SaaS + AI vs self-host open source
Onplana vs OpenProject
Both are credible PMO platforms. The choice is managed-service convenience vs open-source autonomy.
OpenProject is the right call for organisations that need open-source freedom, want to self-host without per-seat licensing, and have the ops capacity to maintain the platform themselves. Onplana is the right call for teams that want a managed SaaS option, AI included in every plan, native .mpp binary import, and phone apps out of beta alongside the web app. Most readers landing here are weighing self-host autonomy against managed-service convenience; both are legitimate trade-offs.
Feature-by-feature comparison
15 dimensions calibrated to PMO buying criteria.
| Feature | OpenProject Open source, self-host first | Onplana Managed SaaS + AI |
|---|---|---|
| License model | GPL v3 open source (Community) + commercial Cloud | Commercial SaaS; Enterprise+ is a dedicated deployment in your own Azure subscription |
| Self-host option | ✓ Self-host first (Docker / package install) | No install kit; on Enterprise+ Onplana runs a private copy in your Azure subscription |
| Per-seat cost (Community) | $0 (self-host the Community Edition) | Free plan up to 5 users; paid from $12/seat/mo. Some Free workspaces are offered a 14-day trial of a paid plan in the app, with no card |
| Per-seat cost (managed) | €5.95 to €15.95 per user a month: Basic and Professional from 25 users, Premium from 100 (pricing page, 3 November 2026) | $12/seat/mo Professional, $20/seat/mo Business, $29/seat/mo Enterprise |
| Critical path computation | Not documented: its Gantt guide and pricing page name no critical path | Auto-computed CPM with forward + backward pass |
| Dependency types | Predecessor and successor (finish-to-start) with lag in working days; no other type documented | FS, SS, FF, SF + lag/lead in days or hours |
| Tasks shorter than a day | Duration is always in days | Onplana Schedule plans to the minute (type 2h or 90m); the web app schedules in whole working days |
| Saved baselines | Baseline comparison against yesterday in Community; any date as an Enterprise add-on from Basic | Multiple baselines, Gantt shadow overlay (every plan) |
| Native .mpp / MSPDI import | No Microsoft Project import: work package import takes CSV, and its docs route MS Project through an Excel export | Direct .mpp binary + .mpx + MSPDI XML + XER + Excel/CSV |
| Desktop app that opens .mpp files | Not offered | Onplana Schedule: free Windows and Mac app, opens, edits and reschedules, saves back to Project XML |
| AI features | An MCP server for outside AI tools, an Enterprise add-on from Professional; no built-in assistant yet (AI page, 3 November 2026) | Plan generation + status reports on every plan; risk detection from Professional |
| Resource capacity | ✓ Resource management, an Enterprise add-on from Premium | Weekly capacity against allocation for each person across projects, with a forecast of the weeks ahead, on the Professional plan and up |
| Stage-gate governance | Custom workflows + statuses | 12-stage proposal pipeline, multi-reviewer gates and an audit trail, on the Enterprise plan and up |
| Audit log retention | Activity history per work package and project; no audit log named in its docs or pricing (3 November 2026) | ✓ Configurable retention policy + per-org SCIM |
| Phone and tablet apps | iOS and Android apps, in beta (its mobile app guide, 3 November 2026) | Onplana Tasks on iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets; Onplana Schedule from the Microsoft Store, the Mac App Store, the App Store and Google Play. All free. |
| Result | Strong open-source PMO platform | Wins 10/15 on managed-service + AI criteria |
The layer OpenProject is still building
AI that reads the schedule you already have
OpenProject has no built-in AI assistant yet; its MCP server, an Enterprise add-on, connects outside AI tools. Onplana bundles the suite into the seat price on every plan including Free: chat with project context, plan generation, status reports and natural-language parsing. Risk analysis like the screen below is the deeper tier and starts on Professional.
When OpenProject fits
- •Open-source freedom matters: you want to audit code, fork if needed, no vendor-lock-in.
- •You have ops capacity to self-host (upgrades, backups, security patches) and want zero per-seat cost.
- •You don't need AI features as part of the platform.
- •Your Microsoft Project files can go through an Excel export before import.
When Onplana fits
- •You want managed SaaS, with a dedicated deployment in your own Azure subscription available on Enterprise+.
- •You want AI bundled into the platform: risk detection, plan generation, status reports.
- •You're migrating
.mppbinary files at scale and don't want a Project Desktop conversion step. - •You value a modern UI on a faster release cadence over deeper open-source customisation.
OpenProject Community is one of five tools in our list of open-source and free Microsoft Project alternatives, next to ProjectLibre, GanttProject, Microsoft Planner and Onplana Free, with where each one runs out.
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenProject really free?▾
The OpenProject Community Edition is GPL v3 licensed and free to self-host: download, install (Docker or native package), run on your own infrastructure. There is no per-seat licensing for Community Edition. The Enterprise Edition adds features by plan (full baseline comparison, custom themes, single sign-on, the MCP server, resource management, premium support) and is priced commercially. Its published plans run from €5.95 (Basic) to €15.95 (Premium) per user a month; Basic and Professional need at least 25 users and Premium 100, per its pricing page on 3 November 2026. So "free" is true if you self-host the Community Edition and are comfortable maintaining the platform yourself, including upgrades, backups, security patches, and ops monitoring.
Can OpenProject import Microsoft Project files?▾
Not directly. OpenProject's work package import takes CSV files, and its integrations guide suggests exporting a Microsoft Project file to Excel and moving the tasks across from there. It does not import .mpp or MSPDI XML. So every plan goes through Microsoft Project Desktop and a spreadsheet first. Onplana imports .mpp binary directly via its MPXJ-based parser, no Microsoft Project Desktop license needed for the conversion step. For PMOs migrating dozens or hundreds of .mpp files, the conversion step at scale is a meaningful operational difference.
Does OpenProject have AI features?▾
OpenProject's AI page (read 3 November 2026) says its MCP server is already available, giving compatible AI tools read and write access to projects and work packages, and that further AI features are being developed; its pricing page lists the MCP server as an Enterprise add-on. Onplana ships AI as a core platform layer: dual-provider architecture (Claude + Azure OpenAI), bundled into the seat price on every plan including Free, operated by Onplana with a standby provider. For PMOs that want AI as part of every plan rather than an add-on, that is the difference to weigh.
Where does OpenProject clearly win?▾
Three places. First, open-source freedom, you control the code, can audit it, can fork it, and have no vendor-lock-in concerns. Second, zero per-seat cost on the Community Edition, attractive for organisations with strong ops capacity but tight per-seat budgets. Third, mature on-premises deployment, OpenProject has been self-host-first for years and the install path is well-documented. Onplana has no install kit: it is SaaS, and on Enterprise+ Onplana runs a dedicated deployment in your own Azure subscription.
Where does Onplana clearly win?▾
Three places. First, AI included in every plan, Free too. Second, native .mpp binary import without requiring Project Desktop as an intermediary. Third, Onplana Schedule, a free desktop app that opens .mpp files, and phone and tablet apps out of beta. For PMOs migrating off Microsoft Project specifically, the .mpp binary import is the practical difference: a route that goes through a spreadsheet requires every source .mpp to be opened in Project Desktop first, which becomes the migration bottleneck at scale.
Can I run Onplana on my own infrastructure like OpenProject?▾
Not as a self-install. On Enterprise+, Onplana sets up and runs a private copy of Onplana in your own Azure subscription, so your data stays in your environment. That is a service we perform, priced per deal, rather than a package you install and run yourself the way you would OpenProject.