8 Best Microsoft Planner Competitors and Alternatives for 2024
Author : Digitalnewspoint Last Updated, Mar 7, 2024, 6:52 PM
Technology
Microsoft Planner is one of the many business solutions available with a Microsoft 365 subscription. It offers classic project management tools like different work views for personalization, integrations with outside apps and task-tracking options. With the subscription, you get access to several other Microsoft applications as well. The software itself is great, but it may not be the best fit for everyone.
In this list, we explore a number of competitors and alternatives with similar features. But if you want to learn a little more about Microsoft Planner and its capabilities, you should first see our review of Microsoft Planner.
Teams that don’t have super complex projects and prefer something easy to get started with can appreciate Trello. It’s beginner-friendly, and while it may not be overflowing with features, it thrives in minimalist design.
Pricing
Standard: $5 per user per month billed annually, or $6 per user per month billed monthly.
Premium: $10 per user per month billed annually, or $12.50 per user per month billed monthly.
Enterprise: $17.50 per user per month billed annually. It has no month-to-month option.
Features
Multiple work views including Kanban, table, calendar, map, timeline and dashboard (Figure A).
Custom fields for project-specific needs.
Task management for assigning each team member different project parts.
Ability to integrate with over 200 applications.
Mobile versions for iOS and Android.
Figure A: A Kanban view in Trello. Image: Trello.
Pros
All plans have unlimited storage for their workspace (but there are individual file limits).
Intuitive and easy to learn.
The free plan comes with two-factor authentication.
Affordable for big teams and freelancers.
Great for Agile Scrum workflows with a sprint system.
Cons
Different work views are limited between plans, i.e., Free and Standard only have Kanban.
The premium tier can only deactivate members.
Enterprise plan has most of the admin controls, like governance and user provisioning.
Not the best platform for detailed projects with extensive data to organize.
Top integrations
Trello’s top integrations include:
Slack.
Jira.
Google Drive.
Confluence.
Dropbox.
Why we picked Trello
Trello caught our eye through its intuitive, board-based approach to project management, which makes it an intuitive and accessible asset for teams of all sizes. It’s flexible and has a wide range of integrations that make it easy to adapt to all sorts of visual project needs.
ClickUp is a project management tool for all-purpose needs. You will have access to automation, custom work views, collaboration and high-level security. If you’re looking for an array of tools and features to personalize your workspace and stay on top of projects, then you should consider Clickup.
Pricing
Unlimited: $7 per user per month billed annually, or $10 per user per month billed monthly.
Business: $12 per user per month billed annually, or $19 per user per month billed monthly.
Enterprise: Custom pricing.
Features
Multiple work views to personalize your workspace including Kanban, timeline, table, map and more (Figure B).
Unlimited file storage for paid plans.
Built-in option for video recording.
Time tracking and reporting for staying on top of tasks.
Natural language processing (NLP) can be used for scheduling in all plans.
Workspace templates available to make setup easier for your team.
ClickUp AI add-on for writing and editing content.
Figure B: Multiple views available in ClickUp. Image: ClickUp.
Pros
Task automation for streamlining workflow.
All plans have access to over 50 native integrations.
All plans have at least two-factor authentication.
24/7 support (via Help Center) is available for all subscriptions, including the Free plan.
Feature-rich enough to handle Agile Scrum projects with higher volumes of data or information.
Cons
Business plan required to remove branding from emails.
Only Business Plus and Enterprise can create custom roles for team members.
Scrum teams may not like that only the Business plan has sprint reporting.
Only Enterprise can have HIPAA compliance.
Guests on paid plans are limited and charged unless they are view-only.
The software can get pricey the more users and guests you add.
Top integrations
ClickUp’s top integrations include:
Slack.
HubSpot.
Make.
Gmail.
Zoom.
Why we picked ClickUp
ClickUp is a versatile platform with customizable features for task management, document collaboration and goal tracking, meaning that it’s a great fit for projects that need flexibility and scalability. It’s easy to use and has a clean user interface, too.
