FreeMind is a Java-based, cross-platform solution which is designed to make the process as intuitive as possible via 'child' and 'sibling' links that hopefully build your map into something meaningful. To get started with FreeMind, you'll need to locate and double-click on the 'freemind.jar' file in the 'lib/' folder of the FreeMind folder.

You start off with a 'Child Node' which is your main subject. You can write this title in a huge number of font sizes and styles and then right-click on it to add Child Nodes, which are subjects that relate to it. You then have a huge number of tools and annotations down the left hand side to add color and notes to your mind map. This toolbar is horribly crushed together and cluttered though, making it very difficult to see them clearly.

The basic adding and removal of items on FreeMind is extremely easy but the interface does suffer from a lack of organization and clarity. The above mentioned toolbar is way too crowded with many annotations that are not particular useful (such as penguins) and overall, the program does feel a bit flimsy.

FreeMind is, however, very quick and free to use - which is more than can be said for many similar Mind Mapping programs.

Download Freemind 0.9.0 RC13 in Softonic

OmniPlan aims to make it easier to break down tasks, optimize resources, and streamline budgets. Among its most useful features are the ability to translate strategy into tactics everyone can understand, create summaries of work broken into lists of activities, distribute workloads fairly and efficiently and manage costs as you go.

One handy feature is that OmniPlan can export projects into file formats that MS Project can read and open. MS Project is considerably cheaper than OmniPlan however and those that are thinking of switching, may take some convincing that OmniPlan can offer them a great deal more. However, the interface is slicker and more suited to OS X than MS Project but it doesn't offer quite the same power and advanced features as the latter.

If you need a change from MS Project, or something slicker, OmniPlan is an interesting simplified option for OS X.

Download OmniPlan 2.0.1 Beta in Softonic

Safeguard supplementary information within your project using Merlin 2’s Elements. Assign these Elements to your projects, phases, procedures and resources. Elements contain, for example, deadlines, risks, checklists, problems and documents for the project records.

Agile project management now has drag and drop functionality. Simply take new iterations and phases from the library and drop them into the project. With many documents included, the Merlin 2 library ultimately brings the search for the right presentation of your project documentation to an end. Merlin 2 also easily accepts your own design/presentation.

Gone are the days when your resources were nothing more than "attachments" in project management programs. In Merlin 2 you manage your team simply and completely. Take addresses from the Mac OS X Addressbook or MS Entourage in the Merlin program window or input new coworkers directly. If you do not yet know exactly who shall complete a task, that's no problem for Merlin 2.

Merlin integrates perfectly with other programs
No matter what the source of your data is - MS Project, Excel, OmniOutliner, NovaMind or others, Merlin imports them completely. However this is not just a one-way street. Merlin exports projects with equal ease. For a continuously updated calendar view of your project, you can use Apple's iCal.

Every view has its own search field. Enter a key word and instantly the views are reduced to the essentials. Recurring searches are also no problem with Merlin 2. Define a complex search with a few mouse clicks and use this search for all your projects. Furthermore, Merlin Projects can be found in the Finder with the help of Spotlight.

The graphic project plan is an important result - whether printed on paper or in a PDF. With Merlin's interactive print preview you can easily design the output. Convince and satisfy your project team using meaningful reports, developed and adjusted with only a few mouse clicks using the Merlin 2 Reports’ function.

Besides project planning no other topic is as all-encompassing as project documentation. For this task Merlin 2 ensures that you are perfectly equipped. Merlin knows when you edit a document in another application and gives you the option to create a new version. Thus you always retain an overview of all changes.

Download Merlin 2.8.3 in Softonic

In the same vein as other open source productivity suites like OpenOffice.org, LibreOffice boasts a comprehensive set of office management tools arguably on par with Microsoft Office itself. LibreOffice offers six different office management tools to meet your project management needs: Text Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Drawing, Database, and Formula.

Text Document is relatively synonymous with Microsoft Word, where Spreadsheet is like Excel. Presentation mirrors Microsoft's PowerPoint, and Database is similar to Access. Then you also have two additional programs in Drawing and Formula, which are an added bonus to the entire package. LibreOffice is compatible with Microsoft Office's document formats and also supports PDFs natively. It also has its own document format called Open Document.

