Microsoft Project vs Planisware (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Planisware grades higher than Microsoft Project: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Microsoft Project grades higher on the free plan. Planisware grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft Project
Desktop project scheduling for Windows with Gantt charts
Which one is for you
Pick Microsoft Project if
- Fits if you build detailed schedules with dependencies, baselines and resource leveling on Windows
- Works for organizations that prefer a perpetual license, at $679.99 per PC, to a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or want it on your phone, as the desktop app is Windows only
- Pricey if you just need a Gantt chart, at $30.00 a user a month or $679.99 one-time for a single PC
- Not for you if you want to plan in a browser, because Project for the web was retired and web plans now live in Planner
- Watch out: there's no trial of the one-time licenses, and the subscription trial needs a credit card
- Watch out: Project Server has no list price and needs SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, bought separately
Pick Planisware if
- Fits if you manage a large portfolio with shared resources
- Works for enterprises that model scenarios before committing
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price, as none is published
- Not for you if you want to try it first, as no trial is listed
- Too light for small teams on a budget, as it is built for enterprise portfolios
- Watch out: features differ by product, so check which one fits
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAMicrosoft ProjectWeak | 1.8GPAPlaniswareWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DPlanner and Project Plan 3 is $30.00 a user a month paid yearly, nearly four times this category's middle price and well into its dearest tenth. Buying outright is $679.99 for Standard 2024 on one PC, where the category's typical one-time price is about $200. Professional is $1,129.99. | CNo prices are published and the product is sold through the vendor, so it sits in the middle by default. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free plan, and the one-month trial of Planner and Project Plan 3 wants a credit card. No trial at all is listed for the one-time licences, so a $679.99 purchase is made unseen. | FNo free plan and no trial are on record. You deal with the vendor first. |
| Features | BScheduling that works dates out from effort, lead and lag times and dependencies and redoes them when something moves, with Gantt, Calendar and Network Diagram views, baselines, critical path, resource leveling, costs and reports like Burndown. Timesheets need Professional, and collaboration now lives over in Planner. | BPortfolio prioritization, resource and capacity planning, scenario modeling and digital agents across the core portfolio job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It installs like any Windows program and fills in dates for you, but this is the tool with resource leveling and lead and lag times: nobody is productive in it on day one, and each one-time licence covers one user on one PC. | CNo store rating is on record. Features differ by product, Orchestra, Luma, Horizon, Nova and Valoris, so choosing takes work. |
| Platforms and integrations | DOne operating system. The requirements list Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019, with no Mac, no phone and, since Project for the web was retired, no browser. It works with Excel, Teams, Planner and SharePoint Server and nothing outside Microsoft's world. | CWeb only, with no integrations listed on the pages read. |
| Best for | detailed scheduling on a Windows PC | portfolio and project management for large portfolios |
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 Project and Planisware. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft Project can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Microsoft Project also covers templates, tasks and Gantt & timelines.
At a glance
| Microsoft Project | Planisware | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Plan 3), or $679.99 one-time (Standard 2024) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | One-month free trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, credit card required. No trial is listed for the one-time licenses | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Microsoft Corporation | Planisware |
| Price read from | microsoft.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Planisware
- No prices are published and no trial is listed; the product is sold through the vendor.
- Features differ by product (Orchestra, Luma, Horizon, Nova, Valoris, Enterprise), so check which one fits.
- Built for enterprise portfolios rather than small teams.
Key features
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.
Planisware
- Portfolio prioritization
- Initiatives can be scored, compared and prioritized with structured methods.
- Resource and capacity planning
- Availability, skills and workloads are shown across projects, programs and portfolios.
- Scenario modeling
- Reporting and analytics let leaders compare scenarios before committing.
- Digital agents
- Context-aware agents handle reporting, scheduling, workflows and data validation, according to the vendor.
- Planisware Prisma
- A natural-language layer that connects outside AI models to live portfolio data, with changes gated by approval.
- Product family
- Separate products target PMOs, professional services, IT, product development and capital planning.
Plans
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.
Planisware
Pricing could not be confirmed. See planisware.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Project or Planisware?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft Project starts at $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Plan 3), or $679.99 one-time (Standard 2024), and Planisware has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Microsoft Project or Planisware?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Microsoft Project nor Planisware has a free plan. Microsoft Project has a free trial.
Which platforms do Microsoft Project and Planisware run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Microsoft Project lists a Windows app and only Planisware lists a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.