You have a Microsoft Project file in your inbox, and you don't own Microsoft Project. Or you just need to lay out tasks, people and holidays and see when the work will finish, without learning a heavyweight tool. Plan for Windows from Twiddlebit Software is built for that job.
Quick facts
- Version: 3.03
- Platforms: Windows 7, Vista, XP, NT and 2000 desktop PCs
- Price: Free. It was originally shareware, and the vendor now offers it at no charge.
- Companion app: Pocket Plan for Pocket PC and Handheld PC devices
Key features
Recalculates your schedule from dependencies, working hours and holidays
You enter tasks and resources, link tasks together, and add holiday information. Plan then recalculates the whole project schedule using those dependencies, working hours and holidays, so a slipped task shows up in the end date.
Opens and saves Microsoft Project files
Plan can read MPP, MPD and MPX files and write MPD and MPX. That makes it usable as a viewer for plans someone else built in Microsoft Project. It lists support for Project versions from 98 through 2013.
Gantt charts, cost estimating and project tracking
The feature list includes Gantt charts, holiday scheduling, cost estimating and project tracking. That covers the basics of planning a project and following it once work starts.
Move plans between your PC and a handheld
Use Plan for Windows with Pocket Plan on a Pocket PC or Handheld PC. You build the plan at your desk and update it elsewhere, for example in a meeting.
Who it's for
It suits you if you need a straightforward planner, or a way to open and edit Microsoft Project files without buying Microsoft Project. The vendor says Plan lacks some of Project's extras, and that this makes it easier to use. It fits small projects better than complex portfolios.
Pros and cons
- Pro: No cost.
- Pro: Reads MPP, MPD and MPX files, and writes MPD and MPX.
- Pro: Small installer, supplied as a setup EXE, with a PDF user guide installed alongside.
- Con: It doesn't have all the features of Microsoft Project.
- Con: Saving or opening an MPD file may prompt you to install Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) if it's missing.
- Con: Microsoft Project MPP files can be read but not written.
FAQs
Can I open a Microsoft Project file without Microsoft Project?
Yes. Plan reads MPP, MPD and MPX files directly.
Can I save my plan back to Microsoft format?
Yes, as MPD or MPX. MPP files can be read but not written.
Does it work with my phone or handheld?
Pocket Plan is the companion for Pocket PC and Handheld PC devices, and it works alongside Plan for Windows.
Do I need to buy a licence?
No. The vendor says Plan was originally shareware but is now entirely free.
System requirements
- Windows 7, Vista, XP, NT or 2000 desktop PC
- About 3 MB of disk space
- MDAC, only when opening or saving MPD files