Kanban Gantt Chart – Mixing the Impossible?
When talking about Gantt charts and Kanban boards, most people think you have to choose one or the other.
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Those practicing traditional project management approaches plan using the Gantt chart, and those who are more into Agile visualize their tasks on Kanban boards. However, you do not necessarily have to choose between the two tools – you can use both.
Let’s discuss both and see how the two popular approaches can be combined to create a Kanban-Gantt chart.
Traditional project planning – the Gantt chart
The Gantt chart comes from the traditional project management family. It was first introduced in the 1910s and has since been one of the most popular project management tools.
The most simple-looking Gantt charts feature a list of project phases on the left and a graph bar showing the duration of each phase on the right. This allows the project manager to plan the project phases (or sometimes tasks) in a timeline view. Giving an easy way to understand project duration and reestimate if any of the phases are delayed.
Nowadays, most Gantt chart tools also include task dependencies, completion percentages, assignments, and various other important project information. Thus expanding the information provided in the Gantt chart makes this tool even more powerful.
Limitations of Traditional Methods Like Gantt
Traditional frameworks often assume certainty. Gantt charts, while useful for planning, can feel rigid and maintenance-heavy when change hits—especially in fast-moving or complex environments.
Project planning with a Kanban board
On the other hand, the Kanban board is a lot newer to the project management world. This tool gained popularity in the last decade, mostly through the Kanban framework. Due to their flexibility and visualization capability, Kanban boards (sometimes referred to as “Kanban charts“) have become the new way to visualize your process. Let’s look at their composition to compare the Gantt chart vs Kanban further.
The most simple Kanban boards are composed of 3 sections:
- Backlog – for planned work
- Work in progress – for the tasks the team is currently working on.
- Output – for all finished tasks.
Depending on the team’s exact process, these sections can be expanded with additional steps (or columns), subprocesses (subcolumns), and swimlanes. Thus creating the perfect board for any team. (See more Kanban board examples)
The main benefit of using Kanban boards is the ability to understand the team’s process and quickly react to any changes. Which seems to be lacking in traditional project management approaches.
Learn about the best practices for defining Kanban boards.
Agile’s Weak Spots
Agile works well in small, tight-knit teams. However, it’s tough to scale. When you’ve got teams spread across different locations, massive programs, or you’re outside of software development, things can get complicated. It’s hard to keep everyone coordinated, governed, and on the same page as things grow.
Kanban swimlanes as project phases
As mentioned above, modern Kanban boards are equipped with various additional features. The one that brings these boards closest to the Gantt chart is Kanban Swimlanes. Essentially, these are simple rows on a Kanban board vs. a Gantt chart, which can be used in a variety of ways—separating teams, projects, departments, etc.
For those used to agile Gantt charts, however, Swimlanes are a great way to introduce project phases or classification of tasks into the board. Just like with Gantt, they allow dividing the project into clear stages and planning accordingly. Moreover, such an addition offers continuity with tools that will enable you to use both views simultaneously.
Check out these Kanban board examples to see how different teams use this tool. Alternatively, here is an interactive example to help you get a feel of Teamhood!
Kanban vs Gantt Chart – differences and strengths
So, as you can see, the Kanban vs. Gantt chart discussion seems to involve two different approaches to project management. One helps the team see its day-to-day progress, and the other allows you to plan ahead and manage according to deadlines.
To make sure the differences between the two are even clearer, let’s compare the two tools side by side.
| Gantt chart | Kanban board | |
| PM Method | Waterfall or Traditional | Agile |
| Visualization | Based on a timeline | Based on team process steps |
| Work is limited by | Time | Number of tasks/effort amount |
| Focus | Meeting project deadlines | Monitoring individual task progress |
| Best for | Long-term planning, an overview of multiple projects | Daily process monitoring, team task management |
Why combine Kanban and Gantt charts?
Because real-world projects need both adaptability and planning. Kanban keeps teams focused on flow and daily execution, while Gantt charts help stakeholders see dependencies, timelines, and long-term risks.
To get the best of both worlds, use Kanban to oversee your day-to-day tasks and a high-level Gantt view for big-picture planning. It’s totally fine if tasks show up in both places – Kanban’s for getting things done, while Gantt’s for planning. Having two date fields lets teams see how things are actually going versus what they’d originally hoped for.
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Task dependencies Kanban vs Gantt chart
One last argument for the sake of differences between the two tools could be made in the case of task dependency management.
