13 Best Free Gantt Chart Software (2024 Updated)

February 15, 2024

project management software

Are you losing the trail of your projects?

Projects are time-sensitive and need articulate follow-ups till execution. 

To make a project framework, you require explicit and implicit resources from a company and figure out which employee will be most skilled to take it up. There is a dire requirement for a central body that overlooks these needs and strategies to work accordingly. We're talking about Gantt chart software that supervises your project from start to end, allocates cost, saves time, and optimizes bandwidth.

Gantt chart software is based on the operating system gantt charts. It dynamically allocates tasks based on their priority, using scheduling algorithms like the last in, first out (LIFO), page replacement algorithm, and round-robin scheduling. Projects and deadlines are also pre-empted to shorter turnarounds in case of a shift in urgency and priority.

While there are multiple project management software, free Gantt chart software is ideal as they are easy to use, visually interpretable, and installs in minutes!

Whether you are a digital marketing manager running an SEO campaign or a construction engineer developing a design draft for the next on-site, project management software can support you in all walks of your work.

When everyone on the team is on the right track, the project is said to be hitting the lines of success. And you can visualize this progress with advanced metrics of Gantt chart software.

Let's look at this Gantt chart template. If you are running an SEO campaign and wish to put into perspective different key tasks, creating a Gantt chart will help you neatly scribble your short-term as well as long-term goals.

SEO Campaign Gantt Chart

                                                                               Source: G2

 

Tip: For more general project management features, check out the 21 best free project management software in 2024.

The best free Gantt chart software 

Gantt software comes with added functionalities to manage and spearhead projects. In terms of features and use cases, its intent coincides with businesses looking to run large volumes of related projects with similar characteristics. Businesses can use free alternatives to plan, monitor, and schedule their day-to-day business operations. 

To be included in this software category, a software must:

  • Create  concurrent project plans based on team structures 
  • Sync with the calendar to display running tasks with projected timelines.
  • Built-in task management to streamline and commonize team tasks to follow one protocol.
  • Support multiple project management methodologies like waterfall and agile.
  • Send early reminders on project meets and deadlines.
  • Set priorities for daily and weekly tasks
  • Include project collaboration between internal and external stakeholders.
  • Store communication and feedback roundups within sub-tasks for a project.
  • Have mobile app availability.
  • Provide visibility on who is taking up what project and under which project head. 
  • Have a simple, easy-to-understand, and intuitive water-fall-based interface that sorts the projects in terms of priority, bandwidth, and timelines.

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.

This software list is ordered by G2 score. Even better, all the products listed are completely free.

1. GanttProject

GanttProject is an advanced project management system that streamlines your day-to-day project operations. Equipped with a built-in resource load chart, Gantt chart, and MS project export-import, it provides an uncluttered and seamless user journey till the very end of the project.

GanttProject is easy to use, configures quickly with zero installation setup, and has an intuitive user interface where all the tasks run in a crystal clear way. 

What users like best:

The most helpful feature of GanntProject is the diagrammatic representation of the duration of phases in a complete project. It is very easy to use for professionals as well as beginners.

- GanttProject Review, Shehroz H.

What users dislike:

I wish there were reporting features that would allow more resource management capabilities and cost management functions as well. Both would help provide the essentials to managing a fair-sized project.

- GanttProject Review, Brandon Y.

2. TeamGantt

TeamGantt is a many-to-one solution for spearheading projects on your own. With a waterfall timeline, you can see the start date and end date of tasks. You can also create beautiful PDFs to update others on the project timelines and progress. It also helps you compare the actual timeline with an estimated timeline through a baseline report.

The app has the option to export project data to .csv files, replicate project plan templates, and collaborate with project assignees so that their workload gets adjusted. What's more? TeamGantt also provides calendar and list views if you aren't sitting well with the Gantt chart interface. The mobile app makes everything easier to track, schedule, and complete on the go!

What users like best:

Forget spreadsheets and clunky, complicated planning tools. TeamGantt plans are easy to build, update, and share with colleagues and clients. I've used it both personally and professionally and love it for both.

- TeamGantt Review, Keri M.

What users dislike:

When scrolling across a typical laptop screen, it is difficult to see larger time projections. I also would like to see different formats available for the bar charts for different tasks; then, color changes only!

- TeamGantt Review, Mario M.

3. Redbooth

Redbooth is a Kanban workflow-based project management tool that helps you set priorities for tasks, whether small or big. It can help you collaborate in sync with cross-functional tasks and set real-time automation based on a person's designation and job role. Task delegation with Redbooth is simple and one-click based as it predicts who can take up a certain sub-task within a project.

