gProjectViewer

Our take on gProjectViewer from Appgk

When someone sends me a Microsoft Project file and I only need to inspect it rather than edit the plan, I want a tool that gets me to the schedule quickly. That is the space occupied by gProjectViewer, a business app from Housatonic Software designed for viewing MPP files on a mobile device. I see it as a focused reader rather than a complete project-management replacement, and that distinction matters before you install it.

My overall impression is mixed but practical. The app can be useful when the important question is “what is planned, when is it due, and which tasks depend on each other?” It is less convincing if you expect a polished mobile workspace for changing assignments, rebuilding schedules, or collaborating with a team. Its average rating is 2.0 from roughly 458 ratings, so I would not ignore the warning signs. At the same time, more than 100K people have installed it, which suggests that the basic need it addresses is real: opening Microsoft Project plans away from a desktop.

How I would decide whether gProjectViewer fits

Start with the file, not the feature list

The first decision is simple: do you regularly receive MPP files? If the answer is yes, this app has a clear purpose. If your work lives mainly in spreadsheets, PDFs, online boards, or cloud-based project platforms, installing it may add little. It is not a general business organizer that happens to display schedules. Its value depends on having Microsoft Project documents that need to be read on Android.

I would also separate viewing from editing. A viewer is helpful for checking a plan during a meeting, reviewing dates before a call, or confirming the order of tasks while travelling. It is a different proposition from Microsoft Project on a desktop, where the schedule can be built, recalculated, formatted, and maintained. Choosing this app makes sense when the mobile job is inspection. It becomes a poor fit when mobile work means authoring the plan.

Think about the question you need answered

MPP files can contain much more than a list of task names. A useful mobile viewer should help me understand timing, structure, and the relationship between parts of a plan. In everyday use, I would open a file to answer questions such as which phase comes next, whether a milestone is approaching, or how a task sits inside the wider project. That is a more realistic expectation than trying to run an entire project from a phone.

There is also a difference between a quick glance and a serious review. A small screen is comfortable for checking a handful of dates, but a dense schedule can require frequent zooming and scrolling. Before relying on any mobile viewer for a formal review, I would test one of my own files. Project plans vary widely in size and complexity, and a document that looks manageable on a desktop may feel cramped on a phone.

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The platform matters

This is an Android app with a minimum operating-system requirement of 5.0, so compatibility is broad enough for many older Android devices. The current version is 23.3.1204. I would still check the phone or tablet I intend to use, especially if it is an older work device. A viewer is only useful if it opens reliably when a file arrives unexpectedly.

The age rating is Everyone, which fits the app's business purpose and makes it uncomplicated for a mixed workplace. That does not mean every MPP file will be easy to read. The rating describes the app's content, not the complexity of the project plans someone may send you.

Where the focused approach helps

The strongest reason to choose this app is that it addresses a narrow file-format problem. Instead of converting a plan before opening it, I can use a tool intended for Microsoft Project documents. That can save a step when a colleague sends an MPP attachment and I need to inspect it immediately.

This is particularly useful for people who participate in projects without owning the schedule. A department manager may need to check the timing of a deliverable. A contractor may need to see where their work appears in a larger plan. A client may want to review progress without learning the full desktop application. In those situations, a viewer can be more appropriate than a full authoring tool.

Screenshots

A realistic workday scenario

Imagine I am leaving a site visit when a project lead asks whether the next installation phase can begin after the current handover. The relevant plan is attached as an MPP file. With a mobile viewer, I can open the document, locate the related section, and inspect the sequence without waiting until I return to a computer. I am not changing the baseline or rescheduling the team; I am confirming what the existing plan says.

That small distinction is where the app can earn its place. It turns the phone into a reference point for an existing schedule. The benefit is not that it replaces the project manager's workstation. The benefit is that it reduces the number of times I need to say, “I will check that when I get back to my desk.”

Three practical habits that improve the experience

My first tip is to treat the app as a verification tool. Before a meeting, open the file and identify the exact task, phase, or milestone you expect to discuss. That is faster than trying to navigate a large plan while someone is waiting for an answer. It also exposes whether the file is comfortable to read on your particular screen.

My second tip is to keep the original desktop workflow intact. If a schedule needs corrections, I would make them in the tool that owns the planning process and then distribute a refreshed file. Using a viewer as a substitute for schedule maintenance creates a dangerous gap between what people see on their phones and what the project team actually manages.

My third tip is to compare the mobile view with the source plan before an important decision. A phone is excellent for checking a known detail, but less suitable for discovering every nuance in a complicated schedule. If a decision depends on a subtle dependency, resource arrangement, or formatting convention, I would verify it on the desktop version rather than relying on a quick mobile glance.

