Microsoft Project vs monday.com
Microsoft Project fits microsoft 365 standardised orgs; monday.com fits teams standardising on one work os for projects, ops and cross-functional work.
Microsoft Project
Microsoft 365 project / Planner ladder for Gantt, resources and portfolios — Planner Plan 1 from ~$10/user/mo.
Best for
- • Microsoft 365 standardised orgs
- • Traditional PMO Gantt/resource needs
- • Enterprise portfolio planning on higher plans
Starting from $10.00/user/mo
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between Microsoft Project and monday.com. Choose Microsoft Project when Microsoft 365 standardised orgs. Choose monday.com when Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
monday.com is better for
- ✓ Free plan
- ✓ Ease of use
- ✓ Automations
- ✓ Collaboration
Tie
- • Timeline / Gantt
- • Integrations
- • Reporting
Choose Microsoft Project if: Microsoft 365 standardised orgs
Choose monday.com if: Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work
monday.com
Work OS / work management platform with boards, timelines, automations and AI credits — Basic from $9/seat/mo annual (3-seat minimum).
Best for
- • Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work
- • Buyers who need boards + timeline + automations with mainstream brand recognition
- • Mid-market orgs that can accept a 3-seat paid minimum and AI credit packaging
Starting from $9.00/user/mo
Free plan available
Quick verdict
Start here — then dig into the evidence below.
Choose Microsoft Project if…
- Microsoft 365 standardised orgs
- Traditional PMO Gantt/resource needs
- Enterprise portfolio planning on higher plans
Choose monday.com if…
- Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work
- Buyers who need boards + timeline + automations with mainstream brand recognition
- Mid-market orgs that can accept a 3-seat paid minimum and AI credit packaging
- You prioritize free plan
Overall recommendation
There is no universal winner between Microsoft Project and monday.com. Choose Microsoft Project when Microsoft 365 standardised orgs. Choose monday.com when Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
Key trade-off
monday.com's clearest edge is free plan.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | monday.com wins | Microsoft Project does not research a free plan; monday.com researches a free plan. |
| Ease of use | monday.com wins | monday.com leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Timeline / Gantt | Tie | Microsoft Project and monday.com are close on timeline gantt (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Automations | monday.com wins | monday.com leads on automations (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Collaboration | monday.com wins | monday.com leads on collaboration (7/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Integrations | Tie | Microsoft Project and monday.com are close on integrations (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| AI features | monday.com wins | monday.com leads on ai features (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Reporting | Tie | Microsoft Project and monday.com are close on reporting (8/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Value | monday.com wins | monday.com leads on value for money (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
Side-by-side feature matrix
Normalized availability from product research — empty rows are not shown.
Work planning
| Feature | Microsoft Project | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Task boards & work views | Strong | Strong |
| Timeline / Gantt | Strong | Strong |
| Workload & resource management | Moderate | Strong |
| Time tracking | Moderate | Moderate |
Execution
| Feature | Microsoft Project | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Automations & workflows | Moderate | Strong |
| Docs & collaboration | Moderate | Strong |
| AI assistance | Moderate | Moderate |
Platform
| Feature | Microsoft Project | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations ecosystem | Strong | Strong |
| Reporting & dashboards | Strong | Strong |
Adjacent productivity
| Feature | Microsoft Project | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Document / PDF productivity | Limited | Limited |
| Remote access / screen share | Limited | Limited |
| Desktop workspace organizer | Limited | Limited |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Aug 17, 2026.
Microsoft Project
From $10.00/user/mo
- Planner Plan 1$10.00/user/mo
- Planner and Project Plan 3$30.00/user/mo
- Planner and Project Plan 5$55.00/user/mo
monday.com
From $9.00/user/mo
- Free$0.00/user/mo
- Basic$9.00/user/mo
- Standard$12.00/user/mo
- Pro$19.00/user/mo
- EnterpriseCustom
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | Microsoft Project | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | ~$50.00/mo (5 × starting seat) | ~$45.00/mo (5 × starting seat) |
| 10 | ~$100.00/mo (10 × starting seat) | ~$90.00/mo (10 × starting seat) |
| 25 | ~$250.00/mo (25 × starting seat) | ~$225.00/mo (25 × starting seat) |
| 50 | ~$500.00/mo (50 × starting seat) | ~$450.00/mo (50 × starting seat) |
Estimate from verified starting per-seat pricing — actual total depends on plan, annual discounts, and add-ons.
Microsoft Project researched starting price from $10/mo. monday.com researched starting price from $9/mo; a free plan is researched. Affiliate economics excluded.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → monday.com
Best for free plan
Microsoft Project does not research a free plan; monday.com researches a free plan.
- → monday.com
Best for ease of use
monday.com leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → monday.com
Best for automations
monday.com leads on automations (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The differences that actually matter
Pair-specific analysis for Microsoft Project vs monday.com — not generic category copy.
Starting pricing
DependsStarting pricing: Microsoft Project — Microsoft Project researched starting price from $10/mo; monday.com researched starting price from $9/mo; a free plan is researched. Seat minimums and AI credits can change TCO.. monday.com — Microsoft Project researched starting price from $10/mo; monday.com researched starting price from $9/mo; a free plan is researched. Seat minimums and AI credits can change TCO.. Feature evidence also diverges on Workload & resource management (Microsoft Project: Moderate; monday.com: Strong); Time tracking (Microsoft Project: Moderate; monday.com: Moderate); Automations & workflows (Microsoft Project: Moderate; monday.com: Strong).
