Project Management Software+2 more

Collaboration & Productivity PlatformBusiness Operations Management Tool

online buzz50k searches

trend (1M)steady

★★★★★3.5based on real user feedback, community sentiment, pricing value, and fit for target audience. see our full methodology

Microsoft Project

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Try Microsoft Project free for 30 days with full access to all plan features, or start with Planner Plan 1 at $10/month for premium templates and project goals

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Microsoft Project reviews — what users really think

last reviewed 24 march 2026

how we review

We start with direct ratings from our readers, then look at what real users are saying in practitioner forums and community spaces. We pair that with search demand data and profession-level persona analysis.

full methodology →

Editorial note: this was originally published in september of 2024

quick take

✓Best for: enterprise and construction PMs running complex multi-phase projects in Microsoft 365
✗Skip if: your team prioritises real-time collaboration or you're not already in the Microsoft ecosystem
£Best value: Project Plan 3 at $30/user/month only if resource management and financial tracking are essential

★★★½★3.5/ 5 — editorial rating

based on real user feedback, community sentiment, pricing value, and fit for target audience. see our full methodology

used Microsoft Project? we'd love to know your thoughts

reader ratings shape our score

Microsoft Project is a scheduling and resource management tool built for complex, multi-phase projects with serious task dependencies. It's the tool of choice for enterprise project managers and construction professionals who need Gantt charts, critical path analysis, and resource levelling that lighter tools simply can't handle. The tradeoff is real: it does advanced scheduling better than almost anything else in its category, but it carries a steep learning curve and a dated interface that collaboration-first teams will find frustrating.

Pricing starts at $10/user/month for Planner Plan 1 (basic task management) and rises to $30/user/month for Project Plan 3, which adds resource management, financial tracking, and portfolio tools. A standalone desktop licence is also available for approximately $620. It runs on Windows desktop and as a cloud-based service through Microsoft 365, with a limited mobile app that's not suited for field work. Before you commit, know that the full value only materialises if your organisation already uses Microsoft 365: the Power BI integration, Teams connectivity, and Excel compatibility are what justify the price. If you're not in that ecosystem, the competition offers more for less.

how popular is Microsoft Project?

monthly search interest

49.5k/mo now

peak interest74k/moOct 2024

searches now50k/moFeb 2026

1-month change— steadyvs prev month

Microsoft Project has maintained broadly stable search demand over three years, with a band between roughly 49,000 and 74,000 monthly searches rather than any clear growth or decline. The slight softening since late 2024 likely reflects growing competition from Asana, Monday.com, and Jira rather than a loss of its established user base. This is a mature tool with a loyal core audience: it's not going anywhere, but it's also not winning new converts at the rate it once did.

who is Microsoft Project for?

Whether Microsoft Project is worth it depends almost entirely on your role and how complex your projects actually are. Pick your situation below to get the honest breakdown.

overall sentiment

select your role to see what people like you are saying

positive

If you're managing large, interdependent projects in a Microsoft 365 organisation, Project Plan 3 at $30/user/month is genuinely hard to replace for scheduling depth. The Gantt chart and critical path tools are best-in-class. Budget for training time: the learning curve is real and onboarding new team members without it slows everything down.

strengths

Industry-leading Gantt chart and critical path analysis for complex scheduling
Deep integration with Microsoft Teams, Excel, and Power BI for unified workflows
Robust resource allocation and leveling features for enterprise-scale teams
Portfolio management capabilities for overseeing multiple concurrent projects

concerns

Steep learning curve and outdated interface require significant training time
High licensing costs become difficult to justify for smaller project teams
Heavy software performance impacts on older hardware or resource-constrained systems

what users are saying

“Don't pay for Project Plan 3 unless you're running multi-phase projects with complex resource dependencies and your organisation is already deep in the Microsoft ecosystem.”

Independent expert reviews from project management specialists paint a consistent picture: Microsoft Project is the gold standard for complex scheduling and Gantt chart work, but it carries a real cost in time and money. The Digital Project Manager's hands-on review flags the steep learning curve as the biggest practical barrier, noting that teams without dedicated training time often struggle to get value from the tool quickly. The same source draws a sharp line between Microsoft Planner (the lightweight, accessible option built into Microsoft 365) and Microsoft Project (the serious scheduling engine that costs significantly more and demands significantly more from its users). At $10/user/month for Planner Plan 1 and $30/user/month for Project Plan 3, the gap in price matches the gap in complexity. Commercial review platforms show consistent feedback that the interface feels dated compared to modern alternatives, and that the mobile experience is a notable weak point for anyone who needs real-time updates away from a desktop. The collaboration features draw the most direct criticism: reviewers on commercial platforms repeatedly flag that tools like Asana and Monday.com have pulled ahead for day-to-day team communication, leaving Microsoft Project as the scheduling engine but not the collaboration hub.

