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RationalPlan

RationalPlan

Starting at $0 per month per user
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Overview

What is RationalPlan?

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…

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Learn from top reviewers

Great value for a company that wants to enable personnel to plan and execute more effectively

Rating: 8 out of 10
March 6, 2020
Vetted ReviewVerified User
RationalPlan provides our project group with a cost-effective scheduling solution across multiple functions. We run many projects and having a tool that is comparable to MS Pr...
Continue reading
Verified user
Project Manager
RationalPlan6 years of experience

RationalPlan fits our needs as project planning tool

Rating: 9 out of 10
March 4, 2020
Vetted ReviewVerified User
RationalPlan Single is used as a project planning tool.
Continue reading
Verified user
Engineer
RationalPlan5 years of experience

Rational Plan Multi - Best Project Management Platform

Rating: 10 out of 10
November 4, 2016
Vetted ReviewVerified User
I use RationalPlan Multi to manage my project portfolio in the region. Multi really helped in getting my projects organised.
Continue reading
Justin James, MComPM, Prince2
Project Manager - Corporate
Operations Project Management
Vodacom
RationalPlan1 year of experience

Needed a plan quick with minimal cost and setup.

Rating: 9 out of 10
November 3, 2016
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
Used for a project for a customer. Also using agile scrum tools for bottom up management.
Continue reading
LeRoy Mattingly
Project Manager - Professional Services
Chief Architect
About Objects, Inc.
RationalPlan1 year of experience
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Pricing

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Free

$0

Cloud

Beginner

$4

Cloud
per user

Master

$12

Cloud
per user

Entry-level set up fee?

  • Setup fee optional
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.rationalplan.com/products

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Details

What is RationalPlan?

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.

RationalPlan Features

Project Management Features

  • Supported: Task Management
  • Supported: Resource Management
  • Supported: Gantt Charts
  • Supported: Scheduling
  • Supported: Team Collaboration
  • Supported: Support for Agile Methodology
  • Supported: Support for Waterfall Methodology
  • Supported: Document Management
  • Supported: Email integration
  • Supported: Mobile Access
  • Supported: Timesheet Tracking
  • Supported: Budget and Expense Management

Professional Services Automation Features

  • Supported: Invoicing

RationalPlan Screenshots

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

RationalPlan Video

RationalPlan - Manage your projects the easy way!

RationalPlan Integrations

RationalPlan Competitors

RationalPlan Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac
Mobile ApplicationNo
Supported CountriesAny country, world wide
Supported LanguagesEnglish, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Romanian, Brazilian, Hungarian, Russian, Italian, Ukrainian

Frequently Asked Questions

RationalPlan starts at $0.

Microsoft Project, Celoxis, and Adobe Workfront are common alternatives for RationalPlan.

Reviewers rate Task Management and Gantt Charts highest, with a score of 7.3.

The most common users of RationalPlan are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).

RationalPlan Customer Size Distribution

Consumers11%
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)44%
Mid-Size Companies (51-500 employees)34%
Enterprises (more than 500 employees)11%
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Comparisons

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Reviews From Top Reviewers

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

RationalPlan has proven to be a valuable tool for managing multiple projects simultaneously and estimating project durations and costs, according to users. It has been particularly helpful in the construction industry, enabling users to streamline the building process and coordinate subcontractors for special events and maintenance projects. The software also finds utility in developing work schedules for companies, creating internal tech training projects, and programming timelines and resources in construction projects. Users have reported increased productivity and timeliness since adopting RationalPlan as it facilitates better task management compared to other tools. Additionally, the ability to create clear Gantt charts with dependencies has been highly valued by users, especially on Mac computers.

Ranging from small businesses to scientific equipment development settings, RationalPlan has been used across various industries. Its features for managing dates, resources, tracking changes and decisions throughout a project make it an invaluable tool for setting up initial plans and managing projects with multiple consultants and research subjects. While some users have expressed a desire for a more direct way to enter and accumulate data within the software itself rather than relying on spreadsheets, others believe that RationalPlan covers all their project management needs. Moreover, RationalPlan's compatibility with mixed environments and its fair cost compared to its competitor, MS Project, have contributed to its positive reputation among users. The software is user-friendly, allowing for easy creation of Gantt charts and printing PDFs, making it suitable for teaching project planning as well as planning simple or complex projects with fast adjustments.

Competent and Cost-effective: Many users have found RationalPlan to be a very competent and cost-effective project management tool. They appreciate that it offers a low-cost option for high-level project planning needs, making it a valuable solution for managing projects on a budget.

Simple and Easy to Use: Users have mentioned that RationalPlan is simple, straightforward, and easy to use. Its good interface and intuitive features make it accessible to both experienced professionals and those new to project management.

Versatile and Compatible: Users like the fact that RationalPlan is native to the Mac and runs on different operating systems, making it versatile and compatible. This allows them to seamlessly work with their preferred devices while collaborating with team members who may be using different platforms.

Cons: Lack of User Support: Some users have mentioned that RationalPlan lacks user-created support compared to more popular software like MS Project. They found it easier to find solutions to problems with MS Project through online forums. Confusing User Interface: Several users have expressed frustration with the confusing user interface of RationalPlan, particularly when it comes to creating milestones. They also mentioned that the duration of projects is only displayed in days, which can be problematic when working with multi-year projects and trying to convert to weeks or months. Limited Customization Options: Many users have expressed a desire for more customization options for built-in reports and more flexibility when it comes to printing in RationalPlan. They feel that the software's graphical speed and bar charts are difficult to use and do not meet their expectations.

