Microsoft Project free alternative
Microsoft Project for free? The free alternative that opens .mpp files
Microsoft Project has no free version: the desktop app and the cloud plans need a paid license for each person. If what you need is a Gantt chart with dependencies, critical path and baselines, and the ability to open .mpp files, Planitude does it for free, in the browser.
Free for the whole team, no credit card, no per-user licenses.
Is there a free Microsoft Project?
No, but there are a few ways to get close. Here is what each one really offers.
Microsoft trial
Microsoft periodically offers time-limited trials of its cloud plans. When the trial ends, you need a paid license to keep working on your plans.
Planner in Microsoft 365
The basic version of Planner is included in many Microsoft 365 plans, but it is a task board: dependencies with lead and lag, baselines and the critical path require Planner and Project Plan 3.
Free desktop applications
GanttProject and ProjectLibre are free and open source. They work on one computer at a time, with the file travelling by email: fine alone, harder as a team.
Planitude
Free online Gantt software with the scheduling method of Microsoft Project: four dependency types, constraints, calendars, critical path and baselines. It imports .mpp files and the whole team uses it for free.
Microsoft Project or Planitude: what changes
| Feature | Microsoft Project | Planitude |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Paid license for every person, by subscription or one-off purchase | Free for the whole team |
| Installation | Desktop app for Windows, or cloud plans in Microsoft 365 | In the browser, on any computer, tablet or phone |
| .mpp files | Native format | Imports .mpp and exports Microsoft Project XML |
| Dependencies and critical path | FS, SS, FF and SF with lead and lag, critical path | FS, SS, FF and SF with lead and lag, critical path |
| Baselines and calendars | Yes | Yes |
| Resource leveling and earned value | Yes | Not available |
How to move from Microsoft Project to Planitude
Take your .mpp file
The file you save from Project, or the one a colleague sent you. You can look at it first without an account in the free MPP viewer.
Import it into Planitude
Create a free account and import the file: tasks, dependencies, calendars, baselines and resources arrive as they were, and the engine recalculates the critical path.
Invite the team
Everyone works on the same plan, with no license to buy. Whoever still uses Project receives an XML export that opens as .mpp.
Coming from Project Online?
Microsoft retired Project Online on 30 September 2026. If your plans were there and you still have them as .mpp or XML files, you can pick them up in Planitude with the same import.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Project free?
No. Microsoft Project requires a paid license for each person, either as a cloud subscription or as a one-off purchase of the desktop version. Microsoft sometimes offers time-limited trials.
What is the best free alternative to Microsoft Project?
It depends on how you work. Alone on one computer, GanttProject or ProjectLibre are enough. For a team that needs to share the plan and open .mpp files, Planitude offers the same scheduling method for free, in the browser.
Can I open .mpp files without Microsoft Project?
Yes. The free MPP viewer opens them without an account; with a free Planitude account you can also edit and save them.
Can I send the plan back to someone who uses Microsoft Project?
Yes. Planitude exports to Microsoft Project XML, which Project opens and can save as .mpp.
What does Planitude not do compared with Microsoft Project?
Automatic resource leveling and earned value reporting are not available. Scheduling with dependencies, constraints, calendars, critical path and baselines is.
Microsoft Project free alternative
Free for the whole team, no credit card, no per-user licenses.