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saas
06 Jul 2019
How To Tell If a SaaS Provider Is Handling Sensitive Data Correctly
As companies show more and more interest in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) so do their concerns about the risks associated with storing their sensitive data on poorly secured SaaS “cloud” servers.   The results of a 2012 Capgemini report showed the top concern for businesses considering a move to the cloud was the possibility of a data breach. Companies are rightly concerned about such breaches, in the backdrop of a flurry of reports of data breaches in recent times.   Data is an important strategic asset for any business, and its breach can be devastating. This means any SaaS provider worth consideration should centralize its efforts into maintaining high security and privacy standards for its clients’ data.   In this article, I’ll share what to look out for when considering how a SaaS provider will handle your precious data.   I’ll also cover the risks associated with storing your data with a poorly secured SaaS product.   Along the way, I’ll explain how to ensure that you’re making the right choices when it comes to selecting the SaaS provider to who you’ll be trusting your sensitive data.   What are the Risks?   While using a SaaS provider will undoubtedly offer you several advantages, such as less upkeep on your part, lower overall costs, and making things easier on your IT department and your users, there are several risks involved in migrating to SaaS.   Data Access Risks   When you use a Software-as-a-Service provider, you are handing over your valuable data and other information to a third-party. If your data ends up in the wrong hands, especially your competition, it could be disastrous.   Stability   Security and stability are significant factors to consider when deciding on a SaaS provider. In a continually growing market like that SaaS is experiencing you can expect to encounter providers that may have difficulty in keeping up with the growing demand. This could be a significant problem if the provider you select goes out of business down the road.   If your provider does shut down, you could be faced with issues such as data recovery, the portability of your data, and additional costs of finding a new provider. That equals a lot of time and your business money going down the drain.   Security of Your Data   While a SaaS provider can easily discuss encryption protocols, 256-bit security, and more, it may leave the customer a bit confused. Logically, you know your data is being kept safe. But, just how safe is it?   In addition to how your data is protected while it’s being transmitted and stored, what about disaster recovery? What happens in case of a power outage or a natural disaster? Is your precious data recoverable? How long will it take to get back up and running?   There will also be ongoing concerns on how well a provider will keep up with modern security standards. You’ll need to make sure the provider responds promptly when security holes are discovered, and updates to their security protection are required.   Loss of Direct Control Over Your Data   While using a SaaS provider’s servers means you don’t have to spend time and employee resources to configure, set up, manage, maintain and upgrade software, you do lose total and absolute control over your data.   If something happens and you lose data, you won’t have any direct access to find out what went wrong. Instead, you’ll be forced to contact your service provider, then wait for their answer on what went wrong and for them to tell you what can be done about it.   The Location of Your Data   Your SaaS may not disclose to you the locations of their data centers. This could cause issues for you down the line. Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) regulations state customers must store sensitive data within the borders of the U.S. This could lead to instances where you might not have access to your data if you’re outside the country.   Lack of Transparency   SaaS providers can certainly be less than transparent about how they handle the security of their customers’ data. This lack of transparency can cause mistrust between the provider and its customers.   There are providers that will argue, and perhaps rightly so, that this lack of transparency on how they run their server operations helps protect the security of their customers.   However, there needs to be found as a happy medium between secrecy and data transparency. In this case, you do indeed want to know how the sausage is made!   What to Consider   Security   When using a Software-as-a-Service provider keep in mind that all of your data will be residing on your service provider’s servers. Always take a close look at what type of safeguards a SaaS provider has in place to protect your company’s data.   Real World Security   Site Security   Real-world security might not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering SaaS and cloud storage. However, if you’re using SaaS, your data is sitting on someone else’s hard drives. Those hard drives exist in a physical location, and that location should be kept secured from access by unauthorized personnel.   When a company is using its own servers, they consider things such as how their server farm is secured, which personnel has both physical and network access to the servers, and more.   Considering the security protection for SaaS should be no different. Always quiz any potential provider on how whether they own their servers, where they’re located, what type of physical security protects access to their server farms, and who has physical access to the farms.   Disaster Recovery   Disaster management is also an important consideration when considering a SaaS provider. What types of disaster recovery plan does the provider have in place in case of fire, earthquake, or tsunami? (Hey, it could happen!)   Any provider worth consideration should have a solid disaster recovery plan in place. They should have a disaster recovery site set up in a location geographically separated from their primary location, and they should perform disaster recovery testing on a regular basis. They should also be able to provide an informed estimate of how long it will take to get things up and running again when disaster does strike.   Backup and Recovery Guarantees   Make sure you understand how the SaaS vendor you’re considering approaches backups and recovery of your data. Make sure the agreement specifies the vendor is required to restore your data in case of disaster.   Important factors to consider in this department are the amount of time an application might experience and what kind of potential data loss might take place. You should always have some type of compensation coming your way if your vendor doesn’t meet your reasonable expectations.   Virtual Security   Once you’re satisfied the servers holding your data are physically protected, it’s time to determine how well your data is protected from virtual access by malicious parties. A reputable SaaS provider should have a security operations center to monitor and respond to security threats in real time   What type of access do you have to your data? Who else has access to your data? How well is your access protected against a Denial of Service Attack?   User Access   Would it be possible for unauthorized users to gain access to your data via the vendor’s website? (In other words, does the vendor offer a login gateway on their website or is access performed strictly through a protected portal?   A website gateway isn’t necessarily a weak spot. However, it can be used as an important piece of any spoofing attack that might be conducted against a SaaS provider. (Some readers may remember the 2014 email spoofing incident that involved Salesforce. This is an excellent example of how a login gateway on a website can cause trouble.)   What type of authentication does the SaaS provider use to authenticate your users’ logins? Do they offer two-factor authentication (2FA)? Is the 2FA performed via an authentication app on a mobile device, is a link or code sent via email or text? Or does the provider supply SecurID key fobs?   Check to make sure you can configure SaaS logins to come through a portal, like your company’s enterprise portal. Portals that are accessed via a VPN are a security plus. (A VPN is always a plus when it comes to security.)   Data Encryption   You’ve made sure access to your data is secure. Now, what about the security of the data itself? Always make sure your data is protected by encryption, both while it’s being transmitted and while it’s stored on the provider’s hard drive.   Data should be encrypted using a strong algorithm, such as offered by AES-256. Also, make sure your backups are encrypted for extra protection.   Find a provider that is open about their security and encryption procedures. Sure, they can’t spill all the beans on how things are secured, but they should be able to supply enough information to put your mind at ease. Microsoft, for example, has done a top-notch job of being transparent about their security measures.   Data Ownership   While SaaS buyers may logically expect that they own their data, there have been cases where the companies have been in for a big surprise when they terminated their relationship with their provider.   Make sure all contracts clearly specify what, if any fees are connected with getting back your data at the end of a contract, It would be a good idea to use a business contract example to help you draw up a suitable contract. Also make sure it is clear that in addition to all of your data, you also retain ownership of any proprietary code and customizations you may have put in place during the agreement’s run comes with you at the end of the day.   Data Usage Analysis   Many SaaS vendors keep track of their users’ data (anonymously) across multiple clients. This allows the vendors to determine their research and development roadmaps and enables them to benchmark areas such as application usage, sales pipeline metrics, customer service wait times, and much more.   While this is a reasonable way to do business, customers should be provided with information about the data being captured by the provider, plus any possible benefits the customer might gain from the gleaning of their information.   Uptime and Performance   Be sure your SaaS service contract details expectations for application uptime. While a provider may make some off-hand guarantee of “99.5% uptime”, make sure the provider can supply documentation of previous uptime performance. Push for a performance guarantee.   By the way, a 99.5% uptime guarantee means you might reasonably expect to not have access to your data for almost two days out of the year. It doesn’t sound so great when you put it that way, does it?   Support   One benefit of Software-as-a-Service is that companies can move some of their help desk and support burden over to the SaaS provider. While this includes the traditional support calls and bug fixes duo, SaaS vendors should also offer additional support services such as password resets and other system health-related checks.   Always make sure the vendor specifies what types of support you can expect, (such as text, email, phone support, or online chat), and which users will have access to the support. (Management, base users, supervisors. etc.)   In Closing   While Software-as-a-Service is an excellent option for many businesses, there are pitfalls along the way that must be dealt with. The security of your company’s data is of utmost importance, and any concerns you have must be dealt with before agreeing to any contract with a SaaS provider.   Make sure all of your concerns are addressed before signing on the dotted line. Pay close attention to every security-related consideration, treating each concern with the utmost care. By doing so, you feel upbeat as your valuable data is in a safe haven!
As companies show more and more interest in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) so do their concerns about ...
