Microsoft Project vs. MindManager vs. Zoho Projects

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Microsoft Project
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Project is a project management software. It provides core PM functionality, including agile workflow support and resource management. Project can be deployed in the cloud or on-premise.
$120
per year per user
MindManager
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
MindManager is a mind mapping and project management tool that aims to boost users’ productivity. It is designed to facilitate a wide range of project types, and includes cross-platform functionality and 3rd party integrations.
$105
per year
Zoho Projects
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Zoho Project is online project management and planning software that provides project teams with a web-based collaborative environment. Zoho Projects can also include a bug tracking module specifically design to support software development project. It is integrated with other Zoho products including Zoho CRM.
$5
per month per user
Pricing
Microsoft ProjectMindManagerZoho Projects
Editions & Modules
Project Server
$0
Planner Plan 1
$10
per month per user
Planner and Project Plan 3
$30
per month per user
Planner and Project Plan 5
$55
per month per user
Project Standard 2024
$679.99
one-time fee per installation
Project Professional 2024
$1,129.99
one-time fee per installation
MindManager for Microsoft Teams
$105
per year
Annual Subscription
$179
per year
Organizations
Contact sales team
Free
$0
Premium
$5
per month per user
Enterprise
$10
per month per user
Project Plus
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Microsoft ProjectMindManagerZoho Projects
Free Trial
YesYesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsPlans are billed annually.Discount offered for annual billing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Microsoft ProjectMindManagerZoho Projects
Considered Multiple Products
Microsoft Project
Chose Microsoft Project
Zoho Projects is indeed cheap, but its a cloud base management; you can't do anything with slow internet. Zoho Projects also has login issues, but Microsoft Projects don't have any problems like that.
Microsoft Project also has a tremendous and dedicated support team and has a …
Chose Microsoft Project
These other products are much simplified and easier to use due to not having all of the advanced features that Microsoft Project has built-in. However, they have all the necessary functionality to meet the needs if you're not trying to use all of the extra advanced features.
Chose Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project was selected because it integrates well with other Microsoft products and has better tracking and visualization tools that can be used with different projects.
Chose Microsoft Project
We chose Microsoft Projects as we have an ongoing relationship with Microsoft and we use their other tools. Most people in our office are familiar with Microsoft Projects and our customers are use Microsoft Projects too. It integrates well with other tools we use in our office. …
Chose Microsoft Project
In all cases where I didn't use Project, i used an application given by Excel freely as a template, when you open Excel 2013 or higher. It is basically a Gantt chart, with several capabilities built in. All what is necessary for you to do in order to quickly get a basic Gantt …
MindManager
Chose MindManager
Visualization is one of the biggest benefits of MindManager vs. other Project Management solutions such as Microsoft Project. It is easy to visualize a project from beginning to end and see every topic/subtopic/tasks/resources. When there are changes that occur during a …
Chose MindManager
MindManager succeeded in every aspect, there is no real comparison possible. The sum of features that can be used with the MindManager is not available in any other product on the market. Based on that and on the continuous improvement of the MindManager there can not really be …
Chose MindManager
The interface of MindManager is easy to use and its visual representation is better.
Branching can be done very easily. It has many readymade templates.
It has flow charts, which makes flow easy to understand and explain.
Chose MindManager
When I first looked for a mind-master tool, I found MindManager. It fitted my needs so well that I stopped looking for other tools.
Chose MindManager
Ultimately, the ability to pull ideas together and get agreement on them is the core to all software project success. Brainstorming is still how that happens. In small bursts, in conversations, or in meetings. MindManager is the best tool to capture all that and turn it into …
Chose MindManager
Mindnode will be my choice if MJ opt to keep the expert to PPT feature out.
Chose MindManager
MindManager is a more mature product than most other products that we have reviewed or tried for mind mapping and project planning. It is very feature-rich, and since it has similar styles to the Microsoft suite of products, users are familiar with the interface and find it …
Chose MindManager
MindManager is much easier to modify and add to and it is much easier to see how all the different topics interact.
Chose MindManager
Project is OK for scheduling things, but it lacks the free space concepts that MindManager brings to the table. Project has some characteristics that are better than MindManager, but overall, MindManager is much more flexible and easier to use for other things beside projects. …
Chose MindManager
MM integrates better with Office vs Novamind. MM is the recommended mapping software for our company. We have colleagues already using MM so it is easier to share maps across the organization.
Chose MindManager
As mentioned earlier, the flexibility and integration of Mindjet was nice, but it wasn't specialized. We had destincly different needs from two different business units (process engineering and project management) Other programs were built for these specific tasks and were …
Zoho Projects
Chose Zoho Projects
MSP - Windows based. Not collaborative. Complex UI. Cannot be shared with people outside the organization easily. Cannot set security levels for users to access projects based on the rights granted to them.
