10 Best Free Gantt Chart Software Of 2023
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Free & Freemium Gantt Chart Software
Here’s a shortlist of the best free Gantt chart software:
1.
Lucidspark
— Best virtual whiteboard for collaborative Gantt charts with integrations
2.
Zoho Projects
— Best for customization options
3.
Paymo
— Best for its clear progress bars in the Gantt view
4.
GoodDay
— Best timeline management for its customizability
5.
OpenProject
— Best for Linux or Mac users
6.
dotProject
— Best for DIY community support
7.
ProjectLibre
— Best for MS Project users
8.
Tom’s Planner
— Best free Gantt chart software for individuals or freelancers
9.
TeamGantt
— Best for planned VS actual reporting
10.
GanttProject
— Best for robust export options
While free Gantt chart software is great for small teams or low-budget projects, investing in paid Gantt chart tools can be worth it. It can give you access to more features and projects, as well as include more team members on the platform.
Free versions of Gantt chart software often limit features, projects, and/or team members. Completely free tools, such as open-source or community tools, are also limited in the sense that they often don’t have the same knowledge bases and support teams that paid tools have.
In the rest of this article, I explain which free Gantt chart tools have limitations to their functionality and what the limitations are. I also go over what to look for in a tool and what each program does best, so it’s easy for you to find the right fit.
How I Picked The Best Free Gantt Chart Software
I evaluated and compared free Gantt chart software on the market that includes Gantt chart functionality as a primary project planning feature. Then I weighed factors that make this kind of software a good option for anyone looking for a free tool, such as the ones that follow.
- User Interface (UI): Is the Gantt chart creator aesthetically pleasing, interactive, and easy to use? The UI plays an important part in the user experience and could be a big detractor if it’s not properly designed.
- Usability: Are there Gantt chart templates, drag-and-drop features, and point-and-click simplicity when it comes to building a chart? Do they offer a mobile app, iOS and Android, for workflow charting on the go? Does the project management solution come with adequate (free) training and tutorials?
- Integrations: Does the Gantt tool connect with other common online project management or online team collaboration workplace software? For example, Microsoft Project, Bitrix24, Redbooth, Google Docs, Slack, Asana, Jira Agile, and so on.
- Pricing: Some of the items on this list are free versions of paid software. Therefore, I try to see if the free version is feature-rich enough to justify onboarding your team.
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Overviews Of The Best Free Gantt Chart Software
Here’s a brief description of each of the free Gantt chart software on my list showing what it does best, plus screenshots to showcase some of the features.
1
Lucidspark
Best virtual whiteboard for collaborative Gantt charts with integrations
Lucidspark leverages the power of visual collaboration by empowering remote and hybrid teams to create Gantt charts and brainstorm ideas on an infinite canvas using sticky notes, shapes, and other tools.
Voting sessions, commenting, and in-app chat features help you track feedback in real time and move projects toward the execution phase quickly—all while creating a living artifact of ideation that your team can use as documentation for future projects.
Featuring hundreds of templates to help you get started without a steep learning curve and powerful integrations with apps like Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Loom, Google, Notion, Confluence, and more, Lucidspark is ideal for all types work—including Agile, project planning, customer journey mapping, UX research, and strategic analysis.
Lucidspark has a free version available for individual users. Paid plans start at $7.95/month with a 7-day free trial.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.5
2065
7-day free trial available
From 7.95/user/month
Visit Website
Visit Website
2
Zoho Projects
Best for customization options
Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management software that helps plan projects, track them, and collaborate along the way.
Why I picked Zoho Projects: When you use the Gantt charts, the tool color codes tasks to let you know of critical ones and their dependencies. It will also flag as soon as your actuals deviate from your planned progress. Zoho Projects is hugely customizable, if you don’t mind putting in the time and effort, and will allow users to create personalized fields, layouts, statuses, and workflows with minimal fuss.
Zoho Projects Standout Features & Integrations
Features include task management, blueprints, automation, time and issue tracking, and a built-in chat for collaboration.
Integrations include all the Zoho ecosystem apps like Desk & Invoice. It also integrates with Google & Microsoft apps, Slack, Dropbox, repository tools, and Zapier.
Zoho Projects Plans & Pricing
The free version includes up to 3 users and has a 2-project limit. Pricing starts at $5/user/month and offers a 10-day free trial.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.2
286
10-day free trial + freemium plan available
From $5/user/month
Visit Website
Pros
- An intuitive, interactive calendar view
- Easy to set and track milestones
- Great CRM integrations
Cons
- Sharing charts requires Zoho Analytics integration
- User interface takes some time getting used to
Visit Website
3
Paymo
Best for its clear progress bars in the Gantt view
Paymo is a work management tool designed to help creative and marketing teams own their entire project cycle.
