Meisterplan
German lean portfolio and resource-management tool from itdesign, ISO 27001 and TISAX certified
Quick Overview
| Company | itdesign GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | Project Management |
| Headquarters | Tübingen, Germany |
| Founded | 2012 |
| EU Presence | EU (Germany) |
| Open Source | No |
| Compliance | ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27018:2019, TISAX, Software Made in Germany |
| Pricing | Priced by number of resources scheduled, unlimited free users; custom quote by resource count (contact sales); 30-day free trial |
| Free Option | 30-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Replaces | Planview, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project |
Detailed Review
Meisterplan is not a task board; it is a lean portfolio and resource-management tool for the layer above one, where the question is not "what is this project doing today" but "do we have the people to run all twelve projects we have committed to." itdesign GmbH, founded in Tübingen in 1999, created Meisterplan in 2012 to answer exactly that, and the certifications reflect an enterprise buyer: ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27018:2019 for cloud personal data, a TISAX assessment for automotive-industry customers, and Germany's own "Software Made in Germany" seal.
Pricing follows the same logic as the product: users are free and unlimited, and the licence cost is driven entirely by how many schedulable resources — people — are in the system, with custom quotes above 1,000 resources and a 30-day free trial to test the fit.
That resource-based model rewards an organisation that wants everyone able to log in and see the portfolio, and it means Meisterplan sits alongside a task tool rather than replacing one: teams still need OpenProject, Taiga or a board product underneath it for day-to-day work.
What Meisterplan does well
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27018:2019 and TISAX certified
- "Software Made in Germany" seal
- Unlimited free users, priced by resource count only
- 30-day free trial
- Built for portfolio and capacity planning, not single-project boards
Where Meisterplan falls short
- Not a task board — needs a separate PM tool underneath it
- No published price list; quote required
- No stated hosting region beyond the German company itself
- Aimed at portfolio-level buyers, overkill for a single small team
Standout feature. Priced by resource, not by user: Meisterplan is the only tool in this category where the free seat and the licence cost are entirely separate questions.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27018:2019 and TISAX certified
- "Software Made in Germany" seal
- Unlimited free users, priced by resource count only
- 30-day free trial
- Built for portfolio and capacity planning, not single-project boards
Cons
- Not a task board — needs a separate PM tool underneath it
- No published price list; quote required
- No stated hosting region beyond the German company itself
- Aimed at portfolio-level buyers, overkill for a single small team
Alternatives to Meisterplan
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Meisterplan?
Meisterplan is not a task board; it is a lean portfolio and resource-management tool for the layer above one, where the question is not "what is this project doing today" but "do we have the people to run all twelve projects we have committed to." itdesign GmbH, founded in Tübingen in 1999, created Meisterplan in 2012 to answer exactly that, and the certifications reflect an enterprise buyer: ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27018:2019 for cloud personal data, a TISAX assessment for automotive-industry customers, and Germany's own "Software Made in Germany" seal.
Where is Meisterplan based?
Meisterplan operates from Tübingen, Germany, which places it under EU (Germany). Compliance: ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27018:2019, TISAX, Software Made in Germany.
What does Meisterplan cost?
Priced by number of resources scheduled, unlimited free users; custom quote by resource count (contact sales); 30-day free trial. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
Who is Meisterplan best for?
Organisations managing a portfolio of projects, not single boards. Priced by resource, not by user: Meisterplan is the only tool in this category where the free seat and the licence cost are entirely separate questions.
What are the drawbacks of Meisterplan?
Not a task board — needs a separate PM tool underneath it. No published price list; quote required. No stated hosting region beyond the German company itself. Aimed at portfolio-level buyers, overkill for a single small team.