Simple Gantt vs BigGantt
BigGantt is one of the more established Gantt chart apps on the Atlassian Marketplace, but a 2.8 out of 4 rating suggests many teams find it frustrating. If you're evaluating a BigGantt alternative — whether because of performance issues, a steep learning curve, or cost — here's how Simple Gantt compares on the things that actually matter.
TL;DR
- ✓ Price: Simple Gantt is free to get started. BigGantt starts at $1.52/user/month.
- ✓ Security: Simple Gantt is Forge-native (runs on Atlassian infrastructure). BigGantt is Connect-based (external data processing).
- ✓ Unique features: Simple Gantt includes a project health dashboard, change history/audit trail, and 15+ quality validation rules — none of which BigGantt offers.
- ✓ Usability: Simple Gantt is designed for quick onboarding. BigGantt is powerful but has a steep learning curve and complex UI.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Simple Gantt | BigGantt |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to start | From $1.52/user/mo |
| Marketplace rating | New | 2.8 / 4 |
| Platform | Forge (Atlassian-hosted) | Connect (external servers) |
| Dependencies (all 4 types) | Yes | Yes |
| Critical path analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Baselines & variance tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Project health dashboard | Yes | No |
| Change history / audit trail | Yes | No |
| Quality validation (15+ rules) | Yes | No |
| Sprint overlay | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Jira field mapping | Yes | Partial |
| Milestones | Yes | Yes |
| Setup time | Minutes | Hours |
| Learning curve | Minimal | Steep |
Performance that doesn't degrade at scale
A recurring complaint in BigGantt reviews is performance degradation. Users report the interface slowing significantly when projects exceed 300-400 tasks — which is exactly when you need a Gantt chart most.
Simple Gantt is built on Forge, Atlassian's modern compute platform. Because the app runs on the same infrastructure as Jira itself, data retrieval doesn't involve round-trips to external servers. The result is a snappier experience, especially for larger projects.
BigGantt, as a Connect app, processes your data on its own servers. Every interaction involves your Jira data leaving Atlassian's cloud, being processed externally, and the results being sent back. That architecture adds latency and raises questions about data handling.
Project health visibility that BigGantt doesn't offer
BigGantt gives you a timeline view. Simple Gantt gives you a timeline view plus a project health dashboard that tells you whether your project is actually on track.
The Overview dashboard surfaces a risk score (0-100) that weighs overdue tasks, unassigned work, blockers, and schedule variance. You see workload distribution, phase status, and recent activity in one place. No other Gantt chart for Jira offers this.
On top of that, 15+ quality validation rules run automatically — catching missing dates, date conflicts, circular dependencies, and orphaned tasks before they become real problems. Click any issue to jump straight to the task that needs attention.
A complete audit trail for every change
When a deadline moves in BigGantt, good luck figuring out who changed it and when. There's no built-in change history.
Simple Gantt tracks every modification: task creation, date changes, dependency updates, phase reassignments. Each entry shows the before and after values, who made the change, and when. Filter by task, user, change type, or date range.
For regulated industries or any team that needs accountability, this is a meaningful difference. No more "who moved that deadline?" questions — the audit trail has the answer.
Your data stays on Atlassian infrastructure
This is a fundamental architectural difference. Simple Gantt is built on Forge — Atlassian's hosted compute platform. Your Jira data is processed and stored entirely within Atlassian's cloud. It never touches an external server.
BigGantt is a Connect app. Connect apps run on the vendor's own infrastructure, which means your project data — task names, dates, assignees, dependencies — is sent to and processed on servers outside Atlassian's environment.
For teams with data residency requirements, security-conscious organizations, or anyone who simply prefers fewer third parties handling their data, Forge-native apps are the more secure choice. Simple Gantt also automatically inherits your Atlassian data residency settings.
Ready to try a better Gantt chart for Jira?
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