Microsoft Project pricing: what each plan costs
Planner Plan 1 costs $10 per user per month and Planner and Project Plan 3 costs $30, both on an annual subscription. Project Standard 2024 is a one-time $679.99 Windows licence. Choose the browser or desktop route first, then compare the features and full cost.
Project Online retired on 30 September 2026. The remaining options are Planner for browser scheduling, Project desktop for Windows and Project Server for an on-premises installation. These are different products, so their prices are not a like-for-like comparison.
Disclosure: We make Ganttile, which is included below as a free scheduling alternative.
How much does each Microsoft Project plan cost?
The listed US prices come from the Planner pricing page and Project pricing page. The subscription figures are per user per month on an annual subscription that renews automatically; Microsoft does not print a month-to-month price on either page.
| Plan | Price | Billing | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planner in Microsoft 365 | Included | Needs an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription | Grid, Board, Schedule and Chart views, checklists, labels; can view but not create dependencies; no Timeline (Gantt) view |
| Planner Plan 1 | $10.00 per user per month | Paid yearly, annual subscription | Timeline (Gantt), Calendar and People views, finish-to-start dependencies, milestones, sub-tasks, sprints, goals, up to ten custom fields |
| Planner and Project Plan 3 | $30.00 per user per month | Paid yearly, annual subscription | Everything in Plan 1 plus baselines, critical path, lead and lag on dependencies, portfolio creation, task history, Assignments view and the Project desktop app on up to five PCs |
| Planner and Project Plan 5 | Not listed | Through Microsoft sales | Named in Microsoft's retirement notice as a premium Planner licence; no price or feature list on the public pricing page |
| Project Standard 2024 | $679.99 one-time | One user, one PC | Gantt Chart, Network Diagram, Calendar and Task Sheet views, baselines, milestones, critical path, resource leveling; no server connection |
| Project Professional 2024 | $1,129.99 one-time | One user, one PC | Everything in Standard plus full resource management, timesheets and a connection to Project Server Subscription Edition |
| Project Server Subscription Edition | Not listed | Through a partner | On-premises portfolio management, demand and resource management, cost tracking, issue and risk management, reporting |
Plan 1 and Plan 3 have no seat minimum. Their one-month trial requires a credit card and converts automatically to a paid subscription. Microsoft lists a seven-day window after a paid subscription starts for cancellation with a prorated refund.
Project Standard 2024 costs about the same as 23 months of Plan 3 at $30 a month. That is purchase-cost arithmetic, not a like-for-like saving: the perpetual licence does not include Planner web features or future major desktop versions. Compare the features and expected use period before choosing.
Which scheduling features do you need?
Plan 1 covers a shared Timeline view with finish-to-start dependencies and milestones. Plan 3 adds control features such as baselines, critical path and lead or lag between tasks. Start with the work you need to do, then choose the tier.
A shared schedule in the browser
Plan 1 adds Timeline, Calendar and People views to the Planner included with Microsoft 365. It also supports subtasks, sprints, goals and custom fields. The included Planner has task boards and basic updates, but no Timeline view or dependency creation.
Comparing progress with the original plan
If the team needs to answer "are we behind the plan we agreed in March?", it needs a baseline. Baselines start at Plan 3, alongside critical path, dependency lead and lag, portfolio creation, task history and the Assignments view.
Working with Project desktop files
Use Project desktop for .mpp files, resource leveling, network diagrams, master projects and custom calendars. Plan 3 includes the Windows app, or you can buy a perpetual desktop licence. Planner's browser interface does not replace all those desktop features.
Planner, Project desktop or Project Server?
Use Planner for shared scheduling in a browser or Teams. Choose Project desktop when existing .mpp files or advanced desktop scheduling are central to the job. Consider Project Server Subscription Edition when your organisation needs an on-premises system and has the infrastructure to run it.
Microsoft's Project Online retirement notice distinguishes these options. The retirement affected Project Online; Project desktop, Project Server and Planner remain available. Project for the web had already moved into Planner.
Does everyone need a premium licence?
One Plan 3 licence is $30 a month on an annual subscription, plus any Microsoft 365 licences the other users need. Microsoft permits users with eligible included Planner access to make basic updates to premium plans, such as assigning tasks, changing dates and adding attachments. Premium views and advanced features still need the relevant licence.
A ten-person team therefore needs ten premium licences only if all ten need premium capabilities. Check each person's work before comparing a one-licence setup with the $300 monthly equivalent for ten Plan 3 licences.
If Smartsheet is also on the shortlist, compare Project and Smartsheet for the scheduling and collaboration features your team needs.
Is Microsoft Project free?
No. There is no free edition of Microsoft Project, and the retirement of Project Online did not create one. The lowest-priced Microsoft route to a Gantt chart is Planner Plan 1 at $10 per user per month on an annual subscription, and the cheapest route to the desktop app is Plan 3 at $30 or a $679.99 one-time licence for Standard 2024.
Planner is included with eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions, but it does not provide the premium Timeline view or dependency creation. Plan 1 and Plan 3 have a one-month trial that requires a credit card and converts to a paid annual subscription unless cancelled.
If what you actually need is a free Gantt chart, choose another tool. A browser-based tool such as Ganttile is free with dependencies, milestones, automatic scheduling and critical path, runs on a Mac as well as Windows, and exports the plan as Microsoft Project XML so a colleague who stays on Project desktop can open it. Be clear about the gap in the other direction: Ganttile cannot open .mpp files, so it suits a team that is building new schedules, not one that needs its Project archive to open as it is. The project schedule template is a quick way to see whether that is enough.
Teams that do need .mpp import and a free or cheaper tool should look at the Microsoft Project alternatives, for file support and migration limits, and the round-up of free Gantt chart software for the options with no licence fee.
Test the plan against one real schedule
Use the trial to build a representative schedule and check the features each person needs. Include Microsoft 365 licences, desktop requirements and the annual commitment in the total before buying.
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