Microsoft Project vs Notion comparison

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Microsoft Project

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Microsoft Project and Notion compete in the project management sector. Microsoft Project appears to have the upper hand due to its extensive enterprise features essential for large organizations, while Notion stands out for its affordability and flexibility tailored to small teams and individuals.

Features: Microsoft Project includes detailed scheduling, resource leveling, and cost tracking, ideal for managing complex projects. Notion provides versatile note-taking, database management, and customizable task organization for better real-time collaboration.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Project's complexity makes it challenging for simple projects, requiring better integration and real-time data handling. Notion needs enhanced automation, more color options, and improved integration with external platforms.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Project offers various deployment models like on-premises and cloud but often needs technical support. Notion's online deployment is accessible, though complex scenarios require support due to limited mobile and integration support.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Project is costly, with pricing based on licenses, offering good ROI for enterprises needing extensive features. Notion provides a free plan and affordable paid options, delivering substantial ROI through flexibility and task management, suitable for smaller teams and individual users.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Project vs. Notion Report (Updated: January 2025).

Microsoft Project vs. Notion

January 2025

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Helped 837,501 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Project

Ranking in Project Management Software

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Notion

Ranking in Project Management Software

14th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Knowledge Management Software (4th), Document Automation Software (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project is 8.0%, down from 12.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Notion is 2.3%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Project Management Software

Featured Reviews

Nurul Asyikin Wahab

Management Design Civil Structure at Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

Efficient project management with robust data tracking and an easy setup

When I have too many elements or items in a project, it becomes cumbersome, especially during printing. Non-technical users do not need all the data, so it's primarily for technical personnel. Without guidance, it's challenging to use the app. With guidance and expert knowledge, it becomes manageable, however, it's not for non-technical teams. The worst part is handling too many items, like 1,000 items, which Microsoft Project struggles with, especially when printing. Printing on A3 size is quite burdensome, so I prefer viewing it on a tablet or computer. On a tablet or phone, I can see the full project elements depending on the screen size.

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Iván Fanego

Founder at AppCritic

Creates customizable systems and improve team collaboration

Notion is a very flexible and customizable platform, allowing users to create whatever they need. The most impactful feature for project management is the ability to invite multiple client stakeholders without complication. Once I understand the basics, it's easy to use despite an initial learning curve. It also significantly improves team collaboration through customized views and visualizations of data.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is easy to use and pretty intuitive. User interfaces have stayed the same for the most part for the last 20 years. So, there is a familiarity."

"The project tracking, resource utilization and the cost are the most beneficial aspects of this solution."

"The ability to break down project phases is most valuable. Being able to align the tasks and reporting with project milestones and progress is also valuable."

"The solution is well established and runs very accurately."

"The user interface is simple and it helps me in planning what needs to be accomplished."

"The solution is stable."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is planning."

"They now have MS project Online and they have two levels, so it's easier to access what you need and to choose specifically what you'll use. You can start at a lower level, for example, and be more cost-effective and move up if it suits you."

More Microsoft Project pros

"I like the high level of customization in Notion."

"I rate Notion a ten out of ten."

"The product has a valuable feature for databases. It has a table and a calendar view and saves various documents in the system."

"Notion is a great tool for note-keeping and note-sharing."

"The initial setup is easy."

"Notion is heavily used in my workflow."

"It is easy to use and very intuitive compared to Microsoft Project."

"Notion is a very flexible and customizable platform, allowing users to create whatever they need."

More Notion pros

Cons

"This solution needs more templates focused on types of projects to ease setup."

"The Gantt set needs to be improved. The grid lines needs to be more interactive."

"The setup and scalability can be somewhat difficult for new users until they gain knowledge."

"I would like to see the inclusion of multi-currency support."

"Tracking timeline, resource allocation, and monitoring are areas of concern for the tool where improvements are required."

"I would like to see a direct integration of Microsoft Project with AutoCAD. It will make client presentations easy."

"The collaboration has room for improvement."

"In the next release, Microsoft should include cross-project integration."

More Microsoft Project cons

"The product could be integrated with external platforms."

"Notion's UI needs improvement."

"It is complicated to connect Notion with external systems."

"User management needs improvement. It's difficult to determine what information is private. It's a bit complicated for me."

