I primarily use the solution for project planning.
Head of IT at a insurance company with 11-50 employees
Easy to use, great for project planning and very reliable
Pros and Cons
- "It's an easy solution to set up."
- "We'd like the solution to have better integration with other third-party and open-source solutions."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The product is very easy to use. It makes it easy to present projects as well.
It's an easy solution to set up.
The solution can scale.
It is stable.
What needs improvement?
We'd like the solution to have better integration with other third-party and open-source solutions. We have trouble importing and exporting to other tools.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for two to five years.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Project
January 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable solution. It's reliable. We haven't had any problems with it. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well. It is very easy to extend it.
We have about five to ten users on the solution. At this point, we do not have plans to increase usage. We might in the future.
How are customer service and support?
I have not used technical support. I've never needed assistance.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used a different solution previously.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple and straightforward.
It is quick to set up. It took about an hour to deploy.
We have five people that are able to handle deployment and maintenance tasks. Typically, we have two or three available.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the deployment in-house. We did not need any outside assistance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay a monthly licensing fee for the solution. I'm not sure of the exact cost of the product.
What other advice do I have?
I am not sure if we are using the latest version of the solution.
I'd recommend the solution to others.
I would rate it eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Management Analyst at a government with 10,001+ employees
A project management software with a valuable Kanban diagram feature
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is probably the Kanban diagram. People are familiar with the Kanban tools. When they do their scrum meetings, they have that Kanban board where you can see the different tiles for all the queries and move them from left to right. IT is familiar with that because, for development, most of the tools have that capability. It could also be more graphical, like Asana."
- "It would be better if there were more access to Agile implementations."
What is our primary use case?
We used Microsoft Project to manage the migration from Azure to AWS.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is probably the Kanban diagram. People are familiar with the Kanban tools. When they do their scrum meetings, they have that Kanban board where you can see the different tiles for all the queries and move them from left to right. IT is familiar with that because, for development, most of the tools have that capability. It could also be more graphical, like Asana.
What needs improvement?
It would be better if there were more access to Agile implementations.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Microsoft Project since I started my career with my current employer.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Unitask and Planview PPM. We have been slowly moving to simpler tools to get IT input. Planview is a much more straightforward version of those tools, and it's mainly intended to put up a board, like a work-in-progress board, of all the activities the group is working on. Asana is also similar to those tools.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. It hasn't changed in years. You add your tasks and have your dependencies and resources. That's a kind of basic functionality in Microsoft Project. Then it drops your Gantt chart on the right, and you get that created. Then you can add the percent complete and track the progress. It's like an office product like Visio, Word, or Excel. You open the application and create your schedule. It's essentially a scheduling tool.
What other advice do I have?
I would tell potential users that Microsoft Project is acceptable if they run a Waterfall project. If they are trying to do something more Agile, they will probably want some other capabilities that the other tools provide, like Kanban tools.
It does what it does, but when you compare it to the tools with Agile capability, they work based on tasks and resource availability. They usually have backlogs of different activities, and the team will decide which ones they want to work on next. Every two weeks, they have a periodic cycle, and they look at the backlog list and pick from there which ones they want to build next. This may not be how they were first defined in a typical Microsoft Project Gantt chart.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Microsoft Project an eight.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Project
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Project. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Information Technology Program Manager at a government with 10,001+ employees
Integrates with Visio and allows us to have a milestone schedule and a breakdown of work
Pros and Cons
- "Being able to get a milestone schedule or a breakdown out of it is valuable. It can integrate into Visio, which is helpful."
- "Its user interface could be a little bit more intuitive. Not everybody has the luxury of going to training and understanding which button does what and the functionality. The user interface should be improved to make it a little bit more intuitive. It is not user-friendly. I've dealt with it for a number of years, so it is not hard for me to figure it out, but you would need a quick reference guide or something to say, "Here are the basics. This is how you do X.""
What is our primary use case?
We use it for the Gantt functionality. We can do project schedules and use the WBS piece to break down the work. We are able to generate reports for leadership to show project schedules, milestone schedules, etc.
It is installed on the desktop. It is not connected to the project server or anything like that.
What is most valuable?
Being able to get a milestone schedule or a breakdown out of it is valuable. It can integrate into Visio, which is helpful.
What needs improvement?
Its user interface could be a little bit more intuitive. Not everybody has the luxury of going to training and understanding which button does what and the functionality. The user interface should be improved to make it a little bit more intuitive. It is not user-friendly. I've dealt with it for a number of years, so it is not hard for me to figure it out, but you would need a quick reference guide or something to say, "Here are the basics. This is how you do X."
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for about five or six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't contacted them.
How was the initial setup?
It takes a while to build, but it will probably depend on the project size and all the dependencies. So, it isn't exactly straightforward, but it also depends on the size of the project or the scope of the project.
What other advice do I have?
It is pretty straightforward. There isn't anything heavy about it.
I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Project Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Plan the work and implementation of all your projects in one solution
Pros and Cons
- "I find all the features of the solution valuable."
- "The solution is currently a bit slow and can be faster."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case of this solution is to help plan the work and implementation plans for our projects.
What is most valuable?
I find all the features of the solution valuable.
What needs improvement?
The solution is currently a bit slow and can be faster.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before switching to this solution I used online tools to help with our project implementations and monitoring tasks.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I believe the licensing for the solution is based on an annual fee.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution an eight out of ten.
