10 Best Timeline Tools for Life Events

10 Best Timeline Tools for Life Events (2025 Comparison)

From weddings and babies to careers and big moves—here are the best apps to build beautiful, shareable life-event timelines.

Life gets busy—and the milestones that define our stories deserve better than a cluttered camera roll or a lost social post. Whether you’re documenting a family history, your child’s firsts, a health journey, or an adventurous gap year, the right timeline tool makes it easy to organize moments, add rich media, and share with the people who matter.

Below is a curated comparison of the 10 best timeline tools for life events right now. Each option highlights what it’s best for, how it handles media and collaboration, and why you might pick it over the rest. If you want a purpose-built home for life milestones that balances privacy, simplicity, and visual polish, start with Event Viewpoint.

Quick Comparison

Tool	Best For	Media	Collaboration	Pricing Notes*
Event Viewpoint	Personal & family life-event timelines	Photos, videos, documents, maps, music, rich text	Private sharing, guest adds	Free + paid tiers
TimelineJS (Knight Lab)	Public, media-rich timelines from a Google Sheet	Embeds (YouTube, maps, etc.)	Sheet collaboration	Free
Tiki-Toki	Interactive, 3D-style public timelines	Images, video embeds	Invites on higher tiers	Free trial + paid
Preceden	Professional roadmaps & personal planning	Images, notes	Team options available	Paid, with free trial
Time.Graphics	Highly customizable timelines	Images, icons, links	Shared editing (tiers)	Free + paid
ChronoFlo	Polished, embeddable timelines for web	Images, video, custom themes	Team options	Paid, with free options
Aeon Timeline	Writers, researchers, and complex life arcs	Attachments, metadata	Desktop collaboration options	Paid
Office Timeline	PowerPoint-ready milestone graphics	Images/icons in slides	Via PPT sharing	Free + paid add-in
Sutori	Education projects & family history shares	Images, video, audio	Student/guest collaboration	Free + paid
Canva (Timeline Maker)	Quick designs & prints of life milestones	Images, stickers, video in design	Real-time co-edit	Free + paid
Visme (Timeline)	Brandable infographics & one-page timelines	Images, charts, icons	Team workspaces	Free + paid

*Pricing changes often—treat these as general notes (free tiers, trials, or paid plans vary).

The 10 Best Timeline Tools for Life Events

1) Event Viewpoint — Best for Personal & Family Life Event Timelines

Purpose-built for life events, Event Viewpoint balances simplicity and privacy. Create timelines for weddings, family trips, health journeys, home renovations, or your family history. Add photos, dates, locations, and context; invite loved ones to contribute; keep certain events private while sharing others.

• Why pick it: Designed around milestones (not projects), straightforward sharing, and a clean reading experience.
• Best for: Families, couples, personal journaling, memory keeping. Has many different ways to add photos, videos, locations, even embed music.
• Watch-outs: If you need complex dependencies or Gantt-style planning, look to roadmap tools instead.

2) TimelineJS (Knight Lab) — Best Free, Sheet-Driven Timelines

Ideal for public, media-rich timelines built from a Google Sheet. Great for sharing a child’s milestones or a travel history on a website.

• Why pick it: Free, web-friendly, easy to embed.
• Best for: Public storytelling with lots of media.
• Watch-outs: Spreadsheet upkeep; less private by default.

3) Tiki-Toki — Best for Interactive, Visual Presentations

Known for polished, interactive timelines (including a 3D view). Solid for family histories or celebratory event pages.

• Why pick it: Eye-catching layouts; embeddable.
• Best for: Public galleries and special occasions.
• Watch-outs: Heavier design; paid for most features.

4) Preceden — Best for Roadmaps That Double as Life Plans

A structured timeline/roadmap tool that can map health, finance, or career milestones with clarity.

• Why pick it: Clean, professional output; exports.
• Best for: Personal planning and high-level overviews.
• Watch-outs: Less “memory book” feel.

5) Time.Graphics — Best for Deep Customization

Highly flexible with icons, layers, and detail controls—handy if you want visual nuance for major life arcs.

• Why pick it: Custom markers and styles.
• Best for: Design tinkerers.
• Watch-outs: Can feel fiddly for quick journaling.

6) ChronoFlo — Best for Elegant Web Embeds

Produces modern, stylish timelines that look great on blogs and personal websites.

• Why pick it: Attractive themes, easy embeds.
• Best for: Public-facing life stories.
• Watch-outs: Paid for advanced features.

7) Aeon Timeline — Best for Complex Life Narratives

Desktop app popular with writers/researchers. Powerful for multi-threaded personal histories and projects.

• Why pick it: Rich metadata, relationships, and arcs.
• Best for: Deep, detailed life mapping.
• Watch-outs: More learning curve; desktop-centric.

8) Office Timeline — Best for Slide-Ready Milestone Graphics

PowerPoint add-in that turns dates into clean visuals—ideal for graduation speeches or anniversary slideshows.

• Why pick it: Beautiful slides fast.
• Best for: Events that end up on a projector or print.
• Watch-outs: Not a living, social timeline.

9) Sutori — Best for Education & Family Projects

Timeline storytelling with multimedia and comments—great for collaborative family history and school projects.

• Why pick it: Easy to co-create and share.
• Best for: Kids, classrooms, and multi-author stories.
• Watch-outs: Education focus may feel structured.

10) Canva & Visme — Best for One-Page Timeline Posters

If you want a printable timeline or a shareable graphic for a big life moment, these design suites are fast and friendly.

• Why pick it: Tons of templates; easy branding.
• Best for: Cards, invitations, recap posters.
• Watch-outs: Not ideal for ongoing, living timelines.

How to Choose the Right Timeline Tool

1. Audience & privacy: Private family? Choose tools with granular sharing (e.g., Event Viewpoint).
2. Media depth: Lots of video/links? Pick tools with strong embeds (Event Viewpoint, TimelineJS, Tiki-Toki).
3. Longevity: Want a living archive, not a one-off graphic? Choose a dedicated timeline app.
4. Ease of use: If others will contribute, prioritize simple editing and mobile-friendly design.
5. Export/embed: Need to print or post on a blog? Ensure there’s an easy export or embed.

Create Your Life Timeline on Event Viewpoint

Build private, beautiful timelines for your biggest milestones. Invite family, add photos and notes, and revisit the story as it grows.

Start free on Event Viewpoint →

Conclusion

The best life-event timeline tool is the one you’ll actually use. If you want a dedicated home for milestones—with clean design, private sharing, and simple editing—Event Viewpoint is an easy first choice. If you’re publishing a one-off story on the web, TimelineJS, Tiki-Toki, or ChronoFlo can shine. For a poster or slideshow, Canva, Visme, or Office Timeline get you across the finish line quickly.

Whatever you choose, don’t let your story stay scattered. Collect it, shape it, and share it—your future self will thank you.