Picking the right Gantt chart tool in Jira can greatly improve project planning and tracking. Gantt charts provide clear timelines, show task dependencies, and track progress visually. While Jira is powerful for managing issues, it doesn’t have built-in Gantt charting. That’s why many teams use apps like GanttTable and BigGantt to add this essential function.
Both offer robust features but differ in their approach, ease of use, and pricing.
About the Gantt Chart in Jira
Gantt charts help teams see project plans clearly. They show when tasks start and finish, how they depend on each other, and where milestones lie. This visual timeline makes it easier to plan work, manage deadlines, and track progress.
Jira is great for managing tasks and workflows, but it doesn’t come with built-in Gantt charts. To get timelines and dependency views, teams rely on apps from the Atlassian Marketplace. Two popular options are GanttTable and BigGantt, both designed to help teams plan, track, and manage projects more efficiently.
Using Gantt charts with Jira helps teams:
- Understand the whole project at a glance
- Spot potential delays or bottlenecks early
- Coordinate resources effectively
- Keep everyone, including stakeholders, aligned on progress
For Agile and portfolio management, Gantt charts add much-needed clarity. They simplify complex schedules, making it easier to deliver projects on time.
GanttTable: Product Overview
GanttTable offers a unique blend of spreadsheet-style task management fused with seamless Gantt chart visualization—all native inside Jira Cloud. For teams familiar with spreadsheets, GanttTable feels intuitive and efficient right from the start.
Key Features:
- Iterations: Break down large Gantt charts into manageable chunks by sprint or release, simplifying long-term planning.
- Exports: Export data into CSV or XLSX files to share reports and timelines externally.
- Jira Native: The interface feels like a natural extension of Jira, providing smooth navigation without switching apps.
- Color-Coded Tasks: Visual cues with color highlights help users quickly spot key issues or statuses.
- Spreadsheet Flexibility: Manage tasks using filters, formulas, and bulk edits within a familiar table format.
Why Teams Like GanttTable:
Its spreadsheet-like interface improves task handling and data manipulation without sacrificing the power of Gantt visuals. Built on Atlassian’s Forge platform, it’s secure, fast, and integrated directly with Jira Cloud, so there is little friction or latency.
→ Learn more: Atlassian Forge and User-Based Billing
BigGantt: Product Overview
BigGantt by AppFire is a flexible and powerful Gantt chart tool that can operate independently or as part of the BigPicture portfolio suite. It emphasizes deep timeline visualization with strong planning features fit for complex projects.
Key Features:
- Task Organization: Arrange tasks by type and within a hierarchical tree view to visualize complex work breakdowns.
- Iterations/Timeboxes: Similar to GanttTable, BigGantt supports dividing charts into releases or sprints for focused planning.
- Drag-and-Drop Scheduling: Adjust tasks dynamically to reflect real-time planning changes.
- Simple Resource Management: Allocate team members and visualize workloads easily.
- Exporting: Export options exist but require purchasing an additional app called BigTemplate, adding to the overall cost.
Why Teams Choose BigGantt:
BigGantt is well-suited for organizations needing detailed roadmap visualization alongside basic resource management. It fits teams invested in the BigPicture ecosystem or those requiring granular control over complex portfolios.
GanttTable vs. BigGantt: Features Comparison
| Feature | GanttTable | BigGantt |
| Jira Integration | Native Jira Cloud, built on Atlassian Forge | Native Jira Cloud, part of BigPicture suite |
| Interface | Spreadsheet-style + Gantt chart | Focused Gantt with hierarchical tree |
| Task Dependencies | Yes, drag-and-drop, color-coded tasks | Yes, soft links and Basic Tasks |
| Milestones | Yes | Yes |
| Critical Path | Yes | Yes |
| Resource Management | Basic portfolio overview | Simple resource management |
| Export Options | CSV, XLSX | Requires BigTemplate (extra cost) |
| Usability & Navigation | Jira-native, smooth spreadsheet interface | Feature-rich Gantt, steeper learning curve |
| Pricing & Licensing | User-based pricing; pay only for active users | Traditional pricing; extra cost for export |
Detailed Comparison
Integration and Usability
GanttTable is built natively on Atlassian’s Forge platform, which means it runs seamlessly inside Jira Cloud. Its spreadsheet-like interface is familiar to many users, making task editing and management intuitive and fast. The ability to color-code tasks and use formulas directly in the table helps teams work more efficiently without juggling multiple apps.
