Redmineflux vs Microsoft Project – the delivery platform alternative.
For Redmine teams standardised on flat licensing, weighing MS Project subscription costs.
Read this if you are evaluating Microsoft Project subscription costs against a structured issue-tracking alternative.
Teams evaluating Microsoft Project subscriptions (Planner Plan 1, Planner and Project Plan 3) who want to understand what a purpose-built issue-tracking alternative offers will find the feature matrix most relevant. IT decision-makers assessing long-term cost – particularly at Plan 3 or Plan 5 – should read the pricing comparison carefully. Development teams already on MS Project who need deeper issue tracking, QA, or helpdesk will find the feature gaps most applicable.
Seven rows. Thirty seconds.
Scan the trade-offs here. The full feature matrix and pricing detail follow below.
| Consideration | Microsoft Project | Redmineflux |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Enterprise organizations managing complex project schedules, resource planning, and portfolios within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem | Development and IT teams using Redmine that need structured issue tracking, engineering workflows, and end-to-end operational management |
| Primary strengths | Advanced Gantt scheduling, resource management, portfolio planning, and Microsoft 365 integration | Deep issue tracking, QA workflows, timesheet approvals, Helpdesk, CRM, and purpose-built Redmine plugins |
| Deployment | Cloud subscriptions (Project Plan 1, Plan 3, Plan 5), perpetual desktop editions, or on-premises with Project Server Subscription Edition | Available as self-hosted or Redmineflux Cloud with the same plugins and features |
| Data ownership | Cloud plans store data on Microsoft’s infrastructure; on-premises deployment is available with Project Server | Self-hosted: full data ownership. Cloud: data hosted by Redmineflux with export support available |
| Pricing model | Per user/month for cloud plans or one-time perpetual licensing for desktop editions; enterprise costs increase with additional users | Fixed monthly package by team size — $69 for up to 25 users — with every plugin, theme, Crux and the MCP server included; no per-plugin add-on charges |
| Development-specific tools | Advanced scheduling and portfolio management, but no native issue tracking, structured QA workflows, Helpdesk, or CRM | Native issue tracking, QA workflows, test case management, timesheet approvals, Helpdesk, CRM, and other Redmine plugins in one platform |
| AI / MCP support | Microsoft Copilot is available as a Microsoft 365 add-on rather than being included with Project plans | Crux AI agents and the MCP Server (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and custom agents) — included in every Cloud package; also available self-hosted |
At-a-glance comparison: Microsoft Project vs Redmineflux across seven decision points.
Total cost of ownership, compared.
Redmineflux Cloud is a fixed monthly package by team size – the 25-person scenario uses the Team package at $69 a month with every plugin included. Competitor prices are as published on their pricing pages.
| Feature | Microsoft Project | Redmineflux |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Project Plan 3 | Team package |
| Billing model | SaaS — Per User | Cloud — fixed monthly package by team size, never per user |
| Price (25 users, annual billing) | ~$9,000/year25 × $30/user/month × 12 | $828/yearSame fixed price — no per-user charge, no plugin add-ons |
| Price (25 users, monthly billing) | ~$9,000/year$30/user/month × 25 × 12 | $828/year$69/month × 12 — Team package, up to 25 users, every plugin included |
| Issue tracking & project management | ✗ NoProject planning only | ✓ Yes |
| Gantt / timeline | ✓ YesAdvanced Gantt & dependency management | ✓ YesGantt Chart — included |
| Agile / Kanban board | ✗ NoNot native | ✓ YesAgile Board — included |
| Workload management | ✓ YesResource pool management | ✓ YesWorkload Plugin — included |
| Time tracking | ✗ No | ✓ YesTimesheet + Time Tracker — included |
| Knowledge base | ✗ No | ✓ YesIncluded |
| Helpdesk with SLA | ✗ No | ✓ YesIncluded |
| CRM | ✗ No | ✓ YesIncluded |
| Invoice / billing | ✗ No | ✓ YesIncluded |
| Test case management | ✗ No | ✓ YesIncluded |
| Custom dashboard | ✓ YesPortfolio reporting & roadmaps | ✓ YesIncluded |
| Issue templates | ✗ No | ✓ YesIncluded |
| Checklists | ✗ No | ✓ YesIncluded |
| AI / MCP | ● Add-onMicrosoft Copilot available separately — not included | Crux AI agents and the MCP Server (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and custom agents) — included in every Cloud package; also available self-hosted |
| Self-hosted option | ● LimitedPerpetual desktop licence available; no cloud features | ✓ YesAvailable |
| Microsoft 365 integration | ✓ YesNative Microsoft 365 & Teams integration | ✓ YesAvailable via integrations |
Pricing and feature comparison: Microsoft Project Plan 3 vs Redmineflux Cloud for a 25-person team.
Four ways the tools diverge for delivery teams.
Task scheduling and issue tracking are genuinely different models. The choice compounds when a team needs QA, helpdesk, and invoicing alongside project management.
Task scheduling vs issue tracking.
