GanttProject vs Merlin Project

GanttProject

• Small and medium businesses that want Gantt charts at no cost
• Exchanging schedules with people who use Microsoft Project
• Planning offline on Windows, macOS or Linux

Merlin Project

• Project managers on Mac who want Gantt scheduling with baselines and earned value
• Planning in places without a reliable internet connection
• Organizations that need project data kept off a vendor's cloud servers
• Exchanging plans with people who use Microsoft Project

GanttProject

• Desktop only: the vendor lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps and no web or mobile version.
• Sharing a project with a team needs WebDAV or GanttProject Cloud, which is billed in euros from prepaid credits with a EUR 10 minimum top-up.
• The vendor says it is not designed to replicate every high-end enterprise feature of Microsoft Project.
• The current stable release, 3.3, came out in January 2024 and was last updated in January 2025; version 3.4 is in beta.

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.

GanttProject

Gantt chart and task scheduling

Tasks are arranged in a hierarchy with dependencies and milestones and drawn on a Gantt chart, with an option to generate a PERT chart.

Resource load chart

Assign resources to tasks and see how much work each one carries on a separate resource load chart.

Baselines and cost calculation

Save baselines to compare the current plan with an earlier one, and calculate the cost of tasks.

Microsoft Project interoperability

Reads MPX, MPP and XML/MSPDI files produced by Microsoft Project and exports to XML/MSPDI, so plans can be exchanged with Microsoft Project users.

Export to PDF, HTML and PNG

Plans can be exported as PDF, HTML or PNG, and exchanged with Excel and other spreadsheet apps.

Optional team collaboration

Projects can be shared over WebDAV, or through GanttProject Cloud, which adds team access management, project locks, update notifications and a history of recent changes.

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.

GanttProject

• GanttProject Desktop$0

  The full desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, free and open source under GPL3.

• GanttProject Cloud€1

  per active team member / month, paid from prepaid credits

  Optional collaboration service, described as in beta. The team owner and members who are idle that month are not charged; a one-person team is free.

• Paid download$5+

  one-time, buyer chooses the amount from $5

  An optional purchase that funds development. The vendor states that paid and free downloads are identical.

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.

GanttProject

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.