You need a Gantt chart but Microsoft Project costs $10/month minimum and you just want to map out a project timeline. I get it. I spent two weeks testing every free Gantt chart tool I could find – desktop apps, browser tools, even the Google Sheets workaround people keep recommending on Reddit.
Here’s what actually works in 2026 without paying anything, and where each tool falls short. If you’re also looking for broader free project management tools, I covered those separately.
Quick Comparison: Free Gantt Chart Tools at a Glance
| Tool | Type | Free Limit | Dependencies | Collaboration | Export | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GanttProject | Desktop | Unlimited | 4 types | File sharing | PDF, PNG, CSV, MS Project | Detailed PM work |
| TeamGantt | Online | 1 project, 3 users | Yes | Real-time | PDF, PNG | Small team projects |
| ClickUp | Online | Unlimited tasks, 100MB | Yes | Unlimited users | Limited on free | All-in-one PM |
| ProjectLibre | Desktop | Unlimited | 4 types | File sharing | PDF, XML, CSV | MS Project replacement |
| Toggl Plan | Online | 5 users, unlimited plans | No | Real-time | PNG | Visual timelines |
| Google Sheets | Online | Unlimited | Manual | Real-time | PDF, Excel | Quick one-off charts |
| Mermaid.js | Code-based | Unlimited | Yes | Via Git | SVG, PNG | Developer documentation |
1. GanttProject – Best Free Desktop Gantt Chart Tool
GanttProject has been around since 2003 and it’s still the most full-featured free option. It’s open source (GPL), runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and handles everything you’d expect from a proper PM tool: task hierarchies, four dependency types (finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish, start-to-finish), resource allocation, critical path analysis, and baselines.
I used it to plan a 47-task website migration last month. Setting up dependencies took maybe 20 minutes – you just click the predecessor column and type the task number. The resource load chart caught two weeks where I’d accidentally double-booked a developer, which would have been a problem.
What’s good
- No project size limits, no feature restrictions, no account needed
- Imports and exports MS Project XML files (tested with Project 2021 files, worked fine)
- Critical path highlighting shows which tasks will delay the whole project if they slip
- Resource leveling is basic but functional
- Runs offline – no internet needed after install
What’s not
- The interface looks dated – think early 2010s Java app, because that’s exactly what it is
- No real-time collaboration. You share .gan files via email or cloud storage
- Printing large charts requires trial and error with page breaks
- Undo history is limited to 10 steps
Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux. File size: ~65MB download. Requirements: Java 11+ (bundled in installer since v3.2).
2. TeamGantt – Easiest Online Gantt Chart for Beginners
TeamGantt is probably the most beginner-friendly Gantt tool I tested. You sign up, create a project, and start dragging bars on a timeline. No PM vocabulary required. The free plan gives you 1 project with up to 60 tasks and 3 collaborators.
The drag-and-drop dependency linking works well. Click a task bar, drag the connector to another bar, done. It auto-calculates the schedule shift if you change a predecessor’s dates. I set up a 30-task marketing campaign plan in about 15 minutes, dependencies included.
What’s good
- Genuinely intuitive – my non-technical colleague figured it out without any instructions
- Real-time collaboration within the free project
- Built-in workload view shows who’s overbooked
- Task comments and file attachments work on free plan
What’s not
- 1 project limit on free is tight. You’d need to delete and recreate for new projects
- 60 tasks per project means complex projects won’t fit
- No critical path on free plan
- Export options are PDF and PNG only (no CSV, no MS Project format)
- Paid plans start at $49/manager/month, which is steep
Platform: Web browser. Free plan: 1 project, 3 users, 60 tasks.
3. ClickUp – Best Free Gantt View Inside a PM Tool
ClickUp isn’t a dedicated Gantt tool – it’s a full project management platform that includes a Gantt view. The free plan is surprisingly generous: unlimited tasks, unlimited users, 100MB total storage. The Gantt view is one of several ways to visualize your project alongside list, board, calendar, and timeline views.
Here’s the thing about ClickUp’s Gantt though – the learning curve is real. There are so many features packed into the interface that finding the Gantt view your first time requires clicking through “Add View” options. Once you’re there, it works. Task dependencies are drag-and-drop, you get color-coded status bars, and zooming between day/week/month views is smooth.