Further, you can set priorities, delegate tasks with Kanban dashboards, and visualize project timelines in time before the cake burns in the oven. Update, schedule, and view notifications from anywhere with the Redbooth mobile app.

What users like best:

Redbooth is affordable; it is easy to use. It is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, so compatibility with operating systems won't get in the way of your teamwork. The task management features are great.

- Redbooth Review, Ameen H.

What users dislike:

Subtasks aren't available unless you have an upgraded user account (an extra $6 per person per month). Really annoying for what seems like it should be a basic, foundational feature.

- Redbooth Review, Jeff C.

4. Bitrix24

Bitrix 24 is a digital sales suite consisting of CRM marketing, client management, customer support, chat, and cloud telephony. It contains drag-and-drop elements that can be added to your task queue to simplify project assignments and uploads. 

Bitrix24 is also a hyper-collaborative space that syncs with website calendars, providing real-time insight into project progress and communication documentation. The tool can be accessed through an online web-based portal, desktop or mobile.

What users like best:

The best thing about Bitrix24 is its CRM features like tasks, projects, and pipelines. It helps in keeping track of the roles assigned to project participants. We can also categorize members based on their functions. It helps in defining the ability to effectively manage workflows and structure projects, as well as the excellent scheduling capability.

- Bitrix24 Review, Ayush s.

What users dislike:

I found it difficult to configure. I tried to link the different spreadsheets, and in most cases, I couldn't. Customization is hard for a user with no previous Bitrix24 experience; it creates a bad experience that can be frustrating.

- Bitrix24 Review, Jorge T.

5. OpenProject

OpenProject has easy task planners, templates, and workflows that determine the project's next stages and assigned members. It also comes with built-in CRM marketing, marketing automation, client management, and customer support to collaborate with stakeholders and complete ad-hoc tasks in the nick of time. With multi-collaboration, chat, website builder, and telephony features, it is impossible for your eyes to miss any project-related content or forget the submission dates.   

 The tool is a combination of three kinds of project management techniques, namely agile, Gantt chart, and hybrid. It supports languages across 30+ countries and is extremely easy to set up and onboard.

What users like best:

OpenProject helps us keep our communication efficient, which, of course, increases the capacity of the business.

- OpenProject Review, Craig T.

What users dislike:

The UI is a bit boring. The issues raised should be handled quickly. Although the majority of the time, it is done fast at times, it has taken time.

- OpenProject Review, Rohit C.

6. Vizzlo

Vizzlo is a cloud-based design product that specializes in data visualization 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.  

Small and large businesses use the tool in over 1200+ countries. Interactive project collaboration, design bars, and diagrams give an aesthetic appeal to your task workflows, which you can even extract from your budget and forecasting reports, advanced charts, and so on. It offers options for bubble and pie charts, exports high-quality PDF to PNG, and automates document creation to be ahead of your peers. 

What users like best:

I've been searching for a tool like this for ages - one that quickly bends to your needs and is flexible enough to accommodate your unique use cases but is also simple enough to input content and data quickly and doesn't take too long to learn. Navigation around the tool is, for the most part, automatic, and I'm able to churn out great-looking graphics and easily impress those to whom I am presenting or sharing the visuals.

- Vizzlo Review, Bethany C. 

What users dislike:

Limited choice of charts, but the existing range is already okay and covers 95% of your needs.

- Vizzlo Review, Stefan K

7. Canva

Canva is a haven for project creators and graphic designers. With thousands of predefined templates for charts, graphs, social media carousels, infographics, and themes, it elevates your reporting and presentation skills to another level! Creating project folders in Canva gives a particular team access to specific assets. To build simple Gantt charts with basic viz elements, look no further than Canva.

What do users like best:

The best platform to create, innovate, resize, schedule, and download design posters, banners, business PPTs, proposals, ID cards, logos, and whatnot. I use Canva for each and every bit of design, even for making letterheads.

- Canva Review, Farah P

What users don't like: 

The limitation of several resources to the modality that requires payment or subscription. Some features, such as choosing the type of movement, should be released. Still, the impossibility of choosing the format and size of the files to be created or when they are ready hinders usability.

- Canva Review, Breno C.

