9+ Best Gantt Charting Tools 2023 (Ranked & Reviewed)

Effective project management is critical to the success of any organization, and Gantt charting tools have become an increasingly popular method for visualizing project schedules and timelines. 

Gantt charts provide a simple yet powerful way to organize tasks, track progress, and ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. 

With so many Gantt charting tools available today, it can be difficult to determine which one is the best fit for your specific needs. 

In this article, we’ll explore some of the best Gantt charting tools on the market, covering a range of categories from desktop-based software to cloud-based apps and mobile tools. 

We’ll examine the features and benefits of each tool, as well as any potential drawbacks, to help you make an informed decision about which Gantt charting tool is right for your project management needs.

What is a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a project management tool used to visualize project schedules and timelines. It was developed by Henry Gantt in the early 1900s as a way to track the progress of production processes in factories, but has since become a widely used tool in various industries for managing projects of all types.

A Gantt chart displays a timeline of tasks or activities, with each task represented as a horizontal bar that spans the duration of the task. 

The bars are typically color-coded to indicate different types of tasks or to differentiate between completed, in progress, and upcoming tasks. Dependencies between tasks can also be indicated by arrows that connect the bars, showing the sequence in which tasks must be completed.

By using a Gantt chart, project managers can easily see the status of all tasks and the overall progress of the project. This helps them to identify potential delays or issues early on, and make any necessary adjustments to keep the project on track.

What is The Best Gantt Charting Tool?

Below are some of the most popular gantt chart tools available on the market today:

• Monday.com
• Asana
• Trello
• GanttProject
• Smartsheet
• Microsoft Project
• Wrike
• TeamGantt
• ClickUp
• Zoho Projects

Best Cloud-Based Gantt Chart Software

These are Gantt chart tools that are accessed through a web browser and are hosted on a cloud-based server.

1. Monday.com

Best Gantt Chart Tool For Project Management

Monday.com is a versatile project management tool that offers a Gantt chart feature for visualizing tasks and timelines. 

With Monday.com’s Gantt chart, users can easily create and manage tasks, assign them to team members, set due dates, and track progress. 

The Gantt chart allows users to see the status of their project at a glance, identify potential roadblocks, and adjust timelines as needed. 

Monday.com’s Gantt chart can be used to manage projects of all sizes and complexities, from small projects to large-scale initiatives. 

It is a valuable tool for project managers, team leaders, and anyone looking to streamline their project management processes.

Monday.com Key Features:

• Task dependencies: Monday.com’s Gantt chart allows users to set dependencies between tasks, meaning that one task cannot be started until another has been completed.
• Timeline view: The Gantt chart provides a visual timeline view of the project, allowing users to see the entire project schedule at a glance.
• Drag-and-drop functionality: Users can easily move tasks and adjust timelines by dragging and dropping them in the Gantt chart.
• Task linking: Users can link related tasks together in the Gantt chart, making it easier to manage complex projects.
• Collaborative features: Monday.com’s Gantt chart allows team members to collaborate on projects in real-time, share progress updates, and communicate about project-related issues.
• Customization options: Users can customize the Gantt chart view to show the information that is most relevant to their project, including task progress, task assignees, and due dates.
• Integration with other tools: Monday.com’s Gantt chart can be integrated with other tools, such as time-tracking and budgeting software, to provide a comprehensive project management solution.

Monday.com Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Provides a visual representation of project timelines and dependencies
• Easy to use drag-and-drop functionality for task management
• Collaborative features allow team members to work together in real-time
• Customizable to show the information that is most relevant to the project
• Integrates with other project management tools and software

Cons:

• Can be overwhelming for very complex projects with many dependencies and subtasks
• May require some time to set up and learn how to use effectively
• Some users may prefer a more traditional task list view

Monday.com Pricing:

• Basic Plan: $8 per user per month (billed annually) or $10 per user per month (billed monthly). 
• Standard Plan: $10 per user per month (billed annually) or $12 per user per month (billed monthly). This plan includes additional features such as timeline views, calendar views, and automations.
• Pro Plan: $16 per user per month (billed annually) or $20 per user per month (billed monthly). This plan includes advanced features such as time tracking, custom automations, and integrations with additional apps.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing. This plan is designed for large organizations and includes advanced security features, priority support, and custom onboarding.

