When it comes to staying on top of your business and everything that’s happening in it you definitely want to look at Gantt charts. If you’ve used them before you already know that they can be extremely helpful and that they are absolutely a great way to keep track of what your team is doing at all times. But if you’ve never used Gantt charts before you may not realize just how much you can do with them or why you’ll want to start using them in your business. So, let’s start there.
Gantt charts are a way for you to track all of the things that are going on within your business and with your entire team. They’re a great way to write out all of the different tasks that need to be done within a project and then who is going to be responsible for them and when. They allow you to keep track of who is in charge of each aspect of a project and even how far along each aspect is to get you to the end goal. All of this is going to make it easier for you to get the project done quickly and accurately. Of course, different programs and systems are out there to help you create Gantt charts and not all of them are created equally. You want to make sure that you have the right one for your needs and that you’re being as careful as possible about how you use it. But that means looking at some of the best options out there. We’ve gone through dozens of different apps to find the best Gantt chart programs so you don’t have to. That way, you can make sure you’re using the best of the best.
Why Use a Gantt Chart?
Now, there are plenty of different types of charts out there that you can choose from. So, why would you want to use Gantt charts to keep track of your lists? If it’s just a to-do list couldn’t you keep track of it anywhere? Well, the truth is that it’s not just a to-do list that your Gantt chart is going to help you with. It’s actually going to help you keep track of anything and everything you need related to your project. At least, the high-quality ones are going to do all of that and more. A Gantt chart allows you to create projects for your team or even for multiple teams within your company. Within each project you create tasks and within each of those tasks, you can even create subtasks. You’ll also be able to assign people to each task, keep track of deadlines, send and receive notes and comments, and a whole lot more. All of these different features make it easier for you to monitor each project that’s happening within the business to make sure they’re being done properly.
Let’s take a look at some of the best Online Gantt chart tools available, so you can select the best software for your team:
With Instagantt you’re going to have the Gantt charts that you’re looking for. But you’re also going to have a whole lot more than that. You’ll have a timeline option if you prefer different ways of looking at your tasks, but the most important part is the Gantt features and the way that you can create all of the different tasks and items that you need. You’ll be able to create dependencies, conduct workload management, set milestones, and even arrange different tasks in ways that make them easier for you to monitor and manage. This system is great as an add-on to Asana if you’re already using the program and also allows for integration with several other programs so you can improve your workflow and make sure the entire team is always on the same page. You can tell when your team members are working on a lot of tasks or who has more time to take on something new. You can also track the progress of each of your tasks and subtasks to make sure they’re going to meet deadlines. Not to mention you can make changes whenever and however you want so the team knows what’s going on. With Instagantt there is a free version so you can try things out and see how they work for you. Not only that but you get full access to the system for 5 whole projects to make sure that it works. You’ll also get to try out creating your own tasks, drag and drop to move them, prioritize them, and even create dependencies. With Instagantt you’ll also have real-time communication available with your entire team so everyone can collaborate more effectively.
GanttPRO is a well-known option in the field of Gantt charts because they offer several different features. They have plenty of options when it comes to creating your charts but also plenty of additional features in the way of management as well. That’s where you’re going to get the bonus features and where you’re going to see the biggest improvements in tracking and monitoring your work. But that’s not all that you’re going to get with GanttPRO. You’re going to have some advanced features and options available to choose from. You’ll get templates to make sure that when you need to repeat a project or start a similar project you don’t have to remember all of the different tasks. Not only that but you’ll get Critical Path features that let you know the fastest that a project can be completed. When it comes to getting started you’ll have several great features that include the ability to reorder items however you want to get them into the right format. You’ll also be able to set the percentage of each task that’s been completed and even show statuses to different team members within the project. You can use drag and drop to organize everything and you can easily set the start dates and due dates for everything. Add in the easy dependencies and the color coding and you have a system that’s going to help you get where you need to go. Plus, it starts with an individual plan for $15 a month and gives you options to upgrade to one of three different team plans. Those plans even start as low as $7.90 per user per month, which makes it competitive with the other top Gantt charts out there.
Here you’re going to get a system that lets you keep your team organized at all times. The Gantt charts you create are super simple to organize and maintain. You’ll also find that this isn’t just another project management tool. It’s designed to make sure that you can handle a whole lot more within your team. It makes sure that you can add notes in the form of sticky notes to your team, upload files, or even different attachments to keep your team on task and even allows for collaboration amongst your team members on a project. You’ll even be able to track billable hours for each of the tasks within a project and each project as a whole. That makes it a whole lot easier for you to bill your projects out to your client or to create an estimate for the next time you need to create a quote for a customer. But when it comes to the features you’re going to have there are actually plenty of things that you can do including easy moving and organizing of different tasks through drag and drop, calendar and list modes, workload management, and even reports. You’ll be able to create dependencies, export your charts, and communicate with your team in real-time to make sure things are getting done the way you expect. Not only that but the plans start with a standard that gives you unlimited projects and up to 5 users a month for $39. Plans continue to go up from there so you can make sure every member of your team can access the software and continue to keep up on all of the tasks. You can choose how many people need to be on the program for yourself.
