Microsoft Project vs Notion comparison

Read 14 Notion reviews

360 Views
250 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Microsoft Project

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Microsoft Project and Notion compete in the project management sector. Microsoft Project appears to have the upper hand due to its extensive enterprise features essential for large organizations, while Notion stands out for its affordability and flexibility tailored to small teams and individuals.

Features: Microsoft Project includes detailed scheduling, resource leveling, and cost tracking, ideal for managing complex projects. Notion provides versatile note-taking, database management, and customizable task organization for better real-time collaboration.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Project's complexity makes it challenging for simple projects, requiring better integration and real-time data handling. Notion needs enhanced automation, more color options, and improved integration with external platforms.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Project offers various deployment models like on-premises and cloud but often needs technical support. Notion's online deployment is accessible, though complex scenarios require support due to limited mobile and integration support.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Project is costly, with pricing based on licenses, offering good ROI for enterprises needing extensive features. Notion provides a free plan and affordable paid options, delivering substantial ROI through flexibility and task management, suitable for smaller teams and individual users.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Project vs. Notion Report (Updated: January 2025).

Microsoft Project vs. Notion

January 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 837,501 peers since 2012

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

Ranking in Project Management Software

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Notion

Ranking in Project Management Software

14th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Knowledge Management Software (4th), Document Automation Software (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project is 8.0%, down from 12.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Notion is 2.3%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Project Management Software

Featured Reviews

Nurul Asyikin Wahab

Management Design Civil Structure at Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

Efficient project management with robust data tracking and an easy setup

When I have too many elements or items in a project, it becomes cumbersome, especially during printing. Non-technical users do not need all the data, so it's primarily for technical personnel. Without guidance, it's challenging to use the app. With guidance and expert knowledge, it becomes manageable, however, it's not for non-technical teams. The worst part is handling too many items, like 1,000 items, which Microsoft Project struggles with, especially when printing. Printing on A3 size is quite burdensome, so I prefer viewing it on a tablet or computer. On a tablet or phone, I can see the full project elements depending on the screen size.

Read full review

Iván Fanego

Founder at AppCritic

Creates customizable systems and improve team collaboration

Notion is a very flexible and customizable platform, allowing users to create whatever they need. The most impactful feature for project management is the ability to invite multiple client stakeholders without complication. Once I understand the basics, it's easy to use despite an initial learning curve. It also significantly improves team collaboration through customized views and visualizations of data.

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 solution is stable."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is planning."

"The setup is pretty simple."

"Dependencies (not typically effectively used in "Agile" techniques) allow understanding of actual project status and challenges."

"It is a complete and all-rounded enterprise product. From a portfolio management perspective and an individual project management perspective, it is a corporate-wide project management product. It can be used for resource planning, financial planning, task planning, etc."

"The most valuable feature is the Auto resource leveling tool because it shows students that often, expert resources get over-scheduled, and that dealing with the issue by just using the auto-resource leveling tool would have a large impact on the delivery date."

"Technical support has been very helpful."

"Resource leveling is very useful. We like this feature. We like to be able to expand tasks and look at different resources and tasks usages. It is good at assigning tasks to teams. It is pretty compliant with the Project Management Institute approach, which is useful for being comprehensive. It allows us to make little Gantt charts and network diagrams."

More Microsoft Project pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its flexibility...The initial setup of Notion is easy."

"Notion has a lot of integrations."

"The ability to create and organize notes, plans, and technical content in a single platform is the product's most valuable feature."

"It is easy to use and very intuitive compared to Microsoft Project."

"I rate Notion a ten out of ten."

"The product is easy to use and has good responsiveness."

"Customer support is great, effective, and easy to reach."

"We can install it on mobile phones, making it feasible to manage productivity."

More Notion pros

Cons

"The collaboration has room for improvement."

"The tool's deployment is complex. Integration and automation also need to be improved."

"It would be ideal if the solution integrated more with Azure DevOps and other work management platforms like Jira."

"Tech support needs improvement."

"Microsoft Project could improve the dates. Sometimes the dates are not aligned. This occurs even when you auto-schedule the dates. We have to go and define the schedule daily this should more easily accessible."

"Its user experience can be improved while configuring it. Its reporting can also be better. Reporting is not very easy. Reports do not always work. I was trying to download some reports, and they didn't work. I don't know if it was related to the configuration that I was using. I didn't go too deep to check if something was missing."

"Microsoft Project tends to become very unstable on large project plans with more than 400 lines."

"Tracking timeline, resource allocation, and monitoring are areas of concern for the tool where improvements are required."

More Microsoft Project cons

"Notion has one big downside: the lack of an offline mode. If the internet or Notion's servers are down, I cannot access information. This is a big disadvantage."

