- For this reason, we created Gantt Excel, an automated excel template that allows you to create professional-looking Gantt Charts all within Microsoft Excel in Mac OS. Gantt Chart Excel for Mac is the Best Project Management Tool for the Mac.
- Gantt Chart Software for Mac OS. Create a Gantt chart on Mac to manage activities and schedule tasks with our smart Gantt chart tool. Super user-friendly, it has been considered as a popular Gantt chart alternative to Microsoft Visio. Ready to publish to PDF/Word/PNG/SVG/Html to share with others.
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by Diana Ramos on Apr 16, 2019
If you’re looking for a way to run Microsoft Project on a Mac, unfortunately, you’re going to find that this isn’t possible. MS Project wasn’t built for Mac operating systems, meaning it won’t work on any Mac computer you’re using.
Step-by-Step Gantt Chart Tutorial for Making a Gantt Chart in Excel 2016 on Mac OS MacOS isn’t known for things like accounting or project management. The Mac platform has become more synonymous with video editing, graphic design, audio and other creative work. Jan 30, 2020 Mac users wanting to visually present plans or schedules in Pages can tweak a default 2D Stacked Bar chart to build a basic Gantt chart. Because formatting the graphic in Pages can become time-consuming, those who need to regularly create and update such visuals may find it simpler to use a dedicated Gantt chart maker instead. Get access to our wide selection of Ready-Made Gantt Chart Templatesin Apple Numbersthat you can use as a tool that can support your project's task management. With the use of our Gantt Chart templates, you can plan out and schedule projects, simple tasks, and tasks across multiple projects, and view your tasks and progress +Moreover time.
However, there is an easy way to solve this problem so you can continue to create powerful project management tools - like Gantt charts, which can help you track project tasks against a predetermined timeline - without having to give up your Mac computer.
The solve is easier than trying to run MS Project on your Mac, and it requires little effort to get started. Smartsheet enables you to import all MSP documents into its familiar, easy-to-use interface so you can keep working on your projects in a collaborative, Mac-friendly tool. It’s free to try, so you can test out how easy it is to track and manage your projects using your Mac computer.
How to Use MS Project on a Mac
If you’re interested in using MS Project, but are also working on a Mac computer, the most efficient, user-friendly solution to this common problem is Smartsheet.
Smartsheet integrates seamlessly on both Mac and PC operating systems, so you can manage, track, and report on your projects from anywhere, on any device. Smartsheet enables you to import all MS Project files directly, so you won’t miss a beat.
You can also choose from a variety of pre-built templates to help manage additional project details, like budgets, resources, inventory, and tasks. To get started, follow these simple steps.
Step 1: Sign Up for Your Free Trial
To get started on editing and managing your MS Project files using your Mac computer, sign up for your free Smartsheet trial to discover a collaborative, real-time way to manage your projects, from ideation to completion.
It’s free for 30 days, so you can try out the tool, import your existing MS Project files, and test out the many project management capabilities, like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, calendar view, and more.
Step 2: Import Your Microsoft Project Files
Once you’ve signed up for your free trial, log in to your new Smartsheet account and follow the below steps to import your existing MPP files into Smartsheet.
1. First, navigate to the ‘+’ icon on the left hand navigation bar. From there, select the Import button.
2. You will be brought to a screen that allows you to select what type of file you want to import. Select Microsoft Project.
3. A pop-up window will appear, prompting you with a tip box that details helpful tricks to remember as you import your file, and tips to help you get started.
4. Then, in the Import window, select which MPP file you would like to import from your computer, name it, and click Continue.
5. The MPP file will appear as a new sheet on the Home tab in the left panel.
Step 3: Start Planning, Tracking, and Managing Projects in Smartsheet
Edit, customize, and continue to manage and track your projects using Smartsheet, which offers greater functionality, including easier user adoption, flexible views, like Gantt, grid, Kanban card, and calendar, interactive Gantt capabilities, mobile accessibility, and more.
For more information on additional MS Project alternatives, visit this article, which details what to look for in your alternative tool, and how using a Mac doesn’t need to inhibit your ability to create effective PM solutions.
How to Create a Gantt Chart on a Mac
Gantt charts are one of the most popular project management tools to use when looking to effectively plan, organize, and track a project, and all of its components. If you’re looking to create a Gantt chart on your Mac OS, visit this article for step-by-step instructions and a quick tutorial video.
10 Essential Features You Need in a Gantt Chart Software for a Mac
Gantt Chart Excel Template Free
1. Create Timelines:
This sounds like a basic feature, but timelines are at the heart of a Gantt chart and should work the way you do. When creating timelines, they should handle dependencies, which let you identify when one task needs to be completed before another one can start. It should also handle predecessor tasks - a feature that lets you create dependencies between tasks. Look for an option that automatically updates timelines as events change in the project.
