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RationalPlan

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Spec score 8.8 #4 of 46 in Gantt Chart Software

What it is

RationalPlan is project management software for scheduling work, allocating resources, tracking progress, estimating project costs, and managing budgets. Its tools include Gantt charts with dependencies and critical-path detection, portfolio management, resource leveling, cost tracking, reports, document management, calendars, and a Kanban board. RationalPlan says it can open and edit Microsoft Project files, and its Single Project product imports MS Project files. RationalPlan Cloud supports concurrent browser work with different access rights; the company says Cloud uses AWS for data hosting and processing. Project Server can be installed on a private network, and the company says its administrators cannot access hosted customer data. The free Cloud plan includes two projects, 100 tasks, 10 MB of storage, and two users. Free accounts inactive for 30 days are disabled, and accounts inactive for 60 days are deleted. Single and Multi trials offer full functionality with a 20-task limit and no stated time limit; the Server trial runs for 30 days without functional limits. Single Project costs $145, paid once, and Multi Project costs $288, paid once. A license includes one year of upgrades and priority technical support.

Spec sheet

What it does
RationalPlan is project-management software for planning, scheduling, resource allocation, progress tracking, cost estimation and budget control.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Product
RationalPlan is project management software for planning, resource allocation, workload analysis, progress tracking, project cost estimation, and budget management.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Intended users
The company describes Cloud as suitable for individuals and companies, while its on-premise products include single-project, multi-project, and centralized server options.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Privacy
The privacy policy says Stand By Soft uses processors that implement GDPR requirements and does not sell or trade private information received through product inquiries.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Support
The maker promises responses to support questions within 24 working hours and bundles priority support for one year with a license.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Headquarters
Craiova, Dolj, RomaniaRead 28 Sep 2026 · rationalplan.com
Founded
1997Read 28 Sep 2026 · rationalplan.com
Company
The product pages identify the company as Stand By Soft; a company blog post says Stand By Soft was founded in 1997 and gives its location as Craiova, Romania.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
API availability
TechnologyCounter lists RationalPlan as having no available API and no customization facility.Read 15 Oct 2026 · technologycounter.com
Calendars
Working calendars can define regular weekday patterns and special working patterns.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Cloud access
RationalPlan Cloud supports browser access and concurrent work by multiple users with different access rights.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Cloud browsers
The Cloud page lists Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Chrome as supported browsers and says Edge does not support all functionality.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Cloud hosting
The cloud service supports major browsers, although the site says Edge does not support all functionality.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Cloud inactivity rule
Free cloud accounts unused for 30 days are disabled and accounts inactive for 60 days are deleted.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Cloud storage
RationalPlan says its Cloud service uses AWS for data hosting and processing.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Collaboration
Collaboration includes task comments, email notifications, concurrent access and user permission restrictions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Company founded
Stand By Soft says it was founded in 1997 as a desktop-application and software-components company.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Company headquarters
Stand By Soft lists its headquarters at Ion Maiorescu 4, Proiect building, Craiova, Dolj, Romania.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Company legal identity
The maker identifies the company as Stand By Soft SRL, with Romanian commerce registration J16/1174/1997 and VAT number RO 9937412.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Company size
LinkedIn lists Stand By Soft as a privately held company with 11-50 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ro.linkedin.com
Cost tracking
Cost tools support standard and overtime rates plus Earned Value Management.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Document management
Project documents can be uploaded, access-controlled and shared with team members.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Documentation
Official resources include desktop tutorials, a server tutorial, FAQ, glossary and project-management templates.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Features
Features include task scheduling, Gantt charts with dependencies and critical path detection, portfolio management, resource leveling, cost tracking, reports, document management, calendars, and a Kanban board.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Free licensing exceptions
The EULA says RationalPlan Single is freeware on Linux and RationalPlan Viewer is freeware on all operating systems after notification to Stand By Soft.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Free tier limit
Free Cloud accounts inactive for 30 days are automatically disabled and accounts inactive for 60 days are deleted.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Gantt charts
The product provides Gantt charts with dependencies, baselines and critical-path detection.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Integrations listed independently
B2SaaS lists Microsoft Project, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive among RationalPlan integrations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · b2saas.com
Kanban
A Kanban board lets users move activity cards between status lists by dragging them.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Licence
RationalPlan is proprietary commercial software licensed under an EULA; the software is licensed rather than sold and redistribution, modification and reverse engineering are prohibited.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Limit: export and automation
G2 reviewers report that Excel export can lose task hierarchy, late-task emails are unavailable in some workflows, and progress often requires manual percentage entry.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: mobile app
A G2 reviewer requested a mobile app to make the product more useful away from the office.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: printing
G2's review summary identifies printing functionality as a recurring usability weakness.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: reporting and interface
GetApp's review summary says some users want more advanced reporting and a more modern interface.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Microsoft Project
RationalPlan says it can open and edit Microsoft Project files, and its Single Project product imports MS Project files.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Microsoft Project integration
RationalPlan can open and edit Microsoft Project files and exchange project data with Microsoft Project.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Notable news: version 6
The maker's September 2023 release note for RationalPlan 6 describes baselines, Earned Value Management, reports, client management, improved scheduling, exports and updated Google Drive integration.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
On-premise privacy
The company says Project Server can be installed on a private network and that its admins cannot access the hosted customer data.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Portfolio management
The portfolio function organizes projects and subprojects with inter-project dependencies and shared resources.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Praise: ease of use
G2 reviewers repeatedly describe the interface and project planning as intuitive, straightforward and easy to use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: Microsoft Project alternative
GetApp reviewers say compatibility with common project files makes RationalPlan a practical alternative to Microsoft Project.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Praise: value
GetApp review analysis reports that users view RationalPlan as affordable and practical for both simple and complex planning.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Rating on G2
4.6 out of 5 from 23 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on GetApp
4.4 out of 5 from 99 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Rating on Software Advice
4.4 out of 5 from 99 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Reports
Users can generate project-status reports for stakeholders.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Resource management
Resource management tracks workload, detects overallocations and supports resource leveling and availability checking.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Security and privacy
The privacy policy says cloud hosting and processing use Amazon Web Services and that the company uses processors implementing GDPR requirements.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Self-hosting
Project Server can be installed on a private network and the maker states that administrators cannot access data stored there.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
System requirements
The maker says all Windows versions are supported, Mac requires OS X 10.5 or later, and Linux distributions include Ubuntu and Fedora.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Task management
Tasks can be work- or duration-driven and can use dependencies, constraints, milestones, recurring tasks and split tasks.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Trial limits
Single and Multi trials have full functionality with a 20-task limit and no stated time limit; the Server trial is limited to 30 days without functional limits.Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com

