Microsoft Planner vs Microsoft Project
We give Microsoft Planner a 3.2 GPA and Microsoft Project a 2.2, out of 4.0. Microsoft Planner grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft Planner
Task and project planning app built into Microsoft 365
Microsoft Project
Desktop project scheduling for Windows with Gantt charts
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAMicrosoft PlannerVery good | 2.2GPAMicrosoft ProjectFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBasic Planner comes with Microsoft 365, from $5.40 a user a month paid yearly, which is the cheap end here and buys a whole suite. But the timeline, sprints and dependencies need Planner Plan 1 at $10.00, and baselines and critical path need Plan 3 at $30.00. | CPlanner and Project Plan 3 is $30.00 a user a month paid yearly, nearly four times what's typical here. Buying outright is $679.99 for Project Standard 2024 on 1 PC, which is about seven years of a typical subscription. Professional is $1,129.99. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free plan. There's a one-month free trial of Planner Plan 1 or Planner and Project Plan 3, but it needs a credit card and it converts to a paid plan. | DNo free plan. There's a one-month free trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, but it needs a credit card. No trial is listed for the one-time licenses, so those you buy unseen. |
| Features | AGrid, board, schedule and chart views to start. Then Gantt timelines, backlogs and sprints, dependencies and goals on Plan 1, and portfolios, baselines and critical path on Plan 3. My Tasks pulls in work from Loop and flagged Outlook email. Deep, once you pay. | AScheduling that works out dates from effort, lead and lag times and dependencies, then redoes them when something moves. Gantt Chart, Calendar and Network Diagram views, baselines, critical path, resource leveling and built-in reports such as Burndown. Timesheets need Professional. |
| Ease of use | A4.6 from about 13,200 App Store ratings, which just makes the A. It also runs inside Microsoft Teams, so a plan sits next to the files and chats your team already has open. | BThere's no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is as high as we go. It's a desktop program you install and use, and dates fill in automatically as dependencies change. Each one-time license covers one user on one PC. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, iPhone, Android and an app inside Microsoft Teams. It ties into Outlook, Loop, To Do, SharePoint, Power Automate and Power BI. The only desktop software is the Project app that comes with Plan 3, and it's all very Microsoft. | DWindows only. The requirements list Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019, and no Mac or mobile version appears on the pricing page. It works with Excel, Teams, Planner and SharePoint Server, so it stays inside Microsoft's world. |
| Best for | teams already living in Microsoft 365 | detailed scheduling on a Windows PC |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Microsoft Planner and Microsoft Project. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft Planner starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams). Microsoft Project starts at $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Plan 3), or $679.99 one-time (Standard 2024).
- Only Microsoft Planner lists a web app.
- Only Microsoft Planner lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Microsoft Project lists a Windows app.
- Microsoft Project can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Microsoft Planner also covers kanban boards.
- Microsoft Project also covers reports.
At a glance
| Microsoft Planner | Microsoft Project | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams) | $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Plan 3), or $679.99 one-time (Standard 2024) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | One-month free trial of Planner Plan 1 or Planner and Project Plan 3; a credit card is required and it converts to a paid plan | One-month free trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, credit card required. No trial is listed for the one-time licenses |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft Corporation | Microsoft Corporation |
| Price read from | microsoft.com | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Microsoft Planner
- Organizations already paying for Microsoft 365
- Teams that plan and track work inside Microsoft Teams
- Project managers who want Gantt timelines, sprints and baselines on a Microsoft stack
Microsoft Project
- Project managers who build detailed schedules with dependencies and baselines
- Organizations that prefer a perpetual license to a subscription
- Teams that keep project and portfolio data on their own servers
Worth knowing
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 Project
- Project desktop's requirements list only Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019, and no Mac or mobile version appears on the pricing page.
- Project for the web was retired in August 2025 and Project Online's retirement date was September 30, 2026; browser-based plans now live in Microsoft Planner.
