Microsoft Project Management Tool Overview: Project, Portfolio & Resource Management – Across the Company

By now, there is a list of Microsoft project management tools. If your company is working with Microsoft software, you are probably looking for an aligned project and portfolio management (PPM) solution. Which Microsoft project management tool is the right one for your purposes largely depends on the complexity of your projects.

This article will give you an overview of the most important Microsoft PPM tools. We will cover the following topics:

• Microsoft software for project management
• Microsoft To Do – Getting started with work management
• Microsoft Planner Basic – Simple work management
• Microsoft Planner Premium – Individual project with structure and Gantt
• Microsoft Project Standard – The proven standalone solution
• Microsoft Project Server (on premises) and Project Online (in the cloud)
• Project management based on the Microsoft Power Platform (TPG ProjectPowerPack)
• Enterprise-wide resource management (TPG CoReSuite)
• Conclusion – Microsoft Project Management Tool Overview

Let us get started.

Microsoft Software for Project Management

Choosing the right Microsoft project management tool is strategically crucial for your project success. You will find plenty to choose from in the wide variety on offer. It ranges from tools such as Microsoft To Do, a simple individual task overview, to Microsoft Planner, useful for work administration in small teams through to complex solutions such as Microsoft Project and Planner Premium (formerly Project for the Web) for project managers.

When it comes to multi-project and portfolio management, Microsoft Project Server (on premises), its cloud version Project Online as well as solutions based on Microsoft 365 or Power Platform such as TPG ProjectPowerPack are available.

As different projects and teams have very different requirements, Microsoft project management software is rarely a case of one-size-fits-all. An integrated software landscape, that can be connected via Microsoft Teams as a communication hub, for example, is an effective solution that will have high acceptance among users. In addition, it often makes sense to integrate the PPM tool with other systems such as SAP or Jira. This enables a smooth data exchange in the background. At the same time, everyone is working with the latest data.

Our practical tip: Before you go out looking for a new Microsoft project management tool, define the requirements of the different departments and project types clearly.

For comparison, we will start out with an overview of the Microsoft project management tools described in more detail below.

Microsoft To Do – Getting Started with Work Management

Microsoft To Do is a simple task app: you can list and sort all your work items. The tool contains a My-Day list for your daily tasks and enables you to create additional lists to organize your work, projects, groceries, etc. It gathers all tasks assigned to you – for instance from flagged Outlook e-mails and Action Items in MS Teams – in one place automatically.

However, To Do is limited to personal or very simple team scenarios. The tool is a helpful starting point for work management but not an adequate alternative to professional project management tools. This is why Microsoft itself expressly recommends To Do for solo tasks – other more suitable tools should be used for projects. You will learn more about those below.

Microsoft Planner Basic – For Simple Work Management

Microsoft Planner Basic serves as a Microsoft tool for getting started in project management. This tool provides effective support for collaboration in smaller teams as well as personal planning. Often regarded as a good starting point for “small projects”, this tool can be used either as a web app or integrated into Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft Planner Basic provides you with several useful views. These include:

• Filterable table view of the tasks as a flat list, without hierarchy
• Calendar
• Kanban Board
• Graphical view (e.g. visualization of the number of tasks per person)

A mobile app enables access from anywhere.

A task in Microsoft Planner Basic can:

• Contain a checklist
• Be added to a bucket (buckets must be defined per plan)
• Have labels (labels must be defined per plan)
• Be assigned to one or more individuals
• Contain comments by different individuals
• Contain documents and hyperlinks

Important limitation: The information only ever applies to the respective plan with the number of tasks that are planned in it. It is impossible to create a joint evaluation of several plans.

In the Task Details, you are limited to set fields. Aside from the Task Name, you can only enter the following information:

• Start / End
• Reminder
• Status
• Priority
• Recurrence

Custom fields for additional specific information, such as additional numeric values, text or flags, are not available in Planner Basic.

Our rating: In its basic form, Planner provides options for a very limited “mini project management”. It enables team collaboration but is used more for personal task planning.

Reading tip: This is where you can learn about integrating MS Project with Planner.

Microsoft Planner Premium – Individual Project with Structure and Gantt

A more advanced Microsoft project management tool, Planner Premium (Planner Plan 1, formerly „Project for the Web“) was designed for collaborative planning in small teams and for individual project management. This browser-based tool is suitable for simple projects whose complexity exceeds the basic options of Planner Basic. Parallel editing of content items is possible without any problems.

Planner Premium is based on the Microsoft Power Platform which makes it easier to integrate into a Microsoft 365 project management environment.

