Thursday, 28 February 2019

The Best Free Project Management Software

Learning how to manage your projects efficiently can mean the difference between profit and loss for your revenue. In fact, it's estimated that 9.9% of every dollar is currently wasted due to poor project performance. That's a sobering stat, especially if your startup or freelance business isn't turning over a high profit margin to begin with.

The good news: There's free project management software that can give you the resources you need to become more organized and efficient with each new project that comes down the pipeline. From kanban apps to Gantt chart software, here are the 12 best free project management apps for teams on a budget.

What Makes Great Free Project Management Software?

To narrow down our list of the best free project management software, we looked for tools that met the following criteria:

  • Free for unlimited projects: The apps we chose have free plans that you can use to manage unlimited projects.
  • Variety: We included options for various management methodologies—kanban, Gantt charts, Scrum, and to-do lists—so we eliminated some apps simply because there were better alternatives available using the same PM methodology.
  • Hosted: There are a lot of great, free, self-hosted project management tools, but they take longer to set up and manage. We're featuring project management apps that are hosted by the companies that provide the tools.

The 12 Best Free Project Management Apps

  • Trello (Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android) for individuals and teams who need a work pipeline
  • MeisterTask (Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) for combining project ideation, planning, and execution
  • KanbanFlow (Web) for combining kanban, time tracking, and Pomodoro
  • Freedcamp (Web, iOS, Android) for managing all projects and communications in a single tool
  • Asana (Web, iOS, Android) for creating a to-do list powerful enough to manage projects
  • Paymo (Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android) for freelancers who charge by the hour
  • Bitrix24 (Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) for classic project management with Gantt charts
  • Wrike (Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android) for spreadsheet-like features in a project management app
  • Podio (Web, iOS, Android) for customizing your project management tool
  • Yodiz (Web, iOS, Android) for Agile and Scrum teams
  • Agantty (Web) for creating Gantt charts quickly and easily
  • AND CO (Web, macOS, iOS, Android) for projects that require invoicing

Trello (Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for individuals and teams who need a work pipeline

Trello interface

Trello is a simple way to start organizing your projects in kanban boards. And with a free plan that allows for unlimited boards and users, it's a tool that anyone can use. Freelancers use Trello to plan their assignments on a personal board, and teams use Trello to hand work off to each other, creating a collaboration pipeline.

Start out with a handful of lists for your tasks, and customize those lists with steps in your workflow (e.g., to-do, doing, and done) or as separate parts of your project (e.g., development, design, and distribution). Next, add your tasks—with labels, due dates, checklists, and comments to keep everything in one place—and drag them to the appropriate list. Keep track of all comments on tasks that mention you—or that you're watching—from the notifications menu.

For more features, Trello's Power-Up options (in the web app's menu) let you view tasks on a calendar, add voting options on tasks, fade away old tasks automatically, and much more. And you can make Trello boards for everything—personal and work tasks alike—to get your work done in a way that fits your needs best.

Trello Price: The Free plan includes unlimited boards and users, one Power-Up per board, and attachments up to 10MB in size; upgrade for $9.99/user/month (billed annually) to the Business Class plan that includes unlimited Power-Ups, attachments up to 250MB in size, and more granular permissions controls.

Automate Trello with Trello's Zapier integrations.

MeisterTask (Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for combining project ideation, planning, and execution

MeisterTask interface

MeisterTask takes a fresh approach to kanban boards, with brightly colored lists and a dashboard wallpaper. And your team will be more productive, too, since MeisterTask includes automations that are triggered when you drag tasks to new lists. You can send emails, reset due dates, and more just by moving tasks around. You can also see all the tasks you're responsible for—across all of the projects you're assigned to—in your personal dashboard.

If your projects start life in brainstorming sessions with mind maps, you'll have another reason to try MeisterTask: its MindMeister integration. You can plan your project in a mind map, then drag it into MeisterTask to turn each idea into a task. It's one of the quickest ways to turn your team's ideas into an actionable plan for execution.

MeisterTask Price: Free for the Basic plan that includes unlimited projects and users, two native app integrations, and file attachments up to 20MB in size; upgrade for $8.25/user/month to the Pro plan that includes unlimited native app integrations, attachments up to 200MB in size, and a searchable task archive.

Automate MeisterTask with MeisterTask's Zapier integrations.

KanbanFlow (Web)

Best free project management software for combining kanban, time tracking, and Pomodoro

KanbanFlow interface

Wondering how long your tasks take to complete? KanbanFlow is another kanban board app that includes a timer that logs how long you spend on each task—and how long it stays in a particular list. The timer also includes a Pomodoro mode to help your team work in sprints and remind everyone to take breaks so they stay productive all day.

KanbanFlow's Pomodoro timer also asks your team members to record what caused an interruption when they have to pause their focus session timer. These tools together help you find and nix bottlenecks in your workflows—all while pushing your projects towards completion.

KanbanFlow Price: The Free plan includes unlimited tasks and boards, the Pomodoro timer, and productivity reports; upgrade for $5/user/month to the Premium plan that includes file attachments, priority support, and third-party integrations.

Automate KanbanFlow with KanbanFlow's Zapier integrations.

