With over 10,000 organizations using it, Microsoft Project is a popular desktop project management tool. However, an estimated 25 – 30% workforce is expected to work from home by the end of 2021. That's why businesses and managers are looking at Microsoft Project alternatives.
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Omni Automation PRO — Fixed a bug that could prevent OmniPlan from recognizing Omni Automation plug-in bundles. OmniPlan 2.3.4 – Robust project management software. April 3, 2014 With OmniPlan, you can create logical, manageable project plans with Gantt charts, schedules, summaries, milestones, and critical paths. Jan 17, 2021 Omniplan Pro 3 4 – Professional Grade Project Management Techniques. The new Meeting task type is useful when an entire project team (or subset of the team) is required to work on a task simultaneously. When a task is set as a meeting, it will not be scheduled until all of the resources assigned to it are available. Cons: Suffering from being an 'all-in-one' solution, it is hard to claim Teamwork as a Microsoft Project alternative as the feature set suffers compared to standalone project management software. Pricing: Small Office plan $44.92/month, Professional plan for $136.58, Business plan for $228.25/month, Enterprise plan quoted.
- Freemium Microsoft Project alternatives
- Open source MS Project alternatives
- And, Mac-based alternatives to MS Project
But, before that, let's look at why you may want to look at alternative project management software.
Let's start:
Why Look For Microsoft Project Alternatives?
MS Project is a powerful tool that comes with all the features for your project management needs. But, it's not for everyone. Here are the three main reasons why you may look at its alternatives:
1. Distributed work
The 2020 pandemic has changed the way we work. Over 250% more people will work full-time from home, even after the pandemic.
Microsoft Project has traditionally been a desktop application. As a result, it does not adapt well to distributed teams. In addition, collaboration and task management are tough with desktop apps.
Microsoft Office 365 does solve this to some extent. But, it can quickly become expensive for small businesses.
2. Complexity
The features that make MS Project powerful also make it complex. It comes with all the features for:
- Project planning, budgeting & scheduling
- Resource management
- Portfolio management
- Collaboration & communication
- Reporting
However, not all these features are needed for every team member. As a result, while MS Project is great for senior managers, it's not yet that relevant for the entire team.
3. Cost
Microsoft Project is available in three price plans.
First, the basic plan comes with project planning and execution features and costs $10 per user, per month.
Next, the second tier plan comes with all the features in the basic plan, plus resource management and reporting features. It costs $30 per user, per month.
Finally, the enterprise tier comes with additional enterprise and portfolio management features and costs $55 per user, per month.
In addition, you also have to pay for Office 365.
As a result, MS Project can quickly become expensive for small businesses.
Now that you know the reasons, let's look at some MS Project alternatives.
Free MS Project Alternatives
Considering the above reasons, let's look at a few free MS Project alternatives. However, in this section, we'll only look at online tools that facilitate distributed work.
1. Toggl Plan
Toggl Plan is a beautifully simple project planning and execution tool. It's built for remote teams that prefer results-driven management, transparency, and autonomy over micro-management.
It comes with the following features:
- Project plan timeline for project planning and scheduling
- Team plan timeline for visually managing your team's workloads
- Comprehensive task management with customizable workflows and recurring tasks
- Assign multiple team members to a task
- Task collaboration and communication using attachments and comments
- Email notification reports
On the minus side, Toggl Plan does not come with portfolio management.
Pricing: Toggl Plan comes with a free plan for solo users. This lifetime free plan is good for unlimited projects. Team plans start at $9 per user, per month.
2. GanttPRO
GanttPRO is a Gantt chart based project management tool for teams of all sizes. It eliminates all that complexity of MS Project yet offers robust features:
- Gantt chart view, Board view, Calendar view, My tasks dashboard
- Powerful task management
- Comprehensive resource management and workload
- Team collaboration with comments, attachments, mentions, and notifications
- Time tracking including real-time logging
- Portfolio management
- Export to popular formats and Sharing via URL
As a downside, there is no free version, but it comes with a 14-day fully-featured trial.
Pricing: GanttPRO offers Team plans, and the cost depends on the number of users, $4.5 per user per month being the least expensive. The Individual plan costs $15 per user per month. All the plans come with unlimited functionality.