- Project Standard 2024 and Project Professional 2024 are each licensed for one user on one PC.
- Project Server Subscription Edition has no list price and needs SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, which is not included.
Key features
Microsoft Planner
- Grid, Board, Schedule and Charts views
- Basic plans, included with Microsoft 365, show tasks as a grid, a kanban board, a schedule or charts, with labels, checklists and file attachments on each task.
- My Day, My Tasks and My Plans
- Personal views gather the tasks assigned to you across plans, along with assignments from meeting notes, Microsoft Loop and flagged Outlook email.
- Timeline, sprints and dependencies
- Planner Plan 1 adds premium plans with a Timeline (Gantt) view, backlogs and sprints, task dependencies, milestones, project goals and a People view for workload.
- Portfolios, baselines and critical path
- Planner and Project Plan 3 adds portfolios across plans, baselines, critical path, task history and dependencies with lead and lag. Plan 1 users can view portfolios but not create them.
- Planner in Microsoft Teams
- Planner runs as an app inside Microsoft Teams, where a plan sits next to its files and chats. Teams is sold separately from Planner Plan 1 and Plan 3.
- Copilot and Planner Agent
- With a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, Copilot generates plans, task lists and status reports, and simple routine tasks can be assigned to Planner Agent to carry out.
Microsoft Project
- Automated scheduling
- Tasks are scheduled from start and end dates, effort, lead and lag times and dependencies, and dates fill in automatically as those dependencies change.
- Gantt, calendar and network views
- Project Standard 2024 includes Gantt Chart, Calendar, Network Diagram and Task Sheet views, plus multiple timelines for presenting a complex schedule.
- Baselines and critical path
- Baselines compare actual progress with the original plan, and the critical path shows the tasks that form the longest path through a project.
- Resource management
- Resource leveling resolves conflicts and overallocations automatically. Project Professional 2024 adds fuller resource management and timesheets for payroll and invoicing.
- Built-in reports
- Prebuilt reports such as Burndown and Resource Overview summarize project and resource data, and a project file can be saved as a PDF.
- Project Server connection
- Project Professional 2024 can connect to Project Server Subscription Edition, an on-premises portfolio management server that runs on SharePoint Server.
Plans
Microsoft Planner
Microsoft 365 Business Basic (no Teams)$5.40
per user / month, paid yearly
Microsoft 365 suite plan that includes basic Planner: Grid, Board, Schedule and Charts views and basic templates. Microsoft Teams is not included.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic$7.00
per user / month, paid yearly
The same suite plan with Microsoft Teams, where Planner also runs as a Teams app. Business plans cover up to 300 users.
Planner Plan 1$10.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Premium plans with Timeline (Gantt), Calendar and People views, backlogs and sprints, task dependencies, project goals, milestones and custom fields.
Planner and Project Plan 3$30.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Everything in Plan 1 plus portfolios, baselines, critical path, task history, lead and lag dependencies and the Project desktop app.
Microsoft Project
Planner and Project Plan 3$30.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Subscription that includes the Project desktop client on up to five PCs, plus premium plans in Microsoft Planner on the web and in Teams.
Project Standard 2024$679.99
one-time purchase, licensed for 1 PC
Perpetual desktop license with schedule, task and cost management, Gantt Chart, Calendar and Network Diagram views, baselines, critical path and resource leveling.
Project Professional 2024$1,129.99
one-time purchase, licensed for 1 PC
Everything in Standard plus fuller resource management, timesheets and the ability to connect to Project Server Subscription Edition.
Project Server Subscription EditionCustom
On-premises project and portfolio management server built on SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, bought through a Microsoft partner.
Ways to pay less
Microsoft Planner
- Nonprofit
Business Basic free for eligible nonprofits
Microsoft's nonprofit page lists Microsoft 365 Business Basic, which includes Planner, as a grant that is free for up to 300 users, with discounted staff pricing on Business Standard and Premium.
Microsoft Project
No public discounts listed.
