Microsoft Planner Evaluation (2024): Is MS Planner Price It? – Uplaza

Microsoft Planner’s quick information Beginning worth: $6 per consumer monthly, billed yearly Key options: File storage and sharing. Actual-time collaboration. Superior dependencies with lead and lag. Useful resource, program and portfolio administration. Interoperability and integrations with Microsoft and different apps and options.

Microsoft Planner is a process administration and group collaboration software that’s a part of the Microsoft 365 suite. It permits groups to create, assign and observe duties and tasks utilizing a visible, board-based interface.

Microsoft has just lately launched Copilot in Planner, now rolling out in preview to customers with a Venture Plan 3 or Venture Plan 5 license. This new characteristic leverages generative AI to simplify planning, administration and execution, guaranteeing groups keep knowledgeable and on observe with their objectives.

This evaluate explores whether or not Microsoft Planner is value contemplating on your undertaking administration wants and introduces some prime options.

Microsoft Planner’s pricing

As a part of the Microsoft 365 suite, Microsoft Planner is included in numerous Workplace 365 subscription plans.

Plan	Value	Options
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Primary	$6 consumer monthly (annual dedication)	Net and cellular variations of Workplace apps, e mail internet hosting, 1 TB OneDrive storage, Groups and SharePoint
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Commonplace	$12.50 consumer monthly (annual dedication)	Desktop variations of Workplace apps, all options of Enterprise Primary, plus further enterprise apps
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Premium	$22 consumer monthly (annual dedication)	All options of Enterprise Commonplace, plus superior safety, system administration and extra
Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise	$8.25 consumer monthly (annual dedication)	Helps desktop variations of Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Plus 1 TB of cloud storage per consumer

Free trial availability

Microsoft provides a free trial for his or her Enterprise Commonplace plan, which incorporates entry to Microsoft Planner. This trial permits customers to expertise the total vary of the software’s options for one month with none dedication.

Microsoft 365 Enterprise Primary

The Enterprise Primary plan is essentially the most inexpensive possibility at $6 per consumer monthly, billed yearly, offering important instruments for productiveness and collaboration at a low price. You get entry to net variations of Workplace functions, Microsoft Groups for communication and 1 TB of OneDrive storage. This plan is appropriate for small companies or groups that primarily use on-line instruments and companies.

Microsoft 365 Enterprise Commonplace

At $12.50 per consumer monthly, the Enterprise Commonplace plan provides all of the options of the Enterprise Primary plan and extra. This plan is good for companies that want full-featured productiveness instruments and collaboration companies, together with Microsoft Planner for process administration.

Microsoft 365 Enterprise Premium

Priced at $22 per consumer monthly, billed yearly, the Enterprise Premium plan contains all of the options of the Enterprise Commonplace plan, plus superior safety and administration instruments. This plan is tailor-made for companies that require extra complete safety options, together with risk safety, system administration and knowledge safety.

Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise

Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise is a subscription plan finest match for small and medium-sized companies that want important Workplace functions with out further companies like e mail internet hosting or superior safety features. Priced at $8.25 per consumer monthly when billed yearly, this plan provides a cheap answer for organizations that primarily want productiveness instruments.

Whereas Microsoft Planner is included in Microsoft 365, you may as well purchase it by means of the next subscription one-time buy plans:

• Planner Plan 1: $10 per consumer monthly (annual dedication).
• Venture Plan 3: $30 per consumer monthly (annual dedication).
• Venture Plan 5: $55 per consumer monthly (annual dedication).

One-time buy

• Venture Commonplace 2021: $719.99 (one-time buy).
• Venture Skilled 2021: $1,409.99 (one-time buy).
• Venture Server: Customized quote.

Microsoft Planner’s key options

Activity administration

Microsoft Planner helps groups arrange their work visually. They’ll create plans, add duties, assign them to group members and set deadlines. Every process can embody particulars similar to descriptions, checklists, attachments and labels for categorization. The software additionally allows progress monitoring by means of dashboards and charts, permitting customers to see process statuses at a look.

A number of undertaking views

For planning and managing tasks, customers can use the Grid view, which presents duties in an ordered listing format, making it straightforward to stipulate work. Alternatively, the Board view provides a visible illustration of undertaking duties by means of prebuilt and customizable process boards, facilitating higher workflow administration and standing monitoring. The Timeline (Gantt) view is especially helpful for monitoring and understanding the chronology, assignments and interrelationships of undertaking duties.