Unfortunately, if you're unfamiliar with Microsoft Office products, this program might take a little additional time to get used to, particularly if you want to master some of its more advanced features. Regular Microsoft Office users will find LibreOffice's interface quite similar, however, and should pick up on how to use its various programs without too much difficulty.

A great alternative to Microsoft Office, LibreOffice is a must-try for managing your various office projects.

Download LibreOffice 3.4.3 Final in Softonic

That's the idea behind GanttProject which allows you to break down your project into a tree of tasks and assign human resources that have to work on each one. Most importantly, you can easily establish dependencies between tasks such as: 'this task can't start until this one is finished'. GanttProject then renders your project using two charts, which display how each project is connected.

You may print your charts, generate PDF and HTML reports or exchange data with Microsoft Project and spreadsheet applications. The big plus with GanttProject is that it's extremely easy to use - most project management apps can take some getting used to but GanttProject has you up and running within a few minutes and there's plenty of online help and user forums if you get stuck.

GanntProject is an excellent tool for those who need to plan projects without having to worry about learning a big project planning application.

Download GanttProject 2.0.9 in Softonic

So anything that can help my efforts not look like that of a child are welcome which is where SimpleDiagrams comes in. SimpleDiagrams is an easy to use Adobe Air based design application which allows you to draw diagrams far more easily than freehand drawing apps. Note that this is the free version of SimpleDiagrams which has all the functionality of the Full Version but includes a nag screen to upgrade.

Probably one of the most useful aspects of SimpleDiagrams is the ability to draw flow diagrams in order to brainstorm and also plan ideas and projects logically. The interface is ultra slick and clearly laid out allowing you to drag and drop elements into it to assemble ideas quickly. However, to prevent things from looking too clinical, you can also select elements which have a hand-drawn look to give them a more authentic look and feel.

SimpleDiagrams is very easy to use but it's rather limited in formats, saving only to XML and PNG. In addition, there is no way to share ideas and designs quickly by uploading them to a website or sharing server.

If you haven't got the steadiest of hands and you're looking for a free diagram creation tool, you can't go far wrong with SimpleDiagrams.

Download SimpleDiagrams 1.0.19 in Softonic

Don't expect anything too fancy with Timesheet: it works with Java, so you'll get everything except an attractive interface. On the other side this means that the interface is clear and works efficiently.

Nothing too difficult with Timesheet: create a new project, create a new entry, add start and end times and you are ready to go. The left side of the program structures all entries by data and reflects time spent. The center of the interface shows all your entries, and if some of them are still not finished you will be able to see the duration counting down.

Timesheet won't let you reorganize entries by columns, which limits the ways you can see your data. We also found it quite difficult to change time and date as you need to enter them exactly as they are seen in Timesheet.

Timesheet is a good effort at a time tracking solution, however it offers too many limitations to be used intensely. Try TimeLog as a more innovative way of managing your time.

Download TimeSheet 0.8.4.2 in Softonic

Sometimes complicated project management tasks can be made easier by compiling the data graphically. Similar in concept to MindNode, MindManager is a very complete tool that will help you do just that, mapping your ideas and hopefully streamlining and refining the decision-making process while it does.

MindManager is an attractive tool that most users will immediately feel comfortable with. It's worth following the Interactive Quick Start guide so you can familiarize yourself with the program's main functions and features. By the time you've finished you should easily be capable of creating your own maps. There are endless uses for MindManager. If you have the ideas, this program will give you the means to express them in an attractive and ordered way that will make it much easier when the time comes to act.

MindManager has lots of extras that allow you make your maps as detailed as you want. You can add multiple Topics, Sub-Topics, Relationships and other elements. Everything can be dragged and dropped, and right clicking will allow you to add elements such as icons, notes, images, links and attachments. Once you've finished, you can treat the document as any other text, editing, spell-checking and exporting to various formats.

