GanttProject helps you turn a project into a working schedule by dividing it into tasks and subtasks, setting durations and dependencies, and marking milestones. As you change the plan, its Gantt chart and resource load chart update to show the schedule and assigned people’s workloads. You can also manage costs for tasks and resources within the project.

The program is desktop software for small and medium-sized projects, with projects stored locally and the application usable offline. Its scope has limits: it does not provide portfolio management or resource leveling, and team collaboration is not built into the desktop program. Collaboration is available through a separate paid cloud service.

For exchanging plans with Microsoft Project users, ExeDepot’s page on GanttProject describes a feature set that includes opening MPX, MPP and XML/MSPDI files and exporting XML/MSPDI. This can help when a schedule needs to move between desktop planning workflows, while retaining the project’s tasks and structure in a supported format.

Building and maintaining a schedule

Tasks, subtasks, dependencies and milestones are arranged on an interactive timeline, giving a project manager a visual way to inspect sequence and duration. Assigning people to tasks adds a resource-planning view: the resource chart shows their workload alongside the schedule. These connected views are useful when adjusting dates or assignments, because changes to the plan are reflected in the charts.

Cost management is part of the project plan, allowing users to track costs associated with tasks and resources. Version 3.3 also added calculated task columns, where SQL expressions can compute values for custom columns. That capability is relevant when a project needs additional task information derived from existing data rather than entered as a fixed value.

File handling and platform details

GanttProject is developed as desktop project scheduling software and has been in development since 2003. It runs on Windows, macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), and Linux. The Windows EXE installer bundles a Java runtime, so users do not need to install that runtime separately when using that installer.

The program is open source under the GNU GPL v3, including for commercial use. The optional GanttProject Cloud service adds collaboration and uses pay-as-you-go pricing; it is separate from the locally stored desktop projects. This distinction matters for teams deciding whether a single-user offline planning workflow is sufficient or whether shared work is required.

Who the feature set fits

GanttProject is suited to small businesses, freelancers and students who need Gantt-based scheduling and straightforward resource planning. Its task structure, dependency links, milestones, workload chart and cost tracking cover common planning needs without requiring an online connection. The Microsoft Project file support can also make it practical to exchange schedules with people using that format.

Organisations coordinating multiple project portfolios or needing built-in real-time collaboration should account for the program’s narrower desktop scope. The paid cloud service is the separate collaboration option, while the desktop application itself centers on planning individual projects and managing their schedules and resources.