The 11 Best Timeline Creators for Students (2023 Reviews & Rankings)

With the best timeline creators for students, you can create stunning visuals to display key information in your projects.

Timelines have a wide range of uses in education, from helping students understand history to tracking progress toward personal goals.

The good news is you don’t have to be a designer to create a high-quality timeline. Thanks to some of the best online timeline creators, you can quickly and easily create visuals that will engage your audience with just a few clicks.

In the guide below, we’ve reviewed and ranked the best timeline makers for students based on a variety of factors, including ease of use, available templates, platform compatibility, price, user reviews, and more.

Let’s get started…

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost for you, we might get a commission if you click the link and purchase.

 

What is a Timeline?

A timeline is a visual representation of a sequence of events or ideas, often used to track the history of individuals, organizations, or historical periods.

Timelines can be linear or nonlinear, with the latter often used to show multiple events happening simultaneously.

Timelines can have multiple formats, from linear to horizontal to historical. Vertical timelines, roadmaps, graphs, and Gantt charts are also timeline types.

The format of your timeline entirely depends on your nature of work.

 

Features to Look for in a Timeline Creator

When it comes to choosing a timeline maker for school work, there are a few key features to look for.

• Ease of use: The timeline maker should be easy to use and have a minimal learning curve. Look for features like a drag-and-drop interface and plenty of templates to choose from.
• Platform compatibility: Make sure the timeline software you choose is compatible with the devices and software you’re using.
• Extra features: Some timeline makers come with additional features like mind mapping, task management, and Gantt chart capabilities. Some tools may also offer an online version with cloud storage and collaborative features.
• Price: Some timeline makers are free, while others have subscription plans. Choose the option that best fits your budget and needs.
• User reviews: Read what other users have to say about the timeline maker before making a decision. This can give you insights into the pros and cons of the software.

 

The Top Timeline Creators for Students

Now that you have a good idea about what to look for in a timeline maker, here’s a list of the best options available:

1. Office Timeline

Office Timeline is a timeline maker that’s compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint and offers free editions for online or offline use. It provides a wide range of templates and features to choose from, making it a good choice for students who are looking for an easy-to-use tool.

This timeline creator can help you create quick and beautiful timelines for your project with just a few clicks.

Whether you want to use a template or start from scratch, Office Timeline makes it easy to create visuals that will engage your audience.

The best part about Office Timeline is that there’s both a desktop version and a browser version. The online version can be accessed from any browser – this means that you don’t necessarily have to go through the hassle of installing an extension. This makes it easy to share your work and collaborate with others on team projects.

Key Features

• You can work on timelines online or on desktop
• Simple to use, works as an extension to Microsoft PowerPoint
• Lets you create the most unique timelines and diagrams
• Offers a ton of beautiful templates to choose from
• Helps you create timelines, Gantt charts, and roadmaps fast and easy
• You can express time in years, quarters, months, weeks, days, hours, and minutes
• You can customize all the elements on the timeline
• You can import files from Excel, Project, and others

Price

Office Timeline offers a number of plans, ranging from free all the way up to $149/year, depending on the features you need.

Click here to get started for free today.

 

2. Sutori

Sutori is another one from the range of timeline makers available; what sets it apart, though, are the student-friendly features. If you’re often in a position where you have to design timelines for classroom presentations, Sutori will be a good choice.

This timeline maker has an easy-to-understand interface, making it a popular choice amongst students of all ages. Because of its interactive nature, many schools have also invested in the platform.

Key Features

• Vast pictorial library- great for historical timelines
• Allows you to share the timelines across social media sites directly
• Lets you add audio and video files to the timeline
• Purposefully designed for students
• Lets you increase the interactive elements by adding things like quizzes
• Has pre-made stories which teachers can use for multiple subjects.
• Allows embedding to multiple sites, including social media
• Access to student-centric resources that can help in projects

Price

Sutori has many plans, depending on whether you want it for personal or professional use. Here’s a list of all their plans:

• Essential: Free
• Unlimited: $99/year
• Departments: $500/year
• Schools: $2000/year
• Pro (For businesses): $4399/year

 

3. Lucid Chart

LucidChart is speedily making its way to being one of the top timeline makers because of its features. The platform doesn’t only provide you with intelligent features that efficiently produce a unique timeline. Still, it also has perks that many other timeline makers lack, such as multiple integrations across the web.

