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Compare Microsoft Project & Portfolio Management and Project Central 
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At a Glance
Market Segments
Enterprise (46.8% of reviews)
Small-Business (68.8% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
$10.00
$49 / month Unlimited Users. Unlimited Projects
Microsoft Project & Portfolio Management
Star Rating
(1,622)4.0 out of 5
Market Segments
Enterprise (46.8% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$10.00
Browse all 6 pricing plansProject Central
Star Rating
(16)4.6 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (68.8% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Not enough data
Entry-Level Pricing
$49 / month Unlimited Users. Unlimited Projects
Learn more about Project CentralSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- Users report that Microsoft Project & Portfolio Management excels in its robust GANTT chart features, providing detailed project timelines, while Project Central offers a more user-friendly interface that simplifies task management and prioritization, making it easier for small teams to navigate.
- Reviewers mention that Project Central's ease of use is a significant advantage, scoring 9.2 compared to Microsoft Project's 7.3, which can be a barrier for new users trying to adopt complex project management tools.
- G2 users highlight that Microsoft Project & Portfolio Management has strong portfolio management capabilities, particularly in portfolio mix and alignment, scoring 8.6 and 8.8 respectively, while Project Central focuses more on individual project execution rather than overarching portfolio strategies.
- Users on G2 report that Project Central shines in its communication features, such as integrated chat and community forums, which foster collaboration among team members, whereas Microsoft Project lacks these collaborative tools, making it less effective for remote teams.
- Reviewers say that Microsoft Project's resource management features, including capacity planning and resource allocation, are more comprehensive, scoring 8.3, while Project Central's simpler approach may not meet the needs of larger enterprises requiring detailed resource tracking.
- Users report that Project Central's automation capabilities and customizable workflows are highly praised, allowing teams to streamline processes effectively, while Microsoft Project's automation features are less intuitive, leading to a steeper learning curve for users.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Microsoft Project & Portfolio Management
Planner Plan 1
$10.00
Formerly Project Plan 1
- Includes everything in Planner in Microsoft 365, plus:
- Backlogs and sprints
- Premium plan templates
Project Central
Project Central
$49 / month
Unlimited Users. Unlimited Projects
Project Central is a simple project management tool for teams using Office 365.
- Task Management
- Project Tracking
- Office 365 Integration
Free Trial
Microsoft Project & Portfolio Management
No trial information availableProject Central
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.3
1,446
9.4
12
Ease of Use
7.3
1,452
9.2
12
Ease of Setup
7.5
488
Not enough data
Ease of Admin
7.6
454
Not enough data
Quality of Support
7.6
1,142
9.4
12
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
7.9
423
Not enough data
Product Direction (% positive)
6.6
1,427
10.0
11
Features by Category
Tasks
8.6
81
|
Verified
9.5
11
8.7
85
|
Verified
9.3
12
8.6
83
|
Verified
9.4
12
8.4
81
|
Verified
9.0
10
Feature Not Available
9.2
10
8.0
45
8.7
9
8.0
78
|
Verified
9.5
10
Feature Not Available
8.9
9
Projects
8.8
84
|
Verified
9.3
10
8.7
82
|
Verified
9.1
9
8.7
84
|
Verified
9.5
10
8.6
82
|
Verified
8.8
7
8.4
79
|
Verified
8.6
6
8.4
75
|
Verified
8.8
7
8.0
72
|
Verified
9.4
9
7.9
78
|
Verified
8.9
9
Feature Not Available
9.0
7
8.1
77
|
Verified
9.3
7
8.2
75
|
Verified
9.6
8
Resource Management
8.4
78
|
Verified
9.4
8
8.3
75
|
Verified
9.4
8
8.8
81
|
Verified
9.3
7
Project Monitoring
8.6
72
|
Verified
9.4
8
8.4
78
|
Verified
9.3
7
8.3
76
|
Verified
9.3
9
Generative AI
6.9
6
Not enough data
6.4
6
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Project Management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Portfolio Management
8.7
75
|
Verified
Not enough data
9.2
80
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.9
78
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.7
72
|
Verified
Not enough data
Project Management
9.1
82
|
Verified
Not enough data
9.1
80
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.6
74
|
Verified
Not enough data
Resource Management
8.6
83
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.8
84
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.6
82
|
Verified
Not enough data
Data & Analytics
8.7
81
|
Verified
Not enough data
9.0
78
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.8
81
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.6
79
|
Verified
Not enough data
Strategy - Project and Portfolio Management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Task Creation
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Task Management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Generative AI
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Automation
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Administration
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Project management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Workload
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Communication & Collaboration
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Cost Management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Integration
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Generative AI
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Work Management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Earned Value
8.2
13
Not enough data
8.2
13
Not enough data
7.9
12
Not enough data
Performance
8.7
13
Not enough data
8.8
13
Not enough data
9.1
11
Not enough data
8.8
13
Not enough data
Integration
8.7
13
Not enough data
8.8
12
Not enough data
8.0
11
Not enough data
Communication
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Content & Documents
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Controls
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Project Management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Remote Collaboration
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Generative AI
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Project Collaboration
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Communication
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Planning
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Workflow Management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Microsoft Project & Portfolio Management and Project Central are categorized as Project Management
Unique Categories
Microsoft Project & Portfolio Management is categorized as Earned Value Management, Project and Portfolio Management, Product Management, Project Collaboration, Task Management, and Work Management
Project Central has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Microsoft Project & Portfolio Management
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Project Central
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Information Technology and Services
14.4%
Computer Software
4.9%
Construction
4.8%
Hospital & Health Care
4.8%
Higher Education
4.5%
Other
66.6%
Computer Software
31.3%
Marketing and Advertising
18.8%
Information Technology and Services
12.5%
Semiconductors
6.3%
Retail
6.3%
Other
25.0%
Alternatives
Discussions
I am a new project coordinator for a business that has never used one. Is this a good product for us to use or is there something else that I should use first?
4 Comments
DD
In general, this is a good product for project planning. However, as with most solutions, you need to determine your requirements and compare to the...Read more
How do I best plan my resources with MS Project?
3 Comments
DD
MS Project has resource planning capabilities. You can create a master list of resources for your project. Each resource can have a cost associated with it...Read more
Can I brand the design to look like my company?
2 Comments
WG
Yes, it has good and extensive branding optionsRead more
Project Central has no discussions with answers
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