Microsoft Project for Mac: what runs and the best alternatives

How do the Mac options compare?

Compare where each tool runs and how it handles Project files. Listed subscription prices use annual billing unless shown otherwise; the GanttPRO rate is for a 20-member team.

How should a Mac user choose between the routes?

If an existing .mpp plan depends on advanced Project features, running Project itself avoids converting it into another tool's format. Test the required Windows and Project versions on your Mac before buying. ProjectLibre, GanttPRO, TeamGantt and OmniPlan Pro can import .mpp files with different limits. Merlin Project uses Project XML or MPX instead; Planner and Ganttile do not import .mpp.

Then decide where the plan should live and who else touches it:

• Colleagues on Project: if you hand plans back to people on Windows, you want a tool that writes Microsoft Project XML, which OmniPlan Pro, Merlin Project, GanttProject and Ganttile support. Check the receiving tool and a representative file before relying on that handoff.
• Depth: baselines, resource leveling and earned value separate the full schedulers (Project in Parallels, OmniPlan, Merlin Project, ProjectLibre, GanttPRO) from the timeline tools (Planner Plan 1, TeamGantt, Ganttile).
• Price model: a one-time Mac licence, a per-user subscription, a flat fee per account, or free.
• Sharing: whether people without a licence can see the current plan in a browser, or only an export.
• Mac feel: a native app with files on disk and offline use, or a browser tab that behaves the same on every machine.

Which tools give you Microsoft Project on a Mac, or replace it?

Compare the entries by route: Microsoft tools, desktop schedulers and browser alternatives. Each entry separates the work it suits from its file and sharing limits.

Microsoft routes: Use Planner in the browser or run Project itself in Windows.

1. Microsoft Planner - Microsoft's project tool that runs in a Mac browser

Planner suits a team already working in Microsoft 365 that needs a shared schedule in a Mac browser or Teams. Plan 1 adds the Gantt-style Timeline view; Plan 3 adds baselines and critical path. It replaces the browser scheduling role of Project for the web.

Planner does not directly open .mpp files or offer all of Project desktop's scheduling features. The desktop app included with Plan 3 still requires Windows. Choose Planner for a new shared schedule, and test another route if an existing Project archive is central to the work.

• Best for: Microsoft 365 teams that want a Gantt view with dependencies in a browser on every Mac and PC they own.
• Pricing: Planner is included in Microsoft 365 without a Gantt view. Planner Plan 1 is $10.00 per user per month paid yearly and adds the Timeline view, dependencies and milestones. Planner and Project Plan 3 is $30.00 per user per month paid yearly and adds baselines, critical path, lead and lag, portfolios and the Windows-only Project desktop app. Both have a one-month free trial.
• Project files: does not open .mpp files directly.
• Rating: 4.3/5 on Capterra (298 reviews), 4.2/5 on G2 (237 reviews)

Pros

• Runs in any browser and in Teams, so Mac and Windows users share one plan.
• Plan 1 is cheap for a Gantt view with dependencies inside Microsoft 365.
• Plan 3 brings baselines, critical path and lead and lag into the browser.

Cons

• No direct .mpp import; old Project plans are rebuilt.
• The desktop app in Plan 3 is Windows only, so a Mac user pays for a part they cannot use.
• Annual commitment, with no monthly price on Microsoft's public page.

What users say about Microsoft Planner

2. Project desktop in Parallels Desktop - the real Project app, inside Windows on your Mac

Parallels Desktop is a way to run the Project desktop app on a Mac. It runs Windows as a virtual machine, where you install a compatible version of Project. This avoids converting the plan into another scheduler, but you still need to check your Mac, Windows edition and Project version together.

The cost is the sum of three licences and the overhead of running a second operating system. Parallels is a yearly subscription or, for the Standard edition, a one-time purchase; Windows 11 is a separate licence; and Project itself is either a one-time purchase or the $30 Plan 3 subscription. You also give up the Mac-native experience: Project runs in a Windows window, uses Windows file dialogs, and shares files with macOS through Parallels rather than natively. It works well, and it is a lot of machinery for a Gantt chart.

• Best for: Mac users who must open and edit .mpp files exactly as a Windows colleague would, or who already know Project and want it unchanged.
• Pricing: Parallels Desktop Standard Edition $99.99 a year or $219.99 as a one-time purchase; Pro Edition $119.99 a year and Business Edition $149.99 a year, both subscription only; 30-day money-back guarantee. Add a Windows 11 licence and Project itself, either Project Standard 2024 at $679.99 one-time or Planner and Project Plan 3 at $30.00 per user per month paid yearly.
• Project files: yes, everything Project opens on Windows.
• Rating: 4.3/5 on G2 (59 reviews, listed as Parallels Desktop for Mac); Capterra's Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac listing has no reviews

Pros

• Runs the Project desktop app inside Windows on a Mac.
• Uses Project to open .mpp files without third-party conversion.
• The Standard edition can be bought outright.

