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Adobe Workfront vs Microsoft Project Server vs Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Featured Reviews

Chris French - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced project management and automation simplify reporting and approval processes
I think that Adobe Workfront could be improved in several areas, including reporting, which I've already mentioned. There are very specific things within the custom forms that I think could be improved, such as having different labels within forms instead of system-wide. The ability to hide options in a drop-down at the custom form level instead of system-wide would be another improvement. There are times we have to create brand new fields because we need slightly different wording within the label. If we had the capability, we could easily trim down from over 1,000 custom fields to about 400 custom fields if we had the ability to have individual labels by form. So reporting is a big one, and I think there are some not huge changes needed, but improvements to custom forms and custom fields would be beneficial. My experience with reporting in Adobe Workfront so far is that the reporting could be better. The ability to report is great, but I think it is too difficult. Regarding dashboards, they are crucial to be able to pull information from different levels, but that's also a negative because it is very difficult to do that on a report. If I have issue-level data and project-level data that I need to see, with some custom coding, you can do some of it in a report, but in general, if you have a lot of that blended data between levels, you need to use a dashboard, which requires two different reports due to the difficulty in pulling data at the different levels into one thing.
Mouloud Fourali - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
ManeshGeorge - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient project planning with advanced impact and delay analysis features
You need to have a good understanding of project management before you build programs using P6. Learning the tool takes time, so you should spend hands-on time with it while developing your project management skills. It's a mix of hands-on work and project management skills. I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Adobe Workfront acts as a centralized platform, providing a single source of truth for project tasks and resources, supporting Agile methodologies like Kanban and Scrum, and allowing customizable workflows to automate tasks and streamline approvals."
"I can say it is a powerful tool. We have everything in-house in that tool, like, creating reports, dashboards, creating various workflows, and everything we have inside one application."
"Instead of following everything on email, business users can track everything on Adobe Workfront when the other systems are integrated with it."
"Adobe Workfront has been stable in my experience, and I would rate its stability as an eight out of ten."
"The most valuable feature of Adobe Workfront that I have found is the external lookup, which helps users to get the outputs based on the API and enables users to get region information if it was in the country based on the logic-driven key and value pair."
"Workfront centralizes the tasks, the assignment of tasks, and documents required to do the work, streamlining communication and information availability, thus improving organization and reducing dependency on decentralized methods like email or servers."
"One of the best things about Adobe Workfront is that we can immediately track each project, keep track of all tasks with milestones, and monitor everything effectively."
"One of the best things about Adobe Workfront is that we can immediately track each project, keep track of all tasks with milestones, and monitor everything effectively."
"Project schedule management is very good. Basically, it sits on SharePoint. So, every time we create a project, a new project site is created within that SharePoint environment, which is a very good document repository. It allows us to create issues and risks lists and additional functionality to keep track of what's going on with projects."
"The stability of the 2019 version is quite good."
"The key things are managing interactions, resource allocation, resource-leveling (enterprise) and as a collaborative tool, because we use it across multiple projects at a time."
"This is a scalable solution. It is easy to set up and to add clusters to your environment."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is stable to use, especially since I work with Microsoft for an extended period."
"The solution offers excellent resource allocation tools and is flexible, particularly in portfolio management."
"The solution, overall, is excellent for project planning."
"The solution is scalable and easy to expand."
"The solution's tech support is good."
"The most valuable feature of Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management is accuracy."
"Delay analysis and extension of time claims are some of the key features."
"The integration with Unifier, which is also an Oracle tool, ensures that the data is correct and timely."
"Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management is a well-engineered product from an IT perspective."
"It is very, very good in planning for large projects."
"I like Primavera's planning capabilities."
"The ability to streamline the process of obtaining signatures from our contractors is valuable."
 

