Merlin Project

Project planning for Mac, iPad and iPhone that keeps working offline

Merlin Project is a native project management application for Apple devices. It brings a Gantt chart, Kanban boards, mind maps and a workload view into one app that draws on a single set of project data. The makers say customers in more than 160 countries have used it for over 17 years, among architects and builders, media firms and agencies, research teams, IT departments and educators.

From plan to schedule

A project starts with the flow of tasks, their durations and dependencies, and fixed milestones. Whatever the user enters is carried automatically into the work breakdown view. Baselines keep the original plan on record when circumstances change it, so the difference stays visible. Some users prefer to begin with a brainstorm in the mind map, arranging ideas as branches around a central topic, and the plan can be turned into a map in a few clicks.

Hybrid methods

The Kanban view collects tasks as cards in a left-hand column and moves them across to completed. Switching to the work breakdown view fills the Gantt bars automatically, which the company describes as hybrid project management, combining waterfall and agile ways of working in one plan.

Resources and discussion

An assignments view shows which tasks are due for each team member and when, helping managers find overloads and spread work across several projects. Comments and annotations can be attached to the project, individual activities, resources and attachments, so discussion stays with the work instead of getting lost in email.

Offline use

The current site makes a point of native performance: web-based tools need a constant connection and keep data on someone else's servers, while Merlin keeps going where the signal drops, such as on a building site or on a train. It syncs when a connection returns through its sync feature. A 30-day free trial is offered.

Help material

Manuals, training courses, project templates and a questions and answers section sit in a support area.