⏰ Deadline: September 30, 2026

Microsoft Project Online is retiring.
Your data will be deleted.

The complete migration guide. Data export walkthrough, honest alternative comparison, and a realistic transition plan for IT managers and PMOs.

Last updated: March 12, 2026

In this guide:
  1. What's happening and why
  2. Key dates and critical deadlines
  3. What's affected (and what's not)
  4. How to export your data (step-by-step)
  5. Complete backup checklist
  6. Microsoft's suggested paths (honest assessment)
  7. Third-party alternative comparison
  8. Head-to-head: Project Online vs. each alternative
  9. Real cost comparison
  10. Our recommendation by use case
  11. Migration plan (month-by-month)
  12. Frequently asked questions

1. What's happening and why

After more than a decade, Microsoft is retiring Project Online on September 30, 2026. This was first signaled back in 2018 when Microsoft announced a "future vision" for Project, and it's now official.

The reason: Project Online is built on legacy SharePoint architecture that limits Microsoft's ability to innovate. Microsoft is moving project management into Planner (which now absorbs "Project for the web") and investing in AI-powered tools like the Project Manager agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot.

After September 30, 2026:

Microsoft will not automatically migrate your data. You are responsible for exporting everything before the retirement date. After September 30, 2026, there is no recovery option.

2. Key dates and critical deadlines

2018
Microsoft signals "future vision" for Project, hinting at eventual Project Online sunset.
October 1, 2025
End of sale for new Project Online-only SKUs. Existing customers can still renew.
Now
Migration window open. Export data, evaluate alternatives, begin transition.
April 2, 2026
⚠️ SharePoint 2013 workflows removed. Any workflows built on this will break before the main retirement. Plan for this separately.
September 30, 2026
Project Online officially retired. All data permanently inaccessible.

3. What's affected (and what's not)

Affected (retiring)

NOT affected (continues working)

If you only use Project Desktop to create .mpp files locally and never used Project Online/PWA, you are not affected by this retirement.

4. How to export your data (step-by-step)

Project Online data lives in multiple places. You need to export from each one separately.

4.1 Export project plans as .mpp files

This is the most important export. Your project schedules, tasks, dependencies, resources, baselines, and actuals are all in the project plan.

  1. Open Project Desktop (Project Professional or Project Standard)
  2. Connect to your Project Online instance
  3. Open each project
  4. Save As → local .mpp file
  5. Repeat for every project in your portfolio

For large portfolios: If you have dozens or hundreds of projects, manual export is impractical. Use the OData API to programmatically list all projects, then script the downloads. Microsoft's ProjectData OData endpoint (https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/pwa/_api/ProjectData) provides access to projects, tasks, resources, and assignments.

4.2 Export resource pools and assignments

  1. In PWA, go to Server Settings → Enterprise Resource Pool
  2. Export the resource list (names, roles, rates, availability)
  3. Check each project for resource assignments and custom fields

4.3 Export custom fields and lookup tables

If your organization uses custom enterprise fields (project status fields, priority classifications, department codes, etc.), these need to be documented manually:

  1. Go to PWA → Server Settings → Enterprise Custom Fields and Lookup Tables
  2. Document every custom field: name, type, formula (if calculated), lookup table values
  3. Screenshot the configuration. These cannot be exported as a file.

4.4 Export views, dashboards, and reports

  1. Take screenshots of all custom PWA views
  2. Export any Power BI reports connected to Project Online OData feeds
  3. Save the OData query URLs you use for reporting (you'll need to recreate these)
  4. If you have Excel reports connected via OData, save them as static files

4.5 Export timesheets and actuals

If your organization uses Project Online for time tracking:

  1. Export timesheet data via OData (TimesheetLines and TimesheetPeriods entities)
  2. This data is critical for billing, compliance, and historical reference
  3. Consider exporting to a database or structured CSV for long-term storage

4.6 Export workflows and business rules

If you use project demand management workflows (stage gates, approval processes):

  1. Document each workflow: stages, gates, approval conditions, actions
  2. Note: SharePoint 2013 workflows will stop working on April 2, 2026, before the main retirement
  3. If you use Power Automate flows connected to Project Online, save the flow definitions

Do this now, not in September. The OData endpoints and PWA will become increasingly unreliable as Microsoft winds down the service. Export early, verify the completeness, then do a final export closer to the deadline to catch recent changes.