Trello and Asana - Expensive subscription plan. Limited …
Chose Zoho Projects
  • Easy to deploy
  • Clear design and a good mobile app
  • Very good document and chat management
Features
Microsoft ProjectMindManagerZoho Projects
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Project
8.0
111 Ratings
3% above category average
MindManager
-
Ratings
Zoho Projects
8.2
21 Ratings
6% above category average
Task Management8.2110 Ratings00 Ratings8.521 Ratings
Resource Management7.7107 Ratings00 Ratings8.420 Ratings
Gantt Charts9.0107 Ratings00 Ratings8.218 Ratings
Scheduling8.5109 Ratings00 Ratings8.619 Ratings
Workflow Automation10.083 Ratings00 Ratings9.215 Ratings
Team Collaboration7.398 Ratings00 Ratings9.221 Ratings
Support for Agile Methodology4.883 Ratings00 Ratings6.35 Ratings
Support for Waterfall Methodology7.783 Ratings00 Ratings8.812 Ratings
Document Management9.077 Ratings00 Ratings8.017 Ratings
Email integration5.082 Ratings00 Ratings8.017 Ratings
Mobile Access10.067 Ratings00 Ratings8.219 Ratings
Timesheet Tracking10.073 Ratings00 Ratings8.520 Ratings
Change request and Case Management7.864 Ratings00 Ratings6.96 Ratings
Budget and Expense Management7.686 Ratings00 Ratings7.615 Ratings
Professional Services Automation
Comparison of Professional Services Automation features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Project
8.8
79 Ratings
13% above category average
MindManager
-
Ratings
Zoho Projects
6.8
14 Ratings
13% below category average
Quotes/estimates7.855 Ratings00 Ratings5.55 Ratings
Invoicing10.045 Ratings00 Ratings8.213 Ratings
Project & financial reporting7.576 Ratings00 Ratings6.55 Ratings
Integration with accounting software10.050 Ratings00 Ratings7.114 Ratings
Mind Mapping
Comparison of Mind Mapping features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Project
-
Ratings
MindManager
7.5
70 Ratings
1% above category average
Zoho Projects
-
Ratings
Cross-Platform Compatibility00 Ratings7.455 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizable Templates00 Ratings7.764 Ratings00 Ratings
Import and Export Options00 Ratings7.265 Ratings00 Ratings
Real-time Collaboration Tools00 Ratings6.849 Ratings00 Ratings
Drag-and-Drop Capabilities00 Ratings8.960 Ratings00 Ratings
Notes and Attachments00 Ratings7.763 Ratings00 Ratings
Color and Style Customization00 Ratings7.864 Ratings00 Ratings
Presentation Mode00 Ratings7.456 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Task Management00 Ratings6.951 Ratings00 Ratings
Mind Map Revision History00 Ratings6.942 Ratings00 Ratings
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Microsoft ProjectMindManagerZoho Projects
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Score 8.9 out of 10
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Score 9.3 out of 10
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Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
InEight
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Score 8.4 out of 10
Whimsical
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Score 9.3 out of 10
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Score 8.4 out of 10
Enterprises
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Score 8.4 out of 10
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Score 9.3 out of 10
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User Ratings
Microsoft ProjectMindManagerZoho Projects
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(111 ratings)
8.0
(255 ratings)
6.5
(24 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(3 ratings)
8.9
(24 ratings)
9.9
(3 ratings)
Usability
8.7
(9 ratings)
8.3
(19 ratings)
5.6
(4 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.4
(7 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(6 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(34 ratings)
7.5
(16 ratings)
7.4
(9 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(1 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
5.0
(1 ratings)
8.4
(6 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(6 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Microsoft ProjectMindManagerZoho Projects
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
Microsoft Project Online is suited to Turnkey Projects where more Collaboration is required in Project Progress monitoring, risk assessment and conveying, issue recording and tracking. It is less appropriate when ERP Suites other than MS Dynamics are used, i.e when Enterprises need to integrate Finance / Accounting with It and having straight project management workflow
Read full review
Alludo
It is well suited for a quick prototype of product/development planning to show relationships amongst the APIs used. This helps developers understand the impact of the product changes and identifies the need to update integration components to avoid erroneous deployments. I have not personally experienced a less appropriate scenario at the moment.
Read full review
Zoho
My work involves projects of 5-15 people with numerous projects running simultaneously. Prior to Zoho, I did not have a central location from which to view all project statuses at once. Zoho looks to provide this and also looks like it will deliver. I am anxious to see how our organization's use of it develops. At this time, I feel I am likely to recommend Zoho Projects because my organization has made great software decisions in the past so I have a level of trust already that the research has been done that Zoho is the best solution for our line of work.
