SHORT ON TIME? HERE’S A QUICK SUMMARY
Smartsheet is a powerful project management and work collaboration platform designed to help you streamline your workflows, enhance team productivity, and visualize project progress in real time. Whether you're tracking projects through Gantt charts, organizing tasks in a Kanban board, building custom forms, or creating dynamic dashboards, Smartsheet provides the flexibility and automation you need to manage projects efficiently. With its intuitive interface, robust integrations, and extensive customization options, Smartsheet is an ideal solution for teams looking to stay organized and drive projects to completion.
Smartsheet is a powerful project management and work collaboration platform designed to help you streamline your workflows, enhance team productivity, and visualize project progress in real time. Whether you're tracking projects through Gantt charts, organizing tasks in a Kanban board, building custom forms, or creating dynamic dashboards, Smartsheet provides the flexibility and automation you need to manage projects efficiently. With its intuitive interface, robust integrations, and extensive customization options, Smartsheet is an ideal solution for teams looking to stay organized and drive projects to completion.
👍 PROS:
- Highly customizable dashboard for real-time project tracking
- Intuitive form builder for easy data collection and automation
- Pre-built Gantt chart templates for project planning
- Drag-and-drop Kanban board for agile workflow management
- Seamless collaboration with automated reminders and notifications
- Integrates with tools like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and Jira
- Enterprise-grade security with user permissions and access control
- Scalable for small teams and large enterprises alike
- Powerful automation tools to reduce manual work
- Mobile-friendly for managing tasks on the go
- Highly flexible and feature-rich with extensive customization options
- Includes web form integration, proofing, and approval workflows
- Advanced resource management tools available in the Business plan
- Hybrid spreadsheets for cross-department data
- Extensive app integrations and templates
- Automated workflows across spreadsheets
👎 CONS:
- Steep learning curve for new users due to extensive features
- No native time tracking, requiring third-party integrations
- Limited offline functionality compared to competitors
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SEE WHAT USERS HAVE TO SAY
"I have been using SmartSheet for a while now, and I must say that it has become an indispensable tool in my daily work routine. What I like most about SmartSheet is its remarkable versatility. It's not just a project management tool, it's an all-in-one solution that can adapt to various tasks and projects, making it highly efficient for both individuals and teams."
"We are a Google campus so SmartSheet works perfectly for managing projects: Links to Google Docs, SmartSheet Add Ons like Merge allow for creating formatted reports in Google Docs using SmartSheet data rows. SmartSheet Alerts is a great feature not provided by Google Docs and works wonderfully with SmartSheet Web Forms. We're alerted of a submission for every entry, immediately or once daily if desired. Update Requests allow for easy tracking and follow up of action items. I call it Google Docs on steroids. For you're using Google Docs/Email/Calendar then user adaptability is not a problem. I love that SmartSheets is continuously evolving but adding new features. Keep it up SmartSheets. :)"
"Having used a number of different systems in the past on projects, I am very happy to say I made the switch to Smartsheet and have not looked back since. Apart from using it for projects, it seems to have automatically become my preferred system to do just about everything from budgeting to resource management and even just sharing data."
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Smartsheet is a cloud-based project management platform that blends the familiarity of spreadsheet functionality with advanced task tracking and collaboration tools. It allows you to organize tasks, automate workflows, track progress, and collaborate in real time. Whether you need a dashboard for executive reporting, a Gantt chart for project timelines, or a Kanban board for task prioritization, Smartsheet provides the flexibility to meet your needs.
Unlike traditional project management software, Smartsheet closely resembles Microsoft Excel but is enhanced with templates, automation, and advanced formatting tools designed for business workflows. You can still track expenses, budgets, and create forms, but Smartsheet takes it a step further by allowing customizable fields, drop-down menus, and real-time updates. For example, you can create interactive checklists, assign tasks to team members, and set deadlines—all within an intuitive, spreadsheet-like environment.