2. TeamGantt

Best Free Online Gantt Chart Maker

TeamGantt is a versatile work management platform that prioritizes planning, providing users with a free, user-friendly Gantt chart software for streamlined project scheduling. With a massive user base of over one million people, the platform is a trusted choice for top companies such as Amazon, Netflix, Nike, and Intuit.

The software’s all-in-one Gantt chart or custom board feature allows users to manage work across multiple projects, while also providing the option to switch to kanban, list, or calendar views with ease. The built-in resource management software prevents team overload and keeps work allocation efficient. Furthermore, the centralized hub is an excellent solution for storing project files and communication.

The time tracking software makes it possible for users to monitor the pace of their work directly from the Gantt chart. The project health report is a valuable tool for identifying and resolving delays and overages before they impact budgets. The platform is designed for collaboration and teamwork, with in-app RACI assignment, portfolio management, baseline comparisons, hourly estimation and time tracking, flexible resource management, integrations and API, customizable share options, and time-saving project templates.

Teamgantt Key Features:

• Gantt Chart Software: TeamGantt provides free and easy-to-use Gantt chart software that helps users create project schedules and timelines.
• Multiple Views: Users can manage work across multiple projects in a single Gantt chart or custom board and switch between Gantt chart, kanban, list, or calendar views in one click.
• Resource Management: TeamGantt offers built-in resource management software that enables users to allocate work without overloading their team.
• Centralized Hub: The software provides a centralized hub to store project files and communication, making it easy to collaborate on projects.
• Time Tracking: With time tracking software, users can see how work is pacing directly from their Gantt chart, and the project health report helps them spot delays and overages before they drain their budget.

Teamgantt Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Easy-to-use Gantt chart software for project scheduling
• Customizable board and views for managing work across multiple projects
• Built-in resource management software to allocate work efficiently
• Time tracking software for monitoring progress and pacing directly from the Gantt chart
• Project health report for spotting delays and overages before they impact the budget
• Collaboration tools to work effectively with your team
• Premium features like RACI assignment, portfolio management, and customizable share options
• Free 30-day trial with full access to premium features

Cons:

• May not be suitable for very large or complex projects
• Some users may find the interface too simplistic or limited in functionality
• Limited integrations compared to other project management tools

Teamgantt Pricing:

TeamGantt offers flexible pricing plans to suit different project management needs, including:

• Free plan: Ideal for personal projects, it offers one manager, two collaborators, one project, and 60 tasks.
• Lite plan: This plan costs $19 per month per manager (billed annually at a 20% discount or monthly), supports up to five projects per manager, 150 tasks per project, and five collaborators per manager.
• Pro plan: The most popular plan costs $49 per month per manager and supports up to 20 projects per manager, unlimited tasks, and unlimited collaborators.
• Enterprise plan: Starting at $99 per month per manager, it includes unlimited projects, tasks, and collaborators, dedicated account managers, customized training, security review, and uptime SLA.

All plans come with a free 30-day trial and can be canceled at any time.

3. Asana

Best Gantt Chart Software For Team Collaboration

Asana’s Gantt chart feature provides users with a visual representation of their project’s timeline. It shows the start and end dates of each task, as well as how they overlap with one another. 

This allows users to easily view their project’s progress and identify potential scheduling conflicts.

Users can adjust the duration of tasks and dependencies between them, and they can also drag and drop tasks to reschedule them. 

This helps teams stay on top of their tasks and deadlines, and it allows for greater collaboration and communication between team members.

Asana Key Features:

• Task duration and dependencies: The Gantt chart displays each task’s start and end dates, as well as the dependencies between them. This allows users to see how each task affects the project timeline and identify potential scheduling conflicts.
• Drag-and-drop functionality: Users can easily move tasks around on the Gantt chart by dragging and dropping them to new dates or adjusting their duration. 
• Task progress tracking: Asana’s Gantt chart shows the progress of each task as a percentage, allowing users to see how much work has been completed and how much is left to do.
• Critical path highlighting: The Gantt chart highlights the critical path of the project, which is the sequence of tasks that must be completed on time in order for the project to finish on schedule. 

