Time and task management are paramount to meeting deadlines and finishing projects.
Displaying these tasks and contingencies visually helps team members plan workflows and work more efficiently.
Gantt chart software are a popular medium through which you can visually represent the breakdown of tasks in a project over time. They prove to be integral to project management software, concurrently showing a timeline for tasks while also taking into account contingencies between tasks.
Gantt charts differ from a traditional timeline in that they are meant to break down workflows, focusing more on the interdependencies between tasks rather than the broad picture.
What is the best free gantt chart software in 2019?
- GanttProject
- TeamGantt
- Redbooth
- RationalPlan
- Bitrix24
- OpenProject
- Vizzlo
- Canva
- Agantty
- Tom's Planner
- Pincello
- Vertex42
Consider the following when deciding which solution is best for your needs:
- Number of concurrent projects
- Number of collaborators or users
- Necessity of built-in task management
- Frequency of edits to the Gantt chart
- Overall design (practical vs. stylized)
- Usage (presentation vs. day-to-day)
- Mobile app availability
This post lists a variety of different products that include Gantt charts within their functionality, including project management suites, design tools, spreadsheet plugins and standalone software specifically for Gantt charts.
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♦ TIP: For more general project management features, check out the 21 best free project management software tools in 2018. |
They’re ordered by G2 score, but the chart below allows comparison between products by software and hosting type. Even better, all the products listed are either completely free or have a free version.
These products alone have well over 1,700 validated user reviews on G2 Crowd as of October 30, 2018, and only represent a small portion of the 100-plus Gantt chart software offerings listed on our platform.
Whenever possible, the products are ranked by user satisfaction score.
For each product we provide:
- An overview
- Highlighted features
- Free and paid options details
For products with G2 Crowd verified user reviews, we have included:
- G2 Crowd star rating
- Reviews highlighting what users like and dislike
- User recommendations for these considering the product
The best free Gantt chart software in 2019
Product reviews and G2 Crowd star ratings were updated as of October 30th, 2018
1. GanttProject
Product Name: GanttProject
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Overview
GanttProject is a downloadable, standalone Gantt chart software. This is a great software solution if you’re looking for a supplement to your existing project management suite.
Free option
- Available for Windows, Mac and Linux
Paid option
- None
Features
- Task management
- PERT chart generation
- Set milestones
- Create and compare baselines
- Microsoft Project import/export
What users like
“I like how easy it is to color code things and view schedules in real time, along with assigning people certain tasks.”
— GanttProject review by a user
What users dislike
“The options to export are not efficient. If the schedule is very large, it gives many problems.”
— GanttProject review by an administrator in computer software
Recommendations for others considering the product
“Besides occasionally small text sizes, easy to use to keep track of what team is working on.”
— GanttProject review by a user
2. TeamGantt
Product Name: TeamGantt
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Overview
TeamGantt is an acclaimed project management suite that allows you to manage tasks and view them teamwide in a variety of formats. Its Gantt charts and task management functions are highly intuitive, allowing users to assign priority and deadlines via drag and drop.
Free option
- Team of three people, one project, basic planning and collaboration features
Paid option
- $39.50/month: Team of five or more people, unlimited projects, advanced planning and collaboration features
- $62.25/month: Team of five or more people, unlimited projects, time tracking, hourly estimating
Features
- Customizable views (day-by-day, calendar, simple list or Gantt chart)
- Visibility into team member availability and workload
- Planned vs. actual timeline
What users like
“The way you build Gantt here is fast and really useful. We were able to sync more since we started using TeamGantt, and this had great results in the work. It is amazing and I'm going to get a full service soon.”
— TeamGantt review by Gabriel P.
What users dislike
“I feel like there are so many features my coworkers and I did not know about; however, we scheduled a learning session with a rep and have integrated several of the new features!”
— TeamGantt review by Karen O.
Recommendations for others considering the product
“If you are interested in using Gantt charts, this free option is a great place to get started! Personally, I have continued to stick with this program as it meets my needs.”
— TeamGantt review by Casey S.
3. Redbooth
Product Name: Redbooth
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Overview
Redbooth is an up-and-coming project management suite touting an interactive and clean interface. Its timeline feature allows you to quickly create Gantt charts by making tasks, dragging and dropping them and assigning ownership.
Free option
- Up to two workspaces, 2 GB of file storage space, integration with Google Drive, Slack and Dropbox
Paid option
- $9/user/month: Unlimited workspaces, 5 GB of file storage space, free guests/external users, integration with Evernote, Box and Cisco Spark
- $15/user/month: 50 GB of file storage space, priority support, integration with Microsoft OneDrive, Okta and OneLogin
Features
- Task management
- Project Templates
- Chrome extension
- Team workspaces
- Productivity reports
What users like
“We were drawn to Redbooth because it felt very robust and feature-rich, while still being very easy to use. It had many of the features I was looking for such as task dependencies, a Gantt chart, card-style workspaces, subtasks, good notifications and easy uploading. In our research, a lot of others project management tools had these, but they didn't feel as engaging to use as Redbooth.”
