RationalPlan

Overview

RationalPlan is project management software that brings scheduling, resource allocation, workload analysis, progress tracking, and financial planning into one product. It suits project managers and organizations that need structured plans across single projects or portfolios. Its breadth is useful, but choosing between capped free Cloud access, desktop licenses, and custom-priced server or subscription options takes care.

Key features

Gantt charts combine task scheduling, dependencies, and critical-path detection, so managers can map sequences and see which work may affect delivery. Resource leveling and workload analysis help with competing demands; cost estimation, cost tracking, and budget management extend planning to project finances. These controls make RationalPlan more compelling for managers balancing time, people, and spend than for users seeking only a lightweight schedule.

Portfolio management, reports, document management, calendars, and a Kanban board cover work around the schedule. RationalPlan says it can open and edit Microsoft Project files, and Single Project imports MS Project files, which can ease a move from existing plans. Time tracking is also supported.

Cloud supports concurrent browser access with different user rights. Its supported browsers are Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Chrome; Edge does not support all functionality. The service uses AWS for hosting and processing. Organizations wanting a private-network deployment can consider Project Server; the company says its administrators cannot access customer data hosted there.

Stand By Soft, the product's maker, was founded in 1997 and is based in Craiova, Romania. 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 personal setup or a limited trial of ongoing use, but they leave little room for a growing team or document-heavy projects. Free accounts inactive for 30 days are disabled, and those inactive for 60 days are deleted.

Single Project costs $145, paid once (billed $145) for independent projects on Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. It is the lower-cost desktop choice for someone working independently rather than sharing resources across projects. Multi Project costs $288, paid once (billed $288) and supports multiple projects sharing common resources, making it the more suitable one-time purchase when portfolio-level resource planning matters. Linux is listed as free for Single Project.

Cloud subscriptions are presented by capacity: BEGINNER includes 20 projects, 700 tasks, and 7 GB for custom pricing; MASTER includes 50 projects, 2,000 tasks, and 15 GB for custom pricing; PRODUCTION offers unlimited projects and tasks with 20 GB for custom pricing. Volume discounts are shown separately. Since these tiers share the Cloud model but raise project, task, or storage allowances, the best fit depends on required capacity; the prices are custom rather than comparable fixed quotes.

Project Server has custom pricing on request and provides concurrent controlled access through web and desktop. It is the option for organizations seeking centralized access rather than an individual desktop license. Single and Multi trials have full functionality but stop at 20 tasks, with no stated time limit; the Server trial lasts 30 days without functional limits.

Platforms

RationalPlan spans Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web. Desktop availability suits users who want a standalone project product, while Cloud and Server provide browser access; Cloud's browser support has a stated limitation for Edge. Project Server also includes desktop access.

Who it's for

Choose RationalPlan if project schedules need to connect to resource workloads, portfolio oversight, costs, and budgets, or if Microsoft Project file handling matters. Free Cloud can suit small-scale use within its strict caps; Single Project and Multi Project address desktop planning at one-time prices, and Server is aimed at organizations needing centralized concurrent access. Look elsewhere if your work needs more free Cloud storage or users than its allowances, or if a paid plan needs a fixed published price before you can compare options.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Gantt dependencies and critical-path detection sit alongside resource leveling and workload analysis, tying schedule decisions to capacity.
• Cost estimation, tracking, and budget management complement project and portfolio planning.
• One-time Single and Multi desktop licenses offer defined prices, and Multi Project shares resources across multiple plans.
• Project Server supports private-network installation, while Cloud enables concurrent access with distinct rights.

Cons

• The free Cloud allowance is only 2 projects, 100 tasks, 10 MB, and 2 users, limiting its usefulness for larger teams or document-heavy work.
• Several subscription and server options use custom pricing, making costs harder to compare before requesting a quote.
• Cloud functionality is not fully supported in Edge.
• The Single and Multi trials cap projects at 20 tasks, so they do not demonstrate full-scale plans.

Alternatives

Agantty is a freemium option with a free plan capped at one project, no teams, and no support; choose it if that smaller free-plan scope suits your needs, or consider its Premium plan at 4.90 EUR p.

Open Planner Studio is free and open source, with Gantt charts, critical-path analysis, and resource planning; choose it if avoiding subscriptions and per-seat license fees is the priority.

ProjectLibre offers a Core plan at $9.99 a month, billed annually, with Microsoft Project import, Gantt and WBS, and enterprise resource management; it may suit readers seeking that subscription model.

Tom's Planner has a free Personal plan for one schedule with up to 200 rows or activities, but it cannot print or export; its Professional plan is $9.95 a month based on a yearly subscription.

Ganttic has a free plan for up to 10 resources with unlimited users and projects, plus Gantt charts, reports, and Kanban boards; pick it if those free-plan allowances better match your team.

GanttProject is a free desktop application for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with an optional paid download of the same software.

LibrePlan offers a self-hosted open-source Community Edition with no license fee, as well as a commercial Enterprise Edition.

Microsoft Project is another project-management option.

For broader comparisons, see Gantt Chart Software and Project Management Software.

Verdict

RationalPlan is a strong fit for project managers who need scheduling tied to resource, portfolio, and cost controls, with both desktop and centralized deployment paths. Its main advantage is the combination of detailed planning and financial oversight; its main drawback is that Cloud free use is tightly capped and several paid options require custom pricing. Choose it when those planning controls matter more than a simple fixed-price comparison; look elsewhere if generous free capacity or transparent subscription pricing is essential.