"The product could be integrated with external platforms."

"There could be an automation feature included in the product."

"The linked view of database, along with the sharing and permission settings, are areas with shortcomings in the solution that need improvement."

"The only problem I experience is that it often hangs. I might find myself trying to load a new page, but I am unable to move from one page to another due to frequent hanging."

"There could be an automation feature included in the product."

"One area for improvement in the solution is the absence of integrated charts."

"It can be difficult to contact the people at Notion."

More Notion cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its price could be reduced a little."

"Licensing costs vary depending on the user volume. The pricing is good, I'd rate it four out of five."

"The solution is less expensive than other options."

"The cost for an on-premises-based license is a one-time fee, and the cloud-based is an annual payment plan."

"Microsoft Project is an expensive solution."

"The license is a one-time payment but it is expensive."

"Pricing-wise, I rate the solution a seven out of ten since I feel it is a bit costly."

"We purchase perpetual licenses due to the high cost of subscriptions, which are about 1,000 Australian dollars."

More Microsoft Project pricing and cost advice

"The solution's pricing can seem steep, especially when you work with a lot of people. If you are working on your own or for another business, the solution's price won't affect you much."

"Notion is free to use."

"The product is affordable compared to other platforms."

"The product has good pricing."

"The pricing structure is quite reasonable, and the basic plan covers the most essential features."

"The product's pricing depends on the usage plans."

"Notion offers a free plan that covers most functionalities. Clients are only prompted to upgrade if they require AI capabilities, priced at $10 for unlimited usage, or if they need to add team members, typically around $10 per member."

"I pay around $100 per year."

More Notion pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

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

See recommendations

837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

69%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

17%

Media Company

Educational Organization

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Has anyone moved from Microsoft Project to Smartsheet? How has your experience been with Smartsheet?

Hi @Eire Zimmermann, I helped an organization evaluate both MS-Project and Smartsheet when they were conducting their PM tool RFP. The short of it is this, MS Project is not caught up with the mo...

What do you like most about Microsoft Project?

The product's initial setup phase is easy.

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

The issue with Microsoft is that the license is per personnel, making it expensive.

What do you like most about Notion?

I like the high level of customization in Notion.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Notion?

It's affordable and offers community support if I get stuck. I can find help through community forums like Google, where people share insights on navigating problems. Many people understand it, off...

What needs improvement with Notion?

It is easy to use, and I love its UI. The only problem I experience is that it often hangs. I might find myself trying to load a new page, but I am unable to move from one page to another due to fr...

Jira vs Microsoft Project

Comparisons

Compared 14% of the time

Microsoft Project Server vs Microsoft Project

Compared 11% of the time

Asana vs Microsoft Project

Compared 9% of the time

Broadcom Clarity vs Microsoft Project

Compared 8% of the time

ClickUp vs Microsoft Project

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Project Competitors

AFFiNE vs Notion

Compared 32% of the time

Zoho Projects vs Notion

Compared 22% of the time

Zendesk vs Notion

Compared 16% of the time

Smartsheet vs Notion

Compared 12% of the time

More Notion Competitors

Product Reports

Download Microsoft Project product report

Microsoft Project

February 2025

Download Notion product report

February 2025

Also Known As

Project Pro, MS Project

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Project helps you get started quickly and execute projects with ease. Built-in templates and familiar scheduling tools help project managers and teams stay productive.

Microsoft

Notion is an all-in-one workspace that enables teams to collaborate, organize, and manage their work effectively. Its primary use case is to streamline project management, knowledge sharing, and task tracking. With its versatile functionality, Notion allows users to create and customize databases, wikis, and documents, making it a powerful tool for organizing information.

The most valuable functionality of Notion lies in its flexibility and ease of use. Users can create and link various types of content, such as text, images, files, and even embed external resources. This enables teams to centralize their work and collaborate seamlessly, eliminating the need for multiple tools. Notion's drag-and-drop interface and intuitive editing features make it accessible to users of all technical backgrounds.

Notion helps organizations by fostering transparency, improving productivity, and enhancing knowledge management. By providing a centralized platform for collaboration, teams can easily access and contribute to shared projects, reducing communication gaps and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Notion's powerful search functionality and tagging system enable efficient information retrieval, making it easier to find and share knowledge within the organization.

Sample Customers

Aston Martin, ABANCA, Airbus Group, Capita, Cardiff University, City of Saskatoon, Intel, Pegasus Airlines, South Australia Power Network (SAPN), Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing

Startups like Loom, Mixpanel, Blinkist, Adobe, Deel and Education facilities such as USC, Dartmouth and The University of Chicago.