3. Asana
Asana is a comprehensive, online project management tool. And, it's best suited for large teams and complex projects. It comes with multiple views to manage your projects and the following features:
- Timeline and calendar views for project planning
- Task management with custom task workflows and sub-tasks
- Task collaboration and communication
- Team workload management
- Portfolio management
But, most of the above features are available in the paid plans. And, the free plan is limited to Calendars, Boards, and a limited number of tasks.
Pricing: Asana's lifetime free plan is good for teams of up to 15 members. However, you can only create a limited number of tasks in the free plan. And, you don't get timelines or workload management in the free plan. Paid plans start at $13.49 per user, per month.
4. TeamGantt
TeamGantt as the name suggests is a project planning and execution tool. It's an online tool that comes with features similar to MS Project.
Features include:
- Project planning with Gantt charts
- Workload forecasting
- Task management with dependant tasks and estimates
- Team collaboration with conversations and attachments
- Time tracking
Now on to the negatives. The free plan is limited to a single project and up to 3 team members.
Pricing: TeamGantt's free plan is limited to one project, one timeline, and up to 3 members. Paid plans start at $24.95 per user, per month.
5. Wrike
Wrike is an all-round project management tool. It comes with planning, task management, and reporting features. Primarily meant for creative and marketing teams, Wrike also comes with proofing and approval features.
Major features in Wrike include:
- Project planning with Gantt charts and Calendars
- Task management with boards, custom fields, and sub-tasks
- Proofing, task, and project approvals
- Reporting with time-tracking
- User access controls
On the minus side, the free plan does not come with any of the advanced features.
Pricing: Wrike's free plan comes with task management features. Also, it's limited to 5 user teams. Paid plans start at $9.80 per user, per month.
6. Clickup
Clickup is a complete work management tool. It also offers project planning, task management, resource management, and time tracking features. Unlike other tools in this list, it also comes with an internal chat tool that teams can use to collaborate on projects.
Here are Clickup's important features:
- Task management using lists, boards, and calendars
- Work planning using timeline charts
- Reports and custom dashboards with time tracking
- Enterprise-level security and HIPAA compliance
It's important to note that all the above features are only available in paid plans. Drive genius 5 1 0 – powerful system utility truck.
Pricing: Clickup's free plan comes with unlimited users and tasks. However, only the list view is available in the free plan. Boards and calendars are available in the Unlimited plan, which costs $9 per user, per month. Timelines and time-tracking are available in the Business plan, which starts at $19 per user, per month.
Open Source Alternatives To Microsoft Project
In addition to the freemium tools above, there are a lot of open source project management alternatives to MS Project. Let's look at three of the most popular tools.
7. OpenProject
OpenProject is an open-source project management tool. It's an online tool that comes with planning, task management, and bug management features.
Primarily for software development teams, OpenProject comes with the following features:
- Project planning and scheduling with Gantt charts
- Task management with Kanban boards
- Time tracking, and cost reporting
- Bug tracking and release planning
On the minus side, the tool is fairly complex to use and may need quite some time for your team to get used to.
Pricing: Like most open-source tools, OpenProject comes with a self-hosted, community version, that completely free. The paid plans start at $6 per user, per month. However, all paid plans require a minimum commitment of 1 year.
8. ProjectLibre
ProjectLibre is a desktop-based, open-source MS Project alternative. It matches most closely to MS Project's desktop version. A cloud-based version of this project management tool is in the works.
ProjectLibre's main features include:
- Desktop app for Linux, Mac, and Windows PCs
- Works with Microsoft Project files
- Project planning, task management, and resource management features
However, because it's a desktop application, it comes with all the drawbacks of MS Project.
Pricing: The open-source, community version is free for life.
Microsoft Project Alternatives For Mac
Most online tools and open-source software applications work well for Mac devices. But, Apple users prefer native apps over these. In this section, we'll look at the top, native MS Project alternatives for Mac devices.
9. OmniPlan
OmniPlan is a native Mac app for project management. It comes with project planning and scheduling, effort tracking, and resource management features.
Features that come with OmniPlan are:
- Project planning with Gantt charts
- Resource management with leveling and sharing
- Task management with dependencies
- Critical path planning
- Cost/effort estimation and tracking
OmniPlan has the same cons as that of MS Project.
Pricing: OmniPlan comes with a 14-day free trial. The monthly subscription costs $19.99 and works on both Mac and iOS. The lifetime Mac version costs $399.99.
