The 9 best Gantt chart software tools

Just so that no one fools you by the water cooler or beats you in a game of trivia, Gantt charts aren't a "new thing" millennials thought up to make their work easier. They've been around since the 1910s, and the guy who invented them is everything I hoped he would be.

Henry Gantt, a stoic man with a stoic mustache who was all about workforce and workflow efficiency, worked to find the best ways to increase said efficiency mostly in steelmaking factories and mining companies. The Gantt chart was his creation.

Zapier app testers have already put together the best project management software choices, a bunch of which include Gantt chart functionalities. But here, I'll be focusing on the best Gantt chart software—those that either make the Gantt functionality the center of the platform or develop it in unique ways around project management and collaboration features. 

I spent time testing all the Gantt chart software I could get my hands on, and these are my picks for the best.

The best Gantt chart software

• ClickUp for free Gantt charts

• Asana for large teams 

• Avaza for small business management

• Smartsheet for a comprehensive Gantt chart 

• GanttPRO for complex projects 

• TeamGantt for managing multiple projects

• nTask for affordable Gantt chart software 

• monday for highly customizable workflows

• Wrike for robust real-time collaboration features

What makes the best Gantt chart software?

You could theoretically use Canva to generate a cool-looking PNG of a Gantt chart, but short of a presentation you're trying to breathe some color into, this won't be very useful to your team or clients. You wouldn't be able to assign tasks, go through details, or get much value without dedicated tools that help manage all of it. You'd be making Gantt chart templates for midnight Google searches.

I only tested software with core project management and collaboration capabilities, ones where the Gantt chart is an essential part of the platform but not its entirety. You can use tools like ClickUp and Asana for a lot more than just Gantt charts, but I want to talk about how these features come together to enhance Gantt charts and realize Henry Gantt's lofty dreams of an efficient future.

As I tested, I took note of my impressions of how collaborative each platform is, how intuitive the interface is, and how well it incorporates Gantt charts into the grand scheme of project management. I then took these notes to build my own Henry Gantt Hall of Fame, an otherwise objective observation of an old method that made a comeback.

The best Gantt chart software at a glance

Best Gantt chart software for free Gantt charts

ClickUp (Web, iOS, Android, Linux)

ClickUp pros:

• Generous free plan, including access to Gantt chart features

• Great collaboration features for small teams

ClickUp cons:

• Might be overkill for folks who just want Gantt charts

My favorite thing about ClickUp is that it provides multiple ways to view and manage your data, even if you only use the free plan. While I found that many "free" options out there don't really provide Gantt functionality with the support you'd want, ClickUp actually does.

The free plan gives you 60 uses of the Gantt chart functionality before you have to upgrade your plan, which is more than enough time to figure out whether you want to buy it or not. And I found that the Gantt charts and the rest of the platform support each other very well. 

The Gantt charts are detailed, and users can edit tasks that include dates, assignees, priority levels, and timelines. You can also include descriptions (the AI feature can help write these) and custom fields (dropdowns, texts, text areas, labels, AI summaries and progress updates, formulas, locations, and people).

The "AI writer" is a fun feature that's capable of filling in the blanks for you. You can use it to write descriptions and summarize projects, as well as add details to each task on the Gantt chart. The results can be epic, but as it is with almost all generative AI tools, it may take a few tries to get it just right.

Overall, I found ClickUp to be a solid and reliable project management platform that emphasizes Gantt chart functionalities. With list views and board views, ClickUp puts multiple data visualization options at your disposal, just in case that one guy on your team "prefers" a different kind of dashboard. 

Plus, ClickUp integrates with Zapier, so you can connect it to all the other apps you use at work. For example, you can automatically create ClickUp tasks based on calendar events, emails, or form submissions. Learn more about how to automate ClickUp, or get started with one of these pre-made templates.

ClickUp pricing: Free Forever plan includes 60 uses of Gantt charts; paid plans from $5/user/month (including unlimited Gantt chart use).

Best Gantt chart software for large teams 

Asana (Web, iOS, Android, Linux)

Asana pros:

• User-friendly interface

• Highly customizable Gantt elements that integrate with other features

Asana cons:

• Free plan only has limited Gantt features and excludes things like resource management tools and advanced task dependencies

I'm a big fan of Asana's focus on clear communication, with features like threaded discussions, task comments, and real-time updates. It builds a collaborative environment, a handy element for larger teams. As a project management tool alone, Asana goes a long way in keeping everyone on the same page.

But is it Henry Gantt Hall of Fame material?

