Guide

Microsoft Project alternatives in 2026: what each one replaces, and what it doesn't

Seven options for teams moving off Microsoft Project, compared on what a Project user loses first: .mpp import, baselines and critical path. Prices and features come from each vendor's own pages.

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Updated 2026-11-13. Prices and features checked on each vendor's pricing page and help center (see Sources). Prices change; check the vendor before you buy.

Short answer: if your real problem was losing Project Online, Microsoft's own Planner and Project Plan 3 keeps the desktop app and adds baselines and critical path in Planner. If you want everyone editing one plan in the browser, Smartsheet and Wrike are the closest to a Project schedule, with critical path and baselines on their business plans. If one person keeps the schedule and the budget is zero, ProjectLibre and GanttProject are free and read .mpp files.

First, decide what you're replacing

"Replacing Microsoft Project" means two different things. Some teams are replacing Project Online, the web service Microsoft retired on September 30, 2026: shared schedules, timesheets and status updates in a browser. Others are replacing Project desktop, the .mpp scheduler, usually because of the license cost or because the people doing the work never open the file. Project desktop wasn't retired. If you came here from Project Online, start with what changed when Project Online retired and Microsoft Planner vs Project.

Then check the four things a Project user tends to lose in a switch:

Your existing schedules: does it open or import .mpp or Project XML, and what comes across?
Baselines: can you save the committed plan and show variance against it?
Critical path: does it show which tasks drive the finish date?
Who updates the plan: one scheduler, or every task owner, and what each of those seats costs.

Seven options compared

Microsoft Project alternatives: price, Microsoft Project files, baselines and critical path, and best fit
Option	Price (checked 2026-11-13)	Microsoft Project files	Baselines and critical path	Best for
Microsoft Planner and Project Plan 3	US$30 per user per month, billed yearly (Planner Plan 1: US$10)	Includes the Project desktop app, so .mpp schedules open as they are	Yes, baselines and critical path (Plan 3)	Staying with Microsoft, or replacing Project Online's web access
Smartsheet	Pro US$9 per member per month billed yearly (US$12 monthly), up to 10 members; Business US$19 (US$24 monthly), 3 members or more	Imports .mpp, .mpx and .xml on Pro and up (files up to 50 MB)	Critical path on Pro and up; baselines on Business and up	Teams that think in spreadsheets and want everyone in one sheet
Wrike	Team US$10, Business US$25 per user per month, billed yearly	Imports Microsoft Project 2013 and 2016 files and XML on Business and up (5 MB limit)	Baselines and critical path on Business and up	Cross-team work management with a Gantt chart on top
TeamGantt	Base US$59 per month (1 manager, 5 projects); Business from US$120 per month. Priced per plan; 20% less billed yearly	Imports .mpp: task names, dates, dependencies and % complete. Resources don't come across	Critical path scheduling listed on Base; baselines not listed on the pricing page	Simple, shareable Gantt charts for small teams
OpenProject	Community edition free (self-hosted); Enterprise from €5.95 per user per month, 25-user minimum	Microsoft Project import not listed on the pricing page	Full baseline comparison in Enterprise; Community compares with yesterday only	Organizations that want open source or to host it themselves
ProjectLibre	Desktop app free; cloud from US$9.99 per user per month, billed yearly	Opens .mpp files directly	Baselines and critical path listed on ProjectLibre's site	One scheduler who wants a free desktop scheduler that reads .mpp
GanttProject	Free and open source (GPL-3.0); optional paid download from US$5	Imports MPP, MPX and XML; exports XML	Baselines and resource load charts; critical path not listed	A free desktop Gantt chart on Windows, macOS or Linux

"Not listed" means the vendor's pricing page or help center didn't state it when we checked, not that the feature is missing. Ask the vendor or try it on a copy of a real schedule before you commit.

What to know about each one

Microsoft Planner and Project Plan 3

The least disruptive move for a Microsoft 365 organization. Plan 3 includes the Project desktop app, so existing .mpp files keep working, and it adds baselines, critical path and portfolios to Planner. Planner Plan 1 (US$10) adds the Timeline (Gantt) view and dependencies but not baselines. The catch: anyone who needs premium features needs a premium license. If one scheduler only needs the desktop app, Microsoft also sells Project Standard 2024 (US$679.99) and Project Professional 2024 (US$1,129.99) as one-time purchases; see Planner and Project Plan 3 explained for which license each person needs.

Smartsheet

A grid that behaves like a spreadsheet, with Gantt, dependencies and critical path on Pro and up. Its pricing page lists baselines on Business and up. Pro is capped at 10 members but allows unlimited contributors. It imports .mpp, .mpx and .xml; if constraints in an .mpp file put rows out of order, Smartsheet's own advice is to save the file as XML and import that. Export back to Microsoft Project is Gantt only.

