Microsoft Challenge is likely one of the prime options groups use in software program improvement and different areas to handle tasks, monitor progress, analyze workflows, allocate assets, enhance productiveness, and extra. However does that imply Microsoft Challenge is the fitting PM software program for you? Not essentially, which is why we got here up with an inventory of the highest options to Microsoft Challenge, so you’ve got loads of choices to select from.
Microsoft Challenge Options
Earlier than we soar into our record of options to Microsoft Challenge, allow us to focus on what the PM software program affords by way of options so to evaluate. Listed below are a few of its highlights:
- Challenge House affords a centralized view the place you possibly can shortly start new tasks, view essential info, entry current tasks, and extra
- Timeline (Gannt) view for understanding how undertaking duties relate to 1 one other
- Board view for visually monitoring undertaking duties
- Grid view for planning and managing tasks through an ordered record
- Collaboration through Microsoft Groups so you possibly can maintain conferences, chat, share recordsdata, and so forth.
- Simultaneous activity updates and the power to assign duties to particular crew members
- Pre-built stories for monitoring undertaking progress, assets, portfolios, and so forth.
- Interactive roadmaps
- Timesheets to trace time spent on duties
Microsoft Challenge Pricing
Microsoft Challenge affords varied pricing plans for improvement groups searching for cloud-based or on-premises options. The cloud-based options begin with Challenge Plan 1, which prices $10 per consumer, per thirty days. It will possibly make it easier to handle tasks through your internet browser and consists of options like grid, board, and timeline (Gantt) views, collaboration, co-authoring, undertaking planning and scheduling, reporting, and timesheets. Challenge Plan 3 prices $30 per consumer, per thirty days and affords scheduling instruments accessible through an internet browser or desktop shopper. It affords the whole lot from Challenge Plan 1, plus interactive roadmaps and useful resource administration. The ultimate cloud-based providing is Challenge Plan 5, which prices $55 per consumer, per thirty days. It provides you the whole lot from Challenge Plan 3, plus portfolio choice and optimization, demand administration, and enterprise useful resource planning and administration.
In case you are on the lookout for an on-premises resolution for managing tasks, Microsoft’s least expensive providing is Challenge Customary 2021. It prices $679.99 and greatest serves those that wish to handle tasks while not having collaborative instruments or different superior options. Challenge Customary 2021 provides you a desktop app and instruments for managing duties, stories, and enterprise intelligence.
Subsequent is Challenge Skilled 2021, which prices $1,129.99 and is a complete, on-premises resolution for managing tasks. It provides you superior options for managing assets, timesheets, and so forth. And, if you happen to want a scalable and versatile on-premises resolution for managing tasks, attempt Challenge Server. It has customized pricing and affords superior analytics, demand administration, and extra.</p
Microsoft Challenge Strengths And Weaknesses
What could push a undertaking supervisor to hunt an alternative choice to Microsoft Challenge? Discovering out that the PM software program’s weaknesses outweigh its strengths. Right here is how Microsoft Challenge stacks up by way of its execs and cons:
Microsoft Challenge Strengths:
A number of the the explanation why Microsoft Challenge is so in style embody:
- Versatility for managing tasks in some ways since MS Challenge helps Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid methodologies and affords Scrum and Kanban capabilities
- Customizable workflows and activity boards
- Duties and tasks could be tweaked with ease and only a few mouse clicks
- Familiarity is right for customers of different Microsoft Tasks, similar to Excel
- Centralized view from the house display makes it straightforward to get began, entry important info, handle a number of tasks, and so forth.
- Options highly effective sufficient for giant organizations, in contrast to different PM software program suited in direction of smaller ones
- A number of views (Gantt, Kanban, grid, and so forth.) that you could shortly change between for final transparency
- Superior time monitoring options for reinforcing effectivity
- Simple-to-generate stories that may be shared with stakeholders
- Instruments for managing assets like staff, gear, and supplies
- Permits you to assign duties based on crew member capability to keep away from overwhelm
Microsoft Challenge Weaknesses:
Causes to decide on an alternative choice to Microsoft Challenge embody:
- Steep studying curve for anybody who is just not an skilled undertaking supervisor or extremely technical
- Interface is just not user-friendly
- Requires outdoors instruments for crew collaboration, similar to Groups, Skype, or Outlook
- Third-party integrations are restricted, and you might be principally caught with Microsoft merchandise
- Pricing can get costly as you go up in tiers
Microsoft Challenge Alternate options
If it looks as if Microsoft Challenge falls in need of your wants, listed here are some undertaking administration software program options which may be a greater match.