Zoho Projects, like Microsoft Planner, is part of a suite of business software solutions. It can integrate with Zoho’s brand — full of applications to help with marketing, analytics and collaboration. If you’re looking for a powerful tool that comes with more value for the price, then Zoho Projects is worth taking a peek at.
Pricing
Free: For up to two projects.
Premium: $4 per user per month billed annually, or $5 per user per month billed monthly.
Enterprise: $9 per user per month billed annually, or $10 per user per month billed monthly.
Features
Multiple work views like Gantt charts, kanban and lists for project visualizations.
Task dependency, which ensures certain steps are not completed out of order.
Integrations with the Zoho suite, including Zoho CRM, Zoho Analytics and Zia AI chatbot.
Also integrates with Google and Microsoft products, as well as Slack, Zapier and Zendesk.
Time tracking for tasks and employees (Figure C).
Custom statuses for tasks with unique steps.
Figure C: Time tracking in Zoho Projects. Image: Zoho.
Pros
Has problems tracking to catch issues with notifications or links.
Teams have unlimited projects in Premium and Enterprise.
Large amounts of storage space, from 5 GB in the Free plan to 100 GB in the next plan up.
Cons
The Free plan only allows two projects and no exporting.
Custom roles capability is only available in Enterprise.
No guest users except read-only users, which are only available in Enterprise and are capped at 10.
Top integrations
Zoho Projects’ top integrations include:
Zoho Apps.
Google Apps.
Microsoft Apps.
Some CRMs.
Why we picked Zoho Projects
We selected Zoho Projects for its wide integration ecosystem, which allows it to seamlessly connect with a wide range of both Zoho apps and third-party tools. This connectivity enhances project management workflows and enhances collaboration and efficiency in project execution.
Asana is a popular project management tool with some of the best capabilities for collaboration, such as multiple work views, customization, integrations and the ability to add unlimited guests to a paid account. If you don’t need full access for every collaborator, Asana is one way to get powerful functionality while offering cost savings.
Pricing
Personal: Free for up to 10 users.
Starter: $10.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.49 per user per month billed monthly.
Advanced: $24.99 per user per month billed annually, or $30.49 per user per month billed monthly.
Features
Multiple work views such as lists, calendars, boards and forms (Figure D).
Over 100 integrations with apps like Microsoft Teams, Adobe CC, Slack and Tableau.
Custom fields and coloring for personalized labels.
Workflow Builder for task and task assignment automation.
Admin console for managing team members, insights, payment and security.
Ability to add task dependencies so there’s an order of operations to your project.
Mobile version for iOS and Android.
Figure D: Board view in Asana. Image: Asana.
Pros
You can view workloads to get the current status of your team’s progress.
The free plan comes with 15 users, unlimited projects, integration access and multi-factor authentication.
The Premium plans offer teams unlimited free guests to their accounts.
Asana Intelligence can help your team with resource management.
Large teams with contractors can benefit from unlimited, free guests.
Cons
Can have a strong learning curve for beginners.
24/7 support is only available on the Enterprise plan.
Guests can’t create or add anything to a workspace for team collaboration; you need to buy more seats.
The Free plan doesn’t allow guests and isn’t ideal for big teams.
Top integrations
Asana’s top integrations are:
Google Drive.
Microsoft Teams.
Slack.
Zoom.
Salesforce.
Why we picked Asana
Asana offers extensive task management and workflow customization capabilities, providing teams with the tools needed for detailed project planning and execution, along with seamless integration with other key software. Its feature set is much more expansive compared to Planner.
Evernote is an affordable choice for personal, freelance and small team projects. If your workflow includes taking endless notes and saving research, ideas and drawings, then Evernote is worth looking into.
Pricing
Personal: $129.99 per user for the year, or $14.99 per user monthly.
Professional: $169.99 per user for the year, or $17.99 per user monthly.
Teams: $249.99 per user for the year, or $20.83 per user monthly.
Features
Customizable home page to focus on your preference of task or information (Figure E).
Teams can utilize built-in encryption in their notebooks (on Mac and Windows).
Include reminders in your notes so you can avoid losing track of important tasks or information.
Users can save searches to jump back into.
Character recognition search that can check images, PDFs and handwritten notes.
