Relative Gantt Charts: Flexible Scheduling with Day-Based Planning

What Are Relative Gantt Charts?

A Relative Gantt Chart is a type of project schedule that shows each task's position and duration relative to the project's start, rather than fixed calendar dates.

Instead of scheduling tasks for July 1st or August 15th, you might assign them to Day 1, Day 5, or Day 12—ideal for reusable project templates, onboarding plans, or event sequences that repeat frequently.

relative Gantt chart created by Chart-Tank in PowerPoint

When to Use Relative Gantt Charts

Recurring Projects
Create reusable project templates that aren’t tied to a specific start date.
Agile & Sprint Planning
Plan stories and tasks based on sprint days (e.g., Day 1 to Day 14).
Workshops & Training Programs
Schedule content or sessions based on relative days for repeatable learning paths.
Onboarding Pipelines
Build sequences like Day 1: Orientation, Day 3: Tools Setup, Day 5: First Assignment.

Key Features of Relative Gantt Charts in Chart-Tank

Drag-and-Drop Editing
Move timeline elements freely to adjust their start day or duration.
Day-Based Input
Quickly change a bar’s range using intuitive day numbers (e.g., Start: Day 5, Duration: 4 Days).
Auto-Managed Dependencies
Dependencies are preserved just like in calendar-based Gantt charts. When a parent task moves, all dependent tasks shift automatically.
Consistency Across Modes
Whether you use Absolute or Relative Gantt, the experience is seamless—same features, same toolbar, same flexibility.
Switch Views Easily
You can toggle between Absolute and Relative modes depending on your project requirements.

Powerful Timeline Customization

Chart-Tank lets you style your Relative Gantt chart using the same features as our Absolute charts:

Bar background and label styling
Dashed bars for tentative tasks
Milestones, brackets, lines, date shadings, etc.
Adjustable row heights and timelines

Start Using Relative Gantt Charts Today