As a big fan of the Microsoft ecosystem, I have always loved using Microsoft Project for project management. However, I recently learned that Microsoft Project Online is retiring on September 30, 2026, while Microsoft Project desktop, Project Server, and Planner will remain unaffected. This news has me thinking about how others are managing their projects and what tools they rely on.
Are any of you using Microsoft Project for project management? I would love to hear your experiences. Alternatively, if you are using other project management tools, please share your recommendations. =)
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Pham Van PhuongProject Manager| FUJI CAC JOINT STOCK COMPANYHo Chi Minh, Viet Nam
Hi Danny;
MS Project is just one of many project management tools. Once you’ve grown familiar with it, switching to something else often feels frustrating:
Learning curve – adjusting to a completely different interface or methodology (e.g., Gantt → Kanban).
Missing features – some of the advanced functions you rely on (like baselines, resource leveling, or cost tracking) may not exist in the new tool.
Team disruption – the entire team needs to realign reporting and tracking practices.
Instead of abandoning MS Project altogether, a better approach is to combine MS Project Desktop with modern Microsoft tools like Loop, Planner, and Teams to enable collaboration and real-time tracking.
Practical Ways to Integrate
MS Project Desktop → use it for detailed planning, including timeline, WBS, resource allocation, and critical path analysis.
Microsoft Loop → leverage Loop for task tracking:
Create Loop components for task lists and assign owners.
Embed these components directly into Teams or Outlook so team members can update progress without opening the MPP file.
Planner or To Do → manage daily task updates from team members, syncing into the broader project plan.
Power BI → visualize MS Project data, building real-time dashboards for sponsors and stakeholders. Saving Changes...
I've been using MSP since the mid-1990s and found that once I learned how to properly use it (as opposed to trial & error), it was a reliable, effective scheduling tool. I've always used the desktop version so Microsoft's sunsetting of the online product is not an issue.
However, I do find many folks use MSP prematurely - for example, before there is a good shared understanding of scope. I would never use it to develop a WBS but there are those who will jump right into it for doing so.
While setting up a new project, I noticed that the main camera doesn’t display any game objects, even when there are no scripts or additional assets in the scene. What could be causing this, and how can I systematically troubleshoot and fix it?
Some things to check include whether the camera is active, its position and rotation, the scene’s lighting, and if any layers or culling masks are preventing objects from being visible. Are there best practices in project setup to avoid these kinds of issues from the start?
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Matt WagnerSolutions Architect| Panoramic SolutionsSalt Lake City, United States
You can patch together a decent Microsoft PPM solution with Planner Premium in combination with various other MS Tools (i.e. Power platform), but definitely not as robust as what Project Online offers. If your considering alternative PPM platforms, feel free to check out our free PPM Tool Finder (link in bio).
Hi, has anyone migrated from Project Online to a different PPM tool? My company uses Project Online, which is retiring in Sept 26. Looking for any advice/recommendations on other PPM tools...
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1 reply by Jacob Vu
Dec 30, 2025 1:07 AM
Jacob Vu
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Do you work with development teams? I've used Jira for project management and have liked it but it's good when you're managing software projects as you can link tasks to actual development work and be able to track their work in one tool.
I use MS Project to layout moderately complex schedules, and while it's a great tool for managing dependencies, I have to patch it together with other tools in large complex organizations.
The license is expensive enough that who can install it is often limited, and some companies we partner with don't use it at all. When my schedules have a lot of dependencies between tasks, I need the schedule linkages, but it also must be accessible to wide audiences, I need it in another format that can be opened by anyone on the distribution. For that I convert the Project file to Milestones Professional for graphics editing, and then export that as a PowerPoint slide.
It is labor intensive to maintain changes so I only use it for specific things. For roughing out schedules I'll start with Visio network diagrams, and hand drawn "birds on a wire" or Gantt charts. When it gets more complicated, I hand off the schedule management ownership to a specialist and they often have the enterprise level tools like Primavera, which saves me a lot of work but is another job role needed in the team. Saving Changes...
Hi, has anyone migrated from Project Online to a different PPM tool? My company uses Project Online, which is retiring in Sept 26. Looking for any advice/recommendations on other PPM tools...
Do you work with development teams? I've used Jira for project management and have liked it but it's good when you're managing software projects as you can link tasks to actual development work and be able to track their work in one tool. Saving Changes...
The retirement of Microsoft Project Online is definitely prompting teams to rethink how they manage projects, with many exploring a mix of Microsoft Planner and other Microsoft tools. From what I’ve seen, some organizations are staying within the Microsoft ecosystem while others are transitioning to more flexible setups, often with help from providers like Apps4Rent to make the shift smoother. Saving Changes...
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