Microsoft Planner vs Asana: Which Tool is Better for project management?

Microsoft Planner and Asana are the most commonly used tools for delegating, tracking, and improving team collaboration. 

Asana is one of the world’s most popular project management platforms, with more than 2.5 million weekly active users across the globe. Nonetheless, Microsoft Planner is a popular choice in the corporate sector, particularly in companies that already operate within the Microsoft ecosystem. Asana and Microsoft Planner may appear similar, but they serve different purposes.

Asana is better for team collaboration and complex project management, whereas Planner is ideal for users integrated into the Microsoft 365 suite.

We’ll discuss the pros and cons of Microsoft Planner vs Asana in this article, comparing the two in every aspect, including time management, integrations, customization, ease of use, and so on.

Pros and Cons of Asana and Microsoft Planner

Here’s a list of the pros and cons of Asana and Microsoft planners so you can decide which one better suits your needs.

Asana

Pros:

• It has some of the most advanced and flexible task management features. For instance: “Task dependencies,” which Microsoft planner does not have.
• Unlike Microsoft Planner, Asana offers multiple project views (they also included two new views called “workload views” and “Notes views.“)
• Asana has extensive native integration outside of the Microsoft 365 suite, unlike the Planner.
• It is highly customizable with custom fields, rules, forms, templates, and many more.

Cons:

• This tool might be overwhelming for users unfamiliar with project management or task collaboration tools.
• It gets expensive, especially for bigger teams and businesses.
• Users have raised complaints about receiving an excessive number of email notifications from Asana (source)

Microsoft Planner:

Pros:

• It seamlessly integrates with Microsoft apps like Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive.
• Its simple and easy-to-use interface makes it ideal for teams needing a straightforward tool without too much setup or complexity.
• It has great collaboration features across the Microsoft ecosystem.
• It’s Cost-Effective compared to Asana. As it is free for users with a Microsoft 365 subscription, it’s an affordable solution for organizations already using Microsoft tools.

Cons:

• It has limited advanced project management features to Asana.
• It is less flexible compared to Asana when it comes to customizing workflows, views, or task details.
• Poor integration with necessary third-party tools.

Is Asana better than Microsoft Planner?

Asana is better than Microsoft Planner if you have a large team or need to manage complex projects. It has advanced project management features, like task dependencies, Gantt charts, and Timeline views. On the other hand, Microsoft Planner is best suited for smaller teams or those already integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Overview: Asana and Microsoft Planner

Before we get into the feature comparison, let’s get an idea of these tools.

Asana is a web-based collaboration and project management tool. It was commercially launched in April 2012. Since then, it has made itself as a popular team collaboration software. With Asana, you can manage, collaborate, delegate tasks and projects within your team members.

Capterra ratings: 4.5

On the other hand, Microsoft Planner is a project management software from Microsoft 365. Despite being relatively newly launched in 2017, it has become a preferable solution for companies due to its seamless integration with Microsoft 365 tools like Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive.

Capterra ratings: 4.3

Core features comparison: Asana vs Microsoft Planner

Now let’s get into the most important part, which is; how does their core features compare with each other?

Task management features

Asana has advanced task management features like custom fields, task dependencies, multiple views (Timeline, Board, List), and rules for complex projects. It excels in task delegation, team collaboration, reporting, and workload management.

You can even create tasks in Asana via Email. Also one of the cool task management features about Asana that Microsoft planner lacks in is setting up recurring tasks.

You can set a task to recur on a specific day (e.g., every Monday) and even set up subtasks and dependencies in those recurring tasks.

Microsoft Planner, on the other hand, provides more straightforward task management features, including Kanban board view, due dates, and Microsoft 365 integration, which are ideal for less complex projects.

It is very easy to assign tasks and add files to tasks with Planner so that all relevant information is easily accessible. 

Winner: Asana (due to its more advanced features)

Real-Time Team Collaboration and Updates

Both tools are updated in real-time, enabling employees to see what’s being done and where.

However, Asana also extends real-time collaboration to third-party connectors such as Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox. This lets small teams collaborate across multiple platforms without switching applications.

With the support of attaching files and commenting on tasks, team members can improve communication and make everyone involved aware of what’s going on.

Microsoft Planner has the same functionality in the Microsoft ecosystem, which means that it can be incorporated with other Microsoft products like Teams, OneDrive, and Outlook. These native integrations may be better for your team if your team already lives in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Winner: Tie

Customizability

Asana has better customizability and flexibility than Microsoft Planner. With the “customize” button waiting right in the left corner, Teams can customize fields, templates, workflows, task views, create forms, and rules to suit their requirements. 

Microsoft Planner, though it’s not as flexible as Asana, gives you all of the key tasks, such as the ability to build boards for various projects and set deadlines. It allows task assignments, due dates, labels, and checklist items but lacks advanced features like task dependencies or in-depth workflow customization.

Winner: Asana

Task delegation

In Asana, task delegation is both easy and flexible. You can assign tasks to team members, set task dependencies to define workflows, and ensure tasks are completed in the right order.

Additionally, the comment section on each task allows for real-time communication and collaboration, keeping all discussions and updates in one place, ensuring nothing gets lost in email chains or meetings.

Microsoft Planner does not have a built-in dependency feature. This makes Planner less suited for complex projects where tasks need to be completed in a specific sequence. However, Planner still allows for basic task delegation through assignment, due dates, and priorities, but lacks the flexibility of Asana’s advanced task sequencing.

Winner: Asana

Time Tracking

Asana has native time tracking features available in all its advanced and enterprise plans. However, if you want a free time tracking tool, you can integrate with Clockify. You can track task durations and set estimated times for tasks.

