM Free has no user, project or collaborator limit, and nobody pays per seat. Subs and clients join projects free as Viewers or Guests. No credit card.
- What is the best free alternative to Procore or Buildertrend?
- ProtoPM Free covers the everyday job tools (schedule, daily logs, punch, costs, invoices and change orders) at $0 with self-serve signup. Procore and Buildertrend still fit firms that need their integrations or builder client portals. ProtoPM vs Procore.
- Is there a free construction project management app for contractors?
- Yes. ProtoPM Free covers schedule, daily logs, punch, costs and changes with unlimited projects, and works in a phone browser. No credit card.
- Can I use Trello, ClickUp or Asana for construction?
- Yes, as a task list. They have no daily logs, punch list, budgets or invoices built in, so you set those up yourself, and free tiers cap users or storage.
- What is the cheapest construction project management software?
- ProtoPM Free costs $0 and doesn't expire. Optional company add-ons start at $5 CAD/mo when you need extras like more storage or branded documents — nobody pays per user.
Related
Ready to try ProtoPM?
Start free. Upgrade only if you need more.