Gantt Chart vs Kanban: When to Use Which

"Should I use a Gantt chart or a Kanban board?" is one of the most common questions in project management. The real answer: it depends on what you're trying to see — and often you need both.

Gantt charts: timeline and dependencies

A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that maps tasks against time. Each bar represents a task's duration, and arrows between bars show dependencies — which tasks must finish before others can start.

Use a Gantt chart when you need to:

• Plan a project with a fixed deadline or delivery date
• Identify the critical path — the longest chain of dependent tasks
• Communicate timelines to stakeholders or clients
• Coordinate work across multiple teams with handoff points
• Track schedule variance against a baseline plan

Kanban boards: flow and status

A Kanban board organizes tasks into columns by status (To Do, In Progress, Done). Cards move left to right as work progresses. There is no timeline — the focus is on current state and throughput.

Use a Kanban board when you need to:

• Manage ongoing work without fixed deadlines
• Spot bottlenecks where tasks pile up in one column
• Run daily standups or sprint reviews
• Give team members a quick view of what's in progress
• Prioritize a backlog by dragging cards into order

When you need both

Most real projects benefit from both views. The Gantt chart answers "Are we on schedule?" while the Kanban board answers "What should I work on today?"

Consider a software development project:

• The project manager uses the Gantt chart to track milestones, report to stakeholders, and identify schedule risks.
• The development team uses the Kanban board to manage their daily workflow, move tasks through code review, and spot blocked items.

In LoopGantt, both views share the same data. Change a task's status on the Kanban board and it updates the Gantt chart automatically — no double entry.

A quick comparison

Try both views in LoopGantt

Switch between Gantt, Kanban, and WBS views with a single click — your tasks stay in sync across all views. Get started for free and see which view fits your workflow.