8. ProjectLibre

ProjectLibre is an open-source Gantt Chart software that relates your task processes with each other and develops a waterfall timeline to show what's been reviewed, completed, or in progress. It also contains work breakdown structure (WBS), resource breakdown structure (RBS), and other elements as the same in Microsoft Project. It is a cost-effective option for Microsoft Project and houses most features as a part of the expensive Microsoft Project subscription.

Visualize your tasks from start to end, optimize resource allocation to multiple tasks and users, and calculate incurred costs to manage goods and raw materials with ProjectLibre.

What users like best:

Free, easy to get started with to aid in project management, and lightweight in terms of memory footprint, it has major functionalities and features of similar project management tools.

- Project Libre Review, Babu R.

What users don't like: 

ProjectLibre does not have Zoom on the Gantt Chart. This zoom helps a lot in the planning stage because some details are on the screen. Zoom changing is essential for a detailed project with many tasks outside the main screen.

The dates on tasks are difficult to read in other formats. This tool could help.

- Project Libre Review, Fernando Jose G.

9. Kanbachi for Google Workspace

Kanbachi for Google Workspace is a flexible project management tool part of Google Workspace. It's a free-of-cost and intuitive platform with Gantt chart, Kanban, waterfall, and agile features to streamline your projects better. It is packed with collaborative benefits that keep you and your teams on the same page. The progress bars and data viz charts graphically visualize the project overviews. Users can also mask data adhering to internal organizational policies and manage user permissions.

Create unlimited boards, sync with a Gmail account, get in-app notifications, and stay on top of priority lists with Kanbachi. 

What users like best:

The fantastic organization of works with brilliant sharing of data, live updating within teams, color coding of items and all features you can want, and more from a Kanban board.

- Kanbachi for Google Workspace Review, Mat. T

What users don't like

I didn't find an easy way to print a timeline or group of cards. I know it is supposed to be paperless, but sometimes you need to show your work on paper.

- Kanbachi for Google Workspace Review, Mildred W.

10. Excel Gantt Chart Template

If this is your first time managing a project, the Excel Gantt Chart Template plugin can give you a headstart. It offers a free Gantt chart template that plugs into most spreadsheet software. It bulk exports or imports data from your .csv files, maps labels as attributes of the chart, and helps visualize the first look.

The template might show a WBS (work breakdown) structure, a summary of project deliverables, and create subtasks to take appropriate feedback from the team. 

What users like best:

It is the fastest and easiest way to manage your project since Microsoft Excel is a daily user program, and this template is quite complete

- Excel Gantt Chart Template, Martin R.

What users don't like:

It has quite a bit of a learning curve before you can use the chart to its full potential.

- Excel Gantt Chart Template, Jason F.

11. Asana

Asana is a simplified project management and task review platform where teams can interact, put comments and complete tasks on schedule. With Asana, you can build a Gantt flowchart in minutes to visualize the journey of each team project as it traverses through different stages and milestones. With Asana, cross-functional teams can interact, view, and edit project plans and update the changes through timeline view, dashboards, insights, and team-based features.

What users like best:

"Asana is a great tool for building project timelines and shifting responsibility to cross-functional partners. The task-based nature of Asana and creating to-do lists for responsible parties makes it easier than ever to provide people with a picture of what is needed from them when you are working on projects with many moving parts. It cuts down on the need for creating multiple reports for different teams from the same project with the way it is setup and operates. I look forward to rolling out what we have built in Asana for our cross-functional teams to maximize our work time and cut down on spin."

- Asana Review, Michelle R.

What users don't like:

"If a task is provided to a team, and if anyone completes their job and marks complete, the task will get completed as a whole, which is something that should be improved.

We've faced multiple instances due to the same reason, and we then had to assign it individually which is somewhat troublesome."

- Asana Review, Josh B.

12. Instagantt

Instagantt is a comprehensive project management and scheduling tool that executes company processes and tasks in a synchronized and organized manner. With this tool, you can integrate WBS (work breakdown structures) and Gantt charts for your objective key results (OKRs). You can balance team workloads by assigning manageable tasks to your peers and setting realistic expectations and process completion timelines. 

What users like best:

"Instagantt is a bereeze to use. I've used a lot of different online project management tools and found that Instagantt stays true to how traditional project management works. Other tools have really frustrated me when all I need is an online Gantt chart that I can easily share with my team, and Instagantt does just that."

- Instagantt Review, Donovan S.

What users don't like:

"To sign up for a new account, you have to click 3 different "Sign Up for Free" buttons that are all in various locations, different colors, and sizes. Outrageous, I almost didn't sign up out of principle. I've provided a screenshot on the 'upload screenshot' portion of this survey to illustrate my point."