Seat / licence minimum
DependsSeat / licence minimum: Microsoft Project — Check paid seat floors for Microsoft Project and monday.com on current vendor packaging.. monday.com — Check paid seat floors for Microsoft Project and monday.com on current vendor packaging..
Timeline / Gantt
TieMicrosoft Project and monday.com are close on timeline / gantt. Microsoft Project and monday.com are close on timeline gantt (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Automations
monday.com aheadOn automations, monday.com is ahead. Microsoft Project: Trails monday.com on this criterion. monday.com: monday.com leads on automations (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Integrations
TieMicrosoft Project and monday.com are close on integrations. Microsoft Project and monday.com are close on integrations (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Reporting
TieMicrosoft Project and monday.com are close on reporting. Microsoft Project and monday.com are close on reporting (8/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Pros and cons
Product-specific for this pair — derived from researched outcomes and editorial notes.
Microsoft Project
Cons
- Trails on free plan
- Trails on ease of use
- Trails on automations
monday.com
Pros
- Stronger on free plan
- Stronger on ease of use
- Stronger on automations
- Stronger on collaboration
Implementation & learning curve
Based on researched setup / ease criteria for this pair.
Microsoft Project
- Trails on ease of use relative to monday.com
monday.com
- Stronger on ease of use: monday.com leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Integrations
Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.
Microsoft Project: Strong. monday.com: Strong.
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose Microsoft Project if…
- You need monday.com's stronger free plan more than Microsoft Project's strengths
- You need monday.com's stronger ease of use more than Microsoft Project's strengths
- You need monday.com's stronger automations more than Microsoft Project's strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work
Don't choose monday.com if…
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Microsoft 365 standardised orgs
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Traditional PMO Gantt/resource needs
Alternatives worth considering
When neither product is the right fit.
Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/member/mo annual.
Cross-functional work management with goals, workflows and AI Studio — Starter from $10.99/user/mo annual.
Work management platform with free plan (≤10 members) and Teams from $12/user/mo annual — strong monday.com peer.
PowerPoint-native timeline / Gantt specialist (now Lucen Timeline) — Free add-in; Lite from $9/user/mo annual.
Final verdict
Scenario-level close — not a repeat of the intro.
Microsoft Project wins when…
Microsoft 365 standardised orgs
monday.com wins when…
Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work
- Best for free planmonday.com
- Best for ease of usemonday.com
- Best for automationsmonday.com
Which one should you choose?
Choose Microsoft Project if:
- Microsoft 365 standardised orgs
- Traditional PMO Gantt/resource needs
- Enterprise portfolio planning on higher plans
Choose monday.com if:
- Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work
- Buyers who need boards + timeline + automations with mainstream brand recognition
- Mid-market orgs that can accept a 3-seat paid minimum and AI credit packaging
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
Microsoft Project
monday.com
FAQ
- Is Microsoft Project better than monday.com?
- There is no universal winner between Microsoft Project and monday.com. Choose Microsoft Project when Microsoft 365 standardised orgs. Choose monday.com when Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
- Which is easier to use?
- monday.com leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Which project management fits which team?
- Microsoft Project: Microsoft 365 standardised orgs monday.com: Teams standardising on one Work OS for projects, ops and cross-functional work
- Does Microsoft Project or monday.com have a free plan?
- Microsoft Project: No free plan. monday.com: Free plan available.
- How does Microsoft Project vs monday.com pricing compare?
- Microsoft Project starts from $10.00/user/mo. monday.com starts from $9.00/user/mo. Confirm live vendor pricing before purchasing.
- How did SoftwareGlimpse compare these products?
- We map both products to the same category criteria, then evaluate trade-offs using verified product, pricing and feature evidence. Affiliate relationships never change outcomes.
- reviewMicrosoft Project review
- reviewmonday.com review
- pricingMicrosoft Project pricing
- pricingmonday.com pricing
- alternativeSmartsheet alternative
- alternativeAsana alternative
- alternativeHive alternative
- guideWhat Is Project Management Software?
- guideHow to Choose Project Management Software
- guideProject Management Pricing Guide
- categoryproject management hub
- finderBest project management software
- calculatorCost calculator
Related comparisons
- Microsoft Projectvs
SmartsheetMicrosoft Project vs Smartsheet
AirtablevsMicrosoft ProjectAirtable vs Microsoft Project
AsanavsMicrosoft ProjectAsana vs Microsoft Project
BasecampvsMicrosoft ProjectBasecamp vs Microsoft Project
ClickUpvsMicrosoft ProjectClickUp vs Microsoft Project
HivevsMicrosoft ProjectHive vs Microsoft Project
Alternatives to consider
Smartsheet
Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/member/mo annual.
Asana
Cross-functional work management with goals, workflows and AI Studio — Starter from $10.99/user/mo annual.
Hive
Work management platform with free plan (≤10 members) and Teams from $12/user/mo annual — strong monday.com peer.
Office Timeline
PowerPoint-native timeline / Gantt specialist (now Lucen Timeline) — Free add-in; Lite from $9/user/mo annual.
Still deciding between Microsoft Project and monday.com?
Use Best project management software for a shortlist matched to your priorities, or build another side-by-side comparison.
- Independent criterion outcomes
- No invented scores or prices
- Affiliate links never change winners
Some visit links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Comparison outcomes are never based on commission.
Part of Software comparisons · Project Management Software hub
Try a decision tool
Interactive helpers use recommendation criteria — affiliate status never changes outcomes.