What is a Gantt chart maker?

A Gantt chart maker turns a task list into a horizontal timeline, with one bar per task showing when it starts and ends. AECharts is built for the version you present, not the one you manage from — paste your task list, style it to match your deck, and export ready for PowerPoint or Google Slides.

What data do I need for a Gantt chart?

Just three columns: a task name, a start date, and an end date. AECharts turns each row into a bar positioned on the calendar automatically — no manual date math.

Can I import data from Excel or Google Sheets?

Yes. Copy your task list and paste it directly into the editor. AECharts builds the timeline automatically from task name, start date, and end date columns.

Can I show milestones on the timeline?

Yes. Add a milestone marker on any task's row at any date — useful for kickoff dates, review gates, or a client go-live date sitting inside a longer phase.

Can I change the time scale — days, weeks, months?

Yes. AECharts supports five header tiers — year, quarter, month, week, and day — and you can stack any combination of them, so a multi-month engagement can show months on one row and weeks on the row below.

Can I highlight a date range, like a holiday freeze or blackout period?

Yes. Shade any date range across the full chart width to flag holidays, freezes, or blackout windows without adding a task row for it.

What export formats are available?

Every chart exports ready to use in PowerPoint or Google Slides, or as an image for reports.

Is there a free plan?

Yes. AECharts is free to start, exports on the free plan include a watermark. The paid plan removes it, starting at $12/month billed annually. No credit card required to start.

Is this the same as project management software?

No. AECharts isn't built for tracking day-to-day task status or assigning work — it's for the polished timeline chart you drop into a client deck or steering committee update, built from whatever plan already lives in your project tool or spreadsheet.

Can I use this in a client presentation?

Yes. Charts export ready to drop directly into PowerPoint and Google Slides. Gantt charts are a standard tool in kickoff decks, workplans, and status updates for client engagements.

Gantt Chart Maker — Create Gantt Charts Online for Free

Built for engagement workplans, deal timelines, and rollout plans you present to clients — not the tool you manage day-to-day work from. Free to start.

Gantt chart example showing a project workplan timeline

When to Use a Gantt Chart

Gantt charts work best when you need to show a plan unfolding over time — what happens when, and how the pieces line up.

Engagement Workplan

Lay out every phase of a client engagement — discovery, design, build, rollout — as a single timeline for the kickoff deck.

Deal Timeline

Map signing, diligence, and close milestones across a transaction so stakeholders see the path to close at a glance.

Implementation Roadmap

Show a phased rollout plan for a client-facing initiative, with milestones marking each go-live date.

Workstream Plan

Line up parallel workstreams across an engagement so the client sees how each team's work overlaps and depends on timing.

Status Update Timeline

Re-present the original workplan against current progress, shading holiday freezes or delays that shifted the schedule.

Product Launch Plan

Sequence research, build, and launch activities with milestones for review gates and the launch date itself.

Gantt Chart vs Spreadsheet

Both hold the same task list — but they answer different questions.

Gantt Chart

Best for: Showing a plan visually — how tasks line up, overlap, and stack against the calendar.

Strength: A room reads a timeline in seconds. Dates and durations that take a paragraph to explain in a table become obvious as bar positions and lengths.

Use when: Presenting a workplan, deal timeline, or rollout plan to a client or stakeholder.

Spreadsheet

Best for: Managing the plan — editing dates, tracking owners, sorting and filtering tasks.

Strength: Fast to edit and easy to keep as the single source of truth for the underlying data.

Use when: Building or updating the task list itself, before it's ready to present.

AECharts is built for the second step — turning that spreadsheet into the timeline you actually present.

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How to Create a Gantt Chart

Choose a template

Browse Gantt chart templates and pick one that matches your style.

Paste your task list

Copy from Excel or Google Sheets. One row per task with a start and end date — AECharts builds the timeline automatically.

Set headers, milestones & style

Stack the header tiers you need, mark milestones, shade date ranges, and set colors to match your brand.

Export

Export and drop it directly into PowerPoint, Google Slides, or reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Create Your Gantt Chart Today

Paste your task list, pick a template, and export in under a minute. Free to start — no credit card required.

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