AB Projects vs Microsoft Planner
Planner tracks the plan. AB Projects records why it changed.
Both put tasks inside Microsoft Teams. The difference shows when someone moves a deadline or marks a task done. In AB Projects every change carries a reason, and the team is told in their channel, so anyone can read the board weeks later and understand how it got that way.
Last reviewed: 5 October 2026
One change, two records
A due date moves by two weeks. This is what the rest of the team can find out about it afterwards.
Microsoft Planner
Aoi Tanaka changed the due date
Oct 10 Oct 24
Reason: Not part of the record
With Planner and Project Plan 3, task history records who changed what. Without that licence, the board simply shows the new date.
AB Projects
Aoi Tanaka changed the due date
Oct 10 Oct 24
Reason: The client's API spec arrived two weeks late. Agreed with Ken at Monday's review; the launch date is unchanged.
Posted to the project's Teams channel · @Ken Sato
The change cannot be saved without a reason. It is posted to the project's Teams channel, and the people affected can be @mentioned.
Illustration, not a screenshot.
Built for the team, not only the person moving the cards
A board that only shows the current state works for whoever made the changes. Everyone else has to ask.
For the people who weren't in the room
Teammates, a new joiner, the client's project lead. They read the reason on the task instead of asking around or guessing.
For handovers, reviews and disagreements
When someone asks why the launch slipped, the answer is on the task, with a date and a name, not in a chat thread nobody can find.
For AI and automation, in the same log
AI assistants connected over MCP are asked for a note on every change, and what they do lands in the same history as people's work, under the account that did it.
What it costs
The board is not drag-and-drop, because a drag has nowhere to put a reason. Moving a task takes one more step. That step is the point.
Side by side
Planner details come from Microsoft's published documentation, checked on 5 October 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
| Compared | AB Projects | Microsoft Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Why a change was made | Required on every change to status, assignee, priority, dates, progress, time and more, and shown in the task's history. | Not captured with the change. Task history (Planner and Project Plan 3) records who changed what. |
| Telling the team | Each change is posted to the project's Teams channel with its reason, and people can be @mentioned. | Activity notifications in Teams and Outlook, such as when a task is assigned to you. |
| Change history | Included, on the free plan too. | Viewing task history requires Planner and Project Plan 3. |
| AI that takes action | Any MCP client (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Cursor, Copilot) can create, update and complete tasks, signed in as you and logged. | Copilot in Planner and the Planner Agent, which can carry out simple tasks. Microsoft states a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence is required. |
| Project documents | Built-in Documents: markdown pages with version history, linked to the tasks they drive. | No built-in document space is documented; teams typically keep documents in SharePoint, OneNote or Loop. |
| Planning views | List, Kanban, Gantt and calendar views of the same tasks, with subtasks. | Board, Grid, Schedule and Charts. Timeline (Gantt), dependencies and sprints come with the premium plans. |
| Price | Free for up to 10 active users. The Basic Plan is charged per active user, so only people who actually use it count. | Basic Planner is included in Microsoft 365 plans. Planner Plan 1 and Planner and Project Plan 3 are paid add-ons, and AI needs a Copilot licence. |
Why a change was made
AB Projects
Required on every change to status, assignee, priority, dates, progress, time and more, and shown in the task's history.
Microsoft Planner
Not captured with the change. Task history (Planner and Project Plan 3) records who changed what.
Telling the team
AB Projects
Each change is posted to the project's Teams channel with its reason, and people can be @mentioned.
Microsoft Planner
Activity notifications in Teams and Outlook, such as when a task is assigned to you.
Change history
AB Projects
Included, on the free plan too.
Microsoft Planner
Viewing task history requires Planner and Project Plan 3.
AI that takes action
AB Projects
Any MCP client (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Cursor, Copilot) can create, update and complete tasks, signed in as you and logged.
Microsoft Planner
Copilot in Planner and the Planner Agent, which can carry out simple tasks. Microsoft states a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence is required.
Project documents
AB Projects
Built-in Documents: markdown pages with version history, linked to the tasks they drive.
Microsoft Planner
No built-in document space is documented; teams typically keep documents in SharePoint, OneNote or Loop.
Planning views
AB Projects
List, Kanban, Gantt and calendar views of the same tasks, with subtasks.
Microsoft Planner
Board, Grid, Schedule and Charts. Timeline (Gantt), dependencies and sprints come with the premium plans.
Price
AB Projects
Free for up to 10 active users. The Basic Plan is charged per active user, so only people who actually use it count.
Microsoft Planner
Basic Planner is included in Microsoft 365 plans. Planner Plan 1 and Planner and Project Plan 3 are paid add-ons, and AI needs a Copilot licence.
Which one should you use?
Planner is likely enough if…
- You already pay for Microsoft 365 and want shared task boards at no extra cost.
- Your plans are checklists that one person keeps up to date.
- You need Gantt timelines with dependencies, sprints or goals, and are ready to license Planner's premium plans.
- Your organisation has standardised on Copilot.
AB Projects fits better if…
- Several people change the same project, and the rest of the team needs to know why.
- You run client work, audits or handovers, where "who decided this, and why?" comes up.
- You want the AI assistant you already use to update real tasks, in the same log as people.
- Specs and decisions should live next to the tasks they drive.
Questions to ask in any evaluation
- When someone moves a deadline, can the team see why, or only that it moved?
- Is change history included, or does everyone who reads it need a higher licence?
- Can an AI assistant act on tasks, and is its work recorded the same way as a person's?
- Where does project documentation live: in the tool, or somewhere the team has to remember?
- What does it cost at your real headcount, with every capability you need switched on?
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between AB Projects and Microsoft Planner?
Planner manages tasks and plans across Microsoft 365. AB Projects is built around the record of change: every change to a task carries a reason and is posted to the team's Teams channel, so the project can be understood weeks later by people who were not part of the decision.
Why can't I drag cards on the AB Projects board?
It is deliberate. A drag changes a task in one motion, with no moment to say why. Moving a task opens a short panel that asks for the reason and lets you @mention the people affected. It is one step slower, and it is what keeps the history useful.
Planner is included with Microsoft 365. Why pay for something else?
If basic Planner covers your needs, it is hard to beat on cost, and you should keep using it. AB Projects is free for up to 10 active users. Beyond that, compare it with what Planner costs once task history (Planner and Project Plan 3) and AI (Microsoft 365 Copilot) are switched on for the people who need them.
Does Microsoft Planner have AI?
Yes. Copilot in Planner and the Planner Agent can help build plans and carry out simple tasks, and Microsoft states they require a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. AB Projects connects to MCP clients such as Claude, ChatGPT or Copilot, so you can use the assistant you already have.
Can we use both?
Yes. Many teams keep Planner for personal and light checklists, and run the projects that need a record of decisions in AB Projects.
Do we need a separate account?
No. AB Projects signs in with your Microsoft 365 account and installs into Teams from Microsoft AppSource.
See the difference in your own Teams
Free for up to 10 active users. Move one task, then read its history.
Read more about AI project management, project management for Microsoft Teams, or how MCP works.
Sources for the Microsoft Planner column (checked 5 October 2026)
- Microsoft Planner: plans, pricing and the Copilot licence requirement
- Understand Planner premium trials and license assignments: what Planner and Project Plan 3 includes, task history among it
- Frequently asked questions about Planner agent: what it does and the licence it needs
- Getting started with Planner in Teams: the views available in Teams
Microsoft, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Planner and Microsoft Copilot are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. This comparison is published by ActionBridge and is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Microsoft. Planner changes over time; check Microsoft's current documentation before making a purchasing decision.