The 14 Best Timeline Software and Timeline Makers (Free and Paid)

We’re all looking for ways to be more efficient at work — but taking that next step doesn’t always come from within the organization. The best timeline software can also help you track progress from simple to-dos to long-term projects.

With so many options on the market, choosing the best project timeline software can be daunting. So how do you know which one is right for you?

This guide will look at some of the best timeline software options on the market. But first, let’s take a quick look at the criteria we’ll use to make our list.

How to choose a good project timeline solution

The first step in choosing the best timeline software is deciding what you want to accomplish.

You could start by simply create a static timeline, or you could:

• Take control of your workflow with sprint features
• Assign teams to tasks and add followers 
• Toggle between Roadmap and Kanban views 
• Create, customize, and automate workflows
• Set task dependencies to plan better workflows

As you search for the best online timeline maker, decide which functionalities matter most. You might also discover a few necessary features of your own.

The best project timeline software for better project management

The core goal of project timeline software is to help you track milestones and deadlines for your projects. Some tools also offer an interactive timeline and other add-in features to help keep projects on track and stakeholders connected.

As we go through each option, we’ll also cover:

• What does it do?
• Who benefits from using it
• Key features and customization
• Pricing

The 14 best project timeline software and best timeline makers of 2022 are:

1. Hubstaff Tasks

What does it do?

Hubstaff Tasks is a project timeline tool designed for more efficient project management. The interactive timeline feature helps users track their progress and ensures projects of all sizes stay on track.

Unlike other tools, Tasks allows you to create your project timelines. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to extend deadlines, create dependencies, and color code projects. In other words, you won’t have to switch between Kanban and timeline views to make adjustments.

As any project manager knows, minor delays can derail a project. That’s why visualizing project Timelines allow you to observe how deadline changes affect future tasks.

Who benefits from using it?

The timeline creation abilities of Hubstaff Tasks help business owners and teams stay connected from anywhere. In-office, remote, and field teams can benefit from this tool’s transparency.

Hubstaff Tasks is also a versatile option for different-sized businesses. Agencies, software developers, and E-commerce companies are just a few examples of the many fields that can benefit from this intuitive timeline tool.

Key features

Focused Sprints, precise tasks, timetables, and visual kanban-style workflows that automate procedures can help you stay on track and accomplish more. Hubstaff Tasks also helps you:

• Visualize project timeframes to get everyone on the same page. The timeline view shows project milestones, status updates, and more.

• Create flexible Timelines that accommodate changes. Being Agile without surprises is the goal.
• Lock in with defined timelines. Not Agile? No problem. When things pile up, reassign them.
• Switch from Gantt chart to Kanban view in one click. Kanban helps you view each stage of your workflow to spot bottlenecks and adjust accordingly.
• Task dependencies allow you to assess your priorities. Create a task hierarchy to stay on schedule.
• Rapidly identify at-risk or late tasks to decide where to focus your efforts. Overdue tasks are indicated in the Hubstaff Tasks timeline view so you can quickly adapt.
• Get a list of unscheduled tasks and move them into your Sprint by dragging and dropping them. You can also drag, extend, and create dependencies right from the timeline view.

Connect Hubstaff Tasks to Hubstaff for an even more streamlined experience. With the Hubstaff integration, you can see how many hours team members spend on each task, make more accurate estimates, and create detailed, automated timesheets.

Pricing

• Free version $0/user (Limited to five users)
• Premium $5 per user/month
• Free 14-day trial. 60-day money-back guarantee.

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2. Asana

What does it do?

Former Facebook employees created Asana to help teams manage daily tasks and strategic initiatives. Asana’s timeline creator uses an intuitive design to help you quickly set and track deadlines.

Who benefits from using it?

With goal management, portfolio management, and automation features, Asana is excellent for big teams and complex projects. Team leaders also use Asana to keep track of their teams’ day-to-day tasks, processes, and projects.

Like Hubstaff Tasks, Asana prides itself on the flexibility to work anytime, anywhere. This makes it a great option for remote and distributed teams — and those of us who work asynchronously. 

