The Best P6 and OPC Alternative for Modernizing Scheduling

Planera takes the complexity out of scheduling, so your team can focus on building.
Book a Demo
Trusted by top builders
Stacy Witbeck logoBarton Malow logoBig D construction logoHITT logoBalfour Beatty logoRyan companies logoGarney Construction logoSwinerton logoAlridge logoHensel Phelps logoButz family of companies logo
Stacy Witbeck logoBarton Malow logoBig D construction logoHITT logoBalfour Beatty logoRyan companies logoGarney Construction logoSwinerton logoAlridge logoHensel Phelps logoButz family of companies logo
Stacy Witbeck logoBarton Malow logoBig D construction logoHITT logoBalfour Beatty logoRyan companies logoGarney Construction logoSwinerton logoAlridge logoHensel Phelps logoButz family of companies logo

Why are top construction teams choosing Planera over P6 and OPC?

Protect Margins
What used to chip away at profit - delays, rework, idle crews - gets prevented upfront, so more of every dollar lands where it should.
Streamline Scheduling
Planera's intuitive, yet powerful interface makes it easy to build and optimize schedules in less time than it takes with legacy software.
Prevent Delays
With greater visibility into every step, Planera helps you prevent delays before they cost you time and money.

Planera vs. P6/OPC: what's the difference?

Built specifically for construction
Originated in engineering / manufacturing; adapted for construction
Cloud-based, real-time collaboration
P6: check-in/check-out, file-based. OPC: claims collaboration but GCs report it fails to deliver
Field-friendly experience
Desktop-centric; OPC Field Planning has low adoption due to complexity
AI scheduling assistant
None
Risk & constraint visualization
Manual interpretation
Portfolio visibility across projects
Built in
Manual / complex setup
Schedule imports (MPP files)
Supported
Not supported
Visual scheduling
Gantt only
Ease of adoption beyond schedulers
High; most teams productive in hours
Steep; specialist certification required
Modern UI & workflows
Yes
Legacy UX; OPC copy / paste does not work (reported by Skanska)
Deployment
Cloud-native, nothing to install
P6: on-premise or Oracle Cloud. OPC: cloud but complex setup
Cost model
Per-seat licensing and infrastructure costs
P6 to OPC transition
Steep learning curve; requires full retraining
Updates
Continuous, automatic
Manual upgrades, version management
New Star General Contractors
“By making scheduling visual and collaborative, Planera has changed the game. They've made scheduling significantly easier without sacrificing powerful capabilities.”
Troy S Thompson,
COO, Big D Construction
Planera models "what-if" scenarios
Planera's CPM software supports complex construction projects

Built for modern construction teams

P6 and OPC weren't built for construction field teams. Their complex interfaces leave superintendents either excluded from scheduling or set up to struggle with it.  Planera fixes this with intuitive, visual tools the whole team can actually use.
Planera's CPM software supports complex construction projects

Real-time team collaboration

P6 is single-user, with "collaboration" meaning emailing files back and forth. OPC promises real-time collaboration but reportedly falls short in practice. Planera is browser-based and truly multi-user. Everyone works in the same live schedule with no version conflicts or outdated exports.
Planera's CPM software supports complex construction projects

Faster planning, better decisions

Planera's AI assistant, Manny, lets you query your schedule in plain language, run what-if scenarios instantly, and get actionable insights with no manual re-sequencing needed. Neither P6 nor OPC has an equivalent.

World-class support

From kickoff to closeout, Planera's team manages the complexity with hands-on, on-site support, so you can focus on building.

We will meet you wherever you are

Planera imports your existing P6 schedules in minutes and integrates natively with Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud.

Switch Smoothly
Moving away from P6 or OPC is straightforward. Import your XER or XML files, review your schedule in Planera's visual canvas, and invite your team. No installation, no training certification, no waiting.
Skip the OPC Transition Entirely
If you are being pushed to transition from P6 to OPC, consider skipping that step entirely. Planera offers a much easier, more reliable path forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled some of the most commonly asked questions.

How is Planera different from P6 and OPC?

P6 and OPC are robust CPM tools, but they were not designed for construction - they originated in engineering and manufacturing. Their interfaces are rigid, complex, and unapproachable for field teams.

Planera is purpose-built for construction: visual, collaborative, easy to use, and CPM-based. It brings field and office teams onto the same planning page while improving scheduling acumen across the project team.

Can Planera handle complex CPM logic?

Yes. Planera supports full CPM scheduling with predecessor/successor relationships, multiple calendars, constraints, lag/lead, and float calculations. If you can build it in P6, you can build it in Planera.

Our specs mandate P6. Can we use Planera instead?

Many contracts mention P6 by name but only require CPM capabilities and outline a list of required functions. Planera meets these requirements and offers a better user experience for the entire project team.

Review your specs closely - most require CPM compliance, not a specific vendor.

Are our teams actually planning in P6, or just reporting into it?

This is the question that matters most. Most GCs use P6 or OPC as a reporting and compliance tool, not a true planning environment. The disconnect between the master schedule and the tools used for day-to-day planning introduces risk and inefficiency. Planera closes that gap by making the schedule the actual planning tool.

What about transitioning from P6 to OPC?

P6 is being sunset, and OPC's steep learning curve means retraining your entire team. General contractors we speak with report that OPC's real-time collaboration fails to deliver on its promise.

Basic functions like copy/paste do not work reliably. Rather than investing in a painful OPC transition, Planera offers a much easier, more reliable path forward.

When multiple team members need to work in the schedule, how do you prevent conflicts?

P6 does not support real-time collaboration or user awareness, making multi-user edits risky and opaque. OPC claims to support it, but the reality falls short. Planera's real-time multiplayer editing means everyone works in the same live schedule with full visibility into what others are doing.

How many users can I have with Planera?

Our pricing includes unlimited users. We want everyone in your organization who can make good use of Planera to do so, so bring them on!

Planera is the easier way to schedule

Drive revenue, reduce costs, and manage scheduling with Planera.
Book a Demo