Gantt chart software for software development

How do Gantt charts fit agile and software work?

They fit at the planning level, not the daily level. Agile teams run most of their execution on a kanban or scrum board, where cards move through columns as work gets done. That board is great for the current sprint, but it does not show a release date three months out, or how the mobile team's work depends on the API team finishing first. Sprint boards are deliberately short-horizon, and that is a strength for day-to-day focus, but it leaves a gap when someone asks when a feature actually ships.

A Gantt chart answers those questions. It lays epics, releases, and milestones across a timeline, shows the dependencies between them, and makes it obvious when a slip in one place pushes a date somewhere else. When the payments epic runs a week late and the launch depends on it, a timeline shows that pressure immediately, while a board just shows a card that has not moved. That is why so many teams use both together: the board for what we are doing this week, and the Gantt chart for when the whole thing lands. If you are weighing the two, the guide on Gantt chart vs kanban board walks through where each one shines.

The point is not to force a software team back into rigid waterfall scheduling. Nobody wants to re-plan a 200-line schedule every time an estimate changes, and a healthy Gantt chart for software work stays at the level of epics, releases, and milestones rather than individual tickets. It exists to give planners, leads, and stakeholders a readable view of the roadmap while the team keeps working in an agile flow underneath. Used that way, the timeline is a communication tool as much as a scheduling one: it turns "we are making progress" into a date that product, sales, and leadership can plan around.

What should you look for in a Gantt tool for software teams?

Four things matter most for software planning. First, dependencies, so you can model that one team's work blocks another's and see the ripple when a date moves. In software, dependencies are the whole game: the front end waits on the API, the API waits on the schema, and QA waits on all of it, so a tool that cannot express those links cannot really plan a release. Second, milestones, to mark releases, freezes, code-complete dates, and launches clearly, because those fixed points are what stakeholders actually track.

Third, easy rescheduling, because software plans change constantly and a plan you cannot drag and adjust quickly becomes stale and ignored. Estimates shift every sprint, so the timeline has to move with them in seconds, not in an afternoon of manual edits. Fourth, a view stakeholders can read without a login or a tutorial, so a product manager or executive can open the roadmap and understand it without learning your issue tracker.

Beyond those, it helps if the tool offers a critical path view, so you can see which chain of tasks actually determines the ship date and where a slip does the most damage. Clean export matters too, so you can drop the plan into a review or a slide without screenshots. And if your issues already live in a tracker, a timeline that reads from that data saves duplicate work and keeps the plan honest, because it reflects the same tickets the team is closing rather than a separate copy that drifts out of date.

The best Gantt chart software for software development

The tools below cover the range software teams reach for, from a free standalone timeline to Gantt views built into full work platforms. The pricing below is list pricing that can change, so confirm the current cost for your team size before you commit.

1. Ganttile - free online Gantt for software roadmaps

Ganttile is a free online Gantt chart tool that fits the planning layer of software work. It covers dependencies, milestones, automatic scheduling, critical path, and export to PDF, image, Excel, or MPP, and it runs in the browser with nothing to install. That makes it a fast way to build a release timeline or roadmap and share it with stakeholders who do not live in your issue tracker.

For software teams, the appeal is that it stays focused on the timeline rather than trying to become a second issue tracker. You map epics and releases, wire up the dependencies between them, drop in milestones for code freeze and launch, and let the tool reschedule the downstream work when a date moves. Because it is free and browser-based, it is easy to spin up a roadmap for a single release without a procurement conversation or a new seat on a paid plan.

• Best for: teams and freelancers who want a simple online Gantt timeline free, with no install, alongside their agile board.
• Pricing: Free - every feature included, unlimited projects (dependencies, milestones, critical path, export to PDF, image, Excel, or MPP).

Pros

• Free to use, with nothing to install and no per-user cost to add stakeholders.
• Dependencies, milestones, automatic scheduling, and critical path built in.
• Export to PDF, image, Excel, or MPP for reviews and slides.
• Clean, stakeholder-readable timeline that does not require an issue-tracker login.

Cons

• Newer tool with limited third-party review coverage so far.
• Focused on Gantt charts, so it is not a full issue tracker or sprint board.
• Teams that want tasks, timeline, and reporting in one platform will pair it with a separate board.

Why teams pick Ganttile

2. Jira - timeline over your existing issues

Jira is the default issue tracker for many software teams, and its timeline and roadmap views add a Gantt-style layer on top of your epics and issues. Because the timeline reads from the same data your team already updates, planning stays close to execution and the roadmap reflects the tickets people are actually closing rather than a separate copy.

The trade-off is that the deeper cross-project planning sits in higher paid tiers, so the more advanced roadmap features come with the more expensive plans. Jira is also a lot of tool if all you need is a timeline, and it is strongest when the whole team already lives in it for issue tracking and sprints rather than adopting it just for the Gantt view.