Key features

With Asana, you can organize and embed your projects using tags, milestones, and integrations with Google Calendar. Then, organize your workflow with whatever method best suits you and your team. From simple lists and Kanban boards to Timelines and Gantt charts, your workflow is in your hands.

Pricing

• Basic is a free online timeline maker
• Premium starts at $10.99 per user 
• Business starts at $24.99 per user 
• Enterprise pricing is also available by request

3. Wrike

What does it do?

Wrike lets you create a timeline on which you can place tasks, deadlines, and milestones. You can then break down your project timeline templates into different phases. When something reaches completion, it will move to the next stage.

Who benefits from using it?

Wrike works well for small and mid-sized teams that are just starting. That said, there are also paid, enterprise-grade features that are also great for larger teams and their stakeholders.

Key features

An interactive Gantt chart, customized reports, and a real-time news feed make Wrike a powerful project management tool. But what sets it apart from others is the robust customization.

You can also change the look of dashboards, workflows, request forms, and more with a few simple clicks. You can even edit documents in the cloud without downloading them first, making it easier to share files, tasks, and reports instantly.

Wrike also integrates with tools like Salesforce, Media Valet, and Dropbox to streamline the project management process. 

Pricing

• Free version
• Professional is $9.80 / user
• Business is $24.80 / user
• Enterprise pricing is available upon request

4. Trello

What does it do?

Trello started as a Kanban tool designed to help teams sort out their workloads. They’ve since expanded to a timeline view for tracking projects and historical events. Regardless of the task, workflow, or team, Trello provides full customization to help you increase productivity.

Who benefits from using it?

Trello is ideal for project managers, developers, and marketers. It helps teams by allowing them:

• Plan and organize tasks
• Create mind maps
• Add multimedia files
• Track your project moving forward

Key features

Trello’s basic functionalities stem from tasks, lists, cards, and boards. With these basic building blocks, you can view your team’s progress in a visually appealing way.

You can also customize each card with information about the different stages of the project. Trello then functions as a timeline generator that can reorganize this information linearly.

Pricing

• Free plan
• Standard starts at $5 / user 
• Premium starts at $10 / user
• Enterprise starts at $17.50 / user

5. Tiki Toki 

What does it do?

Tiki Toki is a free online timeline creator that allows you to make timelines and collect real-time information about each project. Unlike other tools on this list, Tiki Toki is primarily a historical timeline tool.

Who benefits from using it?

TikiToki is for education. It’s a simple and effective tool that’s free for teachers, educators, and students. Its user-friendly interface makes it a great teaching tool in conjunction with infographics, charts, and other visual representations.

These visual timelines can also translate to the corporate world. You can use them in pitches, presentations, and meetings with stakeholders.

Key features

You can create different projects, add tasks and deadlines, add comments and photos, and use hashtags to make a timeline that fits your unique needs. Tiki Toki’s features include:

• 3D multimedia functionality
• Customizable tools and categories
• Integrations with YouTube and Vimeo
• Unique links and embed codes to share timelines

Pricing

• Basic account for free
• Teacher accounts are $150 per year
• Bronze accounts are $9.50 per user
• Silver accounts are $25 per user

6. Smartsheet 

What does it do?

Smartsheet is a SaaS platform designed for work management and collaboration. A tabular, spreadsheet-style project timeline helps you keep track of your ongoing projects familiarly. Like other tools on this list, you can also use it to create tasks, track their progress, and share any necessary resources. 

Who benefits from using it?

Smartsheet’s tabular user interface makes it perfect for businesses of all sizes. However, it’s convenient for those that already have some experience with spreadsheets or managing projects. Smartsheets are also great as a building block for analytically-driven project managers. Still, it might not be as aesthetically pleasing as other tools on this list.

Key features

Smartsheet allows you to have ultimate control over your workflows. Everything is customizable — even down to each individual cell of a spreadsheet.

You can also specify deadlines, write comments, and add attachments to each task. Once a job is complete, you can add additional details and archive it as needed.

Pricing

• Free trial offered
• Pro $7 / user max 10 users
• Business $25 / user min 3 users
• Enterprise pricing is available upon request

7. ProofHub

What does it do?

