Comparison

QuickPlan Basic vs Merlin Project

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

QuickPlan Basic

This app simplifies project planning with intuitive gesture controls on a Gantt chart. It allows for project synchronization across devices and teams, with export/import capabilities for popular formats like Microsoft Project. Focuses on privacy by saving data locally or via iCloud Drive.

Highlights
  • Gantt chart project planning
  • Natural gesture controls
  • Cross-device and team synchronization
  • Microsoft Project integration
  • Export to PDF, Excel, and image
  • Privacy-focused local storage
Read full description

Project planning has never been easier. Project management with natural gestures on the Gantt chart, synchronization and sharing of projects across multiple devices and teams, and support for integration with Microsoft Project Plan. ## PRIVACY FOCUSED Projects are saved locally on the device or in iCloud Drive, developer team does not have a server to store user-created data. With NATURAL GESTUREs on a clean and elegant interface, project management is more accessible, faster and more efficient than ever before. Visualize, manage and simplify projects flexibly and efficiently with Gantt charts, outline list and property editor, create tasks, organize your project calendar and resources, track status. It's easier than you think, with a minimum of effort and learning. QuickPlan app supports exporting projects to image, Excel, PDF, Microsoft Project and WBS files. AND to import projects from Microsoft Project, WBS and Mind-map files. The app supports synchronization of project plans between the same user's macOS and iOS devices and supports team collaboration via iCloud Drive. And it supports syncing and sharing via OneDrive and Dropbox. QuickPlan also supports duplicating projects by members for better teamwork. QuickPlan optimizes the best features of Microsoft Project Plan and brings them to iPad - without the complexity - providing users of all experience levels with an INTUITIVE and discoverable project management experience. ## EFFICIENT MAINTENANCE - Gestures for tasks: create, remove, move, indent and outdent, change order. - Gestures to zoom in and out, collapse and expand. - Keyboard shortcuts. - Batch input. - The most fluid Gantt chart app on a clean interface. ## STRONG PLANNING - Multiple Projects. - Supports duplication of the entire project and duplication by specific members. - Organize tasks into REAL task groups and sub-projects. - Task color, icon, contact, and required task fields. - Five levels of outline (plus sub-project, for a total of ten levels of outline). - Gesture-based management of task links. - Lock editing, row height. - Integration with the iOS Files app. - Manual and automatic project backup. - Project currency, charge rate, project resources, calendar, task date policy. ## TREE and LIST - Representation as a tree with support for displaying key paths. - Representation as a list with support for sorting and filtering. ## UI CUSTOMISATION - Customization of the task column title and visibility. - Style of the task bar. ## REPORTING - Export as image, PDF and Microsoft Excel (including three sheets). - With options to customize the output. ## SYNC - Sync projects between iOS and Mac devices via iCloud Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox. ## TEAM COLLABORATION - Sync between team members via iCloud Drive. ## INTEGRATION - Export and import Microsoft Project XML files. - Import and export SwiftApp WBS files. - Import from Microsoft Excel files. - Import from iThought Map files. ## SHARE - Supports Airdrop, OneDrive, Dropbox. ## TEAMWORK - Create a new project by exporting tasks for the selected project members. ## NOTIFICATION - Widget to track ongoing tasks (iOS 14 or later). - Today widget and Local Notification. The best project planning app for iPad. - Initialize, discuss, present and share your plan. - Export it to Microsoft Project Plan to work on it PC. - Strategic Planning. - Import MS Project XML file and reports, tracking. - Plan actions in meetings, confirm. - Guide employees.

About

Merlin Project

This professional project management tool offers comprehensive planning, control, and monitoring features. It supports various project views like Gantt charts and Kanban boards, with cloud synchronization for collaboration. A 30-day free trial is available.