One of Smartsheet’s strengths is its drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy to reorder tasks, create sub-tasks, or move items to a "Done" column based on your workflow preferences. Additionally, conditional formatting lets you highlight upcoming deadlines, track priorities, and visually organize data at a glance.
Smartsheet is also powerful for creating hybrid spreadsheets, allowing you to combine project budgeting, expense tracking, and time management into a single view. You can see which team members are assigned to specific projects within an expense sheet or integrate expense reports directly into a project timeline. This flexibility makes Smartsheet a versatile tool for managing complex workflows across departments.
WHO SHOULD USE SMARTSHEET?
Smartsheet is designed for businesses and teams looking to streamline project management and improve collaboration. Here’s how different users can benefit:
Project Managers: Plan, track, and execute projects with Gantt charts and automated workflows.
Marketing Teams: Manage campaigns, content calendars, and approvals in one centralized space.
IT Departments: Track IT requests, software rollouts, and security compliance.
Construction & Engineering Firms: Monitor progress, deadlines, and resource allocation.
HR & Recruiting Teams: Organize hiring pipelines, onboarding processes, and employee tracking.
Freelancers & Consultants: Keep track of client projects, deadlines, and deliverables.
Agile Teams: Utilize Kanban boards for sprint planning and backlog management.
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES?
Managing projects, workflows, and team collaboration can be overwhelming—especially as businesses scale. Smartsheet is designed to simplify work management, increase efficiency, and provide real-time visibility into projects and processes. Whether you’re a small business, an enterprise team, or part of a specific industry like marketing, IT, or construction, Smartsheet offers a flexible and intuitive platform tailored to your needs.
With automation, dashboards, reporting, resource management, and intelligent workflows, Smartsheet helps organizations move beyond traditional spreadsheets and streamline their operations. Below, we explore Smartsheet’s core features and how they can benefit different types of teams and industries.
Automation
Smartsheet’s automation capabilities help you eliminate repetitive tasks and reduce manual errors. With no-code automation, you can create workflows that trigger actions based on set conditions, such as:
Automatically assigning tasks and sending notifications.
Generating status updates when project milestones are met.
Approving budget requests through a multi-step workflow.
This feature ensures that your team stays focused on high-value work, minimizing administrative overhead.
Team Collaboration
Smartsheet provides a centralized workspace where team members can work together efficiently. Key collaboration tools include:
File Sharing – Attach documents, images, and spreadsheets directly to tasks.
Real-Time Comments & Mentions – Keep discussions organized within project sheets.
Update Requests – Automate status updates and responses from stakeholders.
With built-in version control and real-time updates, teams can collaborate without the confusion of outdated information.
Dashboards & Reporting
Smartsheet enables data-driven decision-making through its interactive dashboards and customizable reports. Features include:
Live Data Visualization – View KPIs and project performance at a glance.
Cross-Project Reporting – Pull insights from multiple projects into a single report.
Custom Widgets – Personalize dashboards with graphs, charts, and filters.
This feature allows leadership teams to monitor performance metrics, spot bottlenecks, and make informed decisions quickly.
Proofing & Approval Workflows
For teams managing creative or document-heavy projects, Smartsheet’s proofing feature simplifies the review and approval process:
Commenting & Markups – Stakeholders can annotate documents directly within Smartsheet.
Approval Stages – Multi-level review processes ensure compliance and quality control.
Version Control – Keep track of changes and maintain an audit trail.
This helps marketing, design, and legal teams streamline the approval of assets, contracts, and other business documents.
Account Administration
Smartsheet offers robust administrative controls to maintain security and compliance within organizations. Features include:
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) – Assign different permission levels to team members.
Audit Logs – Track user actions for security and compliance purposes.
Single Sign-On (SSO) & Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Enhance security through enterprise authentication methods.
These security-focused capabilities make Smartsheet an ideal choice for enterprises managing sensitive data.
Integrations
Smartsheet integrates seamlessly with over 100 third-party tools, allowing businesses to connect their existing software ecosystem. Some of the most popular integrations include:
Microsoft 365 & Google Workspace – Sync data from spreadsheets, documents, and calendars.
