| Capability | Merlin Project (macOS/iOS) | Microsoft Project Plan 3 (web) |
|---|---|---|
| Project planning & Gantt | Advanced Gantt with critical path, dynamic baselines, constraints | Advanced-for-web timeline with dependencies (incl. lead/lag), critical path, milestones, and baseline snapshots; constraint controls are lighter than desktop PM. |
| Resource management | Robust: people/equipment/materials, utilization, multi-project leveling | Assignments & people views; no true org-wide auto-leveling in the web app; deeper capacity/finance live in Project Online/desktop (included with Plan 3), which are Windows-centric. |
| Budget & cost tracking | Built-in costs, rates, planned vs. actual reports | Web app: basic fields & Power BI/reporting; richer costing/rates in Project Online/desktop (part of the Plan 3 license). Timeline export to PDF exists; broader exports often go via Excel/Power BI. |
| Collaboration | File-based sharing; comments, attachments; works offline and online | Microsoft 365 sharing, comments, automation; strong IT governance and integrations. |
| Multi-Project Management | Advanced: master/subprojects, shared resource pools, portfolio reports | Roadmap/portfolio-style rollups across projects; cross-project resource pooling/leveling not native in the web app (Project Online covers this). |
| Portfolio/large projects | Handles thousands of activities locally; fast on device | Enterprise-ready in Microsoft 365; performance depends on model design, automations, and network. |
| Platform | native Mac, iPad, iPhone, Vision Pro | Browser on any OS; Plan 3 also includes Project Online desktop client (Windows). Mac users are effectively web-only. |
| Pricing | See price list | See pricing |
| Trial | 30-Days Free Trial | 1-month free trial available. |
| Best for | PMOs/pro PMs on Apple who need advanced scheduling, resource management & costs tracking functionality | Microsoft 365-centric orgs OK with web-first planning and using Project Online/desktop for deeper capacity/costing; Mac teams limited to the web experience. |
Product Comparisons
Merlin Project vs. Microsoft Project Plan 3
Merlin Project
Project management software on Apple devices
Microsoft Project Plan 3 (web)
Web-based project management in Microsoft 365
Quick comparison chart
Looking for a native Microsoft Project alternative on Mac with pro-grade scheduling? Let's compare Microsoft Project Plan 3 (Project for the web) with Merlin Project for planning depth, resources, costs, collaboration, scale, and platform fit.
The Alternative to MS Project on macOS and iOS: Merlin Project
Planning & Scheduling
Merlin Project: Native Mac Project Scheduling Power
Define tasks, dependencies and milestones in the work breakdown structure. Merlin Project draws the Gantt chart, calculates the critical path and, on demand, freezes a baseline. Brainstorm in the mind map? It carries over to the plan automatically, and back the other way. If you prefer to work agile, move cards on the Kanban board and watch the Gantt bars grow with them.
Microsoft Project Plan 3: Timeline with Dependencies
MS Project for the web supports dependencies, critical path, milestones, and baseline snapshots in the Timeline view. This covers core schedule mechanics for many teams. However, several settings feel constrained compared to desktop project management tools, with limited project-level calendars and options. Users often depend on consistent templates to keep plans reliable. The web UI is modern but can show rough edges like duplicate link lines and unintuitive link behavior.
Managing Your Team
Merlin Project: Advanced Resource Orchestration
Manage people, equipment and materials in a workload view. Conflicts across project boundaries are visible right away. Drag tasks, and the critical path recalculates. Costs come from hourly rates and fixed fees, without everyone on the team having to use the software.
Microsoft Project Plan 3: People and Assignment Views
The web app provides people and assignment views to see and filter who's doing what across projects. There's no automatic resource leveling across multiple projects in the web app, and adding assignees typically assumes Microsoft 365 accounts. For portfolio-level capacity planning and resource rates, organizations need Project Online or the desktop client included with Plan 3, which are Windows-only tools.
