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What is Project Reader?
Project Reader is a Microsoft Project viewer: a Windows application for opening, printing and exporting Microsoft Project files without needing Microsoft Project installed. It targets people who receive .mpp, .mpt or Project XML files from planners and project managers but don't own or need the full authoring tool — reviewers, clients, contractors, site staff, or colleagues who just need to read a schedule.
What it opens and shows
Per the vendor's page, it handles MPP, MPT, XML, Microsoft Project Database format and Microsoft Project Server files, and covers plans from Microsoft Project 98 through 2024. It presents six views:
- Gantt Chart and Tracking Gantt
- Task Usage and Resource Usage
- Resource Sheet
- Team Planner
It also lists professional printing with timescale control, insert/hide columns, sorting, find, filters and custom tables, plus opening files from Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and OneDrive. The interface can switch language at runtime (English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese), and a 30-day trial is offered without registration.
Where it fits, and where it doesn't
The practical distinction is viewing versus editing. If your job is to comment on a plan, print a Gantt for a meeting, or export data for a report, a viewer is cheaper and simpler than a full project-management licence. If you need to build baselines, level resources, or run the schedule, a viewer won't do it — check whether the export and print options cover your workflow before committing.
Licensing is flexible rather than per-seat-only: the site lists single-workstation, concurrent, company, international company, extended company and extended international company licences, with full licence, one-time upgrade, maintenance and update, and annual subscription options. Concurrent and company tiers matter if several people occasionally open the same file; a single-workstation licence suits one reviewer.
Next step
Download the 30-day trial and open one of your real .mpp files — ideally a large one with custom tables and filters — then try printing a Gantt with your usual timescale. If the views and print output match how you actually work, pick the licence tier that matches your headcount and whether users share machines. For file-format background, Microsoft's own documentation at Microsoft Support explains the differences between MPP, MPT and XML.
Can I open Microsoft Project files without having Microsoft Project installed?
Yes. Project Reader is built for exactly that situation: it opens Microsoft Project plans without Microsoft Project installed. According to the product page, it handles MPP and MPT files, Project XML, the Project database format, and Project Server data, and it can open plans from Microsoft Project 98 through Microsoft Project 2024.
What "opening" gives you
The page lists six views: Gantt Chart, Tracking Gantt, Task Usage, Resource Usage, Resource Sheet, and Team Planner. It also mentions printing with timescales, inserting or hiding columns, sorting and filtering, custom tables, and opening files from Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive and similar services. So this is a viewing, printing and exporting tool, not a replacement for editing schedules.
A typical reader scenario
Suppose a client sends you an .mpp schedule and you only need to review dates, dependencies and resource loading before a meeting. You install Project Reader, open the file, switch to Tracking Gantt to check progress, then print the relevant pages. No Project licence is needed for that workflow.
Decisions to make before committing
- Check whether you need to edit the plan. A viewer opens and prints; it does not replace full project management software.
- Confirm your file type is covered — MPP, MPT, XML, database or Project Server.
- Note the 30-day trial with no registration required, which is enough to test your own files.
- Consider licensing terms if more than one person will use it; the page lists single workstation, concurrent, company and extended company licences, plus one-time upgrade, maintenance and annual subscription options.
- Language support may matter for mixed teams: English, Italian, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese are listed, switchable at run time.
If you mainly receive files from others and rarely author schedules yourself, a dedicated viewer is the cheaper and simpler route. If you build and edit plans daily, you still need Microsoft Project or a comparable planning tool.
How much does Project Reader cost, and which license or package should I choose?
Pricing isn't published on the page you're asking about. Project Reader's own site lists a licensing and packages section — single workstation, concurrent, company, international company, extended company, and extended international company licenses, plus a full license, a one-time upgrade, and an annual subscription — but no figures. Treat any number you see elsewhere as unverified until it appears on the vendor's own purchase page.
How to pick a license type
The license names tell you what each one is for, even without prices:
| License | Fits whom |
|---|---|
| Single workstation | One person, one machine — a project manager or engineer who only reads MPP files |
| Concurrent | A team sharing a small pool of seats, where only a few people view plans at once |
| Company | One organisation, multiple users in a single country |
| International company | Same, but with users or offices across countries |
| Extended company / extended international | Larger rollouts, typically more seats or broader internal distribution than the standard company licence |
Practical decision path
- Count how many people actually need to open MPP files, not how many receive reports. If it's one or two, a single workstation license is the natural starting point.
- If usage is occasional and spread across many people, compare concurrent licensing against buying individual seats — concurrent only wins when simultaneous use is genuinely low.
- If users sit in more than one country, check whether the standard company license covers them before assuming you need the international variant.
- Decide between a full license and the annual subscription based on how long you expect to keep using it and whether you need ongoing updates; the site separates maintenance and software updates from the license itself, so factor that in.
Next step
Email [email protected] with your seat count, countries, and whether you need concurrent access, and ask for a quote covering the license plus maintenance. Before that, run the 30-day trial with no registration to confirm the six views — Gantt Chart, Tracking Gantt, Task Usage, Resource Usage, Resource Sheet and Team Planner — cover what your team actually reads. If your plans are already handled by a full project management suite, weigh whether a dedicated viewer like Project Reader is enough or whether you need editing capability, which a viewer will not give you.
