The Lucen Timeline Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Lucen Timeline in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Lucen Timeline
The Insider’s Guide
PowerPoint add-in that turns project plans into timeline slides
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among presentation tools, read from Lucen Timeline’s own pages.
Made by Lucen Software · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Lucen Timeline’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Lucen Timeline’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 0 of the 24 other presentation tools we grade
Lucen Timeline, called Office Timeline until a May 2026 rebrand, is a PowerPoint add-in for Windows that builds timelines, Gantt charts and roadmaps as editable PowerPoint slides. Plans can be typed in or imported from Excel, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Jira or Wrike, then refreshed when the source changes. A browser version, Timeline Online, is sold separately for Mac users and people without PowerPoint.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Lucen Timeline, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Nothing to export, nothing to learn outside PowerPoint.
- 1
Best for timeline slides in PowerPoint
It's narrower than a presentation app, so we've graded it as the add-in it is.
- 2
Paid plans start at $9 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $9 per user / month, billed annually.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free add-in: timelines of up to 10 milestones and tasks per slide, limited swimlanes, 1 timescale and the pre-designed themes. The free license is renewed each year.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
Windows and Web.
- 5
Timelines built inside PowerPoint
The add-in sits on the PowerPoint ribbon and creates timelines and Gantt charts as native, editable slides, so there is nothing to export.
- 6
Swimlanes and timescales
Group tasks into swimlanes and nested sub-swimlanes and show up to 3 timescales on one chart. Lite allows 2 swimlanes; Plus and Expert are unlimited.
- 7
Dependencies and critical path
Link tasks and highlight the critical path from Plus. Importing dependencies from a source plan needs Expert.
- 8
A 1.8 GPA, above 0 of 24
That is against the other presentation tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Lucen Timeline you could make: Gantt & timelines and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Lucen Timeline at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $9 per user / month, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Windows
- Made by
- Lucen Software, since 2012
- Category
- Presentations
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for timeline slides in PowerPoint
Lucen Timeline, called Office Timeline until May 2026, adds a button to PowerPoint on Windows that turns a project plan into an editable timeline or Gantt slide. It's narrower than a presentation app, so we've graded it as the add-in it is. Lite is under $9 a month, but importing from Excel, Project or Jira costs a good deal more.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Lite is under $9 a user a month billed yearly, ordinary for presentation tools, but it allows 2 swimlanes. Unlimited swimlanes and Excel import need Plus at under $17, and refreshing from Project or Jira needs Expert at under $21, all on top of PowerPoint itself. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The free add-in doesn't run out and has the themes, but each slide stops at 10 milestones and tasks, with limited swimlanes and 1 timescale. Fine for a simple roadmap; a real project plan won't fit. |
| Features | D | The timeline work is thorough: swimlanes, dependencies, critical path, up to 3 timescales, import and refresh from Project, Smartsheet and Jira, and planned against actual. But it's one narrow job, and it needs PowerPoint on Windows to be any use. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but it sits on the PowerPoint ribbon you already use: type the dates in or import a plan, and out comes a normal slide you can edit. Nothing to export, nothing to learn outside PowerPoint. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | The add-in is Windows and PowerPoint only, and Mac or browser users need Timeline Online, a separate licence. It does pull plans from Excel, Project, Smartsheet, Jira and Wrike, but there are no phone apps. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Lucen Timeline is for
- Great if you report project schedules to your bosses in PowerPoint
- Handy when your plan lives in Project, Smartsheet or Jira and the slide must keep up
- Good for consultants whose client roadmaps have to stay editable
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you're on a Mac, as the add-in is Windows only
- Pricey if you need imports from Project or Jira, which take Expert at under $21 a month
- Skip it if you want to build whole decks, since it only makes timeline slides
Good to know
Good for
- Project managers who report schedules to executives in PowerPoint
- Teams that keep plans in Microsoft Project, Smartsheet or Jira and need slides from them
- Consultants building client roadmaps that must stay editable
Worth knowing
- The add-in needs Windows and PowerPoint. Timeline Online, for Mac and browser users, is a separate license at less than $13 a month billed annually.
- The free version stops at 10 milestones and tasks per slide, and its license has to be renewed each year.
- Microsoft Project, Jira, Smartsheet and Wrike import and planned vs. actual tracking need the Expert plan.
- Licenses are per user and sold only as yearly subscriptions, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Lucen Timeline has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9 per user / month, billed annually.
Fine for a simple roadmap; a real project plan won't fit.
Free
$0
Up to 10 milestones and tasks per slide, limited swimlanes and dependencies, 1 timescale and pre-designed themes.
Lite
$9
per user / month, billed annually as a 1-year license
More than 10 items per timeline, 2 swimlanes, timeline, Gantt and swimlane templates. Shown as less than $9 a month; the yearly total is not shown.
Plus
$17
per user / month, billed annually as a 1-year license
Unlimited swimlanes and sub-swimlanes, dependencies and critical path, 3 timescales and import from Excel. Shown as less than $17 a month.
Expert
$21
per user / month, billed annually as a 1-year license
Import and refresh from Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Jira and Wrike, Excel refresh, planned vs. actual, baselines and custom themes. Less than $21 a month.
The free plan
Free add-in: timelines of up to 10 milestones and tasks per slide, limited swimlanes, 1 timescale and the pre-designed themes. The free license is renewed each year.
