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MS Project Online Discontinued: How to Export and Migrate Your Data to monday.com Before 30th September 2026?
- Ishani Dhar Chowdhury
- May 30
- 8 min read
Can you export and migrate data from MS Project Online to monday.com?
Yes, now that MS Project Online is getting discontinued, you can export its data. Before 30th September 2026, remember to migrate everything to a reliable project management platform, like monday.com.
The monday.com vs MS Project Online debate is no longer valid. Now, all you have to do is transfer all your data. However, there aren't any direct, native imports of raw MS Project .mpp files.
Teams can complete this migration using a standard Excel/CSV export method. The steps include the following:
Export from MS Project: Save MS Project files as an Excel Workbook (.xlsx) or CSV format (Comma Delimited).
Prepare the Data File: Ensure the rows and columns have clear headers.
Import to monday.com: Import your Excel or CSV file into the platform and see it mapped to the corresponding columns.
The news of MS Project Online's discontinuation has taken the project management world by storm. By 2030, this industry is supposed to witness 15.7% CAGR and reach USD 20.47 billion.
Did MS Project Online fail to meet the enhancements of this new, innovative world? Yes, its legacy architecture had limits to innovation, collaboration, and integration.
Rated 4 out of 5 stars in G2, this platform remains a favourite among 1,600+ reviewers. However, teams are now scrambling to export project data to a reliable platform.
That's where monday WorkOS comes in. Gone are the MS Project vs monday.com debate days. Now, you'll be searching for data migration from MS Project to monday.com.
The question is, will your data be ready for it? Read on to know more.
MS Project Online Discontinued: Everything You Must Know
According to Microsoft's official website, the Project Online platform will discontinue operations on 30th September 2026. This was a decision after more than 10 years in operation.
This is indeed a significant change for all users. It'll have an impact on your:
Organisational workflows
Planning processes
What Does It Mean for You?
According to 6Sense, Microsoft Project has 44,564 users and ranks #6 worldwide. That's about to change in the next few months.
For now, there isn't any immediate disruption. For instance, your current MS Project Online environment will continue to function.
You can use the platform to manage schedules, assign tasks, track progress, and more. That's because the official retirement data is 30th September 2026. Last year, on October 1st 2025, there was an 'End of Sale' for new customers for Project Online-only SKUs.
Note: The decision is exclusive to Microsoft Project Online and won't affect Project Desktop or Project Server.
MS Planner remains available. The online debate worth discussing once monday.com vs MS Project Online dies is monday WorkOS vs MS Planner.
For project management, the Microsoft Suite will bring together:
Simplicity of To Do.
Collaboration of Planner.
Power of Project for the web.
Intelligence of Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Even then, it'll be a wise decision to migrate MS Planner data to a reliable and modern platform like monday WorkOS. This step will consolidate disjointed tasks into a centralised and highly customisable workflow.
Why is MS Project Online Retiring?
Needless to say, Microsoft Project Online has served organisations well. In fact, Windows users only had to pay USD 14.97 for lifetime access to project management solutions.
Even then, the platform couldn't keep up with the modern demands. According to Elmhurst University, the future of PM technologies includes the following:
AI and automation.
Remote and hybrid project teams.
Agile project management.
Platforms like monday WorkOS have no limits to such innovation and integration. Data migration to monday.com will offer robust resource allocation and advanced reporting that basic Planner setups lack.
However, MS Project Online cannot enhance today's collaborative work environments. Along with MS Project Online, certain SharePoint Online workflow design tools were discontinued this year.
That's why Microsoft aims to prioritise innovation within platforms such as Planner, MS 365 Copilot, and the Project Manager agent. All these tools represent the new generation of work management tools.
They are more intuitive, scalable, and have the power of AI. With these, you can support simple task tracking and complex project planning.
Do You Need to Prepare for 30th September 2026?
Users can prepare for this MS Project retirement beforehand. Here's what you can do:
The retirement will happen automatically on 30th September 2026.
No admin action required to process this deactivation.
You must notify team members and users about this.
Update internal documents to reflect the MS Project changes.
Evaluate alternatives like monday.com.
Plan the transition ASAP.
Back up your organisational data before the retirement data.
According to Forbes, monday.com ranks #2 on the list of best project management software platforms, proving its popularity. Ideally, you can use the monday.com data importer to integrate all MS Project Online data.
Why Choose monday WorkOS for Migrating MS Project Data?
MS Project Online's retirement will pave the way for modern work management tools to shine. For most teams, monday.com is the next stop.
But what makes the data migration to monday.com the right choice? Take a look at the following reasons:
Real Collaboration: monday WorkOS keeps communication where the work is. You'll get real-time updates through mentions, comment threads, and file sharing on the item.
Built for Modern Teams: This modular, cloud-native platform lets teams build applications, workflows, and operational systems. It has no-code and low-code building blocks.
Fully-Functional AI: monday.com is a full AI work platform with unique features and tools like Sidekick, Agents, Blocks, etc. This is a significant leap from MS Project Online's legacy architecture.
Straightforward Migration: MS Project Online users can migrate their data to monday.com. It has a native data importer that handles CSV and Excel files cleanly.
Moreover, monday WorkOS has a recognised enterprise credibility. Gartner has named this platform the Leader for Collaborative Work Management and Adaptive Project Management.
Is monday.com Similar to MS Project Online?
On the surface, the monday.com vs MS Project Online debate ends with one thing: Both platforms can handle tasks, timelines, reporting, and resource management.
Microsoft Project Online is traditional and comes with a heavyweight project management software design. Complex enterprise projects with rigid scheduling needs will benefit.