project management
22 Aug 2022
22 Best Free Gantt Chart Software [2023 Update]
You are here on a page that talks about ‘Free Gantt Chart Software.' Would it be too early to say ‘Your search ends here’? I guess not! Because, here, you get to review an impartial analysis of top Gantt chart software with templates and examples. This blog post needs your undivided attention.! 5 minutes will be enough. Let’s start with the basics. Missing a deadline when you are on a serious project is never an option!   You need to accomplish your task with accuracy and precision, and that too within a fixed timeline. There are a lot of things running on the schedule that one needs to manage while working on a project.   Project management is not as easy as you think. You will have to keep a record of every step you take. It will be difficult to maintain such records if you don't have Gantt Chart Software. Right from the duration of the task, the name of the person who is assigned to the task, the task milestone, how much investment was involved, and how much time is scheduled for each achieving each milestone-everything must be recorded with top-notch accuracy.   For fulfilling these project management requirements, Gantt chart software always comes in handy. Unlike the traditional timeline charts and manual records, it focuses more on the interdependencies within tasks instead of emphasizing only the broad picture.  What is a Gantt chart?  Gantt chart is a very important tool that is used to visually schedule and monitor projects. Its main objective is to show the activities that are finished, the ones that are currently ongoing, and also those that are yet to start.   Henry Gantt was the first person to introduce the concept of a Gantt chart, and ever since it has become an integral project management tool. Gantt chart gives a visual or graphical representation of all the tasks undertaken in the project. It also gives the duration for each task and other important details with the progression of the project.   Generally, the bar of the graph changes its shading to show the progress of the project. Upon the completion of the project, the graph color turns to a different shade. Also, it can show the name of the person to whom a particular task is assigned and the milestones that are set to achieve the final goal. You can jump through hoops building a Gantt chart in Google Sheets with severely limited customization options, pay a premium for a paid solution, or get your work done in a free Gantt chart software in just a few clicks. Gantt Chart Glossary you need to know   Tasks: Tasks are different types of work assigned to individuals which should be done to reach the goal. They come with the start date, end date, duration, assigned person, and all the other details involved. Milestone: It’s a task with zero duration. It can indicate an important date in the project plan, for example, the initiation or completion of an important task. You might use it to make the completion dates of specific tasks.  Summary task: It is a group of tasks. They are made of sub-tasks that show combined information. Task status: It shows the progress, percentage, and completion of the task. Dependencies: It shows the link and connection between different errands.  Assigned resources: It indicates the name of the people assigned to specific tasks   Ready-made Gantt Chart Template to use Template.net Gantt Chart Templates can be edited in several formats such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and Apple Numbers. These Gantt charts are incredibly useful in project management because they allow you to track the status of project tasks. They also help keep track of deadlines, milestones, and hours worked. Working with clients helps boost the perceived value as the clients are able to see the progress of their projects in real time. Having a document that gets updated every time a task gets completed or makes a certain amount of progress helps in decreasing the communication needed to notify the people of the progress made thereby enhancing the employees' overall productivity. Here is what you can do with the Template.net Gantt chart:   Plan & Schedule Projects Plan & Schedule Tasks Plan and schedule Tasks across Multiple Projects View Tasks Over Time Plan in Sprints Team Collaboration Scheduling Teams’ Work Determining Planned versus Actual Timelines on a Project Increasing Perceived Value for Clients Increasing Employee Productivity Pricing: Template.net has both Free membership and paid Plans which start at 8/per month. Best Free Gantt Chart Software 1. ClickUp 2. GanttPRO 3. ProProfs Project 4. ProofHub 5. Wrike 6. Rocketlane 7. Smartsheet 8.  Gantt project  9. Office timeline 10. SmartDraw 11. Gantter 12. Bitrix24 13. TeamGantt 14. Backlog 15. Good Gantt 16. Rational plan 17. Tom's planner 18. ProjectLibre 19. Hansoft 20. Ganttic 21. Merlin Project 4 22. Teamwork 23. nTask 1. ClickUp   No more boring Gantt Charts! With ClickUp, every Gantt chart looks beautiful. It is easy to manage anything, whether it could be people, projects, tasks, spreadsheets, email and chat, to-do lists, documents, notes, etc. The ClickUp free Gantt chat software is the only application that provides feature customization to build awesome projects. ClickUp is the best Gantt chart maker that has been rated 5 stars ratings by G2, Capterra, and GetApp and supports incredible integrations! You can automatically import your data from other productivity apps that you use. Unlike other online Gantt chart makers, this tool provides a wide variety of ready-to-use Gantt Chart Templates for Marketing, Development, Project Management, Design, and more. So, if you are looking for the best free Gantt chart online solution, your search may end here. Features that make you opt for this tool:   Custom Statuses Multiple Assignees Agile Board View Workload Chart Time Estimates Remapping Due Dates Future Recurring Tasks on Calendar.   Pricing: Free Forever and Unlimited at 361.14 INR per user/per month.   supported platforms: Access from any; Web, iOS, Android, Chrome, Desktop, Alexa, and google home. 2. GanttPRO   Pricing: Free 14-day trial and $15 per user per month.   Supported Platform: Web-based   With this exclusive Gantt Chart software, you can easily create charts and visual graphs through existing templates of project planning. These charts can be shared with team members for better collaboration and project management.   It may not be a free Gantt chart maker but it has an extensive community of users who create and share editable templates for different projects.   Here are some of the features of Gantt Pro:   Unlimited number of projects and premium support  Multiple Gantt chart baseline and task filter Can allow one active project per member Customizable export to PNG, PDF, and XL format  Project estimation cost and working hours Onboarding and team progress tracking Resource management All the other basic Gantt chart features   It is the best Gantt chart online solution for people working individually. It’s also a good choice if you want to work with your group since it supports features like team training sessions, real-time notifications, and project role settings for members. 3. ProProfs Project   ProProfs Project is an online project management tool that solves your need to plan, schedule, and deliver projects on time. With the Gantt Charts feature, you can visualize milestones, track work progress, and view project status on a single dashboard.   Gantt charts keep you updated on what’s going on in your projects, enable better time management, prevent resource overload, and help you meet deadlines like a pro.   Here is how you can achieve all this with ProProfs Gantt charts:   Assign tasks to the relevant team members. Use drag and drop for proper task planning. Set due dates for each project and task. Track time spent by team members on each task. Set reminders and notifications for project completion. Share files, and links, and give feedback using task comments. Receive detailed reports to monitor team performance. Assign roles & permissions for access control on Gantt charts. Calculate billable hours and generate shareable invoices   ProProfs is a popular choice of Gantt Chart tool amongst creative teams, IT project managers, and digital marketing teams who seek immense clarity in project scheduling and planning. If you are looking for a free Gantt chart maker, I would suggest you look for other tools, since it provides a free plan for 15 days only as a trial period only.   Pricing: Free 15-day trial. Afterward, $2 per user per month for the Essentials plan and $4 per user per month for the Premium plan.   Platform Supported: Mobile, Web, Desktop. 4. ProofHub   ProofHub is a project management solution and collaboration software that makes work easier for teams. It facilitates planning, helps in tracking progress, and allows real-time collaboration and communication so that efficiency increases and deadlines are met on time.  ProofHub is a project management software that has an exhaustive list of features and the Gantt chart is one of them. The Gantt chart in ProofHub gives you a timeline view of all your projects in one window. It helps in planning your projects and tracking the progress of tasks at any given time. Here is what you can do with ProofHub Gantt charts:   Add tasks and task lists to the Gantt chart. Clearly distribute roles and duties by assigning tasks to team members. Set dependencies between tasks and adjust schedules as work changes or deadlines shift. Highlight the critical path to see which tasks directly affect the start and end date of the project. Adjust the start and end dates of tasks with a single drag and drop. Associate milestones with tasks.   Pricing: ProofHub is priced at $99/month (limited-time offer). It offers a free trial with complete access to all its features.   Platforms supported: Web-based, Google Play Store & App Store 5. Wrike   You can now stop updating your project in Spreadsheets! Instead, Wrike offers you simple, yet tried and tested Gantt Charts to make you understand and visualize the time and resources allocated in a given project. Set task deadlines for your team members and make them faster and smarter. The fluid-like application easily adapts to the changing environments of Agile methodologies. The online work management application of Wrike seamlessly scales across the length and breadth of your organization. Integrate the tools you daily use with Wrike. It supports a wide number of integrations. Features that come with Wrike:   Task and Subtask Management Shareable Dashboards Collaborators Business Intelligence Integrations Custom Fields and Workflows Advanced reporting and data visualization Additional Integrations   Pricing: Wrike offers many plans; Free, Professional, Business, Wrike for Marketers, Wrike for service delivery teams, and Enterprise.   Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop, and Web app 6. Rocketlane   Rocketlane is an easy-to-use and intuitive Gantt chart that helps you effectively manage projects and stay on top of project dates and timelines. With its 5-star ratings from G2 and support for crucial integrations, Rocketlane is a trusted tool for project management. One of the standout features of Rocketlane is its ability to import data from other productivity apps, making it seamless to bring all your project information into one place. The ready-to-use Gantt chart is also easily customizable, allowing you to tailor it to your specific project needs. Efficient, customizable, and feature-rich, Rocketlane is the ideal tool for streamlined project management.   Make changes on the go with simple drag-and-drop functionality. In-line edits allow you to quickly modify tasks, ensuring accuracy and flexibility in your project management process. Create and manage dependencies between tasks and project phases to ensure a smooth workflow. Create and assign tasks to multiple people, ensuring collaboration and accountability within your team. Get a comprehensive view of your project's critical path and the slack duration for various tasks. The "Baseline" view allows you to set reference points and benchmarks for your project timelines, ensuring you stay on track and meet your goals.   Pricing: Starts at 19 USD per user/per month.   Supported platforms: Web Chrome, Desktop. Coming soon: iOS, Android 7. Smartsheet   Create quick online Gantt Charts in just a few seconds with Smartsheet Gantt Chart Software. It works better and intuitive than Microsoft Project. This application is preferred by businesses of all sizes, as it increases productivity and saves time. A real-time collaborative Gantt chat software that brilliantly organizes and schedules tasks of all kinds of projects for their smooth execution. You just name it! The Smartsheet will get it for you. This free online Gantt chart solution has a wide number of ready-to-use Gantt Chart templates for the categories of product management, project management, software development, digital marketing, and more. Features that SmartSheet has:   Drag and Drop Gantt Bars Set Durations and Dependencies Premium Integrations Identify Critical Path Track Milestones Share with stakeholders Access your work on a Mobile   Pricing: Besides its free edition, SmartSheet comes in Standard and Enterprise.   Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows 8.  Gantt project    Here’s why we have placed the Gantt project at the top position of this list: It’s available for free for both personal and commercial uses.   Established in 2003, the Gantt Project is not just a clone of the MS projects but a lot more. It is one of the most efficient and trusted free Gantt chart software. Gantt project will run anywhere where Java runtime is available as it is written in Java.   It is a desktop application that allows you to:   Manage the elements like tasks and milestones, including the initiation date, priority, duration, notes, resources, etc. Create a hierarchy that shows the cost, progress, and details of lower-level tasks displayed on the upper level. Draw dependency: dependencies between tasks, leads, etc  Baseline: you can compare your current status with your previous plans by creating baselines Generate PDF / JPEG/ PNG files  It can export and import to/from CSV for analyzing data in spreadsheet apps.  Allows import and export to Microsoft projects.   If you are looking for a Gantt chart online with free plans, the Gantt project has great features allowing users to collaborate with WebDAV servers and use cloud storage for storing all projects in the cloud. As you can see, the Gantt project is a light and useful software that is very easy to use if you are a beginner in project management. Price: Free  Supported Platform: Windows, Linux, OSX 9. Office timeline   Subscribe to Office Timeline PowerPoint Add-in to directly create timelines and road maps in PowerPoint. Office timeline allows users to seamlessly produce sophisticated Gantt Charts and swimlane diagrams simply and quickly. Be in sync with your whole team by sharing your visual presentations, and assigning tasks while collaborating with them online. The 4.5-star rated application improves project planning with professional-looking Gantt Chart Templates. Though they seem to look on the surface, they have powerful underneath layers. This Gantt chart software offers a free edition. You can download it to check how it works. Important Features:   Consolidate Multiple Projects Editable and Shareable PowerPoint presentations Fully customized swimlanes Imports data from Projects Timelines in hours and minutes Unlimited free updates Group Tasks on one row   Pricing: Get Office Timeline Powerpoint Add-in at $99/1-year Pro License and Office Timeline Online at $59/1-Year Plus License.   