BigGantt, by contrast, offers a feature-rich Gantt environment with powerful timeline views and roadmap capabilities. It supports organizing tasks by type and showing complexity through a hierarchical tree view. However, this richness can make the interface more complex and require a longer learning curve. While it works independently of BigPicture, its integration within the BigPicture suite can be beneficial for portfolio management.
Gantt Features
Both apps support essential Gantt functions:
- Drag-and-drop task dependencies and scheduling
- Milestones and critical path visualization
- Splitting large projects into manageable iterations or timeboxes
GanttTable focuses on combining project tracking with spreadsheet features, allowing speedy bulk editing and formula use, great for teams who manage lots of issues or data.
BigGantt’s standout feature is the “Basic Task” — temporary, native tasks that don’t sync with Jira but let teams plan flexibly. These can later be converted to full Jira issues as plans solidify. This planning sandbox suits teams exploring different scenarios before committing.
Resource Management
BigGantt includes simple resource management tools that let teams allocate workloads across people and projects.
GanttTable provides basic portfolio views but currently offers fewer resource planning capabilities, making BigGantt a better option if resource management in a Gantt context is a priority.
Exporting
GanttTable includes exporting to CSV and XLSX formats built into the app. This allows easy sharing of project plans and timelines for reporting or offline analysis.
BigGantt’s export functionality requires an extra app, BigTemplate, which significantly increases costs. Teams must factor this additional cost into their budgeting.
Pricing and Licensing
Pricing is often a critical deciding factor:
GanttTable will transition to a paid app model starting Q4 2025. What makes it different is Atlassian’s new user-based pricing model:
- You only pay for users who actively use the app, not for all Jira users.
- For example, in an organization with 200 Jira users, if only 10 use GanttTable, you buy licenses for those 10.
- At an estimated $4 per user/month, that means a monthly cost of 10 users x $4 = $40.
- Compare that to other apps that typically require licensing for all 200 Jira users, which could be hundreds or thousands of dollars per month, depending on their pricing.
BigGantt follows a traditional pricing model that charges based on total Jira users, not active app users. Pricing can quickly rise; for example:
- A 200-user license can cost around $292 monthly.
- Additional costs apply if you want to export charts, as BigGantt requires the BigTemplate app for exporting functionality, adding to the overall expense.
This fair, usage-based pricing model makes GanttTable a flexible and budget-friendly choice for teams who want to pay only for what they use, while BigGantt suits teams ready to invest more for broader roadmap and portfolio management capabilities.
Which Is Better?
⭐️ Our Choice: GanttTable
We recommend GanttTable for most Jira teams seeking an intuitive, flexible, and cost-efficient Gantt chart solution. Its spreadsheet-like interface feels natural, reducing onboarding time. Being a native Jira Cloud app ensures smooth use without external dependencies.
Its user-based pricing model stands out—teams pay only for actual users, making it reachable for small to large teams without bloated costs.
Whether managing simple projects or coordinating multiple releases, GanttTable offers the right balance of familiar controls and powerful visualization.
→ Try GanttTable – Spreadsheets Hierarchy Structure Table, Gantt chart for Jira
Choose BigGantt If:
- Temporary, “sandbox” task creation via Basic Tasks suits your workflow.
- You are invested in the BigPicture ecosystem or need complex portfolio management tools.
- You prefer in-depth Gantt chart features and are willing to invest more for export and resource capabilities.
Summary
Both GanttTable and BigGantt bring strong Gantt chart tools to Jira, aimed at different types of teams.
GanttTable is ideal if you want a flexible, easy-to-use tool that combines spreadsheet-style task management with seamless Jira integration. Its user-based pricing means you only pay for active users, making it affordable and scalable.
BigGantt suits teams needing advanced timeline and roadmap features, including “Basic Tasks” for flexible planning, especially if you use the BigPicture portfolio tools. It requires a bigger investment but offers broader portfolio management.
Ultimately, choose based on your team size, budget, and project complexity. Either way, adding Gantt charts to Jira will boost your project clarity and delivery.
→ Read more: GanttTable vs. Gantt Charts for Structure PPM