Cons

"We were having some difficulties creating different kinds of reports and dashboards."
"I would say that the stability, honestly, has gone down since the Adobe acquisition, and the quality when they roll out their updates."
"Our product and graphic designers are working with various Adobe products, but Workfront has a no-frills interface. It's a useful tool with everything we need, but it could be a little more attractive and present information in a polished way. It's a web interface, so it's accessible, but the appearance could be a little slicker."
"Workfront's reporting capabilities must be improved."
"Adobe Workfront could improve its interface, which may benefit from an overhaul for better consistency between the web interface and the API."
"Sometimes there are glitches when we are reviewing an interactive proof."
"Their agile tools are not as good as they could be, not as good as competitor products."
"My experience with reporting in Adobe Workfront so far is that the reporting could be better."
"Work needs to be done on collaboration with SharePoint."
"Microsoft Project Server is limited and falls short in using agile methodologies, which is the most important issue to improve."
"Permission management needs improvement."
"The reporting aspects can be improved, which is one of the reasons why I'm using Qlik Sense. In the older on-prem versions, reporting was lackluster, to say the least. Project Online has a better handle on that. However, we will still be using Qlik Sense. We're also looking at an add-on app from a company called OnePlan that adds some additional functionality where Microsoft is not as clean in its approach for things such as portfolio management and some of the trends analysis."
"Collaboration within the tool is lacking when you compare it to online or cloud-based tools."
"The reporting in the desktop version is not highly customizable or professional compared to other solutions."
"The solution could improve the ease of access could improve. It can be time-consuming."
"When we started using this solution from scratch, we got lost. Microsoft should provide some templates for configurations for certain use cases."
"The scalability has room for improvement."
"There is scope for development in integrating with some AI products."
"The reporting could improve project management. We need multiple source reports. If someone is new to the support it has a steep learning curve."
"The solution's user interface is an area with shortcomings that need improvement."
"There is scope for development in integrating with some AI products."
"They should work on integrating the solution with ERP."
"There is a need for improvement in the interfacing and possibly better integration with other programs."
"Primavera could be better integrated with other products, and it needs more cost management features."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are partners with Adobe, so we get the licensing at a cheaper rate."
"The pricing is a barrier to implementation. It is expensive compared to other competitors. Speaking about licensing, they have a private manager license for $1000, which you can use for administration as well. Then they offer a worker license for $500, and then a reviewer or contributor license which is free."
"Speaking about pricing, I wouldn't recommend it to a smaller company because I do think the price point is higher than other solutions that can work."
"The pricing of Workfront is completely license based."
"Adobe purchased Workfront in the past year, and they're putting work into developing the platform, so I expect the price to rise. It isn't cheap, but it's reasonable for the value it provides. It isn't Monday.com where you pick a license with a set price, and you've got a project manager."
"Adobe Workfront is an expensive solution."
"I cannot comment on the price as I was not responsible for purchasing the solution."
"The licensing was procured before my involvement."
"The product is expensive."
"I'm not quite sure about the licensing costs. We're probably paying somewhere in the neighborhood of about 80,000 to 90,000 a year for our current on-prem because we handle our own licensing. As far as Project Online is concerned, we're still trying to get a good handle on that. It looks like it is going to be in a neighborhood of about 120,000 to 150,000 a year, but we're getting a lot more capability out of it."
"I think they need more flexibility with licensing, because there are preconceived ideas that don't allow as much flexibility with the various licenses."
"I would rate the price a six out of ten."
"We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft, and our licensing is based on the agreement."
"Microsoft Project Server is an expensive solution. Small businesses will not be able to afford it."
"The solution is highly priced compared to one of its competitors."
"Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management is an expensive solution. There is an upfront cost to purchase the solution and then there are annual fees to use the solution."
"The solution itself is cost-effective."
"My company has made an annual payment towards the costs of the solution. Price-wise, the solution is okay."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Healthcare Company
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
8%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Energy/Utilities Company
10%
Government
9%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise30
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business25
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise33
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Workfront?
Adobe Workfront features include expenses associated with a project or task that are not related to labor hours. This...
What needs improvement with Workfront?
The platform could benefit from additional customization features. The external lookup field, which allows custom API...
What is your primary use case for Workfront?
We specifically implement Adobe Workfront for other clients as Deloitte is a partner of Adobe. We work with different...
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, esp...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project Server?
The pricing for Microsoft Project Server is standard, around $200-$250, but I think it's actually $80 to $100 per yea...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Project Server?
In order to improve Microsoft Project Server, collaborative features could be enhanced, as it is possible to improve ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management?
Primavera appears to be more expensive than Microsoft Project but potentially less than Maximo. Pricing details from ...
What needs improvement with Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management?
Because we use mostly P6 and we do not use OPC, which is the new cloud version that is visually easier to use, I woul...
What is your primary use case for Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management?
We try to use Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management combined with Unifier. Unifier is a cost control tool. It is most...
 

Also Known As

AtTask, Workfront DAM
MS Project Server
Primavera Portfolio Management, OPPM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Advance Autoparts, Emerson, Covario, Cisco, Caroma, TREK, Sapient Nitro, ATB, LexisNexis, CarPhone Warehouse
Magnachip, Gwinnett County Schools, CLEAResult, Medbit Oy, Intelbras S.A., ETS, CORE Construction, Keller Foundations
Yarra Valley Water, John Wayne Airport, Hatch Mott Macdonald, Austrian Power Grid AG, EDF France, Chiyoda Corporation, Croatian Waters, Selex ES, Chicago Park District
Find out what your peers are saying about Planisware, ServiceNow, Smartsheet and others in Project Portfolio Management. Updated: September 2025.
869,160 professionals have used our research since 2012.