If you are trying to keep track of a complex project or juggling your way through multiple projects, Gantt chart software offers a great visual solution for project management. With the right Gantt chart software in place, project leaders can more easily oversee different aspects of the project and all team members can visualize what they need to do to keep up with the project timeline.
SEE: Hiring kit: Project manager (TechRepublic Premium)
With so many software options available for Gantt charts, it can be challenging to pick the right software for your needs. Some of these platforms offer high levels of customization and various integrations, which can be useful for larger teams that have in-house skills to develop the software. Conversely, there are also many Gantt chart solutions that are easier to set up and implement out of the box.
Regardless of your team’s current skill level, capacity, budget and project tasks, we have highlighted five of the best Gantt chart software options for your business to consider.
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5 best Gantt chart software compared
ClickUp: Best for high levels of customization
ClickUp is all-in-one project management software that is loaded with features, including for Gantt charts and other project visualizations. One of the reasons ClickUp is rated highly by its users is that it offers granular customizability and delivers excellent visibility into each project task.
SEE: How to create a Gantt chart in ClickUp (TechRepublic)
The Gantt chart view is easy to create and offers a simple way to visualize task dependencies. To set up the Gantt chart view, users can simply draw a line between tasks; from there, ClickUp handles the rest of the build.
Pricing plans
ClickUp offers five different plans to users, including a free option:
- Free Forever: Free, primarily for personal use.
- Unlimited: $5 per member per month paid annually, or $9 per member per month paid monthly.
- Business: $12 per member per month paid annually, or $19 per member per month paid monthly.
- Business Plus: $19 per member per month paid annually, or $29 per member per month paid monthly.
- Enterprise: Pricing information is available upon request from the ClickUp sales team.
Standout features
- Automatic critical path calculations: This feature allows ClickUp users to more accurately determine the chain of tasks that need to be completed to meet project deadlines.
- Multiple assignees: You can assign tasks to individuals, groups or teams in ClickUp. You can also tag tasks with client names and do time tracking for specific tasks.
Pros
- High level of customization.
- Over 1,000 available integrations.
- All-in-one platform with real-time updates.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Missing advanced time tracking features.
- Dashboard view is too busy for some users.
Wrike: Best for enterprise users
Wrike is one of the best on the market for comprehensive project management software with Gantt chart and Kanban capabilities. It offers a live activity stream, subtask management and other useful tools. The ready-to-use Gantt chart templates make it easy to get started; however, the number of tabs and pages can be overwhelming for new users at first.
Pricing plans
Wrike is available in several plan options, including as a free plan:
- Free: $0 per user per month; no credit card is required to sign up for the Free plan.
- Team: $9.80 per user per month.
- Business: $24.80 per user per month.
- Enterprise: Pricing information is available only upon request. This plan supports unlimited users.
- Pinnacle: Pricing information is available only upon request. This plan supports unlimited users.
Standout features
- Customized views for Gantt charts: Wrike users can create custom or editable views for Gantt charts using filters.
- Real-time analytics: With Wrike, you get real-time analytics through continuously updated charts, project statuses and reports.
Pros
- Enterprise-grade functionality.
- Automated workflows.
- Variety of built-in templates.
Cons
- Somewhat complicated interface.
- Limited import capabilities.
TeamGantt: Best for simple management of multiple projects
The ease with which you can create, edit and view Gantt charts in TeamGantt lands it a top spot on this list. Users can choose to view or track all parts of multiple projects using TeamGantt. In addition, users can view task dependencies and the timeline for multiple projects.
The user interface is well-designed and intuitive, making it ideal for teams that are first starting to learn how to use Gantt charts and project management software. With TeamGantt, you can easily switch from one view to another.
Pricing plans
TeamGantt’s pricing model is different from other competitors, as it is priced per project manager. TeamGantt offers several paid plans as well as a free version:
- Free plan: $0; designed for one manager, up to two collaborators, one project and up to 60 tasks.
- Lite: $19 per month per manager paid annually, or $24 per month per manager paid monthly. This plan supports up to five projects and collaborators per manager.
- Pro: $49 per month per manager paid annually, or $59 per month per manager paid monthly. This plan supports up to 20 projects and unlimited collaborators per manager.
- Enterprise: Starting at $99 per month per manager. This plan supports unlimited projects, tasks and collaborators per manager.
Standout features
- Shake feature: TeamGantt users can fix violations in dependent tasks using the Shake feature. For example, if any tasks are scheduled out of order, users can click on the outermost task and jiggle their cursor to automatically reschedule tasks in the right order.
- Interactive Gantt charts: Users can change descriptions, due dates, task details, dependencies and other data directly from the Gantt view.
Pros
- Interactive Gantt charts.
- Automated dependencies.
- Outstanding tutorial content.
Cons
- Reporting needs improvement.
- Limited integrations.
- Expensive.
Microsoft Project: Best for current Microsoft customers
Microsoft Project is project management software that can be used to manage resources, create schedules and track time, among other PM functions. If you are already a user of other Microsoft products, you will find Microsoft Project fits well into the ecosystem of technology you already use, allowing you to work seamlessly between different Microsoft tools. Microsoft Project is offered in both cloud-based and on-premises formats.
SEE: The 8 best alternative to Microsoft Project (Free & Paid) (TechRepublic)
The layout of Microsoft Project is simple and intuitive, making this solution one of the easiest for creating and managing Gantt charts. That being said, there may be a slight learning curve for users who are new to Microsoft products.
Pricing plans
Although Microsoft Project does not come in a free plan option, it still offers flexibility for users who want to use either cloud or on-premises PM tools:
Cloud-based pricing
- Project Plan 1: $10 per user per month; a free one-month trial is available.
- Project Plan 3: $30 per user per month; a free one-month trial is available.
- Project Plan 5: $55 per user per month; can be tested with a Microsoft PPM partner.
On-premises pricing
- Project Standard 2021: $679.99.
- Project Professional 2021: $1,129.99.
- Project Server: Information available upon request.
Standout features
- Gantt chart customization: Microsoft Project users can choose from a large list of patterns, shapes and colors. There are also options to add text to Gantt charts.
- Zooming capabilities: Simply zoom in or zoom out of project tasks to view details or get a high-level view of the project.
Pros
- Seamless integrations with other Microsoft software.
- Easy-to-create Gantt charts.
- Online and offline versions.
Cons
- Lacks a free plan.
- No mobile app.
GanttPRO: Best easy-to-use solution for small teams
GanttPRO is one of the best Gantt chart solutions for small teams because of its simple and easy-to-use interface. It is also loaded with features, including a Kanban board, customization tools and critical path analysis. Although this is a great tool for Gantt charts and other kinds of visualizations and project features, some advanced features are missing, such as reporting tools and budget tracking.
Pricing plans
GanttPRO comes in four different paid plans, all of which are offered with free trials:
- Basic: $7.99 per user per month billed annually.
- PRO: $12.99 per user per month billed annually.
- Business: $19.99 per user per month billed annually.
- Enterprise: Pricing information is available upon request.
Standout features
- Critical Path: This feature highlights the sequence of tasks or events that must be completed to keep a project on schedule.
- Gantt chart formatting: GanttPRO users can choose from a variety of formatting options to customize Gantt charts.
Pros
- Added security features, such as two-factor authentication.
- Several collaboration tools.
- Integration with Slack.
Cons
- No customizable dashboards or reports.
- No free version.
How to choose Gantt chart software
When choosing the right Gantt chart software, you need to clearly define your requirements. Every Gantt chart software solution has unique pros and cons, making different products better suited for certain industries or business types. For example, GanttPRO is better suited for smaller teams, while Wrike offers more enterprise-level functionality.
SEE: Access management policy (TechRepublic Premium)
You also need to consider your collaboration and sharing needs, as certain Gantt chart software is more geared toward teamwork, while other solutions are better for individual use.
And finally, consider your budget. Not every team has the budget to spend on this type of software; thankfully, many solutions offer free or lower-tier plans that may fit both within your budget constraints and your project team requirements.
Methodology
The best Gantt chart software for businesses in 2023 were selected based on expert reviews from multiple sources, covering product features, specifications and pricing plans. I researched approximately 15 different Gantt chart software solutions and selected these five to cover a wide range of business sizes, levels of team experience and project parameters.
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of Gantt chart software?
The primary benefit of using Gantt chart software is it offers a quick visual representation of a project. The top-line perspective of the project helps project managers keep up with the project timeline, allocate appropriate resources and track tasks. Gantt charts provide a high-level overview, and they also provide tools that allow project managers to view more details of specific tasks.
SEE: Quick glossary: Project management (TechRepublic Premium)
Another key benefit of using Gantt chart software is it can alert managers when dependencies overlap. For example, the completion of one task may be contingent upon the completion of another. Similarly, two different tasks could require overlapping resources, which could also affect timelines. The best Gantt chart software sends alerts when resourcing and timeline issues arise. Even without actual alerts, the visual design of a Gantt chart makes it easier for project team leaders to anticipate problems before they occur.
Project managers are often responsible for tracking project progress and reporting on that progress. Gantt chart software offers different tools, such as benchmarks, to help managers stay on schedule, resolve problems and create comprehensive project data and performance reports. For project planning purposes, Gantt charts help set realistic deadlines and expectations while keeping all team members aligned on project goals and tasks.
What are the drawbacks of Gantt chart software?
The initial setup of Gantt chart software can be time-consuming, especially if you use applications with advanced features or a busy layout. Users unfamiliar with the Gantt chart format might also need some time to get used to it; the possible learning curve at the beginning may, in turn, interfere with team members’ overall productivity.
Another disadvantage of Gantt charts is they are not designed to show the amount of work each task requires. Although users can click to dig deeper into the task and determine this information, individual and task workloads are not readily apparent when looking at a Gantt chart.
SEE: Best data visualization tools and software (TechRepublic)
And finally, another potential drawback of Gantt chart software is these charts can be too limiting and hard to navigate when working on larger projects. If your project has a lot of task forces, subgroups and dependencies that would clutter a singular Gantt chart, you might benefit from breaking the project into smaller and more manageable phases. From there, you can make a Gantt chart for each phase; the majority of Gantt chart software solutions make it possible for users to manage and work off of multiple Gantt charts at once.
Which is the easiest Gantt chart software to use?
GanttPRO is one of the easiest-to-use Gantt chart software solutions, offering a simple, clean and intuitive user interface. However, with its quick learning curve, the tradeoff for users is GanttPRO’s lack of advanced features and customization tools.
SEE: Checklist: Project management (TechRepublic Premium)
If you plan on using this software for enterprise-level functionality, you’ll likely find it too limited. However, it is an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses that are just starting to get a handle on their project management workflow.
Read next: The 10 best project management software and tools (TechRepublic)
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