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Best Free Gantt Chart Software

Advertiser Disclosure Updated: Feb 20, 2024, 12:00pm

Best Free Gantt Chart Software (2024)

Amy Nichol SmithStaff Reviewer

Amy Nichol Smith spent more than 20 years working as a journalist for TV and newspapers before transitioning to software and hardware product reviews for consumers and small businesses. She has been featured in publications such as L.A. Times, Tom's Guide, Investopedia and various newspapers across the U.S.

Amy Nichol Smith

Amy Nichol SmithStaff Reviewer

Staff Reviewer

Rob WattsManaging Editor, SMB

With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.

Reviewed

Rob Watts

Rob WattsManaging Editor, SMB

Managing Editor, SMB

Reviewed

Updated: Feb 20, 2024, 12:00pm

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

It’s difficult to find a view to replace a Gantt chart view and often this is considered an advanced feature of project management software; therefore, it’s rarely offered on free plans. We picked some of the best free Gantt chart software that can easily work for individuals or small teams, but we also ensured that the paid plans are worth upgrading to.

Although all of these free Gantt chart apps give you what you need, they aren’t all created equally. Some limit how often you can use the Gantt chart while others require you to use integrations to get the functionality you want. That’s why we point out which software is best for specific use cases.

Small Business Guides

Featured Partners

monday.com

Yes

From $8 monthly per user

Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more

monday.com

On monday.com’s Website

HubSpot

Yes

Available

Google Contacts, Mailchimp, Xero, Aircall, Airtable and more

HubSpot

On HubSpot’s Website

Smartsheet

Yes, for one user and two editors

$7 per user per month

Google Drive, Slack, Tableau, Miro, Zapier and more

Smartsheet

On Smartsheet’s Website

ClickUp

Yes, for unlimited members

$7 per month

Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more

ClickUp

On ClickUp’s Website

Show Summary

The Best 7 Free Gantt Chart Software of 2024

ClickUp: Best for Different Views
Trello: Best for Integrated Gantt Chart
Teamwork: Best for Agencies
Zoho Projects: Best for Zoho users
TeamGantt: Best for New Users
Notion: Best for collaboration
Smartsheet: Best for Templates

Best for Different Views

ClickUp

Starting price

$7 per user per month (billed annually)

Resource Planning

Yes (paid plans)

Project Portfolio

Yes (limited on free plan)

On ClickUp's Website

$7 per user per month (billed annually)

Yes (paid plans)

Yes (limited on free plan)

Editor's Take

ClickUp earns the top spot for the best free Gantt chart software because it includes many of the features you need to effectively manage your project with a Gantt chart and you get multiple other views should you prefer board, list or calendar view. You can add as many users as you’d like, create unlimited tasks and set up relationships between tasks and documents for clarity. In fact, it sits near the top of the list as one of the best task management apps.

What we’re big fans of is ClickUp’s versatility. You can use it for its Gantt charts and resource planning, but you can also swap views to a Kanban board if you prefer a more visual representation of a project’s tasks. Its biggest downside is that the free plan is limited. You only get 60 uses of the Gantt chart and 100 automations; these don’t reset every month. ClickUp’s free plan acts more as an extended free trial, so if you like using it for project portfolios and Gantt charts, you’ll have to upgrade eventually

Learn more: Read our full ClickUp Review.

Who should use it:

ClickUp is a good pick for small businesses that need a free Gantt chart for a short time or a single project, and its low-priced plan is affordable if you decide you want to stick with ClickUp.

Pros & Cons

Free plan for unlimited users
Automations included in free plan
Resource planning on all paid plans

Limitations in free plan designed to push you to pay
May not be easy for new users

Best for Integrated Gantt Chart

Trello

Starting Price

$5 per user per month (billed annually)

Resource Planning

Yes (via Power-Ups)

Project Portfolio

Yes (via templates)

Read Forbes' Review

$5 per user per month (billed annually)

Yes (via Power-Ups)

Yes (via templates)

Editor's Take

Trello is best known for its easy-to-use Kanban board and is regularly named one of the best Kanban apps because it’s so intuitive. However, you can turn its free plan into free Gantt chart software using Power-Ups. A Power-Up is Trello’s name for an integration. These connectors are free to use and unlimited even on the free plan. So the trick is to find a Gantt chart integration that also offers a free plan. Elegantt and BigPicture offer free and paid plans, so they’re viable.

