Are you searching for the best project management tool for your organization or teams? Need help with choosing the right project software version? You’re in the right place. Microsoft Project is a strong project management software for planning, managing, and controlling projects efficiently. With Microsoft Project, you can track a project’s task scheduling, resource distribution, and progression. Choosing the right MS Projects version is crucial for any organization, as the latest version includes new functionalities and features with improved performance. Read this blog post to learn the difference between Microsoft Project 2024 vs 2021, their features, and improvements to choose the best Project version.

What is Microsoft Project Software?

Microsoft Project is a powerful project management tool that helps users to plan, manage, and monitor projects. Includes all the features and enhancements to control tasks, resources, schedules, budgets, and timelines to make any project-related work effortless. We have included a few reasons that show why you need Microsoft Project in 2025:

• If you buy MS Project latest version, you can integrate with Office products like Microsoft Teams, Office 365, and SharePoint. 
• Microsoft continuously updates its features, so you will get the updated software that is reliable. 
• Project managers or team leaders can easily forecast accurate budgets and estimated costs.

Included Editions in Microsoft Project 2024?

Microsoft Project 2024 has several editions to support different organizations. Have a look at these:

• Project 2024 Standard: If you need a simple Project management software to manage projects and their budget, Microsoft Project 2024 Standard helps you effectively. This software is available for a one-time payment and allows users to manage tasks, resource allocation, budgeting, and so on.
• Project Professional 2024: Microsoft Project Professional 2024 introduces a refreshed user interface, AI features, and real-time collaboration functionalities. It enables users to improve resource allocation, integrate other Microsoft products, and more.

N.B. – Microsoft offers browser-based Project Planner 1, 3, and 5 through Microsoft 365. Those who need a monthly or yearly subscription plan can choose any of the plans according to their project size and demands.

Included Editions in Microsoft Project 2021?

Multiple editions are available in Microsoft Project 2021. MS Project contains various features and enhancements with multiple purposes to meet the demands of organizations. Let’s check the editions and plans:

• Microsoft Project 2021 Standard: The Microsoft Project 2021 Standard edition is designed for small teams or individual users. It is great for scheduling tasks, managing budgets, and tracking project progress. If you are looking for a simple project management tool, buy MS Project 2021 from Mscdkeys at a cheaper price.
• Microsoft Project 2021 Professional: If you need advanced project management software, Microsoft Project 2021 Professional is a great choice. It includes all the features of the Standard edition plus additional features to manage resources and increase collaboration efficiently. Buy the one-time Project 2021 Professional license for 3 PC version to meet your different needs with modern capabilities.

Microsoft Project 2021 vs 2024 Comparison

Microsoft Project 2024 introduces significant improvements over Project 2021. Meanwhile, MS Project 2021 version’s support will end on Oct 13 2026, and the Project 2024 version’s support will end in 2029. Look at the changes between them:

What’s New in Microsoft Project 2024?

• MS Project 2024 includes advanced “what-if” scenarios.
• Project 2024 integrates Azure and cloud-based services.
• Better planning systems are available in the 2024 version.
• AI-powered automation and insights added for automated scheduling tasks.
• Thousands of built-in templates and optimized resource management.

What’s the Difference Between Microsoft Project 2024 Vs 2021

Microsoft Project 2024 is the subsequent version of Project 2021. So, Project 2024 has all the key features of Project 2021. Here we have included some crucial features that were not in the previous version. 

Better Interface and User Experience

Microsoft Project 2024 includes a modern and intuitive interface with Office 2024’s fluent design principles. With updated icons, clear menus, and a familiar navigation system feel comfortable finding anything you need. On the other side, Project 2021 contains classic designs similar to Office 2021, which is less polished compared to the Project 2024 interface. 

AI-Powered Tools

MS Project 2024 added AI-powered tools for various task optimization, project scheduling, providing automatic suggestions, resource allocation, and more. Moreover, AI-driven tools help users predict project risks and provide suggestions to reduce risks. In MS Project 2021, you can see that AI-powered tools are not available, and project planning is limited to manual processes. 

Improved Collaboration

With Microsoft Project 2024, you will get improved collaboration features like a real-time co-authoring feature. This feature allows multiple users to work on a single file and edit it. In Project 2021, you can perform only file sharing and task delegation, but you can’t edit files in real time. By getting Project 2024 latest version, you can enjoy better collaboration.

User Interface and Other Changes

Microsoft Project 2024 has included advanced features that meet modern demands. It includes dynamic roadmaps and better visualization tools like Gantt charts, heatmaps, and more for proper resource allocation and timeline analysis. On the other hand, Microsoft Project 2021 has the basic features of Gantt charts and Kanban, which do not include dynamic roadmaps and other advanced features.

Differences in Analytics and Reporting

MS Project 2024 release with updated features that can easily cope with enterprise-level decision-making. It contains advanced analytics features, such as demand management, critical path insights, and so on. Whereas, Project 2021 has the basic analytics tools and reporting features that are effective for small teams or projects.

System Requirements for Microsoft Project 2024

To install Project 2024, your computer needs the following system requirements:

Processor: 1.6 GHz or faster with 2-core

Operating system: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows Server 2019

RAM: 4 GB (64-bit), 2 GB (32-bit)

Hard Disk Space: 4 GB available disk space

Display: Screen resolution 1280 x 768 pixels

Graphics: DirectX 10 or updated

Additional System Requirements: Internet access and a Microsoft account.

Check the System requirements for Project 2021 here!

Where to Buy Microsoft Project Software at the Best Price?

When you want to buy Microsoft Project 2024 Professional Plus product keys, there are two options to purchase it. Microsoft official is the best to buy productivity software, but the price is higher for direct sales to customers. Buying from a trusted reseller like Mscdkeys provides the same genuine software keys at significantly lower prices. Here are the price differences:

Note: Need other software like Microsoft Office, Windows 11, Windows Server, Adobe, Autodesk product key, visit Mscdkeys to grab the cheaper deal now!

Is it the Right Decision to Upgrade Microsoft Project 2021 to 2024?

The decision to upgrade Microsoft Project 2021 to 2024 depends on various matters. If you control a simple project and you can operate it without enterprise-level tools, then sticking to the MS Project 2021 is a good decision. 

If you need to operate large-scale projects and need advanced tools like AI-powered tools, integration with Microsoft 365, and enhanced collaboration, then upgrading to Project 2024 is the perfect deal for you. 

FAQs

1: What is Microsoft Project used for?

Microsoft Project is used for planning (Task management, Scheduling), Organizing (resource allocation, budget management, progress tracking), and managing (resource management, integration, collaboration) projects from small to large scale.

2: What is the difference between Microsoft Project 2024 and Project Plan?

Microsoft Project 2024 is available for one-time purchase and does not expire but the Project Plan is a subscription pack and provides you with the latest features.

3: Do I need to upgrade my Project 2021?

It depends on various things. If you want to get the latest and advanced features like AI-driven tools, better collaboration, and more, you can upgrade Project 2021 to Project 2024.

Final Lines

This article provides a complete overview of Microsoft Project 2024 vs Microsoft Project 2021. You can easily decide which is the accurate version for your needs! For your convenience, we included how many editions, Plans and pricing in Microsoft Project 2024 and 2021. So, pick one of them that suits your projects and share your opinions about this blog in the comment section. Have a nice day!