Microsoft's own documentation says Project Online will be retired, and that matters because Microsoft Project now names several products: Project for the web, Project Online, Project Server and a desktop client. Smartsheet is one work management platform with grid, Gantt, card, timeline and calendar views plus automation. Teams already on Microsoft 365 look at Microsoft's lineup first; teams wanting one shared workspace look at Smartsheet.
Microsoft Project and Smartsheet in one table
Listed alphabetically and in no particular order, with each line built from the vendor's own pages. The Microsoft row is a family of products rather than one app, which is the first thing to hold on to.
| Tool | What kind of tool | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Project | Planning and scheduling family | Teams already working inside Microsoft 365 |
| Smartsheet | Work management platform | Shared plans needing several views and automation |
Microsoft Project
Best for: Teams inside Microsoft 365 who know which Project product they hold: Project for the web, Project Online, Project Server or the desktop client.
Smartsheet
Best for: Project teams wanting one platform with grid, Gantt, card, timeline and calendar views plus automated updates, approvals and notifications.
One name, several Microsoft products
Ask five project managers what Microsoft Project is and you can get five answers. Microsoft's own Project documentation lists Project for the web, Project Online and Project Server as separate products, and there's a desktop client as well. Its Project Online page on learn.microsoft.com carries a notice that Project Online will be retired. The same page says Project Online is a separate service, not a web version of Project Professional, and that depending on the subscription it can also include the Microsoft Project desktop client.
Planner adds another layer. Microsoft's Planner page says that on Planner web, users are redirected to the premium plan in Project for the web. Microsoft also says premium Planner plans have capabilities that basic plans lack, such as task dependencies. So a team that thinks it's using Planner may find its more detailed plans opening in Project for the web, and a team that thinks it's using Microsoft Project may be on any one of several products.
On the desktop side, Microsoft lists the Microsoft Project desktop client as supported for connecting to Microsoft 365 services. That's useful if your schedulers prefer a desktop app and your organisation already runs on Microsoft 365.
How Smartsheet lays out the work
Smartsheet calls itself a work management platform, and its pages lead with how you look at a plan. It offers Timeline, Grid, Card, Gantt and Calendar views, so the same work can sit as rows for the planner, cards for the people doing the tasks and a Gantt chart for the weekly review. Automated workflows handle updates, approvals and notifications, which cuts down the chasing that eats a project manager's afternoon.
Two more features push it beyond a single plan. Portfolio management is there for monitoring resources and risks across many projects, and secure request management centralises intake, so new work arrives through one front door and its progress is tracked from the start. Smartsheet also positions the platform around people and AI agents working together on plans, approvals and handoffs. Treat that as the vendor's description of where it's heading, and test the parts your team would use.
Views, automation and portfolio work compared
Views
Smartsheet names five views on its own pages. Microsoft's planning difference that its documentation spells out most clearly is task dependencies, which premium Planner plans have and basic ones lack. If your plans live or die on dependencies between tasks, make sure the Microsoft product you'd use is one that includes them.
Automation
Smartsheet puts automated workflows for updates, approvals and notifications front and centre. On the Microsoft side, the product you hold and the rest of your Microsoft 365 setup shape what you can automate, so ask whoever runs your tenant before assuming.
Portfolio and intake
Smartsheet describes portfolio management and request management as features of the platform. On the Microsoft side, confirm which product in the family your organisation would use for portfolio reporting and intake, and don't start that work on Project Online while it carries a retirement notice.
What the retirement notice means for a new plan
Here's the part that changes the decision for many teams. Because Microsoft's own Project Online page says the service will be retired, anyone starting fresh should be wary of setting up new projects, reports or portfolio processes there. That doesn't mean leaving Microsoft. It means being exact about which Microsoft product you're choosing: Project for the web, the desktop client connected to Microsoft 365, Project Server, or premium plans opened from Planner.
Put the question to your IT team in writing: which of these products does our licence give us, and what does Microsoft's documentation say about each one's future? Then run the same pilot project through that product and through a Smartsheet trial, using a real schedule with real dependencies. You'll learn more from one live project than from any feature grid.
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Keep a note of what the pilot shows about reporting, too. Whoever signs off the project at the end will want to see progress in a form they already understand, so check how each tool shares a plan with someone who doesn't use it every day, and how much setup that takes.
Planning teams and the tool that fits them
If your organisation runs on Microsoft 365, your schedulers like a desktop app, and your plans need task dependencies, stay inside the Microsoft family but pick the product deliberately and avoid building anything new on Project Online. If your projects involve people across departments who need to see the same work in different ways, with intake, approvals and portfolio oversight in one place, Smartsheet's platform is built around exactly that.
For the wider field, see my Microsoft Project alternatives and Smartsheet alternatives, and if the timeline is what matters most, my guide to Gantt chart software goes deeper on that one view.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Project being retired?
Not as a whole. Microsoft's Project Online page on learn.microsoft.com carries a notice that Project Online will be retired. Project for the web, Project Server and the desktop client are listed as separate products, so check Microsoft's documentation for the one you use.
Is Project Online the same as Project Professional?
No. Microsoft says Project Online is a separate service, not a web version of Project Professional. Depending on the subscription, Project Online can also include the desktop client.
What happens to premium plans in Planner?
Microsoft's Planner page says that on Planner web, users are redirected to the premium plan in Project for the web, and that premium plans have capabilities basic plans lack, such as task dependencies.
Does Smartsheet offer a free plan?
Smartsheet's own site points to a free trial rather than a free plan. Plans and limits change, so check the vendor's site before you sign up.
Does Smartsheet have Gantt charts?
Yes. Smartsheet lists Gantt among its views, alongside Timeline, Grid, Card and Calendar.
Can the Microsoft Project desktop app connect to Microsoft 365?
Microsoft lists the Microsoft Project desktop client as supported for connecting to Microsoft 365 services.