The best part about LucidChart is that it allows you to import files from other timeline makers, which means that it doesn’t matter if you’ve been using Visio or any other platform previously; you can test LucidChart, and if it works better, you can always import your previous work and continue with the new timeline maker.

Key Features

• Helps you organize the data in flowcharts, Venn diagrams, and timelines.
• Allows you to integrate with multiple tools such as Microsoft Excel and Jira.
• Easy to understand user interface
• It can be linked with multiple business communication tools
• Helps simplify data
• Gives you collaborative options where you and your team can work on the same timeline simultaneously
• Allows cloud storage which helps you access your files from anywhere you want
• Automatic features lessen your workload, and you can trust the platform to do the work for you
• Weekly updates help eradicate any bugs and errors

Price

LucidChart has three different pricing plans:

• Individual: $7.95/month
• Team:$9/month/user
• Enterprise: Custom quotes for businesses

 

4. Tiki Toki

Tiki Toki has been making rounds amongst other timeline makers because of its features. The best part about this timeline maker is that everyone can use it- from family to students to even teachers; Tiki Toki has no biases when it comes to organizing data. The platform has a built-in search and filtering feature which allows you to create timelines without changing your window.

The 3d timelines don’t just make your presentations more interactive but also improve the overall aesthetic so that it stands out. You can also use personalized audio and video files to integrate into your timelines, making them easily understandable for all.

Key Features

• Gives an interactive touch to your timelines
• Lets you create 3d graphics
• Provides you with customizable features
• Allows up to 200 stories
• High-quality graphics
• Multiple color coding options
• Every timeline can be easily shared
• Aims more toward students and teachers
• It can be integrated with platforms like Youtube and Vimeo
• Allows collaborative working
• Lets you backup your timelines on clouds
• Web video and audio are easily supported
• Timelines can be embedded with your website

Price

Tiki Toki has three pricing plans to offer:

• Bronze: $7.50/month
• Silver: $25/month
• Education/Teacher: $125/year

 

5. Creately

If the idea of a visual workspace sounds appealing to you, Creately should be just the right venture for you. This timeline maker allows you to centralize documents while also making them visually aesthetic. Nobody likes boring lists, and Creatively can help you find the exact way around them.

You can do your project development by using Creately as the primary platform because it has brought all the necessary features to one page.

Key Features

• Powerful diagramming features which help you give an order to your data
• The vast graphic library has a range of diagram types, themes, and predefined styles
• Has multiple shortcuts which make working quick and easy
• Helps you keep track of your deadlines
• Has collaborative features which help in team working
• Allows you to make your own library of completed projects so that you don’t have to make new diagrams every day.
• Has an offline feature that can be operated from the desktop
• Smart features automatically pick up on the information entered.

Price

Creately has three payment options:

• Creately Online Personal: $6.95/month
• Creately Server: $6.95/month
• Creately Team 5: $40/month

 

6. TimeLine Maker Pro

TimeLine Maker Pro is very similar to Microsoft Office; it allows you to effortlessly create catchy and useful timelines simultaneously.

The best part about this timeline maker is that it’s easy to access for all; you don’t need to have any prior tech knowledge to be able to use the tool. The interactive capabilities and creative library make this tool a preferred choice among many!

Key Features

• Has a spreadsheet-style interface that ensures easy navigation through the site
• A software-based timeline maker which has increased reliability, as compared to other options
• Allows smooth import and export of data
• Has up to five readily available timeline styles
• Includes multiple background themes which cater to your creativity when making a presentation
• Allows quick expansion in terms of time frames
• Lets you create multiple charts in the same file hence saving memory

Price

• Individual: $149
• Small Business: $249
• Enterprise: $535

 

7. Visme

Visme has been a timeline-making giant in the industry, used by well-known brands. With a user base of over 4.5 million, Visme provides you with features that are rarely found with other timeline makers. The interface is highly interactive, meaning that both a layman and a professional can make the most out of it.