Beyond the integrated Gantt chart options, Trello is a great starter project management tool for teams that aren’t familiar. It’s easy to get started with cards and columns. Project portfolio management isn’t built in but you can set up a portfolio of projects through templates. Similarly, you can manage resources and workload capacity via integrations.

Learn more: Read our full Trello Review.

Who should use it:

Trello is best for teams that need the flexibility of integrations so they can create their own solutions, including for Gantt charts.

Pros & Cons

Generous free plan available
Unlimited integrations for all plans
Two Gantt chart integrations available

Requires integrations for added functionality
File size allowance is low (10MB)

Best for Agencies

Teamwork

Starting price

$5.99 per user per month (billed annually)

Resource Planning

Yes (paid plans)

Project Portfolio

Yes (paid plans)

Read Forbes' Review

$5.99 per user per month (billed annually)

Yes (paid plans)

Editor's Take

Teamwork offers one of the best free plans among the best project management software because it’s so generous with features, including a Gantt chart view. It’s important to note that you won’t be able to get a critical path view without subscribing to one of the higher paid plans. However, Teamwork may be useful enough for managing projects on the free plan.

Teamwork is one of the few project management apps that offers tools to help you run an agency. You can track billable hours, send invoices and invite clients to view the work you’re doing for them. These features are often missing from project management software.

Learn more: Read our full Teamwork Review.

Who should use it:

Teamwork’s free plan gives you a Gantt chart view and features to help agencies manage projects and clients.

Pros & Cons

Free plan for up to five users
Gantt chart view has unlimited uses
Billing and invoicing features on all plans

Paid plans require user minimum
Many features only on higher paid plans

Best for Zoho Users

Zoho Projects

Starting price

$4 per user per month (billed annually)

Resource Planning

Yes (paid plans)

Project Portfolio

Yes (paid plans)

On Zoho Project's Website

$4 per user per month (billed annually)

Yes (paid plans)

Editor's Take

Zoho Projects is one part of the larger Zoho app ecosystem. You can use it along with any other Zoho module to increase its functionality. It includes a native Gantt chart on all plans, even the free plan, but it’s read only. A surprising free feature is milestones, which typically come with high-tier plans on other project management tools.

As simple as Zoho Projects is, it includes a resource utilization chart to help you keep track of resources and workloads, so you don’t overpromise. There’s also a project portfolio dashboard so you can zoom out on all the projects you have in the works.

Who should use it:

Use Zoho Projects for a free Gantt chart view, but the app is most useful if you upgrade to the highest-tier plan and if you’re already using Zoho apps.

Pros & Cons

Free plan for up to three users
Automations on low-priced plan
Milestones included on all plans

Lacks advanced features
Doesn’t integrate with many third-party apps

Best for New Users

TeamGantt

Starting Price

$19 per manager per month (billed annually)

Resource Planning

Project Portfolio

Yes (paid plans)

Read Forbes' Review

$19 per manager per month (billed annually)

Yes (paid plans)

Editor's Take

TeamGantt is one of the easiest platforms for building and using Gantt charts. Its free plan is a viable option for an individual or even a small team. It allows one manager and two collaborators to use a Gantt chart, but it caps you at 60 tasks, so it’s really only suitable for one small project.

Upgrading to a paid plan gets you many more features such as list and calendar views and integrations. The low-priced plan is $19 per manager per month, billed annually, but it includes up to five collaborators and five projects so it isn’t as expensive as it seems. The Pro plan increases collaborators and projects and it offers project portfolios, priority support and time tracking.

Learn more: Read our full TeamGantt Review.

Who should use it:

TeamGantt’s free plan is a good solution for small teams that are new to Gantt charts and need the bare minimum to manage a single project.

