10 Best Gantt Charts for Production Planning (Free & Paid Software) | Friday.app

Find the Top 10 Gantt Chart Software for Production Planning This Year

Posted by The Friday Team

Are you a production planner who needs to develop a production planning schedule but aren't sure where to start? Gantt chart software can help!

A Gantt chart is an incredibly useful tool for production planners, because it helps:

  • Visualize your entire project from start to finish in one place
  • Break down your project into smaller chunks of tasks
  • Find and address dependencies across the whole timeline
  • Highlight the progress of various tasks and milestones
  • Easily reschedule tasks and manage deadlines

It's crucial to choose a great application that can achieve all of those benefits. That's why we've curated a list of best Gantt chart software for production planning to help get you more productive. 

Let's dive in!

1. ClickUp

With ClickUp’s free Gantt charts, it's never been simpler to create production and resource management plan. ClickUp’s Gantt chart view enables you to quickly and easily visualize your project timeline. You can also see progress, prioritize tasks, assign resources and set dependencies between them - all in one place. You can use a free Gantt chart template from ClickUp’s library to get started.

The easy-to-use interface makes it simple to get an overview of the big picture and make adjustments on the fly. The ability to drag and drop tasks and set up reminders helps you stay on top of deadlines. Finally, enjoy the ability to monitor progress at a glance and collaborate with your team like never before.

Best Features

  • Easy-to-use and dynamic timeline
  • Get a complete overview of all tasks, projects, and deadlines
  • Quickly schedule multiple projects at once
  • Stay on top of project progress with color coding
  • Gantt chart templates for every use case
  • See the critical path to identify potential bottlenecks and inefficiencies

Limitations

  • App interface, views, and features can be too complex for first-time users
  • Some features and views are not available for mobile view

Pricing

  • Free: Free forever
  • Unlimited: $5 per user per month
  • Business: $12 per user per month
  • Business Plus: $19 per user per month
  • Enterprise: Contact sales

User Ratings

G2: 4.7/5 (4800+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.7/5 (3100+ reviews)

Sign up for ClickUp for free, no credit card required

2. Instagantt

Instagantt offers a Gantt chart for production planners by providing a user-friendly, drag & drop Gantt chart platform. Its comprehensive list of features and options are designed to aid even the most complex projects; from creating custom timelines to establishing task dependencies and milestones with ease. 

Not only can you create multiple workspaces that enable team collaboration through assignment notifications, but also customize your views with various color progress bars. You can also export versions in Excel, image or PDF formats, as well as share public snapshots.

Best Features

  • Kanban and board view to keep track of your team's workload 
  • Dashboard and reporting tools
  • Identify dependencies and manage risks
  • Baselines and change tracking let you stay on top of changes to your project schedule

Limitations

  • Lack of mobile and desktop application  
  • Collaboration features can be improved

Pricing

  • Single: $7 per user/month 
  • Team: $5 per user/month

User Ratings

G2: 4.6/5(10+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.3/5 (380+ reviews)

3. GanttPro

GanttPro is an intuitive, cost-effective tool that simplifies project management. With its drag & drop feature and comprehensive task setting, users can easily create workspaces and projects with varying levels of access given to different team members within each. 

It also offers chart options beyond Gantt charts so you're able to experiment without sacrificing design or usability at a lower price than other platforms. While it doesn't include mobile capabilities or third party integrations like some competitors may offer, it's still an ideal choice for those looking for basic but efficient project organization tools

Best Features

  • Track time spent on tasks for better project organization
  • Get an overview of all your projects and programs at once
  • Keep your business finances in check with performance control

Limitations

  • No free trial 
  • Learning curve due to number of features and tools

Pricing

  • Basic: $7.99 per user/month
  • Pro: $12.99 per user/month
  • Business: $19.99 per user/month
  • Enterprise: Contact sales for a quote

User Ratings

G2: 4.8/5 (80+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.8/5 ( 380+ reviews)

4. Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is a popular project management platform that offers online Gantt chart software and ability to add your charts to a Microsoft PowerPoint. It's a great tool for production planners if you extensively use the Microsoft ecosystem.

Best Features

  • Powerful features and detailed options
  • Gantt charts show all timeline info in one view with a split screen
  • Access many templates

Limitations

  • Steep learning curve and an overwhelming amount of data for individuals or small teams
  • Expensive pricing plans
  • You need to purchase all the software in the Microsoft Suite and cannot use MS Project separately

Pricing

  • Project Plan 1: $10 per user per month
  • Project Plan 3: $30 per user per month
  • Project Plan 5: $55 per user per month

User Ratings

G2: 4.0/5 (1500+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.4/5 (1200+ reviews)

Read: Find the Top 7 Gantt Chart Software for Film Production This Year

5. Toggl Plan

Toggl Plan offers an interactive design and timeline view that enables production planners to visualize their projects in real-time. The stunning visuals provide flexible project planning with drag & drop interface, free online Gantt chart sharing, estimates of costs/baselines, and an overview across multiple weeks—allowing teams to maximize efficiency while maintaining a clear vision for the big picture goals.

Best Features

  • Invite your team to collaborate and get work scheduled on time
  • Avoid scheduling conflicts with others by sharing a read-only view of your Gantt chart 
  • Keep all task-related information in one place to increase productivity

Limitations

  • Lack of mobile and desktop application 
  • Free plan is limited to solo users

Pricing

  • Free plan
  • Team plan: $9/user per month
  • Business plan: $15/user per month
  • Enterprise plan: Contact Toggl for details

User Ratings

G2: 4.3/5 (30+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)

6. Zoho Project

With Zoho Projects, production planners can stay organized and on-schedule with an intuitive Gantt chart creator. These charts include four types of task dependencies to efficiently manage dates and also allow for quick rescaling when needed. 

