Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenProject VS Microsoft Project

Compare OpenProject VS Microsoft Project and see what are their differences

OpenProject logo OpenProject

OpenProject is an open-source project management software with a wide set of features and plugins.

Microsoft Project logo Microsoft Project

Microsoft Office Project gives you robust project management tools with the right blend of...
  • OpenProject Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-14
  • Microsoft Project Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-18

OpenProject features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenProject is open-source, which means its source code is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This provides a high level of customization and flexibility to suit specific needs.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    It offers a wide range of features including task management, time tracking, agile and Scrum support, Gantt charts, and more, which can cater to various project management needs.
  • Community Support
    Being open-source, OpenProject has a robust community that contributes to its development, offers support, and shares plugins or extensions.
  • Security
    OpenProject emphasizes strong security practices, including regular updates and a transparent process for disclosing and handling vulnerabilities.
  • Flexibility in Deployment
    This tool offers multiple deployment options, including on-premises and cloud hosting, allowing organizations to choose based on their privacy, security, and compliance requirements.
  • Cost-effective
    The basic version of OpenProject is free to use, which can be a cost-effective solution for small to medium-sized businesses and organizations.

Possible disadvantages of OpenProject

  • Complex Installation
    Setting up OpenProject on-premises can be complex and may require technical expertise, which could be a hurdle for smaller organizations without dedicated IT staff.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its comprehensive feature set, there can be a steep learning curve for new users who are not familiar with project management software.
  • Limited Third-Party Integrations
    While OpenProject offers a variety of features, it has fewer third-party integrations compared to other popular project management tools, which can limit its compatibility with other services and software.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported performance issues, especially when managing large projects with a high number of tasks and files.
  • Advanced Features Cost
    Certain advanced features are only available in the paid versions, which might not be feasible for all organizations looking for completely free solutions.

Microsoft Project features and specs

  • Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem
    Microsoft Project integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products like Office 365, Teams, and SharePoint, making it easier to manage projects within a familiar ecosystem.
  • Advanced Scheduling
    The software offers robust scheduling tools, including Gantt charts, which help in planning and tracking project timelines effectively.
  • Resource Management
    Microsoft Project provides detailed resource management features, allowing project managers to allocate resources and monitor workloads efficiently.
  • Customization
    The platform allows for extensive customization to fit various business needs, including custom fields, project templates, and visual reports.
  • Cloud-based Support
    With Microsoft Project Online, users can access project data from anywhere, facilitating better collaboration among distributed teams.

Possible disadvantages of Microsoft Project

  • Complexity
    The software has a steep learning curve, which can be challenging for new users or smaller teams without dedicated project management expertise.
  • Cost
    Microsoft Project can be expensive, especially for smaller organizations, as it requires a subscription to Microsoft 365 in addition to the software license.
  • Limited Agile Support
    While it excels in traditional project management methodologies, Microsoft Project offers limited support for Agile project management practices.
  • Lack of Real-time Collaboration
    While Microsoft Project Online improves on this, the desktop version lacks real-time collaborative features found in other modern project management tools.
  • Performance
    The software can become slow when dealing with very large projects, complex datasets, or numerous integrations.

OpenProject videos

OpenProject 8.0

More videos:

  • Review - #4 OpenProject Project Management Software - Explore Features 01

Microsoft Project videos

Microsoft Project Overview

More videos:

  • Review - Microsoft Project 2020: Project Management Overview
  • Review - Project Tools Review: Microsoft Project vs. Smartsheet

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenProject and Microsoft Project)
Project Management
34 34%
66% 66
Task Management
35 35%
65% 65
Productivity
64 64%
36% 36
Work Management
21 21%
79% 79

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare OpenProject and Microsoft Project

OpenProject Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenProject yet.
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Microsoft Project Reviews

10 Best Software For Project Management in 2022
Let’s start the selection with one of the most popular project management programs: MS Project. This tool, developed by Microsoft, is often used in universities on practical assignments, as well as in large companies. It includes all the necessary functionality for working on a project: planning, resource allocation and analysis.
Source: medium.com
12 BEST Wrike Alternatives for Project Management in 2022
Microsoft project Integrated planning tools help you seamlessly keep track of your projects. The tool offers a powerful, visually enhanced way to manage a wide range of projects and programs efficiently.
Source: www.guru99.com
18 Valuable Wrike Alternatives To Crush Project Management In 2022
It depends on your needs and your team. As its name suggests, Microsoft Project includes features designed for experienced project managers handling complex work. Wrike’s templates make it a better choice for teams less experienced or less focused on project work.
Source: snacknation.com
29 Best Alternatives to Dapulse (Now Monday.com)
Microsoft Project is a project management software with a rich history of helping teams achieve their business goals. It is designed to help project managers and teams complete complex projects in just a few simple steps.
10 of the Best Microsoft Project Alternatives
Trying to find a happy median between the most basic project management tools and a high-end app like Microsoft Project, Workzone claims to have a solution that is “just right”. Their project dashboard offers a view of all projects currently active, allowing everyone on the team to stay caught up. Other features like their to-do lists, commenting system, and its reporting...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenProject seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

OpenProject mentions (4)

  • Open source multi tenant project management solutions
    I don't know if these are multi-tenant projects but you could certainly explore them: leantime.io and openproject.org. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • how do people keep track of their projects and todo?
    I just started messing with OpenProjectOpenProject which seems pretty nice, but I actually bought a lifetime license to Nifty.pm a couple years ago on AppSumo and it is awesome.. Not free or open source or self-hostable though.. :/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Github clone for construction
    Openproject.org BIM edition is the closest I got so far, but it lacks the smooth versioning experience of git and the accessibility of a platform like github. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Is there some unified solution for it service/tickets, todo, project, knowledge and asset management you can recommend?
    I know I am asking for a lot here. I worked for a company that used everything from Atlassian and miss the unified experience. Now I am working for a hospital and we are required by law to keep everything on premise. Atlassian makes it very obvious that they are a "go cloud or gtfo" company so... I am kind of searching or something equivalent. Currently using openproject.org as a JIRA replacement, Mediawiki as a... Source: almost 4 years ago

Microsoft Project mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Microsoft Project yet. Tracking of Microsoft Project recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenProject and Microsoft Project, you can also consider the following products

Trello - Infinitely flexible. Incredibly easy to use. Great mobile apps. It's free. Trello keeps track of everything, from the big picture to the minute details.

Basecamp - A simple and elegant project management system.

Redmine - Flexible project management web application

Asana - Asana project management is an effort to re-imagine how we work together, through modern productivity software. Fast and versatile, Asana helps individuals and groups get more done.

Wrike - Wrike is a flexible, scalable, and easy-to-use collaborative work management software that helps high-performance teams organize and accomplish their work. Try it now.

Jira - The #1 software development tool used by agile teams. Jira Software is built for every member of your software team to plan, track, and release great software.