Why free doesn’t mean you’ll get the best project management software available
It’s true! We all love a freebie – whether it be a tasty food sample offered out at our local supermarket or a free trial of a useful professional tool we’ve been considering using to make our work that little bit easier. However, when it comes to finding the best project management software for your needs, choosing the free option isn’t always best.
Best project management software: why ‘free’ isn’t always best
The free version is often severely limited: especially when it comes to specialised project management software, the free version is all too often severely limited or ‘basic’; offering just a handful of the features available for single use or the use of a very small/limited number of users. And, whilst these free (basic) options may be attractive and, of course, suitable for a short period of time or should you be just 1 professional operating in isolation, for companies of any significant size, requiring multi-user access and/or managing large portfolios, these free options tend to simply be too limiting for long term use.
Bolt-ons and added costs add up: often, free project management software comes with the opportunity to ‘bolt-on’ features or upgrade to a paid package for features you need, especially as your team grows and, it goes without saying that these costs can add up making that ‘free’ version suddenly very expensive!
No – or very little – communication / customer support / troubleshooting: free project management software rarely comes with any tangible support and, as such, if something goes wrong with your PMO tool, you may find it a challenging fix. Having support on hand when you need it and good communication with your software provider is invaluable to the smooth operation of your processes.
No or limited customisable content: your processes, project portfolio and team are all unique to your business and, as such, having access to project management tools that are customisable to your processes, brand, and working style(s) is essential to the success of your PMO. However, because it’s free, no cost PMO software won’t come with any – or will provide limited – access to customisable content; limiting its successful and long term integration into your business.
What makes the best PMO software?
When it comes to choosing the best PMO software for your business, finding something that’s secure, provides you with the ability to customise key features, provides multi-user access – and the ability to add more without excessive caps – all with a team that offers support, advice & guidance when you need it. This, we think, is key to finding the best project management software for your needs.
To find out more about Sycamore Gap’s PMO software or book a demo, please click here.
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