ProofHub allows you to plan, collaborate, and deliver projects of all sizes on time with one tool. You can also create a visual project timeline that will enable you to switch back and forth between the current progress and past milestones. 

Who benefits from using it?

ProofHub is for teams of varying sizes in all enterprises. That’s why its currently the choice of 85,000 businesses globally. Massive companies like Nike, Google, and Netflix use Proofhub for their day-to-day project management needs.

Key features

With ProofHub, you can add tasks, notes, PNG photos, videos, and records to your timeline. It also includes an API feature, a mobile app for iOS and Android, and integrates with:

• QuickBooks
• Freshbooks
• Google Docs
• Dropbox
• Outlook
• Box

Pricing

• Essential $45 per month with unlimited users (billed annually)
• Ultimate Control is $89 per month for unlimited users (billed annually)
• Free trial available

8. TeamGantt

What does it do?

TeamGantt allows you to create a project timeline that contains information about tasks, deadlines, and milestones. As the name suggests, it also includes Gantt charts, capacity planning, and discussion logs. With a simple drag-and-drop interface, users can easily adjust timelines with just a few clicks.

Who benefits from using it?

Small businesses, mid-sized teams, and massive enterprises can use TeamGantt to track deadlines and ensure everything happens on time. Marketing, advertising, and software development project managers will love this fresh take on the classic Gantt chart. 

Key features

TeamGantt helps you use dependencies to ensure that tasks reach completion in chronological order. The simple layout also integrates seamlessly with Zapier, Dropbox, Slack, Basecamp 2, and Trello.

Pricing

• Standard plan is $24.95 per user
• Advanced plan is $29.95 per user
• 30-day free trial and 3-user free version

9. Clarizen

What does it do?

Clarizen is a project and collaborative work management company that operates on the software as a service model. Like other tools on this list, their software helps users track project milestones and deadlines through a visual timeline. However, they tend to cater to a unique niche. 

Who benefits from using it?

Clarizen integrates work across enterprises by combining project management, process automation, and collaboration. The goal is to give enterprises real-time visibility into all their workstreams. Ultimately, it helps teams focus on what matters.

Robust file attachments and email reporting are also excellent for engineers, designers, and other enterprise-grade creative teams.

Key features

Clarizen offers basic timeline functionality where users can add a list of tasks, due dates, and even dates for each phase. Users can use lists to display the stages of the project or add annotations on their timelines to make it more personal.

Most tools on this list offer basic image attachments. But Clarizen stands out in its ability to attach CAD drawings to projects. This feature allows you to provide detailed specs from inception through product launch. When combined with the Roadmap feature, stakeholders can follow a product throughout its lifecycle.

Pricing

• Enterprise is $45 per user
• Unlimited is $60 per user
• Clarizen Salesforce is $100 per user
• 30-day free trial no credit card needed

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10. Kantata (formerly Mavenlink)

What does it do?

Kantata allows companies to manage their projects’ entire trajectory, including project and team management, conversations and comments, and reporting. You can also delve into invoicing, file archiving, and online payments from Kantata. The goal is to make it easier to manage projects by giving users an easy-to-use interface and access to lots of helpful timeline templates.

Who benefits from using it?

Large or enterprise teams use Kantata for managing projects. The large feature set can be helpful for these teams, but it comes at a cost. It’s probably a little more expensive than other tools on this list, making it tough to justify for smaller teams.

Key features

This tool allows you to add tasks, deadlines, milestones, photos, and videos. It also offers multiple export options for better financial reporting.

You can also organize your information visually on a timeline that makes it easy for everyone on your team to see. Or, integrate TeamGantt and Kantata to make a detailed project timeline.

Pricing

• Teams is $19 per user (up to five users)
• Professional is $39 per user 
• Premier pricing is available when you contact sales

*Kantata now hides its pricing tiers behind a lead capture form. For reference, we’ve listed Mavenlink’s pricing as of 2019.

11. Timeline 3D

What does it do?

Timeline 3D uses data visualization features to create a project timeline that you can use to keep track of tasks, projects, and deadlines. It’s a free tool for personal use, but you can apply it to a business setting as needed.

