ProjectLibre is open-source venture administration software program engaging to IT professionals as a consequence of its cost-effective answer. It’s an alternative choice to industrial venture administration software program, however is it higher? That relies upon.
The one solution to discover out the worth of ProjectLibre is to make use of it to handle a venture, and we did simply that. Alongside the way in which, we obtained to see the completely different venture views and options it presents. From that we had been in a position to establish the place it succeeds and the place it fails as project management software.
We’ll additionally have a look at a ProjectLibre different, which is competitively priced and presents a sturdy suite of venture administration options in addition to plugging a few of the holes present in open-source software program. Which is the perfect instrument for managing initiatives? Let’s discover out.
What Is ProjectLibre?
ProjectLibre is a free, open-source software program different to Microsoft Undertaking. There are numerous Microsoft Project alternatives in the marketplace and for good motive. Microsoft is tough to make use of, not collaborative and costly, particularly when shopping for licenses for a big group.
Whatever the legitimate criticism of Microsoft Undertaking, it’s a preferred instrument utilized by many organizations that handle initiatives in a waterfall or conventional methodology. To compete with that, ProjectLibre has to match Microsoft Undertaking’s complete options.
In fact, generally customers get what they pay for. Within the case of ProjectLibre, its venture administration options are restricted. Being open supply means it’s low-cost, however that comes with out skilled buyer help and software program with efficiency points.
ProjectLibre has some issues in frequent with Microsoft Project, such because it’s an inherently uncollaborative platform, it’s a desktop utility and there’s a studying curve to make use of it correctly. Add to this the problems discovered with open-source software program and customers is likely to be prepared to spend just a little bit of cash to get a venture administration software program that really helps them ship initiatives on time, inside finances and assembly high quality requirements.
One difficulty with ProjectLibre is safety. Enterprises and even smaller firms wish to know their knowledge is secure. ProjectManager, an award-winning venture and portfolio administration software program is SOC 2 compliant, ProjectLibre is just not. Our software program may work on Mac, Home windows and Linux working techniques. Whereas ProjectLibre can as effectively, being an offline venture administration software program, it may possibly’t collaborate throughout these completely different platforms.
Open-source software program attracts individuals who have a extra hands-on relationship with expertise, equivalent to IT professionals. ProjectManager is versatile sufficient that there’s no-code-required automation for many who don’t wish to get beneath the hood of their computer systems, but in addition our software program has an API that permits it to collaborate with developer communities.
Customers have the instruments to develop, implement and handle their bespoke integrations, connecting our software program to any system their group makes use of to create organizational transparency, extra dependable knowledge, higher reporting and Gantt charts with model management, which isn’t discovered on ProjectLibre. Why not discover out for your self? Get began with ProjectManager immediately free of charge.
ProjectLibre Views
Not satisfied? That’s comprehensible. We’ve solely made a cursory cross at ProjectLibre. It’s time for a deep dive. First, let’s have a look at the completely different venture views it presents. Like Microsoft Project and ProjectManager, ProjectLibre has a number of venture views.
- Gantt Chart: Shows duties on a timeline with bars representing the period of every process, together with process dependencies, milestones and highlighting the critical path
- Job Utilization: Focuses on the allocation and utilization of sources throughout duties, together with useful resource allocation and work distribution
- Useful resource Utilization: Much like process utilization, however emphasizes the sources somewhat than the duties
- Job Sheet: Tabular view that lists all duties in a spreadsheet-like format, with process particulars, equivalent to period, sources, and many others.
- Useful resource Sheet: Lists all sources used within the venture, together with identify, sort and price
- Community Diagram: PERT chart (program analysis and evaluate method) shows duties and their dependencies
- Calendar View: Shows duties and milestones in a calendar format, helpful for occasion administration
- Useful resource Graph: Graphical representations of useful resource allocation over time
- Value View: Overview of venture prices and finances, together with price monitoring and studies
- Baseline View: Reveals deliberate schedule and prices in opposition to the precise status of the project to watch progress and efficiency
ProjectLibre Options
Views and options are comparable, however not the identical. Let’s take a second to evaluate the important thing options that make up ProjectLibre.
- A number of Undertaking Views: As famous above, ProjectLibre had Gantt charts, calendar, price and different venture views
- Useful resource Administration: Useful resource allocation for monitoring and administration of human and nonhuman sources, plus useful resource utilization, which gives insights into workload
- Job Administration: Job breakdown to place bigger initiatives into extra manageable duties and subtasks
- Value Administration: Price range monitoring to keep away from price overruns and price reporting to trace bills and monetary efficiency
- Import/Export: Helps importing and exporting Microsoft Project files (MPP) in addition to XML and CSV recordsdata
ProjectLibre Plans and Pricing
The underside line for many who select open-source software program equivalent to ProjectLibre is price. It’s laborious to beat free. ProjectLibre is free to obtain and set up on desktop computer systems. It gives entry to all core functionalities, equivalent to Gantt charts, process administration and resource management.
Nevertheless, some plans price cash if extra industrial providers and help are required. For instance, ProjectLibre Enterprise has extra superior options and enterprise-level help, which is designed for bigger organizations and contains cloud-based entry, enhanced safety {and professional} help. Contact ProjectLibre for pricing.
For these utilizing the free or enterprise-level plan, ProjectLibre accepts donations and sponsorship. That is its foremost income stream, which funds ongoing growth, enhancements and help.
