Microsoft Project Plan 1 vs Plan 3 vs Plan 5
Microsoft revamped its Project line-up plans recently. Scrapping the Project Essentials plan, it has launched a new plan after combining some major features from Project Online Professional and Project Online Premium. The new plan is called as Project Plan 1. Similarly, Microsoft is renaming the Project Online Professional plan to “Project Plan 3” and Project Online Premium plan to “Project Plan 5.”
Microsoft’s plan naming policies get standardized on the lines of its Office 365 Enterprise plans: Enterprise E1, Enterprise E3, and Enterprise E5.
We distinguish the new Microsoft Project plans: Plan 1 vs Plan 3 vs Plan 5 in the comparison table below:
MS Project Plan 1 | MS Project Plan 3 | MS Project Plan 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 user/monthBased on Annual Commitment | $30.00 user/monthBased on Annual Commitment | $55.00 user/monthBased on Annual Commitment | ||
| Basic task-oriented project features | ||||
| Project Home Access everything from a centralized location including recently worked files | ||||
| Grid view See everything in a grid form which makes managing projects easier | ||||
| Board view Custom and out-of-box task boards make the user experience better | ||||
| Gantt view Visual timeline view to understand the relationship between the projects | ||||
| Collaboration Communicate with your colleagues using Microsoft Teams | ||||
| Coauthoring Multiple people editing the same project file at the same time is supported seamlessly | ||||
| Popular scheduling tools Gantt charts and default templates keeps you on track of your schedule | ||||
| Pre-built reports Monitor the progress on projects, portfolios, resources, and programs | ||||
| Core features to manage and schedule projects | ||||
| Submit timesheets Calculate the time spent on project to the minutest of detail | ||||
| Project resource management Assigning resources to project tasks, request and lock-in resources | ||||
| Roadmap Visual interactive roadmaps to gain organizational visibility | ||||
| Desktop client Fully installed, up-to-date Project desktop application* | ||||
| Note: 5 PCs per person per license | ||||
| Advanced Portfolio Management features | ||||
| Selecting and optimizing portfolio Decide strategies by evaluating project proposals with various portfolio scenarios | ||||
| Managing demand Get project ideas from across the organization via methodical process | ||||
| ERP management Optimize assignments by monitoring how project resources are being used | ||||
| $10.00 user/monthBased on Annual Commitment | $30.00 user/monthBased on Annual Commitment | $55.00 user/monthBased on Annual Commitment | ||
Microsoft Project Plans– Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Project Online Essentials and Project Plan 1 same?
Categorically, no. Though it appears that Microsoft has just renamed its Project plans, which is true for Project Plan 3 and Plan 5, but Project Plan 1 is not exactly same as Project Online Essentials. Project Plan 1 has been redesigned after incorporating a few useful features from higher plans (Support for Gantt charts and pre-built reports), while some features from Project Online Essentials have been deprecated (Example: Submitting timesheets). Also, Project Online Essentials was priced at $7, while Project Plan 1 costs $10.
Do I need licenses for team members who just want to view and mark tasks as complete?
Though this is being worked upon, there will be a need for licenses. It can be converted into an extension as the product gradually evolves. As of now, licenses will be required. Keep checking this space for more.
Do the plans have in-built integrations with other useful Microsoft apps?
Yes. Microsoft Project is part of Microsoft 365, and comes with default connections to popular Microsoft apps like Teams, MS Office, SharePoint, Power BI and more
What if I already have a Project subscription plan before this revamp?
If you already have a Project subscription plan, you must have received a notification from Microsoft to use the new Project offering. It’s intuitive, fresh, and makes working on project fun. If you haven’t received subscription, contact our Support team now. We’ll set it up for you!
Does Project Plan 3 and Plan 5 consist the features of Plan 1?
Yes. Project Plan 3 consists all the features available in Project Plan 1. Similarly, Project Plan 5 consists all the features of Project Plan 3.
What is included in Project Plan 5?
Project Plan 5, earlier known as Project Online Premium, you get all the features of Project Plan 3. Apart from the premium features like demand management, portfolio optimization and analysis, enterprise resource management, you get additional features: Consolidated view, BurnDown and Resource Overview, and more.
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