Microsoft Planner, by comparison, has no built-in time-tracking integrations but can still be used with Microsoft Power Automate to schedule updates or monitor progress via Power BI.

Planner is not geared toward complex time tracking, but it is great for teams already familiar with Microsoft tools and don’t require complex reporting functionality.

Winner: Asana

Ease of Use

While both are easy to use, Asana has a steeper learning curve than Microsoft Planner.

Asana’s design is sleek, and the onboarding process is fast so that small teams do not have to learn all the tricks along the way. It’s simple to create, assign, and manage tasks, and the ability to seamlessly switch between task modes such as list view, board view, and calendar view is quick and intuitive. 

However, due to its advanced features, it can get complex for beginners, especially when transitioning from simpler tools.

Microsoft Planner on the other hand is pretty intuitive if you’re in a team familiar with the Microsoft platform. The interface is accessible to anyone who has worked with other Microsoft tools, and it is an easy add-on for businesses with Microsoft 365 accounts.

Winner: Microsoft Planner

AI-driven project management features

Asana provides AI-powered features such as Smart Project Templates, Automation Workflows, and Task Prioritization with Workload insights to improve task management. It also applies machine learning to estimate task dates and shift times.

Microsoft recently integrated AI called Microsoft copilot into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including Microsoft Planner. Copilot leverages OpenAI’s GPT to help users manage tasks, produce content, and automate workflow. However the AI-driven features of Planner with copilot is still basic and not as advanced as other AI-driven task management tools like Taskade.

Read more: “Planner vs Taskade“

However, When it comes to advanced AI features, both Asana and Microsoft Planner still lag behind platforms like Taskade or ClickUp.

Integration

Asana offers a wider range of integration options, connecting seamlessly with tools like Slack, Google Drive, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, among others.

Microsoft Planner, however, has tight integration with Microsoft 365 apps (Teams, Outlook, OneDrive), making it ideal for Microsoft-centric environments.

Workflow automation

Asana’s workflow automation is highly efficient, allowing you to build custom workflows with the Workflow Builder. One notable feature is Rules; for example, you can automatically assign tasks when a status changes or move tasks to different sections based on triggers.

However, if you want a highly automated platform for workflow management, apps like Motion might be better than Asana

Planner, on the other hand, requires integration with Power Automate for workflow automation. While it lacks built-in automation like Asana, Power Automate allows you to create custom workflows that can trigger actions across Microsoft 365 apps, such as task assignments or status updates in Planner.

Comparison summary: Asana vs Planner

Here’s a more concise comparison table with your requested formatting:

Asana and Microsoft Planner: Pricing

Prices are a major consideration when comparing Asana and Microsoft Planner.

Asana has a Free Forever plan, Starter plan starts at $10.99 per month (if billed annually), and Advanced plan starts at $24.99 per month (if billed monthly).

Asana’s pricing structure is flexible, and users can increase or decrease based on team size and the amount of features they need. Yet the Premium and Business levels are prohibitively expensive for small teams or low-budget startups.

Microsoft Planner comes with the majority of Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) plans. Companies can utilize a range of productivity tools, such as Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, and Planner, depending on the subscription.

For instance, Microsoft 365 Business Basic comes at $6 per user/month, while Business Premium is $22 per user/month.

For small teams that already have Microsoft tools, Planner is a cost-effective option because you don’t need an additional separate subscription. But if your teams don’t use Microsoft 365, then Asana might be worth the price tag if they don’t have to fork over the cost of a full tooling package.

Who should use Asana?

Asana: Perfect for Teams that Want to be flexible and customizable.

• Great for teams who need an advanced project management solution with customization features.
• Works great for companies that track a large number of projects and have a wide variety of workflows.
• Connects with third-party apps such as Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox.
• It’s ideal for teams that want to grow and automate workflows.

Who should use Microsoft Planner?

Microsoft Planner: Great for Groups Inside the Microsoft Ecosystem

• Perfect for businesses that already have Microsoft 365 accounts and other Microsoft products such as Teams and Outlook.
• Works best for groups that require an easy, low-cost task management platform.
• Excellent for teams without a great deal of customization or complex project management tools such as Gantt charts.

Conclusion

Overall, Asana and Microsoft Planner are good tools for your job and which tool to choose primarily depends on the type of team you’re working with, the software stack you have, and how complicated the project is.

If your organization already runs on the Microsoft ecosystem, Planner might be the easiest and cheapest alternative. However, for small teams that want stronger customizability and workflow automation, Asana is still the king.

However, for small teams that require more robust customizability and workflow automation, Asana remains a top contender.

FAQ

Can Planner replace Asana?

Microsoft Planner can be a good alternative to Asana for small teams who need basic task management features and are already using Microsoft 365 subscriptions. However, it lacks the advanced features of Asana, such as Gantt charts and custom workflows, making it less suitable for larger or more complex projects.

What is Microsoft equivalent to Asana?

The closest Microsoft equivalent to Asana is Microsoft Planner. While Planner offers basic task and project management features, it lacks some of Asana’s advanced capabilities, such as workflow automation, Gantt charts, and time-tracking integrations.

Is there anything better than Asana?

It depends on your needs. If you require advanced project management tools with detailed reporting, Jira and Monday.com are excellent alternatives. However, Asana remains a strong choice for teams needing flexibility, ease of use, and a wide range of integrations.

Does Asana integrate with Microsoft Planner?

Asana does not directly integrate with Microsoft Planner, but both tools can be integrated with Microsoft Teams, which allows for easier collaboration between them. You can use third-party tools like Zapier to connect the two platforms if needed.