Cons

• Three licences and a second operating system for one app.
• Not a Mac app: Windows interface and file handling.
• Live collaboration needs a separate setup; exports can be shared without Project.

What users say about Parallels Desktop

Desktop schedulers: Compare local files, offline use and Project-file support.

3. ProjectLibre - free desktop Project replacement that runs on macOS

ProjectLibre is a free, open-source desktop scheduler for macOS, Windows and Linux. It is a useful option to test when you need to open an .mpp file without buying a licence and work on individual plans locally.

It is a desktop program in the old sense. The plan lives in a file on your disk, sharing means sending the file or an export, and the interface shows its Project heritage rather than hiding it. ProjectLibre describes the desktop app as being for one person managing individual project files locally, which is accurate. A separate ProjectLibre Cloud product exists for teams, with a 7-day trial and no published price.

• Best for: Mac users who need to open Project files with the full scheduling toolkit and pay nothing.
• Pricing: Desktop app free and open source, no subscription. ProjectLibre Cloud is a separate hosted product with a 7-day free trial and no published price.
• Project files: opens Microsoft Project files on the desktop.
• Rating: 4.4/5 on Capterra (43 reviews), 4.2/5 on G2 (36 reviews)

Pros

• Free, with the classic Project toolkit: critical path, baselines, constraints, earned value.
• Native macOS download.
• Opens .mpp files without a licence.

Cons

• Single user and file based; no live shared plan.
• Takes learning, much like Project itself.
• The cloud version has no published price.

What users say about ProjectLibre

4. OmniPlan - native Mac scheduler with baselines and Monte Carlo

OmniPlan suits a Mac-based planner who wants a native scheduler with local files and offline work. Its baseline and resource tools support more detailed planning than a simple shared timeline; Pro adds Monte Carlo estimates and earned value analysis.

The Project connection is a Pro feature: OmniPlan's features page lists import and export of Microsoft Project .mpp and .xml documents under Pro. The Standard licence is the cheaper way to own a serious scheduler, and the Pro licence or the subscription is what you need if Project files are the point. Either way it is a single-user desktop app; collaboration is through Omni's sync and publishing rather than a shared web page, and people without OmniPlan see an export.

• Best for: Mac project managers who want Project-grade scheduling in a native app and are happy owning the software.
• Pricing: OmniPlan 4 Standard $199.99 one-time and Pro $399.99 one-time, both universal purchases covering Mac, iPad, iPhone and Apple Vision Pro with all 4.x updates; or $199.99 a year for a subscription to the Pro version. 14-day free trial, 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Project files: Pro imports and exports Microsoft Project .mpp and .xml.
• Rating: 4.3/5 on Capterra (19 reviews), 4.5/5 on G2 (15 reviews)

Pros

• Native Mac, iPad and iPhone apps with files that work offline.
• Baselines, critical path and scheduling violation checks, plus Monte Carlo and earned value on Pro.
• A one-time licence instead of a subscription, if you prefer.

Cons

• Microsoft Project import and export need the Pro licence.
• Single-user desktop app; no browser view for stakeholders.
• A lot of tool for a simple timeline.

What users say about OmniPlan

5. Merlin Project - Mac project management with Gantt, Kanban and mind maps

Merlin Project suits Mac users who want Gantt scheduling, Kanban and mind maps in the same project file. It works offline and uses MagicSync when a connection returns. That makes it an option when local files matter more than a shared browser page.

It is a subscription, sold per Mac user, with a cheaper Express edition for personal projects and a separate app for iPad, iPhone and Vision Pro. Merlin's FAQ says it imports and exports Microsoft Project via Project XML and also reads MPX, so plans move to and from Windows colleagues, though as with every XML round trip a complex Project plan needs a check afterwards. Like OmniPlan it is a desktop app rather than a shared web page.

• Best for: Mac users who want Gantt, Kanban and mind mapping in one native app and often work offline.
• Pricing: Merlin Project for Mac $22.99 a month or $229.99 a year; Merlin Project Express, the lighter version, $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year; the iPad, iPhone and Vision Pro app $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. 30-day free trial with every feature.
• Project files: imports and exports Microsoft Project XML, and reads MPX.
• Rating: 4.7/5 on Capterra (23 reviews), 2.8/5 on G2 (2 reviews)

Pros

• Native Mac app with Gantt, Kanban, mind map and workload in one file.
• Offline first, with sync when you are back online.
• Microsoft Project XML in and out.

Cons

• The full Mac version requires a subscription; mobile apps are priced separately.
• Desktop file model; sharing is by sync or export.
• Express drops the features a team tends to need.

