Merlin Project Express

Merlin Project Express is intended to help you manage various types of projects. In this respect, one of the fundamental things you can do is to generate a Gantt chart, in which you determine the flow of your tasks, including their duration, dependencies and milestones.

The application has a rather straightforward interface. Luckily, there are templates for common project types, such as Client Website, Strategic Plan and Product Localization, which does not mean you cannot create entirely customized projects as well. There are even sample projects for you to check how the tool works. It is excellent that you can also import data from various file types, such as CSV, iCal, Microsoft Project, Mindmanager, Freemind, Novamind, OmniPlan, OPML and XML. Likewise, you can import data via drag-and-drop operations, for instance, user info from Contacts.

The workflow is quite simple: it includes defining tasks and setting milestones. Fortunately, the tool can automate most of the work by calculating costs and managing resources. In this respect, it is possible to attach files, such as notes and audio, to add more information.

Unluckily, Merlin Project Express is a limited version of Merlin Project. In this regard, there are several limitations. To mention but a few, the tool does not allow using or creating user-defined fields. Likewise, it does not let you divide a project into sub-projects. It also exports to a restricted list of file types. Finally, the possibilities to use it to collaborate with others are extremely constrained as it cannot synchronize data with cloud services.

All in all, Merlin Project Express is only recommended for reducing the costs involved in managing occasional projects. Although the Mac Stores allows downloading it for free, it only works for two weeks. After this trial period, you need to pay for subscriptions, which are available as in-app purchases.