Slack & Microsoft Teams – Receive project updates and notifications directly in chat apps.
Salesforce & Jira – Sync CRM and development workflows for better cross-team collaboration.
By connecting Smartsheet with your favorite apps, you can reduce manual data entry and streamline workflows across platforms.
Digital Asset Management
Managing digital content is effortless with Smartsheet’s Digital Asset Management (DAM) system. Key capabilities include:
Centralized Storage – Keep all media assets in one location for easy access.
Version Control – Track changes to documents and revert to previous versions.
Metadata Tagging & Search – – Quickly find files using labels, categories, and keywords.
This feature is especially beneficial for marketing teams, creative agencies, and businesses managing large volumes of digital content.
Resource Management
Smartsheet helps organizations allocate resources efficiently by providing real-time visibility into team workloads. Features include:
Workload Balancing – Distribute tasks based on availability and capacity.
Project Timelines – Visualize deadlines to prevent bottlenecks.
Time Tracking & Forecasting – Estimate effort required for future projects.
By optimizing resource allocation, companies can maximize productivity while preventing team burnout.
Portfolio Management
For organizations managing multiple projects, Smartsheet’s Portfolio Management tools provide:
Project Prioritization – Align initiatives with business objectives.
Real-Time Tracking – View progress across multiple projects in one interface.
Risk Analysis – – Identify potential roadblocks early and adjust accordingly.
This feature is ideal for PMOs (Project Management Offices), enterprises, and large teams looking to maintain oversight on complex initiatives.
Secure Request Management
Smartsheet makes managing internal and external requests easier through structured intake forms and approval workflows. With this tool, you can:
Standardize how requests are submitted and tracked.
Automate approvals based on defined rules.
Ensure compliance with data security regulations.
This is useful for HR teams, IT support desks, procurement teams, and finance departments handling purchase approvals.
Intelligent Workflows
Smartsheet incorporates AI-driven automation to optimize workflows and decision-making. Capabilities include:
Predictive Analytics – Gain insights into project risks and trends.
Smart Suggestions – AI recommends task assignments and deadlines.
Data Mapping – Automate data transfer between sheets and systems.
By leveraging AI-powered workflows, organizations can increase efficiency and minimize errors in complex projects.
No-Code Work Apps
With Smartsheet WorkApps, you can build custom business applications without writing a single line of code. This feature enables you to:
Create custom interfaces tailored to specific business processes.
Connect data from multiple sheets and dashboards.
Provide role-based access to ensure the right people see the right information.
IS IT EASY TO USE?
Smartsheet’s onboarding process is simple and intuitive. You’ll start by entering basic details like your name, industry, role, team size, and how you plan to use Smartsheet. From there, you’ll name your project, add tasks, and set up dashboards. While building a project from scratch can take longer than using a pre-made template—and may come with a slight learning curve—once you’re set up, the platform is straightforward and easy to navigate.
USER INTERFACE
When we tested Smartsheet, we found its interface to be intuitive yet packed with powerful features. At first glance, it looks and feels a lot like Microsoft Excel, but with more interactive elements, collaboration tools, and project management capabilities.
One of the things we appreciated was the clean and structured layout. The dashboard is well-organized, making it easy to navigate between sheets, reports, and dashboards. Customization is a big strength—whether you're setting up Gantt charts, Kanban boards, or automated workflows, you can tailor everything to fit your specific needs.
A standout feature is drag-and-drop functionality, which makes rearranging tasks, creating sub-tasks, and prioritizing work effortless. Conditional formatting adds another layer of usability, allowing you to highlight deadlines, track progress visually, and filter key data at a glance.
That said, Smartsheet does have a learning curve, especially if you’re transitioning from simpler project management tools. Building a project from scratch takes some initial effort, but once everything is set up, the platform becomes highly intuitive and easy to use.
Overall, we found Smartsheet’s interface to be user-friendly, flexible, and designed for efficiency. It strikes a balance between spreadsheet familiarity and modern project management, making it a solid choice for teams who need both structure and adaptability.