The free plan offers limited Gantt chart functionality, but paid plans are a bit more comprehensive. The Gantt view integrates seamlessly with other project management features on the platform. You can visualize project timelines, dependencies, and assigned tasks all within the Gantt chart.

ClickUp and Asana have a similar focus on weaving the Gantt chart functionality into a robust collaboration space. You can easily drag and drop tasks to adjust schedules, set dependencies to highlight critical paths, and mark milestones. All in all, the Gantt chart functionality, while not the centerpiece of the software, is embedded enough to draw from the project management, scheduling, and reporting features.

It feels less like a "Hey Jeff, our users want Gantt charts, could you throw something together?" type of situation and more of a well-thought-out functionality that isn't just floating on the dashboard by itself alongside your hopes, dreams, and the 10 minutes you spent signing up for the free trial. 

Asana is great, but it's not the perfect fit for every business. Sure, it's rich with features and can do a lot for your project management needs, but it can be a bit overkill (both feature-wise and bill-wise) for users with simple projects.

Asana also integrates with Zapier, which means you can automate your project management workflows across your tech stack. Create tasks directly from the other apps you use most, or trigger workflows based on your activity in Asana. Learn more about how to automate Asana, or try one of these pre-made workflows.

Asana pricing: Free plan (with limited baselines, critical path analysis, and resource management) available; paid plans from $10.99/user/month.

Best Gantt chart software for small business 

Avaza (Web, iOS, Android)

Avaza pros:

• Robust Gantt chart with resource management functionalities

• Advanced reporting using Gantt chart data

Avaza cons:

• Timesheet, resource scheduling, and admin/finance access are limited to one user in free plan

Avaza does a great job of integrating its resource management and reporting functionalities with the Gantt chart. I found that features, tools, and toolboxes were well-placed around the dashboard in such a way that they turned the Gantt chart into its own workspace. I enjoyed having a complete list of my tasks right next to my Gantt chart. It framed my work a lot better and made it easier to see everything that was on my plate as well as anything missing from the Gantt chart.

Avaza checks every box and provides a feature and solution for almost every concern a project manager would have. It's equipped with a fun multi-resolution zoom capability, which allows you to view your work on a granular level when your many projects grow more complex. It also offers the ability to manipulate detailed Gantt task dependencies and an auto-scheduling feature. Whether its paid plans are worth the investment is a conversation you'll have to have with whoever holds the credit card at your company.

To do even more with Avaza, you can use the Zapier integration and connect it to thousands of other apps. Take a look at these templates to get some ideas for how to streamline your project management workflows.

Avaza pricing: Free plan includes limited feature access, 5 max active projects, 10 max customers, 100 MB storage, Gantt chart; paid plans from $11.95/month

Best Gantt chart software for a comprehensive Gantt chart 

Smartsheet (Web, iOS, Android)

Smartsheet pros:

• Spreadsheet-like interface (a pro if you're into that)

• Powerful Gantt chart features 

• Highly customizable platform

Smartsheet cons:

• Loading views can be a bit slow

• May require SOPs, guides, and training

I love Smartsheet. But I didn't love Smartsheet when I first started using it. The platform has everything I could want, and I've used it enough that I could make a killer hacker montage with nothing but Smartsheet on my screen. It's robust, detailed, and comprehensive, but it can be difficult to learn and incorporate into company-wide processes. 

I learned how to navigate Smartsheet through detailed SOPs and guides that people much smarter than me put together. The familiarity vibe stops at "Hey, this sort of feels like a spreadsheet." 

Smartsheet is well-rounded software with a ton of features designed to keep your team informed and on track. The Gantt chart, coupled with customization options and automation capabilities, turns into a beast that can plan, schedule, and track projects effectively. You can create custom workflows by setting triggers based on changes (like a new row being added or a checkbox being checked) and designating an action that happens as a result, like sending an email notification or assigning a task. You can also tweak it to display a specific user's workload and capacity and multiple users for a big-picture view.

If budget is a concern and your projects are relatively straightforward, exploring other options with a more generous free tier might be the way to go. But if you've got complex projects that require Smartsheet's more advanced features, I can personally vouch for this platform's efficiency once you get past its learning curve.

It's a powerhouse in its own right, but Smartsheet also integrates with Zapier to add even more automation to your workflows. Learn more about how to automate Smartsheet, or try one of these pre-made workflows.

