16 Smartsheet Alternatives For Project Management In 2024
If you use Smartsheet for project management, you’re not alone. Smartsheet is a popular project management software used by businesses all over the world. Best known for its use of a “spreadsheet” type of software, Smartsheet is a single tool that offers a flexible solution for your team’s needs. But as with all popular tools on the market, there are other Smartsheet alternatives which may be a better fit for you and your team’s needs.
Because Smartsheet relies on a spreadsheet view and functionality, it is missing some features that your business might want to have for their project management tracking. In this article, we will discuss some of the pros and cons of Smartsheet, and dig into some of the best Smartsheet alternatives that may provide more flexibility and customization for your team.
The Pros and Cons of Smartsheet
If you are someone who lives in spreadsheet and Excel, Smartsheet might be the ideal project management platform for you. The Smartsheet layout lets you build tasks within each appointed row and column and move around tasks as you see fit. From adding due dates to notes to attaching documents, building each task keeps all of your project notes together and in line, making them easy to track and share. Smartsheet also lets team members collaborate on content, view timelines, comment, and assign tasks within multiple views.
If spreadsheets aren’t your preferred way of managing projects, unfortunately Smartsheet might not be the best fit for you. In addition to its limited project layouts, one of the most glaring cons of Smartsheet is it’s lack of time tracking. For many teams, time tracking is an integral part of the business process for tracking project details. Without an integrated time-tracking tool, Smartsheet is at a disadvantage compared to many of it’s other project management competitors.
Smartsheet is also lacking when it comes to collaboraton. The platform does not have a built-in native chat option and does not have great integration with any third-party chat apps. Users have to find a work-around for team messaging, which often means adding additional tools into your business workflow that could cost additional money and complications.
While Smartsheet might be similar to the Excel spreadsheets you know and love, if you do not have any experience with spreadsheets, there is a big learning curve when you use this software. While Smartsheet has many valuable features, it takes a while for users to get comfortable within the platform and take advantage of the software’s elements.
The Top Smartsheet Alternatives
While Smartsheet still remains a popular choice and has many features that might work perfectly for your needs, you might want to seek an alternative platform if you need better integrations, time tracking, native chat, and a desire to minimize overall software costs. Smartsheet is one of the more expensive project management tools on the market, and you may be able to find similar solutions at a lower cost, or even for free.
So, whether you’re looking to switch from Smartsheet, or just looking for a project management tool in general, you’re in luck. Check out these top Smartsheet Alternatives which offer their own version of time tracking, task management, and resource management features to help your business stay on task and connected.
1. Hive
Hive is a fan-favorite project management tool for teams, and it is also one of the top Smartsheet alternatives. Built for users by users, Hive is a flexible tool that offers its users time tracking, reporting capabilities, and multiple views to handle project management with ease.
Hive’s Table View layout allows you to view projects in a spreadsheet format, just like Smartsheet — but it doesn’t stop there. Hive understands that everyone works differently, and that certain people or projects might be better suited for a different layout. With just a few clicks, Hive users can utilize flexible project layouts to easily toggle between views including Table, Gantt, Kanban, List, Calendar and more.
Hive’s interface does have a different feel than Smartsheet, but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of. The interface is visually appealing, easy to follow and highly user-friendly. Hive also has robust email integration that can send messages directly from Gmail or Outlook to Hive and offers over 1,000 other third-party integrations to keep everyone linked up. Hive’s chat function, time tracking tools and project templates are all built-in, making them easy to use and intuitive for both first-time and seasoned users.
Key Features:
- Flexible project views: Table (spreadsheet), Kanban, Gantt, Calendar, Label, and Team Views
- Over 1,000 integration options
- Automation, reporting, and time-tracking functionality
Hive offers a free 14-day trial. From there, Hive Free is free forever for individuals and teams up to 10. Hive Starter is the most affordable paid plan on the market, offering light project management for only $5 monthly per user. Hive Teams plans offer unlimited project management capabilities with pricing starting at $12 per month.