Supported Platforms: Windows and Mac 10. SmartDraw   The one-in-all chat maker application that is easier than Visio for making powerful flow charts, floor plans, and organization charts offers a quick start and ready-to-draw diagram templates for designing accurate and perfect layouts. The CNET five-star rated product is trusted by many users such as FedEx, General Dynamics, Nestle, Tesla, SAP, Texas Children’s Hospital, Pepsi, and more. With SmartDraw, you can notice a marked difference in managing your projects and processes. This smart application has a broad variety of Gantt Chart Templates developed for almost every category. Be it Confluence, Jira, Trello, G Suite, or any, it integrates with every tool that you use. The only diagramming application that runs on a web browser allows users to seamlessly collaborate to work on the same diagram from different sign-ups. Important Features:   Intelligent formatting engine Wide Color Schemes Visio Import and Export Built-in Extensions Custom Extensions using Visual Script SDK Collaborate anywhere Enterprise administration   Pricing: One-time purchase for a Single User at $297 with no monthly or annual billing. For multiple users, SmartDraw comes at $ 595 per year, billed annually with multi-seat administration features.   Supported Platform: Mobile, Online edition, and desktop edition(Windows and Mac). 11. Gantter   Gantter is a cloud-based, community-powered, project scheduling and management tool. Its most distinctive feature is the community-contributed task scheduling templates and the suggest and assist the engine, With Gantter, you get an optimized user experience as it allows seamless integration with Google apps like Google Drive, Calendar, Hangout, etc. Primarily,   Gantter has three editions:   Gantter Cloud Gantter for Google Drive Gantter for G-Suite   Here’s what you’ll get with these editions:    Features:   Save or open the Gantter files to Gantter Cloud/Google Drive. Access to millions of free community-based templates. Access 24/7 community-powered support, suggest and edit recommendations, and real-time collaborative editing.  Auto-Generated WBS (Work breakdown structure), custom columns, built-in analytics, Cost and task tracking, and resource auto-leveling.   MS Project import and export.   The team collaboration features let users bring multiple timelines and teams together, work on multiple tasks, and gauge project completion. The Google edition is best for those who use Google Drive and other G-suite applications.  Pricing: $5 per month per user. Gantter is also available for a 30-day free trial   Supported Platforms: Web-based apps. 12. Bitrix24   Bitrix24 is a highly reliable Gantt chart software with the main specialty of moving tasks while still keeping their connections to compare current and baseline states at any time. This is mainly a team collaboration software that offers the benefits of project management and CRM. It can create a very professional Gantt chart for unlimited tasks and projects. It's another great option to work with 12 users. So even a small or average-sized company can use it very easily.  It also monitors the workload on employees and identifies the tasks that can be uncertainly delayed.   Important features:   Free unlimited projects Free unlimited subtasks  Free 5GB online storage Multiple Gantt charts Free 12 users  Task dependencies Cloud and on-premise  Open source code and API Free mobile PM (Android and IOS)    With Bitrix, you can communicate with team members and also work collaboratively on the project by gauging the visual representation of tasks, milestones, deadlines, and dependencies. Other fancy features are office reports, checklists, template report builders, etc. Pricing: $69 per month for all team members.   Supported Platform: App Store and Google Play Store 13. TeamGantt   This project management suite allows users to manage tasks while reviewing them in a different visual or graphical format. This Gantt chart-free solution provides team communication, project planning, and resource management functions which are very intuitive and offers user flexibility to assign tasks, set deadline, and create priorities via the drag and drop option.   Some of the exciting features of this project scheduling software are:   Unlimited time for using the free version  Drag and drop scheduling  Customizable view through Google Calendar  Centralized storage of tasks, conversations, documents, and achievable. Review into team member’s workload and availability  Exports to PDF but the watermark Auto-update on team progress  Daily Mail reminders  File attachments  Graphical formats for showing planned vs. actual timeline.   TeamGantt brings project scheduling online with the easy-to-integrate Gantt software. Users can invite teammates, co-workers, and friends to edit and view the Gantt chart.   Pricing: $0 for small teams of three members. $49.5 and $74.5 for teams up to 5 and 10 members.   Supported Platforms: Web-based 14. Backlog   Backlog is an all-in-one online project management tool for task management, version control, and bug tracking. Bringing together the organizational benefits of project management with the power and convenience of code management, Backlog enhances team collaboration across organizations large and small. Plan work, track progress, and release code updates right in Backlog.   Why Backlog   Task management, bug tracking, and version control in one tool Visual Gantt and Burndown charts for better planning and resource management Built-in Git and SVN repositories Custom statuses and workflows to suit your project Mobile app for Android and iOS users Kanban-style boards for each project make it easy to view every task as they move through your workflow.   15. Good Gantt   Many Trello users have been waiting for this for a long time. Now they have access to a Gantt Chart with deep integration in Trello. It will seem as if it is one application and you do not have to go to external pages during use. You can quickly plan a project by creating Trello cards directly from the Gantt Chart   Here are some of the features of Good Gantt:   On one Gantt chart, you can view all your Trello boards  You can set up integration with time trackers to keep track of the actual execution time of tasks by your employees  Nice design Automate the movement of cards depending on the actions Evenly distribute the load among employees Group tasks and milestones track progress by the task Use hotkeys for quick work   Pricing: Free for one user without restrictions. Prices for use in a team depending on its size. It starts at 2.99 per person per month   Supported Platform: Web-based 16. Rational plan   This comprehensive project planning and scheduling software covers are available for free with Linux.   The rational plan offers a variety of project management features. It is available as a cloud-based solution as well as on-premise and it helps both the project managers and teams to develop a consistent project plan with the analyzed workload, allocation of resources, estimation of project cost, and management of the budget.   Rational Plan has two versions: You can either use a cloud service or opt for an on-premise application.   On-premise- single version for Linux- It shows advanced planning through dynamic Gantt charts and timesheets. This single version will allow you to share the project with MS users. Gives you a chance to share the details about your projects with other users who are involved.   Cloud-based- Includes all the basic Gantt chart features for two users, two projects, 100 tasks, and 5 MB storage.   Here’s why Rational Plan is a great choice for Linux users:   Schedule the project using duration-driven activities  Use of recurrent, split tasks, and milestones. A visual way of tracking the baseline and dependencies Critical path detection  Collaboration with team members and integration with Microsoft project files   Some other feature includes portfolio management, resource management tool, cost tracking, scheduling, time management, and all the basic Gantt chart features.   Pricing: The free trial and the paid plan start from $19 per month (for the cloud-hosted version)   Supported Platforms: Linux, Cloud-based, On-premise. 17. Tom's planner   It imports projects from Excel, MS Project, Trello, and Basecamp an excellent web-based Gantt chart application. It requires no installation and has easy drag-and-drop options with right-click menu and task management.   Tom’s planner really stands unique when it comes to the collaboration feature. This project scheduling tool offers a free subscription with two-user limitations and offers most of the basic features.   With Tom’s Planner, you can:   Create professional Gantt charts and share them virtually  Zoom in to check who’s doing what and how far they’ve progressed Drag and drop to make the edits and changes on the fly Import projects from Excel, Basecamp, MS Project, and Trello  Embed charts with SharePoint, WordPress theme, and Confluence   The free subscription can allow for 200 items in a schedule. It only lasts for one year. This software is recommended for beginners who want to have a basic knowledge of project management.   Pricing: $ 9.95 per month   Supported Platform: Web-based 18. ProjectLibre     ProjectLibre is another great project scheduling solution for your team projects. Unlike other software, it is not a complicated one. Its main objective is that all the company users should be able to learn to work in the chart even if they cannot afford it. That's the reason it is open-source software.   This open-source alternative to MS project has the following features:   Gantt Chart Earned Value Costing WBS/RBS charts  Network Diagram  Resource Histograms  Compatibility with Microsoft Project   The software has received various awards which proves that being free it can give the best results. You can translate it into any language. It has versatility which makes it much easier to work for a small or large business.   Pricing: Free   Supported Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac OS. 19. Hansoft   Hansoft originated from Sweden. The Swedish company offers many project management tools along with a Gantt chart template. Many companies swear by this software because of its seven main features.   You are allowed to refine your task from the backlog feature.  Long-term, as well as short-term planning, can be viewed and modified.  Supports Kanban, Waterfall method, hybrids, and Scrum Efficiency boosting features like the acceleration of plan up to 20%  Real-time dashboard to stay informed of real-world data and workflow management   Hansoft has all the basic features like an issue tracker, to-do lists, reports, resource allocation, integration, backlogs, and on-premise installation. So, you might want to change your mind if you are working on a big project.   Pricing: Varying rates depending on team members and the type of installation.   Supported Platform: Cloud and On-premise   20. Ganttic   Ganttic is an online Gantt chart aimed to help project managers perform unbelievable feats of resource management. With a visual overview of all your projects, resources, and tasks, you can ensure capacity, eliminate double-booking projects, and deliver projects in record time.    Multiple project managers can collaborate at the same time. And since planning is done in real time, everyone can stay on top of the changes. Share curated Gantt charts with the entire team. Or give clients and stakeholders access and keep them up to date.   Here are some of the top project management features of Ganttic.   Cloud-based Gantt charts Drag and drop scheduling Task dependencies Resource utilization tracking Customizable color coding  Resource management Project portfolio management Multi-user planning environment Push notifications and Calendar Syncs Advanced user permissions Project templates API and Zapier integrations Unlimited users for every plan   Pricing: Free 14-day free trial. Up to 10 resources are free forever. Paid plans start from $25 per month.   Supported Platform: Web-based, iOS, and Android 21. Merlin Project 4   It is the latest project management software from Project Wizard. It runs specifically on Mac so before you go for this software make sure your team can work on Mac.   It has all the basic features one Gantt chart software has and it is user-friendly offering many possibilities. You can customize it as per your needs. It can also be used offline. You can edit or modify your planning offline, and it will keep the updates on the chart when you are back on.   Kanban View and Waterfall feature  Find critical paths and distribute tasks with few gestures Link attachment to tasks in the project  Stay up-to-date with cloud storage  Compact on the iPhone  Export and Import through MS project.   Pricing: $149 per year per user and $1,415 per year for 10 users.   Supported Platform: Mac and iPad 22. Teamwork The Teamwork project management platform allows you to map out your work, visualize your project timeline, update your plan in real-time, and keep stakeholders up to date, easily and seamlessly creating a single source of truth in your organization.Why choose Teamwork?   Easy to use online Gantt Chart Ready-made task list templates Create your own custom templates Time tracking to see if your projects are profitable Board view for better organization Portfolio - A panoramic view of where your projects stand Tasks and subtasks, so everyone knows what work they need to complete   However, it allows only 30 days for working free without any restriction, but after that, you must purchase it. Or you can upgrade to Merlin Project 3 which is totally free.   Pricing: Free for up to 5 users and 2 projects, Pro starts from $10 per user, per month.   Supported Platforms: Web-based   23. nTask      With nTask interactive Gantt chart software, you can create charts, and workflows and even find a critical path for streamlined project planning. Add tasks, set due dates, and assign tasks, and a Gantt chart will be created automatically for your projects.   Set task dependencies, and create milestones to help your team achieve their bigger goal. With Gantt charts, you can get other project management features such as time-tracking, Kanban boards, calendar management, issue tracking, timesheets, and many more. Here are some of the features of the task:   One-click Gantt chart creation. They are automatically created Resource planning Set Billable and non-billable hours 2 free team members on the Premium plan Critical Path Method and Progress Line Project financial summary and budget overview Set due dates, status, and task priority To-do lists and unlimited sub-tasks Recurring tasks and meetings   nTask is a favorite choice for SMEs, startups, and even enterprises for creating interactive Gantt charts with a drag-and-drop function.    Pricing: Free 14-day free trial. The plan is as low as $2.99 per user per month   Supported Platform: Web-based, iOS, and Android Conclusion There are many options outlined in this article. You can narrow the best choice by understanding what each software offers and comparing it with your company's needs. If you want to see more reviews, you can check out this article about Gantt chart software. It contains in-depth reviews and covers a few tools not included here. If you are still confused about which one to pick, consider the following five capabilities of an ideal Gantt Chart software:   It should support a maximum number of users and collaborators It should allow unlimited edits to the chart It should offer flexibility to work on multiple projects It should be easy to use with drag-and-drop features and one-click sync It should be compatible with the devices you and your team members use Once you keep these five features in mind and also consider your team’s requirements, the selection of the final pick will be a piece of cake!
You are here on a page that talks about ‘Free Gantt Chart Software.' Would it be too early to...
alternative
26 Sep 2022
What is the Perfect Skype for Business Replacement?