2. Import/Export Multiple File Formats:
Not everyone you work with is using the same program as you, so be sure the Gantt chart software for Mac you select can support multiple file formats. Since Microsoft Project is such a widely adopted program, Gantt chart software for Macs should import and export Microsoft Project files. It should also import and export other popular file formats such as Adobe PDF and PNG image files. This allows you to both print and share the Gantt chart to others that may not have the same software.
![For For](/uploads/1/2/4/3/124378843/593284033.png)
3. Sync With Cloud Services:
With so much work done in the cloud today, select a Gantt chart program that syncs with popular cloud services such as iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox. One of the benefits of saving and accessing a Gantt chart from the cloud is that you’ll be able to access it on web-enabled devices, so you don’t need to be at the office to check on the status of a project. If you use a different cloud service, the program you pick should sync with it as well.
![Gantt Gantt](/uploads/1/2/4/3/124378843/895518482.jpg)
4. Create Calendars:
A Gantt chart offers a great high-level overview of a project, but some project managers prefer to track deadlines using a calendar view. Many programs provide the option of viewing the Gantt chart as a calendar, but it would be more useful if it could integrate with the calendar app you already use. Whether you use Google Calendar or Apple’s iCal to manage your schedule, the Gantt chart software should support calendar overlays (appointments in Google Calendar or iCal can be added to the Gantt chart) and the ability to update tasks from those calendar apps.
5. Customize Views:
Gantt Chart Software Mac
One way to make Gantt charts really work for you is to customize them to suit your needs. Perhaps you want to select or change the colors of the bars or add new shades to represent different parts of the project. Can you set-up automatic alerts when a deadline for a task is approaching or has passed? You should also be able to annotate tasks by adding text to the chart. Not everyone working on a project needs to see the big picture; the Gantt chart program you select should allow you to create custom views for different team members.
6. Share and Collaborate with Team Members:
A Gantt chart isn’t just for project managers, it should be a useful tool for all of the team members working on a project. That’s why sharing features are an essential requirement. Be wary of programs that require you to buy a license for others to view or use the Gantt chart. This feature needs to be built-in. Team members should have the ability to leave comments and chat with others looking at the chart. With that in mind, in addition to working on a Mac, the program should support multiple platforms such as Linux and Windows. This will give people access to the Gantt chart regardless of the type of computer they use.
7. Integrate with iPhone and iPad:
If you’re a Mac user, chances are you have either an iPad or iPhone that you’d like to use to track a project. Make sure the option you choose allows you to view Gantt charts on your mobile devices. If you rely heavily on your iPhone or iPad, then look for a solution that also allows you to edit the chart on those products. Make sure to ask which versions of the OS are supported.
8. Drag and Drop for Schedules:
This comes down to how you enter information on your Gantt chart and general ease of use. Once your tasks are created, see if you can drag a specific task on the chart to change the duration or the due date. How easy is it to create dependencies between tasks? Can you just drag a line between them or do you need to enter more information?
9. Create and Modify Milestones:
A milestone is a marker denoting a major part of any project. That can be an event or a task completion. Either way, it’s essential that you have the capability to easily add milestones in order to visually track major moments of the project cycle. Adding a milestone shouldn’t affect the other events in the chart, however, you should be able to associate tasks with it.
10. Generate Detailed Reports:
Reporting is key to any project. Gantt charts contain a ton of information that you’ll want to export in a form that allow you to easily track the status of a project, see which teams are (and aren't) on track, and make adjustments as needed. Look for a solution where you can create project status reports. Better yet, it should let you automatically generate reports that are then sent to you on a regular basis. If other people on the team need to see the report but don’t have the same software, make sure you can export the report in a format that works for them, such as PDF or Excel.
Most Gantt software programs include dozens of other helpful features. Look for a program with an intuitive search tool, so you can quickly find additional useful features that will help you work more efficiently.
Most Gantt software programs include dozens of other helpful features. Look for a program with an intuitive search tool, so you can quickly find additional useful features that will help you work more efficiently.
Use this quick checklist to see whether or not the Gantt chart software you're considering has the best features you'll need to effectively manage your projects.
Key Considerations When Choosing a Gantt Chart Software and the Benefits of Using One
Gantt chart software has historically been relegated to MS Project, but this is no longer the case. In fact, people tend to run into some general, widespread challenges with MS Project, specifically regarding cost, version control, and security and accessibility features — on top of it being incompatible with the Mac OS.
There are many Gantt chart software options on the market today, but choosing the one that integrates into your existing processes and provides the levels of support and detail that you need is critical to the success of your projects — and to your ROI.
Learn more about top features to consider as you search for a Gantt chart software.