Smartsheet pricing: From $9/user/month

Best Gantt chart software for complex projects 

GanttPRO (Web, Windows)

GanttPRO pros:

• Intuitive interface with drag-and-drop functionality

• Advanced reporting features

GanttPRO cons:

• Limited customization options

• No Zapier integration

The name alone is an indication that the Gantt chart functionality is the core around which the software is built. GanttPRO features a clean and intuitive interface with drag-and-drop functionalities that make it easy to visualize project timelines and dependencies. This visual prowess extends beyond aesthetics—GanttPRO allows for real-time updates, threaded discussions, and task comments, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone's on the same page. 

I was impressed with GanttPRO's emphasis on making collaboration as streamlined as possible. Every task and dependency within the Gantt chart is subject to discussion or actionable feedback—you can pin annotations and comments directly on the chart so that the next person on the project can find the context they need to hit the ground running.

Skill-based allocation is also very cool: it allows you to assign tasks based on your team members' skills and availability. This can help shrink a huge task into an automated process, especially if you have a large team.

All in all, GanttPRO is a solid choice for teams that want a collaborative project management platform built with Gantt charts at its core.

GanttPRO pricing: From $7.99/user/month

Best Gantt chart software for managing multiple projects

TeamGantt (Web, Mac, Linux)

TeamGantt pros:

• Simple and intuitive interface with drag-and-drop functionality

• Workload management feature

TeamGantt cons:

• Limited reporting

TeamGantt was infuriating in that its free plan felt so limited I expected the Gantt chart to ask for a 10-minute break before we continued. It's one of those personal grievances of mine; I expect free plans to showcase enough of the platform to still have value.

But those of you who are eager to take TeamGantt for a spin can try the Pro Manager plan for free for 30 days. This will allow you to experiment with features like alternative project workspaces, advanced collaboration, reporting, workload management, hourly estimating, and time tracking.

I love the Gantt chart functionality here. The whole software is built around it, supporting it in terms of scheduling, resource allocation, and workload management. But this focus seems to have made TeamGantt a bit light on collaboration features. You'll still be able to collaborate with other people on the platform, but expect the basic collaboration features you've seen everywhere. It does come with a chat feature so your team can discuss tasks and project details directly within the Gantt chart view, but it felt less like a chat and more like a standard comments section.

My favorite part about TeamGantt is the sheer number of templates you have at your disposal—categorized by the nature of the project. I won't bore you with the full list; you're not going to read it, and I'm not going to write them all down. But you can take my word for it. Honestly, seeing that full list of unique templates made me want to run a marketing campaign purely using the templates on TeamGantt.

While it's capable of meeting your Gantt chart needs on its own, TeamGantt can do even more when you integrate it with Zapier. For example, create tasks in your other tools based on activity in TeamGantt, or save tasks in TeamGantt based on calendar events or other triggers. Here are some workflows to get you started.

TeamGantt pricing: Paid plans from $5/user/month

Best Gantt chart software for affordable Gantt chart software

nTask (Web, iOS, Android)

nTask pros:

• Affordable plans

• Intuitive and easy interface

• Customizable dashboards

nTask cons:

• Slightly buggy mobile app

• Not ideal for large teams with complex projects

nTask is your budget-friendly, well-rounded Gantt chart software. It makes it affordable and easy to manage projects through Gantt charts even for non-technical users. 

The Gantt chart functionality itself is simple and easy to manipulate. I liked being able to tweak my dashboard and add Kanban boards, include widgets referencing metrics I care about, and create a "home base" I felt comfortable with. It works well with resource management tools and makes changing data very easy. You can even export the Gantt charts for reference if you need to wow your manager with some cool graphics.

For your project planning needs, nTask comes equipped with list views, Kanban boards, customizable dashboards, and the scheduling features we all know and tolerate, like assigning dependencies, due dates, deadlines, critical path highlighting, and the ability to allocate tasks between team members as you see fit.

There are some drawbacks. The free plan is restrictive, and the mobile apps need some development work to do away with the bugginess and loading time. And while nTask offers reporting functionalities, they feel less comprehensive than other project management software options. All in all, nTask gets a spot in the Gantt chart software limelight. If I worked on a small team with a limited budget and a dream, nTask would be one of the solutions I would definitely consider.

nTask also integrates with Zapier for an extra layer of task automation. Automatically create issues, projects, and tasks in nTask whenever you take specific actions in the other apps you use most. Here are some example workflows.

nTask pricing: Free plan includes list, calendar, and grid views, basic project management functionalities, no Gantt chart; paid plans from $3/user/month

Best Gantt chart software for highly customizable workflows 

monday (Web, iOS, Android, Linux)

monday pros:

• Great automation features

• Customizable dashboards

• Comprehensive collaboration features

Monday cons:

• Pricey plans

• Limited reporting compared to competitors

My favorite thing about monday is how customizable and flexible it can be. You can create custom dashboards with various views (Kanban boards, calendars, board views, etc.) and then tailor them to your specific workflows. 

