According to Microsoft, Project Online will end on September 30th 2026. It’s not just the end of support, but after that data any data or projects you have will be gone. Considering the lack of innovation for Project Online in past years, many have already made the switch to more modern tools. However, if your organization still using Project Online, and you want to set yourself up for success, you should start looking for alternatives now so you can safely migrate all your information and projects beforehand.
But how do you find the right alternative for Microsoft Project Online?
Microsoft offers a couple of different transition paths that depend on your needs and current levels of PPM maturity. From intuitive, cloud-based collaboration tools to enterprise-grade portfolio management systems, the choice comes down to aligning features with your long-term vision for project delivery and strategic portfolio management.
Organizations have several transition paths to consider:
Planner is now being hailed as the unified solution for modern work and project management. Premium features (included with Planner and Project Plan 3 or 5) provide portfolios, baselines, dependencies, Gantt charts, and workflow automation through Power Apps/Accelerator and Power Automate. Customers with premium licenses, including those from Project Online, already have access to Planner and Project desktop. In addition, Planner is introducing the Project Manager agent (preview), an AI assistant for Microsoft 365 Copilot users that automates task creation, status reporting, and execution, while generating tailored reports across Planner views.
Ideal for organizations that prefer to stick to the current Project Online user experience and can make to host the solution themselves.
Best suited for organizations that look for an ERP system approach connecting sales, finance and billable projects with detailed timesheet management. Project Operations come in different editions and rely on Dynamics365 F&O for advanced financials e.g. advances, retainers, quotes and contracts
When I look at this, option A makes most sense to me. Combining the task management of Planner with a dedicated Power App for portfolio management on top will give you options that you need and keep you ready for future changes and growth. However, can the new Planner, even with a Power App on top like Projectum xPM deliver on the planning and scheduling capabilities from Project Online? The short answer is no. If you need to enterprise control the entire planning experience on all WBS levels, in the views and elsewhere, you should look into the Projectum xPM Gantt control (which can also co-exist with Planner so users can choose themselves).
When evaluating alternatives, ask yourself whether your organization needs, Does it need deeper portfolio visibility, stronger road mapping and scenario planning, easier collaboration across the business, or tighter integration with Microsoft 365? Clarifying these priorities will help you narrow down solutions that not only meet your current maturity level but also support your long-term growth path.
Ask yourself:
This helps narrow down solutions to those that fit both your current maturity level and your growth path.
To me, the end of Project Online, is not just a loss, it’s also an opportunity. Looking for a new solution is always a great opportunity to rethink the way you do things, how do you manage projects, portfolios, and governance? Are there opportunities for growth, that you haven’t grabbed yet?
A new modern, scalable solution might be just the thing to take your portfolio management to the next level.
Sometimes a little disruption is what it takes to innovate.
