Asta Powerproject vs Merlin Project (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Asta Powerproject if

• Fits if you plan construction programmes and need 4D BIM links
• Works for contractors who want a free viewer for colleagues

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you are a small team, as one licence is £1,530 a year with VAT
• Not for you if you use a Mac, as the desktop software is Windows only and Mac needs the SaaS edition
• Watch out: the iOS and Android app is licensed separately
• Watch out: the price read is the UK shop's in pounds, and Enterprise has no published price
• Skip it if you want a free plan, as only a 14-day trial is listed

Pick Merlin Project if

• Fits if you manage projects on a Mac and want Gantt scheduling with baselines and earned value
• Works for planning offline, with project data kept on your own devices rather than a vendor's servers

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if anyone on your team uses Windows or Android, as it's Apple devices only with no browser version
• Pricey if you want it on both Mac and iPad, because that's two subscriptions, $22.99 and $9.99 a month
• Not for you if you'd rather buy once, since it's subscription only with no perpetual license
• Watch out: Express at $6.99 leaves out Kanban, mind maps, baselines, earned value and team features
• Watch out: teams share files through iCloud Drive or Dropbox, as there's no vendor server

Asta Powerproject

• The desktop software runs on Windows PC; Mac use needs the SaaS edition.
• The iOS and Android companion app is licensed separately.
• The price read is the UK shop's GBP figure with VAT; US and other-country prices were not seen.
• Enterprise has no published price, and licences are single-user, concurrent or SaaS.

Merlin Project

• Runs only on Mac, iPad, iPhone and Apple Vision Pro; the vendor lists no Windows, Android or browser version.
• The Mac app and the iPad and iPhone app need separate subscriptions; the vendor offers no bundle.
• Subscription only: the vendor no longer sells a one-time or perpetual license.
• Merlin Project Express, the $6.99 edition, leaves out Kanban, mind maps, baselines, earned value and team features.

Asta Powerproject

Gantt scheduling

Tasks are drawn and linked inside the Gantt chart for critical path analysis, with codes, calendars, resources and costs assigned there too.

4D BIM integration

The product page lists 4D BIM integration, which ties the schedule to a building model for visual planning.

Resource and cost management

Resources are allocated across projects, and planned spend is compared with actual spend to forecast costs.

Scenario planning and reporting

Scenarios are compared for profit, and dashboards and reports are produced for stakeholders.

Enterprise collaboration

Asta Enterprise lets several users work in the same programme at once, with organization-wide views of schedules, resourcing and costs.

Free ProjectViewer

Stakeholders can open a project in the free ProjectViewer without holding a licence.

Merlin Project

Gantt chart and scheduling

Link tasks with dependencies, set milestones and read slack times. The critical path recalculates as progress is entered.

Kanban board and mind map

The same project data can be shown as a Kanban board or a mind map, and moving a card or adding a branch updates the Gantt chart.

Resources, baselines and earned value

Assign people, materials, companies and equipment to tasks and see who is overbooked. The full app also has dynamic baselines and earned value analysis.

Offline files with sync

Projects are stored on the user's devices and work without a connection. Teams sync through iCloud Drive, Dropbox or other cloud storage, not a vendor server.

AI project assistant

Since version 9, an assistant generates a starting project structure with tasks, dependencies and resources from a short text description.

Import and export

Reads and writes Microsoft Project XML, MindManager, FreeMind, OPML, CSV and iCalendar files, imports OmniPlan files, and exports PDF, image and HTML reports.

Asta Powerproject

• Annual Subscription£1,530

  per licence / year, billed annually, VAT included

  One user per licence on Windows PC, with 14-day activation support. Buying 2 licences gets 5% off. UK shop price in GBP.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Shared real-time access to projects, shared resources and visibility across all projects; contact the team or a reseller.

Merlin Project

• Merlin Project Express$6.99

  per user / month, or $69.99 per year

  A separate, smaller Mac app with Gantt planning and resources. No Kanban, mind map, baselines or team features. App Store or Setapp only.

• Merlin Project for iPad$9.99

  per user / month, or $99.99 per year

  The full app on iPad, iPhone and Apple Vision Pro. A separate subscription from the Mac app.

• Merlin Project for Mac$22.99

  per user / month, or $229.99 per year

  The full Mac app with Gantt, Kanban, mind map, workload, baselines and earned value. Sold in the vendor's store and on the Mac App Store at the same price.

Asta Powerproject

No public discounts listed.

Merlin Project

• Annual discount

  Two months free with yearly billing

  The price list labels yearly billing as 2 months free: the Mac app is $229.99 a year against $22.99 a month, which comes to $275.88 over 12 months.

• Education

  50% education discount on the Mac app

  The purchasing FAQ gives students and educators 50% off Merlin Project for Mac in the vendor's own store on proof of status. It is not offered through the App Store.

• Nonprofit

  50% off for nonprofits and charities

  Nonprofits and charities that send proof of status get 50% off the Mac list price in the vendor's store. Churches and clerical organizations are excluded.

• Other savings

  Volume discount from 10 licenses

  Mac subscriptions bought in the vendor's store get 5% off from 10 licenses, rising in steps to 30% from 100 licenses. It cannot be combined with other discounts.

• Other savings

  Family Sharing on App Store subscriptions

  A subscription bought through the App Store can be shared with up to five other family members through Apple's Family Sharing.