If you’re between Microsoft Project and Asana but not sure which option is best for you and your team, you’re in the right place.
Both offer robust features for task organization, team collaboration, and project tracking but cater to very different needs, team structures, and workflows.
Below, we’ll give you a synopsis of each tool, what they’re known for, and how they work best.
And also, we'll also introduce a third option with advanced AI technology that could be a better option for your team.
We'll analyze their strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases to help you determine which tool aligns best with your organization's goals.
A quick look at Asana vs. Microsoft Project
Asana is best for teams seeking collaborative task management.
Microsoft Project is best for organizations needing robust project planning and resource management.
Another project management tool worth considering
Both of these tools are excellent, long-standing project management tools.
But, my favorite project manager is a bit more approachable and does a better job of truly understanding myself and my team’s capacity.
The product I’m referring to is called Motion, and whenever it makes sense, I’ll be lining it up alongside these two tools.
Created for teams juggling challenging schedules, Motion is an AI-driven tool that perfectly blends calendar, project, and task management.
While Motion shares some features with Microsoft Project and Asana, it truly outperforms them both when it comes to team capacity planning, calendar optimization, and AI assistance.
Let’s explore why below!
Microsoft Project vs. Asana: a feature-by-feature comparison
Now that you’ve read a bit about Motion and reviewed a quick overview of how both Microsoft Project and Asana work best, we’re ready to do a deep dive into both tools.
To evaluate both options, I tested them within a content production workflow. Additionally, I evaluated their features, free and premium plans, and also, read numerous user reviews from Reddit and G2Crowd.
In the sections below, I highlight their best features, areas of expertise, shortcomings, and biggest differentiators.
Microsoft Project and Asana are both considered fairly easy to learn, but Asana takes the cake
The fact both of these tools can claim ease of use is no easy feat for a project management tool! This tends to be the number one challenge with most solutions, as it takes a while for team members to grasp and use the product.
Asana is very approachable and has a UI that feels intuitive and easy to grasp. Setting up boards, tasks, and reminders is an absolute breeze, and they also offer fun animations to keep people excited.
Microsoft Project has mixed reviews in terms of its ease of use, but most people do find it to be a simple project management solution, especially users who are familiar with the Microsoft ecosystem.
Alternatively, Motion is also extremely easy to use.
Its clean interface shows me exactly what I need to do and when without any distracting clutter. I also appreciate that it has all the features I need to easily assign myself and my team detailed tasks without going overboard.
Microsoft Project excels in resource management
Microsoft Project provides advanced resource management for complex, large-scale projects.
Microsoft Project's resource management is valuable for organizations with complex resource dependencies.
Project managers can easily determine resources that are over or under-allocated. This helps prevent bottlenecks and ensures the efficient use of team members' time and skills.
Asana's simpler approach works for smaller teams but may not be suitable for organizations managing large project portfolios with complex resource needs.
Alternatively, with Motion, you can stop asking people for updates and start asking for data.
Motion’s Pivot Tables feature lets users query project data to answer critical business questions like: can we take on more customers, should we pull people off this project, and how are we really spending our time?
Microsoft Project is more affordable, but Asana offers an excellent free plan
If you're a solo user or freelancer, Asana's free forever plan is probably the best option out there.
It allows you to collaborate with up to 10 team members, create unlimited tasks and projects, access hundreds of integrations, store unlimited files, and more! The Starter Plan at $10.99 per user/month (billed annually) is fairly standard, and even the Advanced Plan at $24.99 feels like a fair deal for what you're getting.
Microsoft Project also offers a free plan.
Unfortunately, their free version is extremely limited and can only help with small-scale projects.
Their higher-level plans that can assist with deeper project management needs are slightly more affordable than Asana initially, starting at 10$ per user / per month but scale up to $30 per user per month.
Both Asana and Microsoft Project have embraced AI
Asana AI Teammates was just released last summer.
With this new feature, users can do things like automate tasks and orchestrate complex workflows at scale, chat with AI to get deeper details on tasks and updates, draft more effective SMART goals, access and create short summaries, edit content, and more.
Microsoft Project, not to be outdone, brings its own AI game to the table with Copilot experiences. Users can utilize Copilot to help with task plan generation, run risk assessments, run project status reports, and access an interactive chat-like experience
While impressive, neither of these can hold a candle to Motion’s AI functionality.
With Motion’s AI, users will feel like they have their own personal assistant.
Motion will automatically plan each user's days based on their tasks, meetings, and priorities. It also consistently updates when things must be pushed back or extended.
And it does this completely on its own.
Microsoft Project is best used alongside other Microsoft products, but Asana can shine on its own
For users who are deeply embedded in tools like Microsoft Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, or another Microsoft tool, utilizing Microsoft Project might be your best bet.
If your team uses tools like Gmail, Slack, Salesforce, Zendesk, and more, Asana is a great option for you.
And if you can’t find what you need you can easily build it. Asana’s APIs let you develop custom solutions for your team and the way you work.
Motion also integrates extremely well with tools like Gmail, Siri, Zoom, Teams, Outlook, and more. Additionally, with Motion’s Zapier integration, users can automate the creation of tasks in Motion using a myriad of software tools.
