On September 5th, 2025, Microsoft officially announced that Project Online will be retired on September 30th, 2026. The primary reasons being legacy architecture and lack of modern cloud AI/Copilot capabilities. Whilst the writing has been on the wall since 2018, when Microsoft stated that 'going forward, innovation will focus on the new Project' which in itself is currently being rebranded to Planner Premium.
This announced end-of-life timeline provides organisations that rely on Project Online a relatively short-time frame to start transitioning to a modern, future-proof solution. That's exactly what we've been helping organisations to do for several years. And we can help you too.
Microsoft has announced that Microsoft Project Online will retire on 30 September 2026, meaning organisations must migrate their project management environments before this date to avoid losing access to projects and data.
For organisations currently using Project Online, the most common migration options include:
- Moving to Microsoft Planner Premium with Power Platform extensions
- Migrating to Project Server Subscription Edition
- Implementing a modern Microsoft 365 project and portfolio management solution
Many organisations are choosing to modernise their project environments by adopting Planner Premium and Power Platform solutions, which integrate with Microsoft Teams, Power BI, and AI capabilities such as Microsoft Copilot.
As the 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year for Project and Portfolio Management, Wellingtone is recognised globally for delivering Microsoft-based PMO and project management solutions and helping organisations transition away from legacy platforms like Project Online.
This guide explains:
- Why Project Online is retiring
- The best migration options available
- How to plan your transition
- What to do with historical project data
Why Microsoft Is Retiring Project Online
Microsoft’s decision to retire Project Online is primarily due to its legacy architecture, which limits the ability to introduce modern cloud innovation and AI capabilities.
Microsoft is investing heavily in Microsoft Planner, the Power Platform, and Copilot-powered work management solutions, which provide a far more collaborative and intelligent project management platform.
For organisations currently using Project Online, the retirement timeline means:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| October 2025 | End of sale for Project Online |
| April 2026 | Creation of new Project Online tenants ends |
| 30th September 2026 | Project Online fully retires and becomes inaccessible |
If your organisation relies on Project Online today, it is essential to begin planning your migration strategy.
What Are the Best Project Online Migration Options?
Most organisations using Project Online already operate within Microsoft 365, making it logical to remain within the Microsoft ecosystem.
This allows organisations to:
- Maintain enterprise security and compliance
- Leverage existing Microsoft licensing
- Integrate project management with Teams, Power BI, and the Power Platform
| Migration Option | Best For | Key Benefits | Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planner Premium + Accelerator+ | Organisations wanting a modern Microsoft 365 solution | AI-ready platform, built on Dataverse, integrates with Teams and Power Platform | May require redesigning some PMO processes |
| Project Server Subscription Edition | Organisations reliant on Microsoft Project desktop scheduling | Familiar environment with advanced scheduling capabilities | Requires infrastructure management |
| Hybrid approach | Organisations modernising gradually | Flexible architecture using Power Platform | Requires solution design expertise |
As the 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year for Project and Portfolio Management, Wellingtone helps organisations evaluate these options and implement the most suitable migration path.
Option 1: Migrate to Planner Premium and Accelerator+
For many organisations, the preferred migration path is Microsoft Planner Premium combined with the Wellingtone Accelerator+ solution.
Planner Premium is Microsoft’s modern work and project management platform, evolving from Project for the web and designed to integrate deeply with Microsoft 365 tools.
Project Online vs Planner Premium
| Capability | Project Online | Planner Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | SharePoint-based legacy platform | Modern Dataverse architecture |
| AI capabilities | None | Microsoft Copilot and AI planning |
| Microsoft 365 integration | Limited | Native integration with Teams, Loop, Outlook |
| User experience | PWA interface | Modern collaborative experience |
| Product roadmap | Retiring 2026 | Microsoft strategic platform |
Many organisations already have access to Planner Premium through licences such as:
- Planner Plan 1
- Planner and Project Plan 3
- Planner and Project Plan 5
Extending Planner with Accelerator+
The Wellingtone Accelerator+ Power App extends Planner Premium into a full enterprise PMO platform with capabilities including:
- Project requests and demand management
- Portfolio dashboards and reporting
- RAID management
- Resource management
- Financial tracking
- Power BI reporting integration
This creates a modern AI-ready project and portfolio management platform inside Microsoft 365.
Option 2: Migrate to Project Server Subscription Edition
For organisations that require functionality closely aligned with Project Online and Microsoft Project desktop scheduling, Project Server Subscription Edition (SE) is another migration path.
Project Server SE provides:
- Advanced scheduling and resource management
- Compatibility with Microsoft Project desktop
- On-premises or Azure deployment options
- A familiar environment for Project Online users
What Happens to Your Project Online Data?
After 30th September 2026, organisations will no longer have access to Project Online environments or their associated project data.
To ensure historical reporting remains available, organisations should plan to:
-
Export Project Online data before retirement
-
Store legacy project data in environments such as Azure SQL
-
Provide reporting access through Power BI dashboards
Project Online Migration Approaches
1. Migration (Lift and Shift)
Best for organisations that:
- Have well-structured Project Online environments
- Need to retain historic data
- Want minimal disruption to processes
Typical elements that are migrated:
- Project schedules
- Project metadata
- RAID logs
- Portfolio reporting data
This approach focuses on replicating the existing structure in a modern platform.
2. Greenfield Deployment
Best for organisations that:
- Have legacy or cluttered Project Online environments
- Want to redesign their PMO processes
- Want to modernise around Microsoft 365
Instead of migrating everything, organisations:
- Deploy a new platform
- Redesign governance and workflows
- Selectively move important project data
Greenfield deployments are often faster and more cost effective.
3. Hybrid Approach
This is the most common path.
Organisations typically:
- Migrate active projects
- Archive historic data
- Redesign governance in the new platform
This balances continuity and modernisation.
Why Choose Wellingtone for Your Project Online Migration?
Migrating away from Project Online is not simply a technical exercise. It is an opportunity to modernise your PMO and project delivery processes.
Wellingtone is uniquely positioned to support this transition because:
- We are the 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year for Project and Portfolio Management.
- We have been a Microsoft Gold Partner since 2009
- We specialise exclusively in PMO and project management transformation
- We have helped organisations globally adopt Microsoft Planner and Power Platform solutions
This recognition from Microsoft highlights Wellingtone as one of the leading partners globally for Project Online migration and modern Microsoft project management solutions.
