Frequently Asked Questions

XER Reader is a fast, standalone project schedule viewer and analytics tool designed for planners, project managers, and project stakeholders. It allows you to open, view, analyze, and share Oracle Primavera P6 (.xer, .xml) and Microsoft Project (.mpp, .mpx, .xml) schedule files without requiring expensive software licenses. Available natively on Windows and macOS, and as a browser-based Web App, XER Reader provides interactive Gantt charts, resource assignments, S-curves, baseline comparison, DCMA 14-point schedule health checks, and advanced SQL querying.

No. XER Reader is completely standalone. It directly opens, parses and visualizes Oracle Primavera P6 (.xer, .xml) and Microsoft Project (.mpp, .mpx, .xml) files without requiring any software installation or licenses from Oracle or Microsoft.

XER Reader opens Primavera P6 .xer and .xml files and Microsoft Project .mpp, .mpx and .xml files. Schedules can also be converted between formats and exported for reporting.

XER Reader was originally created as a dedicated viewer for Oracle Primavera P6 .xer files. Over time, as project teams and contractors frequently worked across mixed scheduling environments, we added native support for Microsoft Project (.mpp, .mpx, .xml) and Primavera P6 XML files. Today, XER Reader serves as a comprehensive multi-format schedule viewer while keeping the original name that our users know and trust.

XER Reader is a single unified application compiled for Windows, macOS, and modern web browsers. The interface and parsing engine are identical across all platforms, so your schedule looks and behaves exactly the same wherever it is opened. See Downloads.

No. XER Reader is a single application compiled for each platform. Whether you use the native Windows or macOS app or run the Web App in your browser, schedules are parsed entirely locally on your own machine. Your schedule files reach our servers only when you choose to send them, and there are three ways that happens: publishing a schedule as an interactive web link with XER Reader Cloud, connecting a reporting tool with BI Connect, or saving a workspace layout to your account. Saving a layout uploads only the layout, never schedule data. Nothing is uploaded in the background.

XER Reader covers opening native Primavera P6 schedules, core Activity Gantt and Resource Assignment views, filtering, and 4-tier baseline tracking. Pro adds all 6 analytical views (Calendars, S-Curves, PERT Network), Microsoft Project support (.mpp, .xml, .mpx), vector PDF schedule printing, custom filter presets, automated DCMA 14-point schedule health checks, schedule export (CSV, XLSX, SQLite, MPP) and custom layout management. Cloud adds interactive web schedule sharing, so anyone you send a link to can open the schedule in a browser with nothing installed. From Cloud Enterprise up it also adds Querying, the embedded SQL tool with external CSV and XLSX joins, and live BI connectivity for Power BI and Tableau. See the full side-by-side comparison on Pricing.

Yes. Every new account gets a 30-day free trial as soon as it is confirmed. No credit card is needed, and nothing is charged or renewed when it ends. To keep using XER Reader afterwards, choose a plan on the pricing page. The trial is available once per email address.

A Shared User is a different person who opened any of your shared schedules in the last 30 days. One allowance covers your whole organisation and all of your shared schedules, and each person counts once, however many schedules they open. Anyone who opens a schedule through its sharing link counts, including members of your own team, and people who have not opened any of your schedules for 30 days no longer count. Shared Users are recognised by the browser and device they use, so one person on two devices may count twice. Someone who has the link but not its password is never counted. At your limit, new Shared Users can still join for 30 days, and you are notified in XER Reader. After that, only recent Shared Users get in, until your count falls below the allowance or you upgrade. Cloud Enterprise and Corporate include unlimited Shared Users.

Yes. If you subscribed online, you can change plan at any time from the Manage option in your Dashboard, in either direction. The change takes effect immediately, and the remaining value of your current plan is prorated and credited toward the new one. If you bought your licence directly from us rather than through the website, contact us and we will make the change for you.

SMA covers everything that keeps your software current and supported while your subscription is active. You receive every new release, including major versions and smaller updates, at no extra cost, and you never have to ask for them. Support is by email at support@xerreader.com, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 16:00 CET, and we aim to reply within one working day. SMA is included in every subscription, with no separate fee. Cloud Enterprise and Corporate tiers add priority support and a named contact. Read the SMA terms.

Yes. You can manage billing, update payment methods or cancel upcoming renewals at any time through the customer portal in your Dashboard.

No. If you cancel your subscription, refunds are not provided, but your subscription will remain available and fully functional until the end of your current billing cycle.

Yes. Schedules can be printed as vector PDFs at any size, including large-format plotter output, and activity data can be exported to other formats for reporting.

Yes. XER Reader reads XER and XML files exported from all common Primavera P6 releases, and does not require a connection to a P6 database.

For the Web App, there is no need to update manually because the browser always runs the latest version automatically. For native Windows and macOS desktop applications, XER Reader includes an inbuilt updater: navigate to Settings > Software Updates to check for and install updates directly, or download the latest installer from the Downloads page.