Project Online To Officially Retire in Fall 2026 – Here’s What You Need To Know

Microsoft Announces Project Online Will Sunset in Sept. 2026

Microsoft has finally released the date: Project Online will retire on September 30, 2026. After that, the service disappears, with no safety net, no read-only mode, and nothing else. New sales for Project Online will end on October 1, 2025. This decision comes as Microsoft shifts to Planner, (absorbing Project for the web) and Project Server Subscription Edition ($$), with Project desktop continuing as usual. 

If you build and manage projects in this software, then this applies to you. Many PMs have leaned on Project Online in the past for portfolio governance, resource planning, and the 

What’s Changing (in plain English):

• Hard stop: Project Online goes away Sept 30, 2026. Your environment will run until then, but there will be no service after that date.
• Licensing shifts: New Project Online only purchases end Oct 1, 2025. 
• Heads up on workflows: SharePoint 2013 workflows will be fully retired on Apr 2, 2026; migrate those automations to Power Automate or supported options.
• Microsoft recommends transitioning to the unified Planner (which absorbs Project for the web for a fee) or Project Server Subscription Edition (for a fee).
  

What Does This Mean

Microsoft’s retirement of Project Online on September 30, 2026, shouldn’t be just an IT housekeeping note, especially for users. The sunset of the program changes how many construction companies run projects day-to-day. Also, another sunsetting note: If your schedules, timesheets, risks/issues, and approvals are stored in PWA, access to that service will end on that date. 

Meanwhile, many stage-gate and change approvals built on SharePoint 2013 workflows will break even earlier, on April 2, 2026, when Microsoft removes them from existing tenants. Ripple effects can be expected: portfolio dashboards fed by Project Online will become inaccessible, older Teams tabs tied to Project/Roadmap will transition to the new Planner experience, and any audit trails that relied on those legacy workflows will require a new home. Be sure to make your transition count with a focused plan.

An Alternative Path Forward

A smart move is to investigate and implement construction management software for digitalized jobsite workflows, such as finance, resource and material allocation, change orders, and scheduling, in real-time. No more stagnant spreadsheets and siloed communication. 

By implementing a CMS, like Linarc contractors can manage field and office operations from a single, live source of truth, encompassing bids, budgets, schedules, and change/cost exposure. McKinsey’s research shows that digital operating models can lift construction productivity 14–15% while trimming costs 4–6%, gains you’ll only realize when schedules, RFIs, change orders, and site progress move in real time from field to office and into decision-ready dashboards. 

Other practical steps that Microsoft Project Online users can take to prepare include: inventorying current PWA objects and workflows; standardizing WBS templates for TI, ground-up, and phased renovations; and setting up role-based dashboards for schedule variance, WIP, and cash flow. 

Final Word

Don’t panic, but don’t procrastinate. As of September 30, 2026, Project Online will retire, and on April 2, 2026, SharePoint 2013-based workflows will be removed. Construction companies that currently use these platforms will need to pay for Microsoft Planner, or have the opportunity to investigate alternative solutions. 

Once you pick your destination, move your workflows, and invest in the transition. Your schedulers, supers, and subs will thank you when you proactively transition before the retirement in Fall 2026, allowing your projects to continue to run smoothly instead of grinding to an expensive halt.