Freedcamp (Web, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for managing all projects and communications in a single tool

Freedcamp interface

For a more full-featured project management tool, Freedcamp gives you a place to manage tasks along with calendar and milestone tools to plan your project's schedule. Tasks can be organized in a standard to-do list or a kanban board, while your most important dates can be split between milestones or the calendar to help with short- and long-term planning.

Freedcamp can easily be your project hub, holding everything you need to get work done. Bring in your files and keep discussions inside your projects—or upgrade to add extra tools for invoicing, CRM, and more—and you'll only need to check one app each day to get your work done.

Freedcamp Price: The Free plan includes unlimited users and projects, attachments up to 10MB in size, and all of Freedcamp's core apps; upgrade for $1.49/user/month (billed annually) to the Minimalist plan that includes premium support, attachments up to 25MB in size, and unlimited task nesting.

Automate Freedcamp with Freedcamp's Zapier integrations.

Asana (Web, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for creating a to-do list powerful enough to manage projects

Asana interface

Your to-do list isn't bad—you just need a few more features to manage your team projects. Asana offers just that. It's a project management tool that lets you break projects down into sections and sub-lists, along with dashboards to see how much of the project has been completed already. You'll add, rearrange, and complete tasks the same way you would in a to-do list app—but with the collaboration and organization features you need to work as a team.

For your personal tasks—or the things at work that don't fit into a precise project—you can make extra lists in Asana that are shared with specific people. Your own assigned tasks will also show up in your My Tasks view for a quick way to see the things you need to take care of.

Asana Price: The Free plan includes unlimited projects, up to 15 users, and basic search features; upgrade for $9.99/user/month (billed annually) to the Premium plan that includes project timelines, advanced search, and task dependencies.

Automate Asana with Asana's Zapier integrations.

Paymo (Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for freelancers who charge by the hour

Paymo interface

Paymo is a project management app and time tracker with a free plan that makes it easier for freelancers to plan, prioritize, and keep track of their work for multiple clients and projects.

Add clients, add projects for those clients, and then add tasks to those projects. For each task, you can assign due dates, set priorities, and add descriptions and attachments. You also have two options for how to view your tasks—as a list or in a kanban board—or use Paymo's filter to sort all of your tasks for every client and project by status, due dates, priorities, and more.

When you're ready to start working on a specific task, just select that task in Paymo's time tracker and click the play button to start tracking your time. When you stop the timer, it adds the time to your timesheet and attributes it to the right task, client, and project.

When it's time to bill your clients, use Paymo's time reports to pull the exact data you need. Export, print, or share the report with your clients in a detailed list view or as a pie graph or bar chart, or take the data and use it to create a branded invoice directly in Paymo. You can even set up your invoices to allow for online payments through Stripe, PayPal, and more.

Paymo Price: The Free plan includes one user, unlimited projects, 1GB of storage, and up to three invoices; upgrade for $9.56/user/month for the Small Office plan that includes unlimited invoices, 50GB of storage, and project templates.

Automate Paymo with Paymo's Zapier integrations.

Bitrix24 (Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for classic project management with Gantt charts

Bitrix24 interface

Have a large or distributed project team to keep on track? Bitrix24 is a great solution: It combines classic project management features with native collaboration tools. From a social intranet to in-app video conferencing and screen-sharing to HR and client management tools, Bitrix24 is designed to be a one-stop shop for managing projects, teams, and your company as a whole.

Organize tasks within your projects, then use a Gantt chart view to keep everything on track. You can even track employee workloads and deadlines to avoid burning out team members. And if you plan to upgrade from a free to a premium plan, Bitrix24 is one of the few project management apps that has flat-rate pricing rather than charging a per-user fee, which could save you on subscription costs.

Bitrix24 Price: The Free plan includes unlimited projects, up to 12 users, and 5GB of online storage; upgrade for $39/month to the Plus plan that includes up to 24 users and 24GB of online storage.

Wrike (Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for spreadsheet-like features in a project management app

Wrike interface

If it were up to you, would you manage your projects in a spreadsheet? If so, you might like Wrike. Wrike offers the same flexibility of a spreadsheet—with columns for every bit of info you want to track about tasks—combined with reminders and Gantt chart views (premium plans only) that will keep your work on track.

Wrike lets your team update the status of tasks at various intervals—in-progress, on hold, cancelled, or completed—letting you track the status of all project tasks in detail. Additionally, you can set the status of projects to green, yellow, red, on hold, or cancelled, making it easy to create your weekly project status reports.

While you can do a lot with Wrike's free plan, its best features—including time tracking, Gantt charts, activity streams, and custom dashboards—require a premium plan. If you're running a small operation now but planning to scale in the future, Wrike grows alongside you, giving you all of the tools you need to run both a single small project and many concurrent large ones.

Wrike Price: The Free plan includes unlimited projects and tasks for up to five users; upgrade for $9.80/user/month (billed annually) to the Professional plan that includes Gantt charts and shareable dashboards for five, 10, or 15 users.

Automate Wrike with Wrike's Zapier integrations.

Podio (Web, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for customizing your project management tool

Podio interface

Want something a bit more customizable? Podio lets you build a hyper-customized project or task manager. With a form-style builder, you'll drag and drop the fields you want in your projects and tasks to gather the data your projects need. You can then visualize your projects and tasks in lists, cards, or calendar views, and use Podio's built-in search to find any item you need in any of your custom apps.

