The Top 6 Project Management Software with Gantt Charts

Many project managers are overwhelmed with using Gantt charts. This is because many don’t understand their value and importance, or how to create them.

Furthermore, building a Gantt chart requires an in-depth and highly focused project planning session. It involves sitting down and really hammering out the tasks, subtasks, resources, and target due dates for each task.

Time-consuming? Yes. Cumbersome? You bet.

However, taking the time to plan and build a Gantt chart will make your life as a project manager that much easier in the long run — and give your team much-needed project visibility.

Intrigued? Keep reading.

If you are on the other side of the project management fence, and you are reading this and thinking, “Yasss! I LOVE Gantt charts,” then this article is for you too.

In this article, we will discuss the top project management tools and software out there with Gantt charts for more effective and efficient project planning.

What is a Gantt Chart?

For those of you who are reading and are unsure of what a Gantt chart is and what it looks like, don’t fret. A Gantt chart is essentially a bar chart that is designed to help project managers monitor and control the project schedule, specifically the duration and progress of individual project activities.

A Gantt chart is also a great visual tool that helps project managers plan projects of any size and also shows what tasks and activities are scheduled for completion on a specific day, as well as the duration of each task.

Essentially, Gantt charts show:

• The scheduled start and target end date of each project
• Project tasks and activities
• Resources assigned to each task
• How long each task is expected to take
• When tasks start and finish
• Task dependencies

How to Find the Best Project Management Software with Gantt Charts

If you do a simple Google search for “Gantt charts,” you will likely see a number of apps come up. Many of these apps are designed to function only as Gantt charts. If this is what you are looking for, great, however, now you are trying to use a Gantt chart app in addition to your project management tool, or—gasp!—your “master project plan,” which is a glorified spreadsheet.

Now you have the problem of using multiple tools, with project data in multiple places, which means you are probably duplicating efforts and are more likely to miss important dates, tasks, and lose sight of what is actually going on.

The good news is there is a number of project management software designed with Gantt charts. So, you can finally delete your master project plan spreadsheet for good, and migrate to a robust project management tool with all the features you need, including Gantt charts.

So, without further adieu, here is our list of top project management software with Gantt charts.

Wrike

If you already use Wrike to manage your projects, then great news—Wrike has dynamic, built-in Gantt charts that provide users with an advanced visual timeline for a high-level view of the project schedule, dependencies, and overall project status.

It can take a little effort to get acclimated to using the system, and to set up a Gantt chart initially by adding in the tasks, resources, and assigning due dates for each. However, the good news is keeping the chart updated is simple, with only a few clicks.

Again, one of the benefits of using Gantt charts is achieving precision in project planning. Once the project dates are scheduled in the task view, the Gantt chart automatically populates the tasks and allow the users to see and adjust timelines instantly. Users are able to illustrate and visualize every step, from day one until the end, connect tasks with dependent relationships, and track project progress to make sure deadlines are met.

The Wrike Dynamic Timeline View is available in the Professional, Business, For Marketers, and Enterprise plans.

Smartsheet

Because too many project managers rely on spreadsheets for project planning and tracking, Smartsheet devised a tool that mimics the functionality of a spreadsheet, but with greater accuracy and efficiency.

In addition to allowing users to organize, visualize, and plan their projects with similar spreadsheet functionalities, Smartsheet also has an interactive and customizable Gantt chart feature available.

For example, users can customize their Gantt chart with conditional formatting to highlight tasks or indicate status levels with different colors. It is also designed with a drag-and-drop feature, making it easy for teams to collaborate in real time while also staying up to date on project progress. Gantt charts can be easily shared as a PDF document.

Smartsheet’s dynamic Gantt chart is available on the Business and Enterprise plans.

Mavenlink

Mavenlink is another advanced cloud-based project management software option with dynamic Gantt charts available. Similar to Wrike, Mavenlink will likely require some effort to get it up and running, including setting up project timelines. However, once the system is set up, teams and companies can easily visualize their entire projects, including the timeline, tasks and milestones, percentage of completion, and overall project progression.

Some users might think Mavenlink is intuitive whereas others have claimed that it is difficult. Ultimately, the overall ease of use will likely depend on your experience with using project management software and building timelines and Gantt charts.

Gantt charts as part of project management features are available in Professional, Premier, and Enterprise plans.

InstaGantt

We have discussed several different types all comprehensive project management software with Gantt chart features. These software examples also have team commenting and collaboration features, document control and sharing capabilities, and other task management functionalities.

However, there are also a handful of Gantt chart applications that are designed to function as a single app, and that can be integrated with other popular project management tools, such as Trello and Asana. InstaGantt is one of them.

If you and your team use Asana regularly and consistently, but you also need project timeline or Gantt chart functionalities—and can’t even fathom the idea of switching software or applications—then InstaGantt might be the best solution for you.

Timeline by Asana

Timeline is another feature for Asana, but a little less complicated than InstaGantt. Timeline allows users to convert their list of tasks and sub-tasks in a project to a timeline by virtually a click of a button.

The benefits? Timeline allows users to see all the due dates associated with each task listed out in a timeline—or line graph—visually. It also allows users to see how all the individual pieces of a project fit together in one combined view.

Timelines can also be shared with team members, ensuring that everyone is clear on their assigned tasks, due dates, and milestones, which can help set your project up for success.

GanttPro

Similar to InstaGantt, GanttPro is another online interactive Gantt chart solution. GanttPro allows you to split groups into milestones, tasks, and subtasks for precise and granular planning. You can also set durations and dependencies between tasks.

GanttPro also assists with resource allocation and management. It allows helps with the estimating process, allowing you to manage and allocate your resources wisely.

If you are new to using an interactive Gantt chart tool, project management software, or Gantt charts in general, GanttPro is a great place to start. Most teams and users report that GanttPro only takes a few minutes to set up and use effectively, while also saving them time by up to 45 percent!

With a paid version of GanttPro, you can also export Gantt charts to Excel spreadsheets, CSV files, or PDFs, which comes in handy if you want to share the project timeline with a project stakeholder, external team member, or client without having them see the various task and subtask levels.

It’s Time for a Simpler Gantt Chart Tool

All in all, if you are reading this article because you are trying to find other solutions and tools to help you better manage your projects, then you are likely looking for a comprehensive project management software and tool with all the features you need.

In addition to the tools mentioned above, Rindle provides users and project managers with everything they need to manage their projects, while also allowing their teams to work in ways that are best for them. Rindle now offers a Gantt chart feature that automatically pulls in tasks, due dates, and assignees, and calculates a timeline in real time.

Are you looking for a project or task management tool that has built-in Gantt chart features and other project management capabilities available? Give Rindle a try today.