Does Microsoft Planner Have a Gantt Chart? Plans, Limits, and Alternatives

Does Microsoft Planner have a Gantt chart?

Yes, but not in the basic Planner experience included with Microsoft 365. Microsoft calls its Gantt view Timeline, and access requires Planner Plan 1 or Planner and Project Plan 3. The included Planner has Grid, Board, Schedule, and Charts views; its Schedule view is calendar-oriented, not a Gantt chart.

As of August 7, 2026, Microsoft’s U.S. business pricing page lists:

• Planner in Microsoft 365: included with eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions; no Timeline view;
• Planner Plan 1: $10 per user/month, paid yearly; Timeline (Gantt), milestones, sub-tasks, and creation of finish-to-start dependencies;
• Planner and Project Plan 3: $30 per user/month, paid yearly; baselines, critical path, advanced dependencies with lead and lag, portfolios, and Project desktop.

Prices exclude tax, vary by market, and can change. Verify Microsoft’s checkout for your tenant and region.

Microsoft Planner Gantt features by plan

This distinction explains conflicting answers online. Microsoft merged parts of Project for the web into the new Planner experience, but capabilities still depend on licensing. A screenshot of Timeline does not prove that every Microsoft 365 Planner user can open it.

Is Planner’s Schedule view a Gantt chart?

No. Schedule places tasks on a calendar so you can see work by day, week, or month. A Gantt chart places task bars across a time axis and normally exposes duration, hierarchy, and dependency logic together.

Use Schedule when you need to answer “What is due this week?” Use Timeline when you need to answer “What sequence controls the project finish?” Even in Plan 1, Microsoft limits dependency creation to finish-to-start relationships; Plan 3 is the tier Microsoft lists for advanced dependencies with lead and lag.

How do you create a Gantt chart in Planner Plan 1?

1. Open or create a premium plan in Planner.
2. Add tasks with meaningful names and completion conditions.
3. Set start dates, finish dates, duration, and assignments.
4. Use sub-tasks or summary structure to organize the work.
5. Create finish-to-start dependencies at real handoffs.
6. Mark approvals and releases as milestones.
7. Open the Timeline view.
8. Review overlaps, incomplete predecessor logic, and milestone dates.

Do not start by dragging every bar to a desired date. Define the work and links first, then let the schedule expose whether the target is credible. The method in How to Make a Gantt Chart Online in 7 Steps applies regardless of the product.

Who needs a paid Planner license?

Microsoft says basic Planner users can edit ordinary task details in premium plans created by a paid user—for example, assignment and start or due dates. However, a Planner Plan 1 license is required to access additional views such as Timeline, People, and Goals, and Plan 3 is required for the Assignments view.

That means a mixed-license arrangement may work when a few planners build the schedule and other people update assigned tasks. Validate your exact collaboration workflow: viewing a task is not the same as opening the Gantt view or editing its advanced schedule structure.

What does Microsoft Planner Gantt cost for a team?

At the U.S. list prices checked on August 7, 2026:

These examples cover the Planner add-on shown on Microsoft’s pricing page, not every Microsoft 365, Copilot, tax, support, or procurement cost your organization may require. Licensing only the people who need premium views can reduce the total, subject to Microsoft’s access rules and your workflow.

When is Microsoft Planner the right choice?

Choose Planner when:

• your organization already manages identity, files, groups, and collaboration in Microsoft 365;
• Teams and Outlook interoperability matters more than a standalone scheduling experience;
• premium licensing already exists in your tenant;
• finish-to-start dependencies are sufficient at Plan 1;
• you need Project desktop, portfolio controls, baselines, or critical path and are comfortable with Plan 3.

The advantage is ecosystem fit. A separate low-cost tool can be more expensive operationally if security review, account provisioning, and data movement are difficult in your organization.

When should you consider an alternative?

Consider another tool when:

• you need a Gantt view without a per-user premium license;
• critical path and all four dependency types are basic requirements rather than a $30 tier requirement;
• external clients should view the plan without joining your Microsoft tenant;
• a small team wants faster setup and fewer work-management features;
• flat per-project cost fits better than per-seat pricing.

Other ways to make a Gantt chart with Microsoft tools

Excel

Excel can simulate a Gantt chart with a stacked bar chart or conditional formatting. It is suitable for a small presentation schedule but does not automatically become a dependency-aware engine. Follow How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel.

Project desktop

Project desktop is included in Planner and Project Plan 3 according to Microsoft’s current comparison. It is the stronger Microsoft option for advanced desktop scheduling and resource controls.

Power BI

Power BI can visualize task data with an appropriate visual, but it is a reporting surface. You still need an authoritative system and scheduling logic behind it.

When is GanttFather a simpler alternative to Planner’s paid Timeline?

GanttFather fits a small scheduling team that needs a Gantt operating surface without buying a premium view for every reviewer. Its free tier includes one owned project, two editor seats per project, and unlimited viewers and guests; the application supports FS, SS, FF, and SF dependencies plus lag, critical-path highlighting, Excel import/export, and real-time sharing.

The trade-off is ecosystem depth. GanttFather is not a replacement for Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, or Microsoft 365 governance, and it does not provide automatic resource leveling or a dedicated baseline overlay. For a feature-by-feature decision, read GanttFather vs Microsoft Planner or compare Microsoft Planner vs Microsoft Project.

Create a free GanttFather project to test whether two schedule editors and free stakeholder access cover your Planner use case.

Frequently asked questions

Is Microsoft Planner free?

Planner is included in eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions; it is not a universal standalone free Gantt product. The included experience omits Timeline. Microsoft offers trials for paid Planner plans, subject to trial terms.

Can basic Planner users see a premium Gantt chart?

Microsoft’s FAQ says Planner Plan 1 is required to access Timeline. Basic users can interact with ordinary task details in premium plans, but should not be assumed to have the premium view itself.

Does Planner Plan 1 include critical path?

No. Microsoft lists baselines and critical path under Planner and Project Plan 3 at $30 per user/month paid yearly.

Does Planner Plan 1 support all four dependency types?

Microsoft describes Plan 1 as supporting finish-to-start dependencies. Plan 3 adds advanced dependencies with lead and lag. If SS, FF, or SF behavior is mandatory, verify the current product behavior during a trial before purchasing.

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Pricing checked: August 7, 2026. USD business list prices; annual commitment where stated.

Sources

1. Microsoft, Compare Microsoft Planner plans and pricing
2. Microsoft, Microsoft Planner product overview
3. Microsoft Support, Work with the Gantt Chart view