RationalPlan receives recommendations from users across different project management levels, including starting, medior, and senior project managers. However, some senior users feel that it may lack certain functionalities they require. Users also suggest RationalPlan for individuals comfortable with MS Project who want to involve others in their company with updates. Additionally, RationalPlan is highly recommended by users as a cost-effective tool for managing project schedules, particularly for non-profit organizations. It is especially suitable for small to medium-sized projects where users only dedicate a portion of their time to project planning.

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(1-3 of 3)

Great value for a company that wants to enable personnel to plan and execute more effectively

Rating: 8 out of 10
March 06, 2020
Verified User
Project Manager in Information Technology
Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering Company, 51-200 employees
Vetted Review
Verified User
RationalPlan
6 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
RationalPlan provides our project group with a cost-effective scheduling solution across multiple functions. We run many projects and having a tool that is comparable to MS Project but less than 4x the cost is very appealing. When I have had questions I was able to contact customer service and receive a response quickly. Keep up the great work.
Pros
  • Intuitive interface
  • Critical Path Highlighting
  • Baseline Capability
  • Customized Fields
  • Ability to integrate and email persons assigned tasks
Cons
  • Duration at top level only in days (no options to change). Not so fun when running multi-year projects and trying to convert to weeks months on the fly in meetings
  • Ability to customize built in reports (even if it was done outside and you had to use fields provided)
  • Printing flexibility for reporting
Likelihood to Recommend
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.
RationalPlan Feature Ratings
Project Management (12)
51.66666666666667%
5.2
Task Management
70%
7.0
Resource Management
60%
6.0
Gantt Charts
70%
7.0
Scheduling
80%
8.0
Team Collaboration
80%
8.0
Support for Agile Methodology
N/A
N/A
Support for Waterfall Methodology
80%
8.0
Document Management
40%
4.0
Email integration
70%
7.0
Mobile Access
N/A
N/A
Timesheet Tracking
N/A
N/A
Budget and Expense Management
70%
7.0
Professional Services Automation (1)
N/A
N/A
Invoicing
N/A
N/A
Return on Investment
  • Enables more people to use schedule tool in their work - soft cost, but valuable "thinking schedule" not just tasks.
  • Cost effective - more people can use the technology.
Alternatives Considered
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.
Support Rating
8
The times that I have contacted RationalPlan with questions or suggestions I received a prompt response to address my questions.

Rational Plan Multi - Best Project Management Platform

Rating: 10 out of 10
November 04, 2016
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
I use RationalPlan Multi to manage my project portfolio in the region. Multi really helped in getting my projects organised.
Pros
  • 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.
Cons
  • While the portfolio view is great is becomes difficult/cluttered with many projects. Highlighting master projects will help. Creating a tree view for master project and its sub projects would even be better.
  • Reporting is a big part of any project. While rationalplan has reports for key areas the presentation of these reports could really be improved. Make it more presentable. Add some burndown charts. I hate to compare you to MS Project but they do reporting really well in MS Project.
  • The email function is another great idea. Would be great if one had an option to either email an entire portfolio or by active project. At times I’m still scoping certain projects and if the WBS is not yet complete then this incomplete project is also communicated via email which leads to frustration in the team. You don’t always want to communicate tasks for all projects to all resources.
  • One need to be able to: Email per project
  • Email entire portfolio (as currently the case)
  • Email by resource (send pending or outstanding tasks to the resource in question)
  • Add a portfolio dashboard with graphical speed and bar charts giving you a glimpse of late projects, projects slipping, not started in progress etc., for your portfolio.
Likelihood to Recommend
It's got its shortcomings but is still the best PM tool in my opinion.
RationalPlan Feature Ratings
Project Management (8)
76.25%
7.6
Task Management
100%
10.0
Resource Management
100%
10.0
Gantt Charts
90%
9.0
Scheduling
90%
9.0
Document Management
80%
8.0
Email integration
50%
5.0
Timesheet Tracking
N/A
N/A
Budget and Expense Management
100%
10.0
Professional Services Automation (1)
50%
5.0
Invoicing
50%
5.0
Alternatives Considered

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 multi is a good balance with features especially if some of the proposed feature requests are implemented.

Other Software Used

Needed a plan quick with minimal cost and setup.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Incentivized
November 03, 2016
LM
LeRoy Mattingly
Chief Architect
About Objects, Inc. (Computer Software, 51-200 employees)
Vetted Review
Verified User
RationalPlan
1 year of experience
View profile
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
Used for a project for a customer. Also using agile scrum tools for bottom up management.
Pros
  • Simple interface easy to use.
  • Runs natively on mac and is reasonably priced for what I need - high level project planning.
  • Does way more than what I actually need it for.
Cons
  • Milestones should be a primary option instead of 0h to create one.
Likelihood to Recommend
Great for agile projects that need to define a high level project plan.
RationalPlan Feature Ratings
Project Management (9)
80%
8.0
Task Management
80%
8.0
Resource Management
80%
8.0
Gantt Charts
100%
10.0
Scheduling
100%
10.0
Document Management
60%
6.0
Email integration
100%
10.0
Mobile Access
100%
10.0
Timesheet Tracking
50%
5.0
Budget and Expense Management
50%
5.0
Professional Services Automation
N/A
N/A
Return on Investment
  • Helps explain the target schedule and resource estimates for cost of the project
Alternatives Considered
MSProject - way too expensive for what I need. I think I could do everything I did in MSProject in RationalPlan
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