What feels less comfortable

The low average rating deserves attention because it suggests that the experience has not worked smoothly for a significant portion of users. I would be cautious about making this the only way to access critical project information. Keep another route available for opening the file, especially when a meeting, deadline, or approval depends on it.

The narrow purpose can also feel limiting. A viewer may answer “what is in the plan?” but not “how should I change the plan?” That can lead to an awkward handoff: I discover an issue on the phone, then need a separate desktop workflow to fix it. For occasional inspection this is acceptable. For daily project control it becomes friction.

File complexity is another trade-off. A straightforward schedule is likely to be easier to inspect than a heavily structured plan with many levels, fields, and relationships. I would not assume that every detail visible in the desktop environment will be equally convenient on a mobile screen. The more important the review, the more valuable it is to test the actual file rather than a sample document.

How it compares with the usual alternatives

The most obvious alternative is using Microsoft Project on a desktop. That remains the better choice for creating and maintaining schedules because the desktop environment is designed for detailed planning work. It is less convenient when I only need to read a file away from the office. The choice is therefore not really viewer versus desktop in every situation; it is quick access versus full control.

Another alternative is asking the sender for a PDF or spreadsheet export. That can be easier for a recipient who does not need MPP access, and a PDF may preserve a prepared presentation. The downside is that an export can lose the navigable structure of the original plan or become outdated when the source changes. A dedicated viewer is more attractive when the original file is the document I need to inspect.

Online project-management services are a different category again. They are generally better when the team needs shared updates, comments, notifications, and a common live workspace. I would choose that kind of service for collaboration rather than simply opening an existing MPP file. Moving a team from local schedules to an online platform also changes the workflow, so it should not be treated as a simple replacement for a viewer.

General office apps may open exported documents, but they do not necessarily provide the same context as a project schedule. A spreadsheet can show rows and dates while still making the plan's structure harder to understand. If the MPP format is central to the work, a purpose-built viewer has a clearer role than a generic document reader.

Cost, upgrades, and the cost of switching

The app is free to install, with in-app purchases ranging from $0.99 to $39.99 per item. That makes it easy to try before committing to a workflow. I would use the free entry point to test several real files, not just confirm that the app launches. The important question is whether the documents I receive are readable enough for the decisions I need to make.

Price is only one part of the cost. There is also the time spent learning a new navigation pattern, locating files, and switching to another application whenever an edit is required. If I only open an MPP file once every few months, that friction may be acceptable. If I inspect schedules every day, I would compare the repeated mobile experience with the cost of keeping a desktop or online planning solution available.

I would also avoid assuming that an optional purchase automatically turns a viewer into a full project-management system. The app's central identity is still MPP viewing. Before paying for anything, I would confirm that the purchase addresses a specific limitation I have encountered and that it supports the way I intend to use the app. A free trial-like test is more informative than buying first and discovering that the workflow remains read-only for my needs.

Who should install it

I think this app is worth considering for a person who receives Microsoft Project files, uses Android, and mainly needs mobile access for reference. It may suit a manager checking milestones, a field worker reviewing task order, or a stakeholder who wants to inspect a schedule without becoming the person responsible for maintaining it.

It is also a sensible experiment for small teams that already exchange MPP files and need an inexpensive way to view them outside the office. The free price makes that experiment low-risk, although the rating means I would keep expectations measured and test the exact files used by the team.

Who should skip it

I would skip it if I need to build schedules from scratch on a phone, edit task relationships throughout the day, or coordinate live changes with several colleagues. In those cases, a full desktop planning application or a collaborative online service is likely to fit better. I would also look elsewhere if my organization has standardized on another file format and rarely uses MPP documents.

I would be especially careful if the app would become the sole access point for a critical project. The combination of a focused viewer role and a 2.0 average rating makes redundancy sensible. Keep the source file available elsewhere and make sure at least one person can open it in the primary planning environment.

My recommendation

My recommendation is cautious but clear: try gProjectViewer when your need is specifically to inspect Microsoft Project files on Android, and judge it against your own documents rather than against its short description. It can be a useful bridge between a desktop schedule and a mobile workday, especially for quick checks that do not justify carrying a laptop.

I would not recommend treating it as a replacement for Microsoft Project or as a team collaboration hub. Its value is narrower and more practical: opening an existing plan when I am away from the main workstation. The developer is Housatonic Software, the app has been available since Jun 11, 2013, and its continued presence alongside over 100K installs shows that this use case has staying power, even though user feedback is far from reassuring.

In the end, the decision comes down to how often MPP files cross your path and how much authority you need over them. If you only need to read, confirm, and discuss an existing schedule, the app may save time. If you need to change, publish, and coordinate the schedule, I would choose a more complete alternative and keep this kind of viewer, at most, as a secondary reference tool.

gProjectViewer FAQ