Additional features such as drag & drop capabilities between task bars and the ability to hover over a task name in order to gain additional details further simplify project management tasks. This helps move you closer towards achieving desired outcomes by set deadlines!

Best Features

  • Easily visualize your project's progress with the Gantt chart maker
  • Set up dependencies and reschedule tasks using the simple drag and drop function
  • Create and edit dependencies between tasks
  • Use baselines to stay on schedule

Limitations

  • User experience and interface can be improved
  • Limited options for integrations with third-party apps

Pricing

  • Zoho is available for free for one user
  • Basic: $49 per organization per month
  • Standard: $99 per organization per month
  • Professional $249 per organization per month
  • Enterprise: Contact for pricing

User Ratings

G2: 4.3/5 (300+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.2/5 (270+ reviews)

7. GanttProject

GanttProject is an open-source project management tool that can be hosted locally. It provides a visually intuitive way to view tasks and dependencies while allowing users the flexibility of importing/exporting files, customizing source code for tailored solutions, grouping projects by colors or other elements such as cost — all free from any hidden costs. 

With GanttProject you have simple setup capabilities and full control over your timeline visualization for improved clarity when managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Best Features

  • Work Breakdown Structure for logical structuring of project tasks
  • Baselines for direct comparison between planned and actual project development
  • PERT charts (currently only in view mode) 
  • Translated into +25 languages

Limitations

  • Reporting features lack functions and capabilities
  • Exporting and integration can be improved

Pricing

  • GanttProject packages are available for free

User Ratings

G2: 4.2/5 (50+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.2/5 (130+ reviews)

8. Tom's Planner

Get the best of both worlds with Tom's Planner - a simple Gantt chart platform packed with features. With free templates, filters and drag-and-drop functionality to create task dependencies, you can easily filter your project schedule. 

Plus customize color coding for easy visual tracking. However be aware that there is no collaboration feature in their free plan and its visuals may not always appeal.

Best Features

  • Easily create professional Gantt charts
  • Flexible and easy to use – no learning curve
  • Zoom in and out of projects for a detailed or overall view
  • Drag and drop tasks to change on the fly

Limitations

  • Limited support for Agile methodologies
  • Does not offer idea and issue management features

Pricing

  • Free plan
  • Professional: $9.95/month
  • Unlimited: $19.95/month

User Ratings

G2: 4.4/5 (5+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.6/5 (5+ reviews)

9. Agantty

Agantty is a free project management tool with an intuitive user interface and Gantt chart, where users can create unlimited projects and tasks. Its features enable teams to be more efficient with develop a production planning schedule: export time frames as PDFs; manage access permissions; send task reminders via email. 

Unfortunately there are some downsides - currently no mobile app or support on the Safari platform, nor any comment/chat feature in their tasks.

Best Features

  • Filter and sort tasks to structure work
  • Drag & drop tasks, team members and projects just with moving them
  • Manager decides which team members have edit and view permissions
  • Export tasks as PDF or send reminders via email

Limitations

  • Lack of flexibility when sorting tasks 
  • User interface can be improved

Pricing

  • Pricing available upon request

User Ratings

G2: 4.0/5 (10+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.6/5 (80+ reviews)

10. TeamGantt

TeamGantt is an innovative and efficient software to manage projects without the hassle of feeling overwhelmed. This project management tool makes it easy to evaluate progress, prioritize tasks and optimize crew members’ workloads with Gantt charts. TeamGantt also includes calendar integration, custom notifications, collaboration tools, and customizable color coding to ensure teams are performing their tasks on time and budget.

Best Features

  • Easily print timelines of your projects for meetings or reference
  • Stay updated on project progress through mobile-friendly interface
  • Track time spent on tasks and projects to better understand where time is being allocated
  • Create as many subgroups and tasks as you need to get the job done

Limitations

  • Limited integration abilities with third-party apps
  • Lacks functions to add multiple dependencies

Pricing

  • Lite: $19/month per manager
  • Pro: $49/month per manager
  • Enterprise: Starts at $99/month per manager

User Ratings

G2: 4.8/5 (840+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.6/5 (190+ reviews)

Why Use Gantt Chart Software to Develop A Production Planning Schedule

Many people create Gantt charts in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to develop a production planning schedule.

After all, keep it simple, right?

But, with these spreadsheet tools, you can't calculate your critical path or create automations easily. Additionally, working with various teams and stakeholders becomes a pain as there's no clear visibility or communication.

With project management software like ClickUp made specifically to help production planning, you can see critical insights about the state of the project, as well as re-map deadlines and set milestones.

Additionally, working with teams gets easier with ClickUp's Chat, threaded and assigned comments, as well as brainstorming tools.

Manage Your Production Planning Successfully with ClickUp Gantt Charts

There are so many tools that offer advanced features to help you develop a production planning schedule and achieve your goals. 

But, one tool tops them all. If you’re looking for a great Gantt chart for production planning that can offer exactly what you're looking for, as well as unlimited flexibility and options, your search ends now!

ClickUp is an all in one project management application with hundreds of powerful tools that you can access all under one platform. 

These features can be customized to work according to any project goals and requirements. Start from scratch or choose from a variety of templates for every use case, including for production planning, to break out your projects and tasks. 

Try ClickUp for free today and discover how you can tackle any type of work with increased productivity and efficiency.

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