9 best Smartsheet alternatives in 2024

Brynne Conroy

BLUEPRINT

Updated 4:12 p.m. UTC April 17, 2024

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Smartsheet offers a versatile platform for managing your project’s tasks, including the ability to track dependencies, view projects on Gantt and Kanban charts, track project time, implement automations and customize the platform via integrations. However, it is a bit pricey, lacks some security features and has a limited free plan. If you’re looking for an alternative, we’ve compiled a list of nine of the best Smartsheet alternatives based on price, features, customer support and security features.

Featured project management software offers

Monday.com

Learn More

Via Monday.com’s site

Monthly fee

$10 per user, with a minimum of three users

Free version

Yes, for two users

24/7 customer support

Yes, with paid plans

HubSpot

Learn More

Via Hubspot’s website

Free demo

Available

Free version available

Yes

24/7 customer support

Yes

ClickUp

Learn More

Via Clickup’s website

Monthly fee

$10 per user

Free version

Yes, for unlimited members

24/7 customer support

Yes

9 best Smartsheet alternatives

ClickUp: Best for agile project management.
Monday.com: Best for managing small business operations.
Zoho Projects: Best for software development startups.
Notion: Best for customizable workflows and databases.
Asana: Best for remote team management.
Teamwork: Best for client-facing agencies.
Confluence: Best for growing organizations.
Trello: Best for small creative teams.
Todoist: Best for freelancers and solopreneurs.

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Via Clickup's website

What you should know

When you pay for a ClickUp plan, you’ll have access to many of the same features as Smartsheet, including Gannt charts, kanban boards, dependencies and time tracking. If you’re looking at a business-level plan, ClickUp is also half the cost at just $12 per user per month when paying annually compared to Smartsheet’s price point of $25 per user per month when paying annually.

While ClickUp does have two-factor authentication for all accounts, it, too, operates on TLS 1.2 rather than TLS 1.3 for data encryption, which is the same level of security used by banks. ClickUp offers a free version for an unlimited amount of members, while Smartsheet’s free version is only for one user and two editors. However, ClickUp does not offer phone service at any level of subscription, so Enterprise customers may prefer Smartsheet.

Pros and cons

Pros

Over 15 project management views.
Real-time chat.
Native time-tracking features.

Cons

Only Enterprise users can access white-labeling tools.
Steeper learning curve than Trello or Todoist.
Single sign-on (SSO) doesn’t come with lower plan tiers.

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Learn More

Via Monday.com's site

What you should know

Monday.com is one of the closest alternatives to Smartsheet, and it comes with better security. It uses TLS 1.3 and has multi-factor authentication for all users. You will need a higher-tier paid subscription to access dependencies and Gantt charts, though. If you want them in a free package, you can get them with Smartsheet, but you’ll only get two of them before you have to pay. You’ll also have to accept the lower security standards of Smartsheet if you really don’t want to pay for access with Monday.com.

That said, Monday.com isn’t terribly expensive when held up to Smartsheet’s plans. There are four paid packages, including an Enterprise plan. You have to contact sales to get a quote on this highest tier, but the rest of the three paid packages start at $8 per user per month when paying annually. The most expensive plan outside of Enterprise is $20 per user per month when paying monthly.

Pros and cons

Pros

Over 200 predesigned templates.
Easy to deploy and use.
Customizable dashboards and widgets.

Cons

Paid plans require a minimum of three seats.
File storage is more limited than what Smartsheet or Asana offer.
Dependency views are locked behind Pro and Enterprise tiers.

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What you should know

Zoho Projects has higher security standards than Smartsheet. It has less than half of the native software integrations, though many of the same platforms can be accessed through Zoho Projects extensions.

In terms of product features, as long as you’re paying for a subscription, you’ll have access to all the same things:

Gantt charts
Dependencies
Time tracking
Kanban boards

Just like Smartsheet, some Zoho Projects features can be tricky to navigate if you’re inexperienced with project management software.

Pros and cons

Pros

Most affordable enterprise plan version for DevOps.
Project forums for organized discussions.
Blueprints for custom workflows.

Cons

Limited project templates.
File storage tops out at 120 GB.
Fewer integrations than Smartsheets.

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What you should know

Notion is one of the best project management software options if you’re looking at free packages. It provides you with kanban boards, Gantt charts and dependencies just like Smartsheet, and it does have time-tracking capabilities through third-party templates.

If you do pay for a plan, you’ll get unlimited storage. Regardless of which package you select, you’ll have access to two-factor authentication and TLS 1.2. While it doesn’t have as many native integrations as Smartsheet, it does cover many of the big ones like Slack, Google Workspace and Dropbox.