-Instagantt Review, Alex V.

13. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is your cloud-based work hub that includes a Gantt chart framework and extensive automation capabilities. This flexible platform combines familiar spreadsheet features with project management tools. Plan, assign, and track tasks, collaborate with your team, and automate workflows – all within a user-friendly grid view. Smartsheet scales with you, empowering individuals and teams of all sizes to streamline work, boost collaboration, and gain valuable project insights.

What users like best:

"Smartsheet has saved us! We used to enter all data manually, but Smartsheet is so versatile our non-profit has been able to use it in many ways to organize, automate, and streamline processes. We use Smartsheet to store client data, collect information needed to run our summer camp program and update families on the status of their program registration. We also use it for our entire hiring process and in managing our events."

- Smartsheet Review, Marina K.

What users don't like:

"The limitations of Data Shuttle to upload larger data sources is sometimes a bit painful, and there are some features lacking int he forms, such as the ability to add country codes for phone numbers that are not already available. These things will undoubtedly be updated soon, however, as the Smartsheet team is constantly taking feedback and developing new features."

- Smartsheet Review, Constance F.

Click to chat with G2's Monty-AI

Free Gantt chart software: Frequently asked questions(FAQs)

1. Is Google Gantt chart free?

Ans: Google’s Online Gantt chart is absolutely free of cost. Users can install this app from G-Suite Marketplace and start using the app right away. It also features integrations to Google Drive to organize project docs, enable role-based access, and organize workflows seamlessly.

2. Is there a free Gantt chart template in Excel?

The free Excel Gantt Chart Template is used to enlist your project in a work breakdown structure (WBS) layout. This free template can be integrated with your project files to visualize your data better. Follow these steps to generate a visual illustration of your project:

  • Create a worksheet 
  • Choose smartArt
  • Select a WBS template
  • Customize template
  • Set design and color
  • Save your template

This free Gantt chart template also provides several other functionalities for task management. What you have to do is open your project file using this application and select features like “WBS creator,” "project plan," or “project charter” to view project progress in a pictorial format.

3. How to set up a Gantt chart in less time?

By using Office Timeline, users can set project roadmap, update timeline, and measure current progress with MPowerPoint bar trackers. It sets your project management system in seconds and automatically simplifies complex project data to be viewed by internal as well as external project assignees.

4. Does Microsoft have a Gantt chart app?

Microsoft Project and Gantt Chart Pro are project management apps that help build functional Gantt charts. These apps help you get a bird's eye view of your project progress, analyze metrics using charts and graphs, and bring project assignees on a common platform.

5. Is Kanbanchi for Google Workspace free?

Kanbanchi for Google Workspace offers a free plan that contains project management tools like Kanban Scheduling, Gantt Charts, and Task Management. It offers several other plug-and-play functions for free to help teams take regular feedback, monitor completed tasks, and build pipelines.

Fall back, but don't fail!

Ditch the aesthetics and choose a valuable solution when it comes to future-proofing projects. Any solution you take should help you peddle forward, take feedback, and interact with your peers at every step of the journey to ensure you're on the right track.

Working on your first-ever project as a newly appointed manager? Take some time off to acclimate yourself to 14 basic project management skills.

project managenment software
Happy teammates translate into successful projects!

Be sure your teammates are on the right track with the best project management software in 2024.

project managenment software
Happy teammates translate into successful projects!

Be sure your teammates are on the right track with the best project management software in 2024.

13 Best Free Gantt Chart Software (2024 Updated) Explore the top 13 best free Gantt chart software in 2024 for prioritizing tasks, establishing logical orders, and maintaining efficient project workflows. https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/G2CM_FI560_Learn_Article_Images_%5BFree_Gantt_Chart_Software%5D_V1b.png
Shreya Mattoo Shreya Mattoo is a Content Marketing Specialist at G2. She completed her Bachelor's in Computer Applications and is now pursuing Master's in Strategy and Leadership from Deakin University. She also holds an Advance Diploma in Business Analytics from NSDC. Her expertise lies in developing content around Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, Peer Review Code, and Development Software. She wants to spread awareness for self-assist technologies in the tech community. When not working, she is either jamming out to rock music, reading crime fiction, or channeling her inner chef in the kitchen. https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/Copy%20of%20G2%20Image%20(1).png https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreya-mattoo-a20674170/

Never miss a post.

Subscribe to keep your fingers on the tech pulse.

By submitting this form, you are agreeing to receive marketing communications from G2.