Managing five or ten projects at once usually means five or ten separate plans. Tasks live in different files, deadlines overlap without warning, and the same people get booked twice. Without a clear overview, small scheduling conflicts quietly turn into missed dates and rushed work.
A multiproject Gantt chart solves this by putting all projects on a single timeline. It shows how schedules intersect, where work stacks up, and which resources are overextended, so issues are visible early instead of discovered too late.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to build and use a multiproject Gantt step by step, or you can also download free Gantt chart templates for Excel and Google Sheets.
What is a multiproject Gantt chart?
A multiproject Gantt chart is a timeline view that displays multiple projects simultaneously. Each project, or sometimes each major phase, is shown on its own row, all aligned against a shared calendar. That way, instead of switching between plans, you can see how everything fits together in one place.
A regular Gantt chart, by contrast, focuses on a single project, mapping tasks, durations, and dependencies within that one plan to manage day-to-day execution.
The real value of a multiproject Gantt chart is portfolio-level visibility. You can identify overlapping timelines, shared dependencies, and periods where teams or key roles are overextended. This makes it easier to prioritize work and understand overall progress without getting lost in the details of individual tasks.
When you should use a Gantt chart for multiple projects
If you’re wondering whether a multiproject Gantt chart is worth the effort, it helps to start by considering how much visibility you actually need.
A multiproject Gantt chart is most effective when you need a clear, high-level view without getting bogged down in detail. If you manage a small portfolio of around five to 20 projects, it gives you an at-a-glance roadmap of what’s running when and how work overlaps.
It’s also useful when leadership wants a single slide that shows all active projects and their major milestones. Instead of stitching together updates from different plans, you can point to one timeline that tells the full story.
Another strong use case is resource planning. When the same people or teams are shared across projects, a multiproject Gantt makes it easier to see overlapping assignments early and adjust before conflicts turn into delays.
A couple of ways to use a single Gantt chart for multiple projects
Using one Gantt chart to manage several projects isn’t about squeezing everything into one view for the sake of it. The value lies in exposing structure and risk, allowing you to act accordingly. Here are some practical ways teams actually use a combined timeline.
Get clear visibility on overlaps and dependencies
Rearranging your tasks and deadlines doesn’t have to be complicated. Complete your projects with ease using our Gantt charts.
When several projects are moving at once, the first thing to break is often sequencing. A single Gantt chart lays out tasks across projects on one timeline, showing where work overlaps and where dependencies exist.
Setting dependencies allows related tasks to move together automatically if dates shift, reducing the need for manual adjustments and the likelihood of something being missed.
Avoid overload and bottlenecks with critical path insight
There are times when you’ll need to adjust the project workload for your team. Be sure to avoid bottlenecks with our Gantt charts.
Resource strain usually shows up too late. A combined view supports critical path analysis across projects. You can identify the longest chain of dependent tasks, see which activities have float, and spot when people are overloaded across work streams. That makes it easier to rebalance assignments and build strategic cushions into schedules.
Spot roadblocks early and adjust quickly
When delays arise, getting back on schedule is imperative. Simplify your project management with Wrike’s online Gantt charts.
Delays in one project usually ripple into others. With a unified Gantt chart, you can see at a glance the impact of slipping tasks. Color-coded bars and drag-and-drop adjustments help you re-sequence work without toggling between files or views, keeping teams aligned and timelines realistic.
Use templates to standardize and scale
If your projects follow similar patterns, starting from scratch is a waste of effort. If your teams run similar types of projects repeatedly, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, start by using a Gantt template that saves time and improves consistency. Predefined phases and dependencies mean you’re not rebuilding the same structure each time.
How does a multiproject Gantt chart help?
Picture your week as a calendar. Now imagine five different calendars, all claiming the same hours, and none of them talking to each other. A multiproject Gantt chart puts every project on one timeline, so you have a bird’s-eye view of all ongoing projects.
That way, dependencies between projects become visible. And when one project shifts, you can assess the potential damage before it quietly derails two other deadlines.
It also improves decision making at the right level, so you’re not debating whether task 47 is done; instead, you’re looking at what’s landing when, what’s at risk, and what needs to move to keep delivery realistic.
