Microsoft Project is project management software used for planning and tracking projects with a gantt chart. It’s available as a stand-alone solution for desktop PCs (Microsoft Project Professional) or as a cloud-based app (Microsoft Project Online).
While teams of all sizes and industries use MS Project to schedule and manage project work and resources, enterprise organizations with an established Microsoft 365 infrastructure will face fewer barriers when it comes to access and setup.
Microsoft Project Professional is the desktop version most often used by project managers because it provides the full set of project management, resourcing, and costing features. It’s currently only available for PC computers. Because you install MS Project Professional directly on your desktop, you have to find other solutions for keeping team members and external stakeholders up-to-date on the plan and progress.
Microsoft Project Online is a lighter, web-based version that offers collaborative capabilities and multiple workflow options—including Kanban boards—for team members who don’t like working with gantt charts. However, its features may not be as comprehensive or customizable as the desktop version.
From a cost perspective, Microsoft Project Professional is a one-time purchase, and your software license never expires. MS Project Online requires an active subscription and charges monthly fees for each user.
Open Microsoft Project, and click Blank Project on the Home tab to create a new project file.
Go to Project > Project Information to enter your project's start date.
Decide whether you want new tasks to be scheduled manually or automatically. Go to Task > Mode to set the default scheduling mode for your project.
Enter the name of each project task in a new row.
Enter the amount of time needed to complet each task, and select a date for work to begin.
Select the first task in a project phase, then click Task> Insert Summary Task. Highlight al the remaining subtasks in that phase, and click Task > Indent Task to add them to the group.
Click Task > Insert Milestone to add important project meetings, dates, and deliverables to your timeline. Be sure each milestone has "0 days" for its duration.
Highlight a series of dependent tasks in your list, then click Task > Link the Selected Task to connect them.
Select the person and/or other resource responsible for each task from the dropdown in the Resource Names column to assign the work.
Save your new Microsoft Project file to your computer in .mpp format. Be sure todo this anytime you update your gantt chart.
If you're using MS Project Online to collaborate with team members, got to File > Info > Publish to sync project updates to your Project Web App.
Here’s a quick look at the most common reasons project managers switch from Microsoft Project to an online alternative like TeamGantt.
Unless your company has an established Microsoft 365 infrastructure with IT support handy, configuring your account can be a painstaking and time-consuming task.
Beginners beware! Some teams spend months and thousands of dollars on training to hone their skills and take full advantage of MS Project’s features and capabilities.
Sharing the plan with anyone outside your Microsoft 365 network may require extra steps—no matter which version of MS Project you use.
If you hit a roadblock using MS Project, you’re basically on your own. Be prepared to dig through self-help resources and community forums to get unstuck.
Going with the full-featured desktop version means giving up real-time collaboration with your team. Any and all updates will have to come through you.
Don’t expect MS Project to plug into all your organization’s tools—unless you strictly use Microsoft 365 to get work done.
Keeping teams engaged and in sync will cost you in MS Project. You’ll pay for everyone you invite—no matter their access level—so budget enough to license every seat.
Are you a project manager looking for the best free alternative to MS Project? Maybe you’re fed up with its high price tag and inefficiencies and want a lightweight, intuitive, and easy-to-use replacement. Or perhaps you use a Mac to get work done and need a Microsoft Project equivalent that’s compatible with MacOS.
There's no shortage of Microsoft Project alternatives, so how do you know what’s best? We think TeamGantt tops the list—but don’t just take our word for it. Here’s how real people like you rate TeamGantt vs MS Project.
TeamGantt is seriously easy to use, making it the perfect MS Project alternative. Your whole team will be up and running in no time. No feature bloat here! By focusing on the 90% of the most-used features, we can deliver a simple tool that’s just as powerful as it is intuitive. See TeamGantt’s features.
Delays and overages can sneak up on you if you’ve got a fractured project picture. In TeamGantt, all your schedules, estimates, and tracked hours live together on the gantt chart. See how work is pacing against your plan, and get wayward tasks back on track before it’s too late.
With TeamGantt, you don’t have to change the way you work. Easily switch from a gantt chart to a Kanban board, task list, or calendar view, and manage multiple projects in a single gantt chart or custom board. No matter how or where you work, everything stays in sync.
Money shouldn’t get in the way of keeping teams and leaders up-to-date and aligned. That’s why TeamGantt only charges for managers. Add unlimited collaborators to your project for absolutely free with a 30-day trial of our Pro plan!
TeamGantt’s built-in resourcing software makes it easy to resolve conflicts as you schedule tasks. No need to switch between different screens to check availability or reallocate work! Plan all your projects with confidence knowing your team can hit their deadlines with a lot less stress.
Some teams use multiple tools to get work done, and old habits are hard to break. That’s why TeamGantt plays nice with other platforms too. Sync projects up with Trello, Jira, Slack, and Dropbox, or use our API or Zapier integration to connect with 1,000s of apps.
You don’t have to take a bunch of tedious steps or pay extra fees just to keep clients and stakeholders up-to-date. Invite them as a free collaborator, or send them a view-only link to your gantt chart so they can see the latest project status without having to go through you.
TeamGantt’s project health report gives you an at-a-glance view of your entire portfolio, so you can identify issues quickly and address risk as work progresses. It’s also perfect for sharing on screen in meetings to keep your team or other stakeholders up-to-date.
Store files and communication in a centralized hub so it’s easy for anyone to find the latest project updates. No extra add-ons needed! Your team can access tasks from any location and update progress with one click—whether they’re on a PC, Mac, or mobile device.
In TeamGantt, any project can be a template. As your original seed project evolves, the template evolves with it. No more using outdated templates or making manual updates! You’ll also have access to a library of ready-made project templates to help you save time on setup.
At TeamGantt, our customers are our investors—not Silicon Valley bigwigs. Your success is our priority. If you need a hand, we’re here and ready to help. Get a response in as little as 3 minutes during weekday hours, with weekend and evening support available.
No, you will need to purchase a separate license for Microsoft Project.
No, Microsoft does not currently offer a free version of MS Project.
It depends on the plan and product you choose. Microsoft Project Professional is a stand-alone solution with a one-time fee of $1,129.99 per license. If you want online access with resource management and collaborative features, pricing for MS Project Online Project Plan 3 starts at $30 per user per month.
Yes, the most common complaint about Microsoft Project is the steep learning curve that comes with it. While you can create a basic gantt chart fairly easily, MS Project is loaded with complex features and functionality most project teams never need or use. It can take months—and even expensive training courses—for you and your team to fully understand the ins and outs of MS Project and apply it to your process.
Yes, gantt charts are the primary reason many project managers use MS Project to plan and track projects.
It depends on the version you get. MS Project Professional is a stand-alone solution that can only be used on a desktop, but Microsoft does offer an online version of MS Project as a monthly subscription. In some cases, an annual commitment may be required.
Microsoft’s online version of MS Project can be used on a Mac computer, but Microsoft Project Professional (the desktop version) is only compatible on PCs.
