History of Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project began as desktop scheduling software and expanded into enterprise server and hosted services. Some services have since retired or transitioned into Planner, while desktop Project and Project Server remain separate product lines. For current product distinctions, see Microsoft Project product family.
From an IBM PC program to Windows and Macintosh
Section titled “From an IBM PC program to Windows and Macintosh”Microsoft released Project 1.0 in 1984 for the IBM PC, as a tool for planning, scheduling, monitoring, and budgeting projects. A contemporary description appeared in the archived September 1984 issue of Practical Computing; Microsoft also includes the release in its history of 1984.
Project for Windows followed in May 1990. By October 1991, Microsoft also offered a Macintosh edition, noted in a contemporary 1991 PM Network article.
Accounts of the product’s creation often credit Ron Bredehoeft and MAS Consulting, describe Alan M. Boyd’s involvement at Microsoft, and say Microsoft acquired the software rights in 1985. These details come from a secondary account and should be treated as reported origin history rather than a fully documented release record.1
The desktop product line
Section titled “The desktop product line”The desktop application continued through successive generations while Microsoft added server, web-access, and cloud services around it. The following milestones show the main stages in that development.
| Generation | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Project 1.0 | Listed by Microsoft as a 1984 release; documented on the IBM PC in September 1984. |
| Project for Windows | Introduced in May 1990. |
| Project 2000 | Introduced Project Central, extending collaboration beyond an individual desktop user. |
| Project 2002 | Established Standard and Professional desktop editions alongside Project Server and Project Web Access. |
| Project 2003 | Shipped as part of the Microsoft Office System 2003 generation. |
| Project 2010 | Lifecycle began July 15, 2010; available in Standard and Professional editions. |
| Project 2013 | Lifecycle began in January 2013. |
| Project 2016 | Lifecycle began in September 2015 and support ended in October 2025. |
| Project 2019 | Lifecycle began in September 2018 and support ended in October 2025. |
| Project 2021 | Lifecycle began October 5, 2021; retirement was scheduled for October 2026. |
| Project 2024 | Lifecycle began October 1, 2024; available in Standard and Professional editions. |
Project 2000 introduced a web collaboration tool, Project 2002 brought desktop editions together with Project Server and Project Web Access, and Project 2003 joined the Office System generation. Release and support dates for later desktop versions appear in the table above.2 3
The table highlights major turning points rather than every desktop edition and service release.
From Project Central to Project Server
Section titled “From Project Central to Project Server”Project’s server history extended collaboration beyond a single project manager’s computer. In the Project 2000 generation, Project Central added a web-based collaboration component. By June 2002, the enterprise family included Project Standard 2002, Project Professional 2002, Project Server 2002, client access licenses, and Project Web Access. Project Server 2003 followed in the Office System 2003 generation.
Later on-premises generations were Project Server 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Project Server Subscription Edition. In the newer generations, Project Server runs as a SharePoint Server service application; it is separately licensed and activated.4
Project Server 2010 and 2013 ended support in 2021 and 2023. Project Server 2016 and Project Server 2019 ended support on July 14, 2026. As of October 2026, Project Server Subscription Edition remains the supported on-premises release.3
Project Online and the newer web product
Section titled “Project Online and the newer web product”Microsoft announced Project Online in July 2012 as part of an Office 365 preview; its service lifecycle began on March 1, 2013. It brought Project Web App to Microsoft’s hosted environment and was paired with a Project Pro for Office 365 desktop subscription. Project Online and the similarly named Project Online Desktop Client were distinct: one was the hosted enterprise service, while the other was a separately installed subscription desktop application that could connect to it.5
A second cloud line emerged in 2018 with Project Home, Roadmap, and a new project-management service built on the Common Data Service, while Project Online continued separately.6
The Power Platform-based service reached general availability in October 2019 and became known as Project for the web. At the same time, Project Plan 1 was introduced and the existing Project Online Professional and Premium subscriptions were renamed Project Plan 3 and Project Plan 5.7
The move toward Planner
Section titled “The move toward Planner”At Ignite 2023, Microsoft announced that To Do, Planner, and Project for the web would come together in a single Planner experience. The new Planner began rolling out in Microsoft Teams in April 2024. In August 2025, the standalone Project for the web experience and the Project and Roadmap apps in Teams retired; users were redirected to Planner, where existing premium plans remained available.8
This transition retired a separate web experience and product name. It did not mean that Microsoft retired every product carrying the Project name.
Product status in October 2026
Section titled “Product status in October 2026”The Project name still applies to multiple products after Project for the web moved into Planner. The following status reflects the product family on October 1, 2026.3 8 For how desktop release support differs from edition capabilities, see Microsoft Project editions and versions.
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Project 2024 desktop | Supported until October 9, 2029. |
| Project 2021 desktop | Supported on October 1, 2026; retirement scheduled for October 14, 2026, Pacific Time. |
| Project 2016 and Project 2019 desktop | Legacy and unsupported since October 14, 2025. |
| Project Server Subscription Edition | Supported on-premises release. |
| Project Server 2016 and Project Server 2019 | Legacy and unsupported since July 14, 2026. |
| Project Server 2010 and Project Server 2013 | Legacy and unsupported. |
| Project for the web | Standalone experience retired in August 2025; plans continued through Planner. |
| Project Online | Retired on September 30, 2026. |
Project Online retired on September 30, 2026. That retirement applied to the hosted Project Online service; it did not retire Project desktop, Project Server Subscription Edition, or Planner. The Project Online Desktop Client was a separately installed subscription desktop application, so connecting it to Project Online is now a historical workflow rather than a current service connection.
A note on the earliest history
Section titled “A note on the earliest history”Project 1.0 appeared in 1984 on the IBM PC, but some details from that early period remain incomplete. These include the exact shipment date, the full DOS and Macintosh release sequence, and primary documentation for the people and companies involved in creating the original program. For that reason, the desktop table presents major milestones rather than every Microsoft Project version and service release.
References
Section titled “References”- Secondary account of Microsoft Project’s early history
- Historical product announcements: Project 2000, Project 2002, and Office System 2003.
- Microsoft lifecycle records: Project 2010, Project 2013, Project 2016, Project 2019, Project 2021, Project 2024, Project Server 2010, Project Server 2013, Project Server 2016, Project Server 2019, Project Server Subscription Edition, and Project Online.
- Project Server deployment model
- Project Online history and setup: announcement and service and desktop-client setup.
- Microsoft’s 2018 project-product announcement
- Project for the web: general availability and product overview.
- Planner transition: Ignite 2023 announcement, Planner rollout, and Project for the web transition.