On the Gantt chart dashboard, you can add widgets in the form of pie charts, numbers, battery progress bars, file galleries, and apps—it's a nice way to slowly put together an all-encompassing view on one page, with the Gantt chart above and additional widgets below it that provide context. I don't know what your clients and bosses are expecting, but an absolutely beautiful dashboard will buy you some time to figure out what you're doing.

monday goes the extra mile when it comes to integrations. The platform features "power-ups" that provide options for board views, dashboards, and automation tools, and an app marketplace that provides integrated apps that connect the monday platform to solutions like Outlook, Docusign, and Google Calendar.

For all its perks, monday can be pricey. And if we're being honest, it's overkill for small teams with straightforward projects. I'm of the opinion that if you're buying expensive software and are only using 10% of it, you're either wasting money or are painfully optimistic. 

Overkill or not, this platform hasn't earned its fame and accolades by being limiting. And you can make it even more flexible because monday integrates with Zapier to cover task automation across all your apps. Learn more about how to automate monday, or get started with one of these templates.

monday.com pricing:  Free plan includes limited storage, items, and docs, 2 max users, and no Gantt charts; paid plans from $9/user/month, but you need the Standard plan (from $12/user/month) to get Gantt charts

Best Gantt chart software for robust real-time collaboration features

Wrike (Web, iOS, Android, Linux)

Wrike pros:

• Intuitive interface

• Customizable dashboards

Wrike cons:

• Steep learning curve for advanced features

• Prone to clutter via customization

Wrike is the reliable workhorse of Gantt chart software. It'll handle the heavy lifting and manage fine with complex tasks. It offers a robust Gantt chart functionality, and despite the potential learning curve for its advanced features, the platform caters well to new users with a simple and intuitive interface.

With Wrike's Gantt chart, you can visualize dependencies and critical paths as well as manage resource allocation. It lacks some of the deeper analytical and customization options, but as far as the Gantt chart is concerned, Wrike is a reliable workhorse. It might lack the granularity and complexity of other software, but it still provides a very solid foundation for Gantt chart features.

It's built for collaboration with a robust but standard suite of collaboration tools like real-time chat and file sharing. The productivity dashboard provides each user with everything they need to know regarding their tasks, timelines, assigned projects, reviews, and completed assignments. The layout is customizable, and you can add pre-made or custom widgets to track projects by status or assignees, progress, and budget, as well as provide detailed overviews of team projects and the tasks within.

The bad news: the Gantt chart functionality is only available on the Team plan.  Wrike's extensive customization options can be a double-edged sword as well—new users looking for simple Gantt software may struggle to make sense of the chaos.

Overall, Wrike would make a great fit for large teams pursuing complex projects. Small teams might be better suited to a platform that focuses on simpler workflows.

Wrike also integrates with Zapier so a lot of your tasks can be automated across different platforms. Automatically create tasks in Wrike or send things from Wrike to the other apps you use most. Here are some workflows to get you started.

Wrike pricing: Free plan includes 2GB storage limit, custom work views, and email integrations (no Gantt charts); paid plans from $9.80/user/month

How Gantt chart software can improve your processes 

Let's face it: managing projects can feel like herding cats—chaotic, unpredictable, and occasionally requiring the use of treats to keep everyone moving in the same direction. Think of Gantt charts as the visual architects of your project; they provide a clear visual roadmap and lay out tasks, dependencies, and timelines in a way that everyone on your team can understand. No more squinting at cryptic spreadsheets or relying on Jeremy's telepathic communication to ensure everyone's on the same page.

To make your Gantt charts even more of a workhorse (catherd?), Zapier can automate repetitive tasks like sending notifications when deadlines approach or updating spreadsheets based on project progress. This frees you and your team to focus on what truly matters: strategic thinking and creative problem-solving. Learn more about how to automate your Gantt charts and project management workflows.

Related reading:

• How to create a goal-crushing project plan (+ templates)

• Free Google Sheets templates to boost productivity

• Project initiation 101: 5 steps for launching a new project

• Product roadmaps: A complete guide [+ templates]

• Wrike vs. Asana: Which project management app is best?