Wrike
Wrike header logoWrike header logo
    • For teams

      • Marketing

        Streamline proofing and reporting for seamless campaigns.

      • Creative & Design

        Create high-quality assets and get them approved in record time.

      • Product

        Accelerate your product process, from idea to delivery.

      • Client Services

        Exceed clients’ expectations with expert resources.

      • PMO

        Align strategy with execution and deliver results.

      • IT

        Execute initiatives, optimize workflows, and automate requests.

      • Operations

        Make work flow seamlessly with intuitive management tools.

      • HR

        Manage teams effortlessly with customizable HR features.

      • Legal

        Organize every file, case, and due date in one secure space.

      • Finance

        Centralize all financial tasks, from budgeting to invoicing.

      • See all teams

    • For industries

      • Technology

        Build solutions that matter, and deliver faster.

      • Consumer Goods

        Move fast with unified planning, delivery, and reporting.

      • Manufacturing

        Enhance operations, accelerate production, and empower teams.

      • Professional Services

        Organize clients, streamline projects, and automate workflows.

      • Finance

        Deliver better, faster financials with automations.

      • Healthcare

        Collaborate cross-functionally in a secure setting.

      • Education

        Unite multiple disparate teams, departments, and colleges.

      • Construction

        Streamline building projects, from scoping to invoicing.

      • Media & Entertainment

        Choose one powerful platform for fast-paced work.

      • Agencies

        Centralize client work, boost creativity, and increase profitability.

      • See all industries

    • Workflows

      • Campaign Management

        Make marketing magic with end-to-end campaign management.

      • Product Lifecycle

        Watch your product lifecycle flow, from concept to customer.

      • Client Service Delivery

        Get ahead of the competition with faster client services.

      • Project Management

        Plan Agile projects, track deadlines, and deliver results.

      • Project Portfolio Management

        Manage your complete portfolio, from strategy to results.

      • Creative Production & Content

        Create, collaborate, proof, and approve all in one place.

      • Resource Management

        View team workloads and reallocate tasks to avoid burnout.

      • Workflow Management

        Use custom statuses and automate your team workflows.

      • Event Management

        Design, execute, and monitor flawless events.

      • Task Management

        Organize incoming requests and eliminate repetitive tasks.

      • See all workflows

    • Explore Wrike

      • Take a Product Tour

      • Book a Demo

      • ROI Calculator

      • Customer Stories

      • Start with Templates

    • Features

      • Dashboards

        Fuel better, faster, data-driven decisions with powerful analytics.

      • AI

        Learn about powerful AI and automations with Work Intelligence®.

      • Automation

        Define and trigger automated workflows to eliminate manual efforts.

      • Gantt Charts

        Interactive project scheduling across teams.

      • Proofing

        Streamlined proofing and collaboration in one place.

      • Custom Item Types

        Tailor work items to fit your specific workplace.

      • Project Resource Planning

        Plan and allocate resources for timely delivery.

      • Project Views

        Get the full picture with customizable, intuitive project views.

      • Kanban Boards

        Instantly view project progress and create customized workflows.

      • Dynamic Request Forms

        Custom forms powered by conditional logic.

      • Approvals

        Keep approvers in the loop from start to finish.

      • Cross-Tagging

        Unparalleled visibility across multiple work streams.

      • See all features

    • Platform

      • New! Visual collaboration

      • Book a Demo

      • Start with Templates

      • Wrike AI

      • Integrations

      • Security

      • Mobile & Desktop Apps

    • Workflow-Powered Collaboration

      Sync with multiple teams to keep work flowing across your organization.

    • Industry-Leading Security

      We're dedicated to safeguarding data beyond industry standards and ensuring secure collaboration.

    • Pioneering AI and Innovation

      Put the power of data and AI to work for your organization.

    • Invested in Customer Success

      We support customers at every step of their journey from pre-sales to onboarding with 24/7 support.

    • Boundless Configuration

      Customize your workspace to suit the unique needs of every team in your organization.

    • Effortless Scalability

      Add new teams or adjust to rapid growth seamlessly with Wrike’s scalable platform.

    Why Wrike beats the competition

    Find out why 20,000+ of the world’s top companies choose Wrike to manage their workflows

    View comparison
    • Go deeper

      • Resource Hub

        Top assets on productivity, collaboration, and more.

      • Wrike Blog

        Latest news and best practices on project management.

      • Educational Guides

        Guides and tools to unlock better work management.

      • Webinars

        Join our live or on-demand sessions to do your best work.