Every element of a timeline is easily customizable with Visme, and that’s what sets it apart.

Key Features

• Allows you to create custom templates to work faster
• Lets you set your own brand color, which is unique and cannot be copied by any other brand.
• Simultaneous changes can be made across multiple files if you choose to work with a template.
• Once your timeline is published, you can keep track of how well the masses receive it by monitoring the number of visitors.
• No limitations to the number of timelines
• Timelines are shareable by unique URLs

Price

Visme has three pricing plans:

• Single: $25/month
• Team: $75/month
• Enterprise: custom quotes for businesses.

 

8. TimeToast

TimeToast has been around in the market for quite a while, making it a preferred choice for many. If you want your timelines to tell stories, TimeToast can help you out with its user-friendly interface. The themes and color schemes available in this timeline maker are particularly attractive for the younger audience. The platform has multiple categories, from music to business and politics. The breakdown helps you find relevant graphic material for your particular niche.

Key Features

• Allows direct insertion of images and links
• Automatically detects the correct timescale for organizing your events.
• Timelines can be zoomed in for better insight.
• Multiple date settings can be inculcated according to your preference
• The platform is compatible with most screens, regardless of their sizes
• Timelines can be designed with a variety of styles and themes
• Lets you give multiple accesses to the same timeline
• Enables collaborative working

Price

Aside from the free version, TimeToast has two pricing options:

• Basic: $5.99/month
• Pro: $8.99/month

 

9. Venngage

Venngage helps you create a timeline even if you don’t have any idea about how timeline-making tools work. The platform is designed for beginners, which means that you can get a decent-looking timeline with half the effort required by other platforms. This doesn’t mean that you won’t find any advanced templates; Venngage has you covered even if you need some complex designs.

Key Features

• Has drag-and-drop menus that make navigation easy
• Templates are designed more toward beginners, with self-explanatory layouts and themes
• Files can be shared in multiple formats across more than one platform
• Has an in-build auto-alignment feature that detects an alignment issue immediately
• Allows customization by having a variety of over 30,000 icons
• The brand-Kit feature helps you give individuality to your brand through the thousands of design elements available
• It is efficient enough to generate a timeline in less than 30 minutes.

Price

Venngage has two pricing plans:

• Business: $49/month
• Premium: custom quotes

 

10. Canva

You’ve probably heard of Canva as a graphic designing tool, but did you know that it can produce some really good timelines as well? The platform allows you to organize your ideas into catchy timelines which leave an impact. Its intuitive design dashboard will have you surf the platform for hours because of the many graphic options available.

Key Features

• Timelines can be created by accessing the platform from a browser, no need for any installations
• A user-friendly interface helps in making the creative process quicker
• Drag-and-drop features help in creating a timeline with half the effort
• A wide range of ready-to-use templates, having both simple and complex designs
• The stock library has graphic elements that contribute largely to a good timeline

Price

Canva can be used for free!

 

11. ReadWriteThink Timeline

Powered by Verizon Thinkfinity, ReadWriteThink is a popular choice amongst students and teachers. The interactive methodologies used by the timeline maker help you organize your data in a way that is both useful and ordered.

This timeline maker can help you create timelines in a swift manner without spending hours. You’d also have access to free resources that can help in adding value to your timelines.

Key Features

• Allows flexible structuring
• Lets you use labels for added info
• Timelines can easily be edited and rearranged
• The portal allows you to save your files for later use

Price

ReadWriteThink is available for free!

 

A Final Word on Timeline Creators for Students

Whether you’re creating a timeline for a graded school project or to keep track of your daily tasks, the timeline creators in our guide above will come in handy.

No matter what your budget is, you can find a timeline maker that suits your needs.

And while there are lots of great picks, we’ve found Office Timeline to be the best all-around option as it makes creating timelines in PowerPoint super simple and quick.

So, what are you waiting for? Start creating timelines and make the best out of them!

Have any questions about our guide to the best timeline makers for students? Let us know by commenting below.