Resource and capacity planning with a multiproject Gantt chart
Unless your employees have the Time-Turner from Harry Potter, they can’t be in two places at once. Use a multiproject Gantt to map demand before you lock in dates. Start by assigning work to roles or teams (e.g., design, QA, legal, engineering) rather than specific individuals. If the role is overloaded, naming a different person doesn’t solve the underlying constraint.
Then do a quick collision scan across the timeline:
- Look for stacked milestones in the same week across projects. That’s where review cycles, approvals, and last-minute fixes tend to pile up.
- Watch shared specialists (such as the one security reviewer, the one solutions engineer, the one finance approver). These roles create hidden critical paths across the portfolio.
- Check handoff chains. If three projects all depend on the same upstream deliverable, you’ve built a single point of failure.
You should also leave extra capacity on purpose. A fully packed timeline looks efficient right up until the first slip, then everything falls like a house of cards.
Best practices for multiproject Gantt charts
A multiproject Gantt can be a lifesaver or a landfill. The difference is whether it stays organized and decision-ready or slowly turns into an overcrowded chart. Here are some best practices for multiproject Gantt charts:
Design it for decisions, not documentation
The portfolio view should answer a few core questions quickly: What’s running? What’s overlapping? What’s at risk? Stick to phases, milestones, and major dependencies. Detailed task management belongs inside individual project plans.
Be explicit about priorities
Conflicts are inevitable. The best Gantt chart makes priorities visible so teams know which work moves first when timelines collide. If everything is marked high priority, then nothing is a priority.
Use milestones as control points, not decoration
Milestones should represent real decision or delivery moments, not arbitrary dates. They’re where reviews happen, dependencies unlock, or commitments get confirmed. Fewer, clearer milestones are more useful than dozens no one reacts to.
Treat cross-project dependencies as owned work
Dependencies between projects are a common failure point because they sit in the gaps between teams. Make ownership clear. If one project is blocking another, that dependency should be visible, named, and actively tracked.
Plan with ranges, not false precision
Exact dates can create a sense of certainty that doesn’t exist. Build in buffers where uncertainty is high and avoid scheduling everything at maximum capacity.
Update it often enough to keep trust
A lightweight weekly review is usually enough. If the chart only gets updated before leadership meetings, people stop believing it and start running parallel plans elsewhere.
Final thoughts
If you’re managing multiple projects, you’re constantly making trade-offs. The problem is that most trade-offs get made late, after the calendar is already crowded.
A multiproject Gantt chart changes that by giving you a visual timeline that shows where conflicts appear. When you can see those pressure points early, you can move work with intent instead of scrambling to catch up.
Use a spreadsheet template if your portfolio is small and your timelines are fairly stable. However, if schedules shift often, dependencies are cross-team, or workloads need to stay balanced week to week, the manual upkeep can become the bottleneck. In that case, Gantt chart software that updates timelines and workloads automatically is what keeps the plan usable.
FAQs
Can I manage multiple projects in one Gantt chart using Excel only?
Yes, for a small number of stable projects. Excel works if timelines don’t change often, but manual updates and dependencies become fragile as soon as plans start shifting.
How many projects are too many for a multiproject Gantt in a spreadsheet?
Once you get past roughly 10–20 projects, spreadsheets become hard to maintain. The chart may still open, but keeping dates, dependencies, and resources accurate often turns into a full-time job.
What’s the difference between a portfolio Gantt and an individual project Gantt chart?
An individual project Gantt shows task-level execution within one project. A portfolio Gantt focuses on phases, milestones, and dependencies across projects to support coordination and prioritization.
How do I show dependencies between projects on a Gantt chart?
Link milestones or key tasks across projects rather than every activity. Cross-project dependencies should highlight handoffs and blockers, not recreate full task networks.
How can I see each person’s workload across multiple projects?
In a spreadsheet, this usually means adding a separate Workload view or summary by role or person. In dedicated software such as Wrike, workload is calculated automatically as assignments change.
Do I need paid project management software for multiproject Gantt charts?
Not always. Spreadsheets are fine for simple, low-change scenarios, but once you need automatic scheduling, real-time updates, or capacity tracking, robust software solutions quickly pay for themselves.