MindManager's main attraction lies in how easy it is to organize information and ideas. A complicated idea soon becomes a workable plan when you get it down on "paper", and MindManager's user-friendly interface means that you can move elements around as much as you like until you get it right. MindManager also has features such as a timer, brainstorming mode and built-in internet capabilities, elements that take an already great program to another level.

MindManager makes organizing even the most complex projects a total breeze.

Download MindManager 8.0.201 in Softonic

There's plenty of software out there to help you do the job and XMind is definitely one of the better ones with the huge added bonus that it's absolutely free. To get started, you'll have to sign up for an XMind account which is quick and painless. Once you've done so, you have an online space where you can easily collaborate on projects and share them with others.

Using XMind is simple. Just add a central topic and then right-click on it to add subtopics, labels, notes, and much more. Editing the boxes is easy and you can select from a number of styles and fonts. You can also change the structure at any time by right-clicking or dragging and dropping different elements. You can even add audio (although not video) and fishbone charts. XMind is much neater and far more logical than trying to draw a mind map on a piece of paper due to the way it adds elements in a structured order.

XMind is an excellent free mind mapping application that may not be the most sophisticated out there but in terms of ease of use, it can't be beat.

Download XMind 3.2.1 in Softonic

GanttPV on the other hand is an extremely simple and slimmed down project manager which can define tasks, task durations, dependencies, start dates, and holidays. It's ideal for managers, project leaders and anyone else with a team of employees to manage. GanttPV takes all of your variables and then converts them into a Gantt chart which you can print out and give to your team.

GanttPV is especially useful at helping you allocate the number of hours a project will probably take and then keep you on top of what needs to be completed and finished to keep the project going. However, bear in mind that this is a very simple project management tool - there aren't half the options you might find in a bigger package such as contact lists, reminder alarms or online sharing features.

GanttPV is a great tool for those managing small projects that don't require too much complicated planning or don't involve a huge number of employees.

Download GanttPV 0.10 in Softonic

Klok utilizes Adobe Air, so can be used on Mac or Windows. This also means Klok is a little heavy on RAM usage, but it's not too bad. To start a project, simply click Add, give it a name, and then drag it into the weekly timetable. From there you can resize it to the correct number of hours, and add more details about the work, including how much you will be paid for doing it.

Klok can color code projects, to make the weekly planner easier to read. When you start a project, click 'start working', and Klok will time your work. Klock also features automatically made weekly and monthly time sheets, that can be dragged into Excel without conversion, which is useful.

Klock is still in a Beta testing phase, so is likely to have some bugs to iron out, but at the moment, it's a useful time keeper. It's hard to say if it could drag people away from Outlook or Google calendars, though.

Download Klok 2.3.2 in Softonic

TimeLog allows you to create smart lists to better organize your projects and can analyze them based on all criteria like billing, time or project type. You'll also notice that it features automatic timer and billing, so you don't have to go around worrying about these. The most useful feature is the red record button at the top left of the interface, which will allow you to launch the time spent on projects and calculate your rates precisely.

TimeLog is known to have some issues when printing out projects, and some users also complained about troubled interaction with iCal. However, overall, TimeLog interacts well with Apple programs.

TimeLog keeps time spent on projects for you.

Download TimeLog 4.5.5 in Softonic

iBiz integrates with iCal and Address Book and most importantly for many people, offers tax support so that filling in those all important returns is slightly easier. iBiz generates custom invoices so that you have several attractive designs to choose from. There's no need to worry about losing your invoices as you type either as iBiz automatically saves them as you type.

The thing that strikes you with iBiz is the way it's so clearly presented. Everything follows a clear logical flow whether it's an invoice you're filling in or a timesheet. Modifying sheets and creating new ones via the templates is extremely easy. There is much more than this to iBiz however than can be covered in a short review. These included the excellent animated graphs, the work trackers (known as the Document Monitor Menu), Expense Tracking features and a backup tool.

iBiz is a fully comprehensive and easy to use invoice and timesheet tracking software, that will appeal to any small business owner or freelancer.

Download iBiz 4.1.2 in Softonic