Comparison
Free Microsoft Project alternatives, compared objectively
A single table covering the leading project management tools, limited to the criteria that matter when you migrate a real plan: .mpp support, critical path calculation and actual cost. Every value is taken from the vendor’s official pages.
Microsoft retired Project Online on September 30, 2026, with no grace period and no read-only mode.
Full comparison
24 criteria selected for teams migrating a real plan from Project Online. Scroll horizontally: the feature column and the product names remain visible.
19 of 19 tools shown
On narrow screens, the table shows two products at a time.
| Feature | PlanitudeOur product | Microsoft Project OnlineMicrosoftDetailed comparison | Planner and Project Plan 3Microsoft | GanttPROXB SoftwareDetailed comparison | ProjectLibreProjectLibreDetailed comparison | AsanaAsana | monday.commonday.com | SmartsheetSmartsheet | WrikeWrike | ClickUpClickUp | JiraAtlassian | TeamGanttTeamGantt | Zoho ProjectsZoho | Primavera P6Oracle | OpenProjectOpenProject | GanttProjectGanttProject | NotionNotion | Basecamp37signals | TrelloAtlassian | Merlin ProjectProjectWizards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening .mpp filesFiles created with Microsoft Project | Available.mpp/ | Availablewith the Project desktop client (Plan 3 and above) | AvailableProject desktop app included | Available.mpp from Microsoft Project 2003 to 2019 | Available.mpp and .xer | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availabletasks, durations, dependencies, assignees | Not availablenot among the listed import sources | Not stated | Partial.mpp: names, dependencies, dates and % complete; resources are not imported | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availablereads .mpx, .mpp and XML/ | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| ExportExporting the plan to other tools | AvailableMicrosoft Project XML, CSV, print/ | Available | Available | Available | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Partialno export back to Microsoft Project | Partialcustom export (Business plan) | Not stated | Available | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | AvailableXML/ | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Dependencies (4 types, with lag)FS, SS, FF and SF, with lead and lag | AvailableFS, SS, FF and SF, with lag | Available | Availablewith lead and lag; Planner Plan 1: finish-to-start only | Not stated | Availabledependencies and constraints | AvailableStarter plan | Availabledynamic dependencies (Pro plan) | Available | Availableimported from Microsoft Project | Available | Partialwithin a single project on Free and Standard; cross-project on Premium | Available | Not stated | AvailableCPM scheduling | Partialpredecessor and follower relations; no dependency types documented | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availabledependencies presented as a core feature |
| Critical pathCalculated automatically, not drawn manually | Availableon demand, with total float | Available | Availablebaselines and critical path in Plan 3 | Available | Availablecritical path and float | AvailableAdvanced plan (USD 24.99) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | AvailableBusiness plan and above | Not stated | Availablepaid plans | AvailableEnterprise plan (€9) | AvailableCPM scheduling | Not statednot documented in the Gantt guide | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| BaselinesThe approved plan, saved for comparison | Availablesaved automatically at first progress; slippage in days | Available | AvailablePlan 3 | Available | Availablebaselines and earned value | Not stated | Not stated | AvailableBusiness plan and above | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availablepaid plans | AvailableEnterprise plan (€9) | Availabletime-phased baseline | Availablebaseline comparison | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availablebaselines preserve the original plan |
| Calendars and holidaysWorking time, exceptions, closures | Availableworking calendars with exceptions | Available | Available | Partialcalendar exceptions from the Advanced plan (USD 10) | Availableproject, task and resource calendars | Not stated | AvailableStandard plan | Not stated | Not stated | Availablecalendar view | Availablecalendar view | Not stated | Availablebusiness calendar and holiday list (Premium) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availablecalendar view | Not stated | Availablecalendar view | Not stated |
| Date constraints“Start no earlier than”, deadlines | Availableconstraint dates and deadlines | Available | Available | Not stated | Available | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Resources and over-allocationAssignments and over-allocation warnings | Availableproject members assigned to tasks, daily workload, over-allocation warnings | Available | AvailableTeam Planner: allocation and capacity | Availableworkload management (Business plan) | Available | Availableworkload (Advanced plan) | Availableresource management (Enterprise plan) | PartialResource Management is a paid add-on | Availablerole management and time tracking (Pinnacle) | Availableresource management (Unlimited plan) | Availablecapacity management | Not stated | PartialResources extension (Enterprise) | Availablerole and resource optimisation, capacity planning | Not stated | Availableresource allocation | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availableworkload managed in the same data source |
