Microsoft Project vs Notion comparison

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Microsoft Project

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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: March 2025).

Microsoft Project vs. Notion

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Helped 842,296 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

3rd

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 (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project is 8.1%, down from 12.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Notion is 2.4%, up from 0.6% 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

"I like that I can change the task and include different resources related to the task."

"The resource allocation features, which help allocate resources to tasks, are quite valuable."

"I find all the features of the solution valuable."

"I have found that the chart reporting feature is very helpful for us currently."

"I especially like the reporting tools, which are visual tools and offer visual reports."

"The solution is stable."

"It is easy to check project costs in the solution."

"The solution is stable."

More Microsoft Project pros

"The ability to create and organize notes, plans, and technical content in a single platform is the product's most valuable feature."

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

"Notion is heavily used in my workflow."

"The initial setup is easy."

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

"The product is easy to use and has good responsiveness."

"We can install it on mobile phones, making it feasible to manage productivity."

"It is easy to use, and I love its UI."

More Notion pros

Cons

"Collaboration is an area that needs improvements."

"Once we commit our status, changing it is hard."

"Its user interface could be a little bit more intuitive. Not everybody has the luxury of going to training and understanding which button does what and the functionality. The user interface should be improved to make it a little bit more intuitive. It is not user-friendly. I've dealt with it for a number of years, so it is not hard for me to figure it out, but you would need a quick reference guide or something to say, "Here are the basics. This is how you do X.""

"It is a traditional Waterfall-based solution, so it doesn't lend itself particularly well to Agile development. You can record Agile sprints within it, but it is not really an Agile-based product. It can store the basic information about budgets that an Agile set of work is looking to use, but that's about it."

"There needs to be better integration with other Microsoft products such as SharePoint, and the like."

"Could be more user-friendly, and forecasting could be better."

"It would be better if there were more access to Agile implementations."

"The solution is a basic tool that does not give you analytical insights. It does not have any AI capabilities which can also help to plan."

More Microsoft Project cons

"Notion's UI needs improvement."

"The only problem I experience is that it often hangs."

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

"Notion has one big downside: the lack of an offline mode. If the internet or Notion's servers are down, I cannot access information. This is a big disadvantage."

"There are a lot of things, but one thing that is absolutely necessary is the mobile application."

"Adding more color options to the application would enhance its usability and flexibility, allowing users to better customize their content"

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

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

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."

"Microsoft Project is an expensive solution."

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

"It was a three-year license deal that was reconciled on a quarterly basis. It is a reasonably priced product, and I consider that we got good value for money."

"The license fees for the professional version, which is estimated to be approximately $1,600, and the standard version, which is approximately $1,200, may be considered expensive by some users. This is something that could be improved to make the platform more accessible to a wider audience."

"You only need a Team's license in order to use Microsoft Project within Teams, which is very helpful."

"Its price could be reduced a little."

More Microsoft Project pricing and cost advice

"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."

"The product has good pricing."

"It's pretty affordable."

"Notion is free to use."

"The product is affordable compared to other platforms."

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

"The product has good pricing."

"I pay around $100 per year."

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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842,296 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

21%

Media Company

University

Manufacturing Company

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

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Compared 16% of the time

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Product Reports

Microsoft Project

Download Microsoft Project product report

Download Notion product report

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.

Microsoft Project vs. Notion