nTask, Paymo and Zoho Projects are all freemium project management tools built for small and mid-sized teams, but they lead with different strengths: nTask…
Freemium · From Free (paid plans from $3/user/month)
Best for: Cost-sensitive small teams and agencies in regulated or process-heavy fields, such as IT services and engineering consulting, that want native risk and issue tracking bundled in at the lowest paid entry price of the three.
Freemium · From Free; paid plans from $5.90/user/month billed annually
Best for: Freelancers and small creative or marketing agencies that bill clients by the hour and want tracked time to flow directly into an invoice without connecting a separate invoicing app.
freemium · From Free for up to 5 users; paid plans from 4 dollars per user per month billed annually
Best for: Small to mid-sized teams already using, or planning to use, other Zoho apps like CRM, Books or Desk, who want Gantt-based planning and workflow automation tied into that wider suite.
At a Glance
nTask
Paymo
Zoho Projects
Primary category
Project Management
Project Management
Project Management
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Freemium
freemium
Starting price
Free (paid plans from $3/user/month)
Free; paid plans from $5.90/user/month billed annually
Free for up to 5 users; paid plans from 4 dollars per user per month billed annually
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Not documented
Not documented
Yes
Standout Differences
Billing built into the workflow, or not
Paymo generates client invoices directly from tracked billable time without a separate app. Zoho Projects can also auto-generate invoices, but only by connecting to the separate Zoho Invoice product. The provided data does not document any invoicing capability for nTask.
Paymo, Zoho Projects, nTask
Only nTask ships a built-in risk register
nTask is the only one of the three with native risk and issue management, available from its Business plan upward, which suits teams that need lightweight project governance without a separate PMO tool.
nTask
Zoho Projects wins on ecosystem depth
Zoho Projects connects natively to the wider Zoho One suite, including Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, Zoho Invoice and Zoho Desk, and lists over 50 third-party integrations, a breadth neither nTask nor Paymo documents.
Zoho Projects
Lowest cost of entry favors nTask
nTask's Premium plan starts at $3 per user per month billed annually, undercutting Paymo's cheapest multi-user tier (Plus at $10.90 per user per month) and Zoho Projects' Premium tier (roughly $4-5 per user per month).
nTask, Paymo, Zoho Projects
Free plans differ on team size
nTask's free plan supports up to 5 team members and 5 workspaces forever, and Zoho Projects' free plan also covers up to 5 users with 3 projects, while Paymo's free plan is capped at a single user.
nTask, Paymo, Zoho Projects
Feature-by-Feature
Planning and views
Feature
nTask
Paymo
Zoho Projects
Kanban boards
Available
Available
Not documented
Gantt charts
Available
Available
Available
Calendar or list view
Available
Available
Not documented
Time, billing and automation
Feature
nTask
Paymo
Zoho Projects
Time tracking and timesheets
Available
Available
Available
Native invoicing from tracked time
Not documented
Available
Available
Workflow or task automation rules
Not documented
Not documented
Available
Governance and ecosystem
Feature
nTask
Paymo
Zoho Projects
Native risk or issue management
Available
Unavailable
Not documented
Native integration with a wider business suite (CRM, invoicing, helpdesk)
Not documented
Limited
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
nTask
Free — $0 forever free
Premium — $3/user/month billed annually
Business — $8/user/month billed annually
Enterprise — Custom custom
Paymo
Free — $0 N/A
Solo — $5.90/month Monthly (1 user)
Plus — $10.90/user/month Monthly or annual (unlimited users)
Pro — $16.90/user/month Monthly or annual (unlimited users)
Zoho Projects
Free — 0 dollars n/a
Premium — Approximately 4-5 dollars per user per month monthly or annual
Enterprise — Approximately 9-10 dollars per user per month monthly or annual
Ultimate — Approximately 15 dollars per user per month monthly or annual
Pros & Cons
nTask
Pros
Low per-user pricing makes it accessible for small teams and startups
Combines task management, time tracking and risk management in one tool
Free plan is usable indefinitely for very small teams
Multiple work views (list, Kanban, Gantt, calendar) suit different team preferences
Native issue and risk tracking is uncommon at this price point
Cons
Interface and feature depth lag behind larger competitors like Asana or Monday.com
Free plan is capped at 5 team members and limited storage
Risk management features are only available on Business plan and above
Smaller company size means a narrower support and integration ecosystem than venture-backed rivals
Some advanced customization requires contacting sales on the Enterprise tier
Paymo
Pros
Combines project management, time tracking, and invoicing in one affordable tool
