Gantt Chart
A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that maps every project task along a timeline showing start dates, durations, dependencies, milestones, and percentage completion in one view. This page includes a free online Gantt chart maker, a downloadable Excel template, a Google Sheets guide, and a step-by-step tutorial for building one from scratch.
Free Online Gantt Chart Maker
Gantt Chart Components
Before building a Gantt chart it helps to understand each visual element and its purpose.
| Element Name | Visual Appearance | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Task bar | A horizontal coloured rectangle | Shows the start date, end date, and duration of a task. |
| Milestone | A diamond shape | Marks a key deliverable, decision point, or deadline that has no duration. |
| Dependency arrow | A line connecting the end of one bar to the start of another | Shows which tasks must be completed before the next task can begin. |
| Progress fill | A darker shading inside part of the task bar | Shows what percentage of the task is complete. A bar that is 60 percent filled means the task is 60 percent done. |
| Critical path | Task bars highlighted in red or shown in bold | Marks the longest chain of dependent tasks. Any delay on the critical path delays the entire project finish date. |
| Today line | A vertical dotted line running from top to bottom of the chart | Shows where the current date falls on the timeline so you can see what is on schedule and what is behind. |
Original illustrative example
Example Gantt Chart — Website Launch Project
This example shows how a real project is structured across phases with dependencies and milestones over a 16-week timeline.
| Project Phase | Task Name | Start Week | End Week | Duration | Depends On | Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planning | Define requirements | Week 1 | Week 1 | 3 days | None | — |
| Planning | Stakeholder interviews | Week 1 | Week 2 | 4 days | Define requirements | — |
| Planning | Project charter approval | Week 2 | Week 2 | 1 day | Stakeholder interviews | ⬦ Yes |
| Design | Wireframes | Week 3 | Week 4 | 7 days | Project charter approval | — |
| Design | Visual mockups | Week 4 | Week 5 | 5 days | Wireframes | — |
| Design | Design sign-off | Week 5 | Week 5 | 1 day | Visual mockups | ⬦ Yes |
| Development | Frontend build | Week 6 | Week 11 | 20 days | Design sign-off | — |
| Development | Backend build | Week 6 | Week 12 | 25 days | Design sign-off | — |
| Testing | QA testing | Week 13 | Week 14 | 8 days | Frontend & Backend | — |
| Testing | Bug fixes | Week 14 | Week 15 | 5 days | QA testing | — |
| Launch | Go-live | Week 16 | Week 16 | 1 day | Bug fixes | ⬦ Yes |
Original illustrative example
How to Build a Gantt Chart in Excel
You can build a basic Gantt chart in Microsoft Excel using a stacked bar chart with a few formatting adjustments.
- Create a table with three columns — Task Name, Start Date, and Duration in days.
- Select all data including headers, then go to Insert, then Bar Chart, then Stacked Bar 2D.
- Click on the first data series which represents the Start Date values. Go to Format Data Series and set Fill to No Fill. This makes the start-date portion of the bar invisible, leaving only the duration bar visible.
- Right-click on the horizontal date axis and select Format Axis. Set the Minimum value to your project start date expressed as an Excel serial number.
- Right-click on the vertical task-name axis and select Format Axis. Check the box for Categories in Reverse Order so the first task appears at the top of the chart.
- To add colour-coded phases, assign the same fill colour to all task bars within each phase. Add a separate data series with diamond markers for milestone rows.
Download our pre-built Excel Gantt Chart template with all formatting already applied.
Gantt Chart vs Other Project Tools
The right tool depends on whether your project has fixed deadlines, sequential dependencies, or a continuous workflow.
| Tool Name | Best For | Not Ideal For |
|---|---|---|
| Gantt chart | Time-bound projects with dependencies and fixed milestones | Agile sprints and simple task lists without dates |
| Kanban board | Continuous workflow and visualising task status across team members | Projects requiring a fixed end-date delivery timeline |
| PERT chart | Estimating task duration uncertainty and probability ranges in complex projects | Day-to-day task tracking and status updates |
| Burndown chart | Tracking sprint velocity and remaining work during agile development | Planning and scheduling phases before a project begins |
| Simple task checklist | Short independent tasks with no sequence dependency between them | Multi-team projects with overlapping timelines and shared resources |
How to Build a Gantt Chart in Google Sheets
Google Sheets can produce a functional Gantt chart at no cost using either the stacked bar method or the built-in Google Charts Gantt type.
