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While utilizing best free Gantt chart software can be advantageous for small teams or projects with limited budgets, investing in paid Gantt chart tools can offer substantial benefits.These expensive tools give you access to more features, more space for your projects, and the option to add more team members to the platform.
On the other hand, free versions of Gantt chart software often limit the number of features, the size of the project, and the number of people on the team. Also, open-source or community-driven tools that are totally free may not have the extensive knowledge bases and dedicated support teams that paid tools do. In the next parts of this piece, I’ll talk more about how different free Gantt chart tools are limited in what they can do. I’ll also explain the most important things to think about when choosing a tool and highlight the best parts of each program, making it easier for you to find the right one.
Best Free Gantt Chart Software Comparison Table
| Product | Platform | Features | Visit Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miro | Web, Desktop, Mobile | Visual collaboration, Agile workflows, Mind mapping, Remote collaboration, Integrations | Visit Website |
| ClickUp | Web, Desktop, Mobile | Task management, Time tracking, Agile boards, Collaboration, Automation | Visit Website |
| Tom’s Planner | Web, Desktop | Gantt charts, Collaboration, Resource management, Drag-and-drop editing, Export/printing | Visit Website |
| Toggl Plan | Web, Desktop, Mobile | Timeline view, Task management, Team collaboration, Workload planning, Reporting | Visit Website |
| Zoho Projects | Web, Desktop, Mobile | Project planning, Team collaboration, Time tracking, Document management, Agile methods | Visit Website |
Miro
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Visual Collaboration | Real-time collaboration on a shared whiteboard with sticky notes, drawings, diagrams, and more. |
| Agile Workflows | Agile planning and execution with kanban boards, scrum boards, and customizable templates. |
| Mind Mapping | Create and organize ideas using mind maps with branches, connections, and visual hierarchy. |
| Remote Collaboration | Seamless collaboration with teams and stakeholders regardless of their location. |
| Integrations | Integration with popular tools like Jira, Slack, Trello, and Google Drive for enhanced productivity and workflow. |
For small teams or budget-conscious enterprises looking to handle projects, it’s easy, user-friendly, and free. Gantt chart designs let you add project tasks, notes, and photos. Subtasks can be assigned deadlines and owners if appropriate. Users can comment on tasks and subtasks, keeping teams linked throughout the project.
This keeps data current and provides uniformity among project team members. Miro’s project dashboard tracks budgets and resource allocation. It also contains an activity log to document who assigned tasks and updated statuses. Its sophisticated analysis tools let organizations manage project specifics without drowning in data.
The Good
- Versatile visual collaboration platform
- Extensive integrations with popular tools
- Supports agile workflows and mind mapping
The Bad
- Steep learning curve for new users
- Limited free plan features
- Requires an internet connection for real-time collaboration
ClickUp
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Task Management | Create, assign, and track tasks with customizable views and statuses. |
| Time Tracking | Track time spent on tasks and projects for accurate billing and productivity analysis. |
| Agile Boards | Visualize and manage tasks using kanban boards, Gantt charts, and sprints. |
| Collaboration | Collaborate with team members, share documents, and discuss tasks in real-time. |
| Automation | Automate repetitive tasks and workflows to save time and improve efficiency. |
It features Gantt charts in addition to Kanban boards, calendars, discussions, and reminders in an interface that is colorful, user-friendly, and enjoyable for you to work with. The user interface supports drag-and-drop movements and even provides a dark mode for those who like to work in such an environment. Users are able to build Spaces that are specific to various departments or projects (such as customer service, graphic design, or marketing, for example).
And these Spaces provide a bird’s eye perspective of everything that is happening at all times.There are a variety of features available, such as the ability to customize the app, more than 15 different views, collaborative documents, reports, whiteboards, time monitoring, and real-time chat so that conversations can be had about particular tasks.
