PMO scheduling depth comparison
Onplana vs Asana
Both ship Gantt views. Only one runs a real scheduling engine.
Asana is the right call for cross-functional task tracking — marketing campaigns, HR onboarding, ops checklists. Onplana is the right call for projects with a real schedule: critical path, baselines, four dependency types, native .mpp import. Most readers landing here are choosing between the two as a Project Online migration target — and on that criterion, the scheduling-depth gap matters.
Feature-by-feature comparison
11 dimensions calibrated to PMO buying criteria.
| Feature | Asana Cross-functional work | Onplana PMO + portfolio |
|---|---|---|
| Gantt / Timeline view | ✓ Timeline (Premium+) | ✓ Native Gantt with critical path on every plan |
| Dependency types | Finish-to-Start only | FS, SS, FF, SF + lag/lead |
| Critical path | Not supported | Auto-computed + highlighted on Gantt |
| Saved baselines | Not supported | Multiple baselines, Gantt shadow overlay |
| Native .mpp / MSPDI import | Not supported | Direct .mpp + MSPDI XML + OData feed |
| Stage-gate governance | Configurable via approvals | 12-stage pipeline + multi-reviewer gates + audit |
| Resource pool / capacity | Workload (Business+) | Org-wide pool + heatmap + 4-week forecast |
| AI billing model | Asana AI Studio (paid add-on) | Bundled into seat price (PRO+) |
| Forms / intake | ✓ Native | ✓ Native + AI-driven intake → project conversion |
| Real-time collaboration | Strong | Strong |
| Pricing at PMO scale (50) | ~$11-25/seat for Premium/Business | $20/seat BUSINESS, $29/seat ENTERPRISE |
| Result | Strong cross-functional tool | Wins 8/11 on PMO criteria |
When Asana fits
- •Cross-functional work without a strict schedule — marketing campaigns, HR onboarding, ops checklists.
- •You don't need critical path or baselines.
- •Your migration source is Trello / spreadsheets / smaller tools — not Microsoft Project.
When Onplana fits
- •You have
.mppfiles to import. - •Your work has a real schedule — critical path, baselines, multiple dependency types matter.
- •You need formal stage-gate governance.
- •You want AI bundled into the seat price.
Frequently asked questions
Does Asana have a Gantt chart?▾
Yes — Asana's "Timeline" view is its Gantt equivalent (Premium plan and up). It supports Finish-to-Start dependencies, milestones, and visual scheduling. What it doesn't have: other dependency types (SS/FF/SF), saved baselines, automatic critical-path computation, or .mpp import. Onplana ships all of these on every paid plan.
Why does .mpp import matter when comparing to Asana?▾
Asana doesn't import .mpp at all. If your team is migrating from Microsoft Project (Project Desktop, Project Online, Project for the Web), choosing Asana means rebuilding every schedule by hand — no preserved dependencies, no preserved custom fields, no preserved baselines. Onplana imports .mpp natively via its MPXJ-based parser, preserving all four dependency types, ECFs, baselines, and calendars in a single upload.
How does the AI comparison shake out?▾
Asana AI Studio is a paid add-on (per-seat). Onplana bundles AI into the seat price from PRO upward. Functionally similar: plan generation, status summaries, risk-flag suggestions. The cost model is the practical difference — at 50 seats over a year, the AI-add-on math typically lands a few thousand dollars apart.
Where does Asana clearly win?▾
Cross-functional task tracking with light scheduling — marketing teams running campaigns, HR running onboarding workflows, ops running recurring checklists. Asana's UX is built around "what does each person have to do this week" rather than "what's the critical path of this 18-month program." If your work is the former, Asana fits better.
Can Onplana replace Asana for non-PMO teams?▾
It can, but it's not the lightest option for that use case. Onplana ships heavier scheduling primitives (Gantt, dependencies, baselines) that non-PMO teams don't always want to see. The Kanban + List views work fine for ops-style work, but if scheduling depth is overhead for your team rather than capability, lighter tools may fit better.