It's been almost two years since Microsoft announced their plan to replace Skype for Business with the new collaboration tool, Microsoft Teams.   Though Microsoft Teams is the fastest-growing tool ever to arrive as part of the Microsoft ecosystem, that doesn't necessarily mean you and your company will feel comfortable using it instead of Skype. After all, we all have our own unique preferences when it comes to collaboration tools.   For now, Microsoft won't be forcing anyone to leave the Skype for Business environment straight away. However, if you haven't started planning the next step in your roadmap yet, now is the time to start. Table of Contents Migrating away from Skype for Business  How to choose a Skype for Business Replacement  1. Determine what your employees need 2. Get your team involved 3. Evaluate a wide selection of options 4. Consider software integrations  5. Measure the impact What is the Best Skype for Business alternative?  Go To Meeting Cisco Webex Teams Slack Viber for Business  Hive Migrating away from Skype for Business  Skype for Business has been a part of the Microsoft portfolio since the 11th of November 2014.   The application appeared on the marketplace as a replacement for Lync and offered companies an easy way to manage communication via instant messaging, video calls, and more.   Today, many organizations still look at Skype for Business as the go-to service for collaboration - particularly if they're already familiar with the Microsoft productivity suite. However, as the workplace has evolved, Microsoft has recognized a need for new features and functionality. By introducing Teams and replacing Skype for Business, the Microsoft brand is updating its collaboration solution to provide everything from call management, to artificial intelligence.   So, does that mean that everyone who uses Skype for Business should automatically move to Microsoft Teams?    Not necessarily.   There are plenty of other great tools out there that may deliver a better experience depending on your individual needs. Just look at Troop Messenger, for instance, this user-friendly team chat app is a simple and accessible way to keep teams connected.   With Troop, you can: Find crucial files instantly Rely on a secure breach-proof code to keep your chat safe Integrate your experience with third-party apps for a DIY solution Get helpful support from a committed team Chat and communicate seamlessly in real-time.   How to choose a Skype for Business Replacement  According to surveys by the Institute for Corporate Productivity, 22% of companies rely on real-time collaboration solutions for online meetings and consistent communication. The right software gives your employees more than just real-time messaging; it also ensures that everyone in your team can stay on the same page, regardless of where they are.   As the demand for collaboration tools continues to rise, transitioning away from Skype for Business can't be a passive experience for modern brands. Just like any other major investment, it's important to consider all of your options.   Here are a few of the crucial steps you'll need to take when choosing a Skype for Business replacement.   1. Determine what your employees need Implementing the best collaboration or enterprise chat tool isn't just about choosing the software with the latest technology or best price tag. You'll need to think about the problems you want to solve for your team. For instance, if your remote workers often feel isolated from the rest of the team, an app that prioritizes video conferencing might be a good choice.   If you're concerned that you won't be able to keep your globally-dispersed workforce on the same page, a collaborative tool that allows employees to track changes to recent projects, set deadlines, and assign tasks may be helpful.   Find out how your employees work, what they struggle with each day, and what they need to become more productive and efficient.   2. Get your team involved Even if most of your employees use Skype for Business to stay connected to their coworkers, there's a good chance that there are a handful of people out there using different tools. As mentioned above, today's team member has their own personal preferences when it comes to collaboration tools. Asking for insights from your workers will help you to find out which software they already like or feel comfortable using.   Getting your team involved with choosing the right collaborative tools will help you to plan your new investment based on what your employees want and need. For instance, ask your teams to list the kind of tools they like using or provide information based on the software they've tried in the past.   3. Evaluate a wide selection of options Often, when companies have been using something like Skype for Business for an extended period, it's easy to feel tied to a specific product portfolio. If you're already used to Microsoft software, then migrating to Microsoft Teams might seem like the easiest option.   However, the truth is that since implementing Skype for Business, there's a good chance that your needs and expectations for collaboration tools have changed. That's why it's crucial to check out all of the options available on the market, before committing to something just because it's familiar. Shortlist solutions that match your requirements and focus on finding the right mixture of available features, ease of use, and scalability. Ideally, the right collaboration tool will allow you to add and remove features as your business changes.   4. Consider software integrations  Another point to consider when you're looking for a replacement to Skype for Business is what kind of integrations you'll need. Collaboration tools make up a crucial part of the Unified Communication environment for your business. However, your company can't be truly unified if your employee's favourite software doesn't work alongside their enterprise chat tools.   Think about the CRM and ERP systems your people use every day. Will your new collaboration software work hand-in-hand with those tools? Can you implement the analytics software you rely on each day into your enterprise chat so that people can comment on your findings?   Integrations allow for more efficient workflows in virtually any business environment. Make sure your chosen application plays well with others. You could even look at combining various enterprise chat tools using a syncing tool like Mio.   5. Measure the impact Remember, when you do implement a new tool into your business environment, no matter whether it's a collaboration app or a new analytics service, it's important to measure the results. Roll your team tool out to a few select users at first and see how they respond to it. A free or trial version of some of your shortlisted apps will come in handy here.   The more comfortable your people feel using the tools you offer to replace Skype for Business, the less likely they'll be to seek out alternative solutions on their own. The last thing you want is issues with shadow IT to worry about when you aim to reduce silos in your workplace.   What is the Best Skype for a Business alternative? Now that you know how to assess your Skype for Business alternatives, it's time to start looking at your options.   There are dozens of potential enterprise chat tools to choose from on the market today. Here are just some of the best-known and most popular options that previous Skype for Business users might want to try:    Go To Meeting     Created by the Go To brand, GoToMeeting is one of the best-known collaboration tools on the market today.   The app earned a reputation for simplicity and accessibility, by giving businesses a way to connect with colleagues, contractors, and customers with nothing but a custom link.   With GoToMeeting, you can schedule conferences for any time or place you choose. Additionally, attendees can join from a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. There's even support for HD video conferencing for up to 25 people per session.   Some of the features you can expect from GoToMeeting include:   Personal meeting rooms One-click conference sessions HD video conferencing Desktop or mobile access Desktop/Application sharing Virtual whiteboarding   Cisco Webex Teams   Cisco Webex Teams is the natural step into cloud collaboration for users of Cisco Jabber.   Formerly Cisco Spark, Webex Teams offers full team messaging functionality. This includes one-to-one persistent chat, team messaging, and interactive meetings inclusive of Cisco whiteboard experiences familiar to users of the Cisco Spark Board, now the Webex Teams board.   For users with Cisco VoIP handsets, conferencing solutions, and telepresence devices, Webex Teams integrates with most devices in the portfolio to provide a streamlined, consistent experience.   New features recently announced for Webex Teams include:   People insights Live motion video Share anywhere with Webex Share New VDI client Improved video   Slack   Slack is often touted as the pioneer of team messaging. As one of the first persistent chat platforms, Slack has the upper hand when it comes to user experience and integrations as they’ve had longer to experiment and get it right.   Even down to the recently introduced Slack dark mode, Slack is always striving to improve its look and feel.   Another recent introduction is Enterprise Key Management (EKM). This has been introduced to satisfy the security requirements of large enterprises that had previous concerns over data retention.   Slack describes EKM as “providing all of the security of an on-premise solution, with all the benefits of a cloud tool.”   Key features of Slack include:   Automated reminders Task list management Custom shortcuts Many, many bot integrations Search channels for keywords and important documents   Viber for Business     Viber for Business completes the Skype for Business alternatives when looking for a collaboration or team chat environment.   Viber should be considered for businesses that have a large presence in Russia or the APAC region.   Viber’s consumer app has over 1 million users and users will benefit from the familiar look and feel – remind anyone of Skype before Skype for Business?   Key features of Viber for Business include:   HD voice and video Texts, photos, GIFs, and stickers Voice and video clips that can be sent later Call recording    Hive     Hive combines a unique blend of project management and team collaboration to provide teams the ability to manage their projects in the way they work best.   Configurable views are available to switch easily to ultimate flexibility.   Supporting Gantt, Kanban, and an assortment of tables, Hive then integrates into over 1000 other productivity apps like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Marketo.   Key features include:   Direct and Group Messaging (Private and Public Groups) Task Management File Integration with Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and One Drive Email Integration Notes   This is a starter for 10. Well, 5 actually.   Author Bio:  Dominic Kent is the Director of Content Marketing and Communications at Mio. Mio powers seamless communication between workplace chat apps like Slack, Cisco Webex Teams, and Microsoft Teams.  
It's been almost two years since Microsoft announced their plan to replace Skype for Business with t...
x series vs slack
17 Nov 2022
Ryver vs Slack: Which Platform Made Collaboration Simple! [2023 Update]
We knew that you have already read a few articles from our Troop Messenger blog store on Slack alternatives.   So far we have made comparison blogs on Slack vs Microsoft Teams, Slack vs Yammer, Slack vs Discord, etc., to make you understand the insights of both tools.   Having said that, we have added one more to our store, and that is Slack vs Ryver. Table of Contents Quick Infographic Comparison between Ryver vs Slack Ryver vs Slack: Introduction Ryver vs Slack: Getting Started Ryver vs Slack: Conversation (Messaging, audio, video call) Ryver vs Slack: Integrations Ryver vs Slack: Task Management Ryver vs Slack: Channels and Forum Ryver vs Slack: Pricing Ryver vs Slack: Support Conclusion Quick Infographic Comparison between Ryver vs Slack    Ryver vs Slack: Introduction Ryver The USP of business messaging applications is -Interact less and collaborate more. Among the plethora of such tools, Ryver stands tall both in terms of cost and efficiency. This tool ranks as one of the most searched ones across the USA for its fame.   Pat Sullivan, CEO of Ryver Team Communication says Ryver has been specially designed for teams, enterprises, and IoT networks with solid features of security embedded. The Ryver website offers live chat support for all its users to answer a wide array of user queries in order to provide smooth communication across teams. Slack Slack brings teams together to make them communicate on project discussions, task updates, and delivery deadlines, and to ascertain quite a lot more daily office routines. It is launched in the year 2013 by Stewart Butterfield. Slack is an acronym that expands to “Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge”, but across continents, it is widely known as Slack.   Slack stands as the best collaborative software that moves work forward across teams in organizations.   Ryver vs Slack: Getting Started Ryver Ryver comes with a free 14-day fully functional trial to create a new Ryver organization. Whoever is interested to be a part of Ryver can join by Clicking on the ‘Start for Free’, tab on their website home page to get registered to the application. It insists the users fill up the registration form with the basic details and a valid email id to send a verification mail.   The new users will also be receiving a direct message through the mail from Eddy Bot to help them get a great Ryver experience. This free trial lets the admin add unlimited users, with a provision for extending usage after the trial period by contacting the Support Team. Slack  Slack would definitely be a great choice to opt for when it comes to team collaboration across small and medium-sized companies, as it allows its free trial for an unlimited amount of time, though with a depleted set of features. Slack users can directly log in to the application with their workspace name.   The project name users give at the time of the Sign-up process is seen as a channel on the home page of the Slack interface. Slack users have the privilege to switch between the workspaces from within the interface itself.   Our Verdict: The Signup process for Ryver seems to be a little confusing and tedious when compared to Slack.   Ryver vs Slack: Conversation (Messaging, audio, video call) Ryver  Conversations in Ryver happen through direct messaging, Teams, and Forums. The “Start Here”, roster tab which is seen on the home page makes the user's chat visible to all organization members and guests. To have endless chat conversations among team members, the admin is allowed to add people to the organization by sending them an invite to join Ryver.   Ryver facilitates the users to create Forums and Teams to interact dynamically on a wide range of projects and tasks. The Roster “Start Here”, tab shows “JOINED ORG ADMINS, JOINED MEMBERS and BOTS” at the right panel of the home page to easily identify the list of admins and members.   Messaging can take place across;   Ryver’s Forums - Members and guests join the conversations to participate and view activities.   Teams  - allow only team members to participate and view activity.  Ryver says, “Private teams are a great way to have a group of people focus on a project, topic, or assignment.” Ryver allows voice and video calls across direct messaging, teams, and forums.     Slack  Messaging across Slack takes place through direct messages, channels, and threads. The users can directly interact with Slackbot for all kinds of help/assistance.   If in case it couldn’t answer the user queries, it will search for the help center to assist them further.   The sender can open the chat window of the recipient user from the member's list to initiate a one-on-one conversation with the chat support features;   Add reaction Share link Attach files  Star message  Delete message  Mark unread  Show conversation details  Voice and video calls  Conversation settings and many more.   