Visual timelines for real chronology

See the whole story,not just a list of dates.

PlotPast turns complex history and research into a zoomable timeline—with honest dates, overlapping eras, connected events, and parallel stories kept in context.

Create a timeline — free Try the live demo
  • No account required
  • Saved locally by default
  • Core editor works offline
PlotPast canvas showing the History of Rome template: 27 events stacked above one ruler from circa 753 BCE to 476, with five periods from the Roman Kingdom to the late empire below it

Switch stories without losing your place. These three boards share the same 1,325-year scale, so patterns and gaps stay directly comparable.

Any year
Deep history to ongoing
4 templates
Real, editable starting points
6 ways out
Image, vector, print, JSON, link, embed
0 sign-up
Start locally in your browser

When a list of dates is not enough

Built for chronologythat refuses to stay simple.

Record uncertainty without hiding it, compare events happening at the same time, and keep the connections behind each turning point visible.

Move from patterns to detail

Pull back to see thirteen centuries at once, or push in to examine a single decade. Dense events collapse into ticks and return as you zoom.

The History of Rome board zoomed to 230 BCE – 8 CE, showing events from Hannibal through Augustus on a detailed year ruler

Record what you know—honestly

Circa, year-only, month, day, ranges, and ongoing. c. 753 BCE, c. 1440, 1939–1945, and 2024–ongoing all sit on one ruler.

c. 753 BCE c. 1440 1939–1945 2024 –

Lanes for parallel stories

Split a board into tracks by tag: Europe, Pacific, home front. Compare what happened at the same time, side by side.

The World War II board split into Europe, Pacific, and home front lanes, each with its own row of events between 1938 and 1947

Periods that overlap

Stack eras on top of each other. The Principate and the Crisis of the Third Century can both be true at once, and each gets its own row.

The History of Rome board between 180 and 330, where the Principate and the Third-century crisis periods overlap on separate rows

Trace relationships, not just dates

Link cause, response, and consequence into a chain. Add descriptions, Markdown notes, tags, importance, and source links, then isolate the connected story on a busy board.

Rubicon Augustus Assassination of Julius Caesar 15 March 44 BCE · importance 4 politics civil-war rome Jan 49 BCE Actium

Learn the story, not the layout

Turn a board into a study checklist or a chronological Story view. Mark events as learned and filter to what is left.

Build once, use it in different ways. The same board becomes a zoomable canvas, a vertical Story view, a study checklist, a high-resolution image, vector artwork, Print / Save as PDF, portable JSON, a read-only share, or an embed.

See it before you start

Explore the real PlotPast canvas.

Load a read-only History of Rome board right here. Drag to pan, pinch or Ctrl + scroll to zoom, then duplicate the board if you want your own copy.

Preview of the History of Rome board, ready to load as an interactive demo

Open this board in PlotPast ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Three steps. No setup.

From scattered dates to a story you can share.

  1. 01

    Choose a starting point

    Begin with a blank ruler or an editable template. Import JSON when you already have a dataset or an AI-generated draft.

  2. 02

    Map the chronology

    Add events and periods, attach descriptions and tags, then zoom or split the board into parallel lanes.

  3. 03

    Share or export

    Send or embed a read-only link, or export PNG, SVG, Print / Save as PDF, or portable JSON. Recipients can duplicate a shared board into their own workspace.

A useful starting point for every story

Start with a real example, not an empty canvas.

Explore one of four bundled boards, then change every date, lane, color, and description. Or begin with a blank ruler when you already know the shape of your story.

Parallel history

World War II

Europe, the Pacific, and the home front on three lanes. 27 events · 1939–1945 Deep chronology

History of Rome

From a legendary founding to republic, empire, and fall. 27 events · c. 753 BCE–476 Personal archive

My Life

Milestones, chapters, and plans on one editable board. 10 events · 1996–2056 Planning

Product Roadmap

Research, releases, and platform work across three years. 15 events · 2026–2029
Create a timeline — free Choose a template inside the app, or start blank.

Your timeline stays yours

Local first.Portable always.

Start without creating an account. Keep a backup in a plain format. Add sync only when moving between devices becomes useful.

01

Keep it local

New boards live in this browser by default, and the core editor works after the first load without a connection.

02

Sync when needed

Sign in for cross-device sync and short, revocable hosted links. Conflicting edits are kept as separate copies.

03

Take everything with you

Export portable JSON for backup or transfer, plus PNG, SVG, and Print / Save as PDF for the visual story.

No third-party trackers or behavioral telemetry. How local storage works

Clear answers before you start

The details that matter.

Is it free?

Local-only use is free and unlimited. A free account can sync up to 25 boards and keep up to 10 active hosted share links. OpenRouter may charge for optional AI model usage.

Do I need an account?

No. Boards stay on this device. Many boards can also be shared without an account by carrying a size-limited snapshot inside the URL. An account adds cross-device sync and short, revocable hosted links.

Can other people edit my timeline?

Shared boards are read-only snapshots, not live collaborative documents. A recipient can explore the board and duplicate it into their own workspace to make changes.

Can I import an existing timeline?

Yes. PlotPast imports its plain JSON format. You can also ask ChatGPT or Claude to create a compatible draft, then review and import it.

What happens if I clear browser data?

Local boards live in browser storage. Clearing PlotPast's site data deletes unsynced boards, so export JSON for backups or sign in to sync a copy.

Does it work offline?

The core editor does. PlotPast is an installable web app; after the first load you can work on local boards without a connection. Sync, AI, hosted sharing, and external links still need internet access.

Can I get my data out?

Always. JSON export is the same plain format the app imports, and PNG, SVG, and Print / Save as PDF cover the visual side.

How far back does it go?

Set a custom range from deep history into the future. PlotPast handles BCE years and skips year 0, like historical chronology does.

How does AI use my data?

AI is optional. With your OpenRouter key, the current board, recent chat, and your prompt go directly to OpenRouter. You can also use PlotPast's built-in prompt with ChatGPT or Claude and paste the resulting JSON.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. One finger pans, two fingers zoom, and the story view is made for narrow screens.

Start without setup

Your story already has a timeline. Make it visible.

Choose a real template or a blank ruler. Add the first event now; decide about accounts and sync later.

Create a timeline — free Try the live demo

No account required · Saved locally by default · Export anytime