Project Online Is Retiring on September 30, 2026: What to Do Next
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If your team still runs schedules in Project Online, the clock is almost out. Microsoft is shutting the service down on September 30, 2026, and after that date you will not be able to open your projects there.
The good news is that Microsoft Project itself is not going away. Only the cloud service is retiring. This guide explains what is ending, what stays, and how to choose a replacement without overpaying.
What is (and isn't) being retired
Retiring:
- Project Online, the cloud service built on Project Web App and SharePoint
- Project for the web, which was already folded into Planner in 2025
Not affected:
- Project desktop (Standard and Professional)
- Project Server Subscription Edition
- Microsoft Planner
Sales of Project Online-only plans ended on October 1, 2025, so no new licenses have been available since then.
Your four realistic options
| Option | Best for | Billing | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planner Plan 1 | Simple team task boards | Subscription | No advanced scheduling |
| Planner and Project Plan 3 | Teams that want cloud project management | Subscription, per user | Cost adds up every year |
| Project Server Subscription Edition | Large PMOs with on-premises needs | Server plus CALs | Heavy infrastructure |
| Project 2024 desktop (one-time) | Solo project managers and small teams | One-time purchase | No built-in portfolio features |
1. Microsoft Planner and Project Plan 3
Microsoft's main recommendation is the Planner experience with premium features. Those include Gantt-style timelines, dependencies, baselines, and portfolios. At US list prices, Planner Plan 1 runs about $10 per user per month and Planner and Project Plan 3 about $30, both billed annually. That is a reasonable fit if your team collaborates in Microsoft 365 every day and needs browser access.
2. Project Server Subscription Edition
This suits organizations with advanced portfolio needs that want to stay on-premises. It needs SharePoint Server infrastructure and IT administration, so it is overkill for most small and mid-size teams.
3. Project 2024 (Standard or Professional)
Project 2024 is a perpetual license. You pay once, install it, and it doesn't expire. It uses the same .mpp file format as earlier versions, so your existing schedules open without conversion. It is a strong fit if you plan work mostly on your own PC, and it's the cheapest path over several years.
4. Third-party tools
ClickUp, Smartsheet, and similar tools are options if you want to leave the Microsoft ecosystem entirely. That means retraining and rebuilding your templates, so budget time for it.
The cost math: subscription vs one-time license
Suppose you use Planner and Project Plan 3 at the US list price of $30 per user per month. That is $360 per user per year, or $1,080 over three years. A one-time Project 2024 Professional license costs a fraction of that for the same period and keeps working after that.
Subscriptions do buy you things a desktop license doesn't: browser access, cloud storage, and always-current features. If your team needs those, pay for them. If you are one person building schedules in Windows, you probably don't.
Project 2024 vs Project 2021: why the year matters
Microsoft ends support for Project 2021 on October 13, 2026. After that there are no security updates and no technical support. Project 2024 is supported until October 2029. If you are choosing a one-time license today, Project 2024 gives you roughly three more years of protection. Both versions can be installed side by side, which is handy while you check your complex schedules.
Project Standard vs Professional
Project Standard is a single-user desktop scheduler. It covers Gantt charts, timelines, resource management, built-in templates, and reports.
Project Professional includes everything in Standard and adds collaboration features for teams that share plans through Microsoft's server and 365 tools. One caveat: if your Professional workflow depended on connecting to Project Online, that cloud connection ends on September 30. Local scheduling still works.
Not sure you need Professional? If you work alone or share PDFs and exports rather than live plans, Standard is enough.
Before September 30: a short checklist
- Export your data now. Save your project plans (.mpp files) and any reports you need. Don't wait for the deadline.
- List your active projects. Note which ones need live team collaboration and which are only tracked by you.
- Decide by user type. Individual schedulers go to desktop Project. Collaborative teams go to Planner and Project Plan 3.
- Check your PC. Project desktop runs on Windows only, with no Mac version. Windows 11 is the safest choice, so confirm requirements before installing.
- Keep a backup copy of every exported file until you have confirmed the new setup works.
Where to buy Microsoft Project 2024
We offer Microsoft Project 2024 Professional – Lifetime License, 1 PC with instant digital delivery. Pair it with Microsoft Visio 2024 Professional if you also build process diagrams and org charts. Not sure which Office generation to standardize on? Read our Office 2021 vs 2024 vs Microsoft 365 comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Project being discontinued?
No. Only Project Online is retiring. Project desktop, Project Server, and Planner continue.
What happens to my Project Online data after September 30, 2026?
You will no longer be able to access it in the service, so export it beforehand.
Can I open my old Project files in Project 2024?
Yes. Project 2024 opens files from earlier versions, and the .mpp format is unchanged from Project 2021.
Is Project 2024 a subscription?
No. Project 2024 is a one-time purchase. Project Plan 3 is the subscription option.
Does Project 2024 work on a Mac?
No. Project desktop is Windows-only. Mac users should look at Planner in the browser.
Should I buy Project 2021 while it's cheaper?
Probably not. Support ends October 13, 2026, so you'd be buying software that stops receiving security updates within weeks.