The Translation Montreal team has gathered a comprehensive list of free online project management tools that can be very useful for professional translators.

Useful project management tools for translators:

  • Project & Task Management
    • Trello – Simple boards for tracking projects, deadlines, client requests, and translation steps.
    • Asana – Great for managing larger workloads, recurring tasks, and multi-step translation workflows.
    • ClickUp – Very flexible for translators who juggle many client projects and want time tracking + docs in one place.
    • Notion – Excellent for building your own translation dashboard, client database, terminology lists, and SOPs.
  • Time Tracking & Productivity
    • Toggl Track – Easy way to track time per client/project for accurate billing.
    • Harvest – Time tracking + invoicing in one tool.
    • RescueTime – Helps understand where your working time actually goes.
  • Client & Business Management (CRM)
    • HubSpot CRM (free tier) – Track leads, clients, quotes, and follow-ups.
    • Zoho CRM – Affordable option with customizable workflows.
    • Bonsai – Tailored to freelancers (contracts, proposals, tasks, invoicing all in one).
    • Dubsado – Useful for translators handling recurring clients, onboarding forms, and automated workflows.
  • File & Version Management
    • Google Drive – Easy sharing, file organization, and collaborative editing.
    • Dropbox – Widely used by agencies and clients.
    • OneDrive – Pairs well with Microsoft Office workflows.
  • Translation-Specific Management
    • CAT Tool Project Management ( Trados, memoQ, Wordfast ) – Built-in project templates, TMs, glossaries, batch QA, etc.
    • Lokalise – Great for software/app localization teams.
    • Smartcat – Project management, invoicing, and CAT tool in one platform.
    • Phrase – Excellent for managing large localization projects, teams, and version control.
  • Invoicing, Payments & Accounting
    • QuickBooks – Standard for small businesses in Canada.
    • Wave (free) – Perfect for freelancers needing invoicing + accounting without costs.
    • FreshBooks – Very friendly interface, good for tracking billable hours.
    • Stripe or PayPal – Easy payment processing.
  • Communication & Client Collaboration
    • Slack – Useful when working with agencies or long-term clients.
    • Teams – Common with corporate clients.
    • Zoom / Google Meet – For client briefings or project scoping calls.
  • Branding & Consistency Tools
    • Canva – For DTP, branded templates, and visuals for bilingual marketing materials.
    • SharePoint / Notion – For managing style guides, glossaries, brand guidelines.
    • Grammarly / Antidote – Writing clarity and quality checks (Antidote is a must for FR-CA).

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