Read full review
Pros
Microsoft
  • I love the Gantt Chart that Microsoft Project offers me, because it provides me with a view from various aspects, it provides me with exact details about the fulfillment of tasks over a period of time, it also allows me to make comparisons with the necessary data and the fulfilled data. by the employees, in order to know exactly if the project's expectations have been met.
  • I love the Gantt Chart that Microsoft Project offers me, because it provides me with a view from various aspects, it provides me with exact details about the fulfillment of tasks over a period of time, it also allows me to make comparisons with the necessary data and the fulfilled data by the employees, in order to know exactly if the project's expectations have been met.
  • The alert system for the fulfillment and delay of assignments is perfect. Microsoft Project allows me to configure the task system, I can assign the necessary tasks to fulfill the project, and the software alerts me immediately if the managers are fulfilling the assignments.
Read full review
Alludo
  • Allows me to learn by organizing notes.
  • Enables me to create and present strategic plans.
  • Empowers me to present complex concepts in a different and straightforward way.
  • Captivates my audience when I prepare and present a conference, a class, or a seminar in MindManager.
  • Allows me to share mind maps in a variety of formats like JPG, PDF, and HTML.
Read full review
Zoho
  • We use it to manage our sales orders as there are lots of moving parts which are necessary to get client orders done properly.
  • I use it anytime I have a new idea I want to put into motion. As I can create a list for brainstorming, feedback, specific actions necessary in order to test and or implement the idea.
  • Unrelated to business, it's a great way to plan travel in order to make sure you don't forget those important things like passport, flight arrangement, client meeting confirmation, and meeting prep as far as what specific documents or things do you need to bring with you.
  • And since everyone is on the go and expected to keep up with work, the mobile/tablet app makes it a breeze to keep up, work on, and create new projects.
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • Seems overly complicated for users sometimes in using Project and its functionalities
  • Hard to share files for those folks who do not have MS Project, and then have to print out for them
  • Can be confusing since it looks and feels like MS Excel
Read full review
Alludo
  • There should be some more functionality in the Notes window, such as a "Paste Special " Icon in the notes area to maintain format control.
  • Although I create many of my own Web export templates, an add-on for web export design would be great, as I regularly create Interactive Electronic Technical Publications (IETP) in HTML export format.
  • The ability to sync Map shortcuts between devices would also be welcome. I use MM on three devices, and I have to add or amend the Map list individually. My maps are on OneDrive, so using them should not be that hard if they are cloud-based.
Read full review
Zoho
  • There is no ability to add custom fields in the "Bugs" module - for example, if we want to add fields such as Version Number.
  • Reporting is not integrated - its a fairly expensive add-on.
  • There is no easy way to track actual and completed dates for tasks - so historical variance analysis is not easy.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
I like using Microsoft Project. It simplifies building a schedule
Read full review
Alludo
I feel the main issues of the old Mindjet seem to be gone with the
Corel purchase. With the huge advance of sharing via browser HTML even 1
user can affect many. And, actually, using MM kind of forced my rigid
brain to rethink how I categorize and classify information/projects.
The
idea of paying $69USD for an annual cost is more than fair and a great
model for Corel/Mindjet to keep rolling out improvements!
Read full review
Zoho
I've reviewed about 8 other project management solutions and Zoho Projects is the best I've seen without being overly complicated. Zoho Projects keeps getting better! Recent new enhancements makes it even easier to navigate. There are new keyboard shortcuts that cut my time way down. The tools are very easy to use.
Read full review
Usability
Microsoft
Microsoft
Project is easy to operate because data could be inserted, changed and
deleted like you are in an Excel timesheet. Besides, it provides a great
level of automation beween his fields allowing few data changes. Also, its
funcionalities are well defined and grouped in upper menus, so you can find a
funcionality quickly
Read full review
Alludo
MindManager is very intuitive. The user interface is not cluttered and the ribbon icons are easy to understand. Several excellent "how-to" videos are available on the MindManager site as well as on YouTube. MindManager starts quickly and the user interface is very responsive. Launching other programs from MindManager such as Excel is very fast and issue free. The browsing feature is lightning fast. The drag-and-drop capability is also very fast and reliable.
Read full review
Zoho
Zoho Project has been very user-friendly. As a small business, we have a diverse group of people with varying skill sets. This platform has been easy for our team to learn, implement, and succeed with. The mobile version is also very handy for our team.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Alludo
We have had no issues with the application's availability
Read full review
Zoho
Has not been down to my knowledge.
Read full review
Performance
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Alludo
The application is quick and responsive. We are able to produce mindmaps and reports with ease. The program is not complicated at all and integrates well with software and programs like Microsoft Outlook and Teams, which we truly appreciate.
