Project Viewer 365 vs Microsoft Project
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Overview Project Viewer 365 is an intuitive solution for project planning and project collaboration perfect for individual Project Managers and/or small teams working in fast-paced collaborative environments which may be across disparate geographic locations. Project Viewer 365 looks and feels exactly like MS Project! Project Viewer 365 provides support for all MS Project standard views like Gantt Chart, Task Sheet, Network Diagram, Project Calendar, Task Usage, Resource Usage, Team Planner, etc. Project Viewer 365 displays critical path info and all standard project reports, filters, time scale and other like MS Project sophisticated features. You can open, view and save MPP files from any cloud storage location like DropBox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, and SharePoint Online or from your local device Project Viewer 365 is compatible with Microsoft Project (MPP file format) 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003 and earlier versions. The interface is intuitive making Project Plan 365 simple for the end users. In App Option: Create New/Edit and Save in MPP File Format Create new Gantt Charts in MS Project MPP compatible formats or modify existing project schedules in the same intuitive way as Microsoft Project. Save and Share your plans (MPP files) from any storage or cloud location on any device. Works with, or as an alternative to Microsoft Project. Try Project Plan 365 with full functionalities free for 1 month! Additional information Developer Trader status unspecified 10 Best Microsoft Project Viewer Software In 2023
Here’s the list of the best tools that I’ll cover in this article.
In this article, I want to start by talking to you about a Microsoft Project viewer saving costs for your organization. I’m sure reducing expenses is of interest to anyone in business, but only a few know that those savings can come from the PMOs software licensing. Once we choose a project management software to use, we ask ourselves who should have access to it. Our project managers! is the first answer to this question. So far, so good, but now project managers need to give access to the teams they work with. Although this normally goes as a headcount that turns into a license purchase or usage of our license limit within a paid plan, this is where we should stop for a moment and reflect. Naturally, all people involved in a project need access to the plan. However, not all people need the same access. A project viewer is a tool you can use to give read-only access to people who need to follow the plan but do not contribute with any information other than what is discussed during the planning phase of the project. Below, you will find a list of Microsoft Project viewers that will help you save on expensive Microsoft licenses and maybe pay a fraction of the cost for a viewer that will be good enough for some team members. Comparison CriteriaWhat do I look for when I select the best Microsoft Project viewer? Even though there’s not much to project viewers, there are some things to look at.
Microsoft Project Viewer Key Features
The Digital Project Manager is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click through links on our site — learn more about how we aim to stay transparent. Overview Of The 10 Best Microsoft Project ViewersHere’s a brief description of each tool to show why it’s a viable option for you to consider as your next Microsoft Project viewer. The Seavus Project Viewer is a standalone application and comprehensive viewer for reading native .mpp files of any Microsoft Project version. The interface looks pretty similar to the one of Microsoft Project, so learning to work with the project plans shouldn’t take much of your time. The software supports all MS Project views
and can be installed on Windows and Mac computers. Their latest product development includes an online project viewer through the PPM Core project and portfolio management platform. This viewer helps you open .mpp files directly from a browser (no installation required). Seavus supports .mpp files from 2007 to 2021. The viewer integrates with Skype for Business to let you view the presence status & contact cards of team members and start Instant Messaging (IM) with anyone in your
team. Seavus’s licensing for Mac is available upon request. However, Windows licensing starts at $29.50/perpetual license and offers a 15-day free trial. Invented in the year 2000, Steelray viewer is a tool that wants to help you reduce the costs of using Microsoft Project in your organization. As not all your users will need the full functionality that Microsoft offers, this viewer is there for all team members who
just need to take a look at the project file. Steelray allows you to properly scale and print your plan if you need to. It also helps you handle massive projects through its search functionality that lets you search through task information, resource names, and dates. Steelray can open files from MS Project’s 2019 version and all the way back to 1998. Additionally, it supports Oracle Primavera project portfolio management software files. Steelray subscriptions start at