10. QuickPlan
QuickPlan is another popular project management tool for Mac. And, it comes with similar features to MS Project.
Notable features include:
- Task planning with Gantt charts
- Task management with dependencies
- Keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures to improved usability
- Integrations with MS Project, Excel, iCal, and Mind map
However, QuickPlan suffers from the same drawbacks as any desktop application.
Pricing: A free trial is available for QuickPlan. The premium version costs $47.99 and is available on the Mac
How To Choose From These Microsoft Project Alternatives?
So far we've looked at nine different Microsoft Project alternatives. Each of the above-mentioned tools has its own pros and cons.
So how do you choose the right PM tool for your needs?
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- If you are a team of one with very little need for team collaboration, you can go ahead with the open-source and free ProjectLibre. Or, if you prefer Apple devices, the premium Mac apps like OmniPlan or QuickPlan are a great choice.
- On the other hand, if team collaboration is important to you, choose from the freemium MS Project alternatives mentioned above. For software development teams, OpenProject is a great free and open-source alternative.
Keep in mind the maintenance of open-source software. Often, it's self-hosted and support is almost non-existent.
Consider Toggl Plan for simple project management needs
For simple, collaborative project planning and execution, you may want to look at Toggl Plan. It's come with all the project planning, task management, and workload management features that small teams need. Plus, it's very affordable.
OmniPlan is an incredible project management tool that allows you to create the most manageable and the most logical project planning documents.
You can basically break down all of the larger tasks, optimize the resources that are needed for your project, and control the budget of your complete project in a jiffy.
Well, if the software is so incredibly effective, why would you want to use anything else? Let's find that out together.
In this article, we are going to talk about 9 of the best OmniPlan alternatives that you and your team members can use in 2021.
9 OmniPlan Alternatives to Use in 2021
Here is a list of OmniPlan alternatives that we are going to talk about in this article.
Let's discuss all of these alternatives in detail and find out how they are different and even better than OmniPlan in some cases.
1. nTask
Being one of the best project management applications in the market right now, nTask is the perfect OmniPlan alternative that you can use in 2021.
The application is an incredible task management and project management application that allows you to track and manage all of the different processes and tasks that are being worked on in your project development process.
The application also has meeting management and Gantt charting in-built that helps to keep all of your remote and on-site team members connected to each other, and also provides a different visual representation of the tasks and activities included in your project development process.
Here are some amazing features that this application provides to its clientele.
Key Features
- Project management
- Task management
- Task prioritization
- Task tracking
- Setting-up meeting agendas
- Calendar integration
- Zoom integration
- Time Tracking
Pricing
- Basic free plan
- There is a free trial of this incredible software available to use for Premium and Business plans, which allows you to check different features that give you an idea of how this software works and how it can help you achieve your goal regarding any project
- The paid subscription of this application starts at $2.99/month, which will include many extra features than the free version
Try the best OmniPlan alternative now
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2. Basecamp
Another great project management software that is a great OmniPlan alternative is Basecamp. The application is an amazing tool that allows you to organize all of your available resources according to the tasks that are included in the project development process, and also allows you to track their progress.
The application has many different integrations included in its goody bag like integration with Everest, Feed, Numerics, Dashable, and Zapier, etc.
Here are some other important functionalities that the application offers to its clientele.
Key Features
- Project Management
- Interactive Gantt Charts to visualize all of the tasks and processes in a different way
- Project Templates to make sure that you don't have to start each project from scratch
- Add Recurring Tasks
- Task History
- Create Teams/Groups
- Task Scheduling
- To-Do List
- Document Management
Pricing
- There is a free trial available If you want to check it out before paying a single dime to the company
- There is a flat fee for this software that gets you all of the features that it has to follow, which is $99
3. Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project is another OmniPlan alternative that can prove to be an excellent tool to plan projects and improve your collaboration strategies among your team members and the stakeholders associated with the project.
The application also helps you in task assignment, dependency configuration, business intelligence integration, and many other amazing things. The software also has built-in templates to make sure that you don't have to start a project from scratch and you can build a foundation in mere minutes.
Key Features
- Gantt/Timeline View
- Percent-Complete Tracking
- Project Management
- Collaboration Tools
- Milestone Tracking
- Prioritization
- Project Planning/Scheduling
Pricing
- A free trial is available for you to check out before buying the subscription
- The paid plans for this software start at $10/user/month to $55/user/month
4. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is a free collaboration tool that allows you to increase your collaboration activities with your team and stakeholders, easily and effectively.