The Good
- Comprehensive task management features
- Flexible and customizable views
- Robust time tracking capabilities
The Bad
- Complex interface for new users
- Some advanced features only available in higher-priced plans
Tom’s Planner
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Gantt Charts | Create and manage project schedules using intuitive Gantt charts. |
| Collaboration | Share project plans with team members and stakeholders for real-time collaboration. |
| Resource Management | Assign resources to tasks, track availability, and manage workloads effectively. |
| Drag-and-Drop Editing | Easily adjust task durations, dependencies, and deadlines with simple drag-and-drop actions. |
| Export and Printing | Export project plans in various formats, including PDF and Excel, and print them for offline use or sharing. |
The name “Tom’s Planner” sounds like it’s about a person, which is a hint that it’s an individual project management tool. Tom’s Planner is different from the other tools on this list because it only works on the web. There are no mobile or desktop apps for it. Tom’s Planner is made so that Gantt charts can be made and managed. This is one of the Best Free Gantt Chart Software.
It has a drag-and-drop interface, so all you have to do to build your Gantt chart is move sections around with your mouse. You can easily add blocks to your chart and stretch, shrink, or change them. You can ask as many team members as you want to help you build your Gantt chart. Tom’s planner is easy to use because it has a simple design, so other team members may not need much training to learn how to use it.
The Good
- User-friendly interface for creating Gantt charts
- Simplified drag-and-drop editing
- Seamless collaboration with team members
The Bad
- Limited features compared to more robust project management tools
- Lacks advanced automation and reporting capabilities
Toggl Plan
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Timeline View | Visualize project timelines and tasks in a clear and interactive timeline view. |
| Task Management | Create and organize tasks, assign them to team members, and track their progress. |
| Team Collaboration | Collaborate with team members, share project plans, and communicate in real-time. |
| Workload Planning | Manage and balance team workloads to ensure optimal resource allocation and project efficiency. |
| Reporting | Generate reports on project progress, task completion, and team performance for data-driven insights and analysis. |
Toggl Plann is yet another one of the Best Free Gantt Chart Software, and it comes with some very amazing visual project planning features to go along with it. The stunning visuals and elegant features of the project timeline act like project planners, illustrating where daily tasks occur on the timeline and how they overlap with one another.
Link available to the public for free Gantt charts that can be shared with others that do not have a Toggl account You are able to see which weeks are completely booked thanks to resource management views at a high level, as well as the total amount of hours required for each project. Create rough estimates of project expenses or baselines using straightforward Gantt charts. Compatible with the majority of OS systems.
The Good
- Intuitive timeline view for visualizing project timelines
- Efficient task management and team collaboration features
- Useful workload planning capabilities
The Bad
- Limited customization options for task and project views
- Advanced reporting features only available in higher-priced plans
Zoho Projects
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Planning | Plan projects using Gantt charts, milestones, task dependencies, and critical path analysis. |
| Team Collaboration | Collaborate with team members, share files, hold discussions, and assign tasks in one centralized platform. |
| Time Tracking | Track time spent on tasks, generate timesheets, and analyze productivity and billable hours. |
| Document Management | Store and manage project documents, files, and version histories in a secure cloud-based environment. |
| Agile Methodologies | Support for agile methodologies with features like scrum boards, sprints, and backlog management. |
Zoho is a Best Free Gantt Chart Software that is known for making free or cheap versions of popular software tools. Zoho Projects is a tool for managing projects that the company sells. The free version of this software lets you manage up to two projects at once and has limited storage space. However, you can pay a reasonable fee to upgrade to a premium plan that lets you manage an endless number of projects and has unlimited storage space.
You can plan and keep track of your jobs with Zoho jobs by using Gantt charts. Zoho has its own Gantt chart tool that works with a drag-and-drop interface. To show relationships and dependencies, you just drag and drop between job bars. This tool works with the four types of task dependencies: Finish to Start, Finish to Finish, Start to Finish, and Start to Start.
The Good
- Robust project planning and management features
- Comprehensive collaboration tools for team communication
- Suitable for both traditional and agile project management
The Bad
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Advanced features may require additional setup and configuration
FAQs
A: Yes, most companies that make Gantt chart software have paid versions with more tools and options. If the free version isn’t enough for you, you can usually upgrade to a paid plan to get more features and help.
A: There is open-source Gantt chart tools, like GanttProject and OpenProject, that you can use. These tools are free to use and have many features for managing projects, such as the ability to use a Gantt chart.
A: Many Gantt chart software choices integrate with popular project management tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, and more. These connections make it easy for different tools used for project management to share data and work together.