Mission administration professionals are in search of the easiest way to ship their initiatives. That leads them to merchandise like OpenProject. It’s a Microsoft Project alternative that’s free, simpler and fosters collaboration. It’s particularly widespread within the IT neighborhood.
Why? Open-source software program is free. Anybody can view, modify and distribute it. That makes it designed for collaboration and the worth is definitely proper. However there are points with open supply, too. Let’s look critically at OpenProject, its makes use of, options and pricing to assist customers resolve if it’s proper for them.
What Is OpenProject?
OpenProject is open-source undertaking administration software program designed for use in conventional undertaking administration methodologies, but additionally in an agile setting or hybrid methodology. It’s collaborative and has undertaking monitoring in addition to a collection of complete options that can be utilized for managing complicated initiatives.
It’s a highly effective software, widespread due to its skill to handle initiatives of various complexity. Groups that gravitate in direction of OpenProject are inclined to need a customizable and collaborative undertaking administration resolution, in contrast to extra inflexible instruments equivalent to Microsoft Mission. Its web site could be barebones and might appear like spam or a phishing web site, which might alienate customers who need a safer software.
As a result of OpenProject is open-source software program, there are legitimate safety issues. For a protected and dependable OpenProject various, there’s ProjectManager, award-winning undertaking and portfolio administration software program that retains buyer information safe with servers and an onlinr platform that meets requirements for SOC 2 audit compliance with a NIST cybersecurity framework. Information is securely encrypted and saved in AWS utilizing industry-standard greatest practices.
ProjectManager additionally has an API to collaborate with the developer neighborhood. This newly redesigned API offers clients the instruments to develop, implement and handle their bespoke integrations between two methods. Builders can join our software program to any system their crew makes use of to create organizational transparency, extra dependable information and higher reporting. Plus, it’s free to make use of on all ProjectManager editions. Our software program can also be appropriate with Macs, Home windows and Linux working methods. Get began with ProjectManager right this moment free of charge.
OpenProject Views
Earlier than deciding on the correct undertaking administration software program, it’s greatest to get a full image. The very first thing most will wish to know is what undertaking views are supplied by OpenProject. Let’s have a look at the undertaking views that this open-source software program supplies.
- Gantt Charts: Visualizes project timelines, hyperlinks dependencies and tracks milestones and deadlines
- Activity Lists: Create and handle duties with varied standing and priorities
- Kanban Boards: Visualize workflow, help agile environments
OpenProject Options
Mission views are just one facet of OpenProject. As with all project management software, some options assist undertaking managers and their groups plan, handle and observe work all through the life cycle of the undertaking.
- Mission Planning and Scheduling: Gantt charts arrange duties, hyperlink dependencies and set milestones to mark necessary undertaking dates. There are additionally work packages to handle duties, deliverables and points.
- Activity Administration: With task lists, customers can create duties, assign them to crew members and prioritize the order by which they’re executed to make sure important work is finished first.
- Agile Mission Administration: Above are extra conventional undertaking administration methodologies, however OpenProject can also be designed to work in an agile environment, with scrum boards for managing sprints and backlogs, kanban boards and versatile and environment friendly workflow administration.
- Time Monitoring: Managers can observe the time groups spend on duties, monitor productiveness and handle budgets. There are additionally detailed time studies.
- Collaboration Instruments: Talk with the crew and share information by boards and wikis, add and handle undertaking paperwork to make sure everybody has entry to related information.
- Reporting and Analytics: Create and look at customized studies on undertaking metrics, equivalent to progress, time monitoring and resource allocation. Dashboards present an outline of undertaking standing and key efficiency indicators (KPIs)
Plans and Pricing
That is the primary promoting level of OpenProject and all open-source software program, it’s free. There isn’t any pricing construction. Simply obtain the software program. That’s true for one model, however different plans would require cost.
- Group: Free, no minimal variety of customers
- Primary: $7.25 per consumer per thirty days, a minimal of 5 customers
- Skilled: $13.50 per consumer per thirty days, a minimal of 25 customers
- Premium: $19.50 per consumer per thirty days, with a minimal of 100 customers
- Enterprise: out there upon request
Whereas ProjectManager doesn’t have a free version, its plans and pricing construction are aggressive with OpenProject. Customers get the identical instruments, however with the added safety and encryption they wish to shield their information. ProjectManager is simply as versatile for waterfall, agile or hybrid initiatives, and has a number of undertaking views, reporting and dashboards that observe initiatives, packages and portfolios, together with roadmaps and useful resource administration instruments when managing a number of initiatives.