Asana Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Provides a visual representation of the project timeline
• Helps identify potential scheduling conflicts
• Allows for easy task rescheduling and adjustment
• Shows progress and completion status of tasks
• Highlights critical path for prioritization
• Customizable view options

Cons:

• Limited customization options for the Gantt chart itself
• Some users may find the interface to be complex or overwhelming
• Requires active management to keep the Gantt chart up-to-date
• May not be suitable for very complex or long-term projects

Asana Pricing:

• Basic (Free): This plan includes basic features for personal use or small teams, including task management, project boards, calendars, and integrations with other apps. However, it does not include some of the more advanced features such as the Gantt chart.
• Premium ($10.99 per user per month, billed annually): This plan includes all the features of the Basic plan, as well as more advanced features such as the Gantt chart, timelines, forms, proofing, and reporting.
• Business ($24.99 per user per month, billed annually): This plan includes all the features of the Premium plan, as well as additional features such as portfolios, rules, custom fields, and advanced integrations.
• Enterprise (custom pricing): This plan is designed for larger organizations with complex needs, and includes all the features of the Business plan as well as additional security, compliance, and customization options. Pricing is based on individual needs and requirements.

Asana also offers a 30-day free trial for its Premium and Business plans, as well as discounts for non-profit organizations.

Best Desktop-Based Gantt Charting Tools

These are software applications that can be installed on a computer and are used to create Gantt charts for project management.

1. Microsoft Project

Best All-in-One Gantt Chart Software

The Gantt chart generated by Microsoft Project can be customized to include additional information, such as resource assignments, task relationships, and task progress. Users can also adjust the Gantt chart’s appearance by changing the colors, font sizes, and styles to suit their preferences.

In addition to generating Gantt charts, Microsoft Project also offers tools for scheduling, resource management, and budget tracking, making it a comprehensive project management solution for businesses and organizations of all sizes.

Microsoft Project Key Features:

• Task Management: Users can create and manage tasks and sub-tasks, including setting start and end dates, durations, and dependencies between tasks.
• Timeline View: The timeline view allows users to view the Gantt chart in a more high-level manner, seeing an overview of the entire project timeline.
• Critical Path Analysis: Microsoft Project can automatically identify the critical path of the project, which is the sequence of tasks that must be completed on time for the project to be completed on schedule.
• Resource Management: Users can assign resources, such as team members or equipment, to specific tasks, and track resource availability and utilization.
• Baselines: Users can create a baseline, which is a snapshot of the original project plan, and compare it to the current plan to track changes and measure progress.
• Progress Tracking: Users can track task progress by marking them as complete or in progress, and Microsoft Project will automatically update the Gantt chart to reflect the latest status of the project.

Microsoft Project Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Comprehensive project management solution
• Customization options
• Integration with other Microsoft tools
• Automatic updates

Cons:

• Steep learning curve
• Expensive
• Limited collaboration
• Requires Windows OS

Microsoft Project Pricing:

Please note that these prices are subject to change and may vary depending on your location and specific needs. 

2. OmniPlan

Best Gantt Chart Solution For macOS

OmniPlan is a powerful project management tool that allows users to create and manage project schedules using Gantt charts. 

It is developed by The Omni Group and is available for Mac, iPad, and iPhone platforms. OmniPlan offers new features and interface refinements, including the project assistant, recurring and manually scheduled tasks, interval cost and effort tracking, and more. With OmniPlan, users can make complicated projects manageable and monitor interval and effort tracking, customize resources, and continuously improve their processes.

The software provides a range of built-in templates, including Standard Project, Standard Project (Styled), and Simple Project, to help users manage simple or complex projects at a glance.

