What is Microsoft Project used for?

Microsoft Project is Microsoft's project scheduling and portfolio management software with Gantt charts and resource planning, offered in cloud and server editions. It is a good fit for planning complex project schedules and managing a portfolio of projects.

How much does Microsoft Project cost?

Microsoft Project is a paid product with no free plan.

Is Microsoft Project open source?

No. Microsoft Project is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Microsoft Project include OpenProject, Leantime and Kaneo.

Can I self-host Microsoft Project?

Yes. Although Microsoft Project is closed source, it can be self-hosted on your own servers, and the vendor also offers a hosted version.

What are some alternatives to Microsoft Project?

Microsoft Project competes with Smartsheet, Asana and monday.com. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Microsoft Project alternatives.

Microsoft Project: features, pricing and alternatives

About Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is project scheduling and portfolio management software. It lets project managers plan tasks on Gantt charts and plan the resources that carry out the work, across single projects and larger portfolios.

The documentation for admins and IT professionals describes several editions: Project for the web and Project Online, both delivered through Office 365, and Project Server, which an organization deploys and manages itself. There is a PowerShell reference for managing Project Server, troubleshooting resources for administrators, guidance for developers who build solutions for Project, and help for end users.

Project is proprietary Microsoft software. Licensing and plans depend on the edition and are described on Microsoft's own pages.

Key features

Project scheduling with Gantt charts
Resource planning
Portfolio management
Cloud editions through Office 365
Project Server for on-premises deployment

Good fit for

→Planning complex project schedules
→Managing a portfolio of projects

Tags: project-management; gantt; scheduling; resource-planning; portfolio-management; microsoft; enterprise

Microsoft Project: questions and answers

What is Microsoft Project used for?: Microsoft Project is Microsoft's project scheduling and portfolio management software with Gantt charts and resource planning, offered in cloud and server editions. It is a good fit for planning complex project schedules and managing a portfolio of projects.
How much does Microsoft Project cost?: Microsoft Project is a paid product with no free plan.
Is Microsoft Project open source?: No. Microsoft Project is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Microsoft Project include OpenProject, Leantime and Kaneo.
Can I self-host Microsoft Project?: Yes. Although Microsoft Project is closed source, it can be self-hosted on your own servers, and the vendor also offers a hosted version.
What are some alternatives to Microsoft Project?: Microsoft Project competes with Smartsheet, Asana and monday.com. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Microsoft Project alternatives.