Microsoft Project Server vs Planview Portfolios comparison

Microsoft Project Server vs. Planview Portfolios

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Project Server

Ranking in Project Portfolio Management

4th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Planview Portfolios

Ranking in Project Portfolio Management

7th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Enterprise Architecture Management (13th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Project Portfolio Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project Server is 6.1%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Planview Portfolios is 7.7%, up from 6.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Project Portfolio Management

Featured Reviews

Mouloud Fourali

Project Manager at Digital Research Alliance of Canada

Visual project planning enhances collaboration and proactive management

The dependency management in Microsoft Project is highly valuable, as it visually maps dependencies and impacts within a project plan. The online version facilitates easy collaboration without having to share multiple versions of the file. The Gantt chart is also a very powerful tool for a visual presentation of sequences, critical paths, and execution processes, which simplifies comprehension for users.

Read full review

EduardoMaya

Project Office Manager at Hoteles City Express

A solution that gives you all the information you need to plan detailed projects

The initial setup was just a little complex. I rate the initial setup a seven out of ten. Deploying the solution took two weeks. While deploying the solution, we had two instances, one for the IT team and one for the business team. And we had to connect the two and explain things to the team. Only two people were needed to deploy the solution, me and another person.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that the tool's reporting is very good."

"A single place for all our organisation's project records."

"I like the way you can build the schedule by the Don't Start Before or Don't Start After values. You can use it to build your schedule based on how you change your dates. This is how it actually builds the schedule."

"It is well-established, reliable, and compatible."

"The solution, overall, is excellent for project planning."

"We are able to know what we are doing, how much we have spent, how much time we've taken, and it tells us how much money is left for the project. It also tells us whether we are below or above our expenditures, whether we are below or above our budget."

"It is easily adaptable. In addition, it is easily used on mobile applications."

"I would recommend Microsoft Project Server to other organizations and would rate the solution ten out of ten."

More Microsoft Project Server pros

"The biggest impact has been getting all these global groups into one space so we can even have intelligent conversations about what are we trying to accomplish. Before, it was just different regions doing whatever. Now, we're all talking the same language, and that's good."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the completeness of the standard, underlying metamodel."

"The solution is flexible. Planview is always introducing new releases and functionality, which ends up being beneficial to the company. We are able to do some customizations on our own along with our IT department, and that's very helpful."

"The solution view into resource capacity and availability helps us to manage work."

"We can view a project both at the top level and dig into the particularities. It's given us greater visibility into the work itself."

"Its ability to create summary reports across multiple projects is one of the best features. They have very good data warehousing. You can put that out. You can tell that data warehousing from Planview Enterprise One is excellent."

"The sheer amount of information available in one single interface is valuable. Everything is there. It is also a lot of work to maintain all the information, but generally, you can find everything you need within this one tool."

"Our reporting is much better. There is much more visibility on projects, schedules, tasks, and in our milestones. Now, we have a consistent way of reporting out to the committees and getting all of our schedules and milestones."

More Planview Portfolios pros

Cons

"We need to be able to compare milestones, calls, and other variables regarding the projects we are working on. I have to contract developers to make reports, which is where things get complicated. They need to develop personal and custom fields for us."

"The price of the solution could be reduced."

"The product's UI is not very user-friendly."

"Work needs to be done on collaboration with SharePoint."

"Project Server could be improved by simplifying how tasks are assigned and reviewed on a daily basis."

"It needs to be more collaborative from inside the application. It only does project scheduling for me. It would be good if it could do other things and be more collaborative, such as sharing tasks for users. It is not really incorporated into MS Office, so you can't copy-paste stuff. It is on its own, doing its own thing. It is only used for scheduling, and it doesn't work well with anything else."

"The price of the product must be improved."

"The solution should be made more collaborative."

More Microsoft Project Server cons

"The solution out-of-the-box that we established was insufficient. We had to purchase and set up OData. I don't believe that it's a great solution out-of-the-box but eventually you can get there."

"We've been using it for a while, so it's about maturity. It's about being able to build out things in Agile groups and teams and some of that. Then really trying to drive into the direction of Lean Portfolio Management and more Agile program management, I think is where we're heading."

"I would suggest for the request module that they open up the fields and columns so it's like we are doing our work in the work module. You can't do that with today. We also have to make sure that the fields can go both ways with the request and work modules. Including fields in the column sets would be helpful, because today they only use attributes."

"The outcome management and work resource management in terms of teams needs improvement. Team handling, how team requirements are generated, and how the resource managers can work with teams needs to be improved."

"The technical people are very competent, but there is so much turnover in the people that we talk to, and that's frustrating. They will say, "We can make this work." Suddenly, that guy has left, and we have no one. Then, we have to start all over."

"Their off-shore support is something new that they're laying out and the team just needed some development in terms of skill and experience."

"We do have some significant issues with our integrations that we're working through. Those are not as stable or reliable as what we would like."

"The UI needs improvement. The UI should have more possibilities for users who are not specialized in using Planview. At the moment, it is more of a technical UI. I would like it to be an open user UI."

More Planview Portfolios cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is expensive."

"A standard license is cheaper, but if you want more features, then there is a premium license or professional license."

"The technical assistance is expensive but the solution is an open source software."

"I would rate the price a six out of ten."

"Microsoft Project Server is more expensive than other solutions on the market. We purchase the license annually."

"We pay an annual licensing fee for the solution."

"The licensing was procured before my involvement."

"There is a subscription model for different types of users for different types of roles."

