Microsoft Announces Retirement of Project Online — What PPM Works Clients Need to Know
Microsoft officially announced today, September 5, 2025, that Project Online will be retired on September 30, 2026. While the date itself is new, the direction has been clear for some time—this move aligns with Microsoft’s long-term strategy to shift toward modern work management solutions.
We want to assure you there’s no immediate action required, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Our goal is to help you navigate this transition smoothly and design a roadmap that fits both your current needs and future goals.
Key Dates & What They Mean
- October 1, 2025: Microsoft will end sales of new Project Online–only SKUs. Existing Project Online environments will continue to operate uninterrupted.
- September 30, 2026: Final retirement of Project Online. After this date, the service will no longer be available.
- April 2, 2026: Microsoft will retire SharePoint Add-Ins, which directly impact Project Online’s classic functionalities, including custom scripting and Project Pages—another compelling reason to plan ahead.
Why This Change Is Happening
Legacy infrastructure—especially Project Online’s foundation in SharePoint and SharePoint 2013 workflows—is no longer compatible with the modern, scalable, and AI-first landscape. Microsoft is investing in innovations like Planner Premium, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and the Project Manager agent to provide more intuitive and integrated project and portfolio management (PPM) experiences.
Your Transition Options
- Planner (Premium and Basic)
Planner now unifies Project for the web, Planner for Microsoft 365, and To Do, featuring premium capabilities like:- Gantt charts, task dependencies, baselines, portfolios
- Workflow automation via Power Apps and Power Automate
- AI-powered assistance through the new Project Manager agent
- Project Server Subscription Edition
For organizations needing advanced PPM features or continuity with Project Online, this remains a robust, on-premises alternative. - Modern Extensibility (SPFx)
With the upcoming deprecation of SharePoint Add-Ins, organizations must migrate any custom logic to modern SharePoint Framework (SPFx) or Power Platform solutions to maintain functionality.
How PPM Works Can Help You
At PPM Works, we’re ready to guide you through every step of this transition:
- Assessment & Planning
We’ll help you audit your current Project Online setup—identifying dependencies on retired workflows or add-ins—and determine the best path forward. - Migration Strategy
Whether it’s optimizing for Planner Premium, migrating to Project Server Subscription Edition or OnePlan, or modernizing custom solutions with SPFx or Power Platform, we tailor the approach to your needs. - Migration Support Sessions
Schedule a free Discovery Session with PPM Works.
What You Should Do Next
- Notify Stakeholders: Inform team members of the upcoming deprecation timelines (2025–2026) to align around scheduling and workloads.
- Audit Your Environment: Identify custom SharePoint workflows, add-ins, and dependencies that might be impacted.
- Start Exploring Planner Premium: Map your current Project Online workflows to Planner’s modern features, especially dependencies, Gantt views, and AI assistance.
- Plan Migration for 2026 and Beyond: Whether continuing in Microsoft’s ecosystem or considering third-party options, it’s vital to build your roadmap now.
In Summary
The Project Online retirement isn’t an abrupt shutdown—it’s a roadmap toward innovation. You’ll continue to use your existing setup through September 2026, but planning now ensures a smooth, forward-looking transition. Microsoft is directing its future PPM investment toward tools like Planner Premium, Project Manager agent, and the Power Platform—whether you’re seeking simplicity with Planner or advanced governance with a PPM suite, PPM Works is here to support you.
Let’s schedule your discovery session, dive into your environment, and chart your best path forward. Contact us today!