Pros and cons

Pros

Public application programming interface (API).
Built-in wikis.
Thousands of templates.

Cons

Limited analytics and reports in small business plans.
No time tracking or client billing options.
No central inbox.

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What you should know

Asana is easier to use than Smartsheet. While it does come with many of the same capabilities if you have a paid plan, it’s not going to be quite as customizable. It does have over 200 software integrations, though, and two-factor authentication is available. Data encryption is set at the TLS 1.2 level like Smartsheet.

Pros and cons

Pros

Drag-and-drop workflow builder.
Unlimited file storage, even with the free version.
Centralized inbox and task management.

Cons

Fewer views than ClickUp.
No native client billing tools.
No real-time chat support option.

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What you should know

Teamwork does have two-factor authentication, but it uses TLS 1.2 just like Smartsheet. That means there are more secure software options out there, but it can still be a step up from Smartsheet if you don’t mind the lower security standards on data encryption.

Outside of security, it provides all the same features as Smartsheet, from kanban boards to Gantt charts. There are fewer native software integrations, but when you include integration through third-party apps, Teamwork starts to look a lot more competitive.

Pros and cons

Pros

Billable time tracking with all plans.
Centralized client views in all plans.
Team chat and collaboration tools.

Cons

More limited file storage than Asana.
Lacks the issue management tools that Zoho Projects offers.
Limited support options.

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What you should know

Confluence is a bit different from the other software options covered today. It’s a space to organize all the data you may have in other project management software systems — primarily Jira. To use certain features like kanban boards and dependencies, you’ll need advanced skills, which may include coding abilities.

While Smartsheet can be complicated to use depending on which template you’re using, it’s still more intuitive than Confluence for basic features. Confluence does come with higher security measures, though, like two-factor authentication and TLS 1.3 capabilities.

Pros and cons

Pros

Unlimited storage with the Premium and Enterprise plans.
Over 3,000 integrations.
Workforce engagement analytics.

Cons

Does not support agile or scrum workflows.
Lacks client billing and time-tracking tools.
No portfolio or resource management features.

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What you should know

Trello is owned by Atlassian — the same company that owns Confluence. While it provides many of the same features as Smartsheet, it does not do so natively. You’ll find yourself using a lot of third-party apps (called powerups) and templates. However, even the free plan allows unlimited users, cards, storage and power-ups.

The features that are available natively, like dependencies, take a little maneuvering to enable. It does have two-factor authentication, and TLS 1.3 is available, making it a more secure platform than Smartsheet.

Pros and cons

Pros

Intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
Unlimited power-ups and storage.
Custom fields for cards.

Cons

No native time-tracking functionality.
Can’t monitor hours for client billing purposes.
Lacks live chat.

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What you should know

Todoist is relatively simple project management software. The ease of use may be appealing if you’re a novice, but the only way to make it as customizable as Smartsheet is to use third-party apps, extensions and add-ons. And it only offers integration capabilities with 94 applications.

While it does have two-factor authentication, it’s not a great substitute for those looking for a Smartsheet alternative when it comes to security measures. That’s because while it does sometimes use TLS 1.2, it sometimes operates off 1.1 depending on the browser you’re using.

Pros and cons

Pros

Supports workspaces for work, personal and team use.
Offers productivity visualization tools.
Includes automated project task reminders.

Cons

No expense or time tracking.
Offers fewer integrations than Asana or Confluence.
Lacks native support for scrum or agile workflows.

What is Smartsheet?

Smartsheet is a cloud-based project management system that allows you to assign tasks and hold individual team members accountable, all while providing a big-picture view through integrated sheets. This software is extremely versatile. Not only is it used at a wide range of companies, but it can be used across a wide range of departments within the same company.

Smartsheet includes almost every important feature you could want from project management software, including:

Dependencies
Gantt charts
Kanban boards
Time tracking
Automations
Integrations
Document storage

Smartsheet has native integrations for 96 different software applications, including Slack, Adobe, Microsoft 365 Teams, Salesforce, Google WOrkspace and AWS. There are another 49 integrations when you consider partner apps and add-ons.

If you’re a single user, you’ll be able to continue to use the program for free with limited features. If you have a team or want access to full features, you can pick between three plans, including the:

Pro plan: $7 per user per month when you pay annually for up to 10 users, $9 per user per month if you pay monthly.
Business plan: $25 per user per month when you pay annually for a minimum of three users, $32 per user per month if you pay monthly.
Enterprise plan: Requires a quote from a sales rep, provides enterprise-grade security and controls.

You can get a free, 30-day trial without providing credit card information.