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Microsoft Project Server vs Planview PPM Pro comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Project Server offers significant ROI through time savings, effective management, and enhanced visibility, though assessment varies.
Sentiment score
7.3
Organizations report significant financial gains and improved project management efficiency with Planview PPM Pro, despite ongoing optimization efforts.
Microsoft Project provides significant return on investment through time savings, enhanced visibility, real-time reporting, and risk mitigation for projects.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.0
Microsoft Project Server support is satisfactory but issues include slow resolution, complex documentation, and varying service quality by plan.
Sentiment score
7.3
Planview PPM Pro's customer service is generally helpful, but experiences vary with responsiveness, offshore support, and complex issue resolution.
Their support tends to decline when not supporting cloud solutions.
It's challenging to navigate, often making it necessary to search for solutions externally.
Communication with two people, one was knowledgeable while the other was learning.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Project Server is scalable for various organization sizes, but older versions and costs may hinder adoption and navigation.
Sentiment score
7.0
Planview PPM Pro offers scalability, effective mostly for SMEs, but faces challenges with large organizations and real-time global usage.
The desktop version does not have scalability.
Microsoft Project Server is fully scalable and is widely used in many industries.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Microsoft Project Server is stable, but performance varies with Nintex workflows, configuration, version, and SharePoint integration issues.
Sentiment score
7.7
Planview PPM Pro is stable but faces occasional update disruptions, with most users praising its reliability and customer support.
I have never had to reach out to their support because the product works as expected.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Project Server needs improvements in integration, UI, flexibility, automation, agile support, deployment, and user training resources.
Planview PPM Pro requires improvements in reporting, integration, interface, resource management, and lacks efficient "What If" planning capabilities.
Exporting data from Microsoft Project, especially Gantt charts, is overly complex and not user-friendly.
Microsoft has become increasingly expensive, and there seems to be a push towards cloud solutions which can be challenging for some.
The lack of collaboration capabilities on the desktop version, unlike the cloud version, is a limitation.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Project Server offers flexible licensing, with varying costs based on deployment type, user count, and enterprise plans.
Planview PPM Pro's flexible licensing offers value for large organizations, though costs can be high for smaller entities.
Microsoft Project Server is on the expensive side due to high licensing costs.
Microsoft's products are expensive for individuals.
Considering the infrastructure commitments to SharePoint and SQL, the implementation costs are low if already set up.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Project Server enhances project management with resource management, scheduling, collaboration, dashboards, and integration, simplifying navigation with familiar tools.
Planview PPM Pro excels in reporting, customization, integration, and resource management, enhancing visibility, planning, and decision-making capabilities.
This setup allows for comprehensive reporting and management across multiple projects and portfolios.
The Gantt chart is also a very powerful tool for a visual presentation of sequences, critical paths, and execution processes, which simplifies comprehension for users.
The dashboards are amazing for data crunching and provide a project focus with upcoming predictions, including burn-up and burn-down charts.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Project Server
Ranking in Project Portfolio Management
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Planview PPM Pro
Ranking in Project Portfolio Management
7th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
Project Management Software (16th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Project Portfolio Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project Server is 6.3%, down from 9.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Planview PPM Pro is 7.4%, down from 7.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Portfolio Management
 

Featured Reviews

Sean Achim - PeerSpot reviewer
Unlock comprehensive reporting and management with robust data extraction
The major advantage for me in using Microsoft Project Server is the SQL Server component. Using Power BI and SQL Server, I can extract a lot more data. The combination of Microsoft Project with Project Server and SharePoint provides a perfect solution for me. This setup allows for comprehensive reporting and management across multiple projects and portfolios.
MartinQuiroga - PeerSpot reviewer
Needs to improve roadmap, scalability and communication
The product feels like a toy. The tool needs to improve its roadmap. It needs to improve things on a project management level which includes communication as well.  I am working with the product for two to three years.  The product is not scalable. We have around 15-20 users for the product.  My…
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Project Portfolio Management solutions are best for your needs.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Healthcare Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Project Server?
The ability to track a project's progress using Microsoft Project Server is the most valuable aspect. It depends, especially when managing multiple projects.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project Server?
Microsoft Project Server is on the expensive side due to high licensing costs, but it is mainly accessible to project managers. Online tools are cheaper and present competition.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Project Server?
The main drawback of Microsoft Project Server is that it is offline. Having it online would offer better access to other managers.
What do you like most about Planview PPM Pro?
The product's deployment is straightforward.
What needs improvement with Planview PPM Pro?
The product feels like a toy. The tool needs to improve its roadmap. It needs to improve things on a project management level which includes communication as well.
 

Also Known As

MS Project Server
Innotas
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Magnachip, Gwinnett County Schools, CLEAResult, Medbit Oy, Intelbras S.A., ETS, CORE Construction, Keller Foundations
The Weather Channel, corcs, Crayola, Scan Health Plan, Vermont, Bank of the West, North West Company, University of Southern Mississippi, Jeffries, Purdue University, Chesterfield County Virginia, City of Memphis
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Project Server vs. Planview PPM Pro and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.