Microsoft Project is built around the task – a Gantt bar with a start date, end date, predecessor, and resource. Redmineflux is built around the issue – a structured ticket with a type, status, assignee, workflow, and linked artefacts. Gantt-based scheduling suits enterprise project managers planning large programmes. Issue-based tracking suits development teams managing work iteratively across concurrent projects.
Scheduling only vs full delivery tooling.
Microsoft Project provides Gantt scheduling, resource management, and portfolio dashboards (Planner and Project Plan 3). Development teams using MS Project typically also run Jira or Azure DevOps for issue tracking – maintaining two systems. Redmineflux delivers Gantt, agile board, workload, time tracking, QA, helpdesk, and CRM all inside Redmine – one system, one login.
Per seat vs flat licence.
Planner Plan 1 costs $10/user/month. For a 25-person team, that is $3,000/year – for a basic scheduling tool. Planner and Project Plan 3 (which includes the desktop app and resource management) costs $30/user/month: $9,000/year for 25 people. Redmineflux All Plugins Bundle is $4,753 one-time – for all 17 plugins, the entire installation, regardless of user count. Support renewal after 1 year 30% of pack price.
M365 ecosystem vs development toolchain.
Microsoft Project integrates tightly with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and the broader M365 suite. For organisations standardised on M365, this integration value is real. Redmineflux integrates with Git, SVN, and CI systems natively via Redmine, and with Slack and email via the Notification Plugin. For development teams, source control integration is typically more relevant than document storage integration.
Moving from Microsoft Project to Redmine + Redmineflux.
Five steps, 30–60 days parallel run. Task-to-issue mapping is the critical step.
- 1
Export from MS Project
Export Project files (.mpp) as CSV, XML, or Excel. Task names, durations, assignees, start/end dates, and dependencies are exportable. Map tasks to the corresponding Redmine project.
1–2 days - 2
Map tasks to issues
Map Project tasks to Redmine issues – tasks become issues in the corresponding project. Dates become due dates; assignees become Redmine users; task names become issue subjects. Create custom fields for any MS Project fields without a Redmine equivalent.
1–3 days - 3
Import to Redmine
Import using Redmine’s CSV import with field mapping. For teams using MS Project’s resource management, the Workload Plugin provides the capacity view after import.
1–2 days - 4
Install Redmineflux plugins
Install the Gantt Chart Plugin to replace the timeline view. Install the Workload Plugin to replace resource management. Install additional plugins (QA, helpdesk, CRM) based on what your team needs alongside delivery tracking.
1–3 days - 5
Parallel run & cutover
Run both systems for 30–60 days. New projects are set up in Redmine + Redmineflux. Once the team is comfortable, decommission Microsoft Project as the primary scheduling tool.
30–60 days
The honest version.
Microsoft Project is the better tool for formal enterprise programme management. Redmineflux is the better tool for development and IT delivery teams who need structured issue tracking as their foundation.
Microsoft Project is the right choice.
- Your organisation runs enterprise project management with formal Gantt, critical path, and earned value analysis
- You are deeply invested in M365 and need native integration with Teams, SharePoint, and Power BI
- Your primary users are professional project managers (PMPs) working within a Gantt-based scheduling model
- Portfolio management and resource engagement across large programmes is a top priority
- You need Microsoft’s enterprise compliance, SSO, and admin tooling
Redmineflux is the right choice.
- Your team is a development, IT, or delivery team that needs structured issue tracking – not just Gantt bars
- You need test case management, helpdesk, or invoicing built into the same tool as project management
- Per-seat SaaS pricing at $10–30/user/month is not justifiable for the depth of tooling provided
- Data sovereignty or compliance requirements demand self-hosted deployment
- You want the full Lead → Deliver → Invoice → Account → Support loop in one platform
Questions about Microsoft Project vs Redmineflux.
Five questions that come up in every evaluation. Ask anything else — check pricing or contact support.
Is Redmineflux Gantt comparable to Microsoft Project?+
The Redmineflux Gantt Chart Plugin provides an interactive Gantt with dependencies, milestones, baselines, and critical path analysis. Planner and Project Plan 3 provides a more advanced Gantt with earned value analysis, resource levelling, and project portfolios.
Does Microsoft Project have Kanban boards?+
Microsoft Planner (Kanban boards) is now included in Planner Plan 1 — it is no longer a separate product. For a standalone project management view without agile boards, Planner Plan 1 covers basic Kanban through the bundled Planner app.
Can Redmineflux integrate with M365?+
Redmineflux integrates via the Notification Plugin (email, webhook, Slack) and via Redmine’s REST API. Direct native integration with Microsoft Teams or SharePoint requires a third-party connector or custom integration.
Does Redmineflux pricing stay flat as the team grows?+
Yes. Redmineflux plugins are licensed per Redmine installation, not per user. A team of 10 and a team of 100 pay the same plugin licence fee.
Which Redmine versions does Redmineflux support?+
All Redmineflux plugins are tested and maintained against the three most recent stable Redmine releases. Compatibility is verified with each update. Check the documentation for the confirmed supported version list before installing.
Don’t just compare. Try it.
Get a free demo with every plugin included, or buy the ones you need for your Redmine. Self-hosted or Managed Cloud – every plugin in Cloud also runs on self-hosted Redmine.