Suppose you’re working on multiple tasks, collaborating with a team, or need to stay organized—sometimes all three at once. Chances are you’ve come across Monday.com and Microsoft Planner. These two project management tools have been popular for helping teams manage their workflows more effectively. But which one is right for you? Let’s break it down.
Overview: What Are They?
Monday.com is a project management tool crafted to increase and encourage team collaboration among the company. It provides a range of customization options to shelter different industries and work styles. Users can design tailored workflows, automate processes, and connect with numerous third-party applications.
Microsoft Planner is included in the Microsoft 365 suite. This is a simple task management tool mainly utilized by organizations that depend on Microsoft products such as Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
Monday.com Pros & Cons
✅ Highly customizable workflows
✅ Best for teams with complex projects
❌ Expensive for small teams
Microsoft Planner Pros & Cons
✅ Native integration with Microsoft 365
✅ Simple to use for task management
❌ Limited features compared to Monday.com
Ease of Use
Monday features an interface that is easy to use. Even if you’re new to project management software, with drag-and-drop features, visual boards, and templates to get you started quickly, it’ll be easy to figure out how to use this platform. It is also highly visual, which is a huge plus if you like seeing your tasks laid out in front of you in multiple formats. On the other hand, since Microsoft Planner is part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, the system feels familiar if you’re used to tools like Outlook and Teams. It’s much simpler than Monday, which can be a plus for people who don’t want to spend too much time setting up their workflows. However, it’s less flexible and can feel limited compared to Monday’s customization.
Customization and Features
Monday shines in terms of customization. You can create boards that best fit your team’s needs, add automation to save time, and use advanced filters to focus on specific tasks or timelines. Its combination with external tools (like Slack, Google Drive, and Zoom) makes it more adaptable for complex project management. Its customization goes beyond simple task management—it allows users to tailor their workspace to fit their unique workflows completely. One of the standout features is the ability to create custom boards, which act as visual hubs where teams can organize tasks, projects, or even whole departments. You can build these boards from scratch to include specific columns like deadlines, task owners, status updates, and even more complex data types like time-tracking or progress percentages.
Additionally, Monday allows for extensive automation of repetitive tasks. For example, you can set up rules where the system automatically moves a task to a new status or sends a notification to the team when certain conditions—like an overdue task—are met. This automation saves time and helps reduce errors, keeping projects on track without manual intervention.
While Microsoft Planner integrates well with other Microsoft tools (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive), its customization options are more basic. You can create buckets for tasks, assign them, and set deadlines, which act as simple categories where you can group related tasks. Microsoft Planner offers a more fundamental approach to task management compared to Monday.com. However, unlike Monday, there’s less flexibility for custom workflows.
Regarding workflow automation, Planner doesn’t offer the same advanced functionality in more robust platforms like Monday.com. You won’t be able to automate complex sequences of tasks or set up custom triggers to streamline your workflow. Additionally, the integration options outside the Microsoft ecosystem are pretty limited. While Planner works well with Microsoft products, it doesn’t support the wide range of third-party apps that many teams use for project management, which restricts its ability to adapt to more complex or specific project needs.
Pricing
Monday offers several pricing plans starting from around $8/month. Some tools can be highly customizable with many integrations and automation, so if you need to use those features, you’d end up on a higher-tier plan. The more features you want to use in your business, the more you’d have to pay. However, Microsoft Planner is part of most Microsoft 365 subscriptions. So, if your organization already uses Microsoft 365, you get Planner at no extra cost; this makes Microsoft Planner a more budget-friendly option.
Which Should You Choose?
Monday would be your best choice if you need a highly customizable visual tool to handle complex workflows. It’s great for teams needing flexibility and tailoring the software to their needs. Microsoft Planner would be ideal if you already use Microsoft 365 and need a simple, straightforward task management tool. It’s not as feature-packed, but more than enough for essential task management and collaboration.
In short, Monday is probably the better choice if you’re looking for power and flexibility. But suppose you want a cost-effective, no-frills solution that integrates well with Microsoft’s suite of tools. In that case, Microsoft Planner will get the job done.
Still unsure? Check out our guide on Best Project Management Tools for 2025.
Q: Is Monday.com better than Microsoft Planner?
A: If you need advanced workflow automation, Monday.com is better. If you want a simple task manager within Microsoft 365, Planner is ideal.
Q: How much does Monday.com cost?
A: Pricing starts at $8 per user/month for the Basic plan, while advanced features require higher-tier plans.