If you’re looking for a project management system you’ll want to look at ProofHub for more information. With this system, you’re going to have collaboration tools as well as plenty of monitoring abilities. It offers you Gantt charts to help you increase your speed and efficiency as well as making sure that your team is always on track. You’ll also be able to improve dependencies and set the dependencies that exist for each of your projects. This lets everyone on the team know what they’re responsible for and how to help the entire team complete a project. You’ll be able to check how your tasks are performing compared to what they should be doing as well as making sure that tasks are completed. You’ll know what still needs to be done. You can check out different views and reports and you can even check on the most important tasks for any project you’re working on. On top of that, you can export your charts into different programs to make them even easier to pass on to clients or anyone else who needs to know. And you can move things around to get organized in whatever way works best for you and your team. You’ll be able to drag and drop everything, set up scheduling, arrange repetitious activities, and even overlap the due dates of different parts of a project. The pricing is also convenient for most users because it only costs $45 a month no matter how many users you have for the project. You will have a limit on your storage space and the number of projects that you can have, however. That makes this a good option for those who are just getting started or for smaller businesses that don’t have as many projects to work on over this time-period.
When it comes to visual planning you’ll want to look at Toggl Plan. If you’ve checked out Toggl before you don’t know what you’re in for when it comes to this new program. It allows you to access and create Gantt charts with up to 5 different users entirely free so you can check out the program and try it for yourself. You’ll also find that the visual aspects of their charts are some of the best available. They’re also easy to use and available in other formats and styles while you’re at it, like a timeline view. The best features are that timeline option and the fact that everything is drag and drop so you can move tasks and other items around as much as you want, really easily. Add in the fact that anyone can access your chart using the link without having to create an account and you have something even better and easier for your clients to review. There are also plenty of different collaboration features that you’ll want to check out so your team can see what’s happening in the project and even interact with each other in real-time. If you’re looking for a program that’s going to let you keep in contact and also create charts that are efficient, effective, and nice to look at then you’re in the right place here. Toggl Plan is a great project manager, team planning, and task management system that helps you review everything in easier ways. It’s user friendly and has options to look at weekly, monthly, and even yearly tasks and projects so you can see what’s happening and what needs to happen next. With Toggl Plan you’ll have plenty of different options to upgrade to a paid plan with even more options as well.
If you’re working with any type of agency you want to make sure that you have the best software to keep track of your projects and your team. That’s where Teamwork can help you out. You’ll get a project management system that can work with different types of teams and different sizes as well. Not only that but you’re going to have several different software options within the program, namely the desk, projects, and chat to make sure that your team not only knows what needs to be done but can communicate about it as well. All of this makes it easier to get projects completed. You’ll be able to integrate several different apps and programs including Gmail, Slack, Time Doctor, Dropbox, Harvest, HubSpot, and more. Plus you can use Gantt charts within the project's feature. If you prefer another format there are other ways to track tasks and team members, but these charts are going to make a great impact. Not to mention they’re super simple to get started with through Teamwork. You can create different relationships with your tasks to make sure they interact properly and everyone responsible knows what they need to be doing. You also have the option to assign tasks, color code them, and break down your project in different ways to figure out what’s not currently working and what’s most important. Plus you can change the percentage completion level for each of the tasks to make sure you’re moving forward. Check out magnified versions of your charts to find out more about each of the tasks and subtasks and to stay up to date on everything that’s happening within your projects. Fees start at $9 per user per month for 50 users, with a limit on the number of projects and file space available.
With ClickUp you’re going to have plenty of different options aside from just Gantt charts as well. That includes the timeline view that gives you a different method of monitoring your tasks. You can also set up different tasks with multiple people responsible for them so that everyone knows what their job is. Not to mention you can sort your tasks in different ways, according to different criteria that you set. That makes it easier for you to stay on top of the things you’re trying to finish. If you want to look at different types of tasks, different clients, or anything else you can set it up easily. The scheduling system allows you to see when tasks need to be started and when they’re due. It also lets you look at all of the different tasks on the calendar to see how each of those start and end dates stack up. On top of that, you can automate scheduling features so that updating a single task can update the rest of the tasks associated with that project. That’s especially true when you’re setting dependencies which you won’t have any problem creating in this system either. ClickUp gives you project percentages of just how far along you are and how close to complete different tasks are. It also lets you look at critical paths to figure out the most important things to get done to keep your project on the task at any given time. That helps you set your priorities and keep your team moving forward. Set up milestones, time tracking, and a whole lot more and you’ll be able to keep your projects closer to the task each time. You’ll get some free features and you’ll have the option to import other tools and services into ClickUp. Not to mention you get a user-friendly system that you’ll enjoy learning and using.
If you want more than just Gantt charts you’re going to want a closer look at Zoho Projects. This system will allow you to create and monitor Gantt charts, but it’s also going to give you the ability to manage and monitor a whole lot more for your team. You’ll get cloud-based management features, which means you can access your charts and information anytime and from anywhere that you want. You can also plan out projects, set them as in progress, and schedule them for whenever you want. Plus, you can set up different plans that work for your needs. You can get templates, provide read-only access, synchronize different boards, and maintain time tracking. As you move to different plans you can customize task management boards, add in subtasks, set auto-reminders, offer read-write report access, and even manage invoices. You’ll also be able to gain the ability to export your worksheets. All of this allows you to create a more customized system that offers the features you need but doesn’t charge you for features that you don’t want or won’t use. You’ll need to choose the ideal plan level for your team. Plans start at $20 and move up from there, so you can look at something that fits into the price range that your company has available as well. If you need additional features, however, even if you have a small team, you may need to move up to higher-level plans. This can be frustrating for some as it means paying more money for the features and having access for far more people than you need. However, if you’re interested in the additional features that are available through Zoho Projects it just might be worth it overall.
Zoho Projects Example
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of the different charts and systems out there so you can create the best possible system for yourself. All you have to do is take a look at each of these and see which one works best for you. Each one will help you keep track of all of the tasks in your projects and make sure that your business is doing even better for your customers. It only takes a little time to find the right one for you.