This includes creating tasks from Slack messages, adding Microsoft To-Do’s as tasks, creating tasks from flagged emails, and more.
Asana vs. Microsoft Project: What G2 users are saying
I didn't want to share only my thoughts in this article, so I went to the G2 archives and dug up what real users had to say about these two project management tools - the good, the bad, and the in-between.
Asana
The Good 🙌
- “Robust application has many features, yet as a beginner using Asana, I can set up what I need efficiently with the tutorial videos and training events they offer for users. As a project manager, I manage multiple projects with many deadlines and this will help our teams be able to not only see status but access information on any project all in one place, even linking to our Dropbox account” (link.)
- “I started using Asana in 2019. I tried the free version for years because my business budget was tight, and I couldn't afford a robust tech stack. But when I did have some extra money, I ran to Asana to upgrade. Over those two years of using the free version, I loved how easy the platform was to use. Having tried more technical project management tools, Asana was so easy to use—and fun! It's the lifeblood of my business and my number one accountability partner” (link.)
The Bad 🚫
- “Getting everyone to actively use and integrate their workflow into Asana is kind of difficult because some folks are averse to new technology, or the way they work doesn't mesh well. Patience and training go a long way toward getting everyone on board. It's not hard, but getting everyone's processes adjusted takes a while” (link.)
- “It gets costly very fast and can be difficult to figure out account details and the reasons that things get so pricey. I had quite a few back-and-forths with their support to try to figure it out and I was still confused at the end of it. So, Asana is not that scalable” (link)
Microsoft Project
The Good 🙌
- “One of the standout features of Microsoft PPM is its intuitive and user-friendly interface. Navigating through the software and accessing various functionalities is a breeze, even for users with limited technical expertise. The ability to customize dashboards and reports according to my specific needs has greatly enhanced my productivity and decision-making capabilities.” (link)
- “It is easy to create and manage projects, define tasks, set up timelines, and track progress. Easy to allocate resources. Can manage multiple projects and portfolios in a centralized manner. Offers collaboration and communication. Robust reporting and analytics. Monitoring project health and identifying risks. Integration with other Microsoft tools. Scalable solution for project management.” (link)
The Bad 🚫
- “Complexity for Small Projects: The software is primarily designed for large-scale projects with complex requirements. For small-scale projects or those with simpler workflows, Microsoft PPM might feel overly complex and feature-heavy. It can be challenging to customize the software to fit the specific needs of smaller projects, leading to unnecessary complexities.” (link)
- “The downside of using PPM could be limited customization options, lack of flexibility, and potential difficulties in integrating with other systems, hindering seamless project management and strategic alignment.” (link)
What if your project management tool actually managed projects for you?
Ever feel like you're drowning in due dates, constantly asking "What should I be working on right now?"
I've been there.
Traditional project management tools like Microsoft Project and Asana are great at telling you when things are due, but they fall short on the most crucial question:
What do I need to DO today?
That's where Motion comes in.
Data-driven decisions, not status meeting overload
Imagine never having to ask "What's the status on Project X?" again.
With Motion, you stop asking people for updates and start asking data.
Motion's Pivot Tables feature lets you query project data to answer critical business questions:
- Can we take on more customers?
- Should we pull people off this project?
- How are we really spending our time?
Make informed decisions based on real data, not best guesses or outdated reports.
Motion can visualize your projects from bird's-eye view to granular detail in one click
Remember the last time you needed a quick overview of all your projects? With Motion's Gantt view, you get that 50,000-foot view of your business instantly.
No more sending a million messages just to around to figure out status updates—you can access and share project progress all in one place.
Motion can identify project issues, readjust plans, and reprioritize team members in an instant
With Motion’s Task and Project ETAs, project managers can provide real-time status updates to help track progress and address delays effortlessly.
Tasks and projects are categorized as on track, ahead of schedule, scheduled past deadlines, or missed deadlines, with actionable insights to fix blockers and optimize timelines.
With intelligent recommendations to adjust deadlines or prioritize tasks, ETAs empower you to stay organized, improve efficiency, and ensure projects are completed on time.
Motion enforces processes without micromanaging
We've all been part of teams where great processes exist on paper but never followed consistently.
Motion changes that. You can take your existing, proven processes and let Motion enforce them automatically.
Or, if you're looking to optimize, just share your vision with Motion's AI.
It'll create a customized project workflow template that gets you 90% of the way there. Tweak as needed, and you've got a repeatable, enforceable process that ensures operational excellence at every step.
Never miss another deadline with Motion
If you're tired of project management tools that create more work than they solve, it's time to give Motion a try.
Experience the difference between being told when things are due and knowing exactly what you need to DO right now.
Let Motion take the mental load off your team, enforce your processes without micromanagement, and give you the data-driven insights you need to make smart decisions. Your team's productivity is about to get a serious upgrade.
Ready to see Motion in action?
Let's schedule a demo and show you how it can revolutionize the way your team works.
Trust me, once you see it, you'll wonder how you ever managed projects without it.