OmniPlan Key Features:

• Gantt Charts: OmniPlan offers robust Gantt chart tools that help users visualize and plan their projects with ease.
• Project Management: OmniPlan provides a comprehensive suite of project management tools to help users plan and manage complex projects with ease.
• Resource Management: OmniPlan allows users to manage resources across multiple projects and teams, helping them to optimize resource allocation.
• Task Management: The software enables users to break down projects into tasks, assign them to team members, and track their progress.
• Collaboration: OmniPlan allows teams to collaborate on projects in real-time, providing a seamless workflow that keeps everyone on the same page.
• Baseline Tracking: OmniPlan allows users to set multiple baselines, which helps them to compare actual progress to the original plan.
• Monte Carlo Simulation: The software offers a powerful Monte Carlo simulation feature that enables users to evaluate hundreds of potential project outcomes with a single click.
• Cost Tracking: The software allows users to track project costs, including labor, materials, and other expenses, helping them to stay on budget.

OmniPlan Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Offers a comprehensive suite of project management tools
• Provides robust Gantt chart tools for visualizing project timelines
• Allows users to manage resources across multiple projects and teams
• Enables collaboration in real-time
• Offers a range of reporting tools for tracking progress and analyzing project data
• Provides powerful Monte Carlo simulation and critical path analysis features
• Offers cost tracking and management tools
• Available on Mac, iPad, and iPhone

Cons:

• May be too complex for simpler projects
• Limited integrations with other software and tools
• Only available on Apple devices, limiting accessibility for some users
• Can be expensive for individual users or small teams

OmniPlan Pricing:

OmniPlan offers two pricing options:

• OmniPlan Standard: This is a one-time purchase option for $149.99, which provides access to the latest version of OmniPlan for Mac.
• OmniPlan Pro: This is a subscription-based option that costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year, and provides access to the latest version of OmniPlan for Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

Both options include a free 14-day trial, and volume discounts are available for teams and organizations.

Best Spreadsheet-Based Gantt Chart Templates

Spreadsheet-based Gantt chart templates are pre-designed documents that help users create Gantt charts using spreadsheet software.

1. Excel Gantt Chart Template

Excel Gantt Chart Templates are tools that can help you to plan and track project tasks and their timelines in a visually appealing and organized way. It is a type of bar chart that shows a project schedule and is commonly used in project management. The chart consists of horizontal bars representing individual tasks or activities, with their start and end dates marked on a time scale along the horizontal axis.

The Excel Gantt Chart Template can be used for various types of projects, such as construction, software development, event planning, marketing campaigns, and more. The template allows you to easily create a Gantt chart in Excel by inputting the project tasks, their start and end dates, and any dependencies between them. It also allows you to customize the chart with various formatting options, such as colors, fonts, and labels.

The benefits of using an Excel Gantt Chart Template include better project planning, scheduling, and tracking. It helps to identify potential delays and bottlenecks in the project timeline, which allows you to take corrective action in a timely manner. It also helps to communicate project progress to stakeholders in a clear and concise way.

There are many pre-made Excel Gantt Chart Templates available online that you can download and customize to suit your specific project needs. Some templates may include additional features such as resource allocation, cost tracking, and milestone tracking. Overall, an Excel Gantt Chart Template is a useful tool for project managers and teams to keep their projects on track and achieve their goals efficiently.

2. Google Sheets Gantt chart template

The Gantt chart template in Google Sheets provides a visual representation of project tasks and their timelines. It allows users to break down a project into smaller tasks and subtasks, assign deadlines, and track progress. The chart is built on a grid-like structure, where each row represents a task, and each column represents a time period.

The Google Sheets Gantt chart template is fully customizable, allowing users to adjust the chart’s layout, colors, and formatting to match their preferences. The template also supports collaboration, allowing team members to work together in real-time, making updates and edits to the chart as needed.

Users can add dependencies between tasks, set milestones, and even add notes and comments to individual tasks or the project as a whole. The Gantt chart template also includes automated progress tracking, so users can quickly see how much of the project has been completed and what still needs to be done.

3. Smartsheet Gantt Chart Template

Smartsheet is a cloud-based project management tool that offers a Gantt chart template to help users visualize project timelines and tasks. The Smartsheet Gantt chart template provides a graphical representation of project schedules, allowing users to plan, track, and manage project tasks more efficiently.

With the Smartsheet Gantt chart template, users can create a hierarchical structure of tasks, define their start and end dates, assign resources, and set dependencies between them. This allows project managers to identify critical paths and potential delays, and adjust schedules accordingly. The template also includes customizable options for color-coding, formatting, and grouping tasks.

