Microsoft Project vs. RationalPlan

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Microsoft Project
Score 7.5 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.
$10
per user/per month
RationalPlan
Score 7.7 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
RationalPlan is project management software that has been designed to help project managers keep their projects on time and within budget. The main goal of this software is to make the process of planning projects as short and as straightforward as possible and to guide novice project managers through each step but offer enough tools to those who are more experienced.
$0
per month per user
Pricing
Microsoft ProjectRationalPlan
Editions & Modules
Project Plan 1
$10
per user/per month
Project Plan 3
$30
per user/per month
Project Plan 5
$55
per user/per month
Free
$0
Beginner
$4
per user
Master
$12
per user
Production
$19
per user
Stakeholder
$64 USD
Lifetime License per Seat
Single
$145 USD
Lifetime License per Seat
Multi
$288 USD
Lifetime License per Seat
Server
$668 USD
Lifetime License per Seat
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Microsoft ProjectRationalPlan
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Microsoft ProjectRationalPlan
Considered Both Products
Microsoft Project

No answer on this topic

RationalPlan
Chose RationalPlan
RationalPlan has what we need license Costs, runs on Linux, and Windows fits precisely what we need.
Chose RationalPlan

I use Multi which is the standalone platform. While there is no team collaboration it does have an email feature built in. Rational Plan does have the Server option but it all comes at a price the same as Wrike.

I have used many free and commercial platforms and rationalplan …

Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Microsoft ProjectRationalPlan
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Project
8.0
107 Ratings
6% above category average
RationalPlan
6.6
4 Ratings
13% below category average
Task Management9.0106 Ratings7.34 Ratings
Resource Management6.9103 Ratings6.84 Ratings
Gantt Charts10.0103 Ratings7.34 Ratings
Scheduling9.9105 Ratings6.44 Ratings
Workflow Automation8.582 Ratings00 Ratings
Team Collaboration7.795 Ratings7.31 Ratings
Support for Agile Methodology7.679 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for Waterfall Methodology8.279 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Document Management7.276 Ratings3.63 Ratings
Email integration6.081 Ratings6.43 Ratings
Mobile Access7.966 Ratings9.11 Ratings
Timesheet Tracking8.472 Ratings4.51 Ratings
Change request and Case Management8.462 Ratings00 Ratings
Budget and Expense Management6.382 Ratings6.43 Ratings
Professional Services Automation
Comparison of Professional Services Automation features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Project
7.0
76 Ratings
6% below category average
RationalPlan
4.5
1 Ratings
49% below category average
Quotes/estimates7.053 Ratings00 Ratings
Invoicing7.044 Ratings4.51 Ratings
Project & financial reporting6.973 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with accounting software6.949 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Microsoft ProjectRationalPlan
Small Businesses
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.8 out of 10
FunctionFox
FunctionFox
Score 8.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
SAP Ruum
SAP Ruum
Score 9.0 out of 10
SAP Ruum
SAP Ruum
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Quickbase
Quickbase
Score 9.2 out of 10
Quickbase
Quickbase
Score 9.2 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Microsoft ProjectRationalPlan
Likelihood to Recommend
6.5
(107 ratings)
7.7
(4 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(34 ratings)
7.7
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
5.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Microsoft ProjectRationalPlan
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
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Stand By Soft
Appropriate as a great alternative to MS Project. RationalPlan provides most of the features needed to develop and maintain mid-level complex schedules. Less Appropriate for large complex schedules of long duration. These can be a challenge due to Duration at top-level. It is also a challenge to generate reports for management - reporting feature is limited.
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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
Stand By Soft
  • Portfolio view is great to get a feel for how your programme is running at a glance and which areas possibly might require attention. The fact that you can customise your view by adding your own columns is another plus.
  • All project information in one tool is a big plus for me considering the amount of projects we run with. This really improves efficiency and saves me time. You have the ability to add documents to tasks, manage risks, email resources tasks due for projects they are assigned to(might need some refinement depending on your requirements), material db with costing etc.
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
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Stand By Soft
  • Milestones should be a primary option instead of 0h to create one.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
I like using Microsoft Project. It simplifies building a schedule
Read full review
Stand By Soft
No answers on this topic
Usability
Microsoft
Microsoft Project was for many years the reference tool when you were talking about project management software, even if it has some gaps. However, in the last several years, other tools emerged and covered those gaps and are getting more and more users. Microsoft needs to keep up with the trends as they did with adding Project Server. However, that needs a significant rework.
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Stand By Soft
No answers on this topic
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.
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Stand By Soft
I had to ask for support once and got a response immediately.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Microsoft
I wasn't part of it so I don't know
Read full review
Stand By Soft
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.
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Stand By Soft
RationalPlan is cost-effective and allows most users to prepare and manage their schedule. The software lacks comprehensive reporting and duration changes at the top level of a project.
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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.
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Stand By Soft
  • Helps explain the target schedule and resource estimates for cost of the project
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ScreenShots

RationalPlan Screenshots

Screenshot of Project infoScreenshot of Notes and linksScreenshot of Working calendarsScreenshot of Gantt chartsScreenshot of Resource levelingScreenshot of Baseline management