7 alternatives to Gantt charts

6 min

7. Simple Gantt chart

If your only hesitation with using a Gantt chart is its complexity, a simple Gantt chart may be your answer. Take a look at the modified version in Lucidchart. 

Gantt charts can be complicated to understand and difficult to maintain, and they may not help you communicate effectively with your team members or work with the flexibility you need. Try any of these Gantt chart alternatives by clicking the template above. 

Ready-to-use templates for PERT, Network diagrams, Kanban, and more

Explore Lucid's pre-built templates to build timelines, indicate the status of tasks, and collaborate with your team.

Flowchart with swimlanes

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Flowchart with swimlanes

AoA Network Diagram Example

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AoA Network Diagram Example

Detailed Scrum task board example

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Detailed Scrum task board example

Frequently Asked Questions

You can use project planning timelines, project network diagrams, Kanban boards, Scrum boards, cross-functional flowcharts, checklists, or simplified Gantt charts depending on your project needs and workflow.

Gantt charts can be messy and hard to understand, inflexible for Agile workflows, time-consuming to update, and difficult to build collaboratively, share, and print.

 

Kanban boards are optimal for teams with flexible workflows who want to track task progress visually by moving cards through columns.Kanban boards offer simplicity and effective communication without complex dependencies.

A project network diagram is used to scope a project and determine its critical path—the longest sequence of tasks that determines project duration. Project network diagrams enable users to track dependencies and task details without the complexity of Gantt charts.

Yes, cross-functional flowcharts use swimlanes to delineate responsibilities across different teams and track dependencies and information transfers, making them ideal for large projects involving multiple teams.

A project planning timeline shows a chronological sequence of events without the complicated details of a Gantt chart, making it easier to understand and modify quickly as plans change.

Yes, checklists can increase team productivity and can be used alone or attached to project network diagrams to pair a high-view perspective with specific action items.

Not completely—if your only hesitation is complexity, a simple Gantt chart without excessive dependencies, resources, and milestones may still work for your needs.

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