| Costs and budgetRates, fixed costs, budget | Partialfixed and baseline costs from imported files; no budget view | Available | Available | Availablebudget planning (Business plan) | Available | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availableproject and portfolio budgets (Pinnacle) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availableproject budget (Premium) | Availableforecast cost compared with baseline cost | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availableschedule and costs in a single plan |
| Earned Value Management (EVM)Planned versus earned value, SPI and CPI | Not available | Available | Availablecompares planned progress, budget and earned value | Not stated | Available | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availableproject budget and EVM (Premium, €4) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Automatic resource levellingResource conflicts resolved automatically | Not availableapplies the leveling delay from .mpp files; does not calculate it | Available | Availableautomatic assignment leveling | Not stated | Available | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Monte Carlo risk analysisProbability of finishing by a date, P50/P80/P95 | AvailableMonte Carlo: P50/ | Not stated | Not stated | Not available | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | PartialMonte Carlo in the separate Primavera Risk Analysis product | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| ViewsGantt, kanban, list, calendar, workload | AvailableSummary, Gantt, list, board, calendar, workload | PartialGantt, grid, board | PartialGantt, grid, board, schedule, chart | AvailableGantt, board, list, calendar, portfolio, workload | Not stated | Availablelist, board, calendar, timeline, Gantt | Availableboard, calendar; timeline and Gantt from the Standard plan | AvailableGantt, grid, board, calendar; timeline from the Business plan | Availableboard and table on the Free plan; Gantt from the Team plan | Availablelist, board, calendar, timeline; Gantt from the Unlimited plan | Availablebacklog, list, board, timeline, calendar, summary | AvailableGantt, calendar, list | AvailableGantt, board, list, calendar, portfolio dashboard | Not stated | AvailableGantt, board, table, calendar | Not stated | Partialtable, board, calendar, timeline; no CPM Gantt documented | Partialmessage boards, to-dos, card table (kanban), schedule | Partialboard; calendar, timeline, table, dashboard and map with Premium | AvailableGantt, kanban, mind map, workload |
| Multi-project portfolioSeveral projects in one view, with status and workload | AvailableGantt of all projects with status, AI health estimate, cross-project workload, indicators | Available | Partialportfolio management in Project Plan 5 | Available | Not stated | AvailableAdvanced plan (USD 24.99) | Availableportfolio solution (Enterprise plan) | Available | Available | Available | AvailablePlans, Premium plan | Availableportfolio view | Availableportfolio dashboard | Available | AvailableEnterprise add-on | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Keyboard-navigable gridArrow keys and Enter, as in a spreadsheet | Availablearrow keys, Enter or F2 to edit, Tab to the next cell | Availablewith the Project desktop client (Plan 3 and above) | AvailableProject desktop app included | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| CollaborationShared plans, roles, read-only access | Availableowner, editor and viewer roles; invitations by email or link; comments with @mentions | Availablea licence is required for every reader | Availablelicensed per user | Available | Partialreal-time collaboration in the paid Cloud edition | Availableunlimited free guests from the Starter plan | Availableunlimited viewers from the Basic plan | Availableunlimited free contributors | Available | Availableunlimited free members on the Free plan | Availablefree guest access | Available10 collaborators on the Base plan | Available10 read-only users on the Enterprise plan | Available | Available | Not stateda paid cloud service is available | Available | Availableunlimited users, no per-user fees | Available10 collaborators per Workspace on the Free plan | PartialMagicSync between Apple devices |
| Email deadline remindersNotices before and after deadlines | Availabledaily email: due next working day, overdue, deadlines; can be turned off | Availablealerts and reminders from Project Web App | Not stated | Availableemail reminders before start, end and deadline | Not stated | Availablereminders before the due date | Availabledue date reminders and automations | Availablerow reminders and date-based alerts | Partialthrough automation rules | Availablereminders before start and due dates | Not stated | Availableemail about items due tomorrow | Not stated | Not stated | Availabledate alerts before start and finish, and for overdue items | Not stated | Not stated | Availablenotice the day before a to-do is due | Availabledue date reminders | Not stated |