In addition, the Smartsheet Gantt chart template provides real-time collaboration features, allowing team members to access and update project schedules from anywhere, at any time. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and can track progress in real-time.

Best Mobile-based Gantt Chart Apps

These are Gantt charting tools that can be used on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

1. Toggl Plan

Best Gantt Chart Software For Task Scheduling

Toggl Plan is a work planning and project management software that allows teams to create Gantt charts to visually plan their projects, track progress, and keep their workload healthy using drag-and-drop timelines. 

The software’s Gantt chart feature provides users with a clear overview of their team’s work schedule in one place, allowing them to schedule tasks without conflicting with other projects, time off, or public holidays. 

With Toggl Plan, users can efficiently collaborate with their team by keeping all task information in one place with file attachments, checklists, and feedback. 

The software is built for small, fast-moving teams such as creative agencies, consultancies, and implementation teams, and it is easy to use, helping teams deliver projects on time without being overwhelmed.

Toggl Plan Key Features:

• Gantt chart view: Toggl Plan allows teams to create Gantt charts to visually plan their projects, track progress, and keep their workload healthy using drag-and-drop timelines.
• Team collaboration: Toggl Plan makes it easy for teams to collaborate efficiently by keeping all task information in one place with file attachments, checklists, and feedback.
• Task management: Toggl Plan provides users with an efficient way to manage tasks by allowing them to assign, collaborate, and stay on top of tasks to deliver work on time.
• Resource planning: With Toggl Plan, teams can efficiently plan their resources and avoid scheduling conflicts by seeing their team’s work schedule in one place.
• Time tracking integration: Toggl Plan has a two-way integration with Toggl Track that enables teams to track actual work against project estimates, compare estimates and actuals, pull client-ready reports, and bill accurately for their projects.

Toggl Plan Pricing:

All plans offer a 14-day free trial, no credit card required. Additionally, Toggl Plan offers a 20% discount for annual billing.

Best Open-source Gantt Chart Software

Open-source Gantt chart software is free to use and can be customized to suit the needs of the user.

1. GanttProject

GanttProject is a free and open-source desktop project management software that allows users to create Gantt charts for small and medium businesses. 

With an easy-to-use and intuitive interface, users can quickly break down the work, assign resources, and calculate project costs. 

GanttProject is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux and can be downloaded and installed within seconds. 

The software allows for easy collaboration with the GanttProject Cloud, a commercial cloud-based project and collaboration server.

GanttProject has been around since 2003 and has thousands of users in nearly 200 countries. 

It is trusted by its users and has received positive reviews on various platforms, including Facebook, Capterra, and G2. 

Users can download and modify the source code of GanttProject and redistribute it under the terms of the GPL3 license. The software can also export documents to Microsoft Project format, import existing documents, and produce reports and printable charts. 

GanttProject 3.2 was released on February 15, 2022, while the GanttProject 3.3 Beta was released on December 7, 2022.

2. OpenProject

OpenProject is an open source project management software that offers classic, agile, or hybrid project management solutions in a secure environment. It is used by various successful companies such as Siemens, Deutsche Bahn, and Greenpeace. OpenProject is dedicated to providing data sovereignty, ensuring that users have complete control over their data and privacy with a variety of security features.

OpenProject provides tools to support agile project management methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban. In addition to these, it also offers Gantt charts to help users plan and visualize their projects more effectively. 

With Gantt charts, users can easily create and manage project timelines, identify project dependencies, and track progress. This feature is especially useful for projects with complex tasks and multiple team members.

Users can assign tasks to team members, use the team planner to visually manage workload, and collaborate with their teams using shared timelines. OpenProject is home to a big community of open-source enthusiasts, developers, businesses, and their projects. Users can choose between the self-managed or hosted by OpenProject options. The self-managed option offers professional support, enterprise add-ons, and security features for a user’s self-hosted OpenProject, while the Enterprise Cloud offers professional OpenProject Hosting and additional enterprise add-ons and support.