Visit Our Gantt Chart Software Page
Visit Our Gantt Chart Software Page
Additional Project Management Resources for Mac
Now that you have a way to manage projects and create Gantt charts on your Mac device, we've got additional resources, including guides and templates, to help you better track, manage, and report on your projects from start and finish.
Discover a Better, More Collaborative Way to Manage, Track, and Report on Projects
In order to run the most effective projects and deliver them on time and on budget, you need a collaborative, real-time way to track all project details, from beginning to end. To do so, you need a project management solution that provides an easy way to update project details, manage resources, track budget, and keep all stakeholders in the loop.
One such solution is Smartsheet, a work execution platform that enables enterprises and teams to get from idea to impact — fast. Top project management leaders rely on Smartsheet to help align the right people, resources, and schedules to get work done.
Use Smartsheet to create consistent project elements, increase speed, and improve collaboration with scalable options that fit individual work preferences. Hold yourself and your team accountable, improve visibility into team priorities, and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Try Smartsheet to discover a collaborative, real-time way to manage your projects, from ideation to completion.
Discover a more collaborative, real-time way to manage your projects.
This step-by-step Keynote Gantt chart tutorial demonstrates how to makeprofessional-looking Gantt charts using the popular presentation tool for Mac.
Although it doesn't have a built-in Gantt feature, Apple's Keynote allows Mac users to create a basic Gantt chart starting from a 2D Stacked Bar graphic. The resulting visual can be manually formatted to be fit for high-level presentations, but professionals who need to update it regularly or add more precise details may find the process a bit cumbersome.
For those who want to build professional-looking Gantt charts and update them quickly, a simpler way might be to use the web-based Gantt chart maker called Office Timeline Online. The tool allows you to create your visual directly in your browser and then download it as a native PowerPoint slide, which makes it easy to share and include in presentations. On this page, I will show you how to make a Gantt chart both manually in Keynote and automatically with the online Gantt tool. If you wish to learn how to make a timeline in Keynote for Mac, check out our timeline tutorial here.
Which tutorial would you like to see?
How to manually make a Gantt chart in Keynote
1. Enter your project data into a table and calculate key details.
- Open Keynote and double-click to choose the type of presentation you want to use from the options available in the Standard Theme Gallery. In my example, I selected a simple, white presentation.
- Keynote will generate a standard Title & Subtitle slide. To have more room for your graphic, you can turn the slide into a blank one. To do so, simply uncheck the boxes under the Appearance section of the Format pane on the right.
- Now, to start gathering and calculating the data for your chart, add a Headers table to your blank slide by going to Insert → Table on the Keynote ribbon.
- On the first row of the newly added table, list the key phases of your project (project tasks) as in the image below. Because these task descriptions will be shown as labels on your chart, it would be best to keep them as short as possible to ensure they'll fit well.
- On the second row, enter the Start Week for each of your project’s phases, which will help determine the task bars' positioning on the graphic. Use the first task (starting in week 1) as a reference point to work out the other tasks' start week judging by the calendar date on which they're scheduled to begin. To illustrate how I estimated the start time for each of my tasks, I've included a second table (Calculations) in the image below.
- Lastly, list each task’s duration in weeks on the third row. You can see the math I did for the duration series in the Calculations table below.
2. Add a 2D Stacked Bar Chart to your slide
Now that you've got all the necessary data sorted out, you can start building the graphic.
- Go to Insert → Chart on the Keynote ribbon.
- Select 2D Stacked Bar from the menu that appears.Keynote will automatically generate a simple stacked bar chart looking like the one below:
3. Add the data to your graphic
- Select all the rows in your project data table and copy them (Cmd + C).
- Now select the chart area and click on Edit Chart Data.
- Click on the first cell (top-left corner) in the Chart Data window that pops up and paste the copied cells in to replace the placeholder data with your own. Keynote will instantly update the graphic with your project's details.Note: Don’t worry if the task descriptions go off the slide. You can adjust both the text and the chart area to ensure a better fit by following the steps in the section below.
4. Format your chart to improve its legibility
- Select the chart area and drag its sizing handles to reduce the height and width of your graphic.
- Drag and drop the chart to reposition it better within the slide.
- You may also want to edit the task descriptions on the left side of your graphic for an optimized display. To do so, double-click on any of them, and then, from the Format pane on the right, use the Font options (style, typeface, color and size) on the Axis Labels tab. I chose to decrease the text font size from 22 to 20 pt.
5. Turn your graphic into a Gantt chart
Now that your stacked bar fits the slide properly, you will need to make a few more adjustments to make it look like a Gantt. The formatting required for this is to make the blue bars transparent so that only the green ones remain visible. These will represent your tasks. To achieve this:
- Click on any of the blue bars to select the entire series at once.
- Select the Style tab from the Format pane on the right side of the slide.