| Calendar syncTasks in Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar | AvailableiCalendar link for Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar | Not stated | Not stated | AvailableGoogle Calendar and Outlook | Not stated | Availableone-way sync to Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar | AvailableGoogle Calendar and Outlook integrations | AvailableiCal publishing from the calendar view | AvailableGoogle Calendar integration | AvailableiCal feed on every plan | Not stated | Availablecalendar feed for Google Calendar, iCal and Outlook | AvailableiCalendar, Google Calendar and Outlook | Not stated | AvailableiCalendar subscription | Not stated | Not stated | Availableschedule subscription for Google, Apple and Outlook | AvailableiCalendar feed from the calendar view | Not stated |
| Public sharingA link that works without an account | Availableread-only public link | Not stated | Not stated | Availableprivate sharing link | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availablepublic sharing links | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availablepublic page sharing | Not stated | Availablepublic boards | Not stated |
| AI assistants via MCPChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other MCP clients | AvailableChatGPT, Claude.ai and Gemini via OAuth; Claude Code, Codex, Cursor with an API key, also as team members whose changes you approve | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availableofficial MCP server with OAuth | Availableofficial MCP server with OAuth | Availableofficial MCP server | Availableofficial MCP server with OAuth | Availableofficial MCP server with OAuth | AvailableAtlassian Rovo MCP server with OAuth | Not stated | Availableofficial Zoho MCP platform | Not stated | AvailableMCP server, Enterprise add-on | Not stated | Availableofficial MCP server with OAuth | Partiallocal MCP server in the Basecamp CLI | Not stated | Not stated |
| Interface languagesNumber of languages stated by the vendor | Available24 | Not stated | Not stated | Available15+ listed on the pricing page | Available54, according to the vendor | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Self-hostingOn your own servers or computer | Not availablemanaged service, EU servers (Germany) | Not availableProject Server SE is a separate product | Not availableProject Server SE is a separate product | Not stated | Availabledesktop application; data stays local | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | AvailableCommunity edition, on-premises | Availableruns offline on Windows, macOS and Linux | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Availablenative Apple app, fully usable offline |
| Entry priceLowest plan that includes the features | Availablefree, ad-supported | Not availableUSD 30.00 per user/ | Not availableUSD 30.00 per user/ | Not availableUSD 7 per user/ | Availabledesktop edition free; Cloud pricing not published | Not availableUSD 10.99 per user/ | Not available€9 per seat/ | Not available€8 per member/ | Not availableUSD 10 per user/ | Not availableUSD 7 per user/ | Not availableUSD 7.91 per user/ | Not availableUSD 59 per month or USD 590 per year (Base: 5 projects, 1 manager) | Not available€4 per user/ | Not statedprice not published by Oracle | AvailableCommunity edition free; Basic USD 7.25 per user/ | Availabledesktop edition free; cloud pay-as-you-go, pricing not published | Not available€9.50 per member/ | Not availableUSD 59 per month (Studio, 10 projects); Unlimited USD 300 per month | Not availableUSD 5 per user/ | Not availableUSD 22.99 per month (Mac); Express USD 6.99, iPad USD 9.99 |
| Free planPermanently free plan and what it includes | Availableall features, no seat limit | Not availableretirement on 30 September 2026 | Not availablebasic Planner included in Microsoft 365 | Not available14-day trial only | Availablefull desktop application, open source | AvailablePersonal plan: 2 users, no timeline or Gantt | Available2 seats, 3 boards, no Gantt | Not available30-day trial only | Availableunlimited users, board and table views, no Gantt | Availableunlimited tasks, 60 MB of storage, Gantt as a trial only | Available10 users, timeline view included | AvailablePersonal plan: 1 user, 1 project, 40 tasks | Available5 users, 3 projects | Not available | AvailableCommunity edition, self-hosted, no user minimum | Availablefull desktop application | Available10 guests; block limit for team use | Available1 project | Available10 collaborators, 10 boards per Workspace | Not available30-day trial only |
LegendAvailableAvailablePartialPartialNot availableNot availableNot statedNot stated
Comparison of project management tools, based on the vendors’ official pages as checked on September 28, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
- What happened to my plans when Project Online closed?
- Since 30 September 2026, neither the service nor the data it contained can be accessed. If you saved your plans as .mpp or XML files, you can import them into Planitude. The replacement recommended by Microsoft is Planner and Project Plan 3, at USD 30.00 per user per month, billed annually.
- Which of these tools can open an .mpp file?
- Fewer than one might expect, and some import only part of the file. Use the “Opens .mpp files” filter: it is derived directly from the table data, so it always matches it.
- Are any of these tools free?
- Several tools offer a free plan, but it is rarely sufficient for a real project: two seats, three boards or a single project. Enable the “Has a free plan” filter and read the last row, which details what each free plan includes.
Try Planitude with your own plan
Import your .mpp file and compare the dates yourself: it is the most reliable test.