Microsoft Planner vs Asana

by Gralio Feb 03, 2025

Microsoft Planner and Asana are both project management tools designed for team collaboration. Planner is a simpler tool tightly integrated with Microsoft 365, ideal for basic task management within that ecosystem. Asana offers more advanced features, flexibility, and broader integrations, making it suitable for complex projects and diverse toolsets.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 5348 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 6 hours, 12 minutes of reading.

Microsoft Planner

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Asana

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Microsoft Planner helps teams organize work. Create plans, assign tasks, share files, and discuss projects. It integrates with other Microsoft tools like Outlook and OneDrive. Planner provides a simple way to track progress and collaborate with your team.

Asana is a work management platform designed to help teams organize tasks, projects, and goals in one shared space. It offers tools to improve team collaboration, transparency, and accountability. Used by companies of all sizes, it's particularly beneficial for managing complex projects and keeping everyone aligned on priorities. Features include task assignments, progress tracking, deadline setting, and communication tools. Asana aims to streamline workflows, enhance team productivity, and provide a clear overview of project statuses.

Summary

Main difference

Microsoft Planner is deeply integrated with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, making it ideal for teams heavily reliant on tools like Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint. Asana offers greater flexibility and a wider range of project management features, making it better for teams needing more advanced project views, time tracking, and integrations with non-Microsoft tools.

Relative strengths of Microsoft Planner (compared to Asana)

Seamless Microsoft 365 Integration: Planner integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 apps, simplifying collaboration and centralizing information within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Ease of Use: Planner offers a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy to get started with basic task management.
Cost-Effective for Microsoft 365 Users: As Planner is often included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions, it can be a cost-effective solution for existing users.

Relative weaknesses of Microsoft Planner (compared to Asana)

Limited Project Management Features: Compared to Asana, Planner lacks advanced features like robust time tracking, detailed reporting, and custom fields.
Less Flexible Project Views: Planner's project views are less flexible than Asana, offering fewer options for visualizing project progress.
Restricted Integrations: Planner's integrations are primarily focused on the Microsoft ecosystem, limiting its compatibility with other tools.

Who is using Microsoft Planner and Asana?

No data

Mersudin Forbes

Founder @ Multiply > E-commerce SEO / Sometimes other SEO

Lane R. Ellis

Digital Futurist, 41+ Years Online

Olesia Krilyshyn

Sales Acceleration Specialist at Reply.io

Gaetano Di Nardi

Growth Advisor for B2B SaaS Companies

Who should use Microsoft Planner VS. Asana

Microsoft Planner is a simple yet effective project management tool ideal for teams of all sizes. Users appreciate its seamless integration with the Microsoft 365 suite and intuitive interface, making collaboration and task management easy. However, some users find its initial use challenging and desire more robust time-tracking features.

Asana is a versatile work management platform praised for its user-friendly interface and flexible project views. Teams appreciate its seamless integrations with tools like Slack and Google Drive. However, some users mention concerns about the cost and occasional performance issues. It's a good fit for teams seeking improved collaboration and task management.

Ideal for small, medium, and large enterprises.
Suitable for various sectors, including healthcare, finance, retail, and technology.

Best for small, medium, and large businesses.
Ideal for various sectors, including E-commerce, Retail, Healthcare, Finance, and Technology.

Microsoft Planner and Asana features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Shared workspaces

Supported

Planner supports shared workspaces for team collaboration.

Supported

Asana supports shared workspaces within an organization, but not seamlessly across different organizations.
Task Management

Supported

Planner allows users to create, assign, manage, and track tasks.

Supported

Asana allows users to create, assign, manage, and track tasks within projects.
Project Views

Supported

Planner offers lists, calendars, Kanban boards, and timelines (Gantt charts).

Supported

Asana offers lists, calendars, timelines, and Kanban boards.
Time Tracking

Partially supported

Microsoft Planner does not natively support time tracking, but offers integrations with third-party apps like Timeneye and TrackingTime for this purpose.

Supported

Asana supports time tracking for tasks and projects, but this feature is limited to Advanced, Enterprise, and Enterprise+ subscription plans.
Team workspaces

Not supported

Microsoft Planner is primarily a task and project management tool. It does not support shared workspaces for collaborating on surveys.

Partially supported

Asana supports team workspaces for collaboration, but it does not have a specific feature for collaborating on surveys.
Client portals

Not supported

Microsoft Planner does not have built-in features for creating client portals. You would typically use SharePoint for this purpose, which can integrate with Planner.

Partially supported

Asana can be used as a client portal with some limitations and requires third-party integrations for full functionality.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

+0.2

Neutral sentiment

-0.41

Rather negative sentiment
Customer Service

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.51

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.88

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.83

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.37

Rather positive sentiment

+0.84

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.41

Rather positive sentiment

+0.1

Neutral sentiment
Scalability

-0.56

Rather negative sentiment

+0.26

Neutral sentiment

Microsoft Planner and Asana Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

+0.2

We couldn't find a pricing page for Microsoft Planner.

Asana offers a free plan and three paid plans (Starter, Premium, and Enterprise) designed for teams of varying sizes and needs. Contact sales for Enterprise pricing.