2. Basecamp
Basecamp is a leader in the project management software field, with it’s a tool that is used to communicate, share and organize projects. A collaboration-first platform, Basecamp offers unique perks such as real-time document editing and activity streams. These activity streams give users a glimpse into projects, tasks, and the timeline status. This area is also a great way to keep track of communications and project progress.
If you want to keep track of communication outside of the central project stream, Basecamp’s built-in communications message board and chat thread are perfect for keeping all documentation about the project within the right project folder.
Also, Basecamp’s unique feature “clientside” offers access to out-of-network users who want to view projects or progress. This is especially beneficial for companies who want to allow clients limited access to projects without creating multiple paid view-only accounts. To learn more about similar tools on the market, check out these top Basecamp alternatives.
Key Features:
- Built-in scheduling feature and task tracking
- Native chat feature
- “Clientside” user access
- Competitive pricing guide, with a free plan limited to 20 users and three projects and a paid plan starting at $99/month for unlimited projects and users
3. Asana
Asana is a comprehensive project management tool that offers task management, resource management, and more. Asana was built to help companies keep track of their projects and a glance, and it does this by including unique features such as progress reports, feature boards, and color-coded tasks.
You can also sync Asana with many third-party programs. The Asana API is so seamless that additional software programs like Zapier or Github almost feel a part of the platform. While Asana does not have a native time-tracking tool, its great integration makes up for this lack. It offers the ability to keep all tasks, communications, and project automation within one platform.
Want to take your research further? Check out these top Asana alternatives on the market.
Key Features:
- Flexible project views including calendar, boards, and timeline
- Built-in forms streamline work requests and tasks
- Comprehensive reporting features including milestone and goal setting
- Great for small businesses — free for up to 15 users, and payment starts at $10.99/mo
4. Airtable
Another spreadsheet-centric alternative to Smartsheet is Airtable. Airtable is an innovative tool that combines the same look and feel of a spreadsheet with a powerful integrated management platform. Built with a user-friendly interface and an extensive library of templates to choose from, there is no steep learning curve when you switch to Airtable, which. is why it is one of our top Smartsheet alternatives.
Its easy interface and straightforward functions help users get the hang of the software in no time at all. Also, unlike Smartsheet, Airtable has built-in time tracking and video chat functionality that keeps everything contained within the software, so all cross-communication stays in one central location. If you prefer to use third-party integrations, that’s no problem with Airtable. This program also offers seamless integration, so you won’t miss a beat if you work with clients who use Gmail or Dropbox.
Key Features:
- Built-in templates
- Spreadsheet “look”
- Native chat and video functionality
- Airtable pricing starts with a free option for up to 5 users and includes integration capability
Want to know more? Learn more about similar tools on the market in this roundup of top Airtable alternatives.
5. Trello
If the reason why you are looking for a Smartsheet alternative is the fact that a “spreadsheet” type of software is not fulfilling all your team’s needs, Trello might be an option for you. The software bases its view on Kanban boards, lists and cards, allowing a flexible overview of projects and tasks. Trello is intuitive, easy to adapt to you and your team’s workflow, and also offers no-code automation optimizing the time you spend on tedious tasks.
The tool, which is one of our top Smartsheet alternatives, also offers integrations to softwares like Slack, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and others. Additionally, Trello allows you to invite new members to collaborate in your workspace, track tasks, and use color-coded labels for organization. This is definitely one of the best free Smartsheet alternatives on the market.
Key Features:
- Kanban boards, lists and cards
- Easy-to-copy templates
- Workflow automation
6. Wrike
If you have a small to midsize business and are looking for an alternative to Smartsheet, Wrike might be just right for your organization. Wrike is one of our top Smartsheet alternatives because it offers a flexible, drag-and-drop Gantt chart that makes it easy to overview tasks deadlines and dependencies. Teams can collaborate with the in-app commenting, user tagging, and an approvals/proofing module. Wrike displays data and insights on a visually appealing dashboard making reporting to stakeholders an easy task.
