Effective September 18, 2024, Microsoft’s Project Plan 3 is now called Planner and Project Plan 3, and Project Plan 5 changed to Planner and Project Plan 5. This comes after Project Plan 1 was renamed as Planner Plan 1 back in April 2024. These name changes to Microsoft’s suite of project management tools bring clarity and enhanced functionality to users. Let us explore the new names and features of these offerings in detail.
Background of these changes to Project Plans
In April 2024, Microsoft launched a new Planner app within Microsoft Teams, making it accessible to Office 365 E1/E3/F3, Microsoft 365 E3/E5/F1/F3, and Microsoft 365 Business Basic/Standard/Premium customers. During this rollout, Project Plan 1 was rebranded as Planner Plan 1, integrating the new Planner app along with enhanced premium project management features.
With the September 2024 changes, Microsoft has updated the Product Terms to bring more naming consistency to its project management tools: Project Plan 3 has been renamed to Planner and Project Plan 3, and Project Plan 5 is now known as Planner and Project Plan 5.
There will be no change in name or product experience for Project desktop, Project Server, or Project Online.
New Product Lineup of Microsoft Project Plans
There are subscription plans and one-time purchases available.
The one-time purchase options remain unchanged with a lineup of Project Standard 2024, Project Professional 2024 and Project Server.
Now to the affected subscription plans: The following table compares all four subscription plans for project management:
| Feature | Microsoft Planner | Planner Plan 1 | Planner and Project Plan 3 | Planner and Project Plan 5 |
| Included in Microsoft 365 | Yes | No | No | No |
| Free Trail available? | Yes – indirectly. Book a trial for an eligible Microsoft 365 license, where Microsoft Planner is included. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time collaboration, commenting, and sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Creation and management of content-rich tasks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tasks organized by My Day, My Tasks, and Assigned to me | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Basic plan templates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| List, Grid, and Board views | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Charts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reports and dashboards | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced |
| Task dependencies | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced |
| Premium plan templates | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Project goals, backlogs, and sprints | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Timeline (Gantt) view | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customization and integration | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot in Planner (preview) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Task history, roadmaps, baselines, and critical path | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Resources request capabilities | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Program management | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Project financials, budgeting, and costing | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Project Online and desktop client | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio management | No | No | No | Yes |
| Enterprise resource management and allocation | No | No | No | Yes |
Use Cases
These four Planner-related project management offerings help your team coordinate and collaborate on projects effectively. Here are a few real-world use cases:
Marketing Campaign Management:
- Marketing teams can use Planner to organize campaigns, track progress, and collaborate on content creation. Features like task dependencies and Gantt charts help in scheduling and ensuring timely delivery.
Product Development:
- Product development teams can manage backlogs, sprints, and roadmaps using Planner. The integration with Microsoft Teams allows for real-time updates and discussions, keeping everyone on the same page.
Event Planning:
- Event planners can benefit from the detailed task management and reporting features in Planner. From initial planning to execution, every aspect of the event can be tracked and managed efficiently.
FAQ
How does the new Planner impact Project customers?
Microsoft does not expect this change to impact existing user scenarios or functionality. Existing Project customers will get access to the advanced capabilities with premium plans in the new Planner in Teams as part of their Project subscriptions, with no additional licenses required, while continuing to use the web version of Project.
In Fall 2024, the new Planner capabilities will also start rolling out to the web app. In addition, there will be no change in name or product experience for Project desktop, Project Server, or Project Online.
Is Project being retired?
No, Project is not being retired.
- Project for the web capabilities have become part of the new Planner.
- Project desktop, Project Online, and Project Server will continue to be available and supported for both existing and new customers.
I am a current Project Online customer. What does this mean for me?
Current customers can continue to use Project Online. There is currently no end of service date for Project Online.
I currently use Project for the web. Are there any added benefits of using the new Planner in Teams?
Current Project for the web users can access familiar features in the new Planner in Teams. Additional capabilities include:
- Microsoft 365 Copilot in Planner (preview).
- New enterprise work management capabilities.
- A clean, intuitive design that brings together the simplicity of To Do, the collaboration of Planner, and the power of Project for the web in a simple, familiar experience.
I have the desktop version of Project and a Project Online license. Do I have access to premium plans in the new Planner?
Yes, you have access to premium plans in the new Planner.
More information
Compare Microsoft work management offerings here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/planner/microsoft-planner-plans-and-pricing.
Find an extensive and useful FAQ on Microsoft Planner here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/frequently-asked-questions-about-microsoft-planner-d1a2d4e6-a4d7-408c-a48a-31caaa267de5.
Find the general announcement of Microsoft Planner here: https://www.schneider.im/microsoft-planner-announced/
Microsoft Planner Plan 1 replaced Project Plan 1. Learn what changed here: https://www.schneider.im/microsoft-project-plan-1-renamed-as-planner-plan-1/.
Learn about Microsoft Licensing here: https://www.schneider.im/software/microsoft.
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