Likelihood to Recommend As a project management tool, especially with more straightforward timelines and components, ProjectLibre is a great alternative to some of the costly PM software tools. I have managed many projects with both
MS Project and ProjectLibre, and I think ProjectLibre is a great alternative, especially when I've worked in regions of the world where users cannot afford other PM tools.
Read full review Given the versatility and diversity of the diagrams that can be created with Microsoft Visio, we use this tool for the most diverse activities. With our students, we use it to organize group activities and manage the tasks that everyone has to complete. In research groups, we use it to divide tasks and create organization charts. For research activities, especially the more complex ones carried out, for example, in PhD programmes, the diagrams allow us to display all the work phases graphically.
Read full review Pros ProjectLibre is great for project management. It allows us to establish milestones and timeline planning for projects. It allows us to stay organized among multiple projects. It is extremely simple to use with a simple interface. It takes little time to plan out a project with key dates and provides a nice graphic. Read full review Visio comes with icons that can help differentiate processes within a map. These can be used to be a legend and helps create a visually appealing flow. Visio is user-friendly and allows the user to easily navigate through the different creative options that can be used. Because this is a Microsoft product, Visio works well with other Microsoft products for easy translation. Read full review Cons Customer service is not there - I understand that the product is open source but some kind of forum with FAQs, etc. can come in handy App crashes at time for no reason. There have been instances where you try to create a new task and all the diagrams and other items get messed up Read full review For me personally I cannot highlight anything specific that has any bearing on how I use the product. Everything is very straightforward and clearly signposted including template desgins and categories. The layout is easy to navigate and as it's part of the MS Office ecosystem means there is less to learn as I'm used to a lot of the cross product functionality. Read full review Likelihood to Renew We use Microsoft Visio to keep our diagrams updated and to that end we will need the subscription to keep using the software. Otherwise we will be left with PDF versions of the diagrams.
Read full review Usability Some things that I think should be easy to do are not, at least not for a beginner user. I'm sure it's easy once you get the hang of it but the two main issues I have with Visio are the connecting of different states and searching for graphics/icons after you have chosen a starting template.
Read full review Support Rating There are a lot of discussions online about it, and a customer addition based manual. While that can lead to some confusion, I am not the kind of person who likes talking on the phone. So it is easier to go online with ProjectLibre!
Read full review Overall, I feel that Microsoft's support is weak. They are now such a behemoth that their model of putting documentation online for their users to sift through is totally outgrown. Given the amount of money you pay for these licenses, Microsoft should provide easy one-on-one support for their products via email or chat. The idea of paying their rates for support incidents is ridiculous. If you have an enormous amount of time on your hands, use their support websites and you will eventually find a solution most of the time.
Read full review Alternatives Considered We decided to go with ProjectLibre because it is a free tool and there is a great community that supports us in case there are any questions or concerns about the software. This has allowed us to be able to invest time without having to worry about licensing costs or anything else.
Read full review Even though it’s a more expensive solution, Vizio is built for the enterprise. Therefore, it integrates perfectly with our existing Microsoft stack, and quite frankly, because it’s such a more mature product, it provides exactly the functionality we need and expect.
Read full review Return on Investment ProjectLibre is free so it has allowed us to collaborate on MS Project files for users that run a Mac or Linux machine Learning curve is minimal since it so closely resembles MS Project Not all MS Project features (especially the newer editions) are present but it's best for users that are not the primary PM to user ProjectLibre. Read full review Visio diagrams have help us streamline processes that reduce costs and improve efficiencies. It is a very complete program, it allows you to make industrial and civil works diagrams. It also allows you to design 3D graphics. It is a very reliable program. Its ability to work with vectors is a big plus. It can easily import SVG graphics, edit their individual lines and then being able to export the edited SVG again. Read full review ScreenShots