— Redbooth review by Danial D.
What users dislike
“The horizontal nature of some aspects of Redbooth. When some sections and tasks disappear when marked as complete - sometimes we need to see at a glance that some things have been completed.”
— Redbooth review by Christopher B.
Recommendations for others considering the product
“Try the free plan. I strongly doubt you'll be disappointed — in fact you'll probably be impressed.”
— Redbooth review by Leighton F.
4. RationalPlan
Product Name: RationalPlan
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Overview
RationalPlan is a comprehensive project management solution covering both local and cloud options. While its basic local option is only free with Linux, its free cloud option offers significant functionality for up to two users.
Free option
- Cloud: Two projects, 100 tasks, 5 MB storage, two users
- Desktop: Single plan free on Linux
Paid option
- Cloud
- $4/user/month: 20 projects, 700 tasks, 7 GB storage, unlimited users
- $12/user/month: 50 projects, 2,000 tasks, 15 GB storage
- $19/user/month: unlimited projects, unlimited tasks, 20 GB storage
- Desktop
- $57 — Single plan: task, project, and resource management
- $98 — Multi-plan: portfolio and client management
Features
- Integration with Microsoft Project
- Costs tracking
What users like
“I like that it is web-based and easily compatible with Mac, and it has similar features to MS Project, which made it very easy to switch. It has all of the task and Gantt chart features that the executives I work with want to see. It integrates with Outlook, so tasks can be emailed to responsible staff. The export to PDF is great for sharing a snapshot of all the tasks in the entire project along with the Gantt chart.”
— RationalPlan review by Tanya F.
What users dislike
“It looks like it's built in Java. Does not use the OS X interface elements, such as the Save dialog box. It works though and it is usable.”
— RationalPlan review by Rick S.
Recommendations for others considering the product
“If you, like me, want project management functionality for small- to medium-sized projects, and only spend a portion of your time on project planning, I would recommend this program. It is easy to use and easy to make changes.”
— RationalPlan review by Joseph M.
5. Bitrix24
Product Name: Bitrix24
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars
Overview
Bitrix implements the communication tools of team collaboration software within a CRM and project management suite. It also features built-in file storage and sharing with upgradable storage space.
Free option
- 12 users, one admin, 5 GB of online storage
Paid option
- $39/month: 24 users, two admins, 24 GB of online storage
- $99/month: 50 users, five admins, 100 GB of online storage
- $199/month: unlimited users, admins and online storage
Features
- Built-in instant messenger
- Voice and video calls
What users like
“This software is so much more than a project-planner tool, I believe that it'd be a very good 'entry'-level CRM. However, I just use the one functionality of Bitrix24, which is the project/task planner. I discovered it whilst trying to find free-to-use Gantt chart software and this perfectly fits the bill! It's a great platform for colleagues and teams to come together and collaborate on work.”
— Bitrix24 review by Charlotte S.
What users dislike
“I think Bitrix24 might be a little overwhelming at first. I think once the business learns how to operate Bitrix24, it is effective. However, there is training involved, which is time consuming.”
— Bitrix24 review by Carla S.
Recommendations for others considering the product
“I would recommend Bitrix to anyone who is interested in learning more about their business, really all you have to do is enter the data, and you can see it in a very digestible format. This product can improve most small business workflow.”
— Bitrix24 review by Cory J.
6. OpenProject
Product Name: OpenProject
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars
Overview
OpenProject is a open-source project management software. While its interface is simplistic, the product makes up for it with extensive functionality including time tracking and multiple roadmap viewing options. It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Paid option
- $5.73/user/month — Cloud: Custom theme and logo, multi-select custom fields, context-sensitive help links, two-factor authentication
- $6.82/user/month — Enterprise: LDAP user and group sync, two-step confirmation for new users
Features
- Task management
- Agile and Scrum view
- Cost reporting
- Bug tracking
- User groups and permissions
What users like
“It is the best organization and support tool through all stages of the project, starting from the inception of the project to completion. I like scheduling everything and this works great for me. Also it is easy to collaborate with people and teams. The user interface is also very intuitive."
— OpenProject review by a user in hospital & health care
What users dislike
“User interface and occasional crashes. The UI seems to be at times confusing. Copying of task from one sub project to another is not possible. This is a major overhead if you are planning to have two versions for the project.”
— OpenProject review by an administrator in information technology and services
Recommendations for others considering the product
“It's an amazing tool, which is very easy to use and covers every aspect of project management in the simplest way possible.”
— OpenProject review by Roshan F.