The software is an amazing OmniPlan alternative that allows you to perform document management, time management on all of the tasks and processes being performed in your project development process, and many others.
Let's take a look at some of the most incredible features and functionalities that this OmniPlan alternative has to offer.
Key Features
- Collaboration Tools
- Content Management
- Document Storage
- Task Management
- Activity Dashboard
- Communication Management
- Document Management
- Mobile Access
- Third-Party Integrations
Pricing
- A 30-day trial is available for use if you want to check out the tool before throwing your hard-earned money at it
- The paid plans for this incredible OmniPlan alternative start at $24/month
5. Monday.com
One of the best project management applications that you can find on the market right now is Monday.com.
The application is a cloud-based work operating system that helps you to create different workflow apps in mere minutes to run as many processes, projects, or any other activities that you may want.
Here are some of the amazing features that this application has to offer to its numerous users around the world.
Key Features
- Communicate about tasks in the context
- See all of your team's work at a glance
- Create custom notifications
- Measure your team's progress and document achievements
- Collaborate with team members seamlessly
- Gauge progress at a glance
- Assign tasks to team members
- Document and manage work all in one place
- Grant user permissions to protect the privacy of certain data
Pricing
- Free trial available
- The paid pricing for this incredible OmniPlan alternative starts at $39/month
6. Asana
Asana is another great example of a project management application that can be the perfect OmniPlan alternative for you. The application is a robust tool that serves all of your team members effectively and without fail.
Key Features
- Project Sections and Search Views
- See team members' tasks and priorities
- Set project permissions
- Comment on tasks
- Gantt Charts
- Multiple workspaces
- Real-time updates
- Set goals, priorities, and due dates
- Project and task creation
- Task dependencies
- Kanban support
Pricing
- A free trial is available if you want to check out the software
- The Premium plan for this OmniPlan alternative starts at $9/member/month, and if you want the Enterprise version, then you need to contact the company for a custom quote
7. Trello
Trello is an incredible project management application that utilizes its amazing Kanban boards to highlight all of the tasks and processes that you enter into the app interface. The application then helps you to track those tasks and processes, so that you can finish your work easily.
Key Features
- Quick overview on front and back of cards
- Drag and drop functionality
- Real-time sync
- Easy uploading of files and attachments
- Deadline reminders
- Free or zero pricing for the basic service
- An easy organization with tags, labels, and categories
- In-line editing
- Checklists, with a progress meter
- Unlimited member invites
- Task management
Pricing
- There is a free version of the application that you can use to your advantage if you don't want to pay for the paid version
- The Business Class version of the application starts at $9.99/user/month
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8. Freedcamp
The Freedcamp application is a web-based project management software that helps you to organize your work and collaborate with your stakeholders and team members effectively.
The application is a great platform to perform different functions like managing team members or managing different discussion boards etc., to manage your overall team.
Key Features
- Project templates
- Calendar
- Issue tracker
- Discussion boards
- Task management
- Team milestones
- Team wikis
- Data backups
- Time tracking
Pricing
- There is a free version and a free trial of the software available for use if you want to check it out before buying
- The basic paid plan for this OmniPlan alternative starts at $2.49/month
9. Smartsheet
Smartsheet is an incredible OmniPlan alternative that allows you to perform task management, project management, and even sales tracking, among many things, all from the same interface.
The application provides a wonderful way to collaborate on different projects and processes, and because of its accessibility from any browser or device, the application is a great tool to work on your projects from anywhere in the world.
Let's take a look at some of the features that this OmniPlan alternative has to offer to its clientele.
Key Features
- Dashboards to keep all of the data that has been added into the interface, in-front of the user
- Calendar View
- Card View
- Gantt View
- File management to keep and manage all of the data associated with the project
- Sharing
- Filters
- Resource Management to properly utilize all of the resources that are available in the resource pool
- Activity Log
Pricing
- There is a free trial of this OmniPlan available for you if you want to check it out before buying it
- The basic paid plan of this tool starts at $14/user/month
Conclusion
These were our top picks for the best OmniPlan alternatives to using in 2021. If you think that we missed something or if you want us to add an application to the list, then write to us at fwilson@ntaskmanager.com and we will get back to you ASAP.
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