Tying it all together is Podio's internal social network where you can post updates, ask questions, and chat with your team members. You can use it as the hub to keep track of your team's work, with tools for each item you're working on and the discussions about them all in one place.

Podio Price: The Free plan includes unlimited tasks and workspaces for up to five employees; upgrade for $7.20/employee/month (billed annually) to the Basic plan that includes user management and collaboration with external users.

Automate Podio with Podio's Zapier integrations.

Yodiz (Web, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for Agile and Scrum teams

Yodiz interface

Yodiz offers a surprisingly powerful free tool for teams that use Agile and Scrum methods. It lets you do everything you need to plan your projects, releases, and sprints: create user stories, nest user stories within epics, create sprints and set sprint dates, add estimates in both story points and hours, and view sprint progress on a sprint board.

Unlike a lot of free project management apps that claim they're for Scrum but are really just kanban boards with the ability to add estimates, Yodiz is truly a Scrum tool designed specifically for Scrum teams. It's as powerful as most of the big names in Scrum software—comparable to tools like VersionOne and CA Agile Central—and it's completely free for teams of up to three.

Yodiz Price: Free for the Starter plan that includes unlimited projects for up to three users; for more than three users, upgrade to the Issue Tracker plan for $3/user/month.

Automate Yodiz with Yodiz's Zapier integrations.

Agantty (Web)

Best free project management software for creating Gantt charts quickly and easily

Most project management apps that let you create Gantt charts are feature-rich and robust—great if you need all of the bells and whistles, but cumbersome if you don't. Agantty is different. It's a simple and free project management app that lets you create Gantt charts with projects and tasks quickly, easily, and painlessly.

Just add your projects, enter dates and deadlines, then add tasks to each project. Agantty displays them all on a timeline for you. Need to adjust dates? It's easy. Just drag the edges of a project or task left or right, and Agantty automatically updates the timeline and dates for you. The end result is a calendar that provides a visual of everything your team is working on.

And if you have team members who prefer a simpler task list, just switch to Agantty's dashboard view to see all upcoming and in-progress tasks for the day, week, month, or a custom range. Click items in the list to make edits, or check the box next to a task to mark it as complete.

Agantty Price: Free for unlimited projects and teams and all app features.

AND CO (Web, macOS, iOS, Android)

Best free project management software for projects that require invoicing

AND CO interface

Created by the same team that runs freelance platform Fiverr, AND CO is a powerful project management app that gives you all the tools you need to manage a freelance (or other service-based) project from start to finish, totally free for all features, with no limitations.

Once your free account is created, you can log in and click the green Create button to set up your first project, which might include client info, services and fees, contracts, and expenses—everything you need to manage your project on the legal and tax side of things. As you begin working on the project, you can create tasks and organize them by project or list. Since AND CO includes a built-in time tracking tool, you can easily log your work time to individual tasks and projects for more accurate billing.

The biggest downside of AND CO's task and project management area is that it's designed for a single user, so you won't be able to assign individual tasks or projects to multiple team members. But for freelancers or businesses with a single project manager, this shouldn't be an issue.

AND CO stands out for its custom contracts and invoice capabilities, which can be sent to the client for one-off payments or subscriptions, or even to require a down payment before the project work begins. All invoices can be paid directly upon receipt by the client through WePay, Stripe, or PayPal. (Note: PayPal will only work for one-off invoices, and cannot be used for recurring payments.) Once the payment is made, AND CO logs the invoice amount as income, keeping a running tally of income vs. expenses for you throughout the calendar year.

If you find yourself wishing for project management software that offers powerful invoice and subscription payment options, along with tasks and time tracking, you may gravitate towards AND CO for an all-in-one tool with an easy-to-use interface.

AND CO Price: Free.

Automate AND CO with AND CO's Zapier integrations.

Add Extra Features to Your Project Management App

Trello automation with Zapier

Need more features from your new project management tool? Zapier integrations help by connecting your project management app to the other tools your team already uses.

Say you want to add tasks to projects via email, but your new app doesn't include that feature. Just connect both your email and project management tool to Zapier, then have Zapier watch for new messages to turn them into tasks in your project management app automatically.

Check out Zapier's project management app integrations to see all of your options, or consider these ideas for inspiration:

Track time and send Invoices

Whether you're working on client projects and need to bill for each hour spent, or are working on your own projects and want to know how long they take, time tracking apps can help you see where every minute goes. Hook up your projects to your time tracking app, and you can log time just by checking off to-dos.

Chat with your team

Team chat apps are a great way to make sure everyone knows what's happening in your projects. Zapier can connect your project management tool to Slack, Discord, Zoho Cliq, and other popular chat apps so you can notify your team about new tasks and deadlines or start new projects right from your chats.

Organize project data

Projects include a lot of moving parts, and Zapier can help pull them all together. Whether you need to add notes to your project, create contracts and other template documents, log your work in a spreadsheet, or anything else, there's a Zap for that.

Don't see the automation you need? Explore all of our app integrations to find exactly what you're looking for, or create your own Zap.

Learn More About Project Management

Project management is far more than just an app—it's a way to take your project from idea to completion. You could just choose the project management software you want and start using it, but your projects will be far more successful if you break your tasks down into steps, add milestones and due dates to keep things on track, and use checklists to ensure each task is completed with the same quality and care.

