Merlin (software)
 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikitia's general notability guideline. |
| Developer(s) | ProjectWizards GmbH |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 9
|
| Operating system | macOS, iPadOS, iOS |
| Type | Project management software |
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
| Website | www |
Merlin Project is a commercial project management software for macOS, iPadOS, and iOS developed by the Hamburg-based German company ProjectWizards GmbH. The application is the successor to the earlier Merlin product line, first released in 2004, and is among the longer-established native project management applications for Apple platforms.[1][2]
History
The first version of Merlin was released for Mac OS X in November 2004.[3] A second major version, Merlin 2, shipped in late 2006 and introduced a revised interface, project templates, address book integration, and a resource utilisation view.[4]
In 2007, Merlin 2 received Macworld's Editors' Choice Award (Eddy) in the third-party software category.[5] A companion application for the iPhone followed in 2009.[6]
In early 2015, ProjectWizards reorganised the product line and rebranded the macOS application as Merlin Project. The release introduced a redesigned user interface adapted for Retina displays, an earned-value analysis function, and a modular reporting system.[7]
Version 4, released in 2016, added concurrent multi-user editing via a "workspaces" model that separated private edits from a shared project state, alongside a companion application for iOS.[8] Version 5, released in beta in 2018, added a Kanban board that was synchronised with the work breakdown structure and Gantt view.[9] Version 6, released in 2019, added native iPad support alongside the existing macOS and iOS editions, with all platforms distributed under a single product name.[10]
The separate Merlin Server product, which had provided server-based collaboration on project files, was discontinued in October 2020 in favour of synchronisation via cloud services such as iCloud and Dropbox.[11]
Version 9, released in 2025, introduced an assistant based on generative artificial intelligence that can generate project structures, dependencies, and resource assignments from a textual description.[2]
Editions
The flagship product, Merlin Project, is available for macOS, iPadOS, and iOS as a subscription.[10][1] A reduced edition for macOS, Merlin Project Express, was introduced in 2016 and is aimed at private users and smaller projects.[12] The former server product, Merlin Server, was discontinued in 2020.[11]
Features
Merlin Project allows users to define tasks with durations, dependencies, costs, and assigned resources, and represents project data through multiple synchronised views, including work breakdown structure, Gantt chart, Kanban board, mind map, and network diagrams.[2][9] The software supports an earned-value analysis and modular report generation,[7] and synchronises project files between devices via cloud storage services rather than a dedicated server.[11] Imports and exports include Microsoft Project file formats.[1]
Reception
In an early review of Merlin 2.0.3, Macworld described the application as a capable project management tool for Mac users that compared favourably with Microsoft Project on Windows.[3] Reviewing version 2.5.2 in 2008, TechRadar highlighted the application's interface and considered it accessible relative to other project management software at the time, but criticised its limited internationalisation, including a Euro-only default currency setting.[13]
A 2022 review in TechRepublic described Merlin Project as one of the most feature-rich desktop project management applications for macOS and recommended it to users already familiar with Gantt charts and Kanban workflows, while also noting the complexity and learning curve of the software.[1] A 2025 heise online review of version 9 covered the addition of AI-assisted planning.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wallen, Jack (2022-08-11). "Is Merlin Project a worthy replacement for your current project management solution?". TechRepublic. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Projekt-Zauberer mit KI: Merlin Project 9 im Test". heise online (in Deutsch). 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Teague, Jason Cranford (2007-04-22). "Merlin 2.0.3". Macworld. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ "Merlin 2.0 ready to ship". MacTech. 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ "The 23rd Annual Editors' Choice Awards". Macworld. 2007-12-19. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ "ProjectWizards releases Merlin for iPhone". Macworld. 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Mac-Projektplaner Merlin mit vielen Neuerungen". heise online (in Deutsch). 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ "Mac- und iOS-Projektplaner Merlin fokussiert auf Teamarbeit". heise online (in Deutsch). 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Mac-Projektplaner Merlin: Nächste Version als öffentliche Beta verfügbar". heise online (in Deutsch). 2018-05-15. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Projektmanagement: Merlin Project jetzt auch für das iPad". Macwelt (in Deutsch). 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Downloading an older version of Merlin Server". ProjectWizards Support. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ "Merlin Project Express for Mac review". TechRadar. 2022-02-14. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
- ↑ "ProjectWizards Merlin 2.5.2 review". TechRadar. 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
External links
This article "Merlin (software)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.