Use a project timeline template to visualize your deadlines. When you’re first outlining your project. A project management template is an effective tool for any project - big or small, simple or complex. In reality, even if the deliverables are small, you still need to estimate how long each task will take, identify the resources required, and assign activities to team members.

One is hardly able to stay on top of the growing project-related software landscape. Capterra lists over 600 tools in the Project Management Software category alone. Add to that resource management tools, gantt charts or task managers, and you’ll end up with a very long shopping list.

Chances are, however, that you’re just starting out with your project. And that you’re working solo or with a very small team. As a result, your ideal budget for project management tools is $0.

If that’s the case, there’s no need to worry. There are more free options of project planning than a spreadsheet or an office room whiteboard. I’ve tried out 10 free project planning tools that come with $0 plans (not just free trials). In this article you’ll find a list of these apps together with their main characteristics.

In order to test these free project planning tools, I’ve created a simplified plan for building a website. My imaginary website consists of a homepage, an about us page and a contact page. I need to design it, create content for it and, finally, develop it.

Who else would be better to work on an imaginary website than an imaginary team? I’ve got one as well: it consists of 2 software developers, UX/UI designer, a freelance illustrator and myself.

Here’s a simple plan I made in Google Sheets:

In this article, you’ll find the most comprehensive listing of project plan templates for Microsoft Word. Use them to direct, manage, and guide your project as it progresses. For more project plan templates in additional formats, like Microsoft Excel, check out this top Excel project plan article.

Included on this page, you'll find many templates, including a basic project plan template, a printable project plan, a one-page project plan, and details on the key components of project plans.

Simple Project Plan Template

Track project details, manage timelines, and visualize how your project is progressing with this simple project plan template. Document all key details, like task start and end dates, resources needed, and budget details, with this comprehensive, easy-to-use template.

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Project Action Plan Template

Establish the main goals of your project, identify the actions needed to achieve those goals, and assign a person to be responsible for each task with this complete project action plan template. Assign priority to tasks, view status, and list start and end dates to keep your project moving forward.

IT Project Plan Template

Use this project plan for all your IT project needs. The template includes space to document tasks, people responsible, start and end dates, and days needed to complete each task. Mark off tasks as you complete them to keep all time-sensitive IT projects from getting off track.

Software Project Plan Template

Download Software Project Plan Template

Word | Smartsheet

Track sprints, assign tasks to specific team members, and plan out every iteration of your software project with this comprehensive template. With space to include the task or sprint name, the owner, start and end dates, and percent complete, your software project is guaranteed to stay on track throughout its duration.

Project Implementation Plan Template

Ensure you don’t miss or overlook any key steps and that all your bases are covered as you move through your project. Use this professionally designed template to keep key internal and external stakeholders, clients, and upper management in the loop on all phases of the project.

Project Execution Plan Template

Use this comprehensive template to design a thorough execution plan. The template guides you through your project from start to finish. Document all key details, like project name, company name, scope, goals, quality and technical specifications, and more. Print and share the plan with key stakeholders, so everyone has a strong idea of the project and its goals.

Project Planner App

One-Page Project Plan Template

Use this project plan template to document all key project details on one page, so you can easily share with key stakeholders in a condensed, easy-to-digest format.

Printable Project Plan Template

This project plan template is designed to enable you to easily print and share physical copies of your goals and tasks, so you can keep everyone on the same page — whether or not they have access to the electronic version.

Agile Project Plan Template

Document sprints, detail feature types, list start and end dates, and track the progress of each sprint with this Agile project plan template. Ensure that each sprint stays in line with the schedule, and improve accountability by listing the owner of each sprint.

Construction Project Plan Template

Use this project plan template to detail all tasks and phases involved in your construction project. List the tasks on a plotted timeline to visualize which tasks precede others and which tasks you need to complete before your construction project can move forward. This template helps keep all tasks moving, so you land on time.

Program Management Plan Template

Download Program Management Plan Template

Word | Smartsheet

Identify, list, and explain all key details of your project or program with this program management plan template. With full pages to document everything from project responsibilities and stakeholder analyses to risk logs and progress reports, you can fully capture all the essential details in this comprehensive template.

