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MS Project Online and Desktop Version Differences

Anonymous
2020-11-24T04:14:49+00:00

I'm hoping to get some more info about how the various online versions of Project compare to the desktop Project 2019 versions - in features, but also in look and feel. The webpage with the feature comparisons (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/project/compare-microsoft-project-management-software) shows the differences between each of the online versions and the differences between each of the desktop versions, but not between the two (online vs. desktop). Specifically:

  1. Do Project Plan 1 and Project Plan 3 (online versions) have the same functionality as 2019 Standard and Professional, respectively?
  2. Project Plan 3 has the option to install a desktop version. Is that the same, feature-wise, as Project 2019 Standard? Or 2019 Professional? Or neither? 
  3. How does the look and feel of the online and desktop versions compare? If a user learns on one can they transition to the other seamlessly? Or will there be a learning curve?
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Dale Howard [MVP] 29,860 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2020-11-24T13:10:51+00:00

MMitch1995 --

Good questions.  First of all, let's clarify some Microsoft terminology.  Microsoft offers three different project management applications:  Microsoft Project, Project Online, and Project for the Web.

Microsoft Project is the desktop project management application, installed either with a perpetual license (known as Microsoft Project 2019) or a monthly recurring license (known as Project Online Professional).  If you purchase Microsoft Project 2019, you can choose either the Standard version or the Professional version.  There are a few more features available only in the Professional version, plus this is the version that can connect to Project Online.  Project Online Professional can connect to Project Online as well.  If you need to manage standalone projects only, Microsoft Project 2019 would be the tool of choice.  If you want to use Project Online for enterprise project management, you will need Project Online Professional.

Project Online is Microsoft's cloud-based Project Portfolio Management (PPM) tool.  This application allows organizations to manage projects, programs, and portfolios across the organization, as well as being able to track the utilization and availability of resources in the organization.  Project Online offers robust reporting capabilities using Power BI reporting.

Project for the Web is a very simple project management tool for people who manage small and simple projects.  The tool is entirely web-based, as the name implies.  Project for the Web contains only a very small fraction of the project management features found in Microsoft Project 2019.  If you manage small and simple projects, then Project for the Web might be the tool for you.

Now, based on the above, let's answer your questions:

1.  Project Plan 1 provides access to only Project for the Web.  Project Plan 3 allows you to download Project Online Professional, which has the same functionality as Microsoft Project 2019.  If your organization implements Project Online, Project Plan 3 also allows you to access Project Online.

2.  Project Online Professional is the same as Microsoft Project 2019 Professional.

3.  If you use Microsoft Project 2019 to manage desktop-only projects, it would be fairly easy to transition to using the software with Project Online.  If you are using Project for the Web, the transition would be quite difficult, since Project for the Web contains only a small number of the features found in Microsoft Project.

Does that help?  Let us know.  Thanks!

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-11-24T19:29:50+00:00

    Perhaps like John, I'm replying just to be able to find this response in the future.  Perfectly explained, Dale!  Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Dale Howard [MVP] 29,860 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2020-11-24T17:57:01+00:00

    John --

    Thanks for your very kind comment, my friend.  Copy the text of my reply and save it in a Word document on your computer Desktop for future reference.  HA!  :)

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  3. John Project 49,705 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2020-11-24T16:16:20+00:00

    Dale,

    This is an excellent summary of the various options, very simply explained yet thorough. Hopefully I can remember (or find) this thread when this type of question arises, as it often has.

    John

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-11-24T09:26:20+00:00

    Hi MMitch1995,

    Thank you for your post in the forum.

    Per your question, to let you know more directly from all angles, we would suggest that you can see the articles below to check all the features.

    For your first question, this article is for your reference: Microsoft Project service description. Project Plan 1 doesn’t have the desktop app version, which means it’s different form Project 2019 standard. Project Plan 3 has the same functionality as 2019 Professional and it also provides the Project Online services.

    For your second question, Project Online desktop client is the subscription version of the Project Professional desktop client and is available in Project Plan 3 and Project Plan 5 subscriptions.

    For your third question, you can refer to this article: Microsoft Project vs Microsoft Project Online comparison chart and Understand the differences between Project editions.

    Additionally, to let you have a more authentic experience in different plans, we sincerely suggest that you can try the 30-day free trial experience though clicking Try now in Compare project management solutions.

    If there any updates, please feel free to post back, we will continue to help you.

    Best regards,

    Cindy

    Disclaimer*: Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology.*

    * Beware of scammers posting fake support numbers here.

    * Kindly Mark answer and Vote Yes on this thread if it helps, as it will be beneficial to more community members reading here.

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