Project Online vs Project for the web vs Context& xPM
7/3/20261 min read
Project Online vs Project for the web vs Context& xPM
With Project Online retiring, the obvious question is what to move to inside the Microsoft world. Here is how Microsoft's Project for the web (now part of Planner) compares with Context& xPM for a PMO that needs real portfolio governance.
At a glance
Project Online (retiring 30 September 2026)
The mature PMO platform many teams still run - portfolio management, custom fields and reporting. It retires on 30 September 2026, with no Microsoft migration path for the data.
Project for the web / Planner Premium
Microsoft's modern, lighter planning tool. Good for team-level planning and simpler portfolios, but lighter on portfolio governance, custom process and the depth an established PMO relies on - and there is no migration path from Project Online's data.
Context& xPM
Built on the Power Platform, in your own tenant. Designed for portfolio and PMO governance - stages, gates, RAID, resourcing, Power BI reporting - and sized for SME and public-sector teams rather than the enterprise. It comes with the Migration Accelerator for your Project Online data.
Which is right for you
If you only need team planning, Project for the web may be enough. If you run a portfolio with governance, reporting and history that has to survive the move, xPM is the closer fit - and the one with a real migration path.
Related: Migration· Best Project Online alternatives · How to migrate from Project Online to xPM
Project Online retires 30 September 2026. Let’s plan your move.
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