Professionals and Cons of OpenProject
We’ve outlined OpenProject and reviewed its options, however that was finished factually and with out bias. Now’s the time so as to add a little bit of important distance from the open-source app. Under is an inventory of the professionals and cons of OpenProject.
Professionals
- Complete options, together with task management, timelines, Gantt charts, agile boards, time monitoring and reporting
- Collaborative instruments for crew collaboration, equivalent to messaging, doc sharing and undertaking boards
- Customizable as customers can tailor workflows, challenge monitoring and undertaking buildings to suit their wants throughout a number of methodologies
- Open supply permits customers to examine, modify and prolong the software program, which is free on the primary tier
- Safety isn’t as robust as with different instruments, however customers do assessment and contribute to the safety of the software program and there are frequent updates
Cons
- Advanced options could be laborious to arrange and use, particularly for smaller groups or these unfamiliar with undertaking administration software program
- Efficiency points can happen, relying on the size and configuration of the software program, particularly with bigger initiatives or in depth consumer bases
- Safety and encryption aren’t as robust as with industrial merchandise
- Studying curve required to know the broad vary of functionalities, particularly for brand spanking new customers, who will want time and coaching
- Consumer interface shouldn’t be fashionable or intuitive in comparison with industrial undertaking administration software program
- Useful resource intensive, particularly for self-hosted deployment, which may result in larger infrastructure prices
- Integration limitations don’t help many third-party instruments
- Lacking superior project management tools, equivalent to useful resource administration or complicated portfolio administration
- Cell expertise is lower than strong
FAQ
Is OpenProject Free?
Sure and no. The fundamental tier is free, however the extra superior options include a price.
What are the variations between the free version and the paid model of OpenProject?
The free model of OpenProject has primary undertaking administration options with neighborhood help. The paid variations supply hosted options with further options {and professional} help.
Can OpenProject be hosted alone servers?
Sure. OpenProject could be put in on-premises with your personal servers, offering higher management over the software program and information, however requires managing the infrastructure and upkeep.
Is OpenProject SOC 2 compliant?
No. The service supplier hasn’t carried out controls to guard information and keep safety at that degree.
Is OpenProject portfolio administration software program?
No. It’s undertaking administration software program, it doesn’t embrace options for managing multiple projects.
ProjectManager Is the Finest OpenProject Various
ProjectManager has a number of undertaking views, process and useful resource administration options, but additionally threat administration, portfolio administration and workflow automation with process approval settings to make sure high quality deliverables. It’s not free, however the pricing is similar to OpenProject if one considers the superior options out there in its paid variations. Plus, there’s higher safety, encryption and API giving clients instruments to develop, implement and handle integrations. Our software program is simply as collaborative however can deal with initiatives large and small throughout methodologies, and with a extra fashionable and intuitive interface. It additionally works throughout a number of working methods, together with Mac, Home windows and Linux.
Use Built-in Instruments and Superior Reporting
Whereas OpenProject has a number of undertaking views, ProjectManager does, too. However our software program has Gantt charts, process lists, kanban boards, but additionally a sheet and calendar view. There’s time monitoring, process and useful resource administration multi function platform. OpenProject has a modular method the place some superior functionalities would possibly require further plugins. One factor lacking from OpenProject is superior reporting. ProjectManager has real-time undertaking and portfolio dashboards and customizable studies that observe standing, portfolio, time, value, variance, workload timesheets and extra.
Steadiness Workload With Useful resource Administration Instruments
OpenProject has primary useful resource administration options, preliminary centered on time monitoring and process assignments. Nevertheless, managing a undertaking efficiently requires the sort of strong useful resource administration discovered with ProjectManager. Customers can allocate assets, stability workload and do capability planning with Gantt charts and the color-coded workload web page. These instruments optimize useful resource use throughout one or a number of initiatives, preserving groups working at capability with out eroding morale. Managers may also set availability when onboarding groups and forecast useful resource availability and wishes.
These are simply a few of the options. There are additionally automated and customized workflows to streamline enterprise processes, with process approvals to make sure solely high quality deliverables. Risk management options assist to determine and observe points till they’re mitigated. Limitless file storage turns the software program right into a hub for undertaking documentation and world search makes it straightforward to search out something. Generally you get what you pay for. To higher handle initiatives, spend money on ProjectManager.
ProjectManager is on-line undertaking and portfolio administration software program that connects groups whether or not they’re within the workplace, out within the area or wherever on the planet. They’ll share information, remark on the process degree and keep up to date with e-mail and in-app notifications. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.