Tracking Money
Merlin Project: Comprehensive Financial Command Center
Budgets per project, phase or task. Merlin Project calculates labor costs from hourly rates and material costs from fixed fees, automatically. Plan-vs-actual variance per task, one click for the report. Cost trends become visible before they turn into problems, so you're ready for budget conversations with stakeholders.
Microsoft Project Plan 3: Basic Costing with External Tools
In the web app, costs and budgets are typically modeled via fields and surfaced with reports or Power BI. Classic rates, costing, and richer financial features are part of Project Online and the desktop client included with Plan 3. Timeline export to PDF exists, but day-to-day reporting and export often go via Excel or Power BI. Mac users need extra setup for comprehensive financial reporting.
Multi-Project Management
Merlin Project: Program-Level Project Integration
Orchestrate complex programs through sophisticated multi-project architectures that maintain logical relationships between related initiatives. The master project framework creates live connections to individual subprojects, ensuring changes propagate automatically in both directions while preserving project autonomy. Shared resource pools enable true portfolio-level optimization, preventing conflicts and maximizing utilization across all connected projects. Generate consolidated views and reports that reveal program-wide critical paths, resource bottlenecks, and financial performance. This enterprise-grade approach eliminates the data silos that plague most project portfolios, providing program managers with the comprehensive visibility needed to make informed strategic decisions.
Microsoft Project Plan 3 : Roadmap and Portfolio Views
Plan 3's Roadmap aggregates multiple projects on a single timeline with status rollups, useful for program visibility. Cross-project resource pooling and leveling remains outside the web app. Organizations use Project Online (included) for deeper portfolio and capacity management, though this requires Windows desktop tools.
Working Together
Merlin Project works by sharing files. Team members save the same project file on cloud services like iCloud or Dropbox. The program prevents problems when multiple people edit at once. You can add comments and attach files to activities. People who don't use Merlin can view projects through web pages.
Microsoft Project Plan 3 fits naturally into Microsoft 365 with enterprise-grade permissions, audit, and integrations. Sharing and collaboration happen in the browser and across Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Power Platform.
Trade-offs of web vs desktop
Web tools centralize access and automate workflows but require connectivity and vendor infrastructure. Desktop keeps data local and performs consistently offline, but requires a sharing strategy. Choose based on compliance, uptime needs, and team composition.
Plan 3 notes for Mac teams: the desktop client included in Plan 3 is Windows-only. On Mac you're effectively web-only. Timeline export to PDF is supported, but broader offline and reporting workflows may require extra tooling.
Performance & Scale
Merlin Project: Local files handle thousands of activities smoothly; no round-trips to a server.
Microsoft Project Plan 3: Proven at enterprise scale within Microsoft 365. As with most web project management tools, performance depends on data model discipline (dependencies, fields), automations, and network quality.
Understanding Platform Choices
Merlin Project: Mac Ecosystem by Design
Merlin Project runs natively on Mac, iPad, iPhone and Vision Pro. Trackpad gestures, AppleScript, Stage Manager, the Shortcuts app: everything Apple users expect from professional software.
Best for: Teams already committed to Apple's ecosystem who value performance, offline capability, and data control.
Microsoft Project Plan 3: Browser-First, Windows Desktop Optional
Plan 3 runs in any modern web browser and also includes Project Online and the Project desktop client (Windows). For Mac users, that means a web-only experience. If offline or desktop-grade scheduling is essential on macOS, plan for workarounds or consider a Mac-native tool.
What we observed in our hands-on test
- Sign-up friction: Full registration (name, address, phone verification, payment info) for the trial felt heavy.
- Limited project settings: Beyond start date/working week, other basics (e.g., working hours/holidays) weren't obvious in the web UI.
- UI rough edges: We saw occasional glitches (duplicate link lines, sticky labels, odd link behavior).
- People constraints: Assigning to non-Microsoft accounts isn't straightforward for web-only planning.
These aren't blockers for every team, but for Mac-centric PMOs they add operational overhead compared to a Mac-native tool like Merlin Project. For the full review check out our blog article.