Plans and prices

Cloud Free Free free 2 projects · 100 tasks · 10 MB storage · 2 users Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
FREE Free 2 projects · 100 tasks · 10 MB storage · 2 users Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Cloud Beginner $4 a month per user/month for 1-5 users 20 projects · 700 tasks · 7 GB storage Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Cloud Master $12 a month per user/month for 1-5 users 50 projects · 2,000 tasks · 15 GB storage Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Cloud Production $19 a month per user/month for 1-5 users unlimited projects · unlimited tasks · 20 GB storage Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Single Project $145, paid once one-time license payment independent projects · Windows, Mac and Linux · trial capped at 20 tasks Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Multi Project $288, paid once one-time license payment multiple projects · shared resources · portfolio and client management · Windows, Mac and Linux · trial capped at 20 tasks Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
BEGINNER Price not published $ /user/month 20 projects · 700 tasks · 7 GB storage · volume discounts shown separately Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
MASTER Price not published $ /user/month 50 projects · 2,000 tasks · 15 GB storage · volume discounts shown separately Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
PRODUCTION Price not published $ /user/month Unlimited projects · unlimited tasks · 20 GB storage · volume discounts shown separately Read 11 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com
Project Server Priced on request on request for on-premise; cloud server is monthly concurrent users · web and desktop access · centralized repository · notifications Read 15 Oct 2026 · rationalplan.com

Every RationalPlan plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Gantt charts include dependencies and critical-path detection
  • Can open and edit Microsoft Project files
  • Cloud supports concurrent users with different access rights
  • Free plan includes two projects and two users

Limits

  • Free Cloud accounts are deleted after 60 days inactive
  • Single and Multi trials are capped at 20 tasks
  • Edge does not support all Cloud functionality

Who it suits

It suits individuals and companies that need project scheduling, resource planning, or portfolio management. The product range includes cloud access and on-premise options for single projects, multiple projects, and centralized server use.

RationalPlan in depth

Read the full write-up

RationalPlan is a project-management suite spanning browser-based work, desktop licenses, and a centralized server option. It is strongest for managers coordinating schedules, resources, costs, and multiple projects in one system. Its breadth is useful, but the free tier is tightly capped and several business plans require custom pricing.

Overview

RationalPlan covers planning and execution: teams can schedule tasks, allocate resources, analyze workload, track progress, estimate costs, and manage budgets. The combination is more compelling for projects with resource or portfolio demands than for users seeking only a lightweight task board.

Cloud supports concurrent browser access with different user permissions. Organizations that want their project data on a private network can consider Project Server instead. The product is made by Stand By Soft, founded in 1997 and based in Craiova, Romania.

