Softwr

Construction · head to head

Microsoft Project vs Monday.com

Microsoft Project logo

Microsoft Project

Construction

Keep projects organized and on track

From
$10/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Monday.com logo

Monday.com

Technology

A platform built for a new way of working

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Monday.com 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; Monday.com expensive at scale with 3-seat minimum and costs increasing quickly with team size
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Project covers Gantt charts, Monday.com covers Customizable workflows.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Project and Monday.com actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Project and Monday.com differ
AttributeMicrosoft ProjectMonday.com
Starting price$10/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryConstructionTechnology
Founded19752012

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
  • Resource management
  • Budget tracking
  • Timeline views
  • Task dependencies
  • Critical path
  • Earned value analysis
  • Portfolio management

Only in Monday.com

  • Customizable workflows
  • Multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar)
  • Automation engine
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Mobile apps
  • Forms
  • Dashboards
  • Workload management

Both cover

  • Microsoft Teams
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • GDPR
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Microsoft Project

  • Project schedulingnot Monday.com
  • Resource allocationnot Monday.com
  • Portfolio managementnot Monday.com
  • Budget trackingnot Monday.com
  • Enterprise project managementnot Monday.com

Monday.com

  • Project managementnot Microsoft Project
  • Sales CRMnot Microsoft Project
  • Marketing campaignsnot Microsoft Project
  • HR processesnot Microsoft Project
  • IT ticketingnot 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

Monday.com

  • Expensive at scale with 3-seat minimum and costs increasing quickly with team size
  • Limited free plan with only 2 users and 3 boards
  • Mobile app provides reduced functionality compared to web version
  • Email CC/BCC limitations for looping in stakeholders without full board access
  • WorkForms can only create new items, not update existing ones

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

Monday.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Monday.com review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Project if

  • You need gantt charts.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want resource management.
Microsoft Project review

Choose Monday.com if

  • You need customizable workflows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multiple views (kanban, gantt, calendar).
Monday.com review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Project or Monday.com better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Project starts at $10/month and Monday.com at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Project or Monday.com?
Monday.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10/month for Microsoft Project and Free for Monday.com.
Does Microsoft Project or Monday.com run on more platforms?
Microsoft Project runs on Web, Windows, macOS. Monday.com runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Monday.com for free?
Yes. Monday.com 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 Monday.com is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Project do that Monday.com cannot?
Microsoft Project covers Gantt charts, Resource management, Budget tracking, Timeline views. Monday.com covers Customizable workflows, Multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar), Automation engine, Real-time collaboration. Both handle Microsoft Teams, SOC2, ISO27001, GDPR.

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.

Source
Monday.com: Does Monday.com have a free plan?

Yes, Monday.com offers a free plan limited to 2 users and 3 boards. Paid plans start at around $9 per seat per month and require a minimum of 3 seats.

Source
Microsoft 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.

Source
Monday.com: Can I use Monday.com on mobile?

Monday.com is available on iOS and Android, but the mobile app lacks the full depth of the desktop version, making complex board management more difficult on the go.

Source
Microsoft 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.

Source
Monday.com: Does Monday.com support offline work?

Monday.com is primarily a cloud-based platform and does not have robust offline capabilities. You need an internet connection to access and edit boards.

Source
Monday.com: What is Monday.com's pricing based on?

Pricing is based on the number of seats and which product module you choose (Work Management, Sales CRM, Dev, or Service). Each module has different features and pricing.

Source
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Related pages

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