Microsoft Project: subscription or one-time purchase?

The 30-second answer

If one person uses Project occasionally from a stable PC to build serious schedules, look at Project Standard 2024 first. It is a one-time purchase licensed by Microsoft for one user on one PC. Once activated, the purchased copy does not need a monthly renewal to keep running.

If project planning is frequent, the same user works across more than one device or the business wants an ongoing service with current updates, Plan 3 deserves a closer look. Microsoft lists it as a per-user subscription billed monthly and paid yearly. Its Canadian page includes the Project desktop client and lists up to five concurrent installations for the same licensed user. Five installations does not mean five users.

If the team mainly needs shared tasks, owners and due dates, check Planner before buying Project. Basic Planner is included with some eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Adding a more powerful product does not automatically make a simple workflow better.

Start with the work, not the product name

Picture the plan or board the team needs to use next week. Is one person building it, or will several people edit it? Does the work stay on one PC, or does the same user need to move between a desktop and a laptop? Do tasks depend on one another? Do resources, baselines and a critical path matter, or is the requirement simply to see who owns each task and when it is due?

Those answers usually tell you more than the product name. They also tell you what to test: open a real .mpp file, confirm the views and planning functions you use, and check what your existing Microsoft 365 plan already provides.

What a one-time purchase really means

Project Standard 2024 covers core project scheduling. Microsoft lists project schedules, task and cost management, milestones, baselines, critical path and views such as Gantt among its capabilities. On September 4, 2026, the Canadian pricing page listed it at CAD $849 as a one-time purchase.

Project Professional 2024 adds capabilities for more demanding planning environments, including resource management, timesheets and a connection to Project Server. Microsoft listed it at CAD $1,889 as a one-time purchase on the same date. “Professional” is not a reason by itself to buy it. If one person maintains stable schedules, the extra functions may never be used.

For both editions, Microsoft describes the licence as one user on one PC. “One-time” means you buy a specific version that keeps running after activation under its licence terms. It does not mean every future Project version, add-in or sharing method will be compatible automatically. A purchased version also does not receive the continuing evolution of a subscription service.

What changes with Plan 3

Plan 3 spreads the cost over time. At the time of the September 4, 2026 check, Microsoft listed the Canadian price at CAD $40.70 per user per month, paid yearly. Access to the included desktop client and services remains tied to an active subscription.

That model may fit a person who uses Project every week, moves between a laptop and a desktop or works in a Microsoft 365 environment that is changing. Microsoft lists up to five concurrent desktop-client installations for one licensed user. The licence follows that user; it is not permission for five people to share one subscription.

A subscription does not answer every collaboration question for you. Confirm who creates plans, who edits them, what information needs to be shared and which Microsoft service the team is actually using. Include the ongoing cost in the decision, but compare it with the work and rights involved rather than with the first month alone.

Could Planner be enough?

For a small team, the right purchase may be no additional purchase. Basic Planner is included in some eligible Microsoft 365 plans. It gives a team a shared place to assign tasks, track status and work in the web or Microsoft Teams.

Imagine a six-person office that wants tasks, owners, due dates and comments in one shared board. If nobody needs dependencies, resource planning or a maintained Project file, Planner may be clearer and easier to adopt. Buying Project in that situation adds a licence without necessarily improving the process.

Project becomes useful when task order matters, a delay affects later work or someone needs to compare the original plan with what actually happened. Baselines, critical path, resources, calendars and existing Project files are useful signals. Planner premium plans now add some structured planning features as well, so check the exact plan before deciding that Project is required.

One person manages serious schedules occasionally

The project manager prepares two or three important schedules each year from the same PC. They need dependencies and critical path, but nobody else edits the file. After checking that Planner is not enough, Project Standard 2024 is probably the first option to review. A one-time purchase matches a stable, occasional need better than keeping a subscription active without regular use.

One person works from a desktop and a laptop

An operations manager updates plans every week, moves between work and home and already works in Microsoft 365. Plan 3 deserves a serious comparison, including its device rights for the same licensed user and its ongoing service relationship. Confirm the licence needs of every other person who must edit a plan.

Several people share the plans

An office rotates project responsibilities between several employees. Do not confuse five possible installations for one Plan 3 user with five people. Each person who needs to work in Project may need their own licence depending on the scenario and Microsoft’s terms. If the team is only tracking tasks, Planner may still be the simpler answer.

The work includes resources and a portfolio

The project lead needs to compare several projects, track resources, keep a baseline and report on progress. Project Professional 2024 may be justified for a user who needs its resource features and server connection. If the work expands to several teams, Plan 3, Plan 5 or a deeper review may be appropriate. This is no longer a decision to make from a price table alone.

Price is useful, but it is not the decision

As an illustration, three years of Plan 3 at the checked price is CAD $40.70 × 36 months, or CAD $1,465.20 before tax. That sits between the listed CAD $849 Standard and CAD $1,889 Professional purchases, but the rights and features differ. Microsoft prices can change, and a real comparison should include the number of users, expected duration, devices and files to support.

Older names and the Project Online retirement

Microsoft has brought several planning capabilities under Planner, which is why one colleague may say Project for the web while the current interface says Planner. Project Online is a separate service. Microsoft has announced its retirement for September 30, 2026.

That retirement does not mean Project Standard or Professional 2024 is disappearing. It concerns the Project Online service and may need a separate review if your organization uses Project Web App. Before changing anything, identify the product in use, the plans that must be kept and who owns the files.

Before you buy

Take five minutes to answer these questions:

• How many people actually need to create or edit plans?
• Is one PC enough, or does the same user need more than one device?
• Do you need dependencies, resources, baselines and a critical path?
• Would a shared task board in Planner already meet the need?
• Do you want a stable version or continuing updates and services?

If the answers describe one person, one stable PC and occasional schedules, look at Standard first. If they describe frequent, mobile use by one licensed user, compare Plan 3. If they describe shared tasks, start with Planner. If they describe a portfolio or detailed resource planning, get a more specific review before choosing Professional or a subscription plan.

Can I keep using a one-time purchase?

Yes. An activated purchased copy can keep running without an active subscription. It remains tied to its version, licence terms, lifecycle and the compatibility of your environment.

Do I need a subscription for every user?

Do not start with the installation count. Count the people who actually need to create, edit or use the features covered by the plan. Rights depend on the product and scenario, so confirm them before buying.

Is Project the same as Planner?

No. Planner may be enough for shared tasks and straightforward tracking. Project fits some structured planning needs better. Planner premium plans and Plan 3 add another combination of features and rights.

Can I open a Project file from a client or partner?

Often, but not necessarily with every feature. File format, version, add-ins and the sharing method can change the result. Test with a real file before choosing a licence for the whole team.

What should I buy if I only use Project occasionally?

Check Planner and your existing Microsoft 365 subscription first. If Project features are genuinely needed by one person on a stable PC, Standard may be proportionate. If use becomes regular, shared or mobile, compare Plan 3 with a purchased version.

Need help choosing?

Describe the number of users, project types, devices, files to open and expected frequency. Contact Montreal IT to review the options against your Microsoft 365 environment without adding a licence that does not solve the problem.