5. Complete backup checklist

6. Microsoft's suggested paths (honest assessment)

Microsoft recommends three migration paths. Here's an honest assessment of each:

Option A: Planner (with premium features)

What it is: Microsoft's modern work management tool. The "premium" tier (included in Planner and Project Plan 3/5) adds Gantt charts, dependencies, baselines, and portfolio views. Now includes the AI-powered "Project Manager agent" for Copilot users.

Honest take: Planner is good for simple to moderate project management. It handles task tracking, Gantt charts, and basic dependencies well. But it does NOT replicate Project Online's full PPM capabilities. If you relied on advanced resource management, earned value analysis, demand management workflows, or complex multi-project scheduling, Planner will feel like a significant downgrade. Good for teams that were using 30% of Project Online's features. Not enough for PMOs running enterprise portfolios.

Option B: Project Server Subscription Edition (on-premises)

What it is: The on-premises version of Project Server, running on SharePoint Server. Closest feature-match to Project Online.

Honest take: If you need the full PPM feature set and want to stay in the Microsoft ecosystem, this is the closest match. But you're trading cloud convenience for on-premises infrastructure. You need servers, SharePoint Server, SQL Server, and IT staff to maintain it. For organizations that were on Project Online specifically to avoid on-premises infrastructure, this is a step backwards. Also consider: for how long will Microsoft keep investing in Project Server when their strategy clearly favors cloud/Planner?

Option C: Dynamics 365 Project Operations

What it is: Part of the Dynamics 365 suite. Focused on project-based services businesses (consulting firms, professional services). Includes time tracking, expense management, resource scheduling, and project financials.

Honest take: This is the right choice only if you're a services business that needs project accounting and financial integration. For general project/portfolio management, it's overkill and very expensive. Most Project Online customers are not the target audience for Dynamics 365.

Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our recommendations, which are based on independent research.

7. Third-party alternative comparison

If you're open to leaving the Microsoft ecosystem, several mature project management platforms can replace Project Online. We researched five that are commonly evaluated by teams migrating from Microsoft Project.

Feature monday.com Smartsheet Asana ClickUp Wrike
Gantt charts Yes Yes Yes (Timeline view) Yes Yes
Dependencies Yes (FS, SS, FF, SF) Yes (all types) Yes (basic) Yes (all types) Yes (all types)
Resource management Workload view, capacity planning Resource management (paid add-on) Workload view (Business+) Workload view Resource management (Pro+)
Portfolio management Portfolio dashboards Portfolios (Business+) Portfolios (Business+) Spaces + Dashboards Project portfolios
Baselines Yes (Enterprise) Yes No No (milestones only) Yes
Time tracking Yes (built-in) Limited No (integrations) Yes (built-in) Yes (built-in)
.mpp import Yes Yes Yes (via CSV) Yes (via CSV/integration) Yes
Starting price $12/user/mo (Standard) $9/user/mo (Pro) $13.49/user/mo (Premium) $10/user/mo (Business) $10/user/mo (Team)
Enterprise pricing Custom ($20+/user/mo) Custom ($32+/user/mo) Custom ($30.49+/user/mo) Custom Custom ($24.80+/user/mo)
Microsoft 365 integration Teams, Outlook, OneDrive Teams, Outlook, SharePoint Teams, Outlook Teams, Outlook Teams, Outlook, SharePoint
Best for Flexible teams, visual work management Spreadsheet-power-users, enterprise PPM Cross-functional teams, workflow coordination Customization-heavy teams, budget-conscious Professional services, enterprise PM