More Microsoft Project Server pricing and cost advice

"I think all in we are at $33,000 a year and that includes Projectplace and Planview. We used to have the integration to JIRA, but we don't pay for that anymore."

"Planview is a little pricey. From a licensing perspective, for just a simple timesheet user who does nothing in the system but reports time, the licensing is a little pricey, but you have to look at it from what it is that you get. We have 6,000 users, and I don't manage the system at all. I just have to do add them to the system. The servers, maintenance, OS levels, security patching for the OS, and all other things are not something that we maintain. So, you have to look at it from an operational perspective. It is not just the product itself. A holistic view has to be taken when you look at the product and how you're going to support it. I would have to hire an entire operation staff to bring it in-house, and at the end of the day, that might cost me more."

"We have unlimited licenses for all of our functionalities. Since we went global, we went with that model."

"Our licensing fees are approximately $50,000 USD annually."

"We have portfolio managers, resource managers, project managers, and time reporting licenses. These are the licenses that we have."

"In the time that I've used it, we've doubled up the amount of dollars on our intended projects."

"We have several hundred licenses. It costs us several hundred thousand dollars a year."

"When we went through that process, I believe it is competitive with others on the market. However, there are less expensive options available. It's a more premium offering at a higher price."

More Planview Portfolios pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Project Portfolio Management solutions are best for your needs.

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860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

Energy/Utilities Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Project Server?

The ability to track a project's progress using Microsoft Project Server is the most valuable aspect. It depends, especially when managing multiple projects.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project Server?

Microsoft Project Server is on the expensive side due to high licensing costs, but it is mainly accessible to project managers. Online tools are cheaper and present competition.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Project Server?

The main drawback of Microsoft Project Server is that it is offline. Having it online would offer better access to other managers.

What do you like most about Planview Portfolios?

Planview Management integrates seamlessly with other tools and systems used within the organization, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, customer relationship management (CRM) syst...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Planview Portfolios?

Planview Portfolios is not too expensive. You get what you paid for.

What needs improvement with Planview Portfolios?

Enhancements are needed in: Advanced reporting and analytics: While Planview Management provides robust reporting and analytics capabilities, further enhancements could include more advanced data v...

Microsoft Project vs Microsoft Project Server

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Product Reports

Microsoft Project Server

Download Microsoft Project Server product report

Planview Portfolios

Download Planview Portfolios product report

Also Known As

MS Project Server

Planview Enterprise One, Troux

Overview

Microsoft Project Server facilitates project portfolio management and everyday collaboration, enhancing decision-making processes. Its integration with SharePoint offers a flexible solution for enterprise project management, catering to complex project needs seamlessly.

Microsoft Project Server empowers project teams and managers with enhanced communication and comprehensive project visibility. It supports dynamic resource allocation, financial tracking, and risk assessment. A cloud-ready platform, it simplifies deployment and scalability, suitable for diverse project environments and needs robust integration with leading productivity tools and services.

What are the key features of Microsoft Project Server?

Resource Management: Allocate and track resources efficiently to optimize productivity.
Portfolio Analysis: Assess and prioritize projects based on strategic alignment and constraints.
Time Reporting: Streamline time tracking and reporting for accurate project insights.
Integration with Office: Seamlessly connects with Microsoft Office applications for enhanced productivity.
Security and Compliance: Ensures data security with customizable permissions and compliance standards.

What benefits can users expect from Microsoft Project Server?

Enhanced Collaboration: Facilitates communication and collaboration among project teams.
Improved Decision Making: Offers comprehensive data analytics for strategic planning.
Efficiency Gains: Streamlines project management workflows for increased productivity.
Cost Management: Enables effective budget tracking and financial control.

Industries such as construction, IT services, and pharmaceuticals leverage Microsoft Project Server for managing large-scale projects with precision. Its adaptability to different industry standards ensures specific project requirements are met while maintaining operational control and regulatory compliance.

Microsoft

Planview Portfolios offers a comprehensive platform for managing IT, project and resource management, along with strategic planning. The tool focuses on optimizing resource allocation and financial analysis, supporting global operations.

Organizations use Planview Portfolios to streamline project tracking from inception to completion, enhancing strategic alignment with corporate objectives. The tool integrates with platforms like JIRA to provide seamless workflows and supports critical business processes, including budgeting and capacity planning. Teams benefit from customized configurations and robust reporting, further supporting effective decision-making. Despite its strengths, improvements are sought in navigation, documentation, and integration capabilities.

What are the key features?

Customizable interface: Allows personalization to meet specific needs.
Comprehensive resource and financial management: Enables detailed tracking and analysis.
Robust reporting: Provides extensive data insights.
Integration with Power BI: Enhances data access for stakeholders.
Resource and capacity planning: Optimizes workforce allocation.

What benefits should users expect?

Improved strategic alignment: Supports better decision-making.
Increased operational efficiency: Streamlines project management.
Enhanced resource optimization: Ensures optimal use of workforce.
Better financial insights: Allows precise budget tracking.

In industries like IT and project management, Planview Portfolios supports complex portfolio handling, ensuring visibility across global operations. Companies in these sectors leverage its strategic planning tools for strategic alignment and resource management, integrating with existing systems for improved process efficiency.

Planview

Sample Customers

Magnachip, Gwinnett County Schools, CLEAResult, Medbit Oy, Intelbras S.A., ETS, CORE Construction, Keller Foundations

UPS, NatWest, Ingram Micro, Canadian Tire, Viessmann, Volvo, NASCO, UNESCO

Microsoft Project Server vs. Planview Portfolios