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Microsoft Project 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Project
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
85
Ranking in other categories
Project Management Software (3rd)
Oracle Primavera Portfolio ...
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
Project Portfolio Management (8th)
 

Featured Reviews

Jacob-George - PeerSpot reviewer
Domain Consultant at a consultancy with 501-1,000 employees
Improved project scheduling has maximized resource utilization and has reduced delays
I think the licensing structure presents a significant area for improvement. The full features are not offered on the standard E4 license. This becomes problematic when distributing the project plan. I can export the plan as Excel and CSV files, but then I lose all the rich features, including dependency mapping. To recreate all that functionality without proper licensing is challenging. Microsoft Project offers a light version available for free, but when I try to distribute a project plan, it requires separate licensing. Microsoft Project Central used to be more of an enterprise product. Microsoft Project currently focuses on very low-level task management, and it could do much more. I do not see significant advancement happening because there is confusion about where Microsoft Project is heading. I believe Microsoft should bundle the license with Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This approach would result in more people using Microsoft Project. That is my opinion on how to improve adoption and the product offering.
Cynnie Ruminjo - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Engineer at Well
Project teams have improved collaboration and have delivered complex portfolios on time
The best features Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management offers include a great user experience, as Oracle has invested heavily in user experience. The application is intuitive and user-friendly, and it also includes project budgeting, cost capitalization, expenses, embedded analytics, and data visualizations that come built-in with the software. The embedded analytics and data visualizations in Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management specifically help us make data-driven decisions from the accurate insights gathered from different sources. Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management has positively impacted my organization by increasing predictability. It has brought awareness to the executive level with the ability to integrate with other systems, which is flawless and seamless, thus enhancing collaboration in my organization. We have been able to deliver projects on time to our clients, meeting the deadlines and timelines while also hitting the cost timelines. The use of Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management has increased the odds of timely project delivery through efficient tracking. The software supports mobile and tablets with a modern user interface featuring embedded analytics, enabling project team members to access all their tools and information in our organization. The efficiency of project managers has increased, allowing them to manage multiple projects and thereby lowering the cost by approximately thirty percent.

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 very complete. It makes it a great option for project managers and they can use it extensively in almost any organizational setup."
"Microsoft Project is one of the only solutions you can use in just about any industry. It's difficult to do that with most other project management tools. There is a lot of flexibility within the product assets. Most sectors can utilize Microsoft Project successfully because it doesn't have any generic adapters."
"The user interface is simple and it helps me in planning what needs to be accomplished."
"The ability to break down project phases is most valuable. Being able to align the tasks and reporting with project milestones and progress is also valuable."
"It's most useful feature is that it interfaces with Project Server so we can, from my perspective, from a portfolio perspective, we can see across the organization."
"I have found that the chart reporting feature is very helpful for us currently."
"A lot of valuable features have been added in the last three years, including scheduling automation and intelligence."
"I especially like the reporting tools, which are visual tools and offer visual reports."
"The most valuable features were the cost breakdown structure and work breakdown structure."
"The solution's tech support is good."
"Delay analysis and extension of time claims are some of the key features."
"The ability to streamline the process of obtaining signatures from our contractors is valuable."
"It is very, very good in planning for large projects."
"I like Primavera's planning capabilities."
"The most valuable features were the cost breakdown structure and work breakdown structure."
"The integration with Unifier, which is also an Oracle tool, ensures that the data is correct and timely."
 

Cons

"Its price can be improved."
"They should assist with tedious tasks."
"It has a bit of a learning curve since there are a lot of features in it, and we haven't really gotten a chance to train through the whole product."
"It's hard to reach technical people to get the help you need."
"The technical support could be improved. They are okay, however, they could be much better."
"I would like Microsoft Project to better align with our business needs, with improved consultant support for setup and integration features that show all relevant aspects at the top level."
"It needs to be more comprehensive."
"The licensing cost is expensive and has room for improvement."
"There is a need for improvement in the interfacing and possibly better integration with other programs."
"There is a need for improvement in the interfacing and possibly better integration with other programs."
"The scalability has room for improvement."
"For us in LATAM, the pricing is extremely high. That is why I only work with oil and gas and mining industries because they have substantial budgets."
"I would rate the technical support by Oracle at five out of ten."
"Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management can be improved because the cost is a bit high and it is not suitable for those working on a tight budget."
"They should work on integrating the solution with ERP."
"The solution's user interface is an area with shortcomings that need improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I do not remember the exact cost we paid but usually, they charge per user per month."
"The product is not expensive. My company has opted for an annual subscription."
"You do not have to invest much in terms of configuring this solution to suit your needs."
"I am not involved with this."
"The licensing model is somewhat complex."
"We have to pay for a yearly license for Microsoft Project."
"I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten."
"We purchase perpetual licenses due to the high cost of subscriptions, which are about 1,000 Australian dollars."
"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."
"My company has made an annual payment towards the costs of the solution. Price-wise, the solution is okay."
"The solution is highly priced compared to one of its competitors."
"The solution itself is cost-effective."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Energy/Utilities Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise41
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise8
 

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?
I would say Microsoft Project is affordable, but the standalone Project license should be included in the Office price to increase adoption.
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 ten years ago are not committed to memory, and I would have to refer back to doc...
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 would rate it as an eight.
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 mostly used in oil and gas, mining, and construction industries, but predominantly i...
 

Also Known As

Project Pro, MS Project
Primavera Portfolio Management, OPPM
 

Overview

 

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
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 Microsoft Project vs. Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
882,886 professionals have used our research since 2012.