      • Customer Stories

        Explore Wrike’s case studies for key insights on customer success.

      • Developers

        Connect and build integrations with easy-to-use APIs.

    • Upskill and Connect

      • Training & Certifications

      • Help Center

      • Wrike's Community

      • Premium Support Packages

      • Wrike Professional Services

      • Partners

    Introducing Wrike + Klaxoon

    You can now add Klaxoon’s infinite whiteboard to your Wrike subscription and work management toolkit

    Request a demo
  • Enterprise
  • Pricing
Contact Sales
    language-selector
    English
    Dansk
    Deutsch
    Español
    Français
    Bahasa Indonesia
    Italiano
    Bahasa Melayu
    Nederlands
    Norsk
    Polski
    Português (BR)
    Svenska
    Русский
    日本語
    한국어
    中文 (简体)
    中文 (繁體)
Log in
Wrike header logoWrike header logo
Wrike header logoWrike header logo
Menu
Guide overview
  • 1. Project Management Basics
  • 2. Project Management Methodologies
  • 3. Project Management Life Cycle
  • 4. Best Project Management Software
  • 5. Team Collaboration Tips
  • 6. Agile Methodology Basics
  • 7. Agile Project Management Tools
  • 8. Project Management Frameworks
  • 9. Resources
  • 10. Glossary
  • 11. FAQ
    • Advanced Terminology
    • Methodologies
    • PM Software Features
    • Basic Terminology
    • PMI
    • Professional Development
    • Tools
    • Agile Project Management
Guide overview
  • 1. Project Management Basics
  • 2. Project Management Methodologies
  • 3. Project Management Life Cycle
  • 4. Best Project Management Software
  • 5. Team Collaboration Tips
  • 6. Agile Methodology Basics
  • 7. Agile Project Management Tools
  • 8. Project Management Frameworks
  • 9. Resources
  • 10. Glossary
  • 11. FAQ
    • Advanced Terminology
    • Methodologies
    • PM Software Features
    • Basic Terminology
    • PMI
    • Professional Development
    • Tools
    • Agile Project Management
  1. Project Management Guide
  2. FAQ
  3. Methodologies

What Are the Differences Between PMBOK and PRINCE2?

4 min read
Artem Gurnov
Artem Gurnov Director of Account Development, Wrike
See Wrike for PMO

What Are the Differences Between PMBOK and PRINCE2 in Project Management?

There are various project management frameworks in use today. Two of the most common are PMBOK and PRINCE2. 

PMBOK stands for Project Management Body of Knowledge. It's a standard established and overseen by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the USA, one of the foremost project management organizations. PRINCE2 means Projects In Controlled Environments. It is a framework developed by Axelos, a project management consortium and community in the UK. 

Both frameworks encapsulate project management best practices. They provide a structured approach for businesses to manage projects efficiently from start to finish. Read on to learn about the differences between PMBOK and PRINCE2.

PMBOK

PMBOK is often described as descriptive. It specifies project management methodologies, process inputs and outputs, and knowledge domains but does not define how they should be applied. It is regularly updated with best practices advancements and regulated by the PMI. 

PMBOK restricts decision-making to project managers, making it challenging to delegate management responsibilities to other parties or senior executives. The project manager may ostensibly become the principal decision-maker, conflict resolver, planner, resource manager, and so on, according to the PMBOK.

PRINCE2

PRINCE2 is frequently described as prescriptive. It specifies what should be done on a project, by whom, and when. One of PRINCE2's core strengths is ensuring that critical choices are driven by a solid business case. It emphasizes structure and control from the senior management rather than solely from the project manager.  

PRINCE2 offers a unified approach to project management, which is why it has been embraced by many government and international organizations. It is famous for its simplicity, making learning easy for people with less expertise.

Differences between PMBOK and PRINCE2

The major differences between PMBOK and PRINCE2 include: 

  1. PMBOK is accepted as the industry standard rather than merely a methodology. PRINCE2 is a popular project management methodology. Both outline procedures and principles for completing projects successfully. 
  2. While PMBOK emphasizes the project manager's role, PRINCE2 outlines various other project management roles. PRINCE2 allows for the extension of the project management control process to new levels of responsibility.
  3. PMBOK is a comprehensive guide for project management and is known for covering a broad set of knowledge areas in depth. PRINCE2 is not as extensive as the PMBOK, but it emphasizes the need to develop a strong business case before making important project decisions.
  4. PMBOK includes many useful tools and describes the steps of project management in detail, along with the inputs and outputs of processes. PRINCE2 does not adequately explain several project management domains, but it explains in-depth the many positions that make up the project management team.
  5. PMBOK processes can be complicated. PRINCE2 processes are straightforward to implement.
  6. PMBOK places much greater emphasis on soft skills rather than purely technical project management skills. Meanwhile, some users believe that PRINCE2 overlooks the significance of soft skills, which should be a project manager's priority.

