Construction · head to head
Microsoft Project vs Asana
Microsoft Project
Construction
Keep projects organized and on track
- From
- $10/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Asana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Project performance degrades with large projects over 400 tasks, becoming slow and unstable; Asana the free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Project covers Gantt charts, Asana covers Multiple project views.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Project and Asana actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Project | Asana |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS | Web, iOS, Android |
| Category | Construction | Technology |
| Founded | 1975 | 2008 |
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Microsoft Project
- Gantt charts
- Budget tracking
- Timeline views
- Critical path
- Earned value analysis
- Portfolio management
- SharePoint
- Power BI
Only in Asana
- Multiple project views
- Milestones
- Portfolios
- Goals & OKRs
- Workflow automation
- Reporting dashboards
- Slack
- Gmail
Both cover
- Resource management
- Task dependencies
- Microsoft Teams
- Outlook
- SOC2
- ISO27001
- GDPR
- HIPAA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Project
- Project schedulingnot Asana
- Resource allocationnot Asana
- Portfolio managementnot Asana
- Budget trackingnot Asana
- Enterprise project managementnot Asana
Asana
- Project planning & trackingnot Microsoft Project
- Campaign managementnot Microsoft Project
- Product launchesnot Microsoft Project
- Event planningnot Microsoft Project
- Agile & Scrum managementnot Microsoft Project
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Microsoft Project
- Performance degrades with large projects over 400 tasks, becoming slow and unstable
- Limited Agile methodology support, primarily designed for waterfall project management
- Proprietary .mpp file format creates compatibility issues on non-Windows systems
- No offline mode, limiting users without reliable internet connectivity
Asana
- The free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
- Timeline and Gantt views, reporting dashboards and time tracking all require Starter at $10.99 per user per month
- Portfolios, goals, workload management and approvals need Advanced at $24.99 per user per month
- Salesforce, Tableau and Power BI integrations are Advanced or above
- Monthly billing costs more, at $13.49 and $30.49 against the annual rates
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft Project
$10/month- Plan 1$10/month
- Task and project management
- Grid views
- Timeline features
- Plan 3$30/month
- Desktop client
- Resource management
- Advanced scheduling
- Plan 5$55/month
- Portfolio management
- Demand management
- Enterprise capabilities
Asana
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Asana review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Project if
- You need gantt charts.
- You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
- You also want budget tracking.
Choose Asana if
- You need multiple project views.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want milestones.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Project or Asana better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Project starts at $10/month and Asana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Project or Asana?
- Asana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10/month for Microsoft Project and Free for Asana.
- Does Microsoft Project or Asana run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Project runs on Web, Windows, macOS. Asana runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Asana for free?
- Yes. Asana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Project starts at $10/month.
- What is Microsoft Project best used for?
- Microsoft Project is most often used for project scheduling, resource allocation, portfolio management, budget tracking. Of those, project scheduling and resource allocation are not what Asana is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Project do that Asana cannot?
- Microsoft Project covers Gantt charts, Budget tracking, Timeline views, Critical path. Asana covers Multiple project views, Milestones, Portfolios, Goals & OKRs. Both handle Resource management, Task dependencies, Microsoft Teams, Outlook.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Microsoft Project: What are the different Microsoft Project plans and pricing?
Microsoft Project offers Plan 1 at $10/user/month for basic project management, Plan 3 at $30/user/month with desktop client and resource management, and Plan 5 at $55/user/month for enterprise portfolio management. Desktop licenses (2024) start at $679.99 for Standard and $1,129.99 for Professional.
SourceAsana: Does Asana have a free tier?
Yes. Asana offers a free Personal plan for up to 2 users, plus free trial access to paid plans.
SourceMicrosoft Project: Does Microsoft Project support Agile methodology?
Microsoft Project was primarily designed for traditional waterfall project management. While it has some Agile features, it is not optimized for Agile workflows compared to dedicated Agile tools like Jira or Monday.com.
SourceAsana: What is the starting price for Asana paid plans?
Asana Starter plan begins at $10.99 per user per month when billed annually, or $13.49 per user when billed monthly.
SourceMicrosoft Project: Can multiple teams collaborate in real-time on Microsoft Project?
Yes, Microsoft Project for the Web provides real-time collaboration through cloud-based access. However, collaboration is noted as harder compared to modern cloud-native tools due to its file-based architecture.
SourceAsana: Does Asana integrate with other work tools?
Yes. Asana offers 200+ integrations including Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Jira, and Zoom.
Source