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Alternatives · Project Management

Microsoft Planner alternatives

Microsoft Planner compared with 7 alternatives: Asana, Trello, monday.com, ClickUp, Smartsheet and 2 more.

Microsoft Planner is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams). 4 of the 7 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 3 more offer a free trial.

7 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 6, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
Microsoft PlannerThis toolFree trial · from $5.40/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
AsanaFree plan · from $10.99/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
TrelloFree plan · from $5/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
monday.comFree plan · from $9/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
ClickUpFree plan · from $7/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
SmartsheetFree trial · from $9/moTrial onlyWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
Microsoft ProjectFree trial · from $30.00/moTrial onlyWindows
Microsoft ListsFree trial · from $5.40/moTrial onlyWeb

How each one differs from Microsoft Planner

  1. Asana

    Work management for projects, goals and cross-team workflows

    • Asana starts at $10.99 per user / month, billed annually ($13.49 billed monthly). Microsoft Planner starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams).
    • Asana has a free plan. Microsoft Planner does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Asana lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • Asana also covers workflow automation and goals.
    • Microsoft Planner also covers templates.

    Suits: Teams coordinating projects across several departments

    Asana vs Microsoft PlannerAsana pricing and details

  2. Trello

    Kanban boards with an inbox, planner and built-in automation

    • Trello starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly). Microsoft Planner starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams).
    • Trello has a free plan. Microsoft Planner does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Trello lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • Trello also covers calendar and workflow automation.
    • Microsoft Planner also covers templates.

    Suits: Individuals and small teams that plan work on kanban boards

    Trello vs Microsoft PlannerTrello pricing and details

  3. monday.com

    Board-based work management with automations and dashboards

    • monday.com starts at $9 per seat / month, billed annually (3-seat minimum). Microsoft Planner starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams).
    • monday.com has a free plan. Microsoft Planner does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only monday.com lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • monday.com also covers workflow automation and time tracking.
    • Microsoft Planner also covers templates.

    Suits: Teams that want boards, dashboards and automations in one tool

    monday.com vs Microsoft Plannermonday.com pricing and details

  4. ClickUp

    Work platform combining tasks, docs, chat and dashboards

    • ClickUp starts at $7 per user / month, billed yearly ($10 billed monthly). Microsoft Planner starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams).
    • ClickUp has a free plan. Microsoft Planner does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only ClickUp lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
    • Only ClickUp lists a browser extension.
    • ClickUp also covers workflow automation and time tracking.

    Suits: Teams that want tasks, docs and chat under one subscription

    ClickUp vs Microsoft PlannerClickUp pricing and details

  5. Smartsheet

    Spreadsheet-style project and work management for teams

    • Smartsheet starts at $9 per Member / month, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly). Microsoft Planner starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams).
    • Only Smartsheet lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • Smartsheet also covers calendar and workflow automation.
    • Microsoft Planner also covers templates.

    Suits: Teams that are comfortable working in spreadsheets

    Smartsheet vs Microsoft PlannerSmartsheet pricing and details

  6. Microsoft Project

    Desktop project scheduling for Windows with Gantt charts

    • Microsoft Project starts at $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Plan 3), or $679.99 one-time (Standard 2024). Microsoft Planner starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams).
    • Only Microsoft Project lists a Windows app.
    • Only Microsoft Planner lists a web app.
    • Only Microsoft Planner lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Microsoft Project can be bought with a one-time purchase.

    Suits: Project managers who build detailed schedules with dependencies and baselines

    Microsoft Project vs Microsoft PlannerMicrosoft Project pricing and details

  7. Microsoft Lists

    Information-tracking lists app included with Microsoft 365

    • Microsoft Lists starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams). Microsoft Planner starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams).
    • Only Microsoft Planner lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Microsoft Lists also covers databases and workflow automation.
    • Microsoft Planner also covers tasks, kanban boards and Gantt & timelines.

    Suits: Organizations already paying for Microsoft 365 that need shared trackers

    Microsoft Lists vs Microsoft PlannerMicrosoft Lists pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Microsoft Planner

  • Basic Planner is not sold on its own: it comes with Microsoft 365 business, enterprise, education and frontline subscriptions.
  • Timeline (Gantt), sprints, dependencies and goals need Planner Plan 1; baselines, critical path and task history need Planner and Project Plan 3.
  • Copilot and Planner Agent features need a separate Microsoft 365 Copilot license, listed at $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly.
  • Microsoft lists a web app, a Teams app and iOS and Android apps. The only desktop software is the Project desktop app that comes with Plan 3.
Microsoft Planner pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Microsoft Planner?

The alternatives to Microsoft Planner in this directory are Asana, Trello, monday.com, ClickUp, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project and Microsoft Lists. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Microsoft Planner.

Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Planner?

Yes. Asana, Trello, monday.com and ClickUp have a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which Microsoft Planner alternatives work on Windows?

The Microsoft Planner listing does not include a Windows app. Asana, Trello, monday.com, ClickUp, Smartsheet and Microsoft Project list one.

Which Microsoft Planner alternatives work on macOS?

The Microsoft Planner listing does not include a macOS app. Asana, Trello, monday.com, ClickUp and Smartsheet list one.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 4, 2026 to Oct 6, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

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