MC1478955 - Final reminder: Microsoft Project Online retires on September 30, 2026
Microsoft 365 Message Center announcement MC1478955.
MS Message Center's Summary
Microsoft Project Online reaches end of life on September 30, 2026, resulting in complete loss of access and data within the service. Administrators must evaluate alternative platforms such as Microsoft Planner or Project Server Subscription Edition and execute a full data migration before the retirement date. Organizations should engage partners immediately to plan the transition.
- Administrator impact
- Administrators must audit current usage, plan data migration, and transition users to supported alternatives before the retirement date.
- End user impact
- End users will lose access to Project Online data and must transition to alternative project management tools.
- Importance
- 10/10: This announcement details a major service retirement that results in permanent data loss if organizations do not migrate.
Microsoft Summary
Microsoft Project Online will retire on September 30, 2026. Users must migrate to alternatives like Microsoft Planner, Project Server Subscription Edition, or Project Operations before then to avoid data loss. Organizations should contact a Microsoft partner immediately to plan the transition and notify users accordingly.
- Message Center ID
- MC1478955
- Category
- plan For Change
- Severity
- normal
- Services
- Project for the web
- Tags
- User impact, Admin impact, Retirement
- Published
- 2026-09-24
- Last updated
- 2026-09-24
- Expires
- 2026-12-28
[What and why:] Microsoft Project Online will retire on September 30, 2026. If users are still using Project Online, they will see an in-app banner announcing the retirement. If your organization will not be fully migrated by September 30, 2026, we highly recommend you contact a Microsoft partner immediately to make a migration plan and let your Microsoft account team know your plans. At Microsoft, we are committed to empowering every organization with a unified, AI-powered and collaborative work management experience that brings together tasks, plans, and projects in one seamless platform. As part of this commitment, we announced the retirement of Project Online last September. The decision reflects our focus on delivering solutions that are modern, scalable, and future-ready—enabling organizations to benefit from the latest innovations in AI, automation, and collaboration. Moving to our next-generation platforms brings enhanced productivity, deeper integration with Microsoft 365, and new capabilities designed for the way people work today and tomorrow. This update is exclusive to Project Online and does not affect Project desktop/Project Online desktop, Project Server, or Planner. We recognize that every organization is unique, with different project management needs and technical requirements. To ensure a smooth transition and continued success, Microsoft is providing three clear paths forward. Microsoft Planner : For organizations seeking a modern, cloud-first, and AI-powered project management experience, Planner is designed for flexibility, collaboration, and scalability—empowering teams to manage everything from simple tasks to complex projects in one unified platform. The premium features of Planner included in our Planner and Project Plan 3 license, offer advanced features such as portfolios, baselines, dependencies, and Gantt charts. Project Server Subscription Edition : For organizations with advanced project and portfolio management (PPM) requirements, or those needing a short-term solution before moving to the cloud, Project Server Subscription Edition offers comprehensive tools for planning, scheduling, and resource management—built on the latest SharePoint Server technology. Project Operations : For Dynamics ERP customers, especially those focused on timesheets and resource scheduling. [Rollout schedule:] Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD: September 30, 2026. [Impact on your organization:] After Project Online is retired, you will no longer be able to access your projects or any associated data within the service. To avoid disruption and potential data loss, it's essential that you complete your transition to any of the alternatives before the retirement date. You can get details about your organization's Project Online usage by following the Export user data from Project Online documentation. [Action required / Recommendations:] Identify a Microsoft Partner immediately to help you move off Project Online by month end. To find a partner, contact your Microsoft Sales Representative for a list of recommended partners in your region. Evaluate the alternatives proposed above and plan the transition immediately. Migrate your data, if needed, before the retirement date. This retirement will happen automatically on the specified dates with no admin action required. You may want to notify your users and update any internal documentation to reflect the above changes. Review documentation to learn more about how to Prepare for Project Online retirement .