OpenProject or what Project Planning Software in 2023 to choose

December 21, 2023

Now, at the end of 2023, I decided to sum up both my experience in using software tools for project planning, execution, and control, and my knowledge of the tools I haven’t used extensively, but probably would use.

Firstly, the article would serve as my answer to one of the possible questions about the technical side of the PM triangle of knowledge I possess. Secondly, it would probably help someone who just makes his decision about the proper choice of the platform to use in their startup. Finally, I would try to compare the bare power of my mind with one assisted with AI, so first I would write the article as is, and then review and enrich it with knowledge obtained from different AI sources.

Let me start from the end. Probably, if you are making your own decision, you should take into consideration just a crystal clear vision of AI, gathered from the Internet and purified by its mega-brain. The most interesting for me appears using https://www.perplexity.ai/, calling GPT-4 at the backend on its premium plan. Or, asking OpenAI if you have a subscription. Or, finally, asking Copilot in Microsoft Edge, until Google’s Gemini comes to the public.

What I was going to ask the Edge Copilot about was the following query:

Give me the list of all possible options for both cloud and self-hosted software to plan and execute projects, actual in 2023. The list should include both free and paid options, open-source and private. The list should be sorted out by the overall popularity, and must include 1) the number of users in 2023, if known, or the number of licenses sold, or the number of downloads (please highlight the metric used), 2) the breakdown of costs per free or freemium license and all possible paid licenses, 3) matrix of built-in features, 4) the list of the most popular extensions with a brief summary of their functions.

I will do the query and enrich the article with the results at the end of this article. Now, I would like to sum up the options I have off the top of my head, trying to find the best answers at a minimal or free price.

So, my initial intent was to find a way first to make a draft plan of a long-lasting, say 3-4-6+ months, project with a visualization like a Gantt Chart, assignments of tasks to roles, auto-scheduling, setting tasks dependencies, getting milestones, and if possible specify not just a point estimate of each task but PERT. You can disagree, saying that in the modern Agile world, such an approach is not actual anymore. Anyway, one of your duties as a Project Manager is to keep costs, scope, and timeline, and at the beginning of the project you either should provide at least draft costs and timeline for a given scope, or check that the given timeline and costs are realistic for the given scope. And, if you are responsible for neither timeline nor costs, you are the luckiest 1% of PMs!

And here is the first embarrassing piece of news that comes in. You will find no Gantt Chart planning tool out of the box, ready to work, versatile, and free of charge. Go to your boss and get the license for MS Project.

However, I tried to find something, first in my memory. The tool I used years ago was Project Libre, so I decided to check what it looks like in 2023. Initially developed in 2012, it was a desktop application written on Java. Now things changed not too significantly. There was a Limited Beta Cloud version claimed on their site, for teams of 3+ with monthly pay and no price defined yet. To evaluate the risks of using this application in its open-source desktop form, see the variety and frequency of the last comments first:

The last build appeared in January 2021. Personally, when I tried to use Project Libre in the past, around 2017, it worked, and the only reason to use it was its free availability. So, now, in 2023, as a tool to learn basics of the project management, as the critical path or Gantt chart, and in many languages, it is perfect. As a tool for day-by-day work, integrated with other data sources or having plugins to extend the functionality – no, it is not about it.

The second alternative from my memory, OpenProject, looked much more alive, so I decided to check it deeper. It has a Community edition, free of charge, and an Enterprise one. You can host both editions on your own server or use them in the Cloud. The best thing ever in the 14-day trial is that no one asks you what organization you work for, what is your purpose, or when it is better to call you to get details about your planned usage. No credit card number too, just provide your email and start. So, I selected a Cloud version and started my trial to see what is available in this tool now.

At the beginning, you see a series of prompts about basic usage of the software, and that’s it. My like!

You can configure the modules to appear, not to overload the UI, as in good old CRM.

And you can configure the types of entities to use, however, you cannot add your new one.

Custom Fields are available, good news! Moreover, you can set their scope for one of 6 areas:

The “home” page of your project is customizable. It is not a fully configurable dashboard, but good too!

