A PERT chart and a Gantt chart are two of the most important tools in project management. Check out what they both are, how they differ, and when it might be best to use one over the other.

1. A First Glance Comparison
PERT Chart
v/s
Gantt Chart:

2. PERT Chart v/s Gantt Chart: A First
Glance Comparison
If you’ve ever watched a TV show or movie about the workplace, chances are that
you’ve seen some sort of project management chart.
Yeah, the kind of charts where people create a bunch of tasks and then put them
into color-coded boxes on their computer, and then wait for the line to be green so
they can yell “Yay!” or something like that.
I don’t know exactly what all these charts are called but we’ll just call them “project
management charts,” although if you want to get really specific you might say
they’re called PERT charts or something like that. Except when they’re called
Gantt charts but more on that later.
Well, what are they good for? What makes one better than the other? When is it best
to use one vs. the other? The answers may surprise you.
A PERT Chart is a graphical representation of the project schedule and shows the
relationship between the various tasks and their durations. It is used to estimate the
time required to perform a project or a task.
In this method, each task related to the project is assigned a critical path. The critical
path represents all those activities that must be completed before other activities can
begin (or continue) as depicted by arrows in a diagram. The sum of all activity times
must equal the “total project duration” (time taken for completion).
PERT Charts are used primarily when dealing with uncertainty or risk mitigation
because they allow you to plan ahead even if things change during execution!
Additionally, they can help you keep track of performance so that you know if your
team has been successful at meeting deadlines throughout the execution time
period(s).
Know what a PERT Chart is?

3. Know what a Gantt Chart is?
PERT Chart v/s Gantt Chart – The Difference
A timeline that shows how long each task will take and when it will start/end.
A table with rows for each resource name and column headers that include
information about each task such as its duration and start date/time/etc
Gantt charts are used to show the project schedule and the project tasks. This type
of chart is mostly used for small projects that contain a minimum number of tasks,
resources, and durations. It is also used when you want to keep track of your daily
goals or deadlines until the end of time (or at least a few months).
Gantt charts can be created using Microsoft Project software or any other
spreadsheet program such as Excel. The GANTT chart consists of two main sections
namely:
1. Gantt Chart is based on Project Management Theory.
Gantt Charts are based on Project Management Theory. Developed in 1910 by Henry
Gantt, a Gantt chart displays each task required by a given project linearly.
Using this timeline view, you can easily determine the expected duration of each task
(as well as the overall project). In addition to visualizing the order of specific tasks,
Gantt charts also allow you to identify the individuals and teams responsible for each
one.
Gantt Chart is used to display the project schedule, plan or schedule tasks and
manage project resources. It is helpful in identifying the critical path of a project.
2. PERT Charts use the critical path method.
The US Navy first proposed a PERT chart in 1957, but it wasn’t widely used until
about 30 years later when there was a surge of interest in project management
practices.
The PERT Chart uses the critical path method to determine the longest path through
a project. The critical path method is used to determine the earliest completion date,
latest completion date, and earliest start date.

4. Select activities required for your project
Determine their sequence or order of completion
Estimate each activity’s duration (how long will it take you to complete it?)
Add an optimistic estimate (best-case scenario), most likely estimate (a most
likely scenario), and pessimistic estimate (worst-case scenario). These three
estimates are known as: E(xpected), M(edian), U(nder-run).
PERT Charts are used to plan a project. They are more suitable for projects with
multiple tasks, milestones, or deliverables. The PERT Chart should be created
using the following steps:
If you add up all the expected durations and divide that sum by 6 then your
calculations will always fall within 80% – 120%. If your calculation falls outside
this range then something could be wrong with your estimates!
3. PERT Charts can be used to plan tasks.
In a Gantt chart, the tasks are listed in chronological order along with their
durations and dates. The horizontal line is known as the “bar” while vertical
lines represent each task or subtask. The only thing that can be seen in a
Gantt chart is how your project will be scheduled throughout its duration, but
there is no information about how well it’s being executed on a day-to-day
basis.
The critical path method is a network analysis technique used in project
management to identify the minimum time required to complete an entire project.
This technique seeks out activities that are directly related to each other and
calculates their duration (start-to-finish) based on dependencies between them. If an
activity does not have any dependency then it is called independent activity or non-
critical activity because they don’t add up to any delay in finishing off other tasks of
projects at hand. However, if there exists some dependency then those tasks will be
considered as “critical” activities or simply “critical paths”.
4. Gantt Charts show the project schedule.

5. PERT Chart Gantt Chart
Project Scope
It is recommended to
use PERT charts during
the planning phase of a
project, as they allow
users to map
Gantt charts are more helpful
once a project is underway, as
they can be adjusted if the
scope changes.
Timeline
It is based on a
particular formula that
PERT charts calculate
By using a Gantt chart,
activities are planned and
scheduled, allowing
notifications when a timeline
has been missed.
Flexibility
PERT charts are
challenging to change
mid-project, making
them a less flexible
option.
Projects and plans can be
changed more easily with
Gantt charts.
Task
Assignment
Using a PERT chart
allows team members
to quickly see which
tasks are dependent on
each other and who is
responsible for what.
Gantt charts tend to be very
large and complex, often
requiring team members to
scroll through many pages in
order to see the big picture.
Know which chart to use, and when!
Gantt Charts and PERT Charts are two of the most widely used project
management tools. Both are great for planning your project, but there are
some key differences: Gantt charts use a theoretical approach and show only
the schedule, while PERT charts use the critical path method to calculate how
long each task will take.

6. To know which chart to use and when it is important to understand
the difference between these two types of project management
charts.
Gantt charts are great for project planning. They help you to stay on track and plan
better by giving you an idea of what needs to be done, who will do it, when they
need to be done, and how much it will cost.
Gantt charts are great for project presentations. It helps in presenting the status of
a project by providing a visual representation of the schedule in the form of bars or
rectangles with time codes on them so that everyone knows exactly where he/she
stands in terms of completion with respect to others working on similar tasks; this
makes it easier for teams to work together as one unit rather than as individuals
who may not understand each other’s roles perfectly well even though they might
be working on similar tasks themselves.
Gantt charts are great for project management because managers can use the
Gantt chart tool effectively when communicating their goals and expectations
about projects being completed within certain time frames; by using Gantts,
managers can ensure that employees get clear direction regarding objectives
without having any miscommunication issues arise later down the line during
implementation stages (such as workload distribution). This helps us all know
exactly what needs doing now while also helping us identify potential risks early
enough so they don’t become big problems later down the road.”
Why use the Gantt chart view in ProofHub?
How to create a Gantt Chart in ProofHub
Creating a Gantt Chart in ProofHub is easy.
Go to your project dashboard and click on the ‘Gantt Chart’ button (you’ll see
this at the top of your page).
Select the project type: Milestone or Task.
Select a duration for your project—that’s how long it should take to complete, in
days or hours.
Give your project a name and select its start date, end date, start time, and end
time.

7. Easily plan and manage projects to stay on top of your deadlines
and projects using Gantt Charts in Proofhub. Get started for free!
Conclusion
Ultimately, both a PERT and Gantt chart is only as useful as the skill of the person
using them. If you’re still not sure which type of chart to use, or you’ve settled on
one but aren’t sure how it works, make sure you talk with someone who has
experience with the tool. They can teach you the ins and outs of the process,
allowing you to put them to work better in your own projects going forward.