Our Verdict: Conversations across Slack and Ryver happens through messaging, audio, and video call. Slack is easy to use than Ryver.   The similar post you might like:   Discord vs Slack   Microsoft Teams Vs Slack   Yammer Or Slack   Ryver vs Slack: Integrations Ryver  This application supports a wide array of integrations presenting the best user experience!   Dive into the world of integrations from the user's profile drop-down window of the Ryver home page. Ryver, in association with Zapier, supports 1500 integrations along with a good number set of custom integrations to make users super productive. Slack  Slack comes with a tagline of “Add apps, get work done” on its app directory page. The user needs to navigate to this page from, “Browse Apps”, a section of the Slack home page where they are further allowed to manage custom integrations too.   With a diverse range of app integrations, the users of the Slack team collaboration tool can pull reports, start making calls, file support tickets, have face-to-face video conferencing, and more right within Slack.   Pros and Cons of Integrations:   Integrations make a great way to help users enhance the quality of the application.  A wide range of apps can be integrated into Slack and Ryver to address every need of the user.   The only disadvantage would be the process of integration that the users have to undergo.   Our Verdict: App Integration Process in Slack seems to be much easier than Ryver.    Ryver vs Slack: Task Management Ryver Task Management at Ryver is simply awesome!   It allows users to create unlimited tasks to help them process better solutions. The feature of the team and personal task boards enable the users to personalize them according to their project requirements. This feature allows you to break down your project into various tasks and presents a complete view of each of them.   The task stream section that is available on the left navigation bar gives us an overview of all the latest tasks. Slack Slack allows its users to integrate with a wide range of project management tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, etc., to keep all your projects on track. Slack to-do lists in channels enable all the team members to view all the tasks in one place to have an easy understanding and flexible workflow.   Automation of tasks is said to be one of the unique features of Slack. We can “time” Slack to send automated task reminders through notifications.   Our Verdict: Comprehensive and built-in task management and workflow automation process are available in Ryver, whereas in Slack this facility can be only achieved through integrations.    Ryver vs Slack: Channels and Forum Ryver Forums All open discussions happen in Ryver’s Forums.   Forums allow individuals, teams, and guests to join and participate in team decision-making and discussions. These Forums are almost similar to Slack’s channels. The Slack Migration Tool enables Ryver to import Slack users, messages, files, and posts into Ryver. You can find the “Forums” on the left panel of Ryver’s home page.   As a user of Ryver, you are supposed to join a Forum to avail the services provided by it. The users have the privilege to join and leave Forums at their interest. Slack Channels Slack facilitates leverage to create public and private channels. While in the public channels, any users of the workspace will be able to view and join channels. Whereas in private channels only invitees are supposed to view and interact with others. Slack allows having up to 1000 people in each channel.   The users of Slack can find all the channels grouped at the left navigation bar of the home page.   Ryver vs Slack: Pricing Ryver Ryver comes with the pricing plans of Starter - $49/month Unlimited - $99/month Enterprise - $399/month    The first two plans start as a free 14-day trial offer. The starter plan has been built for up to 12 users with the features of unlimited chat, unlimited file sharing, task management, etc.,   The second plan which is the most popular of all three is meant for unlimited users with the features of custom invite links, unlimited chat, unlimited file sharing, task management, voice, and video calls, etc., An advanced feature of workflow automation, single sign-on, premium support, advanced team management, testing sandbox and with all other features of Starter and Unlimited are seen in Ryver’s Enterprise plan. Slack  Slack comes with the pricing plans of Free - $0 (Storage per member- 5 GB) Standard - $6.67/month (Storage per member - 10 GB) Plus - $12.50/month (Storage per member - 20 GB) Enterprise Grid (Storage per member - 1TB) The free plan of Slack comes with 10k searchable messages, 10 app integrations, one-to-one video calls, and two-factor authentication for an unlimited amount of time. The other plans would include Standard, Plus, and Enterprise Grid.   Ryver vs Slack: Support Ryver Ryver extends great support to its users. The support website page welcomes the user with Eddy Bot. A detailed quick start guide for navigating the Ryver, a user guide for providing an overview of the Ryver, a technical guide to assist users on external integrations, Slack import tool, Developer APIs, etc.,   Ryver further allows live chat and help support to attend to all user queries with the utmost ease. It facilitates the users to share their product ideas and requests for new features with the Ryver team from the support webpage. Slack The slack team extends a well co-ordinated and collaborative customer support to all its users. The support teams resolve issues and share knowledge of the product. It allows users to collaborate with more powerful integrations to achieve faster customer query resolutions.   It lets you post support tickets in channels themselves only, thereby not letting you leave it to track their status on them.   Conclusion Team collaboration applications are a must-have for any kind of organization. Be it small, medium, or large type of organizations, there is an utter need for people to interact with each other on diverse projects and tasks to achieve success and within time schedules. Ryver and Slack, both have their own set of pros and cons in extending team collaboration.   Disclaimer The article aims to be informative. We intend for users to take an informed decision for an effective and productive experience. The comparison shown between Ryver vs slack in the blog is only towards that end and has no intention of pitting one against the other team collaboration app brands. The images, logos, any concepts, etc., used in this blog, purely belong to their respective companies or applications (Ryver and Slack).   Readers are advised to consult and confirm with the respective service providers regarding details of features, the latest updates, prices, and policies before utilizing any of their services. This further informs the reader that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog solely belong to the author’s perception, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee, or other group or individual.
We knew that you have already read a few articles from our Troop Messenger blog store on Slack alter...
productivity
09 Jan 2020
13 Online To-Do List Apps to Watch in 2025 (Free and Paid)
When was the last time you forgot to do an important task?   And, when was the last time you decided to create online to-do lists,   but never kept up to it-because obviously, who has the time to pull out a pen and paper to note everything down?   Well, you are not alone. It’s a human tendency to forget things, and later regret not being efficient at task management. Having a to-do-list app is not only about organizing the daily tasks but also keeping track of the progress, and completing them to meet goals.   Do we even need to explain why everyone should have to-do-list applications on their smartphones? There are over hundreds of to-do-list applications with a great many features and specifications. These applications have been around for a long time.   But, here’s something: Not all the applications fit the user requirement. Keeping track of tasks and daily work is an intensely personal thing, and users will switch off from any application that doesn’t meet their needs.   Let’s face it. Finding the right to-do-list application can be an overwhelming (and equally disappointing) task. That’s why we conducted exhaustive research on the top-rated applications reviewed each of them on the basis of their features, ease of use, pricing, and supported platform.   We have written this article after spending a lot of time during feature analysis and unbiased comparison. And finally, we present to you what we believe is the best to-do list apps for iPhone, Android, Windows, and macOS.   Best To-Do List App in 2024 1. Troop ToDo 2. Microsoft To-Do 3. Wunderlist 4. Todoist 5. TickTick 6. Things 7. Keep & Share 8. Any Do 9. Toodle Do 10. OmniFocus 11. Notion 12. Objektiv 13. ClickUp   Troop ToDo Supported Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, and the Web   Pricing: Free Version Available   Millions of people are using Troop To-Do to streamline daily tasks and activities. The tool allows users to keep track of all their tasks, helping them enjoy peace of mind. With Troop To-Do, you can efficiently add tasks, set reminders, and never worry about forgetting urgent items. It works anytime, anywhere, and across all devices.   Highlights: All-in-One Task Management: Keep all your tasks in one place, ensuring that all activities and to-dos are well-organized. Quick Add Feature: Capture and manage tasks effortlessly with the 'Quick Add' feature. Reminders: Build better habits and remember approaching deadlines with automatic reminders. Prioritization: Highlight what’s most important by setting task priorities, helping users map out project goals efficiently.   What's Missing: Built-in Time Management: Lacks a native time tracking feature. Meeting Management: Does not have a dedicated module for scheduling or managing meetings.   Best Suited For: Troop To-Do is ideal for individuals aiming to achieve productivity goals. With features like Karma points, streaks, and levels, users can track their progress through visually appealing charts and graphs. This makes it easy to see tangible progress on projects and stay motivated.   Microsoft To-Do ( The Office user’s To-Do list app)     Supported Platforms: Android, Windows, and iOS   Pricing: Free   From office task management to daily life events, Microsoft To-Do can be your go-to application for recording everything you need to get done, every single day.   To-Do by Microsoft empowers the users to accomplish more by adding a new task, tracking the on-going work, removing the to-do once it is completed.   With access to your daily list, you can review tasks due, set reminders to complete them on time, streamline your activities, and eliminate all confusion.   Highlights: Microsoft To-Do has a very clean and user-friendly interface. The app assures great flexibility with the standard UI and UX. The deep integration with Microsoft tools is a standout feature. If you are using Outlook and wish to sync your task to your mobile phone, the Microsoft To-Do makes it possible with one-click. Adding to-dos has never been easier. For this application, Windows and iPhone users can also use voice command service. For example, if you are using Windows, you can ask Cortana to add a new task to your specific to-do list. It is cloud-based and so it can be integrated with Office 365.   What’s Missing: The tools lack task management and collaboration feature. MacOS version is still unavailable and hence Microsoft To-Do needs to work on the collaboration front.   Best Suited For: Both Personal and Professional needs. If you want a personal space to create and track your tasks, Microsoft To-do is the best. It’s not for those who want to work collaboratively with colleagues on the same project.   Recent Articles : Why Government Agencies Need Collaboration Software   Recent Articles : Microsoft Teams Free vs Microsoft Teams Paid, What’s the Difference?   Recent Articles : Slack Stock vs Zoom Stock: Who is Losing the Momentum?   Wunderlist (The daily planner To-Do list app)     Supported Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, Kindle Fire and the Web    Pricing: Free   With Wunderlist, you get the flexibility to get stuff done with ease.   Whether you have plans to meet a friend, deliver a project, contact a client, or plan a business party, Wunderlist is the perfect solution for ticking off all your professional and personal to-dos.   Highlights: The app makes it super easy to create, organize, and share the to-do on the go. You can also group the related list in one folder. It allows the users to assign to-dos and tasks irrespective of geographical locations, set reminders, and accomplish tasks within the due date. The tool allows users to work collaboratively. With Wunderlist, teamwork can be very flexible since you can share tasks and work together. It’s also a perfect app where you can host all communications together. With Wunderlist, you can print the to-do with one click.    What’s Missing: The application is not suitable for advanced task management.  It doesn’t support a native calendar view and built-in time tracking feature, which can be a hindrance for task management.   Best Suited For: Basic level task management. As long as you need standard task management features in a to-do list app, Wunderlist comes in really handy. For advanced task management, this online to-do list tool is not the best choice.    Todoist (The To-do task manager list app)    Supported Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, and the Web    Pricing: Free Version Available    Millions of people are using this application to streamline daily tasks and activities.   The tool lets the user keep track of all their tasks, and in that way, helps them enjoy peace of mind. With Todoist, you can efficiently add the tasks, set reminders, never worry about forgetting urgent things.   It works anywhere, anytime, and across all devices.   Highlights: It keeps all the tasks in one place and gives users confidence that all the activities and to-dos are well organized. Where ‘Quick add’ allows users to capture and manage tasks, the ‘Reminder feature’ helps them build habits and remember approaching deadlines. The prioritization feature facilitates prioritizing tasks, highlighting what’s more important, and mapping out project goals The application can be integrated with dozens of third-party applications like Dropbox, Zapier, IFTTT, AmazonAlexa, GoogleCalendar, and others.   What’s Missing: Built-in time management and tracking feature are missing.  Todoist lacks a dedicated module for meeting management.   Best Suited For: Todoist is best for those people who want to meet productivity goals.  The Todoist Karma points, streaks, and levels are some of the features they can use to see tangible progress of your project. This feature lets you measure the progress through beautiful visualization and graphs.   TickTick  (The Productive To-Do list app)    Supported Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, and the Web    Pricing: Free Version Available    Paid Plan Starts at : $2.4/month    As the name implies, this tool lets the user make checklists (to-do lists), organize them in the order of priority, and then tick them off after completing the tasks.   Millions of people use this to-do list template to capture, organize, and prioritize tasks and make the most of their working days.   Highlights: The in-built calendar facilitates reminder setting so you never miss an important meeting, a client’s project delivery, or an important phone call. The flexible calendar view helps a user check their schedule and manage it according to their convenience. Those who want to work collaboratively, can assign tasks, share the to-do list, check project progress, and stay productive together TickTick can be synced across multiple platforms. The tool supports voice input, Siri commands, and it can also convert emails into tasks. TickTick also has Pomo Timer, which is based on the Pomodoro Technique that helps the user to stay focused and play white noise in the background.   