Users can start a free trial of OpenProject or download it for free to try out its features, including Gantt charts, and see how it can help them manage their projects more efficiently.

Features To Consider When Choosing Gantt Chart Software

When choosing Gantt chart software, it’s important to consider several features to ensure the tool meets your project management needs. Here are some key features to consider:

Task management

A good Gantt chart software should offer the ability to create and manage tasks, dependencies, and deadlines. It should allow you to assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and identify dependencies between tasks. The software should also provide a clear visual representation of the tasks and their dependencies, so that you can easily identify critical paths and potential bottlenecks.

Resource management

The software should allow you to allocate resources, including team members and equipment, to each task, and track their availability and workload. This feature is especially important if you’re managing multiple projects or if you have a large team. The software should provide a clear overview of your team’s workload and help you avoid overallocating resources.

Time tracking

A time tracking feature can help you monitor the time spent on each task and ensure that you’re staying within the project timeline. It should allow you to track time spent on individual tasks, as well as the overall project. The software should also provide the ability to generate reports that show how much time was spent on each task.

Collaboration tools

Many Gantt chart software tools offer features for team collaboration, such as task comments, document sharing, and real-time updates. Collaboration tools can help you keep your team members informed and engaged, and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals. The software should allow you to communicate with your team members, share files, and receive notifications when changes are made to the project.

Customization

The ability to customize the Gantt chart, including task colors, bar styles, and chart views, can help you tailor the chart to your specific project management needs. The software should provide flexible options for customizing the chart’s appearance, so that you can easily identify critical tasks and milestones.

Reporting

The software should allow you to generate reports, such as task status, resource usage, and project timeline, that provide insights into project progress. Reporting tools can help you identify issues early and make informed decisions about the project. The software should provide a range of reporting options, including graphical reports and tabular reports.

Integration

It’s important to consider if the gantt chart software can integrate with other project management tools and software, such as calendars, task management tools, and communication platforms. Integration can help you streamline your workflow and avoid manual data entry. The software should offer a range of integration options and allow you to customize the integration to meet your needs.

Benefits Of Using Gantt Charting Software

There are many benefits to using Gantt charting software for project management. Here are some of the key benefits:

• Visualization: Gantt charts provide a clear, visual representation of the project timeline, including the start and end dates of each task, dependencies between tasks, and critical milestones. This makes it easy to identify potential issues and delays, and to adjust the project plan accordingly.
• Time management: Gantt charts provide a way to track the time spent on each task, which can help you stay on schedule and avoid delays. The charts also make it easy to see the overall progress of the project and to identify tasks that are falling behind schedule.
• Resource allocation: Gantt charts help you allocate resources, such as team members and equipment, to each task, and track their availability and workload. This can help you avoid over-allocating resources and ensure that your team members are working efficiently.
• Collaboration: Many Gantt charting software tools offer collaboration features, such as task comments, document sharing, and real-time updates. These features help team members stay informed and engaged, and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.
• Project management: Gantt charts provide a framework for project management, with clear timelines and deadlines for each task. This can help you stay organized and focused, and ensure that the project stays on track.

How To Create a Gantt Chart in 7 Steps

Are you interested in creating your own Gantt Chart? If so, you’re in luck. Gantt Charts are a powerful tool for project management, but it can be daunting to create one from scratch. 

There are a variety of solutions available, from manually sketching one out on paper to using an online tool like Toggl Plan. 

With just a few simple steps, you can quickly create a Gantt Chart that meets your project management needs.

Step 1: Identify the sub-tasks of your project

Before creating a Gantt Chart using Excel, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the tasks that need to be included. For instance, if you are launching a new product, you need to identify the individual tasks and milestones that are involved in the process. This can be achieved by consulting with your team and brainstorming a list of the various steps required to launch the product. Once you have a comprehensive list of tasks, such as

• Market research
• Planning
• Prototyping
• Customer feedback
• Revisions
• Final product
• Marketing

You can proceed to create your Gantt Chart on an Excel worksheet.

Step 2: Set up an Excel table to create a project schedule

To create a Gantt chart in Excel, start by setting up a simple table with four columns: task, start date, end date, and duration. This table will serve as the data source for your Gantt chart.

