Quick Gantt Chart tutorials
Learn the basics, then explore dependencies, resources, baselines and project costs. Follow the written baseline guide for a worked example.
App overview
Tasks, milestones and dependencies
Dependency types
Managing resources
Compare your schedule with a baseline
A project schedule changes as work progresses. A baseline keeps the planned start and finish dates available for comparison, so you can see how the current schedule differs from the plan you saved.
Save and display the planned dates
- Open your project in the Gantt view and check the start and finish dates of the tasks you want to compare.
- Select the plus button beside Baseline. Enter a name you will recognize later, such as “Approved plan – 5 Oct”, and confirm it.
- Open the Baseline selector, choose your named baseline and select OK. Creating a baseline and selecting it for display are separate steps.
The baseline captures tasks that have both a start date and a finish date when you create it. If a task has no comparison bar, check whether both dates were present at that point.
Try a small schedule change
Use a separate example project with two tasks and no dependencies. Start with these dates, then create and select a baseline:
| Task | Planned start | Planned finish |
|---|---|---|
| Draft copy | 5 October | 6 October |
| Review | 7 October | 8 October |
- Select Review and open Task Settings.
- In the Dates section, open the Finish calendar and choose 9 October 2026. Keep the time unchanged and confirm the calendar, then the task settings. Leave the dates in the Baseline section unchanged.
- Compare the bars, or reopen Task Settings. The current finish is now 9 October; the baseline finish remains 8 October.
Download the baseline example (ZIP, 2 KB). It includes the completed .gnt project, the original CSV and instructions. Open the .gnt file in Quick Gantt Chart to explore the comparison, or import the CSV into a new project to try the steps yourself.
In a real project, dependencies and working-time settings can also affect task dates. Check the resulting schedule after editing it.
Keep comparisons meaningful
Use Manage Baselines from the selector to rename or remove saved baselines. If a revised plan is agreed, create another baseline with a distinct name so you can choose the comparison you need.
Selecting No Baseline hides the comparison. It does not move your current tasks back to their previous dates. A baseline stores planned task dates; keep normal copies of the complete project as well.
For more answers, see the Quick Gantt Chart FAQ. The video below also demonstrates working with baselines.