Wrike

A work management platform with Gantt charts from the Team plan. Critical path, baseline tracking and Microsoft Project import are on Business and up, which is billed yearly. The import keeps tasks, durations, dependencies, assignees and lead and lag times, but not custom fields, and files must be under 5 MB (saving as XML can help).

TeamGantt

Built around a clean, shareable Gantt chart, and priced per plan rather than per user: Base covers 1 manager and 5 projects. The .mpp import brings task names, dates, dependencies and % complete, but not resources or assignments, so plan to reassign tasks after import.

OpenProject

Open source, with a free Community edition you host yourself and Enterprise plans in the cloud or on your own servers. Enterprise starts at €5.95 per user per month with a 25-user minimum, and adds full baseline comparison against any date. Its pricing page doesn't mention Microsoft Project import, so test the move with a copy of a real schedule.

ProjectLibre

A free desktop scheduler that opens .mpp files directly, positioned as a desktop replacement for Project. A paid cloud version starts at US$9.99 per user per month. Like Project desktop, it's a tool for the person who keeps the schedule, not for the people doing the work.

GanttProject

Free and open source under GPL-3.0, with native builds for Windows, macOS and Linux. It imports MPP, MPX and XML files from Microsoft Project and exports XML, and it has baselines and resource load charts. Its page notes that compatibility depends on which Project features a schedule uses.

Before you move a schedule

Save a baseline in Project first, then export the baseline and current dates to Excel. The import help we checked doesn't say baselines come across.
Keep an XML copy. File, Save As, XML Format. Several tools import XML more reliably than .mpp, and it's your archive of the old schedule.
Test with your largest schedule, not a sample. Check row order, dependencies and dates against Project before you switch anyone over.
Export the resource list with email addresses. Some imports drop resources, and you'll need them to reassign work. Our free Microsoft Project owner list reads the XML file and lists each owner with their email and open tasks.
Count the seats. Desktop tools need one license for the scheduler. Web tools where owners update their own tasks charge per member, per user or per plan.

The part none of them does for you: asking people for status

Whichever tool you pick, someone still has to find out each week whether the dates hold. Web tools expect every owner to open the tool and update their tasks; desktop tools expect the scheduler to chase people and type the answers in.

PingCadence handles that step and keeps your schedule where it is. Import a Project schedule saved as XML, connect a basic Planner plan or Wrike, or upload an Excel or CSV export from any of the tools above (a direct Smartsheet connection is planned). PingCadence drafts one short check-in per task owner showing their planned dates, sends it from your own Outlook or Gmail after you approve it, and brings back "on track" or a proposed new date in about 30 seconds, with no sign-in. Slip is measured against the baseline, and nothing changes in your plan until you decide. See the integrations.

Questions

Is Microsoft Project being discontinued?

No. Microsoft retired Project Online on September 30, 2026, and says the change doesn't affect Project desktop, Project Server or Planner. An .mpp schedule keeps working, and Planner and Project Plan 3 includes the Project desktop app.

What is the best free alternative to Microsoft Project?

For a desktop scheduler, ProjectLibre and GanttProject are both free, and both read Microsoft Project files: ProjectLibre opens .mpp files directly, and GanttProject imports MPP, MPX and XML. If you want a shared web tool you host yourself, OpenProject's Community edition is free. All three suit a project where one person keeps the schedule.

Can I open an .mpp file without Microsoft Project?

Yes. ProjectLibre opens .mpp files, GanttProject imports them, and Smartsheet and TeamGantt import them into a new sheet or project. Wrike imports Microsoft Project 2013 and 2016 files and XML on its Business plan and up. If an .mpp import fails or comes in out of order, save the schedule from Project as XML and import that instead; Smartsheet's help center recommends exactly that.

Does my baseline come across when I switch?

Don't count on it. None of the import help pages we checked (Smartsheet, Wrike, TeamGantt) say the saved baseline is imported. Before you move, export the baseline start and finish dates to Excel alongside the current dates, so you can still report slip against the plan you committed to.

Which alternative works on a Mac?

The web tools (Smartsheet, Wrike, TeamGantt and OpenProject) run in any browser, and GanttProject has a native macOS build. For a Microsoft-only setup, premium Planner plans also run in the browser.

Do any of these collect status updates from task owners?

In the web tools, task owners can update their own tasks if they have a seat and open the tool. In desktop tools such as Project, ProjectLibre and GanttProject, one scheduler edits the file and gathers updates by email or in meetings. PingCadence doesn't replace any of them: it emails each task owner a short check-in about their own tasks from your Outlook or Gmail, 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 after the move? The free schedule slip calculator takes baseline and current finish dates from any of these tools.

Sources

All checked 2026-11-13.

Microsoft, Microsoft Project and Planner are trademarks of Microsoft. Smartsheet, Wrike, TeamGantt, OpenProject, ProjectLibre and GanttProject are trademarks of their owners. PingCadence is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.