Our take: Microsoft Project earns its place in large enterprise and construction environments where scheduling complexity genuinely requires it. But at $30/user/month for Plan 3, you're paying for a depth most teams won't use, and the interface hasn't kept pace with what modern project management tools look like. If your team is smaller than 20 people or if real-time collaboration is a priority, Monday.com or Asana will serve you better and cost you less frustration. Don't pay for Project Plan 3 unless you're running multi-phase projects with complex resource dependencies and your organisation is already deep in the Microsoft ecosystem.

features

Dynamic Task Management: Reschedule tasks and automatically adjust project plans in real-time with dependencies, milestones, and scheduling that adapts to workflow changes.
Resource Allocation Tools: Manage team resources with timeline views and smart task assignments that optimize workforce productivity across projects.
Financial Planning Features: Track project budgets, generate financial insights, and make decisions with project financials, budgeting tools, and cost management capabilities.
Portfolio Management: Monitor multiple projects simultaneously with portfolio selection, optimization, and analysis tools that provide enterprise-level coordination and visual roadmaps.
Microsoft Teams Integration: Collaborate with built-in communication tools, file sharing, and task update features that connect team members through Microsoft 365 apps.
Advanced Reporting Analytics: Create customizable dashboards with graphical reports, pivot tables, and visual representations of project data, plus AI capabilities and Copilot in Planner (preview).
Multiple Project Views: Work with grid, board (Kanban), timeline (Gantt), calendar, network diagram, and resource views to visualize projects in the way that works best for your team.
Baselines and Variance Tracking: Set project baselines to track variances, monitor task history, and identify critical paths to keep projects on schedule.

pricing

Planner Plan 1 offers basic project management features at $10 per user per month, including premium templates, rich reporting, project goals, dependencies, backlogs, and sprints.
Project Plan 3 provides advanced features at $30 per user per month, with resource management, timesheet submission, analytics, prebuilt templates, portfolio selection, demand management, project scheduling, financial management, baselines, critical path, task history, roadmaps, program management, project financials and budgeting, dependencies with lead and lag, and Project Online desktop client.
Project Plan 5 is the most comprehensive cloud plan at $55 per user per month, offering enterprise resource management and allocation, portfolio analysis, optimization, Copilot in Planner (preview), visual roadmaps, reporting, AI capabilities, and integration with Microsoft 365 apps.
On-premise options include Project Standard 2024 at $679.99 per license for project management without collaboration tools, and Project Professional 2024 at $1,129.99 per license as an on-premises project management solution.
Microsoft Planner is included free with Microsoft 365 subscriptions for basic task and project planning needs.

frequently asked questions

Project Plan 3 at $30/user/month is worth it if you're managing complex, multi-phase projects with serious resource dependencies and your organisation runs on Microsoft 365. For most smaller teams or those doing straightforward task tracking, it isn't. Planner Plan 1 at $10/user/month covers the basics without the overhead. The desktop version (a one-time licence around $620) suits individuals who want advanced scheduling without a recurring fee.

Enterprise project managers running large, interdependent projects are the clearest fit. Construction and manufacturing project managers handling equipment, labour, and phased build schedules also get genuine value from the resource tracking. PMO directors who need portfolio-level reporting and Power BI dashboards will find it functional, though increasingly dated for collaboration-heavy teams.

The interface is genuinely outdated: experienced PMs describe a learning curve that slows down project setup, and new team members often need formal training before they're productive. The mobile app is weak, which is a real problem for construction and field-based teams who need real-time updates away from a desk. Collaboration features lag well behind Monday.com and Asana. And if your organisation isn't already in the Microsoft ecosystem, the integrations that justify the price simply don't apply to you.

These are different tools solving different problems. Planner is built for simple task management and team coordination within Microsoft 365, and it's included with many existing Microsoft subscriptions. Project is a scheduling engine for complex, dependency-heavy work. If you're managing a team sprint or a straightforward campaign, use Planner. If you're running a construction project across 18 months with interdependent resource allocation, you need Project. Don't pay for Project if Planner covers your actual workload.

Portfolio selection and demand management features are locked to Project Plan 5 (above Plan 3). If you're a PMO director needing portfolio-level visibility across multiple concurrent projects, Plan 3 gives you analytics and resource management but the full portfolio toolset requires the premium tier. Check whether Power BI integration at Plan 3 covers what you need before committing to a higher spend.

Trello is a project management tool that helps teams organize work using boards, lists, and cards. It enables users to track tasks, collaborate in real-time, and manage workflows visually. With features like task assignment, due dates, integrations, and AI-powered automation, Trello supports project management for teams of any size, from small startups to large enterprises.

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best deal

Try Trello Free - Organize projects with unlimited cards, lists, and members across up to 10 boards per workspace