The Microsoft Project Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Microsoft Project in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Microsoft Project
The Insider’s Guide
Desktop project scheduling for Windows with Gantt charts
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among project management tools, read from Microsoft Project’s own pages.
Made by Microsoft Corporation · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Microsoft Project’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Microsoft Project’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.6
GPA, above 0 of the 79 other project management tools we grade
Microsoft Project is desktop project management software for Windows, built around automated scheduling, Gantt charts, baselines and resource management. It is sold as one-time Project Standard 2024 and Project Professional 2024 licenses, or by subscription through Planner and Project Plan 3, which pairs the desktop client with Microsoft Planner. Project for the web has been folded into Planner, and Microsoft set September 30, 2026 as the retirement date for Project Online.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Microsoft Project, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Project for the web is retired, so browser plans now live in Microsoft Planner.
- 1
Best for detailed scheduling on a Windows PC
Microsoft Project is desktop scheduling software with dependencies, lead and lag times, baselines, critical path and resource leveling.
- 2
Paid plans start at $30 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Plan 3), or $679.99 one-time (Standard 2024).
- 3
You can try it first
One-month free trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, credit card required. No trial is listed for the one-time licenses
- 4
It runs on Windows
Windows.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 1.6 GPA, above 0 of 79
That is against the other project management tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Microsoft Project you could make: Gantt & timelines, tasks, reports and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Microsoft Project at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Plan 3), or $679.99 one-time (Standard 2024)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- One-month free trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, credit card required. No trial is listed for the one-time licenses
- Runs on
- Windows
- Made by
- Microsoft Corporation
- Category
- Project Management
- Our grade
- 1.6 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for detailed scheduling on a Windows PC
Microsoft Project is desktop scheduling software with dependencies, lead and lag times, baselines, critical path and resource leveling. It's Windows only and costs $30 a user a month or $679.99 for one PC, with no trial for the one-time licenses and a card needed for the subscription trial. Project for the web is retired, so browser plans now live in Microsoft Planner.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Planner 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. |
| Free plan and trial | D | No 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. |
| Features | B | Scheduling 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | One 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Microsoft Project is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- 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
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$30
A month to start, for each person
Microsoft Project is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Plan 3), or $679.99 one-time (Standard 2024).
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 Edition
Custom
On-premises project and portfolio management server built on SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, bought through a Microsoft partner.
Trying it first
One-month free trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, credit card required. No trial is listed for the one-time licenses
Read from microsoft.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Windows
Desktop project scheduling for Windows with Gantt charts. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, templates, tasks, Gantt & timelines, reports.
Timesheets need Professional, and collaboration now lives over in Planner.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Windows
What it works with
- Excel
- Microsoft Teams
- Microsoft Planner
- SharePoint Server
- SQL Server Analysis Services
Microsoft Project is made by Microsoft Corporation.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/79
Other project management tools it is graded above
Microsoft Project's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 0 of the 79 other project management tools we grade.
It stands best on features (B, above 27 of 79) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $30 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 70 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 70 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 80 project management tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Microsoft Project’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 79
- DFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 79
- BFeaturesAbove 27 of 79
- CEase of useAbove 2 of 79
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 79
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 78 project management tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Microsoft Project is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Microsoft Project you could make: Gantt & timelines, tasks, reports and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 79 of the 79 other project management tools grade higher. It costs $360 a year.
What you could make
- Gantt & timelines, tasks, reports and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Excel, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Planner among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Microsoft Project’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Microsoft Planner, Smartsheet, ProjectLibre, OmniPlan and Merlin Project
The 5 tools Microsoft Project is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Microsoft Planner
Free trial · from $5.40/mo
Task and project planning app built into Microsoft 365.
- Only Microsoft Project lists a Windows app.
- Only Microsoft Planner lists a web app.
- Only Microsoft Planner lists iOS and Android apps.
- 3.0GPA
Smartsheet
Free trial · from $9/mo
Spreadsheet-style project and work management for teams.
- Only Smartsheet lists a web app.
- Only Smartsheet lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Microsoft Project can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 3.2GPA
ProjectLibre
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Microsoft Project-compatible scheduling: free desktop app, paid cloud.
- ProjectLibre has a free plan. Microsoft Project does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only ProjectLibre lists a web app.
- Only ProjectLibre lists macOS and Linux apps.
- 2.2GPA
OmniPlan
Free trial · from $199.99 one-time
Gantt-chart project scheduling for Mac, iPad and iPhone.
- Only Microsoft Project lists a Windows app.
- Only OmniPlan lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Microsoft Project also covers templates and tasks.
- 2.0GPA
Merlin Project
Free trial · from $6.99/mo
Offline Mac and iPad project planner with Gantt, Kanban and mind maps.
- Only Microsoft Project lists a Windows app.
- Only Merlin Project lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Microsoft Project can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Microsoft Project free?
No, Microsoft Project is a paid product, but you can try it first. One-month free trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, credit card required.
How much does Microsoft Project cost?
Microsoft Project lists 4 plans. Planner and Project Plan 3: $30.00 per user / month, paid yearly.
What platforms does Microsoft Project work on?
Microsoft Project is available on Windows.
Does Microsoft Project have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Microsoft Project is listed for Windows.
Does Microsoft Project have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Microsoft Project is listed for Windows.
Is Microsoft Project open source?
Microsoft Project is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
What does Microsoft Project integrate with?
Microsoft Project's listing names Excel, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Planner, SharePoint Server and SQL Server Analysis Services.
Who makes Microsoft Project?
Microsoft Project is made by Microsoft Corporation.
What are the alternatives to Microsoft Project?
The closest alternatives to Microsoft Project in our directory are Microsoft Planner, Smartsheet, ProjectLibre, OmniPlan and Merlin Project.
How does Microsoft Project compare with other project management tools?
Microsoft Project's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 0 of the 79 other project management tools we grade.
Is Microsoft Project good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Microsoft Project D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $30 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 70 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Microsoft Project?
The plain part of Microsoft Project you could make: Gantt & timelines, tasks, reports and templates.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Microsoft Project’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Microsoft's own pages on 5 October 2026. Its pricing page would not load when we went back to check it. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-28.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Microsoft Corporation. Prices change, so check microsoft.com before you buy.
- microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/project/microsoft-project-enterprise-plans-and-pricing
- microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/project-standard-2024/cfq7ttc0prmx
- microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/project-professional-2024/cfq7ttc0ph40
- microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/project/enterprise-project-server
- microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/planner/project-plan-3
- microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/planner/microsoft-planner-business-plans-and-pricing
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/project-online-service-description/project-online-desktop-client-service-description
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/planner/frequently-asked-questions-about-microsoft-planner
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Microsoft Project, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/microsoft-project
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Microsoft Project: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/microsoft-project
Know someone choosing between project management tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/microsoft-project/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded project management tools after Microsoft Project, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Project Management Insider's GuideEvery one of the 80 project management tools we grade, compared
- GitHub Issues Insider's GuideIssue tracking and project planning built into GitHub3.4 GPA
- Freedcamp Insider's GuideProject management suite with a free plan for unlimited users3.2 GPA
- Huly Insider's GuideOpen-source project management with chat, docs and video calls3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Microsoft Project’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Microsoft Project is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Microsoft Corporation. Prices and plans change: check microsoft.com before you buy.