"The linked view of database, along with the sharing and permission settings, are areas with shortcomings in the solution that need improvement."

"If the internet or Notion's servers are down, I cannot access information. This is a big disadvantage."

"One area for improvement in the solution is the absence of integrated charts."

"The only problem I experience is that it often hangs. I might find myself trying to load a new page, but I am unable to move from one page to another due to frequent hanging."

More Notion cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have to pay for a yearly license for Microsoft Project."

"The solution is less expensive than other options."

"I am not involved with this."

"The pricing is based on a licensing model and is reasonable."

"It gets expensive when having to add all of the plugins and everything that you need."

"The licensing model is somewhat complex."

"I rate Microsoft Project's pricing a five out of ten."

"The cost for an on-premises-based license is a one-time fee, and the cloud-based is an annual payment plan."

More Microsoft Project pricing and cost advice

"The pricing structure is quite reasonable, and the basic plan covers the most essential features."

"The product is affordable compared to other platforms."

"The product's pricing depends on the usage plans."

"It's pretty affordable."

"I pay around $100 per year."

"The product has good pricing."

"I rate the product's pricing a three out of ten. We only need to pay for it if we use it in the workspace."

"The solution's pricing can seem steep, especially when you work with a lot of people. If you are working on your own or for another business, the solution's price won't affect you much."

More Notion pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Project Management Software solutions are best for your needs.

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837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

69%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

17%

Media Company

Educational Organization

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Has anyone moved from Microsoft Project to Smartsheet? How has your experience been with Smartsheet?

Hi @Eire Zimmermann, I helped an organization evaluate both MS-Project and Smartsheet when they were conducting their PM tool RFP. The short of it is this, MS Project is not caught up with the mo...

What do you like most about Microsoft Project?

The product's initial setup phase is easy.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project?

The issue with Microsoft is that the license is per personnel, making it expensive.

What do you like most about Notion?

I like the high level of customization in Notion.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Notion?

It's affordable and offers community support if I get stuck. I can find help through community forums like Google, where people share insights on navigating problems. Many people understand it, off...

What needs improvement with Notion?

It is easy to use, and I love its UI. The only problem I experience is that it often hangs. I might find myself trying to load a new page, but I am unable to move from one page to another due to fr...

Jira vs Microsoft Project

Comparisons

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Compared 11% of the time

Asana vs Microsoft Project

Compared 9% of the time

Broadcom Clarity vs Microsoft Project

Compared 8% of the time

ClickUp vs Microsoft Project

Compared 3% of the time

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AFFiNE vs Notion

Compared 32% of the time

Zoho Projects vs Notion

Compared 22% of the time

Zendesk vs Notion

Compared 16% of the time

Smartsheet vs Notion

Compared 12% of the time

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Product Reports

Download Microsoft Project product report

Microsoft Project

February 2025

Download Notion product report

February 2025

Also Known As

Project Pro, MS Project

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Project helps you get started quickly and execute projects with ease. Built-in templates and familiar scheduling tools help project managers and teams stay productive.

Microsoft

Notion is an all-in-one workspace that enables teams to collaborate, organize, and manage their work effectively. Its primary use case is to streamline project management, knowledge sharing, and task tracking. With its versatile functionality, Notion allows users to create and customize databases, wikis, and documents, making it a powerful tool for organizing information.

The most valuable functionality of Notion lies in its flexibility and ease of use. Users can create and link various types of content, such as text, images, files, and even embed external resources. This enables teams to centralize their work and collaborate seamlessly, eliminating the need for multiple tools. Notion's drag-and-drop interface and intuitive editing features make it accessible to users of all technical backgrounds.

Notion helps organizations by fostering transparency, improving productivity, and enhancing knowledge management. By providing a centralized platform for collaboration, teams can easily access and contribute to shared projects, reducing communication gaps and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Notion's powerful search functionality and tagging system enable efficient information retrieval, making it easier to find and share knowledge within the organization.

Sample Customers

Aston Martin, ABANCA, Airbus Group, Capita, Cardiff University, City of Saskatoon, Intel, Pegasus Airlines, South Australia Power Network (SAPN), Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing

Startups like Loom, Mixpanel, Blinkist, Adobe, Deel and Education facilities such as USC, Dartmouth and The University of Chicago.