Project Online is retired: what to do with your plans
Microsoft switched Project Online off on 30 September 2026. Here is what changed, what still works, and how to keep working on your schedules, including on a Mac or iPad.
Updated 17 October 2026
Quick answer
Project Online was retired on 30 September 2026, with no read-only mode. Project desktop, Project Server and Planner continue. Plans you saved as .mpp files are complete and still open in Microsoft Project on Windows, and in MPP Studio on Mac and iPad.
What happened
| DATE | WHAT CHANGED |
|---|---|
| 1 October 2025 | Project Online no longer sold to new customers. |
| Spring 2026 | No new Project Online environments. |
| 30 September 2026 | Project Online retired. Access ends, with no read-only or archive mode. |
- Not affected: the Project desktop app for Windows, Project Server (on premises) and Planner.
- The successor is Planner. Project for the web and Roadmap have been merged into Planner. Gantt charts, dependencies and portfolios need a Planner Plan 1, 3 or 5 licence.
Your plans now
| ROUTE | WHAT IT MEANS |
|---|---|
| Planner | Microsoft’s cloud route. Plans live in Planner’s own format; it doesn’t open or save .mpp files you can send to others. |
| Project desktop on Windows | Plans saved as .mpp files, as before Project Online. Windows only. |
| Project Server (on premises) | For organisations that run their own servers; a bigger IT project. |
| .mpp files on Mac and iPad | Keep each plan as an .mpp file in OneDrive or SharePoint, and open and edit it in MPP Studio. Colleagues on Windows open the same file in Project. |
If you exported your plans as .mpp files before the switch-off, those files are complete schedules: tasks, links, resources, baselines and progress. They don’t depend on any Microsoft cloud service. If you didn’t, ask your Microsoft 365 administrator what was kept; no third-party app can recover plans from Project Online.
A file-based setup that replaces Project Online for small teams
- One folder per project in SharePoint or OneDrive, with the .mpp as the master schedule.
- The planner edits it in Microsoft Project on Windows, or in MPP Studio on a Mac.
- Site and project managers open the same file on iPad and record progress against the locked baseline.
- Stakeholders get a one-page PDF each week.
- Other tools get Project XML or a CSV when they need the data.
You lose Project Online’s portfolio dashboards and timesheets. You gain plans that no vendor can switch off.
If your team is on Macs
Project Online was the one Microsoft Project you could use in a browser on a Mac. With it gone, Mac users are left with Planner, Windows in a virtual machine, or a native app. Here are the options compared.
Questions people ask
When was Project Online retired?
On 30 September 2026. After that date Microsoft removed access, with no read-only or archive mode.
Is Microsoft Project desktop affected?
No. The Windows desktop app, Project Server and Planner continue.
Can Planner open .mpp files?
Planner keeps plans in its own cloud format. It can’t open an .mpp file and save it back as an .mpp you can send to someone else.
Can I open my exported .mpp files on a Mac?
Yes. MPP Studio opens and edits .mpp files from Microsoft Project 2010 through Microsoft 365 on Mac and iPad.
Keep your plans as files
Open, edit and track .mpp schedules on Mac and iPad, with no cloud service required.
Related
Microsoft and Microsoft Project are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. MPP Studio is not affiliated with Microsoft. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. Competitor details are taken from their own websites and App Store listings in October 2026; check with the vendor for current prices.