Best Project Management Software for Mac, Ranked for 2026

Most "best of" lists for Mac were written for a different question: which tool has a Mac logo on its website. The questions that actually split Mac teams are narrower: is there a native app, does it work offline, can it open the Microsoft Project file a client just emailed, and what does it cost for five people.

The direct answer: the best project management software for Mac depends on the job. OmniPlan is the strongest native Mac scheduler. Onplana covers a mixed team with a web app, a free Mac companion and a free Mac desktop app that opens .mpp files. Asana, ClickUp and monday.com suit task and board tracking with a free tier. Microsoft Project has no Mac desktop app.

The short answer. Pick by the thing that differs on a Mac. Need native, offline scheduling: OmniPlan. Need a team plan that works in Safari plus a free way to open .mpp files: Onplana. Need lists and boards with a free tier: Asana, ClickUp or monday.com. Prices below were read from each vendor's own page on 2026-11-03.

How are these tools ranked?

Each tool is ranked on four criteria that change on a Mac, in this order of weight: whether there is a native Mac app, whether it works offline, whether it opens Microsoft Project files, and the price for a small team. Features every tool shares, such as comments and due dates, do not move the ranking. Onplana is our product and appears second on purpose: it is not the best native scheduler, and the list says so.

1. OmniPlan: the native Mac scheduler

OmniPlan is built for the Mac first, with iPad, iPhone and Apple Vision Pro versions, and it is the closest thing to a desktop Gantt scheduler made for macOS. Omni's manual says OmniPlan Pro opens Microsoft Project .xml and .mpp files from 2003 through 2019, and exports back to them. Pros: native speed, offline, real scheduling depth, .mpp round-trip. Cons: it is a planner for one or a few schedulers rather than a shared workspace for a whole team, and Omni lists the price on a separate page, so check it before you plan around it.

2. Onplana: a web app with free Mac companions

Onplana is a web app that runs in Safari, with three Mac pieces around it. Onplana Schedule is a free desktop app for Mac and Windows that opens .mpp, Project XML and Primavera .xer files, shows the Gantt with critical path and float, and saves edits as a new Project XML file beside the original. Onplana Tasks is a free menu-bar app with a global quick-add shortcut. Both need macOS 13 or later. The Gantt chart with critical path, baselines and all four dependency types is on every plan, Free included, which has 5 members and 2 projects; the first paid plan, Professional, is $12 per seat per month. Pros: shared plan for mixed Mac and Windows teams, free .mpp opening, AI on every plan. Cons: Schedule does not write the .mpp format, and Onplana Tasks offline covers completing and snoozing, not creating a task.

3. Asana: lists and boards, free for two

Asana's Personal plan is free for 2 users, and Starter is $10.99 per user per month billed annually, per its pricing page. It is a web-first tool, strong on task lists and cross-team work. Pros: polished, widely known, easy to hand to non-specialists. Cons: it is web-first, so plan for a connection, and we did not check whether it opens Microsoft Project files.

4. ClickUp: the most generous free plan

ClickUp's Free Forever plan puts no listed cap on tasks or members but limits storage (60 MB) and automation, and Core is $9 per user per month billed annually. Pros: broad feature set at a low price. Cons: the breadth takes configuration, and we did not check .mpp support.

5. monday.com: boards for small teams

monday.com's Free plan is capped at 2 seats, and Basic is $9 per seat per month billed annually with a 3-seat minimum for paid plans. Pros: visual boards a non-technical team picks up quickly. Cons: the seat minimum matters for a team of two, and scheduling depth is lighter than a Gantt tool.

6. Microsoft Project: no desktop app on Mac

Microsoft's project tools reach a Mac through a browser, or through Windows in a virtual machine. If a colleague on Windows uses Microsoft Project and you are on a Mac, you can still read their file in Onplana Schedule without a licence; the full options are in the guide to Microsoft Project on a Mac and the post on opening an MPP file without Microsoft Project. Pros: the standard for large Windows-based schedules. Cons: no native Mac client.

The diagram below sorts the six tools by what a Mac team needs first.

Which is the best free project management software for Mac?

Free project management software for Mac is available from every tool except OmniPlan and Microsoft Project, and the limits differ. Onplana's Free plan keeps the Gantt with critical path but caps the workspace at 5 members and 2 projects. Asana's Personal plan and monday.com's Free plan stop at 2 users, while ClickUp's Free Forever caps storage and automation instead of seats. For a Mac Gantt chart app at no cost, Onplana Schedule is the free desktop option on this list. Compare the plan caps against your team before you commit, and read the free Microsoft Project alternatives comparison if scheduling is the main need.

If you already have a schedule, the free Schedule Health Check reads it before you commit to any of these tools, and the best Gantt chart software ranking goes deeper on that one view.

Run the free Schedule Health Check Check a schedule file for broken links, missing dependencies and other problems before you pick a tool. No signup required. → Open the Schedule Health Check

Microsoft Project™ is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Onplana is not affiliated with Microsoft.