Who benefits from using it?

Timeline 3D is a 3D timeline software that lets Mac and iOS users make family trees, stories, and business plans. Timeline 3D is popular amongst students, professionals, and instructional designers who use Apple products.

Key features

This timeline is entirely customizable. You can choose to filter past, present, or future time entries. You can also add a list of files and tasks to your timeline to have all the information you need in one place.

Pricing

Timeline 3D is free with in-app purchases on Mac and iOS.

12. Office Timeline

What does it do?

Office Timeline is a Microsoft PowerPoint add-in. This PowerPoint timeline creator is great for professionals who must present a project timeline, Gantt chart, or timeline. It allows project managers to utilize a pre-made timeline template or create their own visually appealing PowerPoint slides from scratch.

Who benefits from using it?

It’s essential to keep in mind that Office Timeline is not the best option for real-time updates and day-to-day project planning. It has been designed as a presentation tool and shouldn’t be used to manage projects.

Project managers who are not particularly tech-savvy can use Office Timeline to report on significant developments throughout a project’s lifecycle.

Key features

This timeline is customizable so that you can add information about each milestone or task. Additionally, you can include information about future or past milestones or tasks. It works well with other Microsoft Office tools, Excel and PowerPoint. Users can also use it to create CSV files for essential projects, milestones, flowcharts, and tasks.

Pricing

• Basic is $59 per user paid annually, one user only
• Pro edition is $99 per user paid annually, one user only
• Pro + Edition is $149 per user paid annually, one user only

13. Lucidchart

What does it do?

Lucidchart is a web-based application that allows users to collaborate on drawings, charts, and organizational structures. These collaboration tools are excellent for designing your timelines and sharing them with your team. 

Who benefits from using it?

Flowcharts, Venn diagrams, mind maps, and Timelines are just a few of the data visualization methods supported by Lucidchart. Since creating roadmaps is as simple as dragging and dropping elements, it’s excellent for smaller teams with non-technical users.

Key features

Lucidchart allows you to add tasks and milestones and attach documents, images, videos, or files. You can then view all of your information in one place in a chat format.

Lucidchart integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Excel, Jira, and diagramming apps like OmniGraffle and Visio.

Pricing

• Individual is $7.95 per user
• Team is $9 per user
• Enterprise pricing is available upon request
• Offers free trial

14. Timeline Maker Pro

What does it do?

Timeline Maker Pro is a paid software with tools designed to help you create a project timeline. It’s similar to Lucidchart in that it is an easy-to-use tool that places customization at the forefront of its feature set.

Who benefits from using it?

Managers of businesses of all sizes can use Timeline Maker Pro to make interactive Timelines. It’s great for remote and distributed teams because it still functions well without an internet connection.

Key features

Timeline Maker Pro has customizable templates that help manage various projects. For example, you can use a video solution like Vimeo to upload videos and create a simple timeline that keeps track of your tasks, milestones, and dates.

Pricing

• Individual is a $149 one-time purchase
• Small Business Pack is a $299 one-time purchase
• Enterprise is a $535 one-time purchase

Key takeaways about choosing the best timeline software

Keeping your project on track and meeting deadlines is vital for ensuring that projects stay on schedule. All these tools are great, but make sure to address their compatibility. Not every tool is compatible with Microsoft, Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

The right tool helps with project planning and time management, allowing you to track your team’s progress and keep everyone in the loop. Of course, you can also improve your project management processes by using a desktop or web-based time tracker. Distributed teams can also benefit from time tracking on iOS and Android devices.

There are also other open-source, free timeline software tools. Paid tools like Sutori and Timetoast offer project planning functionality that is worth considering. These options also make it easy to create a project timeline or to share tasks and milestones with your team.

Master timelines with Hubstaff Tasks + Hubstaff

Hubstaff Tasks is an intuitive yet robust timeline and project management tool. Hubstaff is a time tracking, reporting, and proof of work solution. Together, they allow teams to track project time for better budgeting, time management, and performance.

Sign up for a 14-day free trial of Hubstaff or Hubstaff Tasks to see how well you can manage your workforce and have more work done.