Microsoft is Retiring Project Online – Best Alternatives?

• Microsoft Project Online retirement marks a major platform shift: The service will be retired on September 30, 2026, moving Microsoft’s strategy toward Microsoft 365 based planning tools.
• Legacy architecture limits modern capabilities: The platform cannot support advanced AI driven collaboration and real time project management expectations.
• Project for the web is not a direct replacement: It lacks advanced scheduling, portfolio visibility, and resource optimization features relied upon by many project managers.
• Late migration increases business risk: Organizations delaying transition may face data loss, workflow disruption, and rushed decision making.
• Modern alternatives provide stronger usability: New project management platforms deliver improved collaboration and clearer portfolio level insights.
• Celoxis offers a comprehensive replacement: Advanced Gantt charts, portfolio management, financial tracking, and MS Project import support enterprise PMOs.
• Early evaluation leads to smoother adoption: Teams can train users properly and improve project outcomes before the retirement deadline.

Celoxis is a robust enterprise project and portfolio management (PPM) solution with an online interface. It offers powerful planning tools (Gantt charts, resource allocation, etc.) plus portfolio dashboards, time and expense tracking, and advanced reporting. Designed for large teams, Celoxis combines scalability with usability: it can handle thousands of tasks across multiple projects while remaining user-friendly. It supports custom workflows and integrates with hundreds of apps (Jira, Azure DevOps, Slack, etc.), so teams can centralize work in one place. Importantly, Celoxis fully supports importing Microsoft Project files (MPP/XML), including tasks, dependencies, baselines and assignments, easing migration from MS Project.

Celoxis dashboard showing real-time portfolio performance and resource utilization

How does Celoxis address large-scale projects?

Celoxis is built for enterprise portfolios. It lets PMO leads see real-time portfolio health via customizable dashboards, and it can allocate resources across projects to optimize usage. Features like risk management, time/budget tracking, and integrated accounting ensure financials are managed alongside schedules. Users report that Celoxis brings clarity by aggregating project data – effectively giving “complete clarity on workload, timelines, and progress” for teams.

Is switching from MS Project easy?

Yes – Celoxis was explicitly designed as a “great alternative to Microsoft Project”. It offers two-way sync with MS Project and can import .mpp files seamlessly. The interface is web-based (no need for Windows), but many familiar concepts carry over. In practice, PMs often find they can continue using Gantt charts and task structures from their MPP files with minimal rework. Celoxis’s strong focus on Microsoft integration means you get the best of both worlds if you want to adopt a modern platform.

Why better than MS Project

Celoxis is widely regarded as superior for PPM needs in modern organizations. Unlike Project Online’s rigid, process-centric setup, Celoxis offers more flexibility and collaboration – it’s web-native and designed for real-time teamwork. For example, Celoxis’s dashboards and interactive reports provide instant portfolio visibility that MS Project Online lacked. Its two-way sync with MS Project also means you don’t lose existing data. Users praise Celoxis’s powerful tracking and customizable dashboards as key strengths.

Portfolio overview in Celoxis showing project health, risks and budget tracking

Pricing: Celoxis’s cloud plan starts at $10 per user/month (billed annually) for the Core edition. Higher tiers (Essentials, Professional, Business) add features like advanced security, project intake, and billing, ranging up to ~$45/user. There is also an on-premise version with custom pricing. In all tiers, “team member” seats cost less, and read-only viewers are free.

Reviews: Users consistently praise Celoxis for its strong project-tracking and rich dashboards. Common positives: Celoxis handles real-world project issues with superior collaboration features and mirrors MS Project capabilities without complexity. Some reviews note a slight learning curve due to its depth.

ClickUp is an all-in-one work management platform that unifies tasks, docs, goals, and chat. It supports multiple project views (List, Board/Kanban, Gantt, Calendar) and offers built-in time tracking and dashboards. Thanks to its flexibility and extensive features, ClickUp can handle anything from simple task lists to complex project schedules. It also includes machine-learning capabilities (an AI Assistant) to help automate estimations and task creation. ClickUp is cloud-based, so all team members (including remote or cross-functional teams) always see the latest project info.