What’sMissing: TickTick doesn’t support integration with other project management apps, which hinders workflow.   Best Suited For: It’s perfect for everyone who wants to increase their daily productivity. The PomoTimer is a great feature that can be used to enhance focus and eliminate distraction. With TickTick, Organization is simple. You can organize tasks into lists, tasks, subtasks, and folders. Furthermore, all these can be sorted in accordance with priority, tags, and custom lists.   Latest Article : Why Government Agencies Need Collaboration Software   Things (The award-winning To-Do list app)    Supported Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch    Pricing: 15-Day Free Trial Available    MacOS: $49.99    iPad: $19.99    iPhone & Apple Watch: $9.99    Things is an award-winning, and critically acclaimed personal task manager, specially designed for iPhone and Mac users.   It's got powerful features, all-new design, and a great many interactions. It has no shortage of functionalities, and yet all features are provided in a manner they never feel cluttered. Things are the best to-do list apps for the iPhone.   Highlights: Easy drag and drop UI that allows users to rearrange the task in order of priority. Headings feature for creating categories within the task and forming structure to streamline the workflow. Calendar view with start and end date of the task. Push notifications for reminders, advanced search filters, and focus mode for essential tasks. Visual aids like a pie chart that allows project tracking and progress monitoring over time.   What’s Missing: The tools lack collaboration feature. The lists cannot be shared with others and so, co-working through Things is not feasible. It's more of a personal task manager. The app is available only for Apple device users.   Best Suited For: Apple Device users who want to sync their to-dos across all the devices, and review, edit, and organize the personal tasks. Things are mainly recommended for personal use.   Keep & Share (The easiest To-Do list app)   Supported Platforms: iPhone, Android, and Windows.    Pricing: Free Plan for individual use is available with 500 calendar entries    Paid Plan: For personal use is available at $9 per month with 3000 calendar entries    Multi-User plan: starts at :$19 per month with 3000 calendar entries   Have you ever wanted to have a personalized calendar that marks all your important dates, meetings, schedules, and upcoming tasks? In short, your virtual time management assistant.   Keep & Share is one such application that offers a secure and customizable calendar that you can review, edit, and access anytime, anywhere.   These calendars are shareable, which makes office collaboration very simple and secure.   Highlights: As soon as an admin makes any changes in the schedules, all team members get instant chat notifications by text messages and emails. Keep & Share can be used to assign tasks, jobs, and schedule appointments with team members and also in their personal calendars. All the individual calendars can be grouped later to create a master calendar. The tool tagging and variant coloring options, which makes the organization very simple. Using the tags, you can filter the calendar to find just what you need. You can divide events between different team members, add extra details in grids, and compare schedules through the side-by-side view.   What’s Missing?  The tool lacks a dedicated subtask management feature and the time-tracking option.  One can share the calendar with team members, but cannot integrate it with other task management applications.   Best Suited For: Office and Team Work. If you want to manage a big project by keeping all the team members on the same page, Keep & Share is a perfect choice. The tool will keep all the employees on track of what's happening and what has been changed in the plan.   Any Do (The Freemium To-Do list app)    Supported Platforms: Android and Windows.    Pricing:  Free Plan with basic features is Available    Paid plan with advanced features starts at : $2.99 per month     Your busy life needs an application that can streamline all your tasks and help you become a more organized and productive person. Any-Do is one such application with extensive task management features. It is used by millions of people to get more things done.   Highlights: The tool’s basic functionality is organization. You can organize your lists, tasks, and events, and set reminders for each. The application seamlessly syncs with all types of devices and operating systems, which makes your to-dos accessible anytime, anywhere. With beautiful calendars and the turbo-charged features, the users can keep track of all their projects, save time, and make every day productive. The app has a one time, recurring, custom, and location-based reminder settings, which assures that you never miss out on what’s important.    What’s Missing:  Any Do doesn't support advanced task management for the free plan. For example, you cannot share the list or integrate it with third-party tools in the free version. The premium plan, however, offers both communication and collaboration features.   Best Suited For: Both personal and professional needs, especially users who want to complete tasks based on their geographical locations. The location-based notification features are a great way of getting things done just where you want.   Toodle Do (The multi-functional To-Do list app)    Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Web browsers, and Windows.    Pricing: Free Plan with basic features is Available    Paid plan with advanced features starts at : $2.99 per month     With Toodle Do, Task management is easy, efficient, and productive. If you want a To-Do application with great many task management features, Toodle Do has to be the final pick.   It has got everything you need to streamline workflow, organize tasks, and boost productivity.   Highlights: It is a powerful application with features like Due Dates, Reminders, Schedule, and Folders management. You can quickly sort all the lists with the easy search, filter option, and tags. The Status features allow users to keep track of the tasks, and the Batch Edit can be used to make changes to the group. Prioritize the tasks and to-dos by adding stars, setting goals, and adding priority levels. The tool has a wide variety of options like exporting, importing, and data backup.   What’s Missing: The tool lacks a dedicated customer care support or issues management module. Both the collaboration and advanced task management features are missing in the free plan.   Best Suited For: Office teams on tight-schedules and deadlines. The collaboration features, tasks addition via an email client such as MAiltrim, full history, and priority support are some of the features that can make task management efficient for professionals.   OmniFocus (The feature-stack To-Do list app)    Supported Platforms: iPhone and Mac Computers   Pricing: 14-Day Free Trial Available   OmniFocus : 3 license is available at $49.99    This is a To-do list application with the most refreshing design. OmniFocus is built with a fresh design and interactive UI, which makes it an appealing platform to work on. With all the powerful features like Quick entry, forecast, view options, perspectives, syncing, and light and dark mode, you can take complete control of the daily tasks.   Highlights: You can add actions through Siri Voice Command, and the reminder setting to make sure you never forget anything important. The actions can be grouped into tasks, and then into projects. This way, you and your team can work collaboratively. For better search results, add tags, set priority, importance level, and location. There is a perspective feature that can be used for OmniFocus users to plan their day and do things on their lists. Online syncing assures that all your data are always up-to-date on all your devices. Mac users can opt for a pro plan where they use features like custom sidebar, focus mode, custom perspective, and apple script.   What’s Missing? The application is not available for Android and Windows users. For beginners, OmniFocus can be too complicated. Many options can be overwhelming to understand at first.   Best Suited For: iPhone mobile and Mac computer users who want to follow to-dos and streamline workflow in both personal and professional aspects of their lives. It's an excellent tool for users who follow the GTD approach as it has a dedicated functionality to help get everything done faster.   Notion (The All-in-one To-Do list app)      Supported Platforms: Web, Mobile, Mac, Windows    Pricing: Free Version is Available    Personal plan is available at : $4 per month    Team plan is available at  : $8 per month    Enterprise plan is available at : $8 per month   This new to-do list tool is designed for writing, collaborating, planning, and organizing purposes. With Notion, you get to do a lot more than setting up tasks and reminders. It's a one-in-all tool with a great many features.   Highlights: The application supports over 30 media types, and lets you have a simple and comfortable writing experience. It works like GiHubWiki by turning a user’s tribal information into the easy-to-look answers. You can add tasks, assign teams, and roles. You can create checklists and roadmaps to accomplish the assigned roles through Kanban board, list view, and Calendar. This tool lets you keep a record of all the critical information through spreadsheets and databases. It works offline, too, and syncs with your devices in real-time.   What’s Missing? It lacks communication features and real-time discussion with the team members. The time tracking feature is not available.   Best Suited For: Notion is the perfect solution for ticking off all your professional to-dos and managing tasks at an advanced level. The project management is more accessible with Notion, but you'll have to use a separate application for communicating with the team members.   Objektiv Objektivapp is a habit and productivity app that helps you complete your tasks and form new habits using the best evidence based techniques from behavioral science. Combining SMART goals, commitment contracts, accountability buddies, and if-then goal planning techniques, Objektivapp gives you the best chance of achieving the goals you're aiming for. Objektivapp is available for both Android and iOS. Rather than creating vague, empty promises that you won't stick to, Objektivapp helps you create a contract with yourself that specifies exactly how you are going to achieve your goals. It motivates you to stick to the contact by allowing you to ask friends to monitor your progress and earn money by completing tasks.   ClickUp (The #1 Free All-in-one Task Management Tool) Supported Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and the Web   Pricing: Free version available Paid Plan: The Unlimited Plan starts at $5 a month per user and gives you unlimited storage, views, integrations, dashboards, and the ability to invite other users as well as guests with permissions. ClickUp is one of the fastest-growing project management tools today. Streamline your projects with Docs, Reminders, Goals, Calendars, Chat, scheduling, assigned comments, custom views, and more with this all-in-one productivity platform! Highlights: 10+ customizable views for managing everything from tasks to team resources (List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, Mind Map, and more) 1,000+ integrations Scalable hierarchy that makes it easy to organize your projects and workflows. Robust automation features that save you time. Tons of extra features that bring all of your work needs into one place (Goals, Time Tracking, Embeds, Docs, Email, and more) What's Missing: Can't export Dashboards   Best Suited For: Teams that want to bring all of their work into one place. ClickUp is truly an all-in-one project management platform in that it can be used for everything; from general project management and CRM to software development and personal to-do lists.   Conclusion: Finding the best task management software system can be overwhelming. More the options, the more confusing it gets. Hence, we have done your homework and presented you with the top-rated tools to pick from.   If you are an Android user, TickTick and Todoist can be a great pick. Windows users can easily rely on Microsoft To-Do, and Apple users can go with Things and OmniFocus. And if you want a tool that works across all platforms, Wuderlist, Toodle Do, and Keep & Share can be the safest (and the smartest) pick.   This marks the end of the best to-do list app available. What do you think will work best for your task management needs? Let us know in the comments below.    FAQs   1. What are the top to-do list apps of 2025?   TroopTodo is one of the top to-do list apps of 2025, offering an intuitive interface, task management, reminders, and team collaboration, making it ideal for both personal and team productivity.   2. Can I share tasks with others in to-do list apps?   Yes, with TroopToDo, you can easily share tasks with others. It allows team members to collaborate by assigning tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.   3. Are there free to-do list apps available?   Yes, TroopToDo offers a free version with essential task management features. You can create tasks, set reminders, and collaborate with your team without any cost.     4. How secure are the data in to-do list apps?   TroopToDo ensures data security by using encryption and secure cloud storage to protect your tasks and information. It takes necessary measures to keep your data safe from unauthorized access.   5. What is the difference between a to-do list app and a task management app?   A to-do list app like TroopToDo focuses on organizing and tracking individual tasks. It’s simple and straightforward for personal or small team use. A task management app, on the other hand, includes more advanced features like project tracking, deadlines, and team collaboration, offering a more comprehensive approach for larger teams or complex projects.   6. How do I choose the right to-do list app for my needs?   To choose the right to-do list app, consider your needs: If you're looking for a simple, easy-to-use app for personal or team task management, TroopToDo is a great option. It offers features like task assignment, reminders, and collaboration, making it ideal for both individuals and small teams.   7. What are the main features to look for in a to-do list app?   When choosing a to-do list app like TroopToDo, look for features such as task creation, due dates, reminders, task sharing, and team collaboration. TroopToDo also offers priority settings and an easy-to-use interface to keep tasks organized and on track.   8. Can to-do list apps sync across multiple devices?   Yes, TroopToDo syncs across multiple devices, allowing you to access and manage your tasks from anywhere, whether on your phone, tablet, or computer. This ensures seamless task tracking and collaboration.   9. Are there to-do list apps that integrate with other productivity tools?   Yes, TroopToDo integrates with various productivity tools, allowing you to sync tasks with calendars, collaborate with teams, and streamline your workflow. This integration helps manage tasks more efficiently within your existing tools.   10. How secure are the data in to-do list apps?   TroopToDo ensures data security by using encryption and secure cloud storage to protect your information. It follows industry standards to keep your tasks and data safe from unauthorized access.   11. What is the difference between a to-do list app and a task management app?   A **to-do list app** like **TroopToDo** is simple, focusing on organizing and tracking individual tasks. A **task management app** typically offers more advanced features like project tracking, team collaboration, and detailed reporting, making it suitable for larger projects and teams.
