If you want to buy Microsoft Project, you choose between the Standard and Professional editions and between the 2021 and 2024 versions. This guide shows what Project does, which features only Professional offers, how long the versions are supported and how the purchased licence differs from the Project subscriptions.
Key points at a glance
- Project is not part of Office. You need a separate licence for one Windows PC.
- Standard offers complete scheduling for individual planners. Professional adds Team Planner, connection to Project Server and synchronisation with SharePoint.
- According to Microsoft, Project 2024 receives security updates until 9 October 2029 and Project 2021 until 13 October 2026. Support for 2016 and 2019 has ended.
- Project and Office must use the same bit version and the same installation technology on one PC.
What do you need Microsoft Project for?
Project is a program for scheduling and managing projects. You create tasks, enter durations and dependencies, and Project calculates the start and finish dates from them. If a task is delayed, the program automatically adjusts all subsequent dates.
The core features include Gantt charts, the critical path, milestones, baselines for comparing planned and actual progress, resources with working times and costs, and ready-made reports. Multiple timelines help to present extensive schedules clearly, for example for a presentation to senior management.
Typical areas of use are construction and trade projects, IT rollouts, product development, events and consulting projects. For simple task lists, Project is often too extensive. It shows its strength in undertakings with many interdependent work steps.
Project Standard or Professional: the differences
The planning features are largely the same in both editions. Professional mainly adds features for teamwork and for connecting to company systems.
| Feature | Standard | Professional |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks, dependencies, Gantt chart | Yes | Yes |
| Critical path, baselines, reports | Yes | Yes |
| Resources and costs in the project | Yes | Yes |
| Team Planner view | No | Yes |
| Connection to Project Server | No | Yes |
| Enterprise-wide resource pool via the server | No | Yes |
| Synchronisation with SharePoint task lists | No | Yes |
Who is Project Standard enough for?
Standard is suitable if one person is responsible for planning: project managers in small businesses, the self-employed, site managers or planners in specialist departments. They create the schedule, assign resources, track progress and share the results as a PDF, printout or project file.
When is Project Professional worthwhile?
Professional makes sense if several people work on projects and you need to keep an eye on workload. Team Planner shows who is working on which task and when, and you can reassign tasks by drag and drop. According to Microsoft, Team Planner is only available in Project Professional.
Companies with their own Project Server also need Professional, because only this edition connects to the server. Please note: Microsoft is retiring the Project Online cloud service on 30 September 2026. Microsoft names Project Server Subscription Edition and Planner, among others, as successors. The desktop versions of Project are not affected.
Versions and end of support dates
One-off purchase versions of Project have a fixed lifecycle. After the end of support, the program keeps running but no longer receives security updates.
| Version | End of support | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Project 2024 | 9 October 2029 | Recommended for a new purchase |
| Project 2021 | 13 October 2026 | Supported only for a short time |
| Project 2019 | 14 October 2025 (ended) | Only for special requirements |
| Project 2016 | 14 October 2025 (ended) | Only for special requirements |
For a new purchase we recommend Project 2024, because only this version will receive updates for several more years. Project 2021 is only worth considering in exceptional cases, for example if a team temporarily has to work with identical versions. The dates come from the Microsoft lifecycle for Project 2024. Our article on Office end of support provides a complete overview of all programs.
Project files in MPP format can be exchanged between Project 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024. However, features introduced in a newer version are not available in older versions.
Buying or subscribing to Project: purchased licence vs Planner plans
Microsoft also offers Project as a subscription. Since 2024 the plans have been called Planner Plan 1 and Planner and Project Plan 3 and Plan 5. Plan 1 is a purely web-based solution. Only Plan 3 and Plan 5 include the Project desktop app.
| Model | Program | Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Project Standard/Professional 2024 | Desktop app for one PC | One-off purchase |
| Planner Plan 1 | Web app | Monthly or annual fee |
| Planner and Project Plan 3 and 5 | Web app and desktop app | Monthly or annual fee |
A subscription suits companies that want to edit projects together in the browser, manage them centrally through Microsoft 365 and always use the latest version. The purchased licence is suitable for fixed workstations and for planners who do not want ongoing costs. You receive a licence of unlimited duration for one PC, with security updates until the end of support but without new features.
Which edition suits you?
- You plan on your own and share plans as a file or PDF: Project Standard 2024.
- You manage a team and need Team Planner: Project Professional 2024.
- Your company uses Project Server or SharePoint task lists: Project Professional 2024.
- You mainly need diagrams rather than scheduling: Visio, see our guide Buying Microsoft Visio.
Matching licence
Installation and activation alongside Office
Project is installed and activated in the same way as Office. Your delivery email from Keychannel contains the 25-character product key, the download links for the setup and instructions.
- Check the bit version of your Office, for example in Word under File → Account → About Word. Project must have the same bit version. 64-bit is recommended.
- Uninstall any older Project version and restart the PC.
- Run the setup from the delivery email.
- Start Project and enter the product key. If no prompt appears, select File → Account → Change Product Key.
- Select "I want to activate the software over the Internet".
Do not mix installation technologies. Office and Project should both be Click-to-Run installations, not one as Click-to-Run and the other as an MSI package. This mainly affects older Office 2016 installations that were set up via MSI. Microsoft describes which combinations work in the supported installation scenarios.
If online activation fails, activate by telephone. The activation portal and our support team will help you. You will also find the individual steps and typical causes of errors in our guide Installing and activating Office, which applies equally to Project.
Conclusion
For a new purchase, Project 2024 is the sensible choice, as it receives security updates until October 2029. Project Standard is sufficient if one person does the planning and passes on the results as a file. You need Project Professional for Team Planner, for Project Server and for synchronisation with SharePoint.
The purchased licence is worthwhile for fixed workstations without ongoing costs, the subscription for teams collaborating in the cloud. Not sure whether you need Project at all or rather a diagramming program? Then our comparison Project or Visio will help.
Frequently asked questions
Is Project included in Office Professional Plus?
No. Project is a standalone product and is not included in any one-off purchase version of Office. However, you can install it on the same PC as Office.
Do I need a server for Project?
No. Standard and Professional work independently with local project files. A Project Server is only needed for company-wide collaboration, which Professional additionally supports.
Can I install Project 2024 alongside Office 2021?
Usually, yes. The requirement is that both programs use the same bit version and the same installation technology. You should remove any older Project version beforehand.
Can I switch from Standard to Professional later?
For this you need a Professional licence. As a rule, you uninstall Standard and install Professional with the new key. Your project files are retained and can still be opened.
What happens to Project 2021 after 13 October 2026?
Project 2021 keeps running but no longer receives security updates. Project 2024 is therefore recommended for new workstations.