Monday.com
Monday.com affords straightforward onboarding and an intuitive interface for these searching for one thing less complicated than Microsoft Challenge. It has a number of views (Kanban, calendar, map, record, timeline), customized workflows and dashboards, automations, sturdy buyer help, pre-built templates, and tons of integrations.
Why select a unique MS Challenge different than Monday.com? Its spreadsheet format will not be for everybody, plus it has restricted activity dependencies and reporting capabilities.
You’ll be able to study extra about Monday.com by studying our Monday.com Challenge Administration Software program Evaluation.
ProofHub
ProofHub is one other user-friendly Microsoft Challenge different with a minimal studying curve. It provides you a number of views (Kanban, calendar, Gantt), templates for a simple begin, collaboration options, stories, and customized workflows.
Like Microsoft Challenge, ProofHub’s integrations are restricted.
Simple Tasks
As you possibly can inform by its title, Simple Tasks is PM software program that prides itself on being straightforward to make use of. When you get going with Simple Tasks, you possibly can get pleasure from such options as a number of views (to-do record, Kanban, record, Gantt), sturdy reporting, and integrations with over 2,000 third-party instruments. Simple Tasks additionally affords swift buyer help, time monitoring, automated workflows, and useful resource administration.
One draw back to Simple Tasks is a bit stunning: A few of its customers say the software program is just not intuitive, although your mileage could differ.
Smartsheet
Followers of spreadsheets could discover Smartsheet to be the best different to Microsoft Challenge. Enterprises have a tendency to make use of Smartsheet essentially the most, however different companies could make use of its a number of views (calendar, undertaking, card, grid), automations, collaboration, and real-time stories. In contrast to MS Challenge, Smartsheet is robust on third-party integrations.
What might hold you from selecting Smartsheet over Microsoft Challenge? It, too, has a steep studying curve, and its pricing could be excessive in comparison with different PM software program in the marketplace. And if you must handle a ton of information, chances are you’ll discover Smartsheet’s efficiency sluggish.
To study extra about its options and execs and cons, try our Smartsheet Challenge Administration Instrument Evaluation.
GanttPRO
One of many greatest knocks on Microsoft Challenge is that it isn’t user-friendly and takes time to study. GanttPRO is the alternative, because the PM software program is surprisingly easy to make use of but packs a punch in relation to options. As soon as your improvement crew members get an invitation to GanttPRO, they’ll begin utilizing options for collaboration, time monitoring, undertaking administration, portfolio administration, useful resource administration, and extra. GanttPRO affords Gantt chart templates that can assist you get began shortly, a number of views (Gantt, activity, board), drag-and-drop useful resource allocation, auto-scheduling, essential path, and varied sharing and export choices to maintain everybody within the know.
As for the place it falls quick, GanttPRO is gentle on integrations, however so is Microsoft Challenge.
Try our GanttPRO Challenge Administration Evaluation for extra info on the PM instrument.
Wrike
Wrike is likely one of the prime all-in-one undertaking options you’ll come throughout. Supplied you aren’t directing a small crew, Wrike can function your MS Challenge different with an inventory of options that features activity administration, portfolio administration, reporting, collaboration, and useful resource administration.
Wrike can take a while to arrange and study, so in case you are searching for one thing with a minimal studying curve, attempt one of many different MS Challenge options on this record.
Learn our Wrike Challenge Administration Software program Evaluation to preview its options, execs, and cons.
Different Challenge Administration Software program for Programmers
Not discovering undertaking administration software program on your improvement crew in our choice above? We now have another undertaking administration instrument listings that may make it easier to slim down your search:
