Free Online Gantt Chart Maker
Make a Gantt chart free online, no signup — enter each task with a numeric start day and a duration, and bars map your project schedule. Export PNG, PDF.
Create Your Gantt Chart Now — It's FreeWhat Is a Gantt Chart?
Developed by Henry Gantt in the 1910s, this chart type remains the industry standard for project scheduling. Key components include the task list on the left, horizontal duration bars, a time axis across the top, optional milestone markers, and color coding by phase or resource. Gantt charts make it easy to spot overlapping tasks, idle gaps, and critical-path bottlenecks at a glance.
What Data You Need for a Gantt Chart
Three columns: a task name, a numeric start day (day offset from the project start, e.g. 0 = day one), and a duration in days. The chart plots one horizontal bar per task on a numeric day axis (no calendar dates), and it shows the first 10 tasks. Example rows — Planning, 0, 5; Design, 5, 10; Development, 15, 20. If you leave duration blank, the tool estimates it from the start value.
When to Use a Gantt Chart
Gantt charts are essential in project management, engineering, and operations. They work best for 10-30 tasks; beyond that, group tasks into phases. Choose a Gantt chart over a simple timeline when task duration and parallelism matter. Choose a roadmap chart instead when you need a higher-level strategic view without precise dates. Color-code bars by team or status to add an extra dimension of information.
Where a Gantt Chart Works Best
- Sketching a software release across phases — planning, build, test, and launch — on one timeline so durations and handoffs are visible at a glance.
- Blocking out a short construction or renovation job where each stage must follow the previous one, using start-day offsets to keep them in sequence.
- Coordinating an event rollout where prep tasks line up against a fixed launch day, by setting each task's start day relative to the project start.
- Mapping the high-level phases of a product launch so manufacturing, review, and shipping windows are easy to compare by bar length.
Gantt Chart Example: 45-Day Software Sprint Plan
A small team blocks out a single release across five back-to-back phases. Each phase starts the day the previous one ends, so the start day of each task equals the running total of the durations before it — and any slip pushes everything after it.
Sample data: Planning (start 0, 5 days); Design (start 5, 10 days); Development (start 15, 20 days); Testing (start 35, 7 days); Launch (start 42, 3 days)
The schedule runs from day 0 to day 45. Development is the longest bar at 20 days — double the 10-day Design phase and four times the 5-day Planning phase — so it dominates the timeline: shortening it is the only way to pull the day-45 launch earlier.
How to Create a Gantt Chart Online
- Step 1: Open ChartLoad and select the Gantt Chart type from the chart picker on the main page
- Step 2: Enter task names in the first column, a numeric start day in the second (0 for the first day, then the day offset for each later task), and a duration in days in the third
- Step 3: ChartLoad draws one horizontal bar per task on a numeric day axis, positioning each bar at its start day and sizing it by its duration
- Step 4: Keep your list to 10 tasks or fewer, since only the first 10 are plotted — roll extra detail into summary phases
- Step 5: Click Export and download your Gantt chart as PNG, PDF, or SVG
Gantt Chart Best Practices & Tips
- Set each task's start day to the running total of the durations before it when you want phases to run back-to-back with no gaps or overlaps.
- Keep the schedule to 10 tasks or fewer — only the first 10 are drawn, so group sub-tasks into summary phases if you have more.
- Convert any calendar plan into numbers first: pick a project start date, then enter each task's start as the day offset from it and the length as a day count.
- Use bar length to compare effort — the longest bar is your biggest time commitment and the clearest target if you need to compress the schedule.
- Export as PDF for stakeholder emails — it preserves the layout across devices.
- If you leave the duration column blank, the tool estimates a length from the start value, so fill in a real day count whenever you want bar lengths to be accurate.
Common Gantt Chart Mistakes to Avoid
- Listing more than 10 tasks — the tool only plots the first 10, so any rows beyond that are silently dropped. Roll detail up into 10 or fewer summary phases.
- Entering calendar dates (2026-02-16) in the start or duration column — the tool reads plain numbers, not dates, so a date string will not place the bar correctly. Convert to a start-day number and a day count first.
- Forgetting to set each task's start day to the running total of prior durations when you want phases back-to-back — bars are positioned independently, so a wrong start number leaves a visible gap or overlap.
- Treating the day axis as if it skips weekends — durations are counted as raw days, so factor non-working days into your numbers yourself if they matter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Gantt chart maker really free?
Yes — ChartLoad's Gantt chart maker is 100% free with no signup and no watermark. One practical limit to know: the chart plots the first 10 tasks, so group finer detail into 10 or fewer summary phases for a clean schedule.
How do I make a Gantt chart online?
Pick the Gantt chart type and enter one row per task with three values: the task name, a numeric start day (the day offset from the project start), and a duration in days. ChartLoad draws a horizontal bar for each task on a numeric day axis. Then export as PNG, PDF, or SVG.
Can I use real calendar dates like 2026-02-16?
Not directly — ChartLoad reads numeric values, not dates, and plots tasks on a plain day axis (the hover shows 'Start' and 'Duration' as numbers). To use a calendar, pick a project start date yourself, then enter each task's start as the number of days after that date and its length as a day count.
Can I show task dependencies or % complete?
No. The tool draws each task as a single solid bar from its start day for its duration — there are no dependency arrows, no critical-path automation, and no progress-fill / % complete shading. You can place tasks back-to-back manually by setting each start day to the running total of prior durations; for formal dependencies or progress tracking, use a dedicated project-management tool.
How many tasks can I chart?
Up to 10. The renderer plots the first 10 rows and ignores any beyond that, so keep your list to 10 or fewer phases — combine sub-tasks into summary bars if you have more.
Related Chart Types
Ready-Made Gantt Chart Templates
Skip the blank canvas — open a free, editable Gantt Chart template, swap in your own data, and export. Browse all templates.
Ready to Create Your Gantt Chart?
No signup. No watermark. 100% free.
Start Creating Now