Zapier's Ultimate Guide to Project Management teaches you that and more. It walks you through the best project management systems, shows you how to manage projects effectively, and showcases the best tools to get things done.



source https://zapier.com/blog/free-project-management-software/

The 12 Best Android To Do List Apps For 2019

You never know when you're going to come up with an idea or remember something you need to do later. So it's really important that whatever to do list you use works well on your phone, the device you most likely have near you at all times.

But Android doesn't come with any sort of to do list, meaning users have to find something to manage their tasks on their own. You can head to Google Play but the 300+ options get overwhelming quickly. Which one of these apps are any good? We've done the research for you; here's what we've found.

What Makes a Great Android To Do List App?

The best to do lists stay out of your way so you can enter something and get back to what you were doing, but they also let you quickly find those tasks later when it matters. Designing something that does this well is tricky, because there are multiple factors to consider. In our experience, the best Android to do lists:

  • Offer multiple ways to organize tasks, such as tags, lists, due dates, or projects.
  • Make it quick to add tasks.
  • Remind you about self-imposed deadlines.
  • Offer a clean Android interface, with native features like notifications and widgets.
  • Sync tasks to your other devices.

We tried every highly rated application that met our criteria; here are the ones that stand out, and why.

In this article:

  • Todoist: Best Android to do list app for balancing power and simplicity
  • Tick Tick: Best Android to do list with calendar and Pomodoro integrations
  • Microsoft To-Do: Best Android to do list for Microsoft power users (and Wunderlist refugees)
  • Google Tasks: Best Android to do list for users of Gmail's integrated tasks
  • Google Keep: Best Android to do list that integrates with Google products
  • 2Do: Best Android to do app for organizing tasks however you like
  • Habitica: Best Android to do app that makes doing things fun
  • Simpletask: Best plaintext Android to do list app
  • Any.do: Best Android to do app for people who forget to use to do apps
  • Remember The Milk: The best Android to do list for old school power users
  • Nozbe: The best Android to do list offering project templates and collaboration

Todoist (Android, iPhone, iPad, macOS, Windows, Web)

Best Android to do list app for balancing power and simplicity

Todoist for Android

Todoist is probably the best known to do list on the market right now and with good reason. It's available for basically every platform on earth, meaning syncing to other devices is not a problem. The interface is a compromise between ease-of-use and power, meaning you can organize tasks however you like without feeling overwhelmed. And adding new tasks is quick thanks to features like date recognition—type "clean out my inbox Thursday" and a task called "clean out inbox" will be added due on the upcoming Thursday. Tasks can be organized using projects, due dates, labels, and filters. You can also integrate Todoist with other applications using Zapier, meaning you can connect your to do list with over 1,000 other apps.

The Android version builds on all this while managing to feel right at home on your phone, thanks to a Material-inspired interface. A widget lets you see your tasks and quickly add new ones, from your homescreen. Optional notifications let you know when tasks are due, and you can even see a summary of today's tasks every morning if you want. All of this makes Todoist a great to do list app to try out, even if you don't quite know what you're looking for in a to do list app.

Todoist price: Free; some features, including labels and attachments, require a subscription that starts at $3 a month.

TickTick (Android, Windows, macOS, iPhone and iPad, Web)

Best Android to do list with calendar and Pomodoro integrations

Tick Tick for Android

TickTick is a lesser known app, but one well worth paying attention to. The design looks spartan to start, but don't be fooled: This is a surprisingly complete app. Adding tasks is quick thanks to smart date recognition. There are numerous ways to organize your tasks including due dates, lists, and tags. And support for numerous platforms means you can sync all of this to pretty much any device you own.

But TickTick also offers features not seen in other applications. There's a calendar view which can integrate with your Android calendar, allowing you to see your tasks and your appointments in one interface. There are multiple widgets offered for your homescreen: you can see any list or calendar view, then add tasks in just a couple of taps. And TickTick also comes with a built-in Pomodoro timer: Set which task you're working on and start a 25-minute session of focus.

It's a powerful collection of features, and there aren't many downsides. I personally don't love the sound TickTick plays when you complete a task but quickly found a way to turn that off. That's what using TickTick is like: There are plenty of helpful features, but if you don't like something you can probably change it.

TickTick for Android price: TickTick offers a free version. Premium subscriptions, which offer features like white noise for the Pomodoro timer and custom swiping actions, start at $2.40 a month

Microsoft To-Do (Android, Windows, iPhone and iPad)

Best Android to do list for Microsoft power users (and Wunderlist refugees)

Microsoft To-Do for Android

To-Do is the result of Microsoft buying Wunderlist in 2015. Try it out and you'll see Wunderlist's DNA everywhere, which is to say this is a perfectly pleasant to do app. Tasks can be organized by due dates or in a list. Entering tasks is quick, and there's even a quick add notification you can pin for access from anywhere on your phone. To-Do can also remind you to plan your day in the morning. There are a few visual tweaks you can make, such as a dark mode. You can also set a theme and icon for all of your lists, which can help you keep things organized. And Microsoft To-Do integrations on Zapier means you can integrate your tasks with 1,000 other apps.

But the real killer feature here is integration with Microsoft's ecosystem. "Both Android and Windows users can add tasks to To-Do via Cortana. You can also sync tasks with Outlook, assuming you use the same Microsoft account for Outlook and To-Do.