The tool also offers native and third-party apps to complete tasks, manage KPIs and generate reports. One of their benefits over Smartsheet is that Wrike’s freemium plan allows for unlimited users, while Smartsheet doesn’t have a free plan.
Key Features:
- Pre-built templates
- Gantt charts
- 400+ integrations
7. Monday.com
If you use Smartsheet but you are looking to improve productivity without compromising your company’s budget, Monday.com can be a great alternative for you. The project management software offers a variety of features such as task management, dependency tracking and several app integrations, such as Slack, Jira, Asana and HubSpot CRM. Monday.com also offers native social media management and free educational webinars for all subscribers.
One the downsides of Monday.com is that the software — differently from Smartsheet — only follows GxP, CCPA and GDPR, and HIPAA compliance on its Enterprise plan. However, Monday.com does offer a feature called “panic button” which allows users to lock down the entire account to protect data in case the account gets compromised.
Monday.com has a free plan for up to 2 users with some feature limitations. Basic plans start at $8/user/month. Get a 14-day free trial.
Key Features:
- Boards & Columns
- Tasks automation
- Checklists
- Apps Integration
- File views, Kanban views, form views, chart views
8. ClickUp
ClickUp is an alternative to Smartsheet with an easy-to-use interface and collaboration features. With ClickUp, you can copy and paste a table into another spreadsheet software like Excel and Google Sheet. Resource management can easily be performed in the platform using formula and numeric custom fields. ClickUp has column calculations (sum, average or range for an entire column) and offers custom widgets to create charts, diagrams, graphs and metrics reports.
Pricing: ClickUp has a free plan with limited features. Its paid plan starts at $5 per member/per month.
Key Features:
- Goals and Mind Maps
- Workload view
- Team chat
- Dynamic Recurring Tasks
- Customizable Board View
To see how ClickUp stacks up against other tools on the market, check out our complete guide to ClickUp alternatives.
9. Proofhub
Proofhub is an organized workplace for task lists, workflows, discussions, Gantt charts, calendars, and more. Plan projects, collaborate with teams and clients while keeping files organized and generating reports keeping track of overall progress. Files and documents can be reviewed and approved by assigned users. Proofhub also has a chat feature for quick and easy communication between team members. The platform is cloud-based, so everything is always backed up and secure. Plus, there is no need to install any software on a computer.
Key Features:
- Automatically calculate and add milestones to calendar and notify team and customers
- Connects with popular apps for file storage, accounting and invoicing
- Access on mobile devices for both iOS and Android
- Two simple fixed pricing plans with no per-user fee
10. nTask
nTask is a project and task management application with great features to manage tasks and teams. In a single interface, you can track your development process with all of the tasks included in it. There’s risk management and issue tracking features that can help you guarantee the safety and health of your business. The application also has a meeting management feature allowing you to communicate with your clients and team members easily and effectively.
nTask also features Gantt charts and Kanban boards, helping you to view your tasks and activities from different perspectives depending on your needs and requirements.
Key Features:
- Task and project management
- Issue tracking and risk management
- Meeting management and collaborative tools
- There is a free version for anyone who would like to check out the software with limited features, then you have the option to gain access to more tools for $3/user/month.
11. Zoho Sheet
Zoho Sheet is a spreadsheet application that integrates with an AI assistant to help you accomplish tasks easier. This Smartsheet alternative lets you analyze data with automated chart and pivot table suggestions. Zoho Sheet lets you clean up data by using a tool that identifies duplicate rows, spelling and grammar errors, and random missing values. There’s also a low-coding feature that allows you to create custom functions and gather data from external sources.
Zoho Sheet gives you the ability to create automated workflows with integrations powered by Zapier and Zoho Flow. Access and edit your spreadsheets from a browser, or use iOS and Android apps to create spreadsheets and collaborate wherever you are. Zoho Sheet is free to use if you sign up for a Zoho account. They offer paid plans to unlock more features for small teams and big companies starting at $8/user/month.