Another pearl is that you can customize the Gantt chart seen on the project home page, to show say only milestones or other important pieces of information.

Integration with code repositories:

Integration is possible also via custom webhooks: OpenProject can send notifications to your service if some of the events happen:

Inbound queries are possible via REST API. This is perfect!

The extensive information about API and webhooks is better to read at the official site.

The tiny and very useful feature is announcements for users 🙂

The tool is multi-lingual, with a customizable UI.

Other extension options include Slack integration and plugins:

However, the plugins list is not extendable and moreover is not editable. Probably it is a limitation of a Cloud version?

How much does it cost? You can calculate right inside the web UI:

What will probably take some time is to get used to this a bit parrot-like UX style:

TeamPlanner looks good:

With OpenProject you even can track your project meetings:

And see in one place all your notifications:

Now, if you can install a community-free version in your own data center, why do you need to pay at all something? Let’s have a look at what you will lose.

First, compared to the Base level, you will get no Enterprise Add-Ons. That means you will have no:

  • Team Planner (personally, I love this tool in MS Project!)
  • UX customization, with your own logo
  • Single Sign-on
  • Action boards (Status, Assignee, etc), Agile boards, and (probably, need to check) customization of boards
  • Baseline comparison to track changes in projects
  • Displaying graphs directly on the project overview page to visualize important project information
  • Workflow customization by custom actions
  • Date alerts
  • Work package forms customization at the field level
  • Per-project custom fields
  • Project tasks relationships (“relates to”)
  • Sharepoint / OneDrive integration
  • Finally, assigning tasks not to users, but to roles with no email associated (“Placeholder users”)

For me, it looks very strange to name “Role” as a “Placeholder user”, and have it in the “Enterprise Add-on” domain. It is just a basic functionality of any planning software. So, instead of “UX Designer” on my free-tier configuration, I will have to introduce an email like “[email protected]”. Looks weird, but probably I can get used to it for $800 per year.

Or, probably, I can use a Basic plan for $7/month, and be happy with it, compared to an MS Project subscription for $10, or $27/month. It really depends.

Azure DevOps was not on my list just because it had no Gantt chart out of the box. With the first 5 users free, then $6 per user per month for its Basic Plan, it would be the greatest option. However, free add-ons can supply their own Gantt charts, e.g. EPAM’s one. There are 11 add-ons in total, both paid and free.

I heard something about dotProject in the past, but I could not remember what exactly, so I decided to recap my knowledge. It was free and remains free now. “Free”, however, means that you must have free hands to install this PHP software on your server, feel free of any support or further releases, and freely will be looking what works and what does not, and in what way. Look at the extensions page at https://sourceforge.net/projects/dotmods/files/, and notice your feeling of the time machine. Yes, to get back to the past you just need to stop any further development.. So, if you are interested in PHP development and very curious, you can grab the source code and launch it. If not, you may be the next collaborator to this issue:

Atlassian Jira was not on my list initially, just because of the lack of the Gantt chart out of the box, and moreover limited planning possibilities. I thought. There was the Jira Portfolio plugin, now Advanced Roadmaps. But then I changed my mind, looking at timeline views, introduced in all Jira products. E.g. you can schedule the work of your scrum teams for sprints.

I am always trying to find the best option for its price. In the case of Jira Software, planning is possible at Basic (one project only, one case only) and Advanced scenarios (multiple projects, “plan A” and “plan B” scenarios, team capacities). Basic planning is available in a free tier, up to 10 users, or Basic, $8.15 per user per month. Advanced costs $16 per user per month.

(image source)

=> choosing between OpenProject and Jira Software, I would vote for Jira 🙂

Microsoft Project was not on my list too, because of traditionally high costs, and the availability of cheaper alternatives. The desktop version is OK, but only for Windows. Someone may think that the cloud license for $10 per user per month will be OK, however, that’s not true. For true project planning, with tasks, and resources, you will have to spend $30 per user. For $10 you will get only Project Online Essentials, which is a simple task-based outside, and Sharepoint-list inside tool.