Milestone Chart Template

Ensure that you document and reach all milestones so that your project goes off without a hitch. Identify the critical milestones of your project, list the owners of each milestone, and include the time in days, weeks, or months that you expect each milestone to take. This way, you’ll have fully outlined your project before you get started and veer off track.

Project Checklist Template

Use this basic checklist template to list all key tasks and goals of your project to ensure you complete every step and don’t overlook any important details. This template includes space to list tasks, their respective due dates, and the status of each — this will keep you in the loop on how each task is progressing.

Project Task List Template

List tasks (and prioritize them based on importance), track status, and mark deadlines with this comprehensive project task list template. Detail each task, note the assignee, and write a brief description of each to ensure you capture and list all key tasks included in your project. You can also document specific deliverables and the estimated and fixed costs of each.

Project Tracking Template

Track and manage your project from start to finish with this project tracking template. The template allows you to list project tasks and their respective assignees, deadlines, deliverables, descriptions, and more. Keep all project details in one place to maintain visibility into each task as it progresses and ensure that you complete everything within your predetermined timeline.

Project Status Report Template

Document project milestones, identify any potential roadblocks to the plan, and track the current position and timing of your project with this project status report template. With space to expand on each milestone and provide in-depth details, you can keep everyone on the same page (and alert them about significant achievements) as your project progresses.

What Is a Project Plan?

A project plan is a formal, written document that lists all key project details like milestones, deadlines, sprints or tasks, and owners, in an effort to manage, track, and control a project throughout its lifecycle.

A project plan helps direct efforts and budget, but will usually experience some (if not many) changes as the project moves forward. Ideally, a project plan is flexible enough to change with the actual project — without causing delays — and acts as more of a guide to the project than a strict plan.

You should update the details of a project plan as a project changes so that the plan remains a relevant frame of reference for all team members and internal and external stakeholders. Now, everyone involved can stay current regarding the project’s details and gain insight into how the project is progressing.

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What to Include in a Project Plan

Within most project plans, you’ll find the following core components that guide and manage a project as it moves through its tasks or phases:

• Executive summary
• Project goals
• Target audience
• Key responsibilities
• Key tasks and deliverables
• Available or needed resources
• Risk analysis and mitigation plan
• Key milestones
• Proposed project timeline
• Costs and budget details
• Contingency plans
• Communication strategies
• Evaluation strategy

The Project Planning Process

As you begin to plan your project, you should familiarize yourself with the steps involved in thoroughly mapping out a project from start to finish. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Concept and Initiation: Start by determining the overall concept of your project and how you plan to complete it.
2. Roadmap Creation: In this phase, determine a rough timeline of the tasks necessary to complete your project.
3. Deliverable Listing: Each project must have specific deliverables, which you should identify during the beginning portion of your planning phase, so each team member is aware of what is expected of them.
4. Project Milestone Identification: Figure out specific points in the project that you consider to be key milestones. These milestones can consist of certain tasks that you complete, a budget target that you reach, or a team that you assemble.
5. Budget Creation: Creating a predetermined budget is one of the most important parts of a project plan. You should adhere to that budget as your project moves forward. This way, you can allocate specific resources and budgets to certain tasks, without exceeding spending projections.
6. Team Member Identification: As with any project, you’ll need to assemble a team of people to implement the project. Work with others to target the specific people who will be most helpful in carrying out the project.
7. Risk Assessment: You must identify all potential risks or threats to your project, including those that could cause budget issues, project delays, and more. List all those potential risks, and detail how you plan to mitigate the issues if they do occur.
8. Project Communication: Once you’ve outlined the key components of your project, you need to communicate these plans and goals to the greater team — including key stakeholders and any external parties. Develop a way to appropriately and efficiently communicate the project plans to everyone involved.
9. Project Launch: At this point, your project should be ready to launch. Ensure that you’ve covered all your bases and outlined all the details before starting. Then, you’re set to begin.

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Project Planner

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Project Planner Template