With Microsoft announcing the retirement of MS Project Online, many organizations are now asking: What's next?
If your company has relied on MS Project Online for project management, resource planning, and portfolio visibility, this shift can feel disruptive. But it's also an opportunity to evolve to a more scalable, cloud-native solution.
Now is the time to move beyond the limitations of Project Online and switch to a platform that does more than just track projects – it unites planning, execution, and portfolio management in real time.
Why Is Microsoft Discontinuing Project Online?
Microsoft's decision to retire Project Online is due to its legacy architecture. While Project Online has been an essential tool for scheduling, resource allocation, and portfolio management, it's tied to outdated systems that don't support the growing need for collaboration and agility in modern enterprises.
Businesses are now looking for cloud-native alternatives that offer advanced features, better resource planning, and cross-project visibility.
What to Look for in an MS Project Online Alternative?
When it comes to finding the right replacement for MS Project Online, the ideal solution should cover the following must-have features:
- ✅ Real-time project tracking
- ✅ Advanced resource management and portfolio visibility
- ✅ Cloud-native architecture that scales with your needs
- ✅ Seamless integrations with your existing tools
- ✅ Easy migration from MS Project Online
- ✅ AI-powered work management
- ✅ Flexible project management to support both traditional and agile methodologies
Why Is Businessmap the Best MS Project Online Alternative?
Businessmap goes beyond traditional project management tools. It's a cloud-native platform that combines project execution, portfolio management, and resource planning into one intuitive interface. This ensures alignment across your teams and provides leadership with real-time visibility.
Key Features & Benefits
Real-time Project Tracking
Many users are shifting to Businessmap for its ability to monitor the status of multiple projects and get insights that help them proactively adjust schedules and resources. The flexible boards and visual tracking tools ensure a clear overview of project timelines.
End-to-End Visibility Across Your Portfolio
In Businessmap, you can link individual projects to broader strategic objectives. This centralizes your portfolio visibility, providing real-time insights into overall project health across your organization.
Capacity & Resource Allocation
Businessmap visualizes tasks, priorities, projects, and deadlines for greater staff flexibility. Real-time workload and task status overviews enable smart resource allocation decisions that consistentlymeet deadlines.
AI-Enhanced Insights
With real-time predictive insights, you can make smarter decisions and reduce the impact of unexpected delays, all without relying on static reports.
Easy Migration from MS Project Online
You can import project data via Excel or API. The migration process is designed to be seamless, allowing you to get up and running in no time.
Businessmap offers a more scalable approach, with organizational management capabilities and not just team-level capabilities. Advanced metric analysis is a native feature of the tool, and there is no need for plugins or auxiliary tools. It allows for flow-oriented project management, not just Gantt chart-based management as is the case with MS Project.
— Adriel M, Management Consultant via Capterra (translated from Portuguese)
Feature Comparison: Businessmap vs. MS Project Online
Here's a breakdown of how Businessmap compares to MS Project Online on key features:
| Feature | MS Project Online | Businessmap |
|---|---|---|
| Core Features | Scheduling, Dependencies, Resource Planning | Customizable work management - flexible Kanban, Scrum and hybrid boards; Analytics with instant AI-enabled insights into performance data; Whiteboards for ideation and collaboration |
| Project Planning | Gantt charts, Critical Path | Gantt, Kanban, OKR, Portfolio Views, Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid Support |
| Project Portfolio Management (PPM) | Portfolio Views, Resource Allocation | Portfolio Roll-ups, Cross-Project Visibility, Strategic Mapping |
| Reporting | Power BI Integration, Custom Reports | Real-time Dashboards, AI-powered Insights, Custom Reports, Power BI Integration |
| Migration | Manual export/import | Easy migration through Excel or API |
| Integration with Microsoft Tools | Yes (Power BI, SharePoint) | Yes (Teams, Power BI, Azure) |
Why Businessmap Stands Out
Unlike MS Project Online, which primarily focuses on project scheduling, Businessmap goes beyond the basics. It connects strategy to execution, ensuring alignment between project goals and outcomes.
Here's what makes Businessmap stand out:
- Comprehensive work management, planning, and portfolio governance all in one platform
- Cross-project visibility that keeps your entire organization aligned
- Real-time insights and AI-powered decision-making to keep your projects on track
With Businessmap, you can manage projects, optimize resources, and align with your company's broader strategic objectives, all from one platform.
Case Study Insight: SSOE Group's Success with Businessmap
SSOE Group, a global leader in architecture, engineering, and construction management, optimized its project management workflows with Businessmap. By gaining real-time visibility into project statuses and work item progress, SSOE improved resource allocation and boosted efficiency, ensuring projects stayed on track and within budget.
Read Full Case StudyFAQs
Can I migrate my existing data from MS Project Online to Businessmap?
Yes! You can easily export your MS Project Online data and import it into Businessmap via Excel or an API. Businessmap also offers a dedicated migration service (add-on). Contact us
What are the best MS Project Online alternatives for enterprise PPM with resource planning and dependencies?
Businessmap offers real-time portfolio visibility, AI-driven insights, and a custom solution for resource management. OnePlan integrates within the MS 365 ecosystem and offers strong resource management and strategic portfolio planning features. Another option is Smartsheet, which offers resource allocation, portfolio visibility, and flexible project tracking.
What are the best MS Project Online alternatives with Gantt and Workload views?
Both Businessmap and Celoxis offer Gantt views, critical path tracking/hierarchies, and workload views, which are crucial for teams managing complex projects with many dependencies.
Is Businessmap only for project management?
No, it combines project execution, resource planning, portfolio visibility, and real-time reporting in one platform.
Does Businessmap integrate with Microsoft tools?
Yes, Businessmap integrates with Azure, Power BI, Microsoft Teams, and other tools you already use.
Iva Krasteva
Content Strategist | Agile Practitioner | Kanban Certified
Iva is a Kanban-certified Agile expert with hands-on experience in SEO, content creation, and Lean practices. She has published dozens of articles on Lean, Agile, and Kanban practical applications. Iva actively promotes collaborative, flexible work environments and regularly shares process optimization insights through writing.