Pros & Cons

Free plan allows up to three users
Paid plans allow multiple users
RACI chart on highest tier

Expensive if you need unlimited users
Limited features on free plan

Best for Collaboration

Notion

Starting price

$8 per user per month (billed annually)

Resource Planning

Yes

Project Portfolio

Yes (via template)

Read Forbes' Review

$8 per user per month (billed annually)

Yes

Yes (via template)

Editor's Take

Notion is a free-form project management app that offers collaborative spaces so your entire team can work together. Although Notion doesn’t include a native Gantt chart, you can use a template to create a Gantt chart on any plan. Notion works a little differently than most free Gantt chart software in that it gives you pages and blocks which you use to create whatever solution you need.

The free plan is a bit limited with storage, page history and collaborator allowances. When you upgrade to a paid plan you get more unlimited options. And while Notion doesn’t include advanced project management features like some of the top picks, it is flexible enough for you to design your workflows the way you want them. Plus, it makes the list of the best free project management software available.

Learn more: Read our full Notion Review.

Who should use it:

We suggest Notion’s free plan for individuals who want a flexible platform that is fully collaborative.

Pros & Cons

Free plan for one user, two collaborators
Collaborative spaces are easy to use with others
Attractive interface

May be complex for some users
Lacks native project management features

Best for Templates

Smartsheet

Starting price

$7 per user per month (billed annually)

Resource Planning

Yes (native integration, paid plan)

Project Portfolio

Yes (paid plan)

On Smartsheet's Website

$7 per user per month (billed annually)

Yes (native integration, paid plan)

Yes (paid plan)

Editor's Take

Smartsheet is known for being a powerful project management app with a spreadsheet-style platform. It’s also known for offering more than 500 templates you can use to kick off different types of projects. All plans offer multiple views including Gantt chart, calendar and grid.

When it comes to advanced features, Smartsheet absolutely offers them but they’re locked behind paid plans. Resource planning is an optional integration, but it’s only available for Pro, Business or Enterprise plan users. Project portfolio management is also available, but you have to opt in to Smartsheet Advance, an add-on that’s only available to Enterprise plan users.

Learn more: Read our full Smartsheet Review.

Who should use it:

Smartsheet’s free plan is generous enough for individuals and small teams that need a Gantt chart view and want to get a kick start with the help of templates.

Pros & Cons

Free plan allows one user, two editors
500-plus templates in multiple languages
Highly customizable

Steep learning curve
Add-ons required for advanced features

Forbes Advisor Ratings

Company	Forbes Advisor Rating	Starting price	Resource Planning	Project Portfolio	view_more	Learn more CTA below text
ClickUp	4.9	$7 per user per month (billed annually)	Yes (paid plans)	Yes (limited on free plan)	Learn More	On ClickUp's Website
Trello	4.8	$5 per user per month (billed annually)	Yes (via Power-Ups)	Yes (via templates)	Read More	Read Forbes' Review
Teamwork	4.7	$5.99 per user per month (billed annually)	Yes (paid plans)	Yes (paid plans)	Learn More	Read Forbes' Review
Zoho Projects	4.7	$4 per user per month (billed annually)	Yes (paid plans)	Yes (paid plans)	Learn More	On Zoho Project's Website
TeamGantt	4.4	$19 per manager per month (billed annually)	No	Yes (paid plans)	Read More	Read Forbes' Review
Notion	4.2	8 per user per month (billed annually)	Yes	Yes (via template)	Learn More	Read Forbes' Review
Smartsheet	4.2	$7 per user per month (billed annually)	Yes (native integration, paid plan)	Yes (paid plan)	Learn More	On Smartsheet's Website

How To Choose the Best Free Gantt Chart Software

The best free Gantt chart software should give you more than a free trial of its features. You should be able to use a free plan forever to manage tasks and resources with a Gantt chart view.

However, you’re likely to eventually outgrow any free plan, so it’s a good idea to look for the best Gantt chart software that provides the advanced features you need. Consider the limits of any free plan and the starting price of paid plans along with how easy the transition will be from your current platform to a Gantt chart app.

