Free Project Management Software for Service Businesses
Catalystk is free project management software for IT companies, agencies, consultants and service companies. Plan client projects, track deliverables as milestones, get approvals from reviewers and bill each milestone with a tax invoice (GST, VAT or sales tax). Manage multiple client projects online or on the mobile app, with a free download of reports in Excel and PDF.
- 100% free
- Client milestones
- Tax invoicing
- Reviewer approvals
- Excel & PDF download
How client project management works in Catalystk
Five steps take a client engagement from the signed proposal to paid invoices.
- 1
Set up the engagement
Record the client, fee, currency, unit and the agreed start and end dates.
- 2
Turn deliverables into milestones
Add discovery, design, build or report stages with due dates and a share of the fee.
- 3
Name your reviewers
Choose who checks each deliverable and who gives the final approval.
- 4
Deliver and update
Mark milestones complete from the web or the mobile app as work is handed over.
- 5
Invoice and report
Bill each finished milestone with a tax invoice and share an Excel or PDF report with the client.
Project management software for IT companies
Software houses and IT service firms usually sell fixed-scope work in phases: requirements, development, testing, go-live and support. Catalystk is project management software for IT companies that records each client engagement as a project with its fee, currency and dates, then splits the fee across those phases as milestones, so the delivery plan and the payment plan are one and the same.
Overseas clients can be billed in their own currency, because the project amount supports multiple currencies. The statement of work or master agreement is uploaded to the project, and a tech lead can be set as reviewer with the delivery head as approver. Sales, delivery and accounts all see the same engagement, from the first quotation to the final invoice.
Project management software for agencies
Design, marketing, video and web agencies run many small jobs at once, each with a creative brief and a client who wants to see progress. With Catalystk, an agency can open a project for every campaign or retainer phase, list deliverables such as concepts, final artwork or a website launch as milestones, and attach the signed proposal for reference.
Internal review is built in: the art director or account lead reviews the work and the agency head approves it before it goes out. The project list shows which jobs are still in draft, which are planned and which are active, along with value and dates. Agencies can add every designer, writer and account manager as a user without paying per seat.
Project management software for consultants
Independent consultants and advisory firms often work on staged assignments: a diagnostic, a set of recommendations, then implementation support. Catalystk gives consultants a free way to run these as projects, with the client, assignment value and duration recorded once, and each stage held as a milestone carrying its own due date and fee.
Upload the engagement letter so the agreed scope is always at hand. The timeline bar shows how far into the assignment you are, and the work-done figure shows how many stages are complete, which helps when a client asks about a late report. Because quotations and invoices live in the same account, the proposal, the assignment and the bills stay together.
Project management software for service companies
Facility management, installation, maintenance, training and testing firms deliver work against contracts rather than products off a shelf. Catalystk is project management software for service companies of this kind: each contract becomes a project, grouped by unit and cost centre, with milestones for mobilisation, each visit or phase, and final completion. Annual maintenance contracts can carry one milestone per quarter or per service visit.
Field teams can check due dates on the Catalystk mobile app, while the office follows approvals and billing on the web. If a contract needs spares or consumables, purchase and inventory are available in the same free account, and free task management with reminders covers the smaller jobs inside each milestone.
Milestone invoicing for client work
Cash flow in a service business depends on billing as soon as a deliverable is accepted. In Catalystk, each milestone shows whether it has been billed, and the project dashboard keeps a running total of what is invoiced and what is still to bill. Enter a milestone as a percentage of the fee or as a fixed amount, and the other figure is calculated for you.
Once the project is approved, click + Invoice on the milestone to raise the tax invoice (GST, VAT or sales tax) in the same system using Catalystk's free billing software, then email it to the client. An engagement with one payment needs a single milestone; a longer one can be split into as many stages as the contract allows. No accepted deliverable is forgotten, and no invoice goes out for work that is not done.
Keeping every client engagement on track
Most service firms have more clients than managers, so the hard part is knowing which engagement needs attention today rather than at the month-end review. The project list shows each client job with its status, value, start and end dates and number of milestones, and opening one brings up its dashboard with overdue items and the next due date.
A useful habit is to compare work done with timeline used: an engagement halfway through its dates but only a quarter complete is at risk. For more on handling many jobs at once, see the multiple projects section of our main guide. Add colleagues freely, as there is no per-user charge.
Free download: client project reports in Excel and PDF
Clients like to see progress in writing, especially before paying an invoice. Catalystk lets you download a client project, its milestones and reports in Excel or PDF at no cost. Send the PDF with your monthly update or invoice so the client sees the completed deliverables and what is coming next.
Internally, the Excel export helps partners and finance teams review fees billed and pending across engagements, or prepare figures for the accountant at quarter end. You can also preview, print or email a project from its own screen. Every user on the free plan gets the same downloads, with no paid upgrade required.
Service Business Project Management: frequently asked questions
Is Catalystk free project management software for service businesses?
Yes. Client projects, milestones, approvals, the project dashboard, tax invoicing and Excel and PDF downloads are free forever. There is no credit card and no per-user fee, so your whole team can use it.
Is it good project management software for IT companies?
Yes. IT firms can record each engagement with its fee and currency, split it into phases such as development, testing and go-live, assign a reviewer and an approver, and invoice each phase once it is delivered.
Can agencies and consultants use it?
Yes. Agencies can run each campaign or website as a project with deliverables as milestones, and consultants can manage staged assignments the same way. Upload the proposal or engagement letter and bill each stage as it is accepted.
Does it work as project management software for service companies with field teams?
Yes. Service companies can manage maintenance, installation or training contracts as projects, grouped by unit and cost centre. Field staff check due dates on the Catalystk mobile app while the office handles approvals and billing on the web.
How does milestone invoicing for client work work?
Add each deliverable as a milestone with a % or an amount. When it is complete, raise a tax invoice in Catalystk. The project dashboard shows how much has been invoiced and how much is still to bill.
Can I keep several client engagements on track at once?
Yes. The project list shows every client project with status, value, dates and milestone count, and each project has its own dashboard with overdue items. There is no limit on the number of projects.
Can I download client project reports in Excel or PDF?
Yes. Download project details, milestones and reports in Excel or PDF for free, as often as you need. You can also print a project or email it to your client straight from its screen, ready for a review call.
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