7. Vizzlo
Product Name: Vizzlo
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Overview
Vizzlo a cloud-based design product that specializes in data visualization software and complex graph features. This is a great option if you don’t need a full project management suite or want a more aesthetically appealing Gantt chart.
Free option
- Predesigned themes and color palettes, custom themes, watermarked downloaded images, public documents, 100-plus graph templates
Paid option
- $11: Export PDF, document sharing and folders with editing rights, documents private by default
- $15: Upload corporate fonts, centralized invoice handling
What users like
“Since I started using it in 2016, my presentations look more professional, and I spend less time for a much better result. They provide various chart types adaptable to your corporate design.”
— Vizzlo review by Christoph B.
What users dislike
“I'm still missing some graphic templates and features for my work.”
— Vizzlo review by Benjamin B.
Recommendations for others considering the product
“I save a lot of time and my presentations look much more professional and structured. Also the great portfolio lets you find cool new ways to visualize your data!”
— Vizzlo review by Theresa H.
8. Canva
Product Name: Canva
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Overview
Canva is a free, cloud-based graphic design software. The product offers templates specifically for Gantt charts, which are also printable. Like Vizzlo, Canva is a great choice if you need a simple Gantt chart solution.
Free option
- Graph creation
- Photo editing
- Printing
- Built-in stock image search
Paid option
- $9.95/month: Build your own brand kit, one-click post to social media, animations, sharing, design folders
What users like
“This platform can make anybody look like an experienced graphic designer. I had no previous experience designing and within weeks was making creative and professional-looking graphics. My campaign has saved thousands on design fees from using this product.”
— Canva review by Abigail C.
What users dislike
“It was a little intimidating at first but I quickly caught on to what it wanted and how to do it. There are a LOT of options to choose from, which is nice in the long run, but in the beginning, trying to look through them to find exactly what you want can be a bit overwhelming.”
— Canva review by Janet G.
Recommendations for others considering the product
“Pretty solid, well-featured app to do simple, clean graphic design projects. This is perfect for social media, streamlined print projects and brochures.”
— Canva review by Nicole W.
9. Agantty
Product Name: Agantty
G2 Crowd Star Rating: N/A
Overview
Agantty is a cloud-based, open-source project management software solution. Though the tool is not yet available in mobile or desktop versions, it offers extensive user and rights management functionality and features unlimited projects.
Paid option
- None
Features
- Unlimited projects
- PDF export of tasks
- User groups and rights management
- Available as a Google Chrome plugin
What Users Say
Be the first user to write an Agantty review!
10. Tom's Planner
Product Name: Tom’s Planner
G2 Crowd Star Rating: N/A
Overview
Tom’s Planner is a cloud-based, standalone Gantt chart software. The free edition is meant to support only one user so this is a great choice if you’re looking for personal Gantt software.
Free option
- One project schedule with 200 activities per schedule
Paid option
- $9.95 per month: 20 project schedules, schedule printing, personalized logo, schedule export
- $19.95 per month: Unlimited project schedules, backup and save locally, embed schedules
Features
- Email support
- Free updates
What Users Say
Be the first user to write a Tom’s Planner review!
11. Pincello
Product Name: Pincello
G2 Crowd Star Rating: N/A
Overview
Pincello is a cloud-based timeline and Gantt chart generator. It allows users to either enter data to generate the chart or import data from an Excel spreadsheet.
Free option
- 10 imported records, three saved timelines, five PowerPoint downloads
Paid option
- $59/year: 150 imported records, unlimited saved timelines, unlimited PowerPoint downloads, technical support
Features
- Integration with Microsoft Timeline, PowerPoint and Excel
What Users Say
Be the first user to write a Pincello review!
12. Vertex42
Product Name: Vertex42
G2 Crowd Star Rating: N/A
Overview
Vertex42 offers a downloadable template for Gantt charts that plugs into most spreadsheet software. It can take some time to learn it fully, but it is a worthwhile solution if you want to just pull information from a data file.
Free option
- Available for Excel 2003, Excel 2010, OpenOffice and Google Sheets
Paid option
- $35: Full integration with Excel, free updates
Features
- Automatic work-breakdown structure
What Users Say
Be the first user to write a Vertex42 review!
Next steps for selecting the best free Gantt chart software
There are quite a few options outlined in this list to narrow down. If you’re still having trouble determining which kind of software is best for you, consider what functionality and capabilities you and your team need.
If you are looking for a functional tool and aesthetics aren’t as important, consider a spreadsheet template or a dedicated Gantt chart standalone product. On the other hand, if you don’t predict frequent changes or you need a more design-focused chart, a design tool will be your best option.
Project management suites will offer both functionality and design, but you might not need a full suite for your project.
Ready to learn more about productivity at work? Learn the best steps your project management team can take with this guide to time management.
* User reviews may have been edited for grammar and spelling
* Data as of October 25, 2018