With the Gantt chart, dependencies are visualized with arrows between the dependent tasks. This quickly shows which tasks depend on each other and what has to be finished first.
With the Kanban board, on the other hand, there is no visualization of dependencies on the task board itself. The number of tasks in progress is limited with a WIP (work in progress) limit. However, this does not show the dependencies between tasks.
To solve this issue, project management tools add icons to the Kanban cards to visualize if a task is waiting on something to be finished or blocking a task. This is a way to quickly relay dependency information while more details are found in the task details.
Kanban Gantt chart
By now, you may wonder, what is a Kanban Gantt chart if these are two separate tools? A Kanban Gantt chart is not just one view, but rather a project management tool that combines both of these views and allows you to use them simultaneously.
With the current capabilities of project management solutions, you no longer have to choose to use one or the other. Instead, you can freely switch between these views depending on your needs. Thus creating your own Kanban Gantt chart. The best part is that you get two different viewpoints on the same data and can make decisions more easily.
This is how the views switch, creating the Kanban Gantt chart approach in Teamhood.
Wondering when to choose the Gantt chart vs Kanban board?
Use the Gantt view for – project planning, managing multiple projects or teams, and creating long-term goals.
Use Kanban view for – Daily process monitoring, team task planning, and responding to any changes in the market.
When to use each view
Kanban and Gantt aren’t rivals — they answer different questions about the same work:
- Planning a phase? Use the Gantt. Sequence tasks, set dependencies and a critical path, and commit to dates. See Gantt chart dependencies for how this drives the schedule.
- Running the day-to-day? Use the Kanban board. Move cards across stages, cap work in progress, and keep flow visible on a Kanban board.
- Coordinating many projects? Roll up to a portfolio. A portfolio Kanban plus a portfolio Gantt shows every initiative at once.
The key is that it’s the same tasks in two views — edit a card on the board and its bar shifts on the Gantt, and vice versa, so nothing falls out of sync.
Frequently asked questions
Can one tool do both Kanban and Gantt?
Yes — modern tools like Teamhood show the same work as a Kanban board and a Gantt chart, so teams get flow and timeline without maintaining two systems.
Do the Kanban board and Gantt chart share the same tasks?
They should. In a combined tool the card and the Gantt bar are the same item — move one and the other updates, which is the whole point of merging the views.
Which view is better for dependencies?
The Gantt. Dependencies, critical path and baselines live naturally on a timeline; the Kanban board is better for stage-by-stage flow and WIP limits.
Which view is better for daily work?
The Kanban board — it shows what’s in progress right now and where work is piling up, so the team can act on it day to day.
Teamhood merges Kanban and Gantt chart views
Teamhood allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds – waterfall and Agile. Thus, your data is simultaneously available in List, Kanban, and Gantt views. Each team member can freely choose which of these views to use at any point. There is no choice needed to be made between Gantt vs Kanban.
Moreover, each view contains extensive task details, allowing you to monitor any required information. Task dependencies, duration, assignments, progress, and even custom fields can be added to provide you with everything in one place. All of the additional information is stored in the task details.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Kanban chart?
Kanban chart more commonly known as a Kanban board is a visual tool that helps manage tasks and track their progress. It’s made up of columns that represent different stages of work and cards that represent individual tasks. These cards move across the columns as the work is done. Kanban boards help teams see what’s going on, spot areas where things are slowing down, and distribute work evenly.
What tools facilitate the use of both Kanban and Gantt?
Teamhood is a project management tool that seamlessly combines Kanban boards for task visualization and Gantt charts for timeline and dependency tracking.
What are the best practices for using Kanban alongside Gantt charts?
Combine Kanban and Gantt charts for better project management. First, use Gantt charts to outline major timelines and dependencies. Then, break these down into tasks on a Kanban board. Use Gantt charts to track milestones and deadlines. Kanban boards help the team focus on daily progress. Regularly sync updates between both tools to stay aligned. Adjust tasks as needed but keep project goals in mind.
Is Kanban at odds with deadlines?
Deadlines are all about delivering on time, whereas Kanban focuses on smooth workflow. In practice, this means deadlines can sometimes throw off your work-in-progress limits and slow down your team. Fortunately, approaches like Cost of Delay and WSJF can help you juggle urgent tasks with your team’s capacity.
What is Hybrid Project Management?
Hybrid project management blends agile flexibility with traditional structure. It’s about using what works-scrum for iteration, Gantt for foresight-without being dogmatic about either.