Compared to the basic version, Planner Premium offers you significant enhancements for structured project management. These include for example:

• Board that also support Sprints
• Gantt chart for visual scheduling with a timeline

A hierarchical structure can be mapped, if you use Summary Tasks, individual Tasks and Milestones. You can define dependencies by setting links between Tasks and Milestones.

For tracking changes, there is a Task History. An integrated chat facilitates communication directly in the Task.

For more detailed information, you can create custom fields for tasks and use conditional formatting in the cells in the Task Table.

In the area of resource management, Planner Premium permits a simple definition of capacities for individuals via calendars and the assignment of people to Tasks with working hours.

In addition, you can define Goals and link them to Tasks.

By using Microsoft Copilot, you can create entire project plans with Tasks and Sub-tasks based on AI.

Important limitation: As regards scheduling, you should note that the tool only has a fixed Gantt chart which does not display additional columns directly in the chart. It only shows the names of the Tasks.

Reading tip: Project for the Web Becoming Planner – All You Need to Know

Note: Find another feature comparison for Planner Basic / Premium in table format on this Microsoft page.

Our rating: Planner Premium, based on Microsoft Power Platform, offers collaborative plan editing for small teams and small plans in individual project management as well as simple resource management. The tool is not suitable as the sole tool for enterprise-wide PPM, but it can take on sub-tasks in a PPM solution.

Microsoft Project Standard – The Proven Standalone Solution

In the standard version, Microsoft Project is one of the most widely used tools for complex, traditional project management worldwide. Unlike Microsoft Planner Basic, however, MS Project is not an integral part of Microsoft 365 / Office365 – i.e. each user needs an additional license – either as a subscription to “Project Online Plan 3” or as a purchase license.

As a standalone app, MS Project Standard is used locally on the desktop. In most cases, the project files are saved locally or on file servers in MPP format. This may work well when used in individual project management by one project manager. Yet, in a multi-project environment, this has severe disadvantages.

Some of the disadvantages of local use are:

• No central database
• No consistent project list
• Lack of visibility across projects
• Complicated cross-project resource management
• No standardized reporting
• Versioning problems
• High manual effort for the demonstration of project progress

Working with individual files that are sent back and forth resembles the well-known “Excel chaos”. These are conditions which companies with a higher PM maturity level have left behind by implementing a database-driven centralized PPM tool.

In addition to the standard version, there is also the MS Project Professional (Planner & Project Plan 3) version. It offers the same functionality as the standard, but it can also connect itself as a client to Microsoft Project Server / Project Online. You will get to know these two database-driven PPM tools below.

Our rating: Microsoft Project Professional is a powerful tool for planning individual projects in detail. It focuses on functions such as the Gantt chart and the Task Outline structure. Yet, the tool only unfolds its potential for enterprise-wide project management in conjunction with a server solution, i.e. with central data storage, without the distributed MPP files.

Microsoft Project Server and Project Online

Project Server (on premises)

Microsoft Project Server is installed and operated within your company’s own IT infrastructure. The data is saved on your own servers (on premises). This requires setup and maintenance of components such as:

• Microsoft SQL Server
• SharePoint Server Subscription Edition
• Project Server Subscription Edition

The current version is Microsoft Project Server Subscription Edition (more detail on this Microsoft page).

Access is typically via the Microsoft Project Professional Client (purchase license), the Project Online Desktop Client (subscription) or the Project Web App via browser.

Project Server can be adapted as needed to the requirements of individual companies. Its central database offers many functions for complex project planning. These are, for example:

• Multi-project management
• Portfolio management
• Resource management
• Central project list
• Time tracking
• Complex scheduling
• Plan editing with CheckIn / CheckOut (no parallel editing)
• Plan templates depending on project size
• Many more

Reading tip: Microsoft Project Server – These are the advantages over the MS Project standalone version without central data storage

Though Microsoft is no longer developing Project Server further, it still runs stably and is therefore a reliable solution in your own infrastructure. As so many companies are using it, Microsoft will continue to offer the tool for many years to come.

Our rating: Microsoft Project Server on premises has been a proven and powerful solution for comprehensive multi-project and portfolio management for many years. It can be adapted to all requirements as needed. Compared to the cloud version, Project Online, the solution offers more control, especially when it comes to data security thanks to local data storage. However, this always required more internal effort for operation and maintenance. The tools is well suited for enterprise-wide, complex project and portfolio management.

Microsoft Project Online (in the Cloud)

Microsoft Project Online (Planner & Project Plan 5) is a cloud-based (SaaS) solution. Its functionality for users is largely identical with Project Server on premises. Compared to Project Server, data storage in the cloud reduces internal infrastructure costs.

As with Project Server, access is via the Project Professional Client, Online Desktop Client or the Project Web App.

