Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a cloud-based work management platform that combines the familiarity of spreadsheets with the structure of modern project management and collaboration tools. Developed by Smartsheet Inc., it enables teams to plan projects, track tasks, and coordinate work across organizations.

At first glance, Smartsheet resembles a spreadsheet, similar to Microsoft Excel. However, instead of simply storing data, each row can represent a task, milestone, or activity within a project. Teams can assign tasks, track deadlines, manage dependencies, and monitor project progress directly within the sheet.

One of Smartsheet’s strengths is its ability to present project information in multiple views, allowing teams to visualize work in different formats depending on their needs.

Common project views include grid (spreadsheet-style), Gantt charts for project scheduling, card views for workflow tracking, and calendar views for deadline management.

The platform also includes collaboration features such as comments, file attachments, and automated notifications, helping teams coordinate work and track deliverables in real time.

Because of its flexibility and familiar interface, Smartsheet is widely used by organizations coordinating engineering projects, product development tasks, and cross-team workflows.

Key Features

• Grid, Gantt, Board, Card, Calendar, and Timeline views built on a shared underlying data model
• Workflow automation engine with conditional logic, approval routing, and multi-step trigger-action rules
• AI-powered delay prediction, risk identification, and resource auto-assignment
• Control Center for portfolio governance with standardized blueprints, automated project creation, and rollup reporting
• Dynamic View for secure role-based data sharing with internal and external stakeholders
• Brandfolder digital asset management integration for marketing and creative teams
• Data Shuttle for automated data import and export between Smartsheet and external systems
• WorkApps for building lightweight no-code applications from Smartsheet data without developer resources
• Jira and Salesforce bidirectional sync connectors for cross-system data alignment
• HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2 Type II compliance across Business and Enterprise tiers

Best For

PMO teams, project coordinators, and cross-functional teams who need structured project and work management that feels familiar to spreadsheet users.

Particularly well suited to organizations running large project portfolios where Control Center's governance and standardization capabilities reduce portfolio management overhead, and where non-specialist team members need to participate in project tracking without a steep tool learning curve.

Who It’s Not For

Agile software development teams whose workflow centers on sprint boards and developer tool integrations, where Jira handles the workflow more natively.

Teams that need the critical path scheduling engine, resource-loaded planning, and earned value management of Microsoft Project or Primavera P6 for complex capital program control will also find Smartsheet's scheduling tools capable for most work but insufficient for the rigor that large infrastructure and government programs require.

Platform

Fully cloud-based and accessible in any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebook.

Mobile apps for iOS and Android provide field and remote access to sheets, approvals, and update requests.

No meaningful offline capability is available, requires internet connectivity for all active editing and collaboration.

Pricing

Subscription-based platform.

Four-tier subscription structure.

Pro plan starts at $9 per user per month and Business plan at $19 per user per month, both billed annually.

Enterprise plan with custom pricing adds AI formulas, SAML SSO, WorkApps, and unlimited storage.

Advanced Work Management plan adds Control Center, Dynamic View, Brandfolder, and premium connectors for organizations managing large-scale portfolios, with pricing available through Smartsheet directly.

No free plan. 30-day free trial available.

Add-ons including Resource Management, Calendar App, and Salesforce and Jira connectors carry additional per-user costs beyond base plan pricing.

Pros

• Spreadsheet-familiar interface dramatically reduces onboarding friction compared to purpose-built project management tools for non-specialist users
• Control Center delivers portfolio-level governance that most mid-market project management tools do not offer at any pricing tier
• AI-powered workflow automation moves beyond rule-based triggers into predictive task and resource management
• Dynamic View enables secure stakeholder data sharing without exposing underlying sheet structure or sensitive fields
• HIPAA and SOC 2 Type II compliance available on Business and above, meeting regulated industry data requirements
• Broad cross-industry adoption with over 80,000 business customers reflects genuine versatility across project types and team sizes

Cons

• Free plan discontinued in 2025 with no permanent free tier for individuals or small teams to evaluate at zero cost
• Add-on pricing model means total cost for a fully configured environment is often significantly higher than headline per-seat rates suggest
• Resource management, advanced integrations, and portfolio governance tools require add-ons not included in standard Business plan pricing
• Dashboard building is manual and time-consuming compared to tools with auto-populated reporting and visualization
• Less capable than Jira or Linear for dedicated agile software development workflows where sprint management and developer tool integration are the primary requirement

Rating

⭐ 4.4 / 5

Editorial Take

Smartsheet provides a practical balance between spreadsheets and structured project management tools. For teams coordinating projects across departments, it offers a flexible environment for tracking tasks, timelines, and collaboration.

Alternatives

Jira, Microsoft Project, ClickUp, Asana, Monday.com, Wrike, Airtable

Used In

Engineering project coordination

Product development tracking

Operations planning

Cross-team project management

Founded

2006