What we liked and didn't like about each

monday.comMost flexible
🟢 Pros
  • Extremely flexible, model any workflow
  • Strong visual dashboards + automation builder
  • Direct .mpp import
  • Approachable UI, helps with team adoption
  • Solid Microsoft Teams integration
🔸 Considerations
  • Pricing scales quickly with team size
  • Baselines need expensive Enterprise tier
  • Not as strong for hardcore scheduling
  • Too many options can overwhelm
💡 Best if adoption was your biggest Project Online pain point
SmartsheetClosest to Project
🟢 Pros
  • Spreadsheet-style grid feels like home
  • Strong Gantt, dependencies, baselines
  • Direct .mpp import
  • Deep SharePoint integration
  • Control Center for portfolio templates
🔸 Considerations
  • UI feels dated vs. competitors
  • Resource management is a paid add-on
  • Steeper learning curve for non-Excel people
  • Enterprise pricing is high
💡 Best for enterprise PMOs that need full PPM depth
AsanaBest for collaboration
🟢 Pros
  • Beautiful, intuitive UI
  • Excellent cross-team collaboration
  • Portfolio views for leadership
  • Strong adoption rate
🔸 Considerations
  • No baselines
  • No native time tracking
  • Basic dependencies only
  • Significant PM downgrade from Project Online
💡 Best when simplicity and adoption matter more than PM depth
ClickUpBest value
🟢 Pros
  • All-in-one: tasks, docs, time tracking, Gantt
  • Most affordable enterprise option
  • Incredibly customizable views
  • Consolidates multiple tools into one
🔸 Considerations
  • Can feel bloated and overwhelming
  • Performance issues with large workspaces
  • No baselines
  • Enterprise features still maturing
💡 Best for budget-conscious teams consolidating their tool stack
WrikeBest for services firms
🟢 Pros
  • Strong resource management + time tracking
  • Baselines included
  • Excellent proofing/approval workflows
  • Solid Microsoft 365 integration
🔸 Considerations
  • UI functional but not polished
  • Less well-known, fewer community resources
  • Mid-to-high pricing
  • Can feel heavy for simple task tracking
💡 Best for professional services needing resource utilization tracking

8. Head-to-head: Project Online vs. each alternative

Select a tool to see a detailed comparison. Each covers what you gain, what you lose, and who it's the best fit for.

Project Online vs. monday.com

🟢 What you gain

monday.com is significantly easier to adopt. The visual board-based interface means non-PM team members (engineers, marketers, executives) can participate without training. Automation is a standout: you can build "if X happens, do Y" rules in minutes without code. The .mpp import brings your project files over directly. Dashboard building is intuitive and visual. The mobile app is polished. monday.com also supports multiple work management use cases beyond project management (CRM, IT, marketing) which can consolidate your tool stack.

🔸 What to consider

Advanced resource leveling and allocation algorithms. If you relied on Project Online to auto-level resources across a portfolio of 50+ projects, monday.com doesn't replicate that depth. Earned value management (EVM) is not natively supported. Baselines require the Enterprise tier, which gets expensive. The "flexibility" can also be a drawback: without governance, teams create inconsistent board structures.

Best migration fit: Teams of 10-100 where adoption was always a struggle with Project Online. Organizations that want visual project tracking with strong automation. IT departments managing mixed workloads (projects + tickets + requests).

Project Online vs. Smartsheet

🟢 What you gain

Smartsheet is the closest experience to "Project in a browser." If your team thinks in grids, rows, and Gantt charts, the transition will feel natural. Baselines are included in all plans. Dependencies support all four types. The Control Center feature lets you templatize and roll out standardized project structures across a portfolio, which is valuable for enterprise PMOs. Deep SharePoint and Teams integration helps if you're staying partly in the Microsoft ecosystem. The DataMesh feature can connect data across sheets, similar to how you might have used OData queries.

🔸 What to consider

Resource management is a paid add-on (not in the base plan), which is a surprise for teams used to having it built into Project Online. The UI feels dated compared to monday.com or Asana. There's no built-in time tracking. If you had complex demand management workflows in Project Online (stage gates, idea intake), you'll need to recreate them using Smartsheet's automation and forms, which is possible but requires effort.

Best migration fit: Enterprise PMOs with 50+ projects and formal project governance. Organizations that need baselines, earned schedule tracking, and portfolio-level reporting. Teams where the PM practitioners are comfortable with spreadsheet-style interfaces.

Project Online vs. Asana

🟢 What you gain

Asana excels at making cross-functional work visible. If your challenge was getting marketing, engineering, product, and operations to collaborate in Project Online (and they never really did), Asana solves that problem. The UI is clean and approachable. Portfolio views give leadership visibility without needing to learn a complex tool. Workflow Builder lets you codify team processes. The Goals feature ties project work to strategic objectives.