Why better than MS Project

ClickUp’s modern, user-friendly interface is a key advantage. It allows non-PM team members to update tasks easily, whereas MS Project’s interface was geared toward specialists. With ClickUp you get real-time collaboration (comments, email integration, and chat), unlike Project Online which lacked built-in team chat. ClickUp also centralizes everything – users can embed docs, spreadsheets, and data within tasks, breaking down silos. Importantly, ClickUp’s AI features help create more accurate schedules without manual baseline comparisons. In short, ClickUp delivers all the planning power of MS Project plus modern workflow conveniences.

Pricing: ClickUp has a free tier with generous limits. Its Unlimited plan is $7 per user/month (annual billing), and Business plan is $12/user. Monthly billing is slightly higher, with additional enterprise tiers available.

Reviews: Reviewers highlight ClickUp’s extreme customization and flexibility. Almost any feature can be enabled or adjusted to match workflows. Once mastered, ClickUp can replace multiple tools, though new users may initially face a learning curve due to the platform’s depth.

Trello is a visual task management tool based on boards and cards. It provides a very simple, drag-and-drop interface: each project is a board, tasks are cards, and lists represent workflow stages. Trello is designed for ease of use and quick onboarding. Out of the box it may not have all the heavyweight PM features of MS Project, but it covers the essentials (task creation, due dates, attachments) in an intuitive format. Plus, Trello’s Power-Ups (integrations) can add Gantt charts, automation, or reporting as needed.

Why better than MS Project

Trello’s strength is its simplicity. For teams moving away from Project Online, Trello can handle basic project planning without forcing complex templates. Anyone can start using Trello in minutes (no deep training required). Its visual Kanban boards are excellent for agile or rapid development projects. Unlike MS Project’s rigid timelines, Trello lets you iterate quickly. Though not as feature-packed as Celoxis or Teamwork, Trello covers free PMO needs by offering a solid free plan. Many organizations use Trello for marketing plans, content calendars, and cross-team coordination where a simple yet flexible tool is best.

Pricing: Trello offers a robust free plan (up to 10 boards per Workspace). Paid plans start at $5 per user/month for Standard, Premium adds timeline and dashboard views, and Enterprise plans support large organizations.

Reviews: Users consistently praise Trello’s ease of use and visual interface. It is widely appreciated for intuitive drag-and-drop workflow and fast adoption, though very large projects may become cluttered over time.

Teamwork (formerly Teamwork Projects) is a full-featured PM tool often favored by agencies and consulting firms. It includes task and milestone management, time tracking, budgeting, and billing features. Teamwork offers list, board, Gantt, and portfolio views. It also has built-in client portals and invoicing modules, making it unique among PM tools. In short, Teamwork handles both project execution and delivery to clients, all in one app.

Why better than MS Project

Teamwork focuses on clarity and collaboration. Its dashboards and reports give teams complete clarity on workload, timelines, and progress, something praised by reviewers. Because it’s web-based, all stakeholders including non-technical team members and clients can access project info easily. Teamwork natively integrates time sheets and cost tracking, areas where MS Project Online requires add-ons. The learning curve is gentler and teams can easily see who’s doing what without wrestling with legacy UI. For companies managing client work, Teamwork covers projects, resources, finances, and clients in a single platform.

Pricing: Teamwork has a free plan for small teams. Paid plans start around $10.99 per user/month and grow to agency-level tiers with billing and client management features.

Reviews: Users praise Teamwork for visibility and planning clarity. Many describe it as turning complex project coordination into a clear and manageable workflow while providing strong customer support.

ProofHub is an all-in-one project planning and collaboration tool. It offers task management, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, built-in document proofing, and time tracking. Everything lives under one roof – for example, your design reviews and task updates occur in the same place. Unusually, ProofHub charges a flat team rate rather than per-seat, which can be cost-effective for larger groups.

Why better than MS Project

ProofHub simplifies what can be complicated in Project Online. Its flat pricing lets any number of users join without extra cost. It combines multiple PM utilities like chat, file sharing, notes, and Gantt in a single intuitive interface. For creative projects, its proofing and discussion features are especially helpful. Overall, ProofHub is cloud-based and designed for teams that need easy collaboration and minimal onboarding effort.

Pricing: ProofHub offers a limited free version. Full plans start around $50 per month billed annually with unlimited users.

Reviews: Users consistently praise ProofHub for ease of use and centralized collaboration. Many teams feel it strikes a balance between simplicity and functionality compared to traditional project management systems.