Merlin Project vs ProjectLibre

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

ProjectLibre

• Teams moving schedules off Microsoft Project or Project Online
• Individual project managers who want a free desktop scheduler
• Plans that need earned value, resource leveling and risk analysis

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.

ProjectLibre

• The free Desktop app is for one user and individual projects; collaboration, portfolios, resource leveling, risk analysis and AI are in the paid Cloud.
• ProjectLibre Core is priced only with annual billing; the pricing section shows no month-to-month rate.
• A second, higher cloud tier is marked Coming Soon, and Core lists enterprise resource and portfolio management with an asterisk the page does not explain.
• The Cloud trial lasts 7 days and covers up to 15 users.

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.

ProjectLibre

CPM scheduling and Gantt charts

Schedules use dependencies, constraints, calendars, baselines and critical path with float, shown as a Gantt chart, a WBS chart or a network diagram.

Microsoft Project and Primavera import

Opens Microsoft Project .mpp files and Primavera .xer files directly, keeping tasks, dependencies, resources and the project structure.

Resource leveling and shared pools

ProjectLibre Cloud finds over-allocated resources and levels them at the project or portfolio level, drawing on enterprise resource pools shared across projects.

Risk analysis and schedule audits

Cloud runs Monte Carlo risk analysis and DCMA schedule-quality audits on the schedule, alongside earned value reporting with SPI, CPI and TCPI.

AI Co-Pilot

In Cloud, the Co-Pilot builds a CPM schedule from a prompt and can then edit tasks, the WBS and resources as the project changes.

Free desktop app

ProjectLibre Desktop is installed on Windows, macOS or Linux, keeps project files on the user's computer and is offered in 54 languages.

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.

ProjectLibre

• ProjectLibre Desktop$0

  Free, open-source desktop app for one person: Gantt chart, WBS, critical path, baselines, single-project resources, costs and earned value.

• ProjectLibre Core$9.99

  per user / month, billed annually

  The cloud plan on sale today: Microsoft Project import, Gantt and WBS scheduling, Core and Pro user modes and the AI Copilot.

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.

ProjectLibre

No public discounts listed.