Microsoft Planner Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Microsoft Planner costs Free to $30 per user/month as of May 2026. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
Yes, Microsoft Planner offers a forever free plan as of May 2026. The free tier includes 5 features with limits on usage. Paid plans start at $10/user/month (Planner Plan 1). Pricing verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Microsoft Planner's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Kanban boards
- Basic templates
- Grid, Board, Schedule, and Charts views
- View task dependencies
- Microsoft Teams integration
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Everything in Basic
- Timeline (Gantt) view
- Task dependencies
- Project goals
- Backlogs and sprints
- Premium plan templates
- Build reports and dashboards
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Everything in Basic or Timeline (Gantt) view
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- No Gantt
- No dependencies
- Requires M365 license
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Planner Plan 1 Plan Comparison
| Planner Basic $0 | Planner Plan 1 $10/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 5 included | 7+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Microsoft Planner branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Teams already on Microsoft 365 needing lightweight task management | Individual project managers needing Gantt and dependencies |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Microsoft Planner free?
Yes, Microsoft Planner offers a forever free plan with 5 core features included. However, there are limits on users and features that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Microsoft Planner's free plan?
Microsoft Planner's free plan includes: Kanban boards, Basic templates, Grid, Board, Schedule, and Charts views, View task dependencies, Microsoft Teams integration. Key limits include basic usage caps.
03 What's NOT included in Microsoft Planner's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Everything in Basic, Timeline (Gantt) view, Task dependencies, Project goals, Backlogs and sprints. You'll also have Microsoft Planner branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Microsoft Planner's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Everything in Basic or Timeline (Gantt) view, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $10/user/month.
05 Is Microsoft Planner's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Microsoft Planner's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.