Why I picked Paymo: Within Gantt charts, users can click and drag on the timeline to estimate a task duration, then pinch its ends to extend or shorten it. Apart from the standard dependencies, you can set lead and lag time to account for overlaps or delays, and even auto-schedule tasks based on those dependencies and constraints.
When finished, click the Export button to save the project timeline and send it over to a client or team member. There’s also a Portfolio Gantt Chart available, which acts as a pipeline with all project timelines united on a single screen.
Paymo Standout Features & Integrations
Features include invoicing and estimates, file proofing, online payments, team scheduling, task management, and time tracking.
Integrations are available natively with apps such as Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Drive, QuickBooks Online, Xero, JotForm, and Shift, to name a few. Other integrations are available through Zapier or by syncing with their fully-documented API.
Paymo Plans & Pricing
Paymo’s free plan includes a 10-user limit. They have 3 plans and pricing starts at $5.95 /user/month.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6
561
Free plan available
From $5.95/user/month
Visit Website
Visit Website
4
GoodDay
Best timeline management for its customizability
GoodDay is a work management platform for building timelines to plan projects, allocate resources, and manage tasks, subprojects, events, and dependencies.
Why I picked GoodDay: It’s an affordable all-in-one tool for project management, tasks collaboration, planning, reporting, and productivity with an easy-to-use interface.
GoodDay lets you customize Gantt chart views, columns, the user interface, fields, task types, project templates, and priorities. Additional functionalities include auto-zoom, export to PDF, and filtering.
GoodDay Standout Features & Integrations
Features include 20+ views, templates, resource planning and workload, unlimited projects hierarchy, portfolios, agile project support, and request forms.
Integrations include hundreds of apps such as Google Drive, Google Calendar, Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Gitlab, Excel, Jira, Trello, and many others, accessible via native integration. More integrations are available through Zapier and GoodDay Api.
GoodDay Plans & Pricing
Pricing starts at $6/user/month and offers a free-forever version for up to 15 users.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3
43
Free version available
From $6/user/month
Visit Website
Visit Website
5
OpenProject
Best for Linux or Mac users
OpenProject is an open-source project management software for classic, agile, or hybrid project management.
Why I picked OpenProject: This software is completely customizable and can be adapted to your operation. OpenProject has a free community edition that includes most features you need from a project management software. The platform is secure, GNU GPL v3 licensed, and GDPR compliant. Finally, they have on-premise and cloud licenses if you have the budget for them.
OpenProject Standout Features & Integrations
Features include Gantt charts, agile boards, scheduling, calendar, time tracking, reports, budgeting, bug tracking, and templates.
Integrations are included in all plans. These include GitHub, NextCloud, and custom integrations you can build using its API.
OpenProject Plans & Pricing
The community plan is free. Upgrading to other plans will give you access to premium features, and their enterprise cloud product offers a 14-day free trial.
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
3.6
19
14-day free trial
From $7.25/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Pros
- Highly configurable for the needs of different departments
- No limit on the number of projects or team members
- Great level of organization with sub-projects and sub-tasks
Cons
- No resource availability percentage
- Technical knowledge is required to install
- No mobile app available at this time
Visit Website
6
dotProject
Best for DIY community support
dotProject is a free, volunteer-supported project management application that is completely developed and managed by its community.
Why I picked dotProject: It is completely free and volunteer supported, support is given by the community, and it is constantly updated. The core product has many of the features that you would expect from a project management tool, and it is completely customizable.
dotProject Standout Features & Integrations
Features include user administration, file management, Gantt charts, budget management, task management, calendar view, and dependencies.
Integrations are not available at the moment, but there is a mods repository where users can upload add-ons. If the add-ons prove useful to the community, they can be included in the core product.
dotProject Plans & Pricing
The tool is free to download.
Free open source software
Visit Website
Pros
- Many add-on modules for additional functionality
- Easy movement of a task from one project to another
- Granular task management and details available
Cons
- No default export or print functionality for Gantt charts
- No rich-text (bold, italics, etc.)
Visit Website
7
ProjectLibre
Best for MS Project users
ProjectLibre is an open-source Microsoft project alternative with both a cloud (beta) and desktop version.
Why I picked ProjectLibre: The software has been around since 2012, and is a global provider of project management software in almost 200 countries. Besides being platform agnostic, it can import MS Project files with ease. Their Gantt charts are fully functional with everything you would expect and then some, like resource usage indicators and a histogram.
ProjectLibre Standout Features & Integrations
Features include network diagrams, compatibility with MS Project, WBS and RBS charts, earned value costing, and histograms.
Integrations are planned for future release, and there are forums gathering suggestions on what people want. One suggestion included Procore for the construction industry.