$19/user/year and offer a free trial. Gather around kids; it’s story time! Project Plan 365 is a project management tool developed by Housatonic Software. After developing one of the world’s first MS Project viewers, Project Viewer 365, Housatonic wanted a full platform inspired by Microsoft’s product, 100% compatible with .mpp files, and cloud-ready. This is it! Since this platform is so similar to Microsoft’s
tool, it is easy to navigate around it and looks exactly like their viewer (also on this list). Remember it is 100% compatible with .mpp files, so just go to your computer files and open them with Project Plan 365. Easy! My suggestion is you download this instead of the viewer. After the download, you can select if you want to stay in read-only mode or activate the free trial. That way, you can have a viewer that is one click away from becoming a full-on project management platform. Note:
This app lives on your devices, not online as a browser app. Project Plan 365 integrates with popular cloud services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, and more. It also connects to SharePoint, Microsoft Project Server, and BaseCamp. Project Plan 365 plans start at $10.99/user/month and offer a 30-day free trial. MOOS Project Viewer is a user-based licensing software that lets you do more than just
view a Microsoft Project file. The advantage of having user licensing is that you can purchase one, install it on multiple computers, and log in with the same account at different times. Regarding functionality, the tool gives you the chance to look at your project’s critical path, deadlines, and baselines. Additionally, you will have different views like Gantt, resource, and task views to show you different information. Because this tool is Java-based, it works on Windows, Mac, and Linux
systems where Java is enabled. With this software, you can open any Microsoft Project file type (.mpp, .mpt & .xml) and all Microsoft Project versions from 2000 to 2019. MOOS Project Viewer is priced at $25/user/year and offers a 30-day free trial. Project Viewer 365 offers a free version of their software that lets you view your .mpp projects with a couple of clicks. The tool has a look and feel that
resembles Microsoft Project, so it won’t be difficult for you to navigate through. This software works on Windows, Mac, and mobile devices. Besides the free version (only view), you can pay to be able to edit, share, and print your projects. As a viewer, though, the free version is more than enough to display tasks for your team. Project Viewer 365 works with any 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and earlier .mpp file format. Pricing for this tool is based on 2 paid tiers. Advanced
features start at $25.49 per year. Project Reader will make you think you are using MS Project as their software supports the Gantt chart, tracking Gantt, task usage, resource usage, and resource sheet views. All this support is a result of their 16 years in the market. For those of you dealing with large projects, the tool offers search functionality to help you find data. Also, you can filter information by either
selecting from predefined filters or making your own. Unfortunately for Mac users, this software is Windows only! Project Reader supports multi-language at runtime in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian, German, and French. Regarding MS Project, it supports files from the 1998 version all the way to 2019. Project Reader has licensing options for many company sizes. However, their single workstation license starts at $29/year and offers a 30-day trial. GanttPRO is a project management tool that has much more than a viewer. Among the top features are resource planning, task management, and time management. I wanted to include it in the list because its price point is low, and works with MS Project. Uploading your .mpp file to GanttPRO is easy. You just click on the ‘+’ button on the menu and select ‘new project’ > ‘import.’ That will send you to a window where you can upload the file from
your computer. A few seconds later (maybe more if it’s a large project), voilà, you can see your project in GanttPRO. Note: The tool does not import task descriptions, comments, and attachments. Everything else should be there. GanttPRO integrates with JIRA Cloud but does not list any other native third-party connections. Pricing starts at $7.99 and has a 14-day trial. Smartsheet is a sheet-based work management platform. Although it is not your typical viewer, you might want to consider switching to this tool altogether. The enterprise-ready platform has a low price tag on it and dozens of features from task management to governance & admin. Importing takes 2 clicks, but there are certain compatibility issues you have to address. Before you import a .mpp file into Smartsheet, you will need to remove constraints such as ‘must finish on’ and expand all columns. These 2 elements of an MS Project file will wreak