- Create a table in your sheet with four columns — Task Name, Start Date, End Date, and Duration. Calculate Duration as End Date minus Start Date to get the number of days.
- To use the stacked bar method, select your Task Name, Start Date, and Duration columns. Go to Insert, then Chart. Select Bar Chart and choose Stacked Bar.
- Click on the Start Date series in the chart. Go to Customize, then Series, and set the colour to None or transparent. This hides the start-date bar leaving only the duration visible.
- In the Horizontal Axis settings change the minimum value to your project start date. Google Sheets stores dates as numbers so you may need to enter the date serial number.
- To use the Google Charts Gantt type instead, go to Insert, then Chart, and select Chart Type. Scroll to find Gantt Chart. This method automatically plots tasks using Start Date and End Date columns with no manual formatting required.
- Add conditional formatting to colour task bars by phase by setting rules based on which phase each row belongs to. Use different background colours for Planning, Design, Development, and Testing rows.
Gantt Chart Software Comparison
Several dedicated tools make Gantt chart creation faster and more collaborative than building one manually in a spreadsheet.
| Tool | Free Plan? | Best For | Starting Paid Price | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Project | No (trial only) | Large enterprise project management | $10 / user / month | Full critical path analysis and resource levelling |
| Smartsheet | Yes (limited trial) | Mid-sized teams needing spreadsheet-style Gantt | $7 / user / month | Familiar spreadsheet interface with Gantt overlay |
| Asana | Yes (up to 15 users) | Teams needing Gantt alongside Kanban and task lists | $10.99 / user / month | Multiple project views including Timeline and Board |
| Monday.com | No (trial only) | Visual workflow and project management | $9 / user / month | Highly customisable colour-coded Gantt and status views |
| ClickUp | Yes (generous free tier) | Teams wanting an all-in-one project tool | $7 / user / month | Gantt is one of 15 project view types available |
| TeamGantt | Yes (up to 1 user) | Freelancers and small teams focused purely on Gantt | $19 / manager / month | Purpose-built Gantt with drag-and-drop and dependency lines |
| GanttProject | Yes (fully free desktop app) | Individuals and small teams with no budget | Free | Open-source desktop app with full Gantt and resource charts |
| Notion | Yes (limited) | Teams already using Notion for documentation | $10 / user / month | Timeline view added to Notion pages; integrates with existing team docs |
Source: vendor pricing pages, March 2026. Prices subject to change.
Project Duration Estimator
Enter your project parameters below to get an estimated total calendar duration and suggested phase breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Gantt chart used for?
A Gantt chart plans and tracks a project by mapping every task along a timeline. It shows who is responsible, how long each task takes, what depends on what, and whether the project is on schedule.
What is the critical path in a Gantt chart?
The critical path is the longest chain of dependent tasks. Any delay on a critical path task directly pushes back the project's final completion date.
Can I make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets for free?
Yes — follow the steps in the section above. Google Sheets also supports a built-in Gantt chart type via the Insert Chart menu.
What is the difference between a Gantt chart and a project timeline?
A project timeline shows the sequence of events. A Gantt chart adds duration bars, dependency arrows, progress tracking, and critical path identification.
Who invented the Gantt chart?
The Gantt chart was developed by Henry Gantt, an American mechanical engineer, around 1910 to 1915. He used it to track factory production schedules and it was later adopted for military logistics in World War One.
What is the best software for Gantt charts?
For large enterprise projects Microsoft Project is the most powerful option. For most teams ClickUp, Asana, or Monday.com offer Gantt views within a broader project management platform at a lower cost.
How do I show task dependencies in a Gantt chart?
In most Gantt tools you connect two tasks with a dependency line by clicking the end of one task bar and dragging to the start of the next. The chart will then automatically push the dependent task if its predecessor is delayed.
What is a milestone in a Gantt chart?
A milestone is a zero-duration event marking a significant point in the project such as a deliverable approval or a project phase completion. It is shown as a diamond shape on the Gantt chart rather than a bar.