Microsoft Project is still the tool most project managers reach for when a plan gets serious: dependencies, critical paths, resources stretched across several jobs. The 2024 desktop version comes in two editions, Project Standard 2024 at $679.99 and Project Professional 2024 at $1,129.99, both one-time purchases from Microsoft.
That $450 gap is about one thing, really: managing people and their time across projects. Here’s what each edition does, and how to decide.
Project Standard 2024 vs Project Professional 2024
| Project Standard 2024 | Project Professional 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft one-time price (US) | $679.99 | $1,129.99 |
| Schedules, tasks and costs | Yes | Yes |
| Gantt Chart, Calendar, Network Diagram and Task Sheet views | Yes | Yes |
| Baselines, milestones and critical path | Yes | Yes |
| Resource leveling | Yes | Yes |
| Comprehensive resource management | No | Yes |
| Timesheets for payroll, tracking and invoicing | No | Yes |
| Connect to Project Server Subscription Edition | No | Yes |
| Supported until | 9 Oct 2029 | 9 Oct 2029 |
The edition features are from Microsoft’s Project plans page. Both are Windows desktop apps licensed for one PC.
What Project Standard covers
Standard is a full scheduling tool. You can build a plan with task dependencies, lag and lead times, constraints and deadlines, see the critical path, set a baseline and track progress against it, and level resources when someone is booked twice. For a single project manager running their own projects, it does the core job well.
What Project Professional adds
Resource management across projects
Professional is built for the moment when the same people work on several projects at once. Its resource tools, including the Team Planner view, let you see who is working on what, drag work between people and spot overallocation across the plan before it becomes a missed deadline.
Timesheets
Professional supports timesheets that feed into payroll, project tracking and client invoicing. If your team bills by the hour, that’s a big deal.
Project Server connection
Organizations running Project Server Subscription Edition on their own infrastructure need Professional as the desktop client. Standard can’t connect.
Which edition do you need?
- You plan your own projects and share PDFs or printouts: Standard is enough.
- You manage a team that works across several projects: Professional.
- You bill clients for time or need timesheets: Professional.
- Your company runs Project Server: Professional, no question.
We carry Project Professional 2024 and Project Professional 2021. Because our Professional keys cost far less than Microsoft’s Standard price, most buyers simply go straight to Professional. Need Office and Visio too? The Office 2024 + Visio + Project 2024 bundle is the cheapest way to get all three, and there’s a 2021 bundle as well.
Project 2024 or Project 2021?
Project 2024 is supported until 9 October 2029. Project 2021 reaches end of support on 13 October 2026, so it stops getting security updates almost immediately. Project 2021 still runs, and it’s fine for an offline PC or to match a team already on 2021, but for anything new, choose 2024.
Project vs Planner
If your “projects” are really task lists with due dates, you may not need Project at all. Microsoft Planner handles simple boards and checklists inside Microsoft 365. Project is for plans with dependencies, durations and resource constraints. We compare the two in detail in Microsoft Planner vs Project.
Installing Project 2024
Project installs alongside Office, as long as both use the same bitness and installation type. Installing Project 2024 next to Office 2024 is the easiest combination. Our Project 2024 install and activation guide covers the official download and activation. Keys arrive by email within minutes, and if activation needs help, reply to the email and our team will sort it out.
Project Professional 2024: FAQ
What’s the difference between Project Standard and Professional 2024?
Professional adds resource management across projects, timesheets, and the ability to connect to Project Server. The scheduling features are the same.
Is Project included in Office 2024?
No. Project is sold separately from every Office edition.
Is Project 2024 a subscription?
No. Project Standard 2024 and Project Professional 2024 are one-time purchases. Microsoft’s cloud Project plans are the subscription versions.
Does Project 2024 run on a Mac?
No. Project desktop is Windows only.
Can Project 2024 open older .mpp files?
Yes. It opens files from earlier versions of Project.
