Best Gantt Chart Software for Project Management

Gantt chart software enables a user to create digital Gantt charts via advanced editing tools, such as a drag-and-drop interface to simplify real-time customization. Online Gantt chart software supports project management best practices and contains features like task dependencies, critical path identification, and risk management capabilities. These systems are capable of automatically adjusting the entire project schedule when a single deadline changes, and can notify users of conflicts and bottlenecks. Gantt chart software can also be used as a reporting tool that users can share, present, export, or print in various formats.

Our Top Gantt Chart Software:

Gantt chart software enables teams to plan projects better, which helps reduce scope creep and keep the project on schedule. Here are our top project management software picks that offer feature-rich and easy-to-use dynamic Gantt charts.

What Is a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart illustrating a project schedule. These types of charts often show the dependency of relationships between activities and the current schedule status. When used in conjunction with project management software, these flexible tools provide a comprehensive look at the status of every project. When used in project management, a list of tasks typically appears on the left of the chart. A project timeline, often showing days or weeks, spans the rest of the chart to the right of the task list. In this way, the Gantt chart offers an overview of the sequence of tasks, critical task dependencies, and overall project duration.

Best Gantt Chart Software

Companies today work on projects with varying degrees of complexity. Here, we’ve collected some of the best Gantt chart software options that project managers can choose from to gain enhanced visibility to their projects and tasks.

ClickUp

ClickUp is an all-in-one work management platform that enables businesses to replace multiple disconnected applications. It provides companies a single place to manage tasks, create documents, communicate with the team, and manage business goals. It supports project management functionality so users can plan, track, and manage any type of project. ClickUp offers multiple views including flexible Gantt chart software. Users can create and view dependencies. It automatically adjust schedules when users drag-and-drop tasks with dependencies. The software can also show planned vs. actual dates, support group rescheduling, and highlight milestones. Pros

• Due date visibility
• Task management
• Responsive customer support

Cons

• Time reporting tool needs improvement
• Users wish for more options in managing recurring tasks

monday.com

monday.com is a project management and work platform applied by users for creative and design projects, IT service, software development, sales and marketing, and task management. It is a flexible project management tool that allows for customizable workflows so teams are more aligned, efficient, and productive. monday.com has multiple views including Gantt chart and timeline views. This allows users to plan and visualize work better. Teams can easily keep track of milestones and set dependencies. The software can also import data from Excel and turn it into smart boards that users can easily view as Gantt charts. Pros

• Task prioritization
• Due date visibility
• Critical path management

Cons

• Pricing is on the high side
• Users wish for better notification control

Smartsheet

Smartsheet online work collaboration software provides teams a dynamic workspace where they manage projects, automate workflows, and create new business solutions. The advantages of using the Gantt chart software increase as more teams use it across the organization. It provides comprehensive core functionality and features, as well as premium add-ons, pre-built solutions, and integrations. Smartsheet gives users multiple work views including a dynamic Gantt chart view. The customizable Gantt chart software lets users visualize projects that support dependencies and critical path. A drag-and-drop interface provides for quick adjustment of dates and placement of tasks. Users can view any sheet or report with at least two date columns in Gantt view. Pros

• Due date visibility
• Integrated to-do lists
• Easy to set up

Cons

• Navigation with multiple projects can be challenging
• Users wish for more granular permission settings

Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is enterprise online project management software used by companies in the construction, software development, and marketing industries, among others. It enables teams to plan projects, track work, and collaborate. It is an affordable and scalable solution with a Gantt chart tool to provide users a visual representation of their project. Zoho Projects’ Gantt chart software allows users to create four types of dependencies for tasks. It identifies critical tasks that, if delayed, can set back the project as a whole. The chart supports baselining for comparing project progress over different periods of time. Users can create a Gantt chart template by converting an existing project to a template. They can also customize colors of components such as milestones, tasks, overdue items, holidays, and weekends. Pros

• Task dependencies
• Due date visibility
• Easy collaboration with guests

Cons

• Limited templates
• Steep learning curve

What Is The Advantage of Using a Gantt Chart?

Many project managers find Gantt charts to be the best tool for effective project and time management. For one, it displays complex information at a glance, instantly providing a bird’s-eye view of the project activities including deliverables, due dates, and the length of time each will take. Next, Gantt charts provide a clear layout of dependencies in a structure that will help you track, align, and communicate more efficiently as you execute your plans. Finally, they offer increased schedule accuracy by allowing managers to quickly spot issues and conflicts, ensuring the reliability of plans.

Are Gantt Charts Difficult to Learn?

Gantt charts are very easy to understand once you know how they work. Their straightforward nature makes them usable for professionals and laypeople alike. Project managers and owners often rely on Gantt charts to promote project visibility to their team, management, community, and other stakeholders.

What Types of Gantt Chart Software are Available?

Gantt charts are now used in organizations of all sizes and across industries, from advertising to construction. A Gantt chart maker is useful across the organization, keeping stakeholders and project teams aligned.

Integrated Project Management Systems

Project management systems include Gantt chart software for building project plans and tracking task progress. It is an essential tool for keeping plans updated so a project team will have guidance as they go through the different stages of the project lifecycle. It is also useful as a project portfolio tool to monitor timeline and resources information.

Standalone Gantt Chart Makers

The main function of stand-alone Gantt chart maker, whether desktop- or web-based, is to allow users to build, edit, and share Gantt charts quickly. The charts can be for supporting project planning, resource management, or team scheduling.

Diagramming Software

Another type of Gantt chart software is a diagramming solution that enables users to create different types of timelines, charts, and graphs. It is software more focused on creating different types of visuals to help clarify ideas, accelerate collaboration, and move ideas into execution.

What Features Are Available For Gantt Chart Software?

• Dependencies – Dependencies represent links between project tasks, signaled by lines and arrows to point out their relationship. Gantt chart software serves as an excellent tool to help visualize these dependencies.
• Milestones – Implementing key milestones during a project can help keep the entire team on-task while providing passive motivation. Celebrate accomplishments and use that energy to fuel team productivity.
• Auto-Scheduling – Some Gantt chart software can perform automatic scheduling. If this feature is enabled, you’ll ideally want a Gantt chart creator which considers lead and lag time. This helps single out any intentional delays or overalls between tasks.
• Reporting and Exporting – Many organizations use specific templates or tools to ensure their reports are uniform in design and accessible by everyone. Most Gantt chart software will include a feature to export the chart in a format which can be used in other reporting tools such as JPEG or PDF.
• Project Progress – Project managers often need the ability to set estimated hourly budgets at a project and task level to follow their progress. Gantt chart software does this in various ways, either with specific color shades on the task durations or a completion percentage displayed along the top.
• Critical Path – Within Gantt charts, the critical path denotes the most extended sequence of tasks which must be completed to successfully deliver the project. This allows project managers to correctly estimate how long the project will take and where to focus the team’s efforts without wasting too much time on auxiliary activities.

Do Gantt Charts Have Disadvantages?

Though many project managers like and rely upon Gantt charts, some professionals still do not care for the format. Among their reasons are that setup can be time consuming, the charts can become complex and confusing, there is often too much empty space in the design, task bars may not show the amount of work each requires, and some have trouble designating priorities when using a Gantt chart.