Top 10 Free Gantt Charts for 2024
The Gantt chart is a handy solution in project management. It was invented more than 100 years ago, but surprisingly, it has not lost its popularity and relevance. The simpler a tool is, the more effective it is in its usage. A typical Gantt chart is a diagram with horizontal bars that indicate tasks. Time is usually shown at the top, so it is easy to visualize where you currently are in the project, how much has been accomplished, and what needs to be done further. The bars can be highlighted with different colors to indicate the performance. Tasks can be split or combined with each other, and many other useful features can be offered by the creators of this product on the market.
In this overview, we will concentrate on free tools and solutions that provide users with free trial periods. If your project requires something more sophisticated, most of the solutions from the list offer advanced features in case you are ready to pay for the license.
Common features of a Gantt chart
A typical Gantt chart allows users to create tasks and assign team members for their execution. The team will see the deadlines and the overlapping tasks, and it will help to create a general understanding of the work processes and improve motivation. Other features of a Gantt chart are the following:
- Setting milestones, i.e., the most crucial steps in the project’s development. It can be the date of the first release, for example.
- Indicating the critical path of the project. It usually involves the most important sequence of tasks that cannot be postponed, as they reveal the core part of the whole process.
- Adjusting task dependencies. The tasks can be split or supplemented with other tasks. This process helps the team follow the consistency of the project.
- Drag-n-drop allows users to easily add the tasks to the board.
Popular Gantt charts
This is a complex widget from the Webix UI library. The library offers a 30-day free trial period. The library itself is a collection of the most powerful and essential components and elements for creating elegant and functional user interfaces. The Gantt Chart widget has all the basic functionality complemented with complex scales and zooming, marks on time scales, a resources diagram, and the possibility to exclude holidays from the work load.
Another powerful tool that can be called a complete platform for project management. It involves collaboration with the team, resource management, budget tracking, templates, and a bunch of customized settings. The project is provided under the license. However, a free trial period of 14 days will let you understand whether your project needs such an all-mighty solution.
This is a totally free product for small and medium-sized businesses. It allows assigning resources, calculating costs, and exporting and importing from MS Project and Excel. Reports in PDF, CSV, and PNG formats are available. However, only one project can be opened at a time, and the possibilities for reporting are quite limited.
This is a tool with no developer company behind it. It is created and maintained by enthusiasts and users across the globe. That is why it is free for any commercial usage. One more big advantage of this product is a lively community eager to help with any difficulties. There is a wide choice of additional modules to enrich the functionality. However, there is no possibility of export.
Agantty is free for one project and for solo users. If you have a team, you will need Agantty Premium. The functionality includes milestones, assigning tasks and access roles, filtering and sorting tasks, and setting e-mail notifications.
This project is also free for individual developers. The standard functionality is supplemented with the ability to schedule tasks in a calendar view. The progress percentage helps to assess the results. The critical path is empowered with automatic calculations.
This project provides users with a free community plan. The plan includes Gantt charts and timelines, as well as scheduling and meetings’ management, time tracking and bug tracking. Advanced paid functionality includes Kanban boards, different customizable buttons and fields, and much more. There are 14 free days to study the additional functionality.
This is a web-based project. It is an interesting solution with an interactive design. Various attachments, checklists, and comments can be added to the tasks. Unfortunately, a significant feature is missing: dependencies cannot be set. Besides, many important features are available only with a paid plan. The free trial period is 14 days.
This solution works with Asana projects. Instagantt offers workload management, progress tracking, and change tracking. Charts can be exported in PDF and JPG. There is a free trial period and up to three projects can utilize the tool on an open source basis.
This is a cloud-based software with many advanced features. For instance, there are planned and actual timelines for their comparison. There is the possibility to add attachments. Besides, there are different view modes, such as portfolio view, calendar view, and list view. A free version allows only three users within one project.
Conclusion
The Gantt chart is a convenient tool that can facilitate the process of project management. All the processes become clearer and the staff feel more motivated and satisfied with both their personal and team performance. The choice of solutions on the market is wide. They vary in the number of features and payment options. It is important to weigh all the pros and cons before making a decision.