Trello with some Gantt chart power-up would probably be an option, but we have Jira, who owns Trello now, and Jira Software; moreover, Trello power-up will ask for the money 🙂

Finally, Monday.com is good, but Timeline and Gantt’s views appear only in the Standard version for €10 per user per month, so Jira Software may be a better option.

So, at that moment I am done with everything off the top of my head, and starting to ask an Artificial Intelligence (by the way, in Jira you can see Atlassian Intelligence term :)), in the form of Edge Copilot first:

The response I got (omitting the excuses of AI) was:

Here are some popular project management software options in 2023:

  1. monday.com12: Known for its ease of use, monday.com offers both cloud and self-hosted options. It’s used by a large number of teams3. The pricing starts at $8 per user per month4. It’s best for customized workflows5.
  2. Smartsheet12: Best for spreadsheet-based project management. It also offers both cloud and self-hosted options. The pricing starts at $7 per user per month4.
  3. Zoho Projects12: It’s a budget-friendly option best for small businesses. The pricing starts at $5 per user per month4.
  4. Jira Service Management1: It’s best for software development teams. The pricing starts at $7.75 per user per month4.
  5. Confluence1: It’s best for team collaboration and documentation. The pricing starts at $5.75 per user per month4.
  6. Asana12: Known for balanced project management. The pricing starts at $10.99 per user per month4.
  7. OpenProject67: It’s one of the most secure open-source project management platforms. The pricing starts at $7.25 per user6.
  8. Redmine7: It’s a powerful open-source management software with unparalleled support7.
  9. Leantime6: It’s a user-friendly open-source project management solution. The pricing starts at $7 per user6.
  10. MeisterTask7: It’s a highly customizable and attractive open-source solution7.

I read the answer thoroughly. Monday.com is at the top of the list, good, but frankly speaking, I saw not a few vacancies with a requirement to possess Monday’s experience. Anyway, it is my personal to-learn list. Smartsheet looks like a balanced solution for their $7, or even $0 for just a single-user license, but needs to be evaluated. Zoho Projects in my strong opinion was more about general planning than Software Development. Jira + Confluence is anunbeatable classic. Asana is another tool I would like to learn someday.

Now, about my old good friend. I worked with Redmine about 12 years ago, so I was surprised to see this tool in this list. However, with the last release on Oct 31, 2023, being actively supported, it may be a strong candidate for your own self-hosted PMO, especially when you are looking not for a fancier UI, but for a fully functional and extensible solution. And .. if you can schedule the tasks somehow in your mind…

..or if you install a plugin from a great open-source contributor and developer. And probably one day you’ll decide to write your own.

Leantime was a new player for me, and I guess for the majority of you. I added this tool to the top of my to-learn list, because of the “.ai” domain in its name and the “Everything + AI (L.E.O.)” pricing plan for $10 per user per month. “AI” features are AI Status Reports, AI Status Updates, and AI Story Time. I am eager to compare the AI of Leantime with the AI of Atlassian 🙂

Finally, MeisterTask is a new player for me too, but I haven’t found anything appealing on their website. They launched in 2021, have corporate customers, their product supports integration with more than 20 external services, and their price tag is higher than competitors. That’s all I can see.

I decided to check the response from other AI, now perplexity, using the same question, first in anonymous mode:

The response:

The search did not return specific details such as the number of users, licenses sold, or downloads for project management tools in 2023. However, I can provide a general list of popular options for both cloud and self-hosted project management software, along with their characteristics.

Cloud-Based Project Management Tools

  1. Trello
    • Cost: Freemium model with additional features in paid plans.
    • Features: Kanban-style project organization, task assignments, and integration with various apps.
    • Extensions: Power-Ups for adding custom fields, calendar view, and more.
  2. Asana
    • Cost: Free for basic features, paid plans for additional functionality.
    • Features: Task management, goal tracking, and team collaboration.
    • Extensions: Add-ons for time tracking, reporting, and budgeting.
  3. Jira Software
    • Cost: Free for small teams, paid plans based on the number of users.
    • Features: Agile project management, customizable workflows, and robust reporting.
    • Extensions: Marketplace for various integrations, automation, and testing tools.