Uninterrupted workflow with offline access to notebooks.
Integrations like Slack, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams and Google Drive.
Drawing tools for sketching and handwriting notes.
Figure E: Task information displayed in Evernote. Image: Evernote.
Pros
Two-factor authentication with all plans.
Easily share your notebook with all plans.
Share notes with view and edit restrictions, even in the Free plan.
Free is a good option for freelancers or personal organizational needs.
Cons
Most plans are designed for personal use and only the Evernote Teams plan will work for large teams.
Only Evernote Teams has real support — on other plans, you can only submit requests on a ticketing system.
Free plan does not include integrations.
Only the Professional tier lets you export notebooks as PDFs.
Top integrations
Evernote’s top integrations include:
Google Calendar.
Google Drive.
Gmail.
Slack.
Microsoft Outlook.
Why we picked Evernote
Evernote made our list because of its exceptional note-taking and information organization capabilities. Its ability to sync across devices and integrate with productivity tools makes it an invaluable resource for keeping project information centralized and accessible.
Basecamp is a project management tool designed to be budget friendly for bigger teams with equally big projects. It has a subscription for smaller teams as well at $15 per user a month, but its unlimited users plan for one monthly fee of $299 makes it especially useful for bulk needs. You can stay on top of tasks with reporting and direct message teammates in the software.
Pricing
Basecamp: $15 per user per month billed monthly.
Basecamp Pro Unlimited: $299 per month billed annually, or $349 per month billed monthly.
Features
Different work views including Kanban, timeline and one-page dashboard
Direct in-app messaging and the ability to create groups (Figure F).
Communication preferences to set boundaries in your team.
Real-time insights into project activity.
Connect your favorite applications as “doors” in Basecamp, like Adobe CC, Slack and Zoho.
Figure F: Campfire in Basecamp, facilitating group conversations. Image: Basecamp.
Pros
Basecamp Pro Unlimited offers unlimited users for a flat fee each month.
Unlimited projects in both plans.
Teams can invite guests to their projects for free.
30-day free trial with no credit card down.
Can be affordable for companies that want access for the majority of their team.
Cons
No free plan and the two plans it has are expensive.
Fewer customization capabilities to personalize your workspace.
It’s not as feature-rich as other project management tools, which may not make it worth the price.
Not as many work views for your workspace.
Steep learning curve.
Top integrations
Basecamp’s top integrations include:
Slack.
Google Drive.
Trello.
Zapier.
GitHub.
Why we picked Basecamp
Basecamp is a simple Microsoft Planner alternative that takes an all-in-one approach to project management and team communication. Its focus on centralizing discussions, tasks and files makes it worth considering for teams that want a straightforward way to manage their projects.
Wrike’s strength is managing complex projects as it delivers a highly adaptable and customizable platform that’s perfect for a wide range of project requirements. Its strength lies in how it molds to the specific needs of a project, offering a range of views, integrations and workflow automation tools. Wrike is adaptable enough to support a wide spectrum of project types, from simple tasks to comprehensive, multi-layered projects.
Pricing
Free: For up to five users.
Team: $9.80 per user per month.
Business: $24.80 per user per month.
Enterprise: Customized pricing.
Pinnacle: Customized pricing.
Features
Customizable dashboards and workflows for tailored project management.
Interactive Gantt charts for planning and visualizing project timelines.
Advanced reporting capabilities for in-depth project insights (Figure G).
Real-time collaboration tools to keep teams aligned and informed.
Figure G: Reporting dashboard in Wrike. Image: Wrike.
Pros
Highly customizable workflows and dashboards.
Comprehensive reporting and analytical tools.
Robust integration options with popular software.
Cons
May have a steep learning curve for new users.
Advanced features and customization can be overwhelming for smaller teams.
Top integrations
Wrike integrates with the following:
Salesforce.
Tableau.
Slack.
Microsoft Teams.
Adobe Creative Cloud.
