GanttScore vs Steelray Project Analyzer: An Honest Comparison
GanttScore and Steelray Project Analyzer both check schedule quality against the DCMA standard. Here is how they actually differ, and which fits your situation.
GanttScore and Steelray Project Analyzer both check a Microsoft Project schedule for quality against the DCMA 14-point standard, but they are built for different ways of working: Steelray is installed desktop software you license, and GanttScore is an instant web tool you can try free and pay for only when you want the fixes. This is a fair, factual look at how they differ so you can pick the right one.
We make GanttScore, so we are not neutral. We have tried to keep this honest, and we will tell you plainly when Steelray is the better choice for you.
What do they have in common?
Both run the DCMA 14-point schedule assessment and explain the results in plain language. If your goal is to find the structural problems in a schedule, missing logic, hard constraints, negative float, high float, and the rest, either tool will surface them. Steelray has been doing this on the desktop for years and is a respected, mature product. The checks themselves are the same industry standard.
How are they different?
The real differences are how you access the tool, how you pay, and what you get when something is wrong.
| GanttScore | Steelray Project Analyzer | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | In your browser, nothing to install | Installed desktop software |
| Try it | Free instant score, no signup to see results | Time-limited free trial of the full product |
| Pricing | Published: free score, $300 one-time report, $500/yr Pro | Paid per-seat license, priced by quote |
| When a check fails | Paid AI report naming the offending tasks and exact MS Project fix steps | Built-in explanations of the findings |
| File handling | File deleted the moment it is scored | Runs locally on your machine |
| Formats | Microsoft Project (.mpp, .xml) and Primavera P6 (.xer) | Microsoft Project (separate Steelray product for Primavera P6) |
When is Steelray the better choice?
Choose Steelray if you want installed desktop software, need to work fully offline, or your organization has already standardized on it. A desktop tool with a perpetual workflow suits some teams and some security environments better than a web app, and there is nothing wrong with that. If that is you, Steelray is a solid, established option.
When is GanttScore the better choice?
Choose GanttScore if you want an instant answer without installing anything, transparent pricing instead of a sales quote, and a fix, not just a finding. You can drop a file and see your score in about ten seconds, free, and decide later whether the $300 report is worth it. The report names the specific tasks at fault and gives the exact steps to fix them in Microsoft Project. If you only need it once, you pay once, with no license to maintain.
The honest bottom line
If you live in a desktop tool and your team is already on Steelray, stay. If you want to check a schedule right now, see exactly where it stands for free, and get a clear plan to fix it without buying a license, GanttScore is built for that. The fastest way to decide is to score a schedule and look at the result yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Does GanttScore do the same DCMA checks as Steelray?
Yes. Both run the DCMA 14-point assessment. GanttScore adds three checks of its own for seventeen in total, and adds a paid AI report that names the offending tasks and gives the exact fix steps.
Is GanttScore a replacement for Steelray?
For most people who just need to know whether a Microsoft Project schedule is sound and how to fix it, yes. If you specifically need installed desktop software or your organization has standardized on Steelray, that is a fair reason to stay.
Do I have to install GanttScore?
No. GanttScore runs in your browser. You drop a file and get a score in about ten seconds. There is nothing to install.