What’s good
- Unlimited tasks and users on free – no artificial caps on project size
- Dependencies actually recalculate the timeline when you move tasks
- Multiple view types from the same data set
- Integrates with 100+ other tools (Slack, GitHub, Google Drive)
What’s not
- 100MB storage limit is laughably small if you attach files
- The app is slow. Pages take 2-4 seconds to load consistently
- Gantt chart export requires a paid plan ($7/user/month)
- Feature bloat makes simple projects feel over-engineered
- The mobile app doesn’t have Gantt view at all
Platform: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android (no Gantt on mobile). Free plan: Unlimited tasks/users, 100MB storage.
4. ProjectLibre – MS Project Clone That’s Actually Free
If you’ve used Microsoft Project before and want something that looks and works nearly the same, ProjectLibre is it. It’s open source, has been downloaded over 7 million times, and the interface is so close to MS Project that you could open both side-by-side and confuse them.
ProjectLibre reads and writes .mpp files (MS Project format) directly, which matters if you collaborate with people who use Project. I tested importing a 120-task .mpp file from a client – all dependencies, resources, and calendar settings came through correctly. The only thing that broke was a custom field formula, which is fair.
What’s good
- Native .mpp file support (open and save)
- Earned value management for tracking budget vs. actual spend
- WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) codes generate automatically
- Resource histograms and cost tracking
- No internet connection required
What’s not
- Desktop only – the cloud version (ProjectLibre Cloud) is paid
- Interface can feel sluggish with 200+ tasks
- Documentation is sparse. The wiki hasn’t been updated since 2023
- Printing is finicky – same issue as GanttProject
Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux. File size: ~80MB. Requirements: Java (bundled).
5. Toggl Plan – Cleanest Visual Timeline
Toggl Plan (formerly Teamweek) takes a different approach. Instead of traditional Gantt chart complexity, it gives you a clean visual timeline where you drag colored bars across a calendar. No dependency arrows, no critical path – just tasks on a timeline grouped by team member or project.
Honestly, for many projects this is enough. Not every plan needs finish-to-start dependencies. If you just want to see who’s doing what and when, Toggl Plan does that better than any tool on this list. The free plan covers up to 5 users with unlimited timelines.
What’s good
- Beautiful, minimal interface with zero learning curve
- Team timeline view shows workload across people at a glance
- Milestones as visual markers on the timeline
- Color coding by project, status, or custom tags
- 5 users free is enough for a small team
What’s not
- No task dependencies at all – this is a dealbreaker for real project scheduling
- No resource leveling or workload balancing
- Export is PNG only on free plan
- Can’t import from other PM tools
- Paid plan is $9/user/month for dependencies and integrations
Platform: Web browser, iOS, Android. Free plan: 5 users, unlimited plans, no dependencies.
6. Google Sheets – The DIY Method
You can build a Gantt chart in Google Sheets using a stacked bar chart hack. It’s free, it’s always available, and honestly for a quick one-off chart it works fine. Here’s the method:
- Column A: task names. Column B: start dates. Column C: duration in days. Column D: =B2 (copies start date as a number)
- Select columns A, C, and D. Insert a stacked bar chart
- Format the first data series (start dates) with no fill and no border – makes it invisible
- The remaining series (duration) shows as colored bars starting at the right position
I use this for client-facing project overviews where I don’t need dependencies – just a visual “here’s when things happen” snapshot. It takes about 10 minutes to set up from scratch.
What’s good
- Free forever, no account limits, shareable with anyone who has the link
- Real-time collaboration built in
- Conditional formatting can add color coding by status
- Templates available in the Google Sheets gallery
What’s not
- No real dependencies – everything is manual
- Chart breaks visually if task names are too long
- No resource management, no milestones, no baseline tracking
- Updating dates means recalculating everything downstream by hand
- Past about 20 tasks, the chart gets unreadable
Platform: Web browser (Chrome works best). Cost: Free with Google account.
7. Mermaid.js – Gantt Charts as Code
This one’s for developers and technical writers. Mermaid.js lets you write Gantt charts in a markdown-like syntax that renders as SVG. GitHub, GitLab, Notion, and Obsidian all render Mermaid charts natively, which means your Gantt chart lives in your documentation and updates through version control.
