Etapero vs ProjectManager
Both cover classic planning: a Gantt chart, critical path, baselines and a portfolio. The main difference is where the data lives and how the system works with Jira.
What ProjectManager is
ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software with mobile apps for iOS and Android. According to its site, its Gantt chart links tasks with all four dependency types, finds the critical path itself and compares the plan with a baseline, costs included. Portfolio features — a portfolio dashboard, a roadmap as a Gantt chart and status reports — come with the Business edition. MS Project files can be imported and exported.
The company’s blog sets the service against self-hosting directly: instead of “installing, patching and maintaining your own server”, it offers a cloud service. We found no self-hosted option on the site.
ProjectManager’s strengths
- Classic planning in the cloud. Four dependency types, critical path and baselines — no desktop app needed.
- Costs in the baseline. The plan is compared with actuals for cost as well as dates.
- Compatibility with MS Project. File import and export ease the move and exchange with contractors.
- Mobile apps. The plan and tasks are available on the phone.
What users say
Reviewers and users agree on the planning and disagree on the service.
The Digital Project Manager, a specialist site, praises the critical path filter, four dependency types and baselines in its 2026 review, and names limited customisation and time to learn as downsides. In a separate roundup of critical path tools the same site rates the Gantt chart highly but gives lower marks for float analysis and “what if” scenario modelling.
On Trustpilot the rating is notably lower than in specialist reviews, — 1.8 out of 5 from almost five hundred reviews. Most positive reviews there date from 2023, and recent ones complain about automatic renewal after the trial, trouble cancelling and lost data; one author titled the review “Excel did it better — for free”. Reviews on such platforms are subjective and are best read as individual experience rather than a verdict on the product.
In the project management community on Reddit, one participant suggested ProjectManager for engineering projects as a more capable option with a Gantt chart and dependencies than light task trackers. The same thread warns that if team members find it awkward to update tasks, the system turns into a tool only the project manager uses.
Stories of adoption and moving
We found no detailed independent adoption stories of ProjectManager on Habr or vc.ru, Russian tech and business communities. On Reddit the author of one thread (2024) says they moved from monday.com to Asana and then to ProjectManager, and after six months were happy: participants see ProjectManager as a “real” scheduler compared with light task systems. Among Trustpilot reviews there are short stories too — a volunteer fire department, for example, says ProjectManager helped it keep a renovation on time and budget.
If the experience of similar companies matters to you, it makes sense to ask the vendor for references of your size and industry.
How Etapero differs
For planning the systems are close: both have four dependency types, a critical path, baselines and a portfolio. The difference is where the data lives. ProjectManager is a cloud service, while Etapero installs on your server as one Docker image with PostgreSQL; only Etapero’s demo is in the cloud.
The second difference is Jira. If teams work in the tracker, Etapero pulls issues by label or epic read-only: it sends Jira nothing but sign-in, search and read requests, and the plan shows statuses and assignees of linked issues. Etapero’s portfolio shows not only the dates of every project’s goals but also red-zone risks and problems on one page.
Where ProjectManager is stronger: it opens .mpp files directly, keeps costs in the baseline and works from the phone. If that matters most and your data can live in the cloud, ProjectManager is a sensible choice.
At a glance
| Etapero | ProjectManager | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | On your server: one Docker image and PostgreSQL; the demo runs in the cloud | A cloud service; the company’s blog presents it as an alternative to self-hosting. We found no self-hosted option |
| Gantt chart | Yes: all four dependency types, lead and lag | Yes: all four dependency types |
| Critical path | Yes, worked out automatically | Yes, identified automatically |
| Baseline | Yes: forecast slippage shows on rows and milestones | Yes, costs included |
| Project portfolio | Yes: every project’s goals on one timeline, progress, risks and problems | Yes: dashboard, roadmap and reports — Business edition |
| Moving a plan from MS Project | Import from Excel or CSV in the MS Project export layout; .mpp files are not opened directly | Import and export of MS Project files |
When to choose ProjectManager
- You want a ready cloud service with no infrastructure of your own.
- You need mobile apps and costs in the baseline.
- Plans arrive as .mpp files that must open as they are.
When to choose Etapero
- Project data must stay on your own server.
- Teams work in Jira, and connecting it must not change anything there.
- You need a portfolio with goals and red-zone risks and problems.
Moving a plan over
The work breakdown can be loaded into Etapero from Excel or CSV: it understands column headers and outline levels, including the MS Project export layout, and shows what will change before anything is written.