Microsoft Project alternatives
The closest Microsoft Project alternatives are GanttPRO in the browser (critical path and baselines from $8 per user per month) and GanttProject, a free desktop app that reads .mpp files. For a team platform with a Gantt view, look at Smartsheet, Wrike or Asana. To present plans, Lucen Timeline makes PowerPoint slides and NeoGantt (ours) makes live links and one-page PDFs, from $99 a year for up to 5 people.
A note on bias: NeoGantt is our product, so weigh this page accordingly. Facts about each product come from its own website and help centre, linked at the bottom of this page, and were checked on 29 September 2026. Prices and features change, so check before you buy. If something here is wrong, tell us and we’ll fix it.
Decide which part of Project you’re replacing
Microsoft Project does a lot, and most alternatives replace one part of it well. The groups below follow that split: the scheduling engine (critical path, baselines, .mpp files), a place for the whole team to work, or a plan that people outside the project team can read.
The names have also moved. Project for the web was folded into Planner in August 2025, Project Online was retired on 30 September 2026, and Project desktop is still sold. NeoGantt vs Microsoft Project and Planner explains the current plans and prices.
Microsoft Project alternatives compared
| Tool | 5 people, annual | Free plan | Critical path | Microsoft Project files |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GanttPRO | $480 (Core, per user) | No; 14-day trial | Every plan | XML export; MS Project import described |
| GanttProject | $0 (open source) | Free desktop app | Not confirmed on its own site | Reads MPX, MPP, MSPDI XML; exports MSPDI XML |
| Smartsheet | $540 (Pro; contributors free) | No; 30-day trial | In Gantt view; plan not confirmed | Not checked |
| Wrike | $600 (Team, per user) | Yes; Gantt from Team | Business and above | Not checked |
| Asana | $659.40 (Starter, per user) | 2 users, no Gantt | Advanced | Not checked |
| Lucen Timeline | Varies by tier | Yes, limited | Add-in, Plus and above | Import and refresh on Expert |
| NeoGantt (ours) | $99 (Small, flat per team) | 1 person, 5 charts | None | None (TeamGantt CSV import only) |
Closest to Microsoft Project: critical path, baselines and .mpp files
GanttPRO
Suits: Project managers who want most of Project’s scheduling in a browser, priced per person.
- Core $8, Advanced $12, Business $19 per user per month, billed annually for 1–15 users. 14-day trial, no card; no free plan.
- Dependencies, auto-scheduling, critical path and baselines on every plan. Workload, resource calendars, time tracking and budgets on Business.
- Exports XML for Microsoft Project (data only), plus PDF, PNG and Excel. Its site describes import from MS Project, Excel, CSV and Jira Cloud.
- Web, iOS and Android. Data hosted in the EU.
Caveat: XML export carries basic data, not the chart. At 15 users, Core is $1,440 a year and Business $3,420.
GanttProject
Suits: Individuals and small teams who want a free desktop scheduler that opens Project files.
- Free and open source (GPL v3). Runs offline on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Task hierarchy, dependencies, milestones, baselines, PERT chart, resource load chart and cost calculation.
- Reads MPX, MPP and MSPDI XML; exports MSPDI XML, PDF, HTML and PNG.
Caveat: It’s a desktop app, so collaboration means sharing files or paying for its optional GanttProject Cloud (prices we couldn’t confirm). Third parties report critical path, but we didn’t find it on GanttProject’s own pages.
Microsoft Project alternatives with a team platform
Smartsheet
Suits: Teams who plan in spreadsheets and want Gantt, dashboards and automation on top.
- Pro $9 per member per month yearly (1–10 members); Business $19 (3+ members). Contributors are free. 30-day trial, no card.
- Gantt view from Pro, with predecessors (dependencies) and critical path. Timeline view, baselines, publishing and workload tracking on Business.
Caveat: No free plan is listed. We couldn’t confirm which plan critical path starts on.
Wrike
Suits: Growing teams who want work management with a Gantt chart and room to scale.
- Free plan. Team $10 per user per month (2–15 users); Business $25 (5–200 users). Billed annually per user; seats sold in groups of 5 up to 30.
- Interactive Gantt from Team. Critical path on Business and above. Baselines available to full users.
- Viewers can be added to the workspace for free. 14-day trial, no card.
Caveat: Business and above are annual only. We couldn’t confirm which plan baselines or time tracking start on.
Asana
Suits: Teams already using Asana for tasks who want a timeline over the same work.
- Personal is free for 2 users, with list, board and calendar views. Starter $10.99 per user per month annually; Advanced $24.99.
