Microsoft Project Online Retires September 30, 2026 — Migrate in 10 Minutes
Microsoft is shutting down Project Online. Don't move to per-seat Planner plans — save each project as XML, drop it into LoopGantt, and keep working. Import is free, forever.
Import Your Project FreeWhat Is Actually Retiring
Microsoft has announced that Project Online — the cloud scheduling service built on SharePoint — retires on September 30, 2026. The Project desktop client is not being switched off, but Microsoft’s recommended destination for Project Online customers is Planner with premium plans, priced per user per month. Your project data does not move anywhere by itself: every schedule you want to keep has to be exported before the shutdown.
The Microsoft Path
- Planner premium plans start at $10/user/month
- A different planning model to relearn — not the Project you know
- Migration still requires exporting every project yourself
- Per-seat pricing grows with every teammate who needs access
The LoopGantt Path
- Direct MS Project XML import — free on every plan, forever
- The same scheduling concepts: CPM, dependency types, WBS, baselines
- Free for up to 3 projects; Pro is $5/month total, not per seat
- Browser-based Gantt, Kanban, and WBS on Windows, Mac, and mobile
Migrate in 10 Minutes: File → Save As → XML
1. Export as XML
Open your project in the Microsoft Project desktop client — from Project Online, choose to open it in the desktop app (included with Project Plan 3/5 subscriptions). Then go to File → Save As and pick XML Format (*.xml)as the file type. This is Microsoft’s own full-fidelity interchange format: it carries the task list, hierarchy, links, lags, and progress. Repeat for each project you want to keep.
2. Drop the file into LoopGantt
Create a free account, click Import on your dashboard, and drop the .xml file (up to 15 MB). LoopGantt detects Microsoft Project XML automatically — no column mapping, no configuration. The schedule opens as a live Gantt chart with the critical path already computed.
3. Review the import report
The importer tells you exactly what it did: how many tasks and links came across, and a plain-language warning for anything that needed approximation — an unsupported constraint type, an inactive task that was skipped, a duplicate ID in the file. No silent changes to your schedule.
What Survives the Trip
An honest accounting — this is what LoopGantt’s MS Project XML importer preserves, and what it doesn’t:
| MS Project Data | Imported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Task hierarchy & summary tasks | Yes | Summary tasks become LoopGantt phases |
| Dependencies (FS, SS, FF, SF) | Yes | All four link types |
| Lead & lag time | Yes | Including percentage lags, converted to days |
| Durations & milestones | Yes | Elapsed durations handled; milestones stay milestones |
| % complete & notes | Yes | Notes land in the task description |
| Resource names | Partial | Preserved as text in the task description, not as members |
| Constraint dates | Partial | Must Start On / Start No Earlier Than mapped to the task’s desired date; others flagged |
| Inactive tasks | Skipped | Excluded from the schedule (as in MS Project), listed in the report |
| Working calendars & exceptions | No | LoopGantt schedules in calendar days — tasks that spanned weekends or holidays finish earlier than in MS Project; check key milestones after import |
| Baselines, costs & earned value | No | Re-baseline in LoopGantt after import |
| .mpp binary files | No | Save As → XML first (one step in MS Project) |
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Microsoft Project Online retire?
Microsoft has announced that Project Online retires on September 30, 2026. After that date the service will no longer be available. Projects you want to keep must be exported before the shutdown — Microsoft’s migration tooling targets its own Planner plans, but the XML export path works for any destination, including LoopGantt.
Is Microsoft Project desktop retiring too?
No. The retirement applies to Project Online, the cloud service. The desktop client continues to work, though Microsoft is directing new investment toward Planner. In fact the desktop client is the easiest export path: open each Project Online project in the desktop app and save it as XML.
Can LoopGantt open .mpp files directly?
Not the proprietary .mpp binary — but Microsoft Project saves any .mpp as XML in one step (File → Save As → XML Format), and LoopGantt imports that XML with full task hierarchy, all four dependency types with lead/lag, durations, milestones, percent complete, and notes. The import report flags anything that needed approximation.
What if my exported file is large or the import shows warnings?
Imports are capped at 15 MB. XML exports are text — most plans come to a few MB, though heavily resource-loaded schedules run larger. Warnings are informational: they list skipped inactive tasks, constraint types LoopGantt doesn’t model, and similar edge cases so you can verify the schedule instead of discovering surprises later.
Is the import really free?
Yes — MS Project XML import is free on every LoopGantt plan, permanently. It is not a trial feature and it will not move behind a paywall. The free tier holds up to 3 projects with Gantt, critical path, dependencies, and WBS; the Pro plan is $5/month total (not per user) if you need more.
Don't Wait for the Shutdown
Export your projects while Project Online is still online. Importing them into LoopGantt is free — and takes about ten minutes.
Start Migrating Free