7 Best Free Gantt Chart Software Of 2021

There’s a lot of free Gantt chart software out there—I’ve analyzed them and made a list of the best ones in this post. I explain which free Gantt chart tools have limitations to their functionality and what the limitations are (these types of accounts are known as freemiums and are usually a great fit for small teams or people who only need to manage a few projects). 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.

Ready to take your Gantt charts out of Excel and put them into a dynamic tool made specifically for this purpose? Not looking to spend a ton on costly online Gantt chart software? In this article, I go over free project management software options that include Gantt chart functionality as a primary project planning feature.

Below, I’ve got two lists: a list of the best overall Gantt chart software, and a list with the best free and freemium Gantt chart software.

Free Gantt Chart Software Comparison Criteria

What do I look for in the best free Gantt chart software? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:

1. User Interface (UI): Is the Gantt chart creator aesthetically pleasing, interactive, and easy to use? Can you color-code or otherwise group tasks easily? Can you zoom in and zoom out on the chart data?
2. 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?
3. 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.
4. Software Value: Is the free version of the Gantt software feature-rich enough to justify onboarding your team? Are there stringent user limits that might prevent widespread adoption? How many charts can you store at one time? Are any key features missing or limited to a paid plan?

Key Free Gantt Chart Features

1. Clearly designated milestones (easily movable/adjustable)
2. Task dependencies using vertical line markers or another method
3. Task progress indicators or task health status
4. Drag-and-drop project items for easy chart building and later adjustments
5. Collaboration with at least 2 users (and more is preferred)
6. Gantt chart templates so that you don’t have to start each document from scratch

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Overviews Of The 7 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. ProjectLibre Cloud – Best for MS Project users

Resource views, sub-views, and filters help you parse the data as you see fit.

ProjectLibre Cloud bills itself as a Microsoft Project alternative with a free desktop version. They are currently in beta but you can sign up to be an early adopter using the email link on their website. Their Gantt charts are fully functional with everything you would expect and then some, like resource usage indicators and a histogram.

2. OpenProject – Best for Linux or Mac users

Subject, status, and timeline are just a few of the data points you can catch at a glance.

OpenProject is an open-source Gantt chart app with excellent collaboration features built into the platform. OpenProject is specifically designed to work well with Linux and Mac (the Enterprise plan doesn’t even work elsewhere). OpenProject has a free community edition with some premium features removed; however, freemium users will have complete access to Gantt charts and timeline management.

3. Agantty – Best for small- or medium-sized teams

Drill down into each task with plenty of customizable project and status tags.

Agantty is a free, easy, and clear project management tool that can be used for an unlimited amount of projects, tasks, and teams. Users will appreciate being able to administer an unlimited number of teams and tasks with a single account, as well as look up your To-Dos on a clean, comprehensive dashboard.

4. GanttProject – Best for robust export options

A no-clutter, no frills Gantt chart builder with comprehensive resource spreadsheets.

GanttProject 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.

5. dotProject – Best for DIY community support

Each task entry can be endlessly detailed, allowing managers to add as much or as little data as they want.

DotProject is a free, volunteer-supported Gantt chart and planning application that is managed, maintained, developed, and supported by a volunteer group of users. This means that there is no corporate headquarters to whom you can reach out to for support. However, PMs will have access to a large community of volunteer developers and very active online support forums—something DIYers will love.

6. Tom’s Planner – Best free Gantt chart software for individuals or freelancers

Put related tasks on the same row so your chart doesn’t stretch vertically to infinity.

Tom’s Planner is a free project management app that is super quick and easy to use, making it great for users who don’t have a ton of time or resources to play with. 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.

Tom’s Planner costs from $9.95/user/month and offers a 14-day free trial.

7. RationalPlan – Best for fast onboarding

Easily track a project’s evolution in terms of completion, time, and costs.

RationalPlan is a user-friendly, incredibly intuitive project management software designed to help teams create project plans, allocate resources, analyze workload, track work progress, estimate project costs, and manage budgets. Their free Gantt chart tool is a very easy way to quickly highlight dependencies, baselines, and critical paths.

RationalPlan costs from $4 per license and offers a freemium version for up to 2 users with a maximum of 2 projects.

Other Gantt Chart Options

Need more features than a freemium Gantt tool allows? You might want to check out these fuller-featured, paid Gantt software options:

Any Other Free Gantt Chart Programs To Add?

Have you tried any of the free online Gantt chart makers? What is your go-to tool when you are getting ready to schedule tasks? Are there any Gantt charts for project scheduling that you would add to this list if you could? Sound off in the comments.

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