• Best for: software teams wanting issue tracking with roadmap and timeline planning over their existing issues.
• Pricing: Free for up to 10 users; Standard from about $7.91 per user/month.
• Rating: 4.3/5 on G2

Pros

• Timeline reads directly from your epics and issues, so planning stays next to execution.
• Strong issue tracking, sprints, and reporting that software teams already rely on.
• Roadmap views help connect day-to-day tickets to release dates.

Cons

• Advanced cross-project planning sits in higher, more expensive paid tiers.
• Heavy to adopt if you only want a Gantt chart rather than a full tracker.
• Timeline can get noisy at the individual-ticket level for a stakeholder view.

What users say about Jira

3. Microsoft Project - deep, formal scheduling

Microsoft Project offers the most detailed scheduling of the group, with fine-grained task links, calendars, baselines, and resource controls. That depth is powerful for complex plans where you genuinely need to model every dependency, constraint, and resource assignment, and it has decades of scheduling maturity behind it.

The cost of that depth is weight. Project is heavier to learn and manage, and it leans more toward traditional, formal project management than an agile software flow. For a lightweight release roadmap it is usually more machinery than a software team wants, but for a large, schedule-driven program it remains a serious scheduling engine.

• Best for: teams needing deep, enterprise-grade scheduling in the Microsoft ecosystem.
• Pricing: No free plan. Plan 1 from $10 per user/month; Plan 3 $30 (adds the desktop app); Plan 5 $55 (portfolio). Project Online retires Sep 30, 2026, moving to the Planner-based Project for the web.
• Rating: 4.4/5 on Capterra

Pros

• Deep, precise scheduling with task links, calendars, baselines, and resources.
• Handles large, complex plans that lighter tools struggle with.
• Integrates with the wider Microsoft ecosystem many organizations already use.

Cons

• Steeper learning curve and more overhead to keep the plan current.
• Oriented toward traditional scheduling rather than agile software delivery.
• Paid, and heavier than most software teams need for a roadmap.

What users say about Microsoft Project

4. GanttPRO - dedicated online Gantt scheduling

GanttPRO is a dedicated online Gantt chart tool with a clean, focused scheduling experience. It handles dependencies, milestones, and rescheduling well, and it is built specifically around the timeline rather than bolting one onto a broader platform, which keeps the interface approachable.

It is priced per user, so cost scales with how many people you add. If you want a purpose-built Gantt tool for planning and do not need it tied to your issue tracker, it is a capable option that sits between a free standalone timeline and a heavier scheduling suite.

• Best for: teams wanting a polished, dedicated Gantt tool with scheduling depth.
• Pricing: No free plan (14-day free trial). Core from $7 per user/month billed annually; Advanced $10; Business $17.
• Rating: 4.8/5 on Capterra

Pros

• Purpose-built Gantt experience that is quicker to learn than a full suite.
• Solid dependencies, milestones, baselines, and drag-to-reschedule handling.
• Clean interface aimed squarely at timeline planning.

Cons

• Priced per user, so cost grows as you add stakeholders.
• Not connected to your issue tracker, so the plan can drift from execution.
• Standalone scheduling rather than a full work-management platform.

What users say about GanttPRO

5. Wrike - work management with a timeline

Wrike is a broader work management platform that includes a Gantt-style timeline alongside boards, tasks, dashboards, and reporting. For software teams, it can hold both the execution side and the schedule in one place, so the roadmap and the day-to-day tasks live together rather than in separate tools.

It has a free plan and paid tiers, with the more advanced timeline and reporting features on the paid levels. That makes it a fit for teams that want planning, execution, and reporting under one roof and are willing to adopt a fuller platform rather than a standalone Gantt tool.

• Best for: mid-sized teams wanting work management plus a Gantt-style timeline.
• Pricing: Free plan; Team from $10 per user/month billed annually.
• Rating: 4.2/5 on G2

Pros

• Gantt timeline sits alongside boards, tasks, dashboards, and reporting.
• Free plan to start, with room to grow into paid tiers.
• Keeps planning and execution in a single platform.

Cons

• Advanced timeline and reporting features are on paid tiers.
• More to set up and learn than a standalone Gantt tool.
• Broad feature set can be more than a team that just wants a timeline needs.

What users say about Wrike

6. ClickUp - all-in-one platform with a Gantt view

ClickUp is a flexible work platform that offers a Gantt view among its many layouts, alongside boards, lists, calendars, and docs. Software teams that want to shape their own workflow can run sprints in one view and switch to a timeline for release planning, all within the same workspace.

It has a free plan and paid tiers, and the flexibility that makes it powerful can also mean more configuration up front. The Gantt view is one layer of a broad platform rather than the main event, so it suits teams that want an adaptable all-in-one tool more than those after a dedicated scheduler.

• Best for: teams wanting an all-in-one work platform with a Gantt view.
• Pricing: Free plan; Unlimited from $7 per user/month billed annually.
• Rating: 4.6/5 on G2

Pros

• Gantt view sits among many layouts, so you can switch between board and timeline.
• Free plan available, with paid tiers for more advanced needs.
• Highly configurable to match a team's specific workflow.