Microsoft To-Do also offers migration for Wunderlist users, which will prove essential when Microsoft shuts down Wunderlist at an undisclosed point in the future. Some Wunderlist features, such as collaboration, aren't yet offered in To-Do, so some users might want to stick with Wunderlist in the short term. Long term, however, To-Do looks like it could become a solid offering…and it's pretty great right now.

Microsoft To-Do price: Free

Google Tasks (Android, iPhone, Web)

Best Android to do list for users of Gmail's integrated tasks

Google Tasks for Android

The web versions of Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar offer a simple to do list in the sidebar. If you use that to do list on the desktop, Google Tasks is the app you're looking for on your phone. All of the tasks you add there will show up in this app.

This is a very spartan app. Tasks can be organized by due date, lists, and…that's about it. There are no widgets, no pinned notifications for entering tasks, and generally not a lot of customization options. You can't even set up Google Assistant to add tasks to Google Tasks. Android is Google's operating system. Google Tasks is a to do app from…Google. You'd think integration with Android would be better.

Having said that you can get a lot of out Google Tasks with some setup. And you can use Zapier's Google Tasks integration to connect this task list with over 1,000 other apps. But the integration with Gmail's and Google Calendar's desktop sidebar alone is what makes Google Tasks worth checking out for committed Google fans (though Google Keep is arguably a better option for power users).

Google Tasks price: Free

Google Keep (Android, iPhone and iPad, Web)

Best Android to do list that integrates with Google products

Google Keep for Android

Google Keep isn't exactly a to do app, but it also isn't exactly not one. Keep, which integrates with the sidebar of Gmail and Google Calendar's web version, allows you to quickly create sticky notes. You can use this for all kinds of things, not just task management, but a few features make this the best Android task management app offered by Google.

First of all you can add a reminder date to any note, which means you can effectively set due dates for tasks and projects. Second, you can add a checklist to any note, allowing you to check off multiple steps in a project. Third, you can see these tasks on your home screen and quickly add new ones, thanks to a couple of widgets.

It's somewhat improvised as a to do list, sure, but in many ways, it works better than Google's own Tasks. Plus you can quickly add photos and other attachments, which makes Keep useful as a reference. If Google Tasks doesn't quite cut it for you, but you don't want to give up on integration with Google services, Keep is well worth a look.

Google Keep price: Free.

2Do (Android, macOS, iPhone and iPad)

The best Android to do app for organizing tasks however you like

2Do for Android

If you're particular about how your tasks are organized or care about productivity systems like "GTD," 2Do is what you're looking for. This app lets you organize your tasks however you like: Lists, projects, sub-tasks, due dates, tags, and even custom smart lists are all offered. If you have a system in mind, 2Do can probably accommodate you.

The Android version is well thought out, even if the interface doesn't quite feel native. A highly customizable widget means you can see your tasks on your homescreen; an optional pinned notification lets you quickly add tasks. The options allow you to fine tune almost every aspect of how the app works, making this an ideal choice for power users.

Syncing is unique here because there are multiple options. You can sync to the iPhone or macOS version of 2Do using iCloud, Dropbox, Yahoo Calendar, Fruux, Toodledo, or any CalDAV server. The iCloud integration is interesting for any macOS or iPhone user who wants to sync Reminders with Android—this is the easiest tool for that I've found.

There's no Windows version of 2Do as of this writing, which is a downside, though one is on the way according to the developer.

2Do for Android price: Free. The Pro version, which is necessary for syncing, costs $10 after a two-week free trial.

Habitica (Android, iPhone and iPad, Web)

The best Android to do app that makes do things fun

Habitica for Android

Games are fantastic at motivating mundane activity—how else can you explain all that time you've spent on mindless fetch quests? Habitica, formerly called HabitRGP, tries to harness the motivational power of games for good. Users add habits, daily tasks, and to dos to a list. Accomplishing these tasks and building good habits levels up your character and does damage to bosses. It also gives you in-game currency which you can spend on cool virtual items, such as costumes and profile backgrounds. A delightful array of pixel art really sells this whole system, which can make accomplishing things downright addictive. You can also join a party of your friends and fight monsters together. This adds a social dynamic to the motivation, because your friends’ characters might die if you don’t get things done.

The Android app makes it easy to track your tasks on the go. Notifications remind you about your due dates and things like quests. A widget lets you track your tasks and your character's HP from the home screen. The downside: it's hard to use Habitica to manage projects. The to do list is very simple, and the game is designed to motivate you to clear out quickly. There's no way to separate tasks by project, and there aren't any smart lists. If you use Habitica, you'll likely need to use another tool for long-term planning.

Still, Habitica offers a unique way to motivate you to get things done, and the community is one of the friendliest places on the entire internet. Give it a shot if you want something unique.

Habitica Price Free. A $5 per month subscription unlocks features like task histories and exclusive in-game items.

Simpletask (Android)

Simpletask for Android

The best plaintext Android to do list app

There's no reason for to do lists to be complicated—pen and paper work fine for the job, after all. Simpletask uses an old fashioned .txt file to manage your tasks. This is based on Todo.txt, a text-based system for managing your tasks. To summarize: every line in the document is a single task. You can add +projects, @locations, and due dates to each line and set a priority level by beginning a line with a capital letter in brackets. The screenshot above gets some of this across.