When was the last time you forgot to do an important task?   And, when was the last time you ...
productivity
06 Oct 2022
28 Best Online Graphic Design software
Times have changed, and along with them, technology has also evolved significantly.   Who needs a pen or paper or those hefty sketching tools when you can draw and design even better stuff using online graphic design software?   Gone are the days when a task of designing would take days and sometimes weeks to accomplish. Thanks to software like Wepik, Canva, Designer, Logo Maker, and Adobe Illustrator, the task of designing graphics has become less tedious. Moreover, nobody has enough time to wait for physical design and they get on with the process.   Software like this consists of better and more intuitive graphic content that can be readily put into work. The graphic content that these applications provide has been designed considering the needs of the user. A person can find a design from creating a letter to designing a book cover, from creating motivational quotes to forming a resume. These tools provide templates and guidance specifically for resume creator, making it easier to highlight your skills and experience professionally.   There aren't several graphic design apps available on PlayStore, and AppStore that one can make use of any of this software to accomplish their task.   From creating a website logo to printing brochures of a company product, graphic design tools are the most sought-after solutions. Even if you plan to design a wedding photo collection or photoshoot albums, you can use online software to ease the process. Also, you can use Mixbook's wedding designs to generate new album ideas.   A Web Design Sample Invoice Receipt Template streamlines billing processes for web designers, featuring customization fields for client information, project details, hourly rates, and services rendered, ensuring accurate and professional invoicing.   Following is the list of the best graphic design software: Table of Contents 1. Adobe Photoshop 2. Adobe Illustrator CC 3. Freepik 4. Crowdspring 5. Designhill 6. FreeLogoCreator 7. Inkscape 8. VistaCreate 9. Canva 10. Design Wizard 11. Flipsnack 12. Lunacy 13. SVG-Edit 14. Onshape  15. BeFunky 16. Venngage 17. Piktochart 18. Pixlr 19. Sumo Paint 20. DAZ Studio 21. DrawPlus 22. PhotoWorks 23. AutoDesk Sketchbook Pro 24. Appy Pie Design 25. Picsart 26. YouCam Online Editor 27. PhotoADKing 28. DesignWiz Final Words 1. Adobe Photoshop      Adobe Photoshop CC is widely used by professional graphic artists, photographers, and graphic designers to design websites, logos, icons, flyers, posters, brochures, banners, comics, cover pages, and digital magazines.   With Extensive features of cropping, pigments, text boxes, and enhancements, Adobe Photoshop CC is still a favorite application to design graphics for any purpose whether professional or recreational. Many users are even looking for methods on how to get Photoshop for free, trying to receive all the cool features without spending a cent. Explore the convenience of creating graphics online by considering Adobe Illustrator online, a versatile alternative with extensive features for cropping, pigments, text boxes, and enhancements, catering to both professional and recreational design needs.   This graphic designing software can be used on a mobile phone. Highlights   Symmetry Mode for defining axes Content-Aware fill experience Frame tool for creating shapes and text frames Fast cropping and transformation using auto-commit Access to all assets within the app and synced devices   Pricing: The photography Plan Starts at $676 per month. 2. Adobe Illustrator CC     Adobe Illustrator CC is an amazing design tool widely used by graphic designers and users worldwide. It offers a comprehensive set of features and capabilities that enable users to create imaginative graphic designs and illustrations for various mediums, including printing, web design, and video media. With its vector-based approach, Adobe Illustrator CC allows for precise and scalable artwork creation, ensuring high-quality output. Its extensive toolset, including brushes, shapes, typography, and effects, empowers designers to bring their creative visions to life. Adobe Illustrator CC's versatility and industry-leading capabilities have made it the best graphic designing tool of 2019 and continue to make it a top choice for designers seeking powerful and professional-grade software.   Because of its efficient design of 2D and 3D graphics and in-built templates, graphic designers consider it the best software for all kinds of media. Highlights   Gorgeous Typography Freehand Drawing Seamless Integration with other Cloud apps Freeform Gradient to add rich color Customizable toolbar   Pricing: $29.99 per month 3. Freepik   Freepik is a graphic design platform that offers free vector images, illustrations, fonts, videos, AI images, and many other assets. It has an online library of over 71 million resources including vectors, icons, photographs, templates, and much more.   Whether you're embarking on a design journey from scratch or seeking ready-made designs, Freepik is your partner in the realm of creative exploration, granting you the tools to craft unique visual narratives. This platform isn't just about resources; it's about igniting imagination and fostering the expression of ideas in a multitude of visual forms. Highlights   Access to millions of resources Design template Creates for any purpose Easy-to-use online editor AI images and vector graphics Download designs without background Post to social media, via email, or embed on websites Offers an online AI image generator   Pricing: Freepik offers a free version as well as a Premium subscription starting at $12.99 per month.  4. Crowdspring   Unlike traditional software for graphic design, Crowdspring empowers you to collaborate with experienced graphic designers to create an eye-grabbing and professional logo design, website, brochure, t-shirt, or any other type of graphic design for your brand. You can set your budget, answer a few questions, and collaborate with dozens of designers to get a unique graphic design you love in 1 to 7 days. With the use of an online graphic design tool like Crowdspring, you can rest assured that the designers working on your brand are carefully vetted by the Crowdspring team, guaranteeing that only the best designers are involved. These skilled designers will submit their design concepts for your review, allowing you to provide feedback and scores to guide the creative process. Furthermore, your complete satisfaction is ensured with a 100% money-back guarantee, providing added peace of mind. Unlike other design options, you'll also benefit from full copyright rights and a signed legal contract, offering protection and security for your brand. Highlights   100% money-back guarantee All custom designs created by expert designers Complete intellectual property protection Award-winning customer support The Design Studio option lets you create your designs for free   Pricing: $299+ (including all fees) for custom design; free for Design Studio 5. Designhill   Designhill is yet another graphic design software. This software includes a user-friendly image editing application for, e.g., background removal. ‘Studio’ is one of its sections that offer a wide array of templates for varied needs like presentations, social media, brochures, posters, and more.   What makes it more interesting is the customization features added to each template. It’s easy to use, and hence even a novice designer can use it to design/edit your image online. It also has a dedicated logo creator— a DIY tool for free to use. Highlights   Access to hundreds of templates Easy customization of fonts, text, images, etc. Upload your image Download design(s) with ease   Pricing: Designhill Studio is free to use 6. FreeLogoCreator   FreeLogoCreator.com is a powerful and intuitive free graphic design software tool that enables young businesses to embark on their branding journey with confidence and contemporary styles. With this tool, you can easily craft a professional and distinctive brand logo for your social media platforms and website use, without incurring any costs. The design gallery offers a diverse collection of high-quality graphics, ensuring that you have access to a wide range of creative elements. The design process itself is straightforward and user-friendly, allowing you to create a logo design in under 2 minutes with simple click and drag-and-drop functionality. Whether you possess a natural flair for creativity or simply have an eye for what looks good, FreeLogoCreator.com empowers you to shape your brand identity effectively and efficiently. Another neat thing about this logo maker is that it gives you access to free logos for digital media use. For print usage or comprehensive branding, you may need to buy a vector logo version that you can scale and reproduce. But for basic uses, the free logo option is a lifesaver. Highlights   1000s of unique logo templates New and updated designs Easy-to-use interface A rich customization panel Vector-based logos that offer flawless scaling Affordable price packages   Pricing: Paid packages start from $37 and offer hi-res logos with vector files 7. Inkscape   Inkscape is another best graphic designing software of 2019 with features like Mesh Gradient, Conical Gradient, Envelope and perspective, Mirror symmetry, B- Splines, and Selection sets.   These features enable the graphic designer to create a realistic design with interactive effects and warping texts with the help of LPEs (Envelope and Perspective).   These features are in for finer and better pigmentation and creative control. Highlights   Color Selector, Gradient editor, Filling, and Stroking  Object Creation withdrawal, shape tools, clones, and embedded bitmaps Text Support, letter spacing, Kerning, and line spacing adjustment Rendering Node ending, Path simplification File Format   Pricing: Free and Open Source  8. VistaCreate   VistaCreate is made to help you create exceptional visuals without tech skills or a designer’s eye.   The main focus of this popular design software is ready-made templates for any need, starting from social media designs (Instagram stories, Facebook ads, etc.) to a variety of solutions, such as posters, logos, flyers, banners, a4 layout design, and more formats and needs.   In addition to the pre-made designs, you get tons of the customization tools in high demand, such as a background eraser, fonts and styles pack, and many more handy tools. Highlights   A straightforward visual interface for the file editing Android and iOS apps, as well as a desktop web version 75K+ design templates for any purpose 1M+ of various assets, including royalty-free photos, videos, and vectors 10 GB storage Direct publishing of your designs to social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest   Pricing: VistaCreate Pro Plan Starts at €10 per month 9. Canva      Cloud-based (SaaS) graphic designing software allows you to create and design beautiful, imaginative designs.   With an extensive collection of more than 8000 templates designed specifically for almost every social media platform presentation and professional use, Canva provides the user or graphic designer with a customized graphic design technique. OpenAI recently launched a Canva plugin for its chatbot, ChatGPT, aiming to simplify the process of creating visuals for businesses and entrepreneurs. Users can install the Canva plugin through ChatGPT's Plugin Store and generate visuals using prompts, which can then be edited and downloaded in Canva.   Canva includes more than 100 font styles, template editing as per requirement (both professional and recreational), quote creations, and marketing designs. This software can be used on a mobile phone. Highlights   Access to thousands of templates Access to millions of photos Photo Organization into folders Uploading own photos and custom fonts  Export photos as GIFs Download designs without background   Pricing: The Canva Pro Plan Starts at $12.95 per month. 10. Design Wizard     Design Wizard is another tastefully crafted graphics designing software for creating interactive and great image content.   It is free online design tool that does not need any subscription charges. With simple and easy licensing terms, the software can be used after a one-time payment without any further payments or renewal of the license.   Design Wizard users can browse through more than 1 million inbuilt templates and images to create infographic content for presentations, marketing material, reports, posters and flyers, brochures or banners, and logos. It can be used for commercial as well as individual use. Highlights   Unlimited Image Templates  Upload font and Images Design, Edit, and Resize images Personal Color Palette Free Premium Videos Reseller Rights Post to Social Media   Pricing: $37.50 per month  11. Flipsnack   Flipsnack is an online graphic design software that allows users to create, publish and share catalogues, magazines, brochures, flyers, presentations, booklets, etc., within minutes. Using Flipsnack, users have the ability to transform PDFs into interactive flipbooks or design from scratch using customizable templates.   Users can enhance their flipbooks by incorporating interactive elements such as links, images, videos, tags, captions, shopping features, social media integration, virtual tours, maps, and much more.   An additional noteworthy feature is a collaborative capability, enabling teams to work together in creating flipbooks while ensuring adherence to brand guidelines.   Once the creation process is complete, users can publish and share their flipbooks through social media platforms as links, embed them on websites, or utilize QR codes for quick access. Highlights   PDF upload Easy-to-use design tool with a drag-and-drop interface 1000+ professional templates for every occasion Interactive elements: links, images, audio, videos, product tags, photo slideshows, charts, forms, and shopping lists Manage multiple teams, brands, and workspaces Advanced privacy & security Sharing options on social media, via email, direct link, full view link, or embedded on websites Download in various format options: PDF for web, PDF for print, HTML5, JPG, PNG, MP4 preview, GIF preview Flipbooks statistics, Google Analytics statistics, and custom integrations   Pricing: The Starter Plan starts at $14 per month.   12. Lunacy   Lunacy by Icons8 is a free graphic design software that streamlines the process of creating stunning visuals for designers of all levels. As a multiplatform app, Lunacy provides users with an array of intuitive tools and features that enhance productivity and foster creativity. Its interface seamlessly integrates with Icons8's extensive library of design assets, enabling rapid prototyping and design iteration. Whether you're working on UI/UX designs, crafting web graphics, or assembling layout mockups, Lunacy's responsive performance and compatibility with Sketch files simplify the design workflow, making it an indispensable tool for modern designers.   