Why we picked Wrike
We picked Wrike for its exceptional adaptability to complex project requirements. Its comprehensive suite of customization options allows project managers to tailor the platform to their precise needs, enhancing efficiency and ensuring project success. This level of customization, combined with Wrike’s robust set of integrations, makes it a standout choice for managing intricate projects with multiple moving parts.
monday work management is a visual project management tool that brings simplicity and effectiveness to the project collaboration table. It delivers an intuitive platform that facilitates team communication and project tracking, and its visual interface and customizable features make it accessible for teams of all sizes.
Pricing
Free: For up to two seats.
Basic: $9 per seat per month billed annually, or $12 per seat billed monthly.
Standard: $12 per seat per month billed annually, or $14 per seat billed monthly.
Pro: $19 per seat per month billed annually, or $24 per seat billed monthly.
Features
User-friendly interface with customizable boards for various project types.
Visual project tracking with timeline and Gantt chart views.
Automation and integration capabilities to streamline workflows (Figure H).
Figure H: Automation center in monday.com. Image: monday.com.
Pros
Intuitive and easy to use, even for those new to project management software.
Versatile project views cater to different management styles and needs.
Strong collaboration features to keep teams connected and productive.
Cons
Per-user pricing can become costly as teams grow.
Some users may find the interface cluttered with large volumes of tasks.
Top integrations
monday.com integrates with:
Slack.
Google Drive.
Microsoft Teams.
Salesforce.
Zoom.
Why we picked monday work management
We chose monday work management for its user-friendly design and strong emphasis on collaboration, making it ideal for teams looking to simplify their project management practices. Additionally, its flexibility and wide range of integrations allow for seamless adaptation to all kinds of project needs.
Microsoft Planner is brimming with functionality. Teams have multiple ways to personalize their workspace and can access their data from desktop and mobile versions while on the go. You can get specific insights into individual task status using pie and bar charts.
If your team has been considering a Microsoft 365 subscription, then Microsoft Planner is certainly an added benefit. The cost can get expensive if you have a large or growing team, but with it come top-tier productivity tools.
You will have access to PowerPoint for presentations, Word for writing up reports on instructional materials and other Project Management tools like OneNote. Teams with multifaceted projects that need to store and organize large volumes of data and research can greatly benefit from classics like Excel and Access.
Whether Microsoft Planner is the best choice for you comes down to whether your team has used and enjoys using Microsoft applications. A Microsoft 365 subscription is a great deal for the price, but it will never be worth it if you’re only buying it for one application.
Microsoft Planner pros and cons
With a project tool like Microsoft Planner, there is so much that you can do with it. However, it can be a double-edged sword for some. While it doesn’t include all possible notes, the table below covers some important pros and cons:
Pros
Cons
Offers three work views, board (kanban), chart and schedule (calendar).
No Gantt charts.
Integrates with powerful Microsoft tech stack.
Steep learning curve.
30-day free trial (requires a credit card).
No free plan.
Microsoft Planner pricing
Teams that want to use Microsoft Planner will need to buy a Microsoft 365 subscription. You can get the software in the Business and Enterprise plans. All plan tiers are priced per user per month and billed annually.
For Business plans:
Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6.00 per user per month.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 per user per month.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $22.00 per user per month.
For enterprise plans:
Microsoft 365 F3: $8.00 per user per month.
Microsoft 365 E3: $36.00 per user per month.
Microsoft 365 F5: $57.00 per user per month.
Do you need an alternative to Microsoft Planner?
Microsoft Planner is a highly integrated software in the Microsoft 365 subscription, but it’s not right for everyone. Teams that aren’t used to Microsoft products may experience a higher learning curve and may need to adjust their tech stack to accommodate it.
If you’re not quite sure if Microsoft Planner is right for you and want to consider alternatives, then start with the software on this list. Many of them have free plans or trials you can use to test drive the software. For those that don’t have a free plan or trial, you can watch some YouTube tutorials of the application to see how it works — and be sure to bring in the main stakeholders within your company to make a more informed decision.
Methodology
When it came to making this list, we considered alternatives that could offer more affordable services as well as software well suited to bigger companies. Microsoft products are full of high-end office features, but for alternatives, we included project management software for users who may want something simpler or something with different workflow options. Each application on the list has its own unique assets for all sorts of project needs.
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