Simpletask makes this system manageable on your phone, which is quite the accomplishment. Advanced filtering lets you organize your tasks however you like. A very customizable widget allows you to browse your task from the homescreen. And syncing via Dropbox means you can access your tasks on any other system using a text editor or dedicated apps for those platforms. If you want to try something completely different that outputs to a text file you can edit directly, Simpletask is what you want.

Simpletask price: Free

Any.do (Android, iPhone and Android, Web)

Any.do for Android

Best Android to do app for people who forget to use to do apps

Any.do is, in a word, slick. The user interface is very clean. The application offers to manage both your calendar and your to do list, and adding tasks and appointments is quick. There are a number of helpful automations offered; for example, Any.do can optionally help you plan your day. This means that, every morning, the app will go over your tasks due today and help you schedule when to do them.

There are also all sorts of integrations with your phone as a whole. The app can spot your missed phone calls, for example, and remind you to follow up on them. The app can also pull in appointments from the default Google calendar, allowing you to see your tasks and your schedule all in one place. This also helps with planning your day. There's a system-wide notification you can enable to see which task to work on next and quickly add new tasks. There's also a beautiful widget, with calendar and task views, offered in both light and dark shades. If other to do lists just don't work for you, Any.do could very well be the one that does.

Any.do price: Free. The premium version, which offers color coding, location-based reminders, and recurring tasks, costs $2.99 per month.

Remember The Milk (Android, iPhone and iPad, Web)

The best Android to do list for old school power users

Remember The Milk for Android

Remember The Milk has been around so long that it's easy to forget about—but forgetting about it would be a mistake. This remains a very powerful to do application on the web, and the Android application brings that power to your phone. The deceptively simple user interface allows you to organize your tasks using lists, due dates, tags, geotags, and custom smart lists. The collaboration features make it easy to coordinate with other users. And adding new tasks is quick thanks to date, list, and tag recognition. Zapier's Remember The Milk integrations means you can connect your to do list with over 1000 apps.

The Android app syncs with the web version of Remember the Milk, obviously, but can also potentially sync with Microsoft Outlook, meaning you've got options. Remember The Milk also offers features like reminders and widgets, though only to Pro users. Remember The Milk is a flexible to do system that's really quick to use, so give it a shot if you find other options bloated or lacking in the customization department.

Remember The Milk Price: Free, but some features including subtasks, reminders, and widgets require a $39.99 per year Pro subscription.

Nozbe (Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad)

The best Android to do list offering project templates and collaboration

Nozbe for Android

Nozbe isn't the most famous to do list app on the market but it is feature complete. Tasks can be organized using due dates, projects, categories, and tags. There are also templates for projects—useful if you tend to do similar projects with some frequency. A plethora of collaboration features make it easy for teams to manage projects

Nozbe for Android's interface offers pretty much everything that the web version does. You can swipe right to complete a task and left to set the time needed for the project; you can also customize what this swiping does in the settings. There's an optional dark mode, perfect if you find bright white annoying. Optional widgets let you see your tasks from your homescreen or quickly add a new task. There's also an optional pinned notification for quickly adding tasks. Overall Nozbe is well worth checking out for teams who need to co-manage projects.

Nozbe price: Subscriptions start at $8 a month, and there's 30-day free trial.

A Few Other Options

There are a few other options that didn't quite make this article but are still worth mentioning. Here they are:

  • Trello isn't a to do list per se but you can use it to organize your life and there's an Android app.
  • Google Assistant can keep track of basic to dos: just say "Note to self" or "Make a note" to get started.
  • Evernote, OneNote, or any other note taking application can work very well as a to do list, and most offer an Android app.
  • Wunderlist used to be a no-brainer for lists like this, and it is still quite nice. The problem: Microsoft bought Wunderlist and is shutting it down at an undetermined point in the future, making it hard to recommend. The intended replacement, Microsoft To-Do, is outlined above. It offers migration tools, so you could use Wunderlist for now and migrate later, when Microsoft forces you to.


source https://zapier.com/blog/best-android-to-do-list-apps/

Wednesday, 27 February 2019

How to Create a Filter in Jira

If you have tons of issues in your Jira projects, it's easy for tasks to slip through the cracks. Jira filters help you sort your issues to quickly find your most important tasks. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to create a filter in Jira.

What Are Jira Filters?

Filters in Jira are used to sort and segment issues by criteria you set. For example, you can use filters to narrow a list of issues down to see only those that are assigned to you, only those of a certain issue type (story, bug, epic, etc.), only those assigned a specific priority, only open issues, and more.

There are more than two dozen criteria you can use to filter your Jira issues, and you can also filter by multiple criteria to view only issues that match very specific conditions.

