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Microsoft Project Server vs Planisware comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

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
61
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Planisware
Ranking in Project Portfolio Management
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

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 Planisware is 10.2%, up from 8.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Portfolio Management
 

Featured Reviews

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.
Avinash Padmanabhan - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced project and resource management with Agile integration
Primarily, Planisware is used for project, program, and portfolio management purposes. Projects can be scheduled, and budgeting, tracking, resource management, efforts, forecast, and scheduling can be executed using the Planisware application It offers capabilities to manage the complete project…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"There are many valuable features of this solution. It is very advanced and once you understand and learn how to use it, it can be quite powerful. The whole package can be quite powerful."
"The solution is stable."
"I found the portfolio management valuable."
"SharePoint site integration"
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is stable to use, especially since I work with Microsoft for an extended period."
"It is well-established, reliable, and compatible."
"Microsoft Project Server is quite a powerful tool and offers a good way of seeing dependencies and interactions, along with baselines."
"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."
"Planisware has introduced Agile concepts, making it capable of Agile management similar to Jira and other Agile tools."
"It stands out by automating the intricate mechanics of project execution, eliminating the need for highly technical individuals to manage and reconfigure models."
"Overall, our company has all disintegrated systems, and with Planisware, we are getting a very integrated view of my portfolio reporting, cost and load, and everything else."
"It has an inbuilt BI tool, which can be compared to Power BI or Tableau."
"The solution is performance-oriented and easily customized accordingly to many areas, such as performance KPI."
"Planisware offers integration with multiple tools and provides a good level of customization."
"There are two things in particular that I enjoy. The first is the portfolio planning section. Another advantage is that it is highly customizable."
"The area that could benefit from improvement in this Planisware is the project management tool. I have previously used Project Server, which is a Microsoft solution, and I found it to be more user-friendly as it included a client solution. In contrast, with this solution, the only option available is the online version, making it difficult to create activities, milestones, and other necessary components. This is in comparison to Planisware, which offers a more comprehensive solution."
 

Cons

"Microsoft Project Server needs improvement in the integration of more tools and syncing of Blockly tools on time."
"We sometimes need support from the IT department for installing and deploying the Microsoft Project Server. It is not user-friendly, and users cannot install it themselves."
"There are certain shortcomings in the documentation part where improvements are required."
"It would be useful if the solution allowed us to share files or project schedules. You may get that with the cloud version. However, it's not available on the on-premises versions."
"It appears that Microsoft's primary goal is to migrate as much functionality as possible from the legacy on-premises Microsoft Project Server to the new cloud-based Power Apps solution."
"The product is difficult to use for complex projects."
"It has to be more user-friendly. For instance, there should be some assistance, like when you go to certain sites, people pop up and say, "Can we help you? What are you looking for?" It's not interactive enough."
"It should be more agile and more flexible when it comes to customization."
"I have experienced some issues, and that’s okay. It tends to be stable when the server's processing power and memory are adequate."
"Its stability should be improved. Its stability is the main issue, but we sometimes also have issues with calculations."
"They do not have anything that can assist customers with multi-year roadmap planning."
"More integration is needed with other kinds of products for better collaboration."
"The learning curve is steep and there could be more avenues for opening up learning materials to a broader audience, enabling individuals to gain practical experience with the tool."
"The UI and UX of Planisware are not that advanced."
"The biggest con for Planisware is that if you are not a Planisware partner, you don't have access to their functions, making it difficult for beginners and new team members."
"The area that could benefit from improvement in this Planisware is the project management tool. I have previously used Project Server, which is a Microsoft solution, and I found it to be more user-friendly as it included a client solution. In contrast, with this solution, the only option available is the online version, making it difficult to create activities, milestones, and other necessary components. This is in comparison to Planisware, which offers a more comprehensive solution."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft Project Server is an expensive solution. Small businesses will not be able to afford it."
"The product is expensive."
"We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft, and our licensing is based on the agreement."
"There is a subscription model for different types of users for different types of roles."
"Microsoft Project Server is relatively cheaper than other products."
"The licensing was procured before my involvement."
"A standard license is cheaper, but if you want more features, then there is a premium license or professional license."
"Microsoft Project Server is more expensive than other solutions on the market. We purchase the license annually."
"The solution could be less expensive and the cost of scaling is expensive too."
"There are training and certification costs."
"The solution is expensive and support is an extra cost. There are three license types to choose from, and we only pay for support and cloud services depending on our needs."
"It comes with a high cost."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
9%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
18%
Energy/Utilities Company
15%
Computer Software Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Planisware?
I don't have any specific details, however, it might be expensive.
What needs improvement with Planisware?
I haven't had the time to work with any other TPM tools, so I can't compare it to other tools just yet.
What is your primary use case for Planisware?
We actually use it for project planning and estimating the cost for the projects, in resource management, and as a timecard application. Users can log their time using the timesheet.
 

Also Known As

MS Project Server
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Magnachip, Gwinnett County Schools, CLEAResult, Medbit Oy, Intelbras S.A., ETS, CORE Construction, Keller Foundations
Apotex, Alstom Transport, HP, Stryker, Rexam, Jotun, Gelita, Kraton Performance Polymers, Abbvie, Rio Tinto Alcan, Maruho, Teva, SK Chemicals
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Project Server vs. Planisware and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.