Key Features:
- AI powered assistant
- Cell-level graphs for analyzing trends alongside data
- Nearly 40 different chart types including Histogram, Pareto and Word Cloud
- Import Excel spreadsheets with no loss of formatting
12. Scoro
If your team is looking for an alternative to Smartsheet to visualize and understand data differently, Scoro is a great solution to consider. The KPI dashboard software offers a broad overview of each aspect of your business, giving you the ability to keep track of your projects, workflow, and financial KPIs in real-time.
Scoro’s pricing begins at $26 per user/month for a minimum of 5 users. Their Essential plan includes projects, calendars, task list & task board, contacts & customers, quotes, invoices & receipts, bills, dashboards and summary of financial reports.
Key Features:
- Innovative and responsive dashboards
- Real-time Gantt charts
- Automate routine tasks
- Sales and CRM
- Finance reporting and dashboards
13. Google Sheets
Google Sheets is a simple and free alternative to Smartsheet. It allows you to share and edit in real-time spreadsheets easily. Google Sheets also allows you to collaborate with your team by adding comments and assigning action items. You get insights by asking questions about your data in simple language, using assistive features like Smart Fill and formula suggestions.
If your team uses other Google Suite solutions, the integration of Google Sheets with other Google apps is seamless. Google Suite Business Starter paid plan at $6/month per user.
Key features:
- Custom spreadsheet or use templates
- Work with rows, columns, and cells
- Share and collaborate with others in real time
- Work with functions
14. Workzone
Workzone is a project management software alternative to Smartsheet with features such as task lists, Gantt charts, and document sharing. It has an intuitive design that lets you easily navigate through different projects and tasks, set up new tasks and timelines, and track your progress. Workzone also has a document management system, allowing you to store and share documents with your team.
Workzone has customizable task lists where you can set up your own workflows and processes. Additionally, you can create templates for different types of projects and tasks, set deadlines and reminders, and assign tasks to specific team members.
Key Features:
- Built-in scheduling feature and task tracking
- Native chat feature
- Customizable task lists and workflows
15. Notion
Notion is one of our top Smartsheet alternatives in the project management field because it’s both flexible and multi-functional. It integrates project management, documentation, and databases all in a single workspace. With Smartsheet centralizing more on spreadsheet-based planning and task management, Notion features a block-based system that enables users to customize each project or task with assorted types of content including text, images, checklists, and more. This framework gives Notion the flexibility and adaptability for different types of projects, although it can be overwhelming for novices compared to Smartsheet’s traditional interface.
Notion also goes beyond project management, as it offers note-taking, personal planning, and collaborative documentation. Smartsheet, on the other hand, has more advanced project management features than Notion, such as Gantt charts and automated workflows. Notion’s strengths lie in its simple interface, customization options, and combined approach to work management, which is great for teams wanting flexibility and extended functionality in a single platform. Notion has a free plan with lots of great features to get both your personal and work life organized. Paid plans start at $8/user/month.
Key features:
- Block-based structure
- Integrated note-taking
- Wiki functionality for interconnected pages and documents
- Template options
- Real-time collaboration with task assignments and comments.
If you’d like to learn more about other tools like this, check out our round up of the top Notion alternatives to change your project management game.
16. Mavenlink by Kantata
Mavenlink by Kantata is a great alternative to Smartsheet as it offers project management, business intelligence and team collaboration under one roof. When it comes to project management, the solution offers real-time utilization and margins at the project and event at the task level. One of the advantages of Mavenlink in comparison to Smartsheets is its accounting functionality through native QuickBooks integration, whereas Smartsheet doesn’t have this feature. Another functionality that sets Mavenlink apart from Smartsheets is its timesheet integration which allows team members to keep time records for more efficient billing and invoicing. Custom pricing is available upon request.
Key Features:
- Resource forecasting
- Capacity management
- Skills management
- Scenario planning
- Role-based planning
Are there any other great tools that you’d recommend people try out as a one of the best Smartsheet alternatives? Let us know in the comments below.
