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Microsoft Project vs Trello comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 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
7.6
Microsoft Project enhances resource utilization and ROI, despite some expertise challenges, leading organizations to prioritize license renewals.
Sentiment score
7.4
Trello's free version enhances productivity through time-saving and organizational benefits, despite lacking precise ROI metrics.
Microsoft Project does help save time and money due to its completeness as a project management solution.
Sometimes we can have a back-and-forth conversation in the comments, which helps minimize some meetings.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Microsoft Project support varies, with mixed reviews; users utilize in-house resources, partners, community, and online assistance.
Sentiment score
4.3
Most users find Trello support sufficient via help center, with responsive assistance despite occasional delays from time zone differences.
There is a website and a connection to AI for support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
Microsoft Project is scalable for large projects, but server limitations, license issues, and integration challenges can affect performance.
Sentiment score
6.9
Trello is praised for small to medium teams but criticized for limitations in larger enterprise scalability, leading some to prefer Jira.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Project is stable for small to medium projects, with some issues on larger projects affecting performance and synchronization.
Sentiment score
8.2
Trello is stable and reliable, though performance may slow with excess data; some users note limitations in flexibility.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Project needs improved integration, user interface, collaboration, scalability, and cost-effectiveness for better resource management and automation.
Users seek improvements in Trello's time logging, integrations, controls, scalability, pricing, automation, communication, and mobile functionality.
The worst part is handling too many items, like 1,000 items, which Microsoft Project struggles with, especially when printing.
Microsoft Project tends to become very unstable on large project plans with more than 400 lines.
Each card move or addition results in a new email, so a digest or a better way to receive notifications would be helpful.
More control over email notifications would also be helpful.
It would be beneficial to have a search system that can pull up topics using keywords or AI-driven capabilities, making it easier to find relevant cards.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Project's pricing varies by user volume and features, ranging from affordable to expensive, often bundled with other solutions.
Trello provides flexible pricing, with a free version and scalable paid options, catering to various organizational needs affordably.
The issue with Microsoft is that the license is per personnel, making it expensive.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Project offers comprehensive task management, integration, visualization, and adaptability, making it ideal for diverse industry use.
Trello features intuitive task management with Kanban boards, offering customization and integration for efficient team collaboration across devices.
This tool is the most accurate project management tool, allowing me to run a full set of project activities without having to switch between different tools for scheduling and other tasks.
The most valuable features are in the successor and predecessor determination and the tracking tools, such as obtaining data on the S curve financial curve.
Trello's interface is aesthetically pleasing for project management, and it enhances collaboration with other team members.
It replaces ping-ponging emails back and forth with a board where people can follow a task from start to finish and see when it's done.
We are able to customize the labels, both the text and the color, so when looking at a board, we can easily filter or see cards related to specific tasks or team members.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Project
Ranking in Project Management Software
3rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
81
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Trello
Ranking in Project Management Software
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
43
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project is 7.7%, down from 12.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Trello is 3.1%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Management Software
 

Featured Reviews

Nurul Asyikin Wahab - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Akshat Prakash - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers not just a free version but also a mobile version that is easy to use
The product has features to support project management workflows and team collaborations. I was using a free version for my personal use and for managing my private activities, and both times, I saw that the tool did the job. I used Trello's board and card system of training with Kanban task management format to handle work in progress and to see whether it has already been completed. I would say that the tool was decent in the aforementioned area. I used the product's mobile version and the handheld device version, and I can say that it was easy to use. In general, the tool's app was quite easy to use. It is definitely a product which is quite highly rated by others. The mobile application functionality affected my productivity in a good way. It is quite good because, if I remember correctly, I could set some reminders for pending tasks. The tool did improve my productivity. The tool did help me deal with my personal backlog and to-do activities. As a beginner-level user, I found the tool very helpful and intuitive. From my friends, I came to know that it is an application that can be used in a wide enterprise setup. If you have an option, you can try it. I rate the overall tool a nine to ten out of ten.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
68%
Computer Software Company
4%
Government
3%
Manufacturing Company
3%
Educational Organization
79%
Computer Software Company
3%
Financial Services Firm
2%
Retailer
2%
 

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 Trello?
The solution is very user-friendly, where you have everything you need.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Trello?
I did not evaluate Trello's pricing model since it was provided by my organization.
What needs improvement with Trello?
There can be bugs sometimes. When more than one person tries to edit the description at the same time, it can do some unexpected things. I would like to see that improved. Sometimes they add new fe...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Project Pro, MS Project
No data available
 

Overview

 

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
Pixar, Google, PayPal, Kickstarter, National Geographic, Viewbox Holdings
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Project vs. Trello and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
846,617 professionals have used our research since 2012.