How to Create a Filter in Jira

Creating a filter in Jira starts by conducting a search. Click the magnifying glass icon in Jira's left navigation menu.

search in Jira

In the panel that opens, click Advanced search for issues just below the search bar.

advanced search in Jira

Use the dropdown fields to sort your issues by project (1), issue type (2), status (3), and/or assignee (4). Use the text field (5) to search for issues that contain specific words or phrases. Or click the More dropdown (6) to sort by more than two dozen other criteria like epic name, due date, sprint, or priority. Then, click the measuring glass icon to conduct your search.

filter criteria in Jira

Check your search results to make sure the issues that display are the issues you want to filter for. Then, click the Save as to convert your search criteria into a filter.

save a Jira search as a filter

Give your filter a name and click Submit. You've now created your first filter in Jira.

create a filter in Jira

How to Access Your Filters in Jira

After you've created the filters you need, you can access them by clicking the Issues and filters tab in the left navigation menu.

find Jira filters

Filters you've created appear under the STARRED section of the left navigation menu.

apply Jira filters

Just click on any filter to display all issues that match that filter's criteria.

Or you can click View all filters at the bottom of the left navigation menu to open a list of all of the filters you've created.

view all Jira filters

How to Edit Your Jira Filters

If you want to share your filters with others, favorite (star) or unfavorite (de-star) them, or make changes to your filters' names, you can do so from the View all filters screen.

Like you did above, click Issues and filters in the left navigation menu, scroll down, and click View all filters.

Next, click the three horizontal dots icon next to the filter you want to edit, then click Edit filter details. From this menu, you can also make copies of your filters or delete them if you no longer need them.

edit Jira filters

Make the necessary changes in the Edit Current Filter screen, then click Save to apply your changes.

Jira edit filter form

How to Subscribe to a Filter in Jira

Subscribing to a filter in Jira lets you get periodic email updates of issues that match your filter criteria. To subscribe to a filter:

As above, click Issues and filters in the left navigation menu, and then scroll down and click View all filters. Next, click the three horizontal dots icon next to the filter you want to edit, then click Manage subscriptions.

subscribe to Jira filters

Click the Add subscription button.

add a filter subscription in Jira

Fill out the overlay form to select email recipients, choose how often recipients receive email updates, and select the time the emails are sent. Then, click Subscribe to create the subscription.

Jira filter subscription form

You can also use these Zaps (automated workflows by Zapier) to get notifications of new Jira issues in Gmail, Outlook, or Slack:

Or if your team works in Jira but you use a different to-do app, use these Zaps to send Jira issues to your preferred project management app:

Browse all of our Jira integrations to connect Jira to 1,000+ apps.


Jira provides teams with a great way to collect and centralize all of their tasks, but a long list of everything everyone needs to do gets unruly quickly. With filters, you can create more customized lists of issues that help you stay on top of the tasks that are important for you.



source https://zapier.com/blog/jira-create-filter/

How to Use Google Drive

Google Drive is an online storage service that gives you 15GB of cloud storage for free. You can use it to store and create documents, share folders and files with other people, or as a middle ground for collecting and transferring data to external services.

What makes Google Drive special is the way it integrates with Google's other apps: Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and more. In this tutorial, we'll walk you through the basics of Google Drive:

Google Drive Pricing: Free.

Getting Started with Google Drive

Drive can be used via a browser at drive.google.com, on the desktop using Google's Backup and Sync app, or using the Google Drive apps for iOS and Android. To get started, head to the Google Drive homepage, and create an account or sign in.

The first thing you'll see is your My Drive view and any folders or files you've already added. At the top will be a list of recently accessed files. If you've never accessed Google Drive, yours will look a little more…empty.

Google Drive initial view

On the left sidebar, you'll see a few useful shortcuts.

  • My Drive: This is your personal storage: files and folders you have personally created or uploaded. Clicking it will return you to your root folder. Click on the arrow to expand its contents.
  • Computers: If you've installed Google's Backup and Sync app on a computer, it will show up here. This option is useful if you have multiple computers and would like to transfer files between them.
  • Shared with me: Sometimes people will share files and folders with you personally. When you are given permission to view or edit a new document, it will appear here. Use this option to quickly access files and folders that aren't your own.
  • Recent: A descending list of recently-accessed files. A file appearing here doesn't mean it was recently changed, only recently opened.
  • Starred: You can "star" any item in your Google Drive for quick retrieval later. Right-click on any item in your Drive, and select Star to add it to the list. Think of it like a favorites system for your files.
  • Trash/Bin: Anything you have deleted will be moved here, where it can be restored if you want. The trash is only permanently deleted when you manually empty it using the button at the top of the screen.

How to Create and Upload Folders in Google Drive

Creating folders will help you better organize your files. To create a folder, click New, and select Folder. In the box that appears, give your folder a name, and click Create.

Creating a new folder

Once you've created the folder, you can open it by double-clicking.

When you're inside a folder, you'll see any subfolders and files in that folder as well as the current path to the folder displayed along the top of the screen. You can click on any part of this path name (e.g., My Drive) to move around your Drive.

Breadcrumbs in Google Drive

If instead of creating a new folder, you want to upload a folder and its contents from your computer, click New > Folder upload, and then select the folder from your computer.

If you're using Google's Chrome browser, you can drag and drop an entire folder into your Google Drive, and any folders within your folder will be preserved within Google Drive.

How to Create and Upload Files in Google Drive

Folders are great for organization, but files are the bread and butter of Google Drive.

To upload an existing file, click New > File upload and select the file you want to upload. Alternatively, you can find the file on your computer (in Finder/Explorer or on your desktop), and then click and drag it into the browser window. You should see an on-screen notification informing you that your file is ready to be uploaded. Release the click to start the transfer. Files will be uploaded to whatever folder you are currently viewing.