DESKTOP AND MOBILE APPS
Smartsheet offers both desktop and mobile applications, ensuring you can manage your projects from anywhere. The web-based desktop version is the most feature-rich, allowing for full project customization, automation setup, detailed reporting, and team collaboration. It performs well across browsers, with a clean, spreadsheet-like interface that integrates smoothly with third-party apps.
On the mobile side, Smartsheet provides iOS and Android apps, optimized for on-the-go project tracking. While the mobile app doesn’t offer the full functionality of the desktop version, it works well for quick updates, reviewing discussions, proofing files, and checking project statuses. The interface is streamlined, making it easier to navigate tasks, receive notifications, and respond to approvals without feeling overwhelmed.
That said, building complex projects, setting up automations, or managing large data sets is still better suited for the desktop experience. The mobile app is best for staying connected and handling quick actions, rather than heavy-duty project management.
IS IT SAFE AND SECURE?
Yes, Smartsheet is highly secure, offering enterprise-grade protection to safeguard your data. The platform is SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA compliant, ensuring that businesses handling sensitive information can meet regulatory requirements.
From our experience, role-based access controls (RBAC) allow you to define user permissions, ensuring that only authorized team members can access, edit, or share data. Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and encryption protocols further enhance security, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Smartsheet also provides audit logs and activity tracking, allowing admins to monitor changes, user activity, and data access in real time. For businesses needing even greater protection, the Enterprise Plan includes advanced security features like domain-restricted sharing and compliance controls.
HOW MUCH IS IT?
Smartsheet offers four pricing tiers: Free, Pro, Business, and Enterprise. You can start with a 30-day free trial of the Business plan without needing a credit card, and if you choose not to upgrade, your account will automatically downgrade to the Free plan.
The Pro Plan, priced at $9 per user per month or $84 per user per year, supports up to 10 users and provides essential features such as unlimited sheets, reports, dashboards, and integrations. It includes 250 automations per month, forms for data collection, user management controls, and 20GB of file storage. However, teams are limited to 10 editors.
For growing teams, the Business Plan, at $32 per user per month or $300 per user per year, offers enhanced capabilities by removing editor limitations and significantly expanding automation and storage. It includes unlimited automations, 1TB of attachment storage, and advanced features such as baselines, proofing, and activity logs. Additionally, the plan integrates the Resource Management Suite (previously a separate tool called 10,000ft) and provides more advanced admin and security controls.
The Enterprise Plan is designed for large organizations that require enhanced security, compliance, and administrative features. Pricing for this plan is customized based on business needs, so organizations must contact Smartsheet for a tailored quote.
IS THERE A FREE VERSION?
Yes, Smartsheet offers a Free Plan, but it comes with limitations. The Free Plan is designed for individuals and allows only one user with up to two additional editors. It includes access to dashboards, multiple sheet views (such as Kanban and Calendar), 100 automations per month, and 500MB of attachment storage. However, it does not support web forms for data collection, and its collaboration features are restricted compared to the paid plans. If you sign up for the 30-day free trial of the Business plan and choose not to upgrade, your account will automatically downgrade to the Free Plan once the trial ends.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Smartsheet offers a variety of customer support options, ensuring users can find assistance when needed. Throughout our time using the platform, we had several interactions with Smartsheet’s support team, and overall, we found them to be responsive, knowledgeable, and committed to helping users resolve issues efficiently.
For Pro and Business plan users, Smartsheet provides 24/7 live chat and email support, which we tested multiple times. The live chat team responded quickly, typically within a few minutes, and provided clear, step-by-step guidance on setting up automations, troubleshooting formulas, and optimizing dashboards. Email responses took a bit longer, but we still received detailed answers within a reasonable timeframe.
Enterprise users have access to phone support, which we found to be particularly useful for more complex inquiries. When we reached out for help configuring role-based permissions and security settings, the phone support agent was patient and well-informed, walking us through the entire setup process in real-time.