This flexibility permits groups to decide on the view that most closely fits their working model and undertaking wants.

Activity dependency

Dependencies are important in undertaking administration, as they define the sequence by which duties must be accomplished, guaranteeing that every step builds upon the earlier one.

Inside Microsoft Planner, dependencies between duties dictate their execution sequence, permitting for a structured workflow. These dependencies might be categorized into two predominant varieties: “Finish-to-Start” (FS) and “Start-to-Start” (SS). A “Finish-to-Start” dependency implies that one process have to be absolutely accomplished earlier than the following process can start. Conversely, a “Start-to-Start” dependency signifies {that a} process can begin concurrently with the duty it’s depending on.

Reporting

The reporting performance in Microsoft Planner contains instruments for visually monitoring and assessing undertaking progress by means of intuitive dashboards. These dashboards are outfitted with charts that present real-time insights into key efficiency indicators and milestones.

Microsoft Planner helps each pre-built and customized dashboards and experiences. This flexibility permits groups to tailor their reporting instruments to particular wants, whether or not monitoring progress on particular person tasks, managing assets or overseeing total packages and portfolios.

Microsoft Planner ease of use

Microsoft Planner’s easy design and seamless integration with different instruments contribute to its ease of use. The mixing with Microsoft 365 functions ensures that customers can entry Planner from acquainted environments like Groups and Outlook, decreasing the training curve. The clear visible format, with customizable process playing cards and color-coded labels, helps customers determine and prioritize duties.

Microsoft Planner professionals

• Offers a number of views (kanban, timeline, grid, calendar) for monitoring undertaking progress.
• Subscription offers entry to different Microsoft 365 suite enterprise apps.
• Spectacular reporting instruments utilizing Microsoft Energy BI.
• Wonderful group collaboration options.

Microsoft Planner cons

• Dependency on Microsoft ecosystem.
• No free model.
• Doesn’t assist Workplace 365 private accounts.

Alternate options to Microsoft Planner

Whereas it integrates seamlessly with different Microsoft functions, Microsoft Planner’s restricted performance might depart customers trying to find extra superior options.

	Microsoft Planner	Trello	Asana	monday.com
Workflow customization	Restricted	Extremely customizable	Reasonably Customizable	Extremely customizable
Reporting	Primary	Primary	Superior	Superior
Integrations	Primary	Quite a few Energy-Ups	Complete	Complete
Ease of use	Simple	Simple	Average	Average
Free plan	No	Sure	Sure (10 consumer restrict)	Sure (2 consumer restrict)
Beginning worth (per consumer monthly, billed yearly)	$6	$5	$10.99	$9

Trello

Each Trello and Microsoft Planner are easy functions with a kanban-style interface. With a shallow studying curve, customers ought to discover it easy to get began on both of those functions. Trello expands on the capabilities of Microsoft Planner by providing extra versatile and customizable workflows. Its simplicity and ease of use make it appropriate for each private {and professional} tasks.

Trello additionally provides a bit extra customization and performance than Microsoft Planner. Nevertheless, for those who’re not a Microsoft 365 consumer, you might discover Microsoft Planner restricted.

To be taught extra, take a look at our full Trello vs. Microsoft Planner evaluate.

Asana

For restricted use, similar to mild collaboration and process progress monitoring, Microsoft Planner will get the job carried out. Nevertheless, for extra superior actions, you have to full undertaking administration software program similar to Asana. You additionally get a wider vary of third-party integrations with Asana.

To be taught extra, learn our full Asana vs. Microsoft Planner evaluate.

monday.com

monday.com is a complete undertaking administration utility appropriate for companies of all sizes. It stands out from Microsoft Planner with its in depth automation capabilities and extremely customizable dashboards. Freelancers and solopreneurs won’t want all of the performance provided by monday work administration and will desire to make use of less complicated instruments like Microsoft Planner. However for those who want superior work administration software program, monday.com could also be useful.

Evaluation methodology

To realize a complete understanding of Microsoft Planner, I evaluated the software program to evaluate a number of options. I reviewed the general usability of the software program, together with its consumer interface and ease of navigation. I additionally analyzed buyer testimonials from a number of respected web sites. Lastly, I in contrast the applying to a few of its prime opponents to know its strengths and downsides.

Learn subsequent: The ten finest undertaking administration software program and instruments for 2023