Essential Features

Task Dependencies: It’s important to understand how tasks relate to each other in a project for the best project and time management. These should show or nest on a Gantt chart.
Resource Management: Resources include the people who work on projects or tools and materials needed to complete a project. It’s especially helpful if you have access to resource capacity or workloads in conjunction with a Gantt chart for easy scheduling and reference.
Project Portfolios: If you’re only working on one project at a time, project portfolio management is less important. However, most businesses have multiple projects happening simultaneously and these sometimes rely on each other. Having a way to view multiple project status is vital for larger companies.
Templates: Templates can help get a team started right away on a project so it’s a great time-saver. Even if a free Gantt chart app doesn’t offer pre-built templates, it’s a nice-to-have feature if you can create custom templates to save for the next project.
Milestones: Setting milestones in a Gantt chart gives you an at-a-glance idea of how a project is progressing. These can be stopping points that allow you to assess the project to determine whether you need to reallocate resources or break a project down into smaller projects.

Pricing

Naturally, one of the most important considerations for finding the best free Gantt chart software is cost. There should be a forever-free plan available to get you started. However, it’s good to consider the starting cost should you need to upgrade for more users, advanced features or to lift limits on file sizes or the number of projects.

Ease of Use

Choosing the right software for free Gantt charts also comes down to how easy it is to use. If you’re moving from Kanban boards or spreadsheets to Gantt charts, you want to choose a simple app that your team is more likely to adopt. Look for intuitive interfaces, guides or walk-throughs and tip screens that pop up as you’re using new features.

Featured Partners

monday.com

Yes

From $8 monthly per user

Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more

monday.com

On monday.com's Website

HubSpot

Yes

Available

Google Contacts, Mailchimp, Xero, Aircall, Airtable and more

HubSpot

On HubSpot's Website

Smartsheet

Yes, for one user and two editors

$7 per user per month

Google Drive, Slack, Tableau, Miro, Zapier and more

Smartsheet

On Smartsheet's Website

ClickUp

Yes, for unlimited members

$7 per month

Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more

ClickUp

On ClickUp's Website

Methodology

At Forbes Advisor, we developed a five-star rating system to help you see quickly which software is an all-around best option. We go deep into various features, factors and sub-factors so we don’t miss even the smallest considerations. Apart from the categories, we also point out which software would be best suited for different situations. Here’s how we break down the ranking for best free Gantt chart software:

Pricing & Fees (10%): In addition to offering a free plan, we considered the lowest cost of a paid plan from each app. Ten percent of the score goes to pricing and additional fees.
General Features (35%): The most important feature is obviously a Gantt chart view, so we ensured that was available on all the free plans we feature in our list. We also looked at core project management features such as task dependencies and integrations. We allocated 35% of the total score to general features.
Additional Features (15%): Additional features may include templates, milestones, billing and invoicing or client access. While these are important factors, we only gave this section 15% of the weight.
Reviews, Ratings and Support (20%): A combined 20% of the score goes to user reviews, ratings on third-party sites and support. It’s important to consider what users have to say and how each software offers help to its users.
Expert Score (20%): The final 20% of the score is meant for the expert to weigh features that are harder to discern. For example, ease of use is subjective but our experts have experience with each of these platforms. Also, we look at the value of each free plan and paid plan and the quality of the features.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Excel good for Gantt charts?

While you can create a stacked bar chart in Microsoft Excel, it’s a time-consuming process. Updating your spreadsheet-style Gantt chart will be a more manual process too, which is why it would be better to use a project management app that also works as Gantt chart software.

Are Gantt charts outdated?

Any answer to this question is subjective. Gantt charts can be complex, but they’re still effective in showing the progress of a project and any potential blocks. They’re also a great way to see workload capacity so you can allocate resources where they’re needed.

Is there an alternative to Gantt charts?

There are plenty of alternatives to Gantt charts that can work for managing projects. If you want a more visual alternative for task management, consider Kanban boards. A timeline view is similar to a Gantt chart but more detailed with tasks and due dates. A mind map is a visual diagram that can help you link concepts to build a new project.

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Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.

Amy Nichol Smith

Staff Reviewer

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