Beyond direct support, Smartsheet offers a comprehensive knowledge base, which includes how-to guides, FAQs, and video tutorials. We often found that many common questions—such as how to customize workflows or use advanced formulas—were already answered in their documentation. Additionally, the Smartsheet Community Forum is an excellent resource where users share best practices, troubleshoot issues, and exchange ideas.
BOTTOMLINE
If you're looking for a versatile project management tool with powerful dashboards, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and form-building capabilities, Smartsheet is a top choice. While it requires some initial setup, the platform’s automation, integrations, and collaboration features make it a game-changer for teams that need to stay organized and efficient. Whether you’re managing a small project or a large-scale enterprise workflow, Smartsheet helps you work smarter, not harder.
FAQ
What is Smartsheet used for?
Smartsheet is a cloud-based project management and work collaboration tool that combines spreadsheet-style functionality with advanced workflow automation, reporting, and team collaboration features. It’s used for task tracking, project planning, resource management, and automating business processes.
Is Smartsheet free to use?
Smartsheet offers a Free Plan, but it has limitations, such as only one user, two editors, and 100 automations per month. Paid plans (Pro, Business, and Enterprise) unlock more advanced features like unlimited automation, reporting, dashboards, and integrations.
How does Smartsheet compare to Excel?
While Smartsheet has a spreadsheet-like interface, it goes beyond traditional spreadsheets by offering project tracking, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, automation, and integrations. Unlike Excel, Smartsheet is collaborative in real-time, making it better suited for team-based project management.
Can Smartsheet integrate with other apps?
Yes, Smartsheet integrates with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Jira, Slack, Box, Dropbox, and more. If a direct integration isn’t available, Zapier and Smartsheet’s API can be used to connect it with other applications.
Does Smartsheet support automation?
Yes, Smartsheet allows no-code automation for tasks like sending notifications, updating task statuses, approving workflows, and triggering reports based on predefined rules. Business and Enterprise plans offer unlimited automation.
Does Smartsheet have a mobile app?
Yes, Smartsheet has iOS and Android apps that allow users to view tasks, collaborate, proof files, receive notifications, and make quick updates. However, building complex project schedules is still best done on the desktop version.
Can I use Smartsheet offline?
Smartsheet is primarily cloud-based, meaning most features require an internet connection. While some data may be accessible in offline mode, you’ll need to reconnect to sync updates.
Is Smartsheet good for Agile project management?
Yes, Smartsheet supports Agile workflows with Kanban boards, sprint tracking, backlog management, and real-time collaboration tools. However, some users prefer dedicated Agile tools like Jira for software development projects.
How secure is Smartsheet?
Smartsheet offers enterprise-grade security, including SOC 2 Type II compliance, GDPR and HIPAA adherence, role-based access controls (RBAC), Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and audit logs.
Does Smartsheet offer Gantt charts?
Yes, Smartsheet includes Gantt chart templates, allowing users to visualize project timelines, set dependencies, and track progress.
How do permissions work in Smartsheet?
Smartsheet offers role-based access control, meaning you can set user roles such as Admin, Editor, Viewer, or Commenter to restrict or grant different levels of access to sheets and reports.
"I have been using SmartSheet for a while now, and I must say that it has become an indispensable tool in my daily work routine. What I like most about SmartSheet is its remarkable versatility. It's not just a project management tool, it's an all-in-one solution that can adapt to various tasks and projects, making it highly efficient for both individuals and teams."
"We are a Google campus so SmartSheet works perfectly for managing projects: Links to Google Docs, SmartSheet Add Ons like Merge allow for creating formatted reports in Google Docs using SmartSheet data rows. SmartSheet Alerts is a great feature not provided by Google Docs and works wonderfully with SmartSheet Web Forms. We're alerted of a submission for every entry, immediately or once daily if desired. Update Requests allow for easy tracking and follow up of action items. I call it Google Docs on steroids. For you're using Google Docs/Email/Calendar then user adaptability is not a problem. I love that SmartSheets is continuously evolving but adding new features. Keep it up SmartSheets. :)"
"Having used a number of different systems in the past on projects, I am very happy to say I made the switch to Smartsheet and have not looked back since. Apart from using it for projects, it seems to have automatically become my preferred system to do just about everything from budgeting to resource management and even just sharing data."