- Click on the color indicator next to Fill and select No Fill.The resulting Gantt chart should look like this:
6. Customize your Gantt chart's task bars
At this point, you can apply a series of customizations to the task bars to make your Gantt chart more unique.
- To recolor all your tasks simultaneously, double-click on any of the bars on your chart, go to the Style tab in the Format pane and use the Fill color indicator to select a new nuance. In my example, I opted for a dark orange.
- You can also choose to recolor individual tasks, but you will need to tweak your data a bit to split your tasks into different series (categories). Open the Edit Chart Data table and:i.Add several new rows beneath your Duration line, as shown in the image below. This will generate a series of different colors for your tasks, which you can customize however you wish later.ii.Now, to move a task into a different color category, cut (Cmd + X) its Duration value from the original row and paste it (Cmd + V) in whichever of the newly added rows (keep the same column). You can see how I set up the new colors for my graphic in the image below.iii.The tasks with their duration values distributed on different rows will be considered as distinct series, while the ones with duration values on the same row represent a single series. This means you can further customize the former separately and the latter at once, which includes changing the default colors generated by Keynote earlier. If you want to do so, double-click on the desired bar, go to the Style tab and use the Color Fill indicator to select a new shade. Here is how I changed the default colors for my chart:
- The Style section also lets you apply a variety of effects such as strokes and shadows. However, it is recommended that you keep them to a minimum to avoid burdening your visual. For instance, I applied only a simple black outline to my task bars using the Stroke feature.
- If you want to have each task’s duration visible on the Gantt chart, select any of the bars, go to the Value Labels section within the Series tab, and then choose Number from the dropdown menu. The duration values will be displayed, and you can change their positioning within the task bars using the feature Location. I chose to place the duration values in the middle of the chart bars.
7. Customize the chart area
Once you've found the look you like for the task bars, you can also make some changes to the chart area using the features within the Chart tab of the Format pane. Before getting started, make sure to select the graphic.
- Add borders and titles: Under Chart Options, tick the boxes for Title and Border.
- Customize fonts: Using the Chart Font options, you can modify the type and size of the text for the entire graphic. In my example, I changed the font from Helvetica Neue to Charter.Note: If you want to customize the chart title or task descriptions independently, double-click on the desired element and make the intended change from the pane on the right.
- Adjust the space between the chart bars: To increase or decrease the space between your tasks, use the up-down controls under the Gaps section. I increased the gap percentage from 40% to 60% as shown in the image below.
- As a last edit to my Gantt chart, I’ve added more vertical gridlines to better highlight the relative distance between tasks. If you want to do the same, click on the Axis tab of the Format pane, go to Minor Gridlines, and select the type of gridline you want to use. I chose a straight black line with the size of 0,25 points.In the end, my final Gantt chart in Keynote looked like this:
Download Gantt chart template for Keynote
How to make a Gantt chart online automatically
Free Gantt Charts For Mac
Keynote allows Mac users to manually build basic Gantt charts, but customizing and updating them for project meetings or client presentations may turn out to be quite time-consuming.
Below I will show you how to quickly make a clean, easy-to-follow Gantt in Office Timeline Online and customize it with a few clicks. Besides automating Gantt chart creation, the online tool lets you update your visual almost instantly and download it as a .pptx or .png file for easy sharing. To begin, access the free tool here.
1. Enter your project data in Office Timeline Online
- From the New section in Office Timeline Online, click on the big '+' icon to build your Gantt chartfrom scratch, or select one of the pre-formatted templates available to get you started faster. In my case, I chose to create my visual from scratch.After choosing the type of Gantt chart you wish to make, Office Timeline will direct you to the Data View, where you can insert and edit your project's data.
- In the Data View section, enter your project’s tasks and their Start and End dates. You can also make a few quick customizations here, such as selecting the shapes and colors for your tasks. You will notice that Office Timeline generates and updates your graphic in real time, showing you a live preview of it on the right side. Once finished, click on the preview image or select the Timeline tab on the ribbon to open the Timeline View, where you can see your graphic in full size and make further changes.
2. Quickly customize and update your Gantt Chart
- Once you've created your Gantt chart, you can customize and update it effortlessly with Office Timeline Online. The Timeline View lets you change any fonts, colors, positions and shapes, or even add extras such as Task Duration, Today's Date, and more. In my example, I used various colors to differentiate the tasks, switched the Percent Complete indicator on, experimented with date formats, and added a few milestones as well to show key events (the latter can be done from the Data tab). You can see the result below:
- With a free Office Timeline account, you can automatically save your Gantt chart in the cloud, so you'll be able to return to it at any time and update it as plans change. You can easily add, edit or remove data in the Data View, or move tasks around and adjust their dates directly from the graphic using drag & drop. Once ready, download your Gantt chart as an editable PowerPoint slide that can be easily shared and included in presentations.