We have over ten people in our IT project department that currently use this solution.
I recommend the solution to everyone.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Associate Partner - Cognitive Process Automation Practice Leader at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Good performance and a useful Gantt char view but does not work well on a Mac
Pros and Cons
- "The Gantt chart view is great."
- "I find the setup a little bit cumbersome."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for project management. For example, IT implementation projects.
What is most valuable?
The Gantt chart view is great. It shows all activities, and the planning of durations is very easy. We can see our suppliers and everything.
The solution is stable.
It's scalable.
What needs improvement?
It doesn't really work too well on a Mac.
The initial setup was a bit complex. I find the setup a little bit cumbersome. Sometimes there are certain rules that automatically update something else, and it's not always visible. When that happens, you are left with a surprise.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution seems to be stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
With some assistance, it is possible to scale the product.
We have around 1,000 people using it in our company.
How are customer service and support?
I have not used technical support and therefore cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they would be if you needed help.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other products in the past.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was a bit complex. It wasn't overly simple.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing is handled centrally within the company. I don't have any visibility on the pricing aspect. I can't say how much it costs our organization precisely.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated other products.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. I don't know the version number off-hand.
I'd recommend the solution. I find it to be quite useful, especially for waterfall-type projects.
I would rate it seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Independent Consultant at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Reliable with the ability to link sub-tasks but can be expensive
Pros and Cons
- "The setup is pretty simple."
- "What could have been better is the integration with Office 365 so that if you're discussing a project on Teams or there's an email related to the project, it can be tagged to the project in Microsoft Project. That functionality is currently not there."
What is most valuable?
The most useful feature is to link sub-tasks to the main group.
The setup is pretty simple.
It is stable, and the performance is good.
It can scale well.
What needs improvement?
What could have been better is the integration with Office 365 so that if you're discussing a project on Teams or there's an email related to the project, it can be tagged to the project in Microsoft Project. That functionality is currently not there.
The solution is pretty expensive. However, you pay for what you get, and it is worth the cost.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with the solution for more than ten years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. The performance is good. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is absolutely scalable. It's not a problem to expand the product.
We are a small consulting firm. We have only four users at the moment.
How are customer service and support?
I've had no issues with the level of service provided by support. They are helpful and responsive. We always get an immediate response.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have worked with Jira.
We always knew that Microsoft Project is the most comprehensive option. Although our clients are using multiple different platforms, we tend to integrate all those outputs into our Microsoft Project installation.
How was the initial setup?
The product has a simple, straightforward implementation process. It's not overly complex.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is pretty high. I'd rate it two out of five in terms of affordability.
What other advice do I have?
We are customers and end-users.
I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.
I would recommend it for companies that have a large number of projects and diversified teams. When I say diversified teams, I mean geographically spread and working on multiple projects. Those are the kind of people who could make use of Microsoft Project very well.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Project Manager at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Helpful in tracking projects but not a user-friendly solution
Pros and Cons
- "The daily tracker is valuable."
- "Could be more user-friendly, and forecasting could be better."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case for this solution is to track our projects. The solution is deployed on cloud.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has allowed us to monitor our projects in real time because it is tracked based on what has been prepared and executed.
What is most valuable?
The daily tracker is valuable because once you set it up, the dynamic teams can go and implement the project. Additionally, we can track the progress of what is being done. We can know the dates of tasks, when, and if there are deployment issues.
What needs improvement?
The product or service could be more user-friendly, and forecasting could be better. For example, a few things were added to the Microsoft Office standard software and the project online standard software. It screwed up our forecast and implementation, and we advised them to revert to the standard to fix the issue. Microsoft made some changes, and we're trying to figure out what was implemented and how to use it. We don't use the focus anymore, and we use Microsoft Project to try and drive it.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for over 15 years and are currently using the most recent version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. There are over 300 people currently using it in our organization, and we intend to increase future usage.
How are customer service and support?
We have not had any contact with customer service and support.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I cannot comment on the licensing costs for this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution a seven out of ten. I advise new users of this solution to understand what their company needs. I think it's better to implement the standard software when you've understood what is required, as it is scalable and can be gradually adopted.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Associate Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Definable timelines, stable environment, with simple delegation of tasks for members
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to define timelines with Microsoft Project."
- "I would like to see an entire baseline, like in JIRA."
What is our primary use case?
It is easy to define timelines with Microsoft Project. You can get a clear picture of the model, you want to create. You can create inside an agile or waterfall model. Microsoft Project is easy to delegate tasks to different members where you want to put the task and who you want to work on it so that you have a clear path.
What needs improvement?
Right now you can create a timeline with the major up tasks, but there's no real way to mark it. When you are planning, you usually have resources on board for a single task. Microsoft Project has no way to mark it because it is based more on agile methodology. Many times you want to take it by the resource count and that is where it becomes tricky.
I would like to see an entire baseline, like in JIRA. It is like project planning in JIRA, but there's a whole story building that you can do. Microsoft Project needs to incorporate some points of story-building and epic building, which are currently missing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Microsoft Project for the past month.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Project is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There is no problem with Microsoft Project's scalability.
How are customer service and support?
I do not use Microsoft technical support because our company has its own technical support team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I only use a login feature for Microsoft Project.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Microsoft Project an eight and a half out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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