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Smartsheet is a cloud-based project management platform that blends the familiarity of spreadsheet functionality with advanced task tracking and collaboration tools. It allows you to organize tasks, automate workflows, track progress, and collaborate in real time. Whether you need a dashboard for executive reporting, a Gantt chart for project timelines, or a Kanban board for task prioritization, Smartsheet provides the flexibility to meet your needs.
Unlike traditional project management software, Smartsheet closely resembles Microsoft Excel but is enhanced with templates, automation, and advanced formatting tools designed for business workflows. You can still track expenses, budgets, and create forms, but Smartsheet takes it a step further by allowing customizable fields, drop-down menus, and real-time updates. For example, you can create interactive checklists, assign tasks to team members, and set deadlines—all within an intuitive, spreadsheet-like environment.
One of Smartsheet’s strengths is its drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy to reorder tasks, create sub-tasks, or move items to a "Done" column based on your workflow preferences. Additionally, conditional formatting lets you highlight upcoming deadlines, track priorities, and visually organize data at a glance.
Smartsheet is also powerful for creating hybrid spreadsheets, allowing you to combine project budgeting, expense tracking, and time management into a single view. You can see which team members are assigned to specific projects within an expense sheet or integrate expense reports directly into a project timeline. This flexibility makes Smartsheet a versatile tool for managing complex workflows across departments.
WHO SHOULD USE SMARTSHEET?
Smartsheet is designed for businesses and teams looking to streamline project management and improve collaboration. Here’s how different users can benefit:
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES?
Managing projects, workflows, and team collaboration can be overwhelming—especially as businesses scale. Smartsheet is designed to simplify work management, increase efficiency, and provide real-time visibility into projects and processes. Whether you’re a small business, an enterprise team, or part of a specific industry like marketing, IT, or construction, Smartsheet offers a flexible and intuitive platform tailored to your needs.
With automation, dashboards, reporting, resource management, and intelligent workflows, Smartsheet helps organizations move beyond traditional spreadsheets and streamline their operations. Below, we explore Smartsheet’s core features and how they can benefit different types of teams and industries.
Automation
Smartsheet’s automation capabilities help you eliminate repetitive tasks and reduce manual errors. With no-code automation, you can create workflows that trigger actions based on set conditions, such as:
This feature ensures that your team stays focused on high-value work, minimizing administrative overhead.
Team Collaboration
Smartsheet provides a centralized workspace where team members can work together efficiently. Key collaboration tools include:
With built-in version control and real-time updates, teams can collaborate without the confusion of outdated information.
Dashboards & Reporting
Smartsheet enables data-driven decision-making through its interactive dashboards and customizable reports. Features include:
This feature allows leadership teams to monitor performance metrics, spot bottlenecks, and make informed decisions quickly.
Proofing & Approval Workflows
For teams managing creative or document-heavy projects, Smartsheet’s proofing feature simplifies the review and approval process:
This helps marketing, design, and legal teams streamline the approval of assets, contracts, and other business documents.
Account Administration
Smartsheet offers robust administrative controls to maintain security and compliance within organizations. Features include:
These security-focused capabilities make Smartsheet an ideal choice for enterprises managing sensitive data.
Integrations
Smartsheet integrates seamlessly with over 100 third-party tools, allowing businesses to connect their existing software ecosystem. Some of the most popular integrations include:
By connecting Smartsheet with your favorite apps, you can reduce manual data entry and streamline workflows across platforms.
Digital Asset Management
Managing digital content is effortless with Smartsheet’s Digital Asset Management (DAM) system. Key capabilities include:
This feature is especially beneficial for marketing teams, creative agencies, and businesses managing large volumes of digital content.
Resource Management
Smartsheet helps organizations allocate resources efficiently by providing real-time visibility into team workloads. Features include:
By optimizing resