Project management tools · Comparison
Asana vs Microsoft Planner (2026): Which Is Better?
Asana is best for cross-team task and goal management; Microsoft Planner is best for microsoft 365 organisations. We compare pricing, features, ease of use and G2 and Capterra ratings to help you choose.
Key takeaways
- Overall winner: Asana (9.0/10 vs 8.1/10), winning 6 of 7 categories.
- Choose Asana for organisations that want clean, reliable task management connected to goals and portfolios.
- Choose Microsoft Planner for organisations standardised on Microsoft 365 and Teams.
- Price: Asana Free (Personal); paid from $10.99/user/month; Microsoft Planner Basic Planner included in Microsoft 365; Plan 1 from $10/user/month.
Quick verdict
Asana is a superb, easy choice for coordinating work across teams. For deeper resource, budget and approval management in one platform, Wrike goes further.
Planner is the convenient default for Microsoft 365 shops. For richer collaboration, resource and portfolio management, Wrike integrates with Microsoft tools while offering far more depth.
Asana vs Microsoft Planner at a glance
| Asana | Microsoft Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 9.0/10 | 8.1/10 |
| Best for | Organisations that want clean, reliable task management connected to goals and portfolios | Organisations standardised on Microsoft 365 and Teams |
| Starting price | Free (Personal); paid from $10.99/user/month | Basic Planner included in Microsoft 365; Plan 1 from $10/user/month |
| Free plan | Yes (Personal plan, up to 2 users) | Basic Planner included with Microsoft 365 |
| Free trial | Advanced plan trial, no credit card | One-month trial of Plan 1 and Plan 3 (credit card required) |
| Vendor | Asana, Inc. | Microsoft |
Pricing compared
| Asana | Microsoft Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Personal: $0 Starter: $10.99/user/month annual ($13.49 monthly) Advanced: $24.99/user/month annual ($30.49 monthly) Enterprise: Contact sales | Planner (basic): Included in Microsoft 365 Planner Plan 1: $10/user/month (annual) Planner and Project Plan 3: $30/user/month (annual) Microsoft 365 Copilot: $30/user/month add-on (annual) |
Checked on vendors' pricing pages on 5 October 2026. Read the full Asana pricing and Microsoft Planner pricing breakdowns.
Features compared
| Feature | Asana | Microsoft Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Gantt / timeline | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Kanban boards | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Time tracking | ✓ Yes | ◐ Partial |
| Resource & workload management | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Portfolio management | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Docs & wiki | ◐ Partial | ◐ Partial |
| Automations | ✓ Yes | ◐ Partial |
| Agile / sprint tools | ◐ Partial | ◐ Partial |
| Proofing & approvals | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| Built-in AI | ✓ Yes | + Add-on |
| Guest / client access | ✓ Yes | ◐ Partial |
| Flat (non per-user) pricing | ✕ No | ✕ No |
Category winners
| Category | Asana | Microsoft Planner | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 9/10 | 8/10 | Asana |
| Feature depth | 8/10 | 6/10 | Asana |
| Planning & resource management | 8/10 | 7/10 | Asana |
| Collaboration | 9/10 | 7/10 | Asana |
| Agile & software teams | 7/10 | 6/10 | Asana |
| Value for money | 7/10 | 8/10 | Microsoft Planner |
| Scalability & enterprise readiness | 9/10 | 8/10 | Asana |
User ratings
| Asana | Microsoft Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.4/5 (14,008 reviews) | 4.2/5 (237 reviews) |
| Capterra | 4.5/5 (13,731 reviews) | 4.3/5 (298 reviews) |
| Top praise (G2) | User-friendly interface | Ease of use |
| Top complaint (G2) | Some essential features missing on lower tiers | Limited features for complex projects |
Asana has the higher G2 rating. Asana has the higher Capterra rating. See reviews on G2 for Asana, G2 for Microsoft Planner, Capterra for Asana and Capterra for Microsoft Planner.
Which should you choose?
Choose Asana if…
- Cross-functional teams in mid-size and large organisations
- Companies that manage by goals and OKRs
- Marketing and operations teams
- Clean, intuitive interface matters to you
Choose Microsoft Planner if…
- Organisations already on Microsoft 365 and Teams
- Teams needing simple, integrated task management
- Included or low-cost for Microsoft 365 customers matters to you
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Asana or Microsoft Planner?
In our review, Asana scores 9.0/10 and Microsoft Planner 8.1/10. Asana wins on ease of use, feature depth, planning & resource management, collaboration, agile & software teams, scalability & enterprise readiness; Microsoft Planner is better for value for money.
Is Asana cheaper than Microsoft Planner?
Asana: Free (Personal); paid from $10.99/user/month. Microsoft Planner: Basic Planner included in Microsoft 365; Plan 1 from $10/user/month. Compare total cost at your team size, including seat minimums and add-ons.
Do Asana and Microsoft Planner have free plans?
Asana: Yes (Personal plan, up to 2 users). Microsoft Planner: Basic Planner included with Microsoft 365.
Which is easier to use, Asana or Microsoft Planner?
Asana scores higher for ease of use in our review (Asana 9/10, Microsoft Planner 8/10).
Which is better for Agile teams, Asana or Microsoft Planner?
Asana is stronger for Agile and software teams in our scoring.
Asana vs Microsoft Planner: which has better resource and portfolio management?
Asana scores higher for planning and resource management (Asana 8/10, Microsoft Planner 7/10).
Asana vs Microsoft Planner: which is better for large enterprises?
Asana scores higher for scalability and enterprise readiness.
How do Asana and Microsoft Planner compare on G2 and Capterra?
Asana: 4.4/5 on G2 (14,008 reviews) and 4.5/5 on Capterra (13,731). Microsoft Planner: 4.2/5 on G2 (237) and 4.3/5 on Capterra (298). Checked 5 October 2026.
Do Asana and Microsoft Planner have Gantt charts?
Asana: yes. Microsoft Planner: yes (plan-dependent).
Can I switch from Microsoft Planner to Asana (or the reverse)?
Yes. Both support importing data, typically via CSV or built-in importers. Pilot with one project before migrating everything.
What are alternatives to Asana and Microsoft Planner?
See our lists of Asana alternatives and Microsoft Planner alternatives, or the top 10 project management tools.