Microsoft Project review

Microsoft Project ranks first because it gives a scheduler real CPM tools at a price anyone can see. Microsoft now sells it through Planner plans. Planner Plan 1 at $10 per user a month paid yearly covers timeline (Gantt), calendar and people views, finish-to-start dependencies, milestones and sprints, which suits simple job schedules. Planner and Project Plan 3 at $30 adds what construction schedulers need: baselines, critical path, advanced dependencies with lead and lag, portfolios and the Project desktop app. That format matters on site, since Procore imports and syncs Microsoft Project schedules and many owners and general contractors exchange them. The trade-offs are that every scheduler pays for a seat, the critical path tools sit on the more expensive plan, and there is nothing built for construction such as lookaheads, pull planning or subcontractor confirmations. Field teams usually read the schedule through another tool.

Who it is for

Project managers and schedulers who need CPM logic, baselines and a widely accepted schedule format at a per-user price.

Price

Planner Plan 1 from $10 per user per month paid yearly; Planner and Project Plan 3 with critical path $30.

Planner Plan 1 Robust web and Teams apps for structured project planning with premium plans, sprints, and finish-to-start dependencies. $10.00 user/month, paid yearly
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Baselines and critical path on Planner and Project Plan 3
• Advanced dependencies with lead and lag
• Project desktop app included with Plan 3
• Timeline (Gantt), calendar and people views from Plan 1
• Portfolios, milestones and custom task fields

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Critical path and baselines at a published per-user price
• Strength: Schedule format that Procore and many contractors import
• Strength: One month free trial on Plan 1
• Weakness: Critical path and the desktop app need the $30 Plan 3
• Weakness: Per-user pricing grows with every scheduler
• Weakness: No construction-specific lookahead or trade tools

Key facts

• Paid plans: Planner Plan 1 $10 and Planner and Project Plan 3 $30 per user a month, paid yearly
• CPM tools: Baselines, critical path and advanced dependencies with lead and lag on Plan 3
• Free trial: One month free on Planner Plan 1
• AI add-on: Microsoft 365 Copilot at $30 per user a month, paid yearly

Where it ranks

Microsoft Project is No. 1 in our Best Construction Scheduling Software verdict.