Which Microsoft Project file formats and versions does Project Reader support?
Project Reader is a viewer for Microsoft Project files, so its format support is about opening and working with plans without needing Microsoft Project installed. According to the product page, it opens MPP and MPT files, XML files, Microsoft Project Database format, and Microsoft Project Server data. It also states support for every Microsoft Project Plan version from Microsoft Project 98 through Microsoft Project 2024.
That combination matters for two common situations:
- Mixed-version teams. If some colleagues still use Project 98/2003-era files while others work in Project 2016 or 2024, one viewer can open both rather than forcing everyone onto the same release.
- Non-Project users. Someone who only needs to read, print or export a plan — a client, a reviewer or a manager without a Project licence — can open the file directly.
What you get when a file opens
The page lists six views: Gantt Chart, Tracking Gantt, Task Usage, Resource Usage, Resource Sheet and Team Planner. It also mentions printing with timescales, inserting or hiding columns, sorting, finding, filters, custom tables, and opening files from cloud storage such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and OneDrive.
Practical next step
If your main need is simply opening and reviewing plans, confirm two things before committing: that your specific file source (for example, a Project Server instance or a database export) is covered, and that the views you rely on match the six listed. A 30-day trial with no registration is offered, so the most reliable check is to open one of your own real files and verify the views, printing and export behaviour you actually use.
For broader Microsoft Project compatibility questions, Microsoft's own documentation at Microsoft Learn and the Project product page at Microsoft Project are useful references.
How do I download, install, and activate Project Reader on my computer?
Project Reader is distributed as a desktop application for opening and printing Microsoft Project files without needing MS Project installed. The page organizes the process into three clear sections: Download, Install, and Product activation (activation is listed under Miscellanea in the navigation). For the exact installer, system requirements, and activation steps for your edition, the practical next step is to go directly to the official download page and follow the version-specific instructions there.
Project Reader
The three-step flow
- Download. Use the Download section on the site. The page also notes a 30-day trial with no registration required, so you can evaluate the viewer before committing to a license.
- Install. Follow the official Install instructions. The page lists "Choose a Language" and "Uninstall" as separate items, which suggests the installer handles language selection during setup and provides a standard removal path later.
- Activate. Activation is covered under Product activation. Because the site distinguishes between license types (single workstation, concurrent, company, international, extended, and extended international), activation likely depends on which license you purchased.
What to check before you start
- Your license type. The Editions and Packages pages separate single-workstation, concurrent, company, and extended licenses. A concurrent license typically uses a different activation mechanism than a single-workstation one, so confirm which you have before activating.
- Your Windows environment. The viewer is a Windows desktop application; the page mentions opening files from Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive, which is a file-source detail rather than a browser-based product.
- Your file format. Supported inputs include MPP, MPT, XML, Project Database format, and Project Server, with versions from Project 98 through Project 2024.
A concrete scenario
Suppose a project coordinator receives an MPP file from a contractor and only needs to review the schedule, print a Gantt chart, and export a copy. They would download the trial, install it, open the MPP, and use the six views (Gantt Chart, Tracking Gantt, Task Usage, Resource Usage, Resource Sheet, Team Planner) plus printing and filtering. If they later need ongoing access, they would move to a paid license and activate it according to their edition.
Where to get help
If activation fails or you are unsure which license you bought, the site lists email and support-form contact options. The FAQ and Release history pages may also cover common activation issues.
Does Project Reader support printing, exporting, and cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox?
Yes. Project Reader is built around opening Microsoft Project files without requiring MS Project, and its listed capabilities include professional printing, export, and opening plans from cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive.
What it covers
- Printing: Professional printing with timescale control, insert/hide columns, sorting, find, and filters — useful when you need to hand a reviewed schedule to a client or manager rather than share the file itself.
- Export: The viewer opens and exports MPP, MPT, XML, Microsoft Project Database format, and Microsoft Project Server data. Export is the practical route when a recipient needs a static copy or a format other than MPP.
- Cloud storage: Plans can be opened directly from Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, and similar services, so you don't have to download a file locally first.
- Views: Six Microsoft Project views are available — Gantt Chart, Tracking Gantt, Task Usage, Resource Usage, Resource Sheet, and Team Planner — which matters because printing or exporting the wrong view can hide the information your audience needs.
- File versions: It opens plans from Microsoft Project 98 through Microsoft Project 2024, so older archived schedules are covered.
- Trial and languages: A 30-day trial is offered without registration, and the interface can switch at runtime among English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Practical next step
If your main need is reviewing and circulating schedules, test the trial with one real file that uses your typical view, custom columns, and filters, then print to PDF and open it from your cloud drive of choice. Confirm that the exported or printed output preserves the columns and timescale you rely on before committing to a license. For a second opinion on viewing MPP files without MS Project, Microsoft documents the Project file formats involved, and Project Reader lists its own editions and licensing options if you need to match a single workstation, concurrent, or company setup.
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