Microsoft Planner & Project 3 & 5

Overview

Microsoft Planner and Microsoft Project (Plan 3 and Plan 5) are Microsoft 365 tools that support task and project management at varying levels of complexity.

Microsoft Planner is a lightweight task management solution designed for team-based work tracking. It is well suited for organizing assignments, managing shared task lists, and tracking progress within Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft Project Plan 3 supports structured project planning and scheduling. It is intended for project managers who require timeline management, task dependencies, and more formal project controls.

Microsoft Project Plan 5 includes all Plan 3 capabilities and adds enhanced portfolio management and governance features for organizations managing multiple or complex projects.

These tools scale from basic task coordination to advanced project and portfolio oversight, allowing departments to select the option that aligns with their business and project management needs.

For more information on Microsoft Planner, please see the UW Office 365 page for Planner.

****The Planner and Project 3 & 5 desktop client can be used as a standalone application or connected to a Project-enabled SharePoint Online site (additional setup fees will apply). You do not need a Project-enabled SharePoint Online site to utilize the Project Online desktop client.

Before Purchasing Microsoft Planner and Project Subscriptions

Organizations should carefully review Microsoft’s guide, Project Online Admin Documentation, to understand the configuration and the long-term maintenance work required to sustain this product. Specifically, Microsoft’s document Change Permission Management in Project Online is essential to review, as selecting the wrong permissions model has posed a significant challenge for some organizations. Please also check the Microsoft Project service description guide, as Project Online site configurations require at least one account with a Project Plan 5 license.

How to Get Microsoft Planner & Project 3 & 5

Students

Students can download the Project desktop application through Azure for Education.

Faculty/Staff

Microsoft Planner is included with eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions and does not require an additional license purchase.

We offer “Planner and Project 3 & 5 ” licenses. To compare the features in each Plan, visit Compare project management solutions and costs.

Microsoft Planner and Project 3 & 5 licenses are offered to UW departments on an annual contract basis running from June 1 to May 31, in alignment with our Microsoft contract. They include no service or support for the product itself, so the cost is not prorated when purchased midway through the contract year.

Click here to order Planner and Project 3

Click here to order Planner and Project 5

License Details

• Planner and Project 3 & 5 licenses are assigned to an individual. The Project Online desktop client may be installed on up to 5 devices, but can only be used by the named user on one device at a time.
• Planner and Project 3 & 5  licenses can not be assigned to a shared UW NetID.
• UW-IT’s annual subscription billing is automatic:
UW-IT will automatically bill your UW funding source for this software subscription in the next license term, which begins every (fiscal) year on June 1.
• Do you need to reassign the license to another person? You can make a reassignment request anytime during the subscription period by going to Manage My Subscriptions and completing the request form to transfer the subscription.
• Should you need to cancel the subscription:
If you decide not to continue with another subscription term, you can stop UW-IT’s automatic billing and cancel the subscription. Canceling means your subscription will end on May 31. Use the Manage My Subscriptions Form, and do so no later than April 1.
• Departments are encouraged to evaluate usage periodically to ensure license tiers remain appropriate

Additional Information