It appears to be like as if the free model of ProjectLibre is a restricted venture administration software program. To keep away from the problems that open-source software program has and improve to raised options and help, customers must pay. However how a lot you possibly can anticipate to pay is a thriller decided by ProjectLibre.
To get these superior options and safety on a collaborative platform, why not strive ProjectManager? Our value is aggressive and the identical for giant and small organizations. We have now a versatile instrument that works throughout conventional, hybrid and agile methodologies on Mac, Home windows and Linux techniques with venture and portfolio administration instruments. Customizable reporting and real-time venture and portfolio dashboards assist monitor variance to maintain initiatives on time, inside finances and assembly high quality requirements.
Professionals and Cons of ProjectLibre
We’ve solely touched on the problems with ProjectLibre, which is a Microsoft Project alternative and open-source software program product. As with all software program, there are execs and cons to utilizing ProjectLibre. For these in search of an outline of every, we’ve listed them beneath.
Professionals
- Value-effective for people, small companies and organizations with restricted budgets
- Cross-platform compatibility works with Home windows, Mac and Linux techniques
- Gantt chart with dependencies, important path and baseline
- Detailed process and resource management tools for creating, assigning and monitoring duties, managing and allocating sources
- Suitable with Microsoft Undertaking MPP recordsdata
- Group help by way of on-line boards that entice builders and customers
- Versatile views of studies, process particulars and extra
- Common updates and enhancements contributed by the open-source group
Cons
- Restricted superior options, equivalent to superior project reports or refined useful resource leveling
- No real-time collaboration, which is a limitation for distributed or cross-functional groups
- Efficiency points when dealing with giant or advanced initiatives, the software program can turn into sluggish
- Technical help is proscribed, usually counting on group help for troubleshooting
- Much less polished and never intuitive consumer interface in comparison with industrial merchandise
- Useful resource administration options are much less refined than these present in different venture administration software program merchandise
- Fewer built-in integrations with in style productiveness and collaborative instruments, equivalent to Slack, Microsoft Groups, Google Workspace, and many others.
- Lacks version control, making it essential to manually handle and consolidate completely different variations of venture recordsdata
- No cloud options for storage or collaboration, requiring exterior options for file sharing and backup
FAQ
For individuals who wish to scan the fundamentals, listed here are some continuously requested questions on ProjectLibre with quick, exact solutions.
Is ProjectLibre free?
Sure. The essential software program is free, nevertheless, for extra superior options and help, there’s a price.
Does ProjectLibre help collaboration?
No. ProjectLibre has no built-in real-time collaboration options.
Does ProjectLibre have a cell app?
No. There isn’t a devoted cell app.
Is ProjectLibre SOC 2 compliant?
No. ProjectLibre is just not SOC 2 compliant, which is a web based safety protocol. ProjectLibre is solely a desktop utility.
Can ProjectLibre handle portfolios?
No. ProjectLibre doesn’t have devoted portfolio management instruments.
ProjectManager Is the Greatest ProjectLibre Various
For ProjectLibre customers to get the superior venture administration options discovered on ProjectManager, they’ll need to pay. It’s now not a free different. Even then, ProjectLibre prospects will discover the software program falls quick. There’s not the extent of safety and encryption that customers wish to shield their knowledge. There aren’t any portfolio administration options. There’s no cell app for iOS and Android units. There aren’t any collaborative instruments to attach distributed and cross-functional groups. What does the fee for an enterprise-level ProjectLibre get a consumer? A Microsoft Undertaking different with all the issues related to that irritating venture administration instrument. ProjectManager has all of the options of ProjectLibre, together with importing and exporting MPP recordsdata and extra to plan, handle and monitor initiatives in actual time.
Handle Initiatives, Applications and Portfolios
ProjectLibre is okay when managing one venture at a time, however add only one extra and it’s out of its league. Our project portfolio management software options enable customers to group and set up initiatives, handle sources throughout a portfolio and gather worthwhile venture knowledge and generate studies for extra insightful selections. Portfolio dashboards monitor initiatives throughout six key metrics multi function place. Gantt charts are like highly effective portfolio roadmaps that present all of the initiatives on a timeline. Filter by assignee, venture supervisor or buyer to make forecasts and spotlight key metrics for stakeholders. Generate customizable portfolio studies to focus on standing, buyer, precedence and extra.
Hold Groups Working at Capability
Undertaking managers want actual useful resource administration instruments. Our Gantt charts enable them to schedule human and nonhuman sources and their related prices, onboard group members and set their availability to make assignments sooner. Then stability the workload to maintain everybody productive with out eroding morale. Simply toggle over to the team page or the color-coded workload chart to get a stay overview of the group’s useful resource utilization. It’s straightforward to see who’s overallocated and underutilized. Then stability the group’s workload proper from the web page. Groups are glad that they’re not overburdened and managers are glad to fulfill venture objectives and targets.
These are only a few of the options in ProjectManager. However there’s extra. In contrast to ProjectLibre, we have now safe timesheets that assist with payroll, but in addition monitor labor prices. Threat administration options establish and monitor points till they’re resolved. Automated and customized workflows frees groups to concentrate on extra necessary duties whereas making certain high quality with process approvals. Get actual venture administration software program and ship profitable initiatives.
ProjectManager is on-line venture and portfolio administration software program that connects groups whether or not they’re within the discipline, within the workplace or wherever else on this planet. They will share recordsdata, remark on the process degree and keep up to date with e mail and in-app notifications. Be part of groups at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software program to ship profitable initiatives. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.
