Construction · head to head
Microsoft Project vs Wrike
Microsoft Project
Construction
Keep projects organized and on track
- From
- $10/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Wrike 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; Wrike seats are sold in blocks rather than singly: groups of 5 up to 30 seats, groups of 10 up to 100, and groups of 25 above that, so adding one person can mean paying for five
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Project covers Gantt charts, Wrike covers Interactive Gantt charts.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Project and Wrike actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Project | Wrike |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS | Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Category | Construction | Marketing |
| Founded | 1975 | 2006 |
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
- Task dependencies
- Critical path
- Earned value analysis
- Portfolio management
- SharePoint
Only in Wrike
- Interactive Gantt charts
- Real-time collaboration
- Custom workflows
- Time tracking
- Proofing tools
- Performance reports
- Mobile apps
- Salesforce
Both cover
- Resource management
- 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 Wrike
- Resource allocationnot Wrike
- Portfolio managementnot Wrike
- Budget trackingnot Wrike
- Enterprise project managementnot Wrike
Wrike
- Marketing campaignsnot Microsoft Project
- Creative projectsnot Microsoft Project
- Product developmentnot Microsoft Project
- Professional servicesnot Microsoft Project
- Event 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
Wrike
- Seats are sold in blocks rather than singly: groups of 5 up to 30 seats, groups of 10 up to 100, and groups of 25 above that, so adding one person can mean paying for five
- The Team plan is limited to 2 to 15 users and Business to 5 to 200
- Business and above are annual subscriptions only
- Pinnacle and Apex pricing is not published
- AI actions are rationed by tier rather than unlimited
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
Wrike
Free- FreeFree
- Team$10/month
- Per user
- Gantt charts
- AI included
- Business$25/month
- Per user
- Pinnacle$null/month
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Project if
- You need gantt charts.
- You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
- You also want budget tracking.
Choose Wrike if
- You need interactive gantt charts.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux.
- You also want real-time collaboration.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Project or Wrike better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Project starts at $10/month and Wrike at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Project or Wrike?
- Wrike has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10/month for Microsoft Project and Free for Wrike.
- Does Microsoft Project or Wrike run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Project runs on Web, Windows, macOS. Wrike runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux.
- Can I use Wrike for free?
- Yes. Wrike 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 Wrike is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Project do that Wrike cannot?
- Microsoft Project covers Gantt charts, Budget tracking, Timeline views, Task dependencies. Wrike covers Interactive Gantt charts, Real-time collaboration, Custom workflows, Time tracking. Both handle Resource management, Microsoft Teams, SOC2, ISO27001.
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.
SourceWrike: Are Gantt charts included in all plans?
Gantt charts are available in the Team plan ($10/user/month) and higher. The free plan has limited project visualization.
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.
SourceWrike: Is AI included in the pricing?
Yes. As of January 2026, Wrike includes AI Agents and AI Priority Inbox in all plans at no extra cost, a major differentiator from competitors charging $20-40/user/month for AI.
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.
Source