What users say about Merlin Project

Browser alternatives: Compare scheduling depth, import limits and how people share the plan.

6. Ganttile - free online Gantt chart, nothing to install

Ganttile is a free browser option for building a new schedule on a Mac. It suits linked tasks, milestones and a critical path when you do not need resource leveling or earned value. There is no software to install or per-user licence to buy.

It cannot open Microsoft Project files. There is no .mpp import and no Project XML import, so an existing plan is rebuilt rather than opened, and there are no baselines and no resource leveling either. What it does do for the Project handoff is export: Microsoft Project XML, which Project and most tools on this list open, plus PDF, PNG and Excel. So the realistic workflow is to build or maintain the plan in Ganttile on your Mac and hand the XML to whoever still runs Project. When the plan needs task boards, comments and reporting around it, the same chart is built into Breeze.

• Best for: Mac users who need a dependency-driven timeline for free and do not need to open .mpp files.
• Pricing: Free, every feature included, unlimited projects and tasks.
• Project files: no .mpp or Project XML import; exports Microsoft Project XML, plus PDF, PNG and Excel.

Pros

• Free with no task limit, no per-user licence and nothing to install.
• Dependencies, automatic scheduling and critical path keep dates consistent.
• Exports Microsoft Project XML for colleagues still on Project.

Cons

• Cannot open .mpp or Project XML files.
• No baselines or resource leveling.
• No view-only share link; people outside the chart see an export.

Why teams pick Ganttile

7. GanttPRO - browser scheduler that opens .mpp files

GanttPRO suits teams that need baselines, critical path and .mpp import in a browser. Its import carries dependencies and the standard calendar across, while other fields need checking. Compare Microsoft Project and GanttPRO if you need those scheduling features on both Macs and PCs.

It is priced per user and billed annually, with the list prices quoted for a 20-member team and smaller teams paying a little more per seat. There is no free plan, only a trial. The import leaves descriptions, comments and attachments behind and turns assigned people into virtual resources you map afterwards, so test and budget for that cleanup before migrating.

• Best for: teams moving off Project who want baselines, critical path and .mpp import in a browser.
• Pricing: No free plan, 14-day free trial. Core $7, Advanced $10 and Business $17 per user per month billed annually at the default 20-member team size; Enterprise listed at $30 with a $20 offer, per user per month billed annually. Baselines, critical path, dependencies and auto scheduling are on every plan.
• Project files: imports .mpp on every plan; exports PDF, PNG and Excel.
• Rating: 4.8/5 on Capterra (560 reviews), 4.8/5 on G2 (590 reviews)

Pros

• Project-style scheduling, baselines included, in any browser.
• Imports .mpp with dependencies intact.
• Drag-and-drop editing for tasks and dependencies.

Cons

• Per-user pricing adds up, and there is no free plan.
• The import drops comments, attachments and calendar exceptions.
• Assigned people arrive as virtual resources to remap.

What users say about GanttPRO

8. TeamGantt - easy browser Gantt chart with a live share link

TeamGantt suits teams that need a browser schedule and a live link for stakeholders. Its .mpp import carries task names, dates, dependencies and progress, but not resources or assignments. The TeamGantt alternatives comparison covers the project and pricing limits.

Pricing is a flat fee per account by number of projects, not per user, which suits one or two big programs shown to many stakeholders and suits a lone scheduler with many small projects much less. The Base plan is capped at 5 projects and 150 tasks per project with one manager; Business removes the user caps, raises the task cap and charges per extra project.

• Best for: teams that want a friendly shared Gantt chart stakeholders can open as a live link.
• Pricing: Flat fees per account. Base $59 a month ($590 a year) for 5 projects, 1 manager, 10 collaborators and 150 tasks per project; Business from $120 a month ($1,140 a year) for 5 projects with unlimited managers and collaborators and 500 tasks per project, plus a charge per extra project; Builder Edition from $199 a month for construction teams. 14-day free trial on every plan, card required.
• Project files: imports .mpp with task names, dependencies, dates and percent complete; not resources or assignments.
• Rating: 4.6/5 on Capterra (204 reviews), 4.8/5 on G2 (895 reviews)

Pros

• The easiest tool here for occasional users.
• A live share link for people without an account.
• Flat pricing per project rather than per user.

Cons

• Project and task caps on the cheaper plans.
• No native Mac app, and exports are PDF or image.
• The import drops resources and assignments.

What users say about TeamGantt

Test the file handoff before choosing

Try two suitable tools with a representative plan. Check dates, constraints, calendars, assignments and exports with the colleague who will receive the file. A successful import is only the first step; the schedule needs to mean the same thing afterwards.

For more migration detail, compare Microsoft Project alternatives. The free Gantt tools and OpenProject alternatives cover no-cost and open-source routes.