Free plan is usable for solo freelancers with light client and project needs
Multiple project views (Kanban, Gantt, table, list) suit different working styles
Time tracking flows directly into invoicing without needing a separate app
Priced significantly lower than larger project management suites like Asana or Monday.com
Cons
Free plan is limited to a single user and very few clients or projects
Advanced features like task dependencies and resource scheduling require the top Pro tier
Smaller company and team size than larger competitors, which can mean a smaller support team
Interface can feel dense for teams that only need simple task management
Fewer native integrations than larger, more established project management platforms
Zoho Projects
Pros
Generous free tier for small teams (up to 5 users)
Deep native integration with the wider Zoho One suite
Competitive pricing compared to Asana, Monday.com, and similar tools
Strong Gantt chart and time tracking functionality out of the box
15-day free trial on all paid plans with no credit card required
Cons
Interface can feel dated compared to newer project management tools
Advanced automation and reporting are locked behind higher-priced tiers
Read-only user limits and workflow execution caps vary by plan and can require upgrades for larger teams
Best value is realized when paired with other Zoho apps, less compelling as a standalone tool
Use Cases
Choose nTask: Cost-sensitive small teams and agencies in regulated or process-heavy fields, such as IT services and engineering consulting, that want native risk and issue tracking bundled in at the lowest paid entry price of the three.
Choose Paymo: Freelancers and small creative or marketing agencies that bill clients by the hour and want tracked time to flow directly into an invoice without connecting a separate invoicing app.
Choose Zoho Projects: Small to mid-sized teams already using, or planning to use, other Zoho apps like CRM, Books or Desk, who want Gantt-based planning and workflow automation tied into that wider suite.
nTask
Small team project tracking — Manage tasks, deadlines and deliverables across multiple client or internal projects in one workspace.
Agency and consulting time billing — Track billable hours against client projects using built-in time tracking and timesheets.
Lightweight project risk tracking — Maintain a basic risk and issue register alongside day-to-day task management without adopting separate PMO software.
Paymo
Freelancer time tracking and invoicing — Independent freelancers use Paymo's Solo plan to track billable hours against client projects and generate invoices directly from that tracked time.
Managing agency client projects — Small creative and marketing agencies use Paymo's Kanban and Gantt views alongside time tracking to manage multiple simultaneous client projects and bill accurately.
Coordinating small business team workload — Small businesses use Paymo's resource scheduling and task management tools to coordinate team workload and deadlines across projects.
Zoho Projects
Cross-functional project planning — Teams use Gantt charts and dependencies to plan multi-phase projects and track progress against deadlines.
Client billing and time tracking — Agencies track billable hours per task and generate client invoices directly through Zoho Invoice integration.
Zoho ecosystem workflows — Organizations already using Zoho CRM, Books, or Desk extend project tracking natively without adopting a separate platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these three has the lowest starting price for a small team?
nTask's Premium plan starts at $3 per user per month billed annually, the cheapest paid entry point of the three, though Zoho Projects and Paymo also offer usable free plans for very small teams.
Can I invoice clients directly from time tracked in these tools?
Paymo builds invoicing directly into its time-tracking workflow. Zoho Projects can generate invoices automatically, but through its companion Zoho Invoice app. The provided data does not document an invoicing feature for nTask.
Which tool includes built-in risk management?
Only nTask lists native risk and issue management in its feature set, available on its Business plan and above.
Is any of these free plans usable for an actual team, not just one person?
nTask's free plan supports up to 5 team members and 5 workspaces, and Zoho Projects' free plan also supports up to 5 users with 3 projects. Paymo's free plan is limited to a single user.
Which is the best fit if my company already uses other Zoho apps?
Zoho Projects, since it integrates natively with Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, Zoho Invoice and Zoho Desk as part of the wider Zoho One suite.
Which tool suits agencies that manage billable client work?
Paymo's combination of time tracking and invoicing suits agencies that bill clients by the hour, while nTask's native risk and issue tracking suits agencies in regulated industries like IT services and engineering consulting.