{"id":1114,"date":"2026-01-04T07:47:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T12:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodday.work\/blog\/?p=1114"},"modified":"2026-01-11T06:52:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T11:52:42","slug":"best-microsoft-project-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodday.work\/blog\/best-microsoft-project-alternatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Microsoft Project (Planner) alternatives in 2026: features & price compared"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If Microsoft Project (Planner) feels too rigid or expensive for your team, there are many tools worth considering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Project was project management tool built for detailed scheduling, resource allocation, dependencies and timeline management. As of 2026, Project was retired, and its capabilities are fully integrated into Microsoft Planner<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, we\u2019ll explore the best Microsoft Project alternatives (now Microsoft Planner) to help you make the right choice for your company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you have any questions that are not covered in this article, you can always connect with our team via info@goodday.work<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/i><\/span>Best Microsoft Project (Microsoft Planner) alternatives shortlist for 2026 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let’s compare the best alternatives to Microsoft Project: what they\u2019re best for, how much they cost and how easy migration might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
Software<\/th>\n Best for<\/th>\n Pricing<\/th>\n Ease of migration<\/th>\n <\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n
GoodDay<\/td>\n Balanced features, pricing and flexibility<\/td>\n Free for up to 15 users; Professional 4 USD per user per month; Business 7 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Easy, supports CSV import and automation tools<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Asana<\/td>\n Widely adopted collaboration tool<\/td>\n Free plan; Starter 10.99 USD per user per month or 13.49 USD per user per month; Advanced 24.99 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Moderate, tasks and dependencies mostly manual<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Wrike<\/td>\n Enterprise level features and strong reporting<\/td>\n Free plan; Team 10 USD per user per month; Business 25 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Moderate to hard, many fields and complex schedules<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Smartsheet<\/td>\n Spreadsheet style work management<\/td>\n Pro 9 USD per user per month; Business 19 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Moderate, grid layout helps but dependencies must be rebuilt<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Monday.com<\/td>\n Visual workflows and non traditional projects<\/td>\n Free plan; Basic 9 USD per user per month; Standard 12 USD per user per month; Pro 19 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Moderate, workflows often need redesign<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Jira<\/td>\n Agile or software teams<\/td>\n Free for small teams; Standard 8.60 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Hard, very different way of planning compared with waterfall style<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
ProjectLibre<\/td>\n Free desktop alternative similar to Microsoft Project<\/td>\n Free open source version; Cloud version from 9.99 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Easy, very similar scheduling model to Microsoft Project<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
GanttPRO<\/td>\n Timeline and Gantt chart focused planning<\/td>\n Starting 9.99 USD per user per month; Business tiers 17 to 24.99 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Moderate, strong Gantt features but not a full suite<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Trello<\/td>\n Lightweight task boards and simple projects<\/td>\n Free plan; Standard 5 USD per user per month; Premium 10 USD per user per month; Enterprise 17.50 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Easy, simple structure that is quick to migrate<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
OpenProject<\/td>\n Open source or self hosted project management suite<\/td>\n Free community edition; Paid cloud from 7.25 USD per user per month<\/td>\n Moderate to hard, setup and imports take time<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n

<\/i><\/span>What is Microsoft Project (now Microsoft Planner) and why consider an alternative for your business? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Best<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Project (Microsoft Planner)<\/a> works well when you have experienced project managers, structured workflows and need deep scheduling control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many teams find it expensive, complex, and less flexible than alternatives. It often imposes a heavy training load, requires dedicated administrative overhead and may feel disconnected from how the broader team wants to work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re seeking faster adoption, lower cost, more collaboration and less rigid workflows, it’s worth considering a shift. Moving to a tool that the whole team feels comfortable with can increase morale and reduce friction. The right alternative can reduce cost, boost efficiency and improve visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/i><\/span>In-depth exploration of the best alternatives to Microsoft Project (Microsoft Planner) <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s explore each tool so you can evaluate which software might fit your team best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/i><\/span>1) GoodDay <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Best<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

GoodDay<\/a> is an all-in-one work management platform that is trusted by Fortune 500 companies, startups and businesses of all sizes all over the world. By switching to GoodDay, you can save up to 50 % of your current costs and still enjoy all your favorite features. And data migration to GoodDay takes 2 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/i><\/span>Why it\u2019s a good Microsoft Project alternative: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

GoodDay is recognized as a top-rated tool in 2026 shortlists. The platform is widely praised because it strikes the rare balance between powerful features and affordability. Its modest price is a standout, you really get a lot for what you pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/i><\/span>Main features: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The platform offers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n