IT companies
Software houses and IT departments run client projects alongside internal work. Hours logged on tasks and the project budget show which project uses more time than planned.
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Microsoft Planner alternative: FlexiProject compared
FlexiProject is a Microsoft Planner alternative for Microsoft 365 companies that need more than task lists. Budget, risks, approvals and working time sit next to the schedule, and the app also opens in Teams.
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FlexiProject vs Microsoft Planner
| Try for free | Microsoft Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Gantt chart | ||
| Four dependency types with fixed lag | ||
| Critical path | ||
| Baseline | ||
| Plan change request | ||
| Project charter | ||
| Approval workflows | ||
| Risks with response plans | ||
| Project deliverables | ||
| Budget lines, time-phased forecast, actuals | ||
| Project portfolios | ||
| Project scoring | ||
| Availability with time off | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Microsoft Teams integration | ||
| On-premises version |
A Microsoft Planner alternative from tasks to budget
In FlexiProject the schedule, budget lines, risk register and logged hours of each project share the same tasks. Start a 30-day test account or book a demo.
FlexiProject key strengths
A good Microsoft Planner alternative adds five areas missing from Planner task boards.
Plan costs month by month.
Budget lines hold costs or revenue. You spread each forecast over time or tie it to task dates, then compare it with actuals imported under mapping rules.
Rate each risk on your own scale.
Each risk has an owner, probability, impact and a response plan. You define the scales of the risk matrix, and a risk linked to a task appears in that task’s panel.
Approve the project before work starts.
Charter fields are filled with data from the schedule, budget, risks and products. The approved version stays in the history, so you can set it against the current state.
Compare logged hours with the plan.
Team members log time on their tasks in the browser or in the mobile app. The schedule then shows logged hours next to planned effort.
Rank ideas by benefit and complexity.
Evaluators answer weighted questions from a scoring template. Results fall into two dimensions, benefits and complexity, and a chart places every project on both axes.
key strengths
A Microsoft Planner alternative with cost forecasts
In Microsoft Planner a task carries dates, people and progress. In FlexiProject the same task also links budget forecasts, risks, products and logged hours. When you move a task, the forecasts tied to it move too, and the change shows against the baseline.
flexible configuration
One instance for every department
Each department gets its own work area with project templates, charter patterns and approval paths. People sign in with their Microsoft accounts, and the Entra ID connection brings in users and their all-day time off from Outlook. The administrator sets this up in the interface.
Industries where FlexiProject is a Microsoft Planner alternative
Professional services
Consulting and service firms deliver projects in stages for many clients. Products with acceptance criteria and approval paths show what the client has already accepted.
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Public institutions
Offices and agencies plan projects funded from several sources. The project charter, baseline and review archive record each decision.
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Every other industry
Manufacturers, energy companies and construction firms also run their projects in FlexiProject. The industries page shows examples for each of them.
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Compare FlexiProject with other tools
See how FlexiProject compares with other planning and portfolio tools.
Microsoft Planner alternative: frequently asked questions
FlexiProject as a Microsoft Planner alternative
Is FlexiProject a good Microsoft Planner alternative?
Yes, FlexiProject is a good Microsoft Planner alternative when a project needs a budget, risks and approvals next to its tasks. The FlexiProject project management software takes each project from the charter to closure.
How does FlexiProject differ from Microsoft Planner?
In Microsoft Planner, the Gantt chart, baseline and critical path come with the paid Planner Plan 1 and Plan 3 licences. FlexiProject as a Microsoft Planner alternative also has budget lines, a risk register and time tracking. The project scheduling software links them to the same tasks.
Do you also compare FlexiProject with Microsoft Project?
Yes, in a separate comparison with Microsoft Project. Plans saved as .mpp files move into FlexiProject with their dependencies and baselines, so you do not rebuild them by hand.
Schedule and baselines
Will the Microsoft Planner alternative keep a history of plan changes?
Yes. Each approved baseline stays in the project plan module, so FlexiProject as a Microsoft Planner alternative shows how the plan changed over time. A new version follows an approved change request.
Which dependency types does the schedule support?
All four: finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish and start-to-finish, each with an optional fixed lag in days. When a predecessor moves, its successors move with it, and the Gantt chart tool shows the new dates at once.
How do team members update their tasks?
They change progress in the task list, in the Kanban board tool or in the mobile app. All three views show the same tasks as the schedule.
Budget, risks and acceptance
How does the Microsoft Planner alternative show project costs?
FlexiProject as a Microsoft Planner alternative keeps costs and revenue in budget lines, each with a forecast and actuals. The project reporting tool brings the budgets of all projects into one report.
Can approvals follow our own decision path?
Yes. Each path in the approval workflow software consists of steps assigned to project roles, and steps run one after another or in parallel. Each decision is recorded with the author, date and comment.
How do we check what a project has already delivered?
In the project products module. Each product has an owner, a due date, acceptance criteria and a link to the task or milestone that delivers it. Its status shows what is still pending.
Portfolio, programmes and strategy
Does the Microsoft Planner alternative total the costs of a whole portfolio?
Yes. FlexiProject as a Microsoft Planner alternative has project portfolio software with a simulation tab. You tick projects in or out, and their planned costs are set against the amount set for the portfolio.
Can we group related projects into a programme?
Yes. The program management tool links tasks of different projects with dependencies and recalculates their dates when one of them moves.
How do we link projects to company goals?
In the strategy management module, goals have metrics with target values. Each project is linked to the goal it supports, with a level of impact.
Workload, time and Microsoft 365
Does the Microsoft Planner alternative show who has time for a new project?
Yes. FlexiProject as a Microsoft Planner alternative shows the workload of people and departments across all projects in the resource planning software. With Entra ID connected, all-day time off from Outlook reduces availability.
Are tasks outside projects included in workload?
Yes. The operational task software plans regular duties with an owner and a cycle, and they draw on the same availability as project work.
Can the team keep working in Microsoft Teams?
Yes. FlexiProject is in the Teams Store as a personal app, and people sign in with their Microsoft account. Comments with mentions stay with the task in the project communication tool, and notifications arrive by email and in the app.
Hosting, rollout and pricing
Can the Microsoft Planner alternative run on a company server?
Microsoft Planner runs only as a Microsoft 365 cloud service. FlexiProject as a Microsoft Planner alternative runs in the cloud or on your servers, with an interface in 28 languages. Both options are described among the FlexiProject key strengths.
Can every department start projects the same way?
Yes. The project template software stores the schedule, budget lines, products and typical risks for each type of project. A new project starts from that template.
How long can we test FlexiProject?
The test account runs for 30 days with the full feature set, and we extend it on request. Configuration and migration of existing projects are free, and rates are on the pricing page.
Contact us to learn more about FlexiProject
Send us one plan you run in Microsoft Planner today, and we will show it in FlexiProject with a budget, risks and logged hours.