PMBOK and PRINCE2: Best uses for the two frameworks

PMBOK is best used as a guide for all project management procedures, processes, tools, and approaches in an organization. PRINCE2 is best used as a guide for project management decision-making and processes. PMBOK is more detailed and complex, and PRINCE2 is comparatively simple and elemental.

Further reading

blog post

Best Practices for Your Project Management Initiation Phase

blog post

What It Means to Be a Digital Project Manager

blog post

8 Attitudes Guaranteed to Sink Your Agile Projects

blog post

Fundamentals of the Scrum Methodology

Methodologies 5 questions
What Is Agile Methodology in Project Management? What is Critical Path in Project Management? What Is Scrum in Project Management? What is PRINCE2 Project Management? What is a Project Management Methodology?
Artem Gurnov

Artem is a Director of Account Development at Wrike. He previously held the role of Project Manager, overseeing a team of customer success managers (CSMs). Over the years of building teams and scaling business processes, he has successfully deployed multiple projects, from automating client outreach to setting up work prioritization tools for sales reps and CSMs.

Basic Project Management
  • Project Charter
  • Project Management Stakeholders
  • What is a Project?
  • Work Breakdown Structure
  • Project Objectives
  • Project Baseline
  • Project Management Scheduling
  • Project Management Work Packages
  • Project Management Scope
  • Scope Creep
Advanced Project Management
  • What is PERT?
  • S-Curve
  • Network Diagram
  • SMART
  • Risk Management
  • Cost Estimation
  • Feasibility Study
  • Monte Carlo Analysis
  • Project Integration
  • Cost Management
PMI
  • Milestones
  • PDU
  • PMI Project Management
  • What To Do With Certification
  • Certification
  • Become Certified
  • PMP Certification
  • Best Certification
Software Features
  • Critical Success Factors
  • Capacity Planning
  • User Role Access Permissions
  • Time Tracking
  • Budget Tracking
  • Request Forms
  • Work Assignments
  • Version Control
  • Dependency Managements
  • Project management Milestones
Tools
  • Project Management Software
  • Project Management Tools
  • Project Management System
  • Gantt Charts
  • Product
    • Product tour
    • Pricing
    • Templates
    • Apps & Integrations
    • Task Management
    • Gantt Charts
    • Wrike Status
    • Security
    • Wrike API
    • Compare
    • Features
  • Solutions
    • Enterprise
    • Marketing
    • Creative
    • Project Management
    • Product Development
    • Business Operations
    • Professional Services
    • IT Management
    • Students
    • All Teams
    • All Use Cases
  • Resources
    • Help Center
    • Community
    • Blog
    • Webinars
    • Interactive Training
    • Support Packages
    • Find a Reseller
    • Google Project Management Tools
    • CA Notice at Collection
  • Company
    • About Us
    • Leadership
    • Careers
    • Our Customers
    • Events
    • Newsroom
    • Partner Program
    • Collaborate - User Conference
    • Wrike Engineering
    • Contact Us
  • Guides
    • Project Management Guide
    • Professional Services Guide
    • Kanban Guide
    • Agile Guide
    • Remote Work Guide
    • Scrum Guide
    • Marketing Project Management Guide
    • Collaborative Work Management Guide
    • Digital Marketing Guide
    • Return to Work Guide
    • Product Management Guide
    • Go-to-Market Guide
    • Goal Setting Guide
  • Latest in Wrike Blog
    • How to create and manage a project calendar to deliver projects on time
    • Work breakdown structure template (WBS) for project management
    • Project organization: Your ultimate guide
    • How to write a business requirements document (Plus template)
    • Stay productive anywhere: A deep dive into the Wrike Mobile app
    • From good to game changing: The power play of human instinct + AI speed in 2025
    • Championing Change: Daniel Anez on bringing approvals from paper into Wrike

Subscribe to Wrike news and updates

Stay informed with the latest news and updates by subscribing to our marketing emails.

  • App Store
  • Google Play
©2006-2025 Wrike, Inc. All rights reserved. Patented. Privacy Policy. Terms of Service. Cookie Preferences