To calculate the duration between the start date and end date, you can use a subtraction formula in Excel or a third-party tool like timeanddate.com.

For instance, suppose you’re launching a new product for your company, the table might look like this:

Step 3: Insert a Stacked Bar Chart

To create your Gantt Chart, you’ll need to insert a stacked bar chart in Excel. First, highlight the table that you just created, including the column headers.

Next, navigate to the “Insert” tab on the Excel ribbon, and select “Stacked Bar” from the “Charts” section. Choose the stacked bar chart that includes 100% stacked bars. This will ensure that your chart shows each task as a separate segment and that the entire chart represents 100% of the project timeline.

Step 4: Add start dates to your chart

No need to fret, that empty chart won’t remain that way for much longer. The next step is to add the start dates to the chart.

To accomplish this, simply right-click on the blank chart box, and choose the “Select Data” option from the resulting menu. This will open up a window that looks like the following:

To add your first set of data, which in this case is the start dates of each of your tasks, click on the plus sign under the “Legend entries (Series)” field in the window. Once you click on the plus sign, a row called “Series 1” will appear under the “Legend entries (Series)” header. Click on “Series 1” to make sure you’re editing that specific series.

After selecting “Series 1”, click on the small grid with the red arrow located to the right of the “Name” field. This will open a box where you can select data. From there, select the column header “Start Date” using your mouse and press the enter key.

To proceed, click on the small grid with a red arrow to the right of the “Y values” field. Next, use your cursor to select all of the start dates in your dataset, excluding the column header. Afterward, press the “Enter” key, followed by clicking on the “OK” button that appears in blue.

Step 5: Incorporate the Duration into Your Chart

To do this, right-click on any of the existing bars in the chart and select “Format Data Series” from the drop-down menu that appears.

In the “Format Data Series” window, find the option to “Secondary Axis” and check the box beside it. This will add a secondary axis to the right side of your chart.

Next, click on the “Duration” column in your data table and then click and drag to highlight all of the durations for your tasks.

After doing so, right-click on the selected duration values and select “Add Data Labels” from the menu that appears.

You should now see the duration of each task displayed above the corresponding bar on your chart.

Step 6: Add Tasks to Your Chart

By now, your Gantt Chart should have the start and end dates, as well as the duration of each task plotted out. It might look something like the example shown below:

But wait, there’s more data that you need to include in the chart: the specific tasks of your project. To do this, select the blue bars on the chart, and then right-click to access the “Select Data” option.

In the new window, find the field labeled “Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels.” 

Click the small grid icon with the red arrow to select your data, and choose all the tasks in your dataset (except for the column header). After selecting, press enter, and then click the blue “OK” button.

Step 7: Format your Gantt Chart

Now that you’ve added all the necessary data to your chart, it’s time to format it to resemble a Gantt Chart. At present, your chart is displaying blue and orange bars. Your objective is to make the blue bars transparent so that only the orange bars representing your tasks remain visible.

To do this, select all the blue bars at once by clicking on one of them and holding down the shift key while clicking the others. Next, click the “Format Data Series” option, and then choose the paint can to adjust the fill and line colors of the blue bars. Choose “No Fill” and “No Line” options to make the bars transparent.

Your chart should now resemble a Gantt Chart, as shown in the example. However, you may notice that the tasks are listed in reverse order on the left side of the chart. To rectify this, select the tasks in the chart and right-click to choose the “Format Axis” option. Check the box for “Categories in reverse order” in the menu that appears, then click back within your chart.

Your tasks will now appear in the correct order, and your Gantt Chart is now complete!

FAQs

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many great tools available for creating Gantt charts, each with its own unique features and advantages.

Whether you’re a project manager, team leader, or just need to create a visual timeline for a personal project, there is a tool out there that can help you get the job done quickly and efficiently.

Some of the top options include Monday.com, Asana, Microsoft Project, GanttProject, TeamGantt, and Smartsheet, but there are many other great tools to choose from as well.

Ultimately, the best Gantt charting tool for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences, but with so many options available, there is sure to be one that is perfect for you.

Last updated on May 3rd, 2023 at 04:13 am