Read from lucensoftware.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Windows
PowerPoint add-in that turns project plans into timeline slides. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: templates, Gantt & timelines, presentations.
But it's one narrow job, and it needs PowerPoint on Windows to be any use.
- Timelines built inside PowerPoint
- The add-in sits on the PowerPoint ribbon and creates timelines and Gantt charts as native, editable slides, so there is nothing to export.
- Swimlanes and timescales
- Group tasks into swimlanes and nested sub-swimlanes and show up to 3 timescales on one chart. Lite allows 2 swimlanes; Plus and Expert are unlimited.
- Dependencies and critical path
- Link tasks and highlight the critical path from Plus. Importing dependencies from a source plan needs Expert.
- Import and refresh
- Plus imports from Excel. Expert imports and refreshes from Microsoft Project, Smartsheet and Jira, including several Jira projects or boards, and imports from Wrike.
- Planned vs. actual
- Expert shows progress bars, baselines and variance against the original plan, so a slide can show where a project has slipped.
- Templates and themes
- Pre-designed themes on every plan, timeline, Gantt and swimlane templates from Lite, and custom themes that can be shared and imported on Expert.
Where it runs
- Web
- Windows
What it works with
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Project
- Smartsheet
- Jira
- Wrike
Lucen Timeline is made by Lucen Software, and has been around since 2012.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/24
Other presentation tools it is graded above
Lucen Timeline's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 0 of the 24 other presentation tools we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 15 of 24) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $9 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.66 for the category: 11 of the 21 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 10 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 25 presentation tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Lucen Timeline’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 24
- CFree plan and trialAbove 3 of 24
- DFeaturesAbove 0 of 24
- BEase of useAbove 15 of 24
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 24
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 23 presentation tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Lucen Timeline is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Lucen Timeline you could make: Gantt & timelines and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 22 of the 24 other presentation tools grade higher. It costs $108 a year.
What you could make
- Gantt & timelines and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A slide editor.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project among them.
What this rests on. Lucen Timeline’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Microsoft PowerPoint, Visme, TeamGantt, GanttPRO and Microsoft Project
The 5 tools Lucen Timeline is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
Microsoft PowerPoint
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Slide presentation app sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser.
- Only Microsoft PowerPoint lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Lucen Timeline also covers Gantt & timelines.
- 2.4GPA
Visme
Free plan · from $12.25/mo
Template-based design tool for presentations and infographics.
- Only Visme lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Lucen Timeline also covers Gantt & timelines.
- Visme also covers whiteboard, documents and forms.
- 2.2GPA
TeamGantt
Free plan · from $59/mo
Web-based Gantt chart scheduling priced by project, not seat.
- Only Lucen Timeline lists a Windows app.
- Only TeamGantt lists iOS and Android apps.
- Lucen Timeline also covers templates and presentations.
- 2.2GPA
GanttPRO
Free trial · from $8/mo
Online Gantt chart maker for planning and tracking projects.
- Lucen Timeline has a free plan. GanttPRO does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Lucen Timeline lists a Windows app.
- Only GanttPRO lists iOS and Android apps.
- 1.6GPA
Microsoft Project
Free trial · from $30.00/mo
Desktop project scheduling for Windows with Gantt charts.
- Lucen Timeline has a free plan. Microsoft Project does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Lucen Timeline lists a web app.
- Microsoft Project can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Lucen Timeline free?
Lucen Timeline has a free plan. Free add-in: timelines of up to 10 milestones and tasks per slide, limited swimlanes, 1 timescale and the pre-designed themes.
How much does Lucen Timeline cost?
Lucen Timeline lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Lucen Timeline work on?
Lucen Timeline is available on Windows and Web.
Does Lucen Timeline have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Lucen Timeline is listed for Windows and Web.
Does Lucen Timeline have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Lucen Timeline is listed for Windows and Web.
Is Lucen Timeline open source?
Lucen Timeline is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Lucen Timeline integrate with?
Lucen Timeline's listing names Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Jira and Wrike.
Who makes Lucen Timeline?
Lucen Timeline is made by Lucen Software. It dates from 2012.
What are the alternatives to Lucen Timeline?
The closest alternatives to Lucen Timeline in our directory are Microsoft PowerPoint, Visme, TeamGantt, GanttPRO and Microsoft Project.
How does Lucen Timeline compare with other presentation tools?
Lucen Timeline's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 0 of the 24 other presentation tools we grade, and level with 2.
Is Lucen Timeline good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Lucen Timeline D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $9 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.66 for the category: 11 of the 21 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Lucen Timeline?
The plain part of Lucen Timeline you could make: Gantt & timelines and templates.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Lucen Timeline’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Lucen Software's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Lucen Software. Prices change, so check lucensoftware.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,021
Tools graded, in 54 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,021
tools graded
54
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Lucen Timeline, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/office-timeline
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Lucen Timeline: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/office-timeline
Know someone choosing between presentation tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/office-timeline/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded presentation tools after Lucen Timeline, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Presentations Insider's GuideEvery one of the 25 presentation tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft PowerPoint Insider's GuideSlide presentation app sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
- Zoho Show Insider's GuideOnline presentation software, free for individuals3.4 GPA
- Canva Insider's GuideTemplate-based design platform for slides, graphics and video3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Lucen Timeline’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Lucen Timeline is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Lucen Software. Prices and plans change: check lucensoftware.com before you buy.