havoc during import. Note: Chrome did not work when I tried to import the file. I had to use a different browser. Smartsheet integrations include Microsoft and Google apps, as well as development essentials like Jira and useful business apps like Salesforce, ServiceNow, Slack, Box, and Tableau. Smartsheet paid plans start at $7/user/month and come with a 30-day free trial ProjectManager, at first glance, is a tool that looks like MS Project and has task, resource, and financial management features. The beautiful thing about this tool is that you can import your .mpp files with just minor tweaks during the process, and you’ll have a powerful tool at your disposal. When you import a file, make sure you follow the ‘import guidelines’ link. This will download a .xlsx file on your computer containing a demo import with the exact field sequence you need to follow and the field descriptions. Note: The free version will let you see the task view only. You will have to upgrade if you want to see a Gantt chart. ProjectManager integrates with MS Project, Excel, Office 365, Salesforce CRM, QuickBooks, Xero, Dropbox, Desk.com, JIRA, Hubspot, Slack, Zendesk, Evernote, OneLogin, OneDrive, and the complete Google Suite. They also have a powerful REST API to help you build against internal or external tools. ProjectManager has a free plan for up to 3 users. Paid plans start at $11.50/user/month and have a 30-day trial. Zoho Projects is a project management software that has a free version capable of importing and viewing .mpp files. You won’t be able to make changes to these files unless you upgrade, but that’s extended functionality beyond the scope of this article. Importing is not as simple as other platforms. To do it, you will have to click on the wrenches 🛠 located on the top right menu, then go to ‘data administration,’ and click on ‘imports.’ There you can drag and drop a file and name it. After you click ‘next,’ Zoho will automatically prompt you with a set of columns so you can map the columns on your new project with the ones identified in the imported file. It will finally ask if you want to do the same with resources. Tip: Make sure you have all the resources in the team added to Zoho before importing. It will save you a lot of headaches. Zoho Projects integrates with other Zoho apps, like Zoho CRM, Forms, and Docs. Other integrations include Google’s suite, Microsoft apps, and thousands of other applications through Zapier. Zoho Projects is free for up to 3 users. Paid plans start at $5/user/month and offer a 10-day free trial. The 10 Best Microsoft Project Viewers Summary
Other OptionsHere are a few more that didn’t make the top list. I will be adding the ones you suggest in the comments to this section!
What Is A Project Viewer?A project viewer is a tool that you can use to open and read native MPP files and all the details of a Microsoft Project plan without having to install Microsoft Project on your computer. Why Would I Use A Project Viewer?While project managers and schedulers create plans in Microsoft Project, other team members don’t need to edit project plans, only to open and view them. Therefore, you use a project viewer to give read access to certain project members and save on licensing costs. As it costs much less than a standard MS Project license, your IT manager will love you for saving on Microsoft Project licensing fees. What Do You Think About This List?I’m sure there are more viewers you have used and would like to recommend. Let me know in the comments if that’s the case and if having it saved costs for your organization. If you are someone who likes to write all your to-do lists on post-its and later find yourself in the middle of what looks like a natural disaster zone, not knowing how to organize your tasks, listen to me. We have a newsletter that gives you tips and tricks around project management. Best part? it’s completely free! Join our Insider Membership Newsletter and receive DPM curated content in your inbox. Is Project Viewer 365 the same as MS Project?FULLY COMPATIBLE WITH MS PROJECT
Project Viewer 365 is engineered to be fully compatible with all Microsoft Project versions. This app can open, read, share or print any 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013 and 2010 . mpp file formats.
What is Project Viewer 365?Project Viewer 365 allows project team members to open MS Project MPP Plans from cloud locations like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, SharePoint Online, Box, Basecamp, URL Links and email attachments.
Is Microsoft Project included in Microsoft 365?Microsoft 365 for business subscriptions include Project for Office (Plan E1), Project for Office (Plan E3) or Project for Office (Plan E5).
Is Project Viewer 365 free?Is Project Plan 365 free or do I have to pay? You can use our application in free read-only mode and you can open and view the . mpp files. If you want to advanced features for editing, saving and sharing files, you need to purchase the Standard or the Business Subscription from our website.
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