Gantt chart explained
It answers "what happens when" at a glance. Dependencies show which tasks must finish before others can start, and the longest chain of them sets the earliest possible finish date.
Gantt charts suit projects with fixed deadlines and clear steps. For ongoing work, a Kanban board is usually simpler.
Try it today
- List the project's tasks with rough durations.
- Mark which tasks depend on others.
- Draw them on a timeline and look for the chain that sets your end date.
Where it comes from
It is named after Henry Gantt, who developed his charts in the 1910s. Karol Adamiecki had created a similar chart, which he called a harmonogram, in the late 1890s.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a Gantt chart?
- A Gantt chart is a project timeline that shows each task as a horizontal bar across a calendar, so you can see start dates, end dates and which tasks overlap or depend on each other.
- Where does a Gantt chart come from?
- It is named after Henry Gantt, who developed his charts in the 1910s. Karol Adamiecki had created a similar chart, which he called a harmonogram, in the late 1890s.
- How do I start with a Gantt chart?
- List the project's tasks with rough durations. Mark which tasks depend on others. Draw them on a timeline and look for the chain that sets your end date.
- Which tools help with a Gantt chart?
- Tools in our directory that help include Asana, ClickUp, Airtable, Notion. Each has its own page with pricing, pros and cons.