Now, let’s break down in detail these three different project calendar tools, along with the pros and cons of each.

1. Create a project calendar in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets

Microsoft Excel can be a default project planning tool because it’s familiar to many people. Formatting calendars in Excel is simplified with its native table view.

Source: Microsoft Excel

Excel has a prebuilt project calendar template, so you can save time creating one from scratch and easily jump into planning. The good news is that, if your team already works with Microsoft programs, they’ll likely have access to Excel and can easily open and edit the project calendar. 

However, as the Project Management Institute (PMI) points out, using spreadsheets to plan and schedule projects often results in a static model that requires ongoing maintenance throughout execution. Without built-in task dependencies, automated updates, or version control, these tools rely heavily on manual input and frequent check-ins to stay accurate.

While adding a finalized calendar or creating a work schedule in Excel is easy, collaborating around a shared project manager calendar is difficult. Task management within Excel is also challenging. 

Pros of using Excel 

  • Most teams are already familiar with Excel
  • You can create custom schedules and calendar templates
  • If your company already uses Microsoft Office, no extra purchases are needed
  • Works well for simple project planning
  • Useful for offline planning

Cons of using Microsoft Excel  

  • Lacks real-time updates 
  • Difficult to assign tasks and monitor project changes
  • More prone to human error 
  • Not ideal for complex projects 

2. Create a project calendar using Google Calendar

An online calendar like Google Calendar is a good solution for teams who want to collaborate on project planning in real time.

Create a project calendar using Google Calendar

Source: Google Calendar

Google Calendar is flexible, allowing you to create multiple calendars and view them simultaneously or one at a time. As a project manager, you can organize your calendars in one of two ways:

  • By assignee: Create a separate calendar for each team member and put their task deadline on this personal calendar. Team managers can look at each team member’s workload (or multiple workloads) to see which deadlines are approaching.
  • By project: Create a separate calendar for each major team project, and enter task due dates and project milestones. Compare project timelines to see if work should be moved around to accommodate high-priority tasks or heavy workloads.

Although Google Calendar can be an efficient method for collaboratively planning projects, it’s mostly used to schedule meetings.

Pros of using Google Calendar 

  • Updates sync instantly across devices
  • Team members can access calendars from anywhere
  • Works well for scheduling meetings  
  • Integrates with other tools  
  • Good for tracking project timelines  

Cons of using Google Calendar  

  • No direct way to track project tasks
  • Limited visibility outside the organization (e.g., guests cannot view calendar details)
  • Difficult to manage complex projects  
  • No built-in reporting  
  • Requires manual updates  

3. Create a project calendar using a project management tool

Project management tools give you the most control, especially when the work involves multiple teams and shifting timelines. These tools handle task management, so you’re planning and actively managing as your project schedule changes. You can create a dedicated project space where you can monitor your team’s workload.   

Project calendar example

Every team manages projects differently. The way you set up your project calendar depends on what you need to track and how you want your work to flow. 

For example, let’s say a marketing team is planning a product launch over six weeks. Their project calendar is set up to coordinate campaign milestones, content deadlines, and cross-team approvals.

  • Week 1: Creative brief finalized and kickoff meeting held
  • Week 2: Ad copy and assets in development
  • Week 3: Landing page design and review
  • Week 4: Paid ads scheduled, social content queued
  • Week 5: Launch campaign
  • Week 6: Post-launch analysis and performance reporting

Each task is assigned to a specific owner, with start dates, due dates, and review steps clearly mapped. The team uses calendar and board views to manage progress, avoid scheduling conflicts, and stay aligned from start to finish.

Common mistakes to avoid when creating a project calendar

Even a good plan can fall apart if the project calendar isn’t set up or managed properly. Here are the most common mistakes that cause confusion and delays:

  • Overcomplicating the structure with too many views or labels
  • Forgetting to account for resource availability or capacity limits
  • Creating a plan and never revisiting it
  • Ignoring dependencies that impact timelines
  • Overlapping major deliverables, causing scheduling conflicts
  • Relying on a single person to manage all updates
  • Leaving out reviews or approval stages in the schedule

Tips to manage and update your project calendar

A good project calendar isn’t something you set once and forget. Like watering a plant, it’s an ongoing part of your project planning process that requires regular attention. Here’s how to keep your project calendar tools on track:

  • Review the calendar weekly to keep it accurate
  • Use color coding to highlight task types, priorities, or owners
  • Adjust timelines as needed and add details when scope changes
  • Communicate schedule changes clearly with the team
  • Confirm task ownership whenever responsibilities shift
  • Block out holidays and non-working days in advance
  • Encourage team members to flag blockers early
  • Use calendar reminders to avoid missed due dates

Project calendar templates

Project calendar templates give you a ready-made structure to start planning faster. Instead of building from scratch, you can customize a template that matches your workflow and fits your project needs. 

Here are some of the project management calendar templates available in Wrike and what you can do with them:

  • Marketing calendar: Plan campaigns, coordinate timelines, and align teams around launch schedules.
  • Content calendar: Manage production deadlines, drafts, reviews, and publish dates for all content pieces.
  • Social media calendar: Schedule posts, assign approvals, and track content across all social platforms.
  • Project schedule: Map out project phases, assign tasks, and track timing from start to finish.
  • Weekly to-do list: Keep track of individual or team tasks on a weekly basis with this simple template.
  • Monthly planner: Oversee task statuses and assess team priorities by month.

Build your project calendar with Wrike for better project delivery

If you’ve made it this far, you already know what it takes to build a project calendar that works. Now, it’s time to choose a calendar tool that can support your project needs without adding extra complexity. Wrike gives you that structure to plan and execute your new projects without switching between multiple tools.

I always tell teams that if their work is scattered across different tools, it’s only a matter of time before they begin to lose track. Hootsuite’s marketing operations team used to deal with this exact issue, switching between emails and spreadsheets just to keep track of projects. But once they started using Wrike, everything changed.

[Wrike calendars] allow us to align all of our tactics, not only throughout the regions but also within HQ, from marketing pushes to product releases, feature releases, and partner integrations. Allowing us to align everything makes our messaging a lot clearer for our customers.

Symon More, Resource Manager

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