- Timeline, Gantt, dependencies and milestones on Starter. Critical path, time tracking and portfolios on Advanced.
- Unlimited free guests on Starter and above.
Caveat: The free plan has no Gantt view. Baselines aren’t listed on the pricing page.
Alternatives for presenting plans to clients and executives
Lucen Timeline (formerly Office Timeline)
Suits: People who present plans in PowerPoint, often built from an existing Project file.
- PowerPoint add-in: Free (10 tasks and milestones per slide), Lite under $9, Plus under $17, Expert under $21 per user per month on a 1-year licence.
- Plus adds swimlanes, dependencies, critical path and Excel import. Expert adds planned vs actual, and MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira and Wrike import and refresh.
- Timeline Online in the browser: Free, or Premium under $13 a month billed annually.
Caveat: Output is native PowerPoint slides. It presents a schedule; it doesn’t run one.
NeoGantt
Our productSuits: Small teams who need a clear, branded timeline to share with clients and stakeholders, and don’t need Project’s scheduling engine.
- Free for 1 person and 5 charts. Small $99 a year for up to 5 people; Medium $199 a year for 6 to 15. The same features on every plan.
- Live view-only link: no guest invites or viewer sign-in, always current. Vector PDF fitted to one page, with your logo.
- Working-day durations with named holidays and shutdowns. Automatic version history, and named iterations that list what changed.
Caveat: No dependencies, critical path, baselines, resources, time tracking, integrations or API. It can’t open or produce .mpp files; export is PDF only. If you use Project for its scheduling engine, NeoGantt won’t replace it.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Project?
GanttProject is the one free tool here with Project-style scheduling: dependencies, baselines and resource load, on Windows, macOS and Linux, and it opens .mpp files. The other free tiers are smaller. Wrike’s free plan has no Gantt chart (that starts on Team), Lucen Timeline’s free add-in caps a slide at 10 tasks and milestones, and NeoGantt’s free plan gives one person five charts with share links and PDF export but no dependencies.
Or stay with Microsoft: Planner Plan 1 and Plan 3
If your organisation runs Microsoft 365, the premium Planner plans may be the smallest change. Planner Plan 1 ($10 per user per month, paid yearly) adds the Timeline (Gantt) view, finish-to-start dependencies and milestones. Planner and Project Plan 3 ($30) adds baselines, critical path, lead and lag, and Project desktop. Project Standard 2024 is still sold as a one-time purchase at $679.99 per PC.
The trade-off is sharing. Planner has no public link, so outside viewers join as Microsoft 365 guests. The Microsoft Project comparison sets Plan 1 and Plan 3 against NeoGantt line by line, and the guide on how to make a Gantt chart covers the basics in any tool.
Microsoft Project alternatives: questions
What’s the closest alternative to Microsoft Project?
Among web apps, GanttPRO: dependencies, auto-scheduling, critical path and baselines on every plan, XML export for Microsoft Project, and import from MS Project described on its site. On the desktop, GanttProject is free, reads MPP files and has dependencies, baselines and resource load charts.
Can I open .mpp files without Microsoft Project?
Yes. GanttProject, which is free, reads MPP, MPX and MSPDI XML files. GanttPRO’s site describes importing from MS Project, and Lucen Timeline’s Expert add-in imports and refreshes Microsoft Project data for slides. NeoGantt can’t open .mpp files.
What should Project Online users move to?
Inside Microsoft, the nearest option is Planner and Project Plan 3 ($30 per user per month, paid yearly), which includes baselines, critical path and Project desktop. If your team relied on critical path and resource assignments, stay with a scheduling tool. If it mainly used Project Online to publish a timeline, a lighter tool may be enough.
Sources
- Microsoft Planner plans and pricingwww.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/planner/microsoft-planner-plans-and-pricing
- GanttPRO pricingganttpro.com/pricing/
- GanttPRO help: Exporting a projecthelp.ganttpro.com/hc/en-us/articles/5584426869649-Exporting-a-project
- GanttProject READMEgithub.com/bardsoftware/ganttproject#readme
- GanttProject homepagewww.ganttproject.biz/
- Smartsheet pricingwww.smartsheet.com/pricing
- Wrike pricingwww.wrike.com/price/
- Wrike help: Critical Pathhelp.wrike.com/hc/en-us/articles/209604189-Critical-Path
- Asana pricingasana.com/pricing
- Lucen Timeline pricingwww.lucensoftware.com/pricing/timeline
- Lucen Timeline Onlinewww.lucensoftware.com/products/timeline-online
Checked 29 September 2026.
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