Upload file

If you want to create a new file—not something that already exists on your computer—click New, and then select the type of file you want: Google Docs (word processing document), Google Sheets (spreadsheet), or Google Slides (presentation). If you hover over More, you'll see several other options, including Google Forms, Google Drawings, and Google Sites. Any third party web apps you have connected will also appear in this list.

Create a file of any kind from Google Drive

When you create a new file, Google Drive will pass the baton to the app in question. Your file will open in a new tab using the correct G Suite app (e.g., Google Docs or Google Sheets). That new app is still using Google Drive as the storage medium, but you're working within a different app to edit the file.

How to work with Word, Excel, and other file types

If you've uploaded a file from Word, Excel, or another non-Google application, you can preview it by clicking double-clicking on the file.

At the top of the preview window, click Open with Google Docs (or Open with Google Sheets for a spreadsheet), and your file will be converted to a Google file.

Preview

This new file will be editable in the target app. There may be some compatibility issues with certain elements—especially formatting—but most functions should work the same. (You can convert and download your file back to its original format under File > Download as in your chosen app.)

The new file will be saved in the same folder as the original file—and the original file will be maintained as well. You'll know it's the Google version because of the icon next to it.

How to Move Files and Folders in Google Drive

You can move files and folders around in Google Drive by dragging and dropping them to whichever folder you want. Or, you can right-click and choose Move to. Then you'll have the option of where you'd like to move the file or folder.

Move to

How to Download Files and Folders from Google Drive

If you have a file in your Google Drive that you want to download to your computer, right-click it, and choose Download. You can download folders this way, too: Google Drive will compile them into a .ZIP archive, which you can expand in a click from Finder/Explorer.

Download a file

How to Search in Google Drive

To quickly find a file or folder, use the Search Drive field at the top of the screen. You can conduct an advanced search by clicking the downward arrow in the search box and fine-tuning your criteria.

Search Google Drive

How to Share Files and Folders in Google Drive

Google Drive lets you share anything with anyone. You can share individual files to collaborate on Docs, Sheets, and Slides; share folders full of images with friends; or post a public link to a file that you want others to be able to view.

To share a file, right-click on that file, and click Share.

From there, you have a number of options.

Share files and folders with specific people

You can add specific people to files and folders using their names (for Google associates) or email addresses. Type their email address and press Enter/return.

The box next to the input field lets you define permissions.

  • If you're sharing a file, you can select from Can edit, Can comment, and Can view. (Note: depending on the type of file, these options might be different. For example, Google Forms only offers Can view.) This allows you to decide how much control these people have over your file.
  • If you're sharing a folder, you can select from Can organize, add, & edit and Can view only. Whatever permissions you give someone to a folder carry through to all the files within that folder as well.

The Notify people checkbox will be checked by default, meaning everyone you share with will receive an email. If you don't want them to receive an email, uncheck that box before clicking Done.

Share files and folders with a broader audience

If you don't know who you are sharing with yet, or would rather grab a public link for posting on the web, click Get shareable link. You can define the permissions for this link using the dropdown list, and click Copy link to copy the link to your clipboard.

Adding Files to My Drive in Google Drive

When you create a file in Google Drive, that file lives in your personal Drive, called My Drive. You are the author, so you have ownership of the file. You can share it, rename it, and download it, and it will still remain in your Drive.

Shared files behave slightly differently. When you are given a public link or invited to collaborate on a file, that file isn't automatically added to your My Drive storage (which also means it doesn't count against your storage quota). To add one of these items to your drive, look for the Add to My Drive icon at the top of the file next to its title.

Add to my drive

Adding shared files to My Drive allows you to organize them into folders. It doesn't automatically transfer ownership of that file to you, but rather permanently places a shortcut among your own files.

You can duplicate any file to create a new version where you are the owner by right-clicking and choosing Make a copy.

Make a copy

Google Drive on Desktop and Mobile

Google Drive is a web app, but it also offers desktop and mobile apps.

Backup and Sync

The desktop app, Backup and Sync, provides access to your My Drive storage on your desktop. When installed, Backup and Sync functions just like any other folder on your Mac or PC. The key difference is that it's connected to Google's folders, and it's always checking for changes to upload and download. (If you have Dropbox or Box on your computer, it works just like that.)

Backup and Sync app

If you want to upload files to or download files from your computer, Backup and Sync is a great way of doing so. There's no reliance on a web browser, and the process can happen in the background. You can also quickly access your Google files by browsing them like any file that's already on your computer.

Double-click on any Google file to open a web browser and start editing. Drag and drop a file to copy it to your desktop. Move things around using cut, copy, and paste, and your organizational changes will be reflected on the web as well.

Google Drive for Mobile

Google Drive for Android and iOS works similarly the desktop version, except it doesn't download the contents of your drive by default. You can access Google Drive through your device, share and organize items, download files, and view files.

Google Drive on iOS

You'll need to download each app's individual mobile app—e.g., Google Docs, Google Sheets, etc.—in order to edit the files.


Once you've mastered Google Drive, try your hand at automating your Google Drive workflows. For example, you can automatically create, copy, or move files based on actions you take in other apps. Check out Zapier's Google Drive integration for more ideas on how to automate your Google Drive.



source https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-use-google-drive/