A basic chart looks like this:
gantt
title Project Plan
dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
section Design
Wireframes :a1, 2026-06-01, 5d
Mockups :after a1, 7d
section Development
Frontend :2026-06-10, 14d
Backend :2026-06-08, 21dThat’s it. Save it in a .md file, push to GitHub, and you have a rendered Gantt chart in your README.
What’s good
- Version controlled – every change is tracked in Git
- Renders everywhere: GitHub, GitLab, Notion, VS Code, Obsidian
- Dependencies work (after keyword)
- Sections group tasks visually
- No account, no app, no install needed
What’s not
- Text-only input means no drag-and-drop
- Complex charts get hard to read in source
- Limited styling options compared to GUI tools
- No resource assignment or workload tracking
- Not practical for non-technical team members
Platform: Any text editor + renderer. Cost: Free, open source (MIT license).
Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Gantt Chart
Regardless of which tool you pick, the process is the same. I’ll use TeamGantt as the example since it has the gentlest learning curve, but the logic applies everywhere.
Step 1: List your tasks
Write down every task in your project. Don’t worry about order yet. For a website redesign, that might be: stakeholder interviews, content audit, wireframes, visual design, front-end build, back-end build, content migration, QA testing, launch.
Step 2: Estimate durations
For each task, estimate how many working days it’ll take. Be honest – if you’ve never done something before, add 30-50% buffer. A “5-day task” that slips to 7 days cascades through your entire schedule.
Step 3: Set dependencies
Which tasks can’t start until another finishes? Wireframes before visual design. Front-end build after visual design approval. QA after both front-end and back-end. Most tools let you drag a line from one task to another to create finish-to-start dependencies.
Step 4: Assign resources
If you’re working with a team, assign people to tasks. This is where resource overallocation shows up – you might discover you’ve scheduled your one designer for two parallel tasks.
Step 5: Review the critical path
The critical path is the longest chain of dependent tasks. Any delay on this path delays the whole project. GanttProject and ProjectLibre highlight this automatically. If you’re in a simpler tool, trace it manually.
Which Tool Should You Pick?
Here’s my take after testing all of them:
Solo freelancer with 10-30 tasks: Google Sheets or Toggl Plan. You don’t need dependency tracking for a content calendar or a small client project. Keep it simple.
Team of 2-5 people, one active project: TeamGantt free plan. The 1-project and 3-user limit is fine if you’re a small team working on one thing at a time.
Serious project management with dependencies and resources: GanttProject (if you’re OK with desktop) or ClickUp (if you need online). GanttProject has better Gantt features; ClickUp has better everything-else.
MS Project users looking for a free switch: ProjectLibre, no contest. It reads .mpp files and the interface is nearly identical.
Developers documenting project plans: Mermaid.js. Your chart lives in your repo and updates with PRs.
If you work with documents alongside your project plan, check out the best free PDF editors for handling contracts, specs, and deliverables without paying for Adobe. And if your project involves creating flowcharts for process documentation, I covered those tools too.
FAQ
Is there a free Gantt chart maker?
Yes. GanttProject and ProjectLibre are completely free open-source desktop apps with no limits. For online tools, ClickUp offers Gantt views on its free plan (100MB storage, unlimited tasks), and TeamGantt gives you 1 free project with up to 3 collaborators.
Can I make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets?
Yes, using a stacked bar chart trick. List tasks with start dates and durations, create a stacked bar chart, then make the first series transparent. It works but updating dependencies manually gets tedious past 15-20 tasks.
What is the best free alternative to Microsoft Project for Gantt charts?
GanttProject is the closest free alternative to Microsoft Project. It handles task dependencies (finish-to-start, start-to-start), resource assignment, critical path calculation, and exports to MS Project XML format. ProjectLibre is another strong option with a more familiar MS Project-like interface.
Can I share a Gantt chart with my team for free?
TeamGantt lets you share 1 project with up to 3 team members on its free plan. ClickUp allows unlimited collaborators on its free tier. For desktop tools like GanttProject, you can export to PDF or PNG and share that way, or save as XML and let team members open the file.
Do I need project management experience to use a Gantt chart tool?
No. Most online Gantt chart makers have drag-and-drop interfaces where you just type task names, set dates, and draw dependency arrows. Tools like TeamGantt and Toggl Plan are specifically designed for people without PM training. You can create a basic Gantt chart in under 10 minutes.