Guide
Microsoft Planner vs Microsoft Project in 2026: which one do you need?
Planner and Project now overlap more than ever, and Project Online is gone. Here is what each one is in 2026, what each license adds, and how to choose.
Updated 2026-11-06. Plans, prices and features checked against Microsoft's pages (see Sources).
Short answer: use Planner when the people doing the work should update their own tasks in Teams, and add Planner Plan 1 when you need a Gantt view, dependencies and milestones. Use Project desktop, which comes with Planner and Project Plan 3, when one scheduler owns a large, detailed schedule with baselines. Plan 3 also brings baselines and critical path into Planner itself.
What each one is now
Microsoft folded Project for the web into the new Planner, and retired Project Online on September 30, 2026. What remains is one Planner app with basic and premium plans, and the Project desktop app for schedules kept in .mpp files. If you're coming from Project Online, start with what changed when Project Online retired.
| Option | License | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Planner | Included with Microsoft 365 business and enterprise plans | Shared task lists in Teams and on the web: Grid, Board, Schedule and Charts views, checklists, files and task conversations. |
| Planner Plan 1 | US$10 per user per month, billed yearly | Adds the premium plan features: Timeline (Gantt), People and Goals views, task dependencies, milestones, custom task fields, backlogs and sprints, sub-tasks and premium templates. |
| Planner and Project Plan 3 | US$30 per user per month, billed yearly | Adds baselines with critical path, advanced dependencies with lead and lag, portfolios, task history and the Assignments view, plus the Project desktop app. |
| Project desktop (.mpp) | The desktop app included with Planner and Project Plan 3 | The full scheduling engine: a schedule kept in an .mpp file by the project manager, with baselines, resources and dependencies. Not affected by the Project Online retirement. |
Prices are Microsoft's US list prices on November 6, 2026. Microsoft also names a Planner and Project Plan 5 in its Project Online notices; check Microsoft's plans page or your Microsoft partner for current plans and regional pricing.
Planner vs Project, side by side
| Planner (basic and premium) | Project desktop | |
|---|---|---|
| Who edits the plan | Everyone on the plan, in Teams or the Planner web app. | Usually one scheduler, in the .mpp file. Other people don't open it. |
| Gantt chart and dependencies | Timeline (Gantt) view and dependencies with Planner Plan 1; lead and lag with Plan 3. | Yes, the core of the app. |
| Baselines and critical path | With Planner and Project Plan 3. | Yes. You save a baseline and compare current dates to it. |
| People and workload | People view with Plan 1; Assignments view with Plan 3. | Resource sheet and assignments in the schedule. |
| Portfolios | Portfolio viewing with Plan 1; portfolios with Plan 3. | One schedule per file (master projects can combine files); portfolio management needs other tools. |
| Plan size | Microsoft lists 9,000 tasks per basic plan and 3,000 per premium plan. | Built for large, detailed schedules. |
| How status gets in | Assignees update their own tasks, if they open Planner. | The project manager collects updates (meetings, email) and edits the schedule. |
Which one fits your team
- A team working through a shared task list: basic Planner, included with Microsoft 365. Everyone sees and updates their own tasks in Teams.
- A project with dates that depend on each other: Planner Plan 1, for the Timeline (Gantt) view, dependencies, milestones and sprints.
- A project you report against a committed plan: Planner and Project Plan 3, for baselines and critical path, portfolios and the Assignments view.
- A large, detailed schedule kept by one scheduler: Project desktop, also included in Plan 3. Task owners never open the .mpp file.
- A mix: common in PMOs. Complex programs stay in Project desktop, smaller projects run in Planner, and the PMO needs status from both.
The part neither one does: asking people for status
Planner assumes the people assigned to tasks open it and update them. Project desktop assumes the project manager gathers updates and edits the schedule. In practice that means chasing the same people every week, and the answers arrive in chat, email and meetings rather than against the baseline.
PingCadence handles that step for either tool. Connect a basic Microsoft Planner plan with your work account (export a premium plan to Excel and import the file), or import a Project desktop schedule (File, Save As, XML Format). PingCadence drafts one short check-in per task owner showing their planned dates, sends it from your own Outlook after you approve it, and collects "on track" or a proposed new date in about 30 seconds per task, with no sign-in. You decide on every new date; for a connected Planner plan you can apply it back with one click. How the Planner connection works · How the Project import works.
Questions
Is Microsoft Project being discontinued?
No. Microsoft retired Project Online on September 30, 2026, but its notices say Project desktop, Project Server and Planner are not affected. The web-based project features Microsoft used to sell as Project for the web are now part of the new Planner's premium plans.
What is the difference between Planner and Planner premium?
Basic Planner comes with Microsoft 365 and covers shared task lists (Grid, Board, Schedule and Charts views). Premium plans need a Planner Plan 1 or Planner and Project Plan 3 license and add the Timeline (Gantt), People and Goals views, dependencies, milestones, sprints and, with Plan 3, baselines, critical path and portfolios.
How much does Microsoft Planner cost?
Basic Planner is included with Microsoft 365. On Microsoft's plans page (checked November 6, 2026), Planner Plan 1 is US$10 per user per month and Planner and Project Plan 3 is US$30 per user per month, both billed yearly. Check Microsoft's page for your region and current pricing.
Do I still need Project desktop if I have Planner?
Only if your schedules need what the desktop app does best, such as large, detailed schedules kept by one scheduler in an .mpp file. Planner and Project Plan 3 includes both premium Planner and the Project desktop app, so many teams keep the complex schedules in Project and run lighter plans in Planner.
Which one is better for weekly status reporting?
Neither collects status for you. Planner relies on assignees opening it to update their tasks; Project desktop relies on the project manager to gather updates and edit the schedule. PingCadence works with both: it connects to basic Planner plans (premium plans come in as an Excel export) or imports a Project desktop schedule (Save As XML), emails each task owner a short check-in from your own Outlook after you approve it, and brings back "on track" or a new date against the baseline.
Try it on the plan you have
PingCadence is free for one active plan and up to 10 people. See pricing, or start free. Reporting slip to a steering group? The free status report template and schedule slip calculator work with either tool.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Compare Microsoft Planner basic vs premium plans (updated September 2026)
- Microsoft: Planner and Project plans and pricing (US dollar prices, checked November 6, 2026)
- MC1478955: Final reminder: Microsoft Project Online retires on September 30, 2026
- Microsoft Planner Blog: Microsoft Project Online is retiring
Microsoft, Microsoft 365, Planner, Project and Teams are trademarks of Microsoft. PingCadence is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.