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A gantt chart is a common tool for project planning and keeping track of the status of individual tasks within a project. This type of chart was invented in 1910 by a mechanical engineer named Henry Gantt, and there are now a great many software tools that use gantt charts in project planning. Excel is a popular tool for creating Gantt charts, but for more advanced project management activities, you may need a tool such as Microsoft Project or a project management add-in for Excel. However if you want to create a project schedule and you know how to copy/paste/insert/delete in Excel, my Gantt Chart Template is a MUCH more cost effective solution, and in my opinion, much easier to use.
In a time crunch? For simple project schedules and timelines, download the free Excel Gantt Chart Template below and get started planning in a matter of minutes. At the bottom of the page are links to other great Excel gantt charts and resources. While planning a project, you may also find it useful to refer to a yearly calendar.
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Excel Gantt Chart Template
Easily create and print a Gantt Chart with this Excel spreadsheet by entering the start date, duration, and percent complete for any number of tasks and subtasks.
- Add additional tasks by simply copying and pasting rows.
- A slider bar allows you to easily adjust the range of dates displayed, so that you can create a project schedule spanning a year or more.
"No Installation, No Macros - Just a simple spreadsheet"
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 Download the Free Version
Cost: Free ($0.00)
License: Company Use (not for resale or distribution)
File Type: .xls
Size: ~250 KB
Version: 1.7
Required: Microsoft Excel® 2002(XP), 2003, 2007
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Download a Gantt Chart for OpenOffice: Gantt Chart Template (.ots)
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Features Unique to the Pro Version
- Unlocked
- 3 Chart Formats (7 days/wk, 5 days/wk, or by day)
- Enter the # of Working Days or Calendar Days
- Exclude Holidays and Vacations from Working Days |
Gantt Chart Template 2.0 (Professional Version)
- The professional Gantt Chart template is unlocked (not password protected) so that you can more fully customize your project schedule.
- The professional version contains 3 different versions of the Gantt chart, each on a separate worksheet. The first worksheet displays 7 days per week (up to 34 weeks at a time) just like in the free Gantt Chart. The second worksheet displays 5 days per week (Mon-Fri), showing up to 11 months at a time. The third worksheet displays the dates by days rather than weeks, for shorter or more detailed projects.
- Includes template rows for entering the Start Date and Working Days or the Start Date and End Date.
- Includes a worksheet for listing holidays and other non-working days to be excluded from the number of Working Days.
NEW! - Get the two bonus spreadsheets listed below when you purchase Gantt Chart Template 2.0
 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
Sale Price: $29.95
- Limited Time Only - (Normally $39.95)
Only a fraction of the cost of Microsoft Project®, and easier to use.
Immediate Download
File Type: .xls
License: Company Use (not for resale or distribution)
Same system requirements as the free version.
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Bonus #1: Event Schedule
This Event Schedule is great for scheduling classes or presentations for workshops, conferences, and seminars. It was created as a variant of the gantt chart template, but is based on the use of Times rather than Dates.
- Choose the time interval for the chart (10, 15, 20, 30 or 60 minutes)
- Enter the start time and end time for each event |
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Bonus #2: Monthly Gantt Chart
Create multi-year project schedules! This variant of the gantt chart displays 3 years at a time by using month periods rather than weeks or days. You can create projects spanning more than 3 years and use the slider bar to change the time scale. The inputs (start date, duration, working days, end date, etc.) are still the same as the other gantt charts in version 2.0. |
Using the Gantt Chart Template
I placed answers to most of the questions that I get asked in a Help section within the Gantt chart worksheet. You are welcome to contact me if you have other questions, but please take a look through the Help first.
New Feature: Grouping and Automatic WBS Numbering
In version 2.0 (the professional version) of the Gantt Chart template, I added automatic Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) numbering and included default grouping. See my article on Grouping and Outlining in Excel for an explanation of how to use Excel's "Group and Outline" feature for expanding or contracting groups of items.
Figure 1. Grouping and WBS numbering in the Gantt Chart template.
New Feature: Enter Working Days, Duration, or End Date
In the professional version of the Gantt Chart Template, template rows have been included that give you different ways of entering the dates and durations for the tasks. You can even use different methods within the same gantt chart as shown in the image below (the inputs have green backgrounds).
 Figure 2. Various ways to enter task dates and durations.
- Duration: The default method where you enter the number of calendar days for a task.
- Working Days: Perhaps a more useful way to create a project plan. The End Date is calculated based on the working days, excluding weekends and the holidays that you decide to list.
- End Date: Entering the end date can be useful when you know a deadline and are forced to complete a task by that date.
Also notice that in the professional version, the Start and End dates are formatted to show the weekday. This helps you avoid starting or ending on a weekend, without having to consult a calendar.
New Feature: List Holidays and other Non-Working Days
In the pro version, a worksheet has been added where you can list holidays and other non-working days that you want to exclude. As long as you don't leave any blanks between the dates or delete row 10 (see below) you can copy/paste, insert/delete, sort, or append to the list.
Figure 3. Various ways to enter task dates and durations.
Questions about the Gantt Chart Template
Other Free Gantt Chart Spreadsheets
- Gantt Chart Links - peltiertech.com - A great list of Gantt Chart links, compiled by Jon Peltier's, including links to a lot of other gantt chart spreadsheets.
- Gantt Charts in Excel - hyperthot.com, by James Chapman. - This page includes a few free gantt chart downloads for Excel that also calculate spend plan. This is done by including labor costs broken down by employee and the number of hours spent on each task.
- CPM / PERT Spreadsheet - vertex42.com - This template includes a gantt chart for critical path analysis.
Commercial Gantt Chart Software
- Microsoft Project 200X - Office.Microsoft.com - Although a bit pricey, this really is the ultimate software for creating gantt charts and project timelines, partly because it is widely used and therefore you can probably find someone in your office that knows how to use it if you have questions.
- Easy Gantt Chart Software - SmartDraw.com - Create Gantt charts fast, with the templates in SmartDraw. See their site for examples.
Share Our Gantt Chart
If you would like to share this template on your blog or website, please go ahead and reference this page (html code is provided below). But please note our terms of use - do not link directly to the file or put the file on your website. Thank you.
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