ProjectLibre Plans & Pricing
The desktop software is completely free. The cloud version will have a monthly subscription and a 14-day free trial soon.
Free open source software
Visit Website
Pros
- Easy to shift the whole timeline back and forth if due dates change
- Streamlined, no-fluff interface
- Usable in 27 languages
Cons
- No client portal
- Desktop version is free, cloud is paid (at this time)
- Cloud version currently in beta
Visit Website
8
Tom’s Planner
Best free Gantt chart software for individuals or freelancers
Tom’s Planner is an online Gantt chart software that is super quick and easy to use and lets you create and share professional Gantt charts in minutes.
Why I picked Tom’s Planner: You can easily drag and drop color-coded time blocks, stretch and contract individual task bars, and zoom in and out from hourly to monthly views. This software is intuitive and can help you quickly build a Gantt chart without prior experience. Finally, the website has a collection of useful training videos.
Tom’s Planner Standout Features & Integrations
Features include free updates, email support, a drag-and-drop interface, white labelling, printing and exporting schedules, and a resource manager.
Integrations include imports from MS Project, Excel, Word tables, Google Calendar, and Outlook.
Tom’s Planner Plans & Pricing
Tom’s Planner is free for 1 schedule.
14-day free trial
From $9.95/user/month (1 project for free)
Visit Website
Pros
- Track status with percentages, traffic lights, icons, or colored time blocks
- Has chart templates for construction, web design, business, and events
- Very quick and simple to build a basic chart
Cons
- Only 1 user can edit a document at a time
- Lack of 3rd-party integrations available
Visit Website
9
TeamGantt
Best for planned VS actual reporting
Team Gantt is an online Gantt chart maker with a freemium plan available for smaller teams.
Why I picked Tema Gantt: Team leads will be able to manage resources, stay on budget, and ensure everyone is working but not overloaded with an easy-to-access availability tab. Gantt charts can be easily compared between planned and actual timelines with a baseline report, which helps with future forecasting.
Team Gantt Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a drag-and-drop UI, multiple Gantt chart display, workloads and team availability, portfolio views, calendar and task views, and a dedicated app.
Integrations include Trello, Basecamp 2, Slack, Dropbox, and Zapier. You can use this last one to connect to thousands of additional apps.
Team Gantt Plans & Pricing
There is a free plan with a one-project limit. There are 3 paid plans, and the top tier is for enterprise support.
30-day free trial
From $24/manager/month
Visit Website
Pros
- Can track how much time is spent on each task
- Regular emails for upcoming/coming due tasks
- Thorough permissions and assigning tasks
Cons
- The timeline is fixed in the free version
- Sharing via URL is read-only
- More third-party app integrations would be welcome
Visit Website
10
GanttProject
Best for robust export options
GanttProject is a free open-source project management application distributed under GPL3 license.
Why I picked GanttProject: The application lets you break down your daily and weekly work, build a Gantt chart timeline, assign resources, calculate project costs, and then export the results easily to PDF, CSV, or PNG. You can import and export data directly into/out of MS Project and Excel, as well. GanttProject serves over 25 languages at this time.
GanttProject Standout Features & Integrations
Features include filtering of completed tasks, dependencies, task management by WBS, a resource chart, and PERT charts to help you identify critical path routes.
Integrations are not mentioned, but workarounds might be available using its API.
GanttProject Plans & Pricing
This application is free, regardless of the package. There is a paid version, but it’s just a way for you to donate as much as you want to the team working on the software.
Free open source software
From $5 as a one-time payment
Visit Website
Pros
- Offers resource management with conflict checks
- Can export to CSV, PDF, HTML, and PNG
- Reads and writes MS Project files
Cons
- Zooming and scrolling across large projects can be jumpy
- Reporting could be more customizable/editable
- You can only open one project at a time
Visit Website
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Other Gantt Chart Options
Need more options for Gantt tools? Here’s a few more fuller-featured, paid Gantt software options:
- GanttProject
Best for robust export options
- Agantty
Best for small and medium-sized teams
- Miro
Best for companies looking to create visually attractive Gantt charts
- ClickUp
Best for creative teams
- RationalPlan
Best for fast onboarding
What Features Should I Look For When Evaluating Free Gantt Chart Software?
- Clearly designated milestones (easily movable/adjustable)
- Task dependencies using vertical line markers or another method
- Task progress indicators or task health status
- Drag-and-drop project items for easy chart building and later adjustments
- Collaboration with at least 2 users (and more is preferred)
- Gantt chart templates so that you don’t have to start each document from scratch
What’s Next?
You can find out more about what is Gantt chart software and read 4 use cases on what a Gantt chart is used for.
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