Plans

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.41

See full Pricing page

Microsoft Planner and Asana review insights

5348 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 apps like Teams and Outlook enhances collaboration.
Simple and intuitive user interface makes it easy to create, assign, and track tasks.
Visual Kanban boards provide a clear overview of project progress and task status.
The ability to categorize tasks using color-coded labels improves organization.

User-friendly interface, praised for its intuitive design.
Flexible project views: list, board, and calendar options.
Excellent integration with Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams.
Strong task management capabilities with deadlines, assignments, and progress tracking.

Users dislike

It can be challenging to use at first, especially for those unfamiliar with project management tools.
Lacks robust time-tracking features, making it difficult to monitor progress accurately.
Limited integration with non-Microsoft applications restricts its versatility.
Mobile app functionality is limited compared to the web version.

High cost - the price per user is a deterrent for many teams.
Subtasks are not easily viewed in the main task view, requiring extra clicks.
Limited advanced reporting features.
Occasional bugs, freezing, and performance lags.

Microsoft Planner and Asana Ratings

G2

4.2/5

(214)
Capterra

4.3/5

(245)

G2

4.3/5

(2486)
Capterra

4.5/5

(2414)
Glassdoor

4.1/5

(806)

Company health

Employee growth

3% increase in the last year

21% increase in the last year

Web traffic

11% decrease in the last quarter

8% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data

May 2020 - $453M

How does each product's Microsoft 365 integration compare in practice?

Microsoft Planner offers deep, native integration with the Microsoft 365 suite, allowing seamless interaction with tools like Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook. Asana integrates with Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Teams, but this integration isn't as comprehensive as Planner's native integration within the ecosystem. Asana's integration focuses primarily on communication and file sharing, while Planner offers a more embedded experience.

Which product offers better scalability for growing teams' needs?

Asana offers better scalability for growing teams. While both Planner and Asana serve small to medium-sized teams well, Asana's scalability score (0.26) is significantly higher than Planner's (-0.56), indicating it's better equipped to handle increasing user numbers and project complexity. Furthermore, Asana's wider range of features, like advanced reporting (though limited) and more robust project views, caters to the evolving needs of larger, more complex organizations.

What are the advantages of Microsoft Planner?

Microsoft Planner's advantages include seamless integration with the Microsoft 365 suite, making it easy to collaborate with teams already using Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint. Its simple, intuitive interface makes it easy to learn and use, even for users unfamiliar with project management tools. The visual Kanban boards provide a clear overview of project progress, and the integration with Microsoft Loop allows for managing tasks across various lists. This tight integration with the Microsoft ecosystem makes Planner a convenient and cost-effective choice for organizations heavily reliant on Microsoft products.

What are the disadvantages of Microsoft Planner?

Microsoft Planner's limitations include a lack of robust time-tracking features, limited integration with non-Microsoft applications, and a mobile app with reduced functionality compared to the web version. Some users also find it initially challenging to learn.

Alternatives to Microsoft Planner and Asana

ClickUp

ClickUp is a comprehensive work management platform designed to consolidate various work processes into one centralized location. It offers a wide array of features including task management, project planning, document collaboration, communication tools, goal setting, and automation options. ClickUp aims to enhance team collaboration, improve visibility across projects, and streamline workflows for increased productivity regardless of team size or industry.

Wrike

Wrike is a versatile work management platform designed to streamline workflows and improve efficiency for teams of all sizes. It centralizes work, providing a single source of truth and offering various views like Gantt charts and Kanban boards. Wrike allows automation of routine tasks, provides real-time insights through dashboards, and facilitates seamless collaboration. It features tools for proofing and approvals, resource management, and integrates with popular business applications. Wrike is a comprehensive solution suitable for various departments, from marketing and IT to operations and product development.

Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace platform designed to help teams organize information, manage projects, and collaborate effectively. It centralizes notes, documents, tasks, and databases, making it easy for teams to access and share information. Notion allows users to customize their workspace with templates and integrations and offers AI features for writing assistance and information retrieval. It aims to be a flexible solution that adapts to various work styles and replaces the need for multiple single-purpose tools.

Bordio

Bordio is a work management software designed to streamline teamwork and boost productivity for teams of all sizes. It provides a central platform for managing tasks, projects, and team communication. With features like task scheduling, workload management, time tracking, and built-in chat, Bordio helps teams stay organized, on track, and efficient. It also offers a mobile app for work on the go and integrates with popular tools like Google Calendar.

PlanIt

PlanIt is a visual planning tool designed for Microsoft Teams. It helps you plan projects, events, and tasks throughout the year using a circular calendar format. PlanIt integrates with other Microsoft products like Planner and Outlook, making it easy to track your work and collaborate with your team without leaving the Microsoft environment. This visual approach aims to simplify your planning process and increase productivity. Your data remains secure within your existing Microsoft 365 system.

5day.io

5day.io is a work management software designed to simplify project management, task management, and team collaboration. It offers features such as project planning, time tracking, and communication tools. 5day.io aims to provide a user-friendly platform for teams of all sizes across various industries, helping them improve efficiency and achieve better project outcomes. It emphasizes ease of use and visual clarity, aiming to make work more manageable and enjoyable.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

How are we doing?

Is this information helpful to you? Is there anything we are missing?

Did this help you select your product?

Other issues? Vote & Let us know