Microsoft Project Online retiring...Replaced with Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Project Online retiring on September 30, 2026, after helping project managers and teams worldwide for over a decade. This change is significant, and we want to acknowledge its influence on your organization, workflows, and planning.

This upgrade only affects Project Online, not Project desktop, Project Server, or Planner (which combines Project for the web, Planner in Microsoft 365, and To Do).Why change is happening

Therefore, as we reported in 2018, Project Online has served enterprises well, but its legacy architecture inhibits innovation and integration that improve collaborative work environments. In 2026, many SharePoint Online workflow design tools will be deprecated, thus Microsoft is prioritizing innovation in Planner, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and the Project Manager agent, a new generation of AI-powered, intuitive, and scalable task management solutions. Additionally, these tools integrate deeply across Microsoft 365 and offer simple task tracking and large project planning.This means for you

Without imminent disruption: Your Project Online environment will work until retirement.

Key dates:New customers can no longer buy Project Online-only SKUs after October 1, 2025 due to Microsoft Project Online retiring.Project Online retires on September 30, 2026.This update does not affect Project desktop.Planner includes Project for the web (premium plans), Planner in Microsoft 365 (basic plans), and To Do.

Transition possibilities

Your organization might choose from numerous transition options:

Planner: Modern work and project management in one. Planner and Project Plan 3 and 5 premium features provide portfolios, baselines, dependencies, Gantt charts, and workflow automation via Power App/Accelerator and Power Automate. Project desktop is available to premium license holders, including Project Online clients. In public preview, Planner introduces Project Manager agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot users, an AI assistant that automates task creation, status reporting, and execution, adapting to your project and delivering professional reports across Planner views.

Project Server Subscription Edition: For advanced project and portfolio management (PPM) or a close match to Project Online. Project Server Subscription Edition uses the latest SharePoint Server technology for planning, scheduling, and resource management.Dynamics 365 Project Operations: Designed for users who need strong time sheet management and resource scheduling, this tool integrates project delivery and financials.

How to prepare

This retirement will happen automatically on the provided dates without admin action.Notify users and update internal documentation of the above changes.Evaluate the above options and plan the switch quickly.Consider backing up your data before retiring.

Looking ahead

Any product retirement is difficult, and we understand. Planner improvements, including AI-powered project management, are exciting for our Work Management solutions. Planner and our AI-powered roadmap are creating an intuitive, collaborative, and deeply integrated project management future in Microsoft 365. A more intelligent, integrated, and collaborative project management experience begins with Planner and the Project Manager agent. Contact your Microsoft account team or visit the Planner Blog for further information.

For a more detailed quote, email info@techsolworld.com or Call (800)998-2792.