Free picks · Mac
Best free project management apps for Mac (2026)
Every pick is listed under Project Management in our directory, runs on a Mac and is completely free or has a free plan. We rank them by our rating and popularity, then favour tools made mainly for project management and apps built for Mac.
Short answer
The best free project management apps for Mac are Linear, Trello and Asana, the top three of 10 matches in our directory. 4 of the 10 picks are completely free and the other 6 have a free plan; 4 are open source.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 10
- Completely free
- 4
- Open source
- 4
- Work offline
- 2
- Native apps
- 2
Comparison table
“Free plan” means a free tier with paid upgrades. A dash in Licence means our directory does not list the tool as open source.
| # | Name | Pricing | Platforms | Licence | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linear | Free plan | Web, macOS, Windows | — | Issue tracking built for speed and focus. |
| 2 | Trello | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | — | The simplest possible kanban board for visual work tracking. |
| 3 | Asana | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | — | Structured project and workload management for growing teams. |
| 4 | ClickUp | Free plan | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | — | One dense workspace for tasks, docs, goals and reporting. |
| 5 | Gitea | Free | Web, Linux, macOS, Windows | Open source | A lightweight self-hosted home for your code and projects. |
| 6 | KiCad | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source | Free, open-source software for designing circuit boards. |
| 7 | Huly | Free | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source | Projects, chat, docs and planning in one open-source workspace. |
| 8 | Taskade | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux | — | Where ideas meet action: AI powered team productivity. |
| 9 | Kanri | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux, Offline | Open source | An offline Kanban board app with no account or internet needed. |
| 10 | MeisterTask | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | — | A Kanban-style task manager for teams with a generous free plan. |
Why each pick made the list
Every reason is taken from the tool's own listing: its categories, platforms, features, rating and pricing.
Our top Mac pick, rated 4.8/5, the highest here. Made mainly for project management, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web and Windows. Its listing says it has AI features (3 of 10 here).
Watch out for: Less flexible than generic PM tools
Number 2 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.4/5. Made mainly for project management, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, iOS, Android and Windows. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud (the only one here) and is easy to pick up (3 of 10 here).
Watch out for: Weak for dependencies and timelines
Number 3 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.4/5. Made mainly for project management, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, iOS, Android and Windows.
Watch out for: Costs rise quickly per seat
Number 4 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.4/5. Made mainly for project management, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, Linux, iOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it has AI features (3 of 10 here).
Watch out for: Interface is busy at first
Number 5 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for project management, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Linux and Windows.
Watch out for: You run and update it yourself
Number 6 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for project management, one of 7 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (2 of 10 here).
Watch out for: Steep learning curve for beginners
Number 7 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.4/5. Made mainly for project management, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows and Linux.
Watch out for: Self-hosting is fairly heavy
Number 8 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.4/5. Made mainly for task management, it is one of 3 picks here that cover project management as a second use. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, iOS, Android, Windows and 1 more platform. Its listing says it has AI features (3 of 10 here).
Watch out for: Can be overwhelming for new users due to feature richness
Number 9 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.5/5. Made mainly for task management, it is one of 3 picks here that cover project management as a second use. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows, Linux and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (2 of 10 here), is privacy-focused (the only one here) and is easy to pick up (3 of 10 here).
Watch out for: No sync or team sharing
Number 10 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.5/5. Made mainly for task management, it is one of 3 picks here that cover project management as a second use. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, iOS, Android and Windows. Its listing says it is easy to pick up (3 of 10 here).
Watch out for: Free plan limited to three projects
Running these on Mac
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 Mac picks are 8 web apps (Linear, Trello, Asana, ClickUp and 4 others) and 2 desktop apps (KiCad and Kanri).
- 2 of 10 are apps you install on a Mac; the other 8 are web or cloud tools listed for Mac.
- Every Mac pick here also runs somewhere else. ClickUp reaches furthest, on 5 other platforms besides Mac.
- 5 of 10 also run on iPhone and iPad, so the same tool can follow you between Mac and iPhone; Linear, Gitea, KiCad, Huly and 1 other do not.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free project management app for Mac?
- Linear is our first pick. Issue tracking built for speed and focus. Linear has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features or usage.
- Are these project management apps really free?
- Yes, every pick is free to start. Gitea, KiCad, Huly and Kanri are completely free. Linear, Trello, Asana, ClickUp and 2 others have free plans with paid upgrades.
- Which of these project management apps are open source?
- Gitea, KiCad, Huly and Kanri are tagged open source in our directory, so you can read the code of each and, depending on the licence, self-host or modify it.
- Which ones work offline on a Mac?
- KiCad and Kanri are listed as working offline. The others need an internet connection for at least some features.
- Which are easiest for beginners?
- Trello, Kanri and MeisterTask are rated beginner-friendly. 7 picks take more time to learn.
- How many free project management apps for Mac are in the directory?
- 10 match right now, and all of them are on this page. New tools are added as they are checked.
Keep exploring
Wider lists
- All Project Management tools
- Every free list for Mac
- Best free project management tools
- Best free Mac apps
Related free lists
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