🔸 What to consider

The most of any alternative on this list. No baselines. No resource leveling. Dependencies are basic (finish-to-start only on most plans, all types on Enterprise). No native time tracking. No .mpp import (you'll need to go through CSV). If you used Project Online as a serious PPM tool with earned value, resource allocation, and advanced scheduling, Asana is a significant step down in PM depth. You're trading PM power for collaboration ease.

Best migration fit: Organizations that used Project Online mainly for task tracking and basic timelines, not for advanced scheduling. Teams where the primary pain was getting people to actually update their tasks. Companies that value simplicity and broad adoption over PM methodology compliance.

Project Online vs. ClickUp

🟢 What you gain

More features per dollar than any other option. ClickUp includes task management, docs, whiteboards, goals, time tracking, Gantt charts, dashboards, and custom fields all in one platform starting at $10/user/month. If you're also paying for Confluence, a time tracker, and a docs tool alongside Project Online, ClickUp can replace all of them. Custom views (List, Board, Gantt, Calendar, Table, Timeline) mean everyone can see work the way they prefer.

🔸 What to consider

No baselines. No .mpp import (CSV or integration required). Performance can be an issue with very large workspaces (1000+ tasks). The "everything app" approach means the UI is dense and can overwhelm new users. Enterprise features (SSO, advanced permissions, custom roles) are still maturing compared to Smartsheet or Wrike. If you need formal PPM governance, ClickUp feels more like a power-user toolkit than an enterprise platform.

Best migration fit: Small to mid-size teams (10-50) that want to consolidate multiple tools into one. Budget-conscious organizations that need project management plus documentation plus time tracking. Technical teams comfortable with customization.

Project Online vs. Wrike

🟢 What you gain

Wrike is the quiet powerhouse for professional services firms and enterprise teams. Resource management is genuinely capable: workload views, capacity planning, time tracking, and utilization reports. Baselines are included. Proofing and approval workflows are excellent if you manage deliverables (reports, designs, documents) alongside projects. Cross-tagging lets you organize work by project, client, and department simultaneously, which maps well to how many PMOs think. The Microsoft 365 integration includes SharePoint sync.

🔸 What to consider

Wrike is less well-known, which means fewer community resources, templates, and third-party integrations than monday.com or Asana. The UI is functional but not as visually appealing. It doesn't have the "wow factor" that helps with adoption for non-PM team members. Pricing at the enterprise level is competitive but not cheap. If you mainly need simple task tracking, Wrike may feel heavier than necessary.

Best migration fit: Professional services firms (consulting, agencies, engineering) that need time tracking, resource utilization, and deliverable management. Enterprise teams with 50-500 users who want a balanced PM tool with real resource management. Organizations that value substance over style in their tooling.

9. Real cost comparison

The "starting at" prices on vendor websites are misleading. Here's what you'll actually pay for a team of 25 users on plans that include the features Project Online users need (Gantt, dependencies, portfolios, resource management where available).

Tool Plan needed Per user/month 25 users/month 25 users/year Key add-on costs
Project Online Plan 3 (current) Plan 3 $30 $750 $9,000 Included: Desktop + PWA + Planner
monday.com Pro (min for Gantt + dependencies) $19 $475 $5,700 Enterprise ($custom) for baselines
Smartsheet Business ($24) + Resource Mgmt add-on ~$32 ~$800 ~$9,600 Resource Management add-on ~$8/user
Asana Advanced (portfolios + custom fields) $24.99 $625 $7,500 No baselines at any tier
ClickUp Business (Gantt + time tracking) $12 $300 $3,600 No baselines. Enterprise: custom pricing
Wrike Business (Gantt + resource views) $24.80 $620 $7,440 Baselines included at Business tier
Planner (Microsoft) Planner Plan 1 (premium features) $10 $250 $3,000 Already included if on M365 E3/E5

Prices as of March 2026, annual billing. Actual pricing may vary by region and negotiation. Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales.