Cons

• Flexibility means more setup and decisions before it fits your process.
• The Gantt view is one feature of a broad platform, not a dedicated scheduler.
• Advanced features and higher usage limits sit on paid tiers.

What users say about ClickUp

7. Asana - task management with a timeline

Asana is a widely used task and work management tool, and its Timeline feature adds a Gantt-style view over projects and tasks. For software teams already coordinating work in Asana, the timeline turns a task list into a schedule with dependencies, which helps connect day-to-day tasks to release dates.

The Timeline view sits on Asana's paid plans rather than the free tier, so budget for that if the timeline is a core need. As with the other work platforms here, Asana is strongest when the team already runs its execution there and wants the schedule in the same place rather than adopting it purely for the Gantt view.

• Best for: teams wanting task management with a timeline and Gantt view on paid plans.
• Pricing: Free Personal plan; Starter from $10.99 per user/month billed annually (timeline and Gantt view included).
• Rating: 4.4/5 on G2

Pros

• Timeline builds directly on tasks and projects the team already manages.
• Approachable interface that non-technical stakeholders find easy to read.
• Dependencies and milestones connect daily tasks to release dates.

Cons

• Timeline view requires a paid plan rather than the free tier.
• Task-focused rather than a dedicated scheduling engine.
• Best value when the team already lives in Asana for execution.

What users say about Asana

Software team Gantt tools compared

Here is how the main options line up. Prices are list prices that can change, so confirm the current cost for your team before you buy.

How do you choose a Gantt tool for software development?

Start from a simple principle: a Gantt chart complements your agile board, it does not replace it. The board is still where daily execution happens, and the timeline is where the release, its milestones, and its dependencies live. So the first question is not which tool has the most features, but where the schedule should sit relative to the work your team already does. If your team lives in an issue tracker, a timeline that reads from that same data keeps the plan honest. If your stakeholders live outside it, a standalone, shareable timeline often communicates better.

From there, match the tool to how much you need around the timeline. If you want a free, readable roadmap you can share without adding seats, a dedicated tool like Ganttile does the job and stays out of the way. If you already run everything in Jira, Wrike, ClickUp, or Asana, using their built-in timeline keeps planning next to execution, with the trade-off that the better planning features usually sit on paid tiers. If you need deep, formal scheduling with resources and baselines, Microsoft Project or GanttPRO lean further into that. The Gantt chart vs kanban board guide is worth reading if you are still deciding how the two views should divide the work.

Whichever you pick, keep the Gantt chart at the level of epics, releases, and milestones rather than individual tickets. Software plans change every sprint, and a timeline you can drag and reschedule in seconds stays useful, while one you have to rebuild by hand gets abandoned. The goal is a plan that reflects reality and that stakeholders can read, sitting alongside the board where the team actually does the work. If you run those boards in a tool like Breeze, a Gantt chart adds the timeline view over that work without changing how the team executes day to day.

Common questions about Gantt charts for software development

Do agile software teams use Gantt charts?

Many do, at the planning level. Daily work runs on a kanban or scrum board, but a Gantt chart still helps for release plans, roadmaps, deadlines, and cross-team dependencies. Most teams use both together rather than choosing one: the board for the current sprint, and the timeline for when the whole release lands.

Does a Gantt chart replace our agile board?

No. A Gantt chart complements the board. The board handles current, day-to-day execution, while the Gantt chart shows the schedule, milestones, and dependencies around it. The Gantt chart vs kanban board guide covers how they work together.

What is the best free Gantt chart tool for a software roadmap?

Ganttile is a free online Gantt chart tool with dependencies, milestones, critical path, and export, which covers what most software teams need for a roadmap or release timeline without paying or installing anything.

Can I use a Gantt chart on top of Jira?

Yes. Jira has built-in timeline and roadmap views over your issues, and dedicated Gantt tools can plan releases alongside it. If you also run boards in a tool like Breeze, a Gantt chart adds the timeline view over that work.

How detailed should a Gantt chart for software be?

Keep it at the level of epics, releases, and milestones rather than individual tickets. Software estimates change every sprint, so a high-level timeline you can reschedule quickly stays useful, while a ticket-by-ticket plan becomes stale almost immediately and adds maintenance work.

Should the timeline read from our issue tracker or stand alone?

It depends on your audience. A timeline that reads from your tracker keeps the plan tied to real tickets and up to date, which suits internal planning. A standalone, shareable timeline is often easier for stakeholders who do not use your tracker to read. Many teams use both, and some tools offer each approach.

Conclusion

For most software teams the cleanest answer is to keep the agile board for daily execution and add a Gantt chart for the schedule around it. The board shows what the team is doing this week, and the timeline shows when the release lands, which milestones are fixed, and how one team's work depends on another's. Used at the level of epics and releases rather than individual tickets, the two views reinforce each other instead of competing.

If you want a free, shareable timeline to start with, Ganttile covers dependencies, milestones, critical path, and export without a per-user cost. If you already run everything in Jira, Wrike, ClickUp, or Asana, their built-in timelines keep planning next to execution, and Microsoft Project or GanttPRO go deeper when you need formal scheduling.