Self-Hosted Project Management Tools

  1. Redmine
    • Cost: Open-source and free to use.
    • Features: Issue tracking, Gantt charts, and time tracking.
    • Extensions: Plugins for additional functionality like CRM, helpdesk, and finance management.
  2. Taiga
    • Cost: Open-source with a free basic plan, paid plans for advanced features.
    • Features: Agile project management, customizable workflows, and real-time collaboration.
    • Extensions: Integrations with version control systems, chat applications, and customer support tools.
  3. GitLab
    • Cost: Open-core model with a free tier and paid plans for additional features.
    • Features: Integrated DevOps platform, version control, and issue tracking.
    • Extensions: Marketplace for CI/CD integrations, security tools, and agile portfolio management.

Then I turned in the Copilot feature and asked the same question again. It first asked me to clarify the scope, which is good; I pointed to the Software development. Anyway, there is no GPT4 used to process the answers, we are on the free tier.

Cloud-Based Project Management Tools

  1. monday.com
    • Cost: Starting price from $8 monthly per user
    • Features: Adaptive project management, agile methodologies, and customizable workflows
    • Extensions: Integrations with Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce, and more
  2. Asana
    • Cost: Free for basic features, paid plans for additional functionality
    • Features: Task management, goal tracking, and team collaboration
    • Extensions: Add-ons for time tracking, reporting, and budgeting
  3. Zoho Projects
    • Cost: Starting price from $10 monthly per user
    • Features: Integrations with various apps and robust reporting
    • Extensions: Marketplace for CI/CD integrations, security tools, and agile portfolio management
  4. ClickUp
    • Cost: Free for unlimited members, paid plans for additional features
    • Features: Customizable task views, integrations with Slack, Outlook, and more
    • Extensions: Power-Ups for adding custom fields, calendar view, and more
  5. Trello
    • Cost: Freemium model with additional features in paid plans
    • Features: Kanban-style project organization, task assignments, and integration with various apps
    • Extensions: Power-Ups for adding custom fields, calendar view, and more
  6. Wrike
    • Cost: Starting price from $10 monthly per user
    • Features: Gantt charts, spreadsheet-like features, and powerful reports
    • Extensions: Integrations with various apps and custom workflows
  7. Smartsheet
    • Cost: Free version available, starting price from $7 per user per month
    • Features: Workflow automation, Gantt charts, and customizable forms
    • Extensions: Integrations with Google Drive, Slack, Tableau, Miro, Zapier, and more
  8. Notion
    • Cost: Free for basic features, paid plans for additional functionality
    • Features: Content creation, project management, and team collaboration
    • Extensions: Integrations with various apps and custom workflows

Self-Hosted Project Management Tools

  1. Redmine
    • Cost: Open-source and free to use
    • Features: Issue tracking, Gantt charts, and time tracking
    • Extensions: Plugins for additional functionality like CRM, helpdesk, and finance management
  2. Taiga
    • Cost: Open-source with a free basic plan, paid plans for advanced features
    • Features: Agile project management, customizable workflows, and real-time collaboration
    • Extensions: Integrations with version control systems, chat applications, and customer support tools
  3. GitLab
    • Cost: Open-core model with a free tier and paid plans for additional features
    • Features: Integrated DevOps platform, version control, and issue tracking
    • Extensions: Marketplace for CI/CD integrations, security tools, and agile portfolio management
  4. OpenProject
    • Cost: Open-source and free to use
    • Features: Robust project management with customizable workflows and integration with various tools
    • Extensions: Plugins for additional functionality like CRM, helpdesk, and finance management
  5. Tuleap
    • Cost: Open-source and free to use
    • Features: All-in-one project management and software development tool
    • Extensions: Integrations with various apps and custom workflows

My own conclusions from this small research are:

  • To feed my curiosity, I would like to try AI features in Leantime and Jira, and finally decide if I will have a job as a Project Manager in say 2025, or not, being fully replaced by AI in features estimation, project planning, monitoring project status, notification, tracking the meetings, or even coffee talks;
  • For my everyday needs, Microsoft Edge’s Copilot is more than enough, with GPT 3.5 and DALL-E 3;
  • I need to advance in prompt engineering 🙂

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Peace to All of Us!