Some of the benefits of Project Online:

• Easy to get started: You will not incur any expenses for the project and portfolio management infrastructure. Billing for users is on a simple user basis and is available from approx. 50 EUR per user and month, all inclusive! (View current Microsoft prices.)
• Security: Microsoft 365 offers disaster recovery options, redundant back-ups and extensive protection of personal data. Filters prevent spam and viruses.
• Guaranteed availability: Microsoft offers guaranteed system availability and 24/7 telephone support.

Switching from Project Online to the local Microsoft Project Server is possible at any time. In the light or Project Online retirement in 2026 this topic is more relevant than ever.

Our rating: Project Online is a powerful cloud solution for comprehensive project and portfolio management that includes everything and can be set up very quickly. The options it provides are almost identical to Project Server, but its central database is in the Microsoft Cloud. This reduces the internal effort for operation and maintenance. Suitable for enterprise-wide, complex project and portfolio management.

Reading tips:

• Information about the Retirement of Project Online Workflows in 2026.
• Information about Project Online Retirement in 2026 and migration options

Project Management Based on the Microsoft Power Platform (Example TPG ProjectPowerPack)

The Microsoft Power Platform is an integrated no code / low code platform which allows you to create apps, automate workflows, analyze data and develop chatbots. It includes Power BI, Power Automate and Power Virtual Agents. The data is stored in the cloud-based, central Microsoft database (Dataverse).

TPG ProjectPowerPack is based on the modern Microsoft Power Platform. At the heart of the tool is a large collection of proven best-practice methods for project, portfolio, resource and work management. These can be freely combined with your preferred scheduling tool – e.g. Planner Premium, TPG Scheduler, Microsoft Project, etc. – this is the main difference to Project Server / Online.

In addition, it is easy to integrate the tool into the MS Teams collaboration platform.

Depending on the planning tool used, TPG ProjectPowerPack offers functions such as:

• Multi-project Gantt Chart
• Configurable views
• Cross-project links
• Combined project and task planning
• Many PM methods and functions
• Flexible resource management
• Extensive collection of reports in Power BI

The modern interface of TPG ProjectPowerPack means that little training is required. It can also be adapted to new processes quickly via configuration.

The tool can be integrated into Microsoft Teams and uses components such as Power BI for reports.

Our rating: TPG ProjectPowerPack provides a modern and powerful PPM solution based on the Power Platform and uses its centralized data storage. Its low complexity in operation and integration into the modern Microsoft 365 world (Microsoft Teams in particular) offer advantages to companies looking for a quick way to get started as well as high user acceptance.

Enterprise-Wide Resource Management (TPG CoReSuite)

Unlike the tools named above, TPG CoReSuite focuses on enterprise-wide resource management. The explicit focus on this area is designed to increase acceptance. It also makes TPG CoReSuite a specialized solution which is particularly relevant for organizations with major resource conflicts.

Tactical Resource Planning – Coordination Project / Line Management

In the first use case, TPG CoReSuite supports the coordination process for resource assignment between project manager and team leader as team management software. This is done by mapping the request for, and commitment of, resources. Thanks to the consideration of absences and operations, the actual availability of their team members for projects becomes clearly visible.

Capacity and Portfolio Planning

In addition, the tool offers capacity planning and resource planning in portfolios as a second use case. This helps optimize the portfolio from the perspective of enterprise-wide resource availability. It also includes saving scenarios for coordination in decision-making bodies.

TPG CoReSuite can be installed locally in your own environment or in the Microsoft Cloud as required.

Our rating: TPG CoReSuite is a specialized solution for enterprise-wide resource management that supports the complex coordination between project and team management as well as the optimization of the portfolio from a resource perspective. The tool is particularly suitable for companies whose primary challenge is resource planning for which they require a specialized, integrated solution.

Reading tip: Capacity Planning in Project Management – 4 Success Factors

Conclusion – Microsoft Project Management Tool Overview

This article has given you a comprehensive overview of the most important Microsoft tools for project and portfolio management – from simple task apps like Microsoft To Do to team solutions such as Planner Basic and Premium through to the professional PPM solutions Microsoft Project Desktop Client and Project Server / Online. Plus, you are now familiar with the benefits of advanced, integrated platforms such as TPG ProjectPowerPack based on the Microsoft Power Platform and the specialized TPG CoReSuite solution for enterprise-wide resource management.

The article has clearly shown: there are suitable Microsoft project management tools for every project environment and every PM maturity level. It is crucial that you define your requirements and pay attention to integration, scalability and ease of use.

This is how you ensure a successful approach to future-proof project management with Microsoft technology. Do you have any questions regarding tools, implementation of optimization? Then, we look forward to your comment below or to hearing from you through other channels.

Our final tips

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Are you using a Microsoft project management tool? Anything you would like to add? Let us know your questions in a comment below.

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