Highlights
  • Gantt diagram with plan/actual comparison
  • Mind maps for graphical planning
  • Kanban boards with automatic adjustment
  • Net plans in graphical formats
  • Cost and budget planning
  • Patented cloud synchronization
  • Automatic resource leveling
Features
Read full description

Merlin Project is the professional tool for the project manager on Mac, iPad, iPhone & Vision Pro. Customers in over 160 countries rely on this practical software. Merlin Project provides you with answers to all your questions about planning, controlling and monitoring your projects. Try the extensive functions free of charge for 30 days. Our customers love the easy-to-learn application as a standard in many industries: For example in media, development & IT, architecture & construction as well as research & teaching. Top Features on the iPad & Vision Pro • Work breakdown structure with Gantt diagram in many variations with plan/actual comparison • Mind maps for graphical project planning • Kanban boards with automatic adjustment of completed work • Net plans in many graphical formats • Costs and budgets with top-down and bottom-up planning • Patented synchronization of all projects with other users via cloud services (iCloud, Dropbox, etc.) • Automatic resource leveling and utilization view • Attach e-mails, checklists, project risks and additional information • Modular reporting system • Import from Microsoft Project Compact on the iPhone Merlin Project is also a reliable companion on the telephone. All data and key figures are always available in a compact format. Even minor changes are no problem. If you want to admire your project plan graphically, simply rotate your iPhone into landscape format. So you always have everything under control, even on the move. Pricing • Annual or monthly subscription required to create & work on projects • Before you decide, you can try Merlin Project for 30 days for free, with no obligations. • No subscription required to open and view existing Merlin Project documents Legal Prices vary depending on geographical location. Subscriptions are billed via your credit card or iTunes account. Your subscription will renew automatically unless canceled within 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. You will not be able to cancel the subscription once activated. You may cancel automatic renewal by selecting Manage App Subscriptions in your iTunes Account settings and selecting the subscription you want to modify. Privacy policy: https://www.projectwizards.net/about/legal/privacy Terms of use: https://www.projectwizards.net/about/legal/terms

Screenshots

Merlin Project4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Merlin Project at Free against QuickPlan Basic's $19.99. Merlin Project also leads on device support (3 vs 1). QuickPlan Basic's advantage is review sentiment (81% vs 48%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Merlin Project is free to download; QuickPlan Basic costs $19.99 up front. QuickPlan Basic sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Merlin Project sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

QuickPlan Basic holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 148 and 31 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of QuickPlan Basic's written reviews are positive against 48% of Merlin Project's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

QuickPlan Basic ships an update every 3 months, Merlin Project every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
QuickPlan Basic versus Merlin Project: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQuickPlan BasicMerlin Project
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (148 ratings) — better4.4 (31 ratings)
Positive reviews80.6% of reviews — better48.3% of reviews
Number of ratings148 — better31
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS18.218.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size209 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer皓 李ProjectWizards

Customer experience

QuickPlan Basic

All ratings143 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive80.6%
Neutral8.3%
Negative11.1%

Merlin Project

All ratings31 ratings
Positive83.9%
Neutral6.5%
Negative9.7%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive48.3%
Neutral20.7%
Negative31.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

QuickPlan Basic

One-time5
  • Import from Mindmap$0.99
  • Share and Sync$1.99
  • Import from Excel$1.99
Show 2 more
  • Export to PDF$3.99
  • Export to Excel$3.99
2 purchases

Merlin Project

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$99.991 Year

Questions

Is QuickPlan Basic free?
QuickPlan Basic costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Merlin Project free?
Merlin Project is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, QuickPlan Basic or Merlin Project?
QuickPlan Basic is rated higher. QuickPlan Basic averages 4.7 out of 5 from 148 ratings, while Merlin Project averages 4.4 from 31 ratings.
Do QuickPlan Basic or Merlin Project have ads?
Neither QuickPlan Basic nor Merlin Project shows ads.
Which is updated more often, QuickPlan Basic or Merlin Project?
QuickPlan Basic ships an update every 3 months, and Merlin Project every 6 weeks. Most recently, QuickPlan Basic was updated on October 6, 2026 and Merlin Project on October 10, 2026.

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