Both modules draw coloured bars on a horizontal timeline, which is why they look interchangeable in a screenshot. They are not. A Gantt chart is organised around tasks and their dependencies; a resource timeline is organised around resources and their availability. The right choice follows from which of those two your work is actually constrained by.
The question that decides it
Ask what makes your plan slip.
If the answer is "task B could not start because task A ran late", you have a dependency problem and you want a Gantt chart.
If the answer is "we double-booked the van" or "nobody was free on Thursday", you have an availability problem and you want a resource timeline.
Gantt Chart for Projects — dependency-driven
Gantt Chart for Projects plots your project tasks on an interactive timeline built with OWL components. You drag a task to reschedule it, drag its edge to change its duration, and draw dependency lines between tasks.
What makes it a Gantt rather than a pretty calendar is what happens next: dependent dates are recalculated automatically when something moves, circular dependencies are rejected, and the module reports on the critical path, resource workload and planned versus actual progress. Export goes to PNG or PDF.
It is available for Odoo 16.0, 17.0, 18.0 and 19.0 — useful when production is not on the newest series.
Resource Planning Timeline — availability-driven
Resource Planning Timeline plans slots against resources. Its resources are typed, so employees, vehicles, rooms and machines all appear in the same view — it depends on fleet precisely so vehicles are first-class.
You create, move and resize slots by dragging, create quickly through a compact popover without leaving the view, and read occupancy analytics to see who is over-allocated. Availability rules on calendars keep planning inside real working time. Slots link to projects and tasks, so the plan stays connected to the work.
Access is split into two roles: Planning User manages their own slots, Planning Manager gets full configuration. It is maintained from Odoo 13.0 through 19.0.
Side by side
| Gantt Chart | Resource Timeline | |
|---|---|---|
| Organised around | Tasks | Resources |
| Core question | What blocks what? | Who or what is free? |
| Dependencies | Yes, with auto-recalculation | Not the focus |
| Critical path | Yes | No |
| Plans equipment and vehicles | Via resources | Yes, typed resources |
| Occupancy analytics | Workload report | Yes, central feature |
| Export to PNG or PDF | Yes | Reporting views |
| Odoo series | 16.0 – 19.0 | 13.0 – 19.0 |
Typical fits
- Construction, engineering, software delivery — sequenced work with real dependencies. Gantt.
- Field service, maintenance, rentals, training centres — the constraint is who and what is available. Timeline.
- Agencies running client projects with a shared pool of people — often both, with the Gantt owning the project plan and the timeline owning staffing.
Can you run both?
Yes. They are independent modules with their own data models, so nothing conflicts. It is a reasonable setup for organisations where project managers plan sequences and a resource coordinator plans people — but start with one. Two planning views maintained by nobody is worse than one used properly.
Next steps
Read the full documentation for Gantt Chart for Projects or Resource Planning Timeline, or ask us which fits your workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Which one shows the critical path?
The Gantt chart. Critical path analysis is one of its reports, alongside resource workload and planned versus actual progress.
Can I plan vehicles and meeting rooms?
That is the Resource Planning Timeline's speciality. Its resources are typed and it depends on the fleet module, so vehicles, rooms and machines are planned alongside people.
Do either of them need Odoo Enterprise?
No. Both build on Community modules — project, hr, resource and, for the timeline, fleet.
Can I install both?
Yes. They are independent modules with separate data models. Start with one and add the second only if a real gap remains.
Which supports the oldest Odoo versions?
The Resource Planning Timeline, which is maintained from Odoo 13.0 to 19.0. The Gantt chart covers 16.0 to 19.0.