At the same time, monday.com is a modern WorkOS built for cross-functional teams. It comes with automation, flexibility, and an easy-to-use platform.
The real difference? That shows up in daily use.
For example, MS Project Online is purpose-built for certified PMPs running the Critical Path Method and Earned Value Management workflows. However, monday WorkOS is built for everyone, from enterprise PMOs to construction teams.
MS Project Online is being discontinued. That's why teams don't need to find a winner of this monday.com vs Microsoft Project 2026 debate.
A vast majority will be exporting from this platform. Data migration to monday.com won't just cover essentials. It'll also remove the complexity that slows you down.
Migrate MS Project Online to monday.com
According to IBM, data migration is the process of transferring data from one storage system/computing environment to another. Since MS Project Online is retiring in September, the question becomes a 'how' from a 'whether.'
There are three practical routes. Ideally, these data migration to monday.com methods suit different team sizes, data complexity, and technical capabilities.
CSV/Excel Exports
This would be the most accessible starting point. For instance, you'll have to export your MS Project data as a CSV or Excel, then clean it up, and import the files directly into monday.com.
The native monday.com data importer supports .xlsx, .xls, and .csv files. Here are a few things to note:
Each column in the file will become a monday.com board column. You can edit, filter, and customise them any time.
Before uploading, you must prepare the data. Reformat all date columns to YYYY-MM-DD, remove duplicates, and ensure consistent column headers.
Once uploaded, map each imported column to an existing column on the board. If columns don't match, it'll default to a text column.
Are there any limitations? This only supports up to 50 columns on a new board and 100 columns on an existing board. You can have 8,000 rows, and the CSV/Excel file shouldn't exceed 10 MB.
What about larger or recurring imports? In that case, you can choose an Automatic Excel/CSV Import or Export app from the monday.com marketplace.
Third-Party Tools
Want better control and automation? You'll need a third-party tool for data migration to monday.com. This would be best for complex project data migrations.
Both n8n and Make.com offer flexibility and simplicity to build automated workflows. These will read data from the MS Project CSV export and push it directly to monday.com's structured items.
There's no need for manual uploading or copy-pasting the data. You'll get a visual drag-and-drop builder in Make.com that'll help you with the following:
Connect monday WorkOS with Make.com using a personal API token.
Create a new scenario on the Make dashboard.
Set a trigger to initiate this scenario based on changes in the monday board.
For CSV import, set a trigger to watch the location for exported MS Project CSV files.
Add a CSV Parse module that reads each row of the export as a separate data object.
Add the monday.com 'Create Item' module to action the creation of new groups, boards, subitems, and columns by mapping CSV files.
Map your fields by matching Task Name with Item Name, Start Date with Date column, and so on.
Test a small dataset, then run the full scenario.
At the same time, n8n is an open-source platform for self-hosted control over automation pipelines. Here's how that works for data migration to monday.com:
Authenticate monday.com in n8n using a service account API token.
Test the connection by adding a monday WorkOS node and executing it.
Create a workflow that's a manual trigger for MS Project Online migration.
Add a Read CSV or Spreadsheet node to parse each row as a separate item.
Now, add the monday.com node and configure it to 'Create Items by mapping CSV fields.
Handle branching, merging, and iteration natively before running and verifying the execution.
In both cases, teams cannot act without deep development capacity. This is more than a simple CSV upload.
It's best to collaborate with a Make.com or n8n-certified partner like Fruition. We can help with large datasets, intricate task dependencies, and multi-project structures.
Being a monday.com partner also allows us to give you easier paths to complex migrations. We offer end-to-end support for process analysis, workspace design, data migration, team training, and more.
As Nikhil, one of our implementation leads, said, "A big client is migrating from MS Projects to monday.com, and we're (Fruition) helping them with that transition."
To End With
Patrick Golob, a PreSales Solution Engineer at cplace, sees this situation differently. He considers the end of MS Project Online as an opportunity for you to leap to a modern, collaborative, and AI-supported platform.
By 30th September 2026, teams should be ready to migrate from MS Project Online to a reliable tool. monday.com stands as a strong contender.
Did you know that data migration to monday.com from MS Project is a hot topic now? You can either do this through CSV or Excel Sheet imports or third-party tools.
In some cases, collaborating with a monday.com expert can help. The team at Fruition can build an automation workflow on Make.com and n8n, integrating it with monday WorkOS to import data from MS Project Online.
The only takeaway from the monday.com vs Microsoft Project 2026 debate is the fact that migration tools won't do the heavy lifting for you. The real work? It's in mapping fields, rebuilding spreadsheets, cleaning data, and more.
FAQs
Does monday.com integrate with MS Project?
Yes, you can integrate monday.com with MS Project. But there's no native connection. It doesn't have any direct, built-in connectors. To integrate, you'll have to export MS Project data as CSV or Excel. Then, you can import it manually into monday WorkOS. Otherwise, you can use third-party tools like Make.com and n8n to automate data flow between the platforms.
What's the monday.com vs Microsoft Project 2026 verdict?
Microsoft Project dominates traditional project management. It helps you with the critical path method, resource levelling, and earned value management. However, this platform will officially retire on September 30th. Compared to monday WorkOS, this legacy architecture has limited delivery of modern, AI-powered experiences. monday.com has an intuitive, collaborative interface that allows data migration from MS Project.
Is monday.com's data importer reliable?
The native importer is intuitive and fast. It can handle most standard data types well. For example, the task dates, statuses, and assignees import cleanly in a few clicks. However, there are limitations. That includes no multi-tab Excel support, no update mode for existing items, encoding issues with non-Latin characters and more.
