Project Management
Smartsheet
Spreadsheet-style work and project management.
What it is
Smartsheet manages work in a spreadsheet-like grid with automations, dependencies and reporting layered on. The grid is deliberate: teams that already run projects in spreadsheets can move across without learning a new mental model, then gain Gantt views, approval workflows and cross-sheet reporting they could not build in a spreadsheet. It suits operational and portfolio work more than software development, where board-based tools fit the rhythm better.
Smartsheet pricing
Smartsheet publishes 2 plans. Paid tiers start at $9/user/mo billed annually.
| Plan | Price | What the vendor’s page says |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $9/user/mo billed annually | Pro from $9 per member/month billed annually |
| Business | $19/user/mo billed annually | Business from $19 per member/month billed annually |
Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-07. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Source
Cheaper alternatives to Smartsheet — same category, ordered by verified starting price.
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Key features
Grid, Gantt and card views
The same data shown as a sheet, a timeline or a board without duplicating it.
Cross-sheet reporting
Roll many project sheets into one portfolio view for reporting upward.
Automated workflows
Approval chains, reminders and status updates triggered by field changes.
Forms
Collect structured requests from people who never open the sheet itself.
Strengths and trade-offs
What works well
- Familiar to anyone comfortable in spreadsheets
- Handles dependencies and resource views
- Strong automation and forms
Where it falls short
- Interface is dense
- Per-user pricing with feature gates
- Spreadsheet metaphor breaks on complex work
Who it is for
Teams migrating from spreadsheet-based project tracking who want structure.
Pick it or skip it
Pick Smartsheet if
- Teams that think in spreadsheets but need automation, forms and dashboards on top
- Small groups: Pro starts at $9/member/month billed annually
- Trying it fully first — 30 days with no card
Skip it if
- You need unlimited automations or timeline view; those start at Business, $19/member/month annual
- You want a free tier; Smartsheet has none, only a trial
- You are an existing customer hoping to move to Pro — the vendor lists Pro as available to new customers only
Our verdict
The easiest migration path off spreadsheets. Teams that never liked spreadsheets will not like this either.
Closest alternatives we track
Same category, ordered by verified starting price.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Smartsheet cost?
- Smartsheet publishes 2 plans: Pro at $9/user/mo billed annually, Business at $19/user/mo billed annually. Every figure is read from the vendor's own pricing page; the pricing section above shows the source sentence for each tier.
- Does Smartsheet have a free plan?
- No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. Smartsheet is sold as a paid subscription.
- Who is Smartsheet best for?
- Teams migrating from spreadsheet-based project tracking who want structure.
- What are the closest alternatives to Smartsheet?
- In the same category we track Trello, Monday.com and Linear. Each has its own review page with verified pricing, and the comparison links above show them side by side.
- What are the main drawbacks of Smartsheet?
- The trade-offs we noted: Interface is dense; Per-user pricing with feature gates; Spreadsheet metaphor breaks on complex work.
- When should you not use Smartsheet?
- Skip Smartsheet if: You need unlimited automations or timeline view; those start at Business, $19/member/month annual; You want a free tier; Smartsheet has none, only a trial; You are an existing customer hoping to move to Pro — the vendor lists Pro as available to new customers only.
What we checked
- Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
- Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.Yes
- Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
- SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.Yes
“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.
Evidence and freshness
Status: Vendor pricing page verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-07
- Smartsheet — Pricing ↗
Checked 2026-09-07 · Supports: Pro from $9 per member/month billed annually, Business from $19 per member/month billed annually, Enterprise is custom priced, 30-day free trial with no credit card, no free tier, Pro is available to new customers only
Limit: The vendor's pricing table renders in the browser and an automated read returned inconsistent figures; the values here come from Smartsheet's own published plan summaries. Monthly billing is higher than the annual figures recorded here.
Compare Smartsheet with alternatives
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Same job, different pricing. Verified starting price first.
More Project Management tools: see the full Project Management category
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