Key features

Gantt charts support dependencies and critical-path detection, so managers can map task order and identify work that may affect a schedule. Resource leveling and workload analysis help address competing demands; cost tracking, estimation, and budget management add financial oversight. This is a substantial planning toolkit, though users who do not need those controls may find its range unnecessary.

Portfolio management, reports, document management, calendars, and a Kanban board extend the workflow beyond the Gantt view. RationalPlan says it can open and edit Microsoft Project files, and the Single Project product imports MS Project files, which can ease a move from existing project plans.

Cloud uses AWS for hosting and processing. The company says Project Server can be installed on a private network and that its administrators cannot access customer data hosted there. Cloud lists Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Chrome as supported browsers; Edge does not support all functionality, a meaningful caveat for teams standardized on that browser. A license includes one year of upgrades and priority technical support, and the company says it answers support questions within 24 working hours.

Pricing

The free Cloud plan costs nothing and allows 2 projects, 100 tasks, 10 MB of storage, and 2 users. Those caps make it suitable for a small trial or modest personal workload, not a growing team. Free Cloud accounts inactive for 30 days are disabled automatically and deleted after 60 days.

Single Project costs $145, paid once and covers independent projects on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Its trial has full functionality but is capped at 20 tasks with no stated time limit; Linux is listed as free. The one-time price suits a user whose work stays in separate projects, but not a team needing shared resources across projects.

Multi Project costs $288, paid once and supports multiple projects sharing common resources on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Its full-functionality trial is also limited to 20 tasks with no stated time limit. It costs more upfront than Single Project, but is the relevant desktop option when resource sharing across projects matters.

Cloud's BEGINNER, MASTER, and PRODUCTION plans have custom pricing. BEGINNER allows 20 projects, 700 tasks, and 7 GB of storage; MASTER allows 50 projects, 2,000 tasks, and 15 GB; PRODUCTION offers unlimited projects and tasks with 20 GB. Each is billed per user per month, with volume discounts shown separately, so the right tier depends on project and task volume as well as seat count.

Project Server is priced on request and provides concurrent controlled access through web and desktop clients. Its 30-day trial has no functional limits. It is the option to consider when centralized access and private-network installation matter more than a published price.

Platforms

RationalPlan supports Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. Single Project and Multi Project specify Windows, Mac OS, and Linux; Cloud provides browser access. The browser caveat matters for Edge users, where some functionality is unsupported.

Who it's for

RationalPlan is a strong candidate for project managers who need linked schedules, resource leveling, cost controls, and portfolio oversight together. Individuals can start with the free Cloud tier or Single Project, while teams sharing resources can move to Multi Project or a Cloud plan. Organizations requiring controlled concurrent access and private-network deployment should assess Project Server. It is less suitable when a team needs more than two free Cloud users or expects substantial free storage and task capacity.

Pros and cons

Pros: Gantt dependencies, critical-path detection, resource leveling, cost controls, and portfolio management bring scheduling and oversight together.

Pros: Microsoft Project file support and import into Single Project can help preserve existing plans during a transition.

Pros: Choices include one-time desktop licenses, collaborative Cloud access, and a private-network server option.

Cons: The free Cloud tier is limited to 2 projects, 100 tasks, 10 MB, and 2 users, with inactivity disabling and deletion rules.

Cons: Edge does not support all Cloud functionality, which may disrupt teams that rely on it.

Cons: Cloud subscription and Server prices are custom, so their costs cannot be compared from a fixed listed price.

Alternatives

For a narrower Gantt-focused search, compare the Gantt Chart Software list; for broader project-management options, see Project Management Software.

Choose Agantty if a freemium project tool with Android and iOS support is a better fit. Consider ProjectLibre for its freemium model, Microsoft Project import, and Gantt and WBS features. Rillsoft Project is another freemium project-planning option. Ganttic is worth comparing if its free plan's 10-resource allowance, unlimited users and projects, Gantt charts, reports, and Kanban boards match your needs. Choose GanttPRO if you prefer a paid product with no free plan and broad platform support. Microsoft Project is the direct alternative for readers considering Microsoft's project-planning products. Ingantt may suit readers seeking a paid tool with a seven-day full-feature trial that includes MS Project import and export. Project Plan 365 is another paid alternative with a free plan and support across desktop, web, and mobile platforms.

Verdict

Choose RationalPlan if your projects need more than task tracking: its combination of Gantt scheduling, resource management, cost controls, and portfolio features is the main reason to pick it. Look elsewhere if you need generous free capacity, full Edge support, or predictable published pricing for a hosted team plan.

Verdict

RationalPlan spans task scheduling, resource management, and portfolio work, with cloud and on-premise options. Its free Cloud limits and inactivity policy are worth weighing alongside the one-time prices for Single and Multi Project.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to RationalPlanAll alternatives →