Highlights Extensive Asset Library: Access to Icons8's rich collection of icons, photos, and illustrations. Sketch Compatibility: Full support for opening, editing, and saving Sketch files. Advanced Tools: Includes vector editing, responsive design features, and built-in AI assistance.   Pricing: Free 13. SVG-Edit   Another vector graphics designing software, SVG- Edit is free software that can run on any/ all browsers.   This software can make conversions of its files into any format: JPG, BMP, PNG. Its main features include various font styles for beautiful text, shapes to path conversions, and illustrations of freestyle drawings.   This JavaScript-powered graphic designing tool creates drawings with a programmatic approach. Highlights   Freehand Drawing and lines Raster images  Alignment and Zoom Layers and Wireframe mode Stylable text   Pricing: Free Plan 14. Onshape    A graphic designing tool created for use by Manufacturers, architects, engineers, and professional designers. Onshape enables a 3D CAD model design with a team collaborative feature, along with 2D drawings.   Onshape has a secure database that allows the team members to work closely on the project with in-app editing and multiple modeling.   For commercial use, it is available for $1000 per user annually. This software can be used on mobile phones. Highlights   Full cloud Assembly and Part modeling Sharing and Collaboration Data Management Real-time analytics Drawings   Pricing: Standard Starts at $1500 per year. 15. BeFunky   BeFunky prides itself on being an all-in-one creative solution, and they weren’t kidding. With BeFunky, you benefit from an incredible collection of tools and features for photo editing. With thousands of vector graphics and icons and over a million stock images, you can customize its large library of templates or even your own designs. With an image editor like BeFunky, you can retouch portraits, batch edit, or remove backgrounds with a single click. Another great thing about BeFunky? It’s a filter and collage maker. From turning photos into art to placing your images in a bunch of layouts, the possibilities are endless. It’s also easy to access and use, too. Designers can use its features on browsers, iOS, and Android systems. Highlights   Access to thousands of drag-and-drop templates Access to millions of free stock images One-click collage maker and retoucher Easy-to-use background remover and batch editor Export designs directly to social media AI filters allow you to edit and enhance your photos for free   Pricing: BeFunky Plus starts at $9.99 per month. 16. Venngage     With over 21000 companies as its users, Venngage is prominently used to create reports, presentations, charts, posters, and marketing gubbins.   Best suited for creating advertising material or branding the product, Venngage enables the graphic designer to create interactive infographics. With a varied range of customizable inbuilt templates, Venngage is one of the best graphic designing tools for publishing content on websites and social media. Its educational use is free but for commercial use, this software costs $49 per month per individual. Highlights   Multiple Templates Add charts and Visual Customization features Presentation, Poser, Newsletter, Brochure, and Flyer  24/7 Support   Pricing: The business Plan Starts at $49 per month  17. Piktochart     Piktochart is another best graphic designing software, best used to create presentations, reports, infographics, charts, and interactive content.   With more than 600 inbuilt templates, one can use this graphic designing software to create printable content. Piktochart offers various plans for individual, commercial, educational, and team project purposes.   It is one of the easiest infographic designer tools; constitutes quite a huge content library that includes templates and various themes. Highlights   Infographics Presentations Printable posters, flyers, reports Template for every need  Creative Collaboration   Pricing: Pro Plan Starts at $24.17 per month 18. Pixlr   Pixlr is comprised of four applications: Pixlr X, Pixlr Editor, Pixlr Express, and Pixar Pro making Pixar the most desirable software for image editing.   High-quality editing, image fixing, professional-level pigmentations, and enhancements make this software a wonderful tool for even more wonderful image editing.   Pixlr software can work on any browser and is compatible with almost every device. With a comprehensive array of tools, it maintains the professional quality of the images. Its subscription charges are reasonable and are available to everyone. Highlights   Dark and Light mode selection 10,000+ Stock Photos and Templates Refine Edge Tool Smart Healing tool    Pricing: Free Plan and Paid Plan Starting at $5 per month  19. Sumo Paint   Sumo Paint is another best graphic design software of 2019. This software is an extensive, advanced painting and image editor application with a great interface. This interface and a wonderful retina resolution make the Sumo Paint software the best image editor.   Its basic features include all the features that Inkscape provides i.e. Warping text, lattice, and gradients. In addition to those features, it’s got brush styles, brush effects, image adjustments, and blur effects which make it a very good painting software for beginners as well as professionals.   Sumo Paint has got 4 million users to its credit for having the best website design tools. Highlights   Filters and image manipulators  Painting tools with over 300 brushes Shape tools and Symmetry creations Online Community Gradient Editor Layer Effect and Sumo File Format Perspective and Bump Mapping   Pricing: Free Plan and Paid Plan Starting at $4 per month  20. DAZ Studio     DAZ Studio is a dynamic, well-featured 3D graphic designing software that enables designers to create 3D images, animations, and illustrations.   Its vast array of tools allows the user to create and customize the characters, scenes, and images- posing with facial expressions and humanized movements. It is software that enables the creation of unique 3D art. Some of the extensive features are 3D Printing, Hexagon Modelling application, morphing techniques, facial expressions, and realistic figures, comprehensive characters. Highlights   Dress Modeling Auto Covers to Vray Detailed Characters Hexagon Delete Accessory Realistic Human Figures   Pricing: $29.95 per month  21. DrawPlus     Another vector graphic designing software developed by Serif is widely used for creating animations and image editing. With a huge array of illustration tools, graphics can be created with lines and curves.   In addition to vector-based software tools, DrawPlus has got brush styles and brush effects to paint. With an option to create a customized paintbrush with the required thickness, color, and opaqueness.   This software enables modifications in the gradients, texts, and objects. This software contains more than 670 font styles and 48 filters for enhancements and pigmentations. It is similar to having an inbuilt font generator, which can also be used to create a simple logo for your brand. Highlights   B-Spline Curves Hairlines & HiDPI  New Quick Shapes Rostrum Camera & Smart Sizing Customising & EPS Export Vector Fills & Vector Flood Fill   Pricing: Not Available 22. PhotoWorks     With the best graphics features for photographers, PhotoWorks enables a user to make his/ her already beautiful photos even better with retouching, brushing, filter adjustments, glare-eliminating, landscape views, watermarks, cropping, and color enhancements.   The photos can be transformed into something beautiful despite them being photographed in poor light or poor focus or too much glare and blemishes. PhotoWorks comes off as the software for better image content. Highlights   Quick Image adjustments Drawing and Scribbling on the photos Photo Retouching Filters and Elements for enhanced editing    Pricing: Not Available  23. AutoDesk Sketchbook Pro     One of the most loved graphics designing apps by architects, automobile engineers, and product designers, AutoDesk Sketchbook’s best features account for simplistic usage and quick illustrations of the sketches.   With no need of using pen and paper, one can design and make sketches on this software with all device compatibility.   The files in the sketchbook can be exported in JPG, PSD, BMP, and TIFF formats. Its full features version is now available for free whether for educational or professional purposes. Highlights   Draw without distraction Drawing engine with 100 Mpx canvas Paper to digital Scan Sync through all devices 190 customizable brushes PSD compatible   Pricing: Enterprise Plan Starts at $85 per year   24. Appy Pie Design   Appy Pie Design is a graphic design software that aims to make graphic designing easy and accessible for everyone. Therefore, you don’t have to be tech-savvy to create impressive images, posts, banners, ads, logo designs, etc. The Appy Pie Design is absolutely free to get started. All you need to do is sign up with us to create visually stunning designs.   It offers enormous templates, stock images, and design elements that are easy to use, even for beginners. Bring all your imagination to reality in minutes. You can choose from our 10000+ templates or start from scratch. The choice is yours! Simply drag & drop your templates, images, and vector graphics with no experience required. Highlights   Powerful Design Tools Collaboration Feature Cloud Storage 10000+ Templates Time Saving and Effortless   Pricing: $6 per month 25. Picsart   Another excellent addition to the ever-growing array of online image editing platforms, Picsart is notable for a few key features, with the ability to create stunning AI art as a real selling point to shout about.   Most importantly, it doesn’t charge for its core functions, and the freemium model it adopts means that you can pay for extras if you wish, without needing to fork over any cash to get a sense of what it can do.   The focus here is on designing content for social media, whether that means Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or any other service you might want to target. Of course, if you wish to get to grips with photo editing projects for your own purposes, or you have any other unique needs, Picsart is flexible enough to accommodate this. Highlights   Integrated, free-to-use AI tools for streamlining workflows and tapping into new creative avenues. Plenty of templates for social media sites of all types. User-friendly, accessible interface. Batch editing capabilities.   Pricing: Picsart is free in its basic form, with monthly subscription payments attached to its premium tiers. 26. YouCam Online Editor   Another excellent option for an online graphic design tool is YouCam Online Editor. This tool incorporates AI image generators to create art, cartoons, and characters from text prompts. You can also create stunning profile pictures using the AI avatar and AI headshot features by simply uploading your photo. After generating your profile images, explore a suite of additional photo editing features. Enhance photo quality with AI photo enhancement, seamlessly change backgrounds with the AI Background Changer, or add depth to portraits using the AI Background Blurring tool. Additionally, refine your images with the AI Object Remover for flawless profile picture retouching.   Highlights   Utilizes advanced AI to generate images. Offers a range of AI photo editing capabilities, including color correction and intelligent object removal. Features a user-friendly interface enabling quick and easy enhancements.   Pricing: YouCam Online Editor offers free features, with advanced features starting at $2.50 per month. 27. PhotoADKing PhotoADKing PhotoADKing is an all-in-one graphic design platform that empowers users to create stunning visuals without the need for professional design skills. Whether you're working on social media graphics, marketing materials, or personal projects, PhotoADKing offers a wide range of customizable templates and design elements to help you achieve a polished look in minutes. One of its standout features is its invitation card maker, allowing you to craft beautiful, personalized invitations for any occasion with ease. With an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and an extensive library of resources, PhotoADKing is the perfect tool for anyone looking to elevate their design game effortlessly. Join the growing community of creators who trust PhotoADKing to bring their visions to life. Key Highlights: User-Friendly Interface: Easy-to-use drag-and-drop functionality. Extensive Template Library: Thousands of customizable templates for various needs. Versatile Design Tools: Includes a powerful invitation card maker for personalized invites. Time-Efficient: Create professional-quality designs in minutes. Affordable Solution: Access high-quality design features without breaking the bank. 28. DesignWiz DesignWiz is an innovative online flyer maker that specializes in creating stunning flyers across various categories. If you're promoting an event, launching a product, or marketing a service, DesignWiz offers a plethora of customizable flyer templates and design elements to fit any occasion. With its user-friendly interface and robust AI flyer generator, the platform enables users to produce professional-quality flyers quickly and easily.Whether you have extensive design experience or are just starting out, DesignWiz provides intuitive tools and features that allow for customization of every aspect of your flyer, including colors, fonts, images, and shapes. The AI tool can also generate designs based on keywords or themes, making it an ideal choice for those seeking creative inspiration or a head start.With its seamless interface, extensive template library, and AI-powered design generator, DesignWiz is a fantastic tool for both businesses and individuals looking to create standout flyers in no time. Highlights Wide range of flyer templates across different categories (events, promotions, etc.) AI flyer generator for automatic design suggestions Customizable layouts, fonts, colors, and images User-friendly interface suitable for all skill levels Fast creation process, ideal for time-sensitive projects Pricing: Free plan available, Premium plan starting at $9.99 per month. Final Words With the help of good graphic design software, it is easy for people to create unique content with their watermarks, thereby ensuring security against content theft. Graphics Designing software is the most eligible application to ensure cost-effectiveness, ease, and time-saving in graphic design. The individual or the company is in full control of their designs and this software enables in-app multiple editing. To fully exploit content marketing, get the best graphic design software today.     
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