Read full review
Zoho
Speed meets my expectations.
Read full review
Support Rating
Microsoft
Microsoft in recent years has transformed itself and gives a positive feeling when one interacts with the company. The company is focusing on its customers and willing to go extra mile to make customers happy.The company continues to invest in its products and bringing new features from time to time. Overall it is a positive feeling to be associated with such an iconic company.
Read full review
Alludo
I have called technical support a few times. During the COVID Crisis, I called a few times repeatedly due to a rush request. The technical support guy called me back in minutes. He somehow knew that I had called repeatedly and wanted to make sure my issue was resolved immediately
Read full review
Zoho
Although it might lack intuitiveness, once you get a hang of how Zoho Projects works, you can do a LOT. The impact good project management has on profitability is huge, and it has helped not only improve communication and coordination when working on a project, but more importantly have adequate tracking of time, due dates and potential bottle necks
Read full review
Online Training
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Alludo
There is a wide range of online training through webinars led by expert users. They are particularly useful for explaining how to use new features and using MindManager 'in the real world' for projects, tasks etc.
Read full review
Zoho
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Microsoft
I wasn't part of it so I don't know
Read full review
Alludo
better backup and exporting functions
Read full review
Zoho
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
While many of the above tools are extremely well-versed, Microsoft Project's largest advantage comes from it being related to the largest business productivity company in the world. Project does have its sharing limitations - but regardless, offers one of the most robust tools in the market today. Microsoft Project is built with large-scale projects in mind but is more than up to the task for smaller projects as well. However, there are options available (especially cloud-based options) that may be more fitting for higher-level projects that do not require going into the weeds.
Read full review
Alludo
MindManager stands out for its wide range of export options, customization and how they have enriched the format over time. As a constantly evolving tool, and having tried others, I consider it superior for the abovementioned reasons. Its cross-platform nature has been decisive, and although there are many alternatives in the form of web applications or the like, MindManager presents itself as a more complete and robust option.
Read full review
Zoho
Zoho Projects provides a more limited set of functionality and customization options than other task/bug trackers on the market, but what it lacks in functionality it makes up for in ease of use. It probably has 80-90% of the features of its competitors but takes about a third of the time to get up and running and realizing value.
Read full review
Scalability
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Alludo
A team can collaborate on the same project but cannot create a shared project file. It would be helpful for that feature to be added.
Read full review
Zoho
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • Project saved me, as the project manager, countless hours of digging through tickets and schedules to plan everything out. It also saved me time in adjusting the project triangle as needed, since it does so much automatically.
  • It is costly, and since it requires extensive training to master, it's not just the high licensing cost that you need to take into account.
  • The reporting features - even just printing out Gantt charts - makes it far easier to communicate with stakeholders. That means less time for PMs doing all of this manually, and it means less follow-up questions and delays moving forward.
Read full review
Alludo
  • For a single person business presentation it is a plus.
  • Project difficulty is well assessed using the map.
  • Giving away a paper version of a map is a positive gesture. People like the map, the look, and what it says, and it may also be a way to promote MindManager to them.
  • Keep the PDF or JPEG saving capabilities for small customers like me. It's important.
Read full review
Zoho
  • We needed a system to organize our growing business, so anything was better than what we had, which was nothing.
  • Recording time spend is a huge reason for using project software. It has made me aware of the tasks that are taking too long and where we are not being profitable as a company.
  • It has kept our team accountable for what needs to get completed and when projects are not in motion or completed timely. It's helpful to know in order to get billing out faster.
Read full review
ScreenShots

MindManager Screenshots

Screenshot of MindmapScreenshot of Reverse BrainstormingScreenshot of MindManager for Microsoft TeamsScreenshot of MindManager SnapScreenshot of MindManager GoScreenshot of Mind Maps in MindManager

Zoho Projects Screenshots

Screenshot of Task Automation with Blueprint - Map out your entire workflow with no code as flowcharts. Automate your tasks and notifications and set approval criteria with blueprint.Screenshot of Intuitive Gantt Charts - Say what, say who, say when. And done. Zoho Projects' Gantt chart comes feature loaded with advanced operations such as Critical path and Baseline.Screenshot of Inbuilt Issue Tracker - You can log, organize, track, and fix any problems. Features such as status and workflow, can be customized to suit the exact needs of your project.Screenshot of Drag, Drop and Done - A view of your tasks as cards placed along columns. Helps you identify bottlenecks and reorganize quickly using drag and drop.Screenshot of A quick pulse of all your work - The Portfolio dashboard, is a compact overview of all the work that's been happening across projects with widgets that address the project level timeline, status, ownership, budget health, and clients.Screenshot of Looks that matter - A refreshing UI that supports multiple themes, including an eye-catching dark mode.