Hidden cost to factor in: Migration itself costs time. Budget 40-80 hours of IT/PM effort for a 25-user migration (setup, import, testing, training). At internal rates, that's $4,000-$8,000 in staff time regardless of which tool you pick. Starting early is the cheapest way to reduce this cost.

10. Our recommendation by use case

🏢 Enterprise PMO (closest to Project Online)

Smartsheet

Your team relied on Project Online for enterprise PPM with baselines, resource management, and complex scheduling. You want the closest feature match outside Microsoft. Spreadsheet-style interface will feel familiar.

Try Smartsheet
🔄 Flexible teams, strong adoption

monday.com

You want something your whole team will actually use. Visual, flexible, powerful automation. Direct .mpp import. Best balance of power and usability. Strongest option if adoption was a problem with Project Online.

Try monday.com
🤝 Cross-functional collaboration

Asana

Your biggest need is cross-team coordination, not deep scheduling. You want something intuitive that marketing, engineering, and ops can all use. You're OK sacrificing baselines and resource leveling for simplicity.

Try Asana
💰 Budget-conscious, all-in-one

ClickUp

You want to consolidate multiple tools (task management + docs + time tracking) into one platform at the lowest cost. Your team likes customization and doesn't mind a learning curve.

Try ClickUp
🏢 Professional services / resource tracking

Wrike

You run a services firm or need serious resource utilization tracking. Baselines, time tracking, proofing workflows, and capacity planning are all included out of the box.

Try Wrike

Staying in Microsoft? If you must stay in the Microsoft ecosystem: use Planner (premium) for simple-to-moderate project management, or Project Server Subscription Edition if you need the full PPM feature set and can manage on-premises infrastructure.

11. Migration plan (month-by-month)

You have roughly 6 months. Here's a realistic plan.

Month 1 (April 2026): Export and inventory

Month 2 (May 2026): Evaluate alternatives

Month 3 (June 2026): Decide and negotiate

Month 4 (July 2026): Set up and import

Month 5 (August 2026): Parallel run and training

Month 6 (September 2026): Final cutover

Don't compress this to the last 2 months. Enterprise project management migrations are notoriously complex. Resource assignments, custom fields, workflow logic, and user adoption all take time. Teams that wait until August will need to cut corners and risk incomplete migrations.

12. Frequently asked questions

Does this affect Project Desktop (the installed app)?

No. Project Desktop (Project Professional, Project Standard) continues to work. If you use Project Desktop purely for local .mpp files without connecting to Project Online/PWA, you are not affected. However, the ability to connect Project Desktop to Project Online will end with the retirement.

Does this affect Project Server (on-premises)?

No. Project Server has a separate lifecycle. Project Server Subscription Edition is actively maintained and is one of Microsoft's suggested migration paths.

Will my data be automatically migrated to Planner?

No. There is no automatic migration from Project Online to Planner or any other tool. You are responsible for exporting your data and importing it into your chosen replacement. Microsoft does offer some migration guidance and tools, but the work is on you.

What about my Project Online licenses?

Current Project Online Plan 3 and Plan 5 licenses include access to Planner premium features and Project Desktop. After retirement, you'll retain those parts of the license. You're losing access to the Project Online/PWA cloud service specifically.

Can third-party tools import .mpp files?

Yes. monday.com, Smartsheet, and Wrike all support direct .mpp import. Asana and ClickUp require converting to CSV or using integrations. If direct .mpp import is important to you, prioritize monday.com, Smartsheet, or Wrike in your evaluation.

What about our OData reports and Power BI dashboards?

Any Power BI reports, Excel workbooks, or custom applications that connect to Project Online's OData endpoints will break after retirement. Export the underlying data now. If you move to Planner, new reporting APIs are available. Third-party tools have their own reporting and API capabilities.

How long will the migration take?

Depends on complexity. For a small team (10-20 users, 5-10 projects): 4-6 weeks. For enterprise PMOs (100+ users, 50+ active projects, custom workflows, resource management, timesheet compliance): 3-6 months. Start early.

Should we hire a consultant?

For small, straightforward setups: probably not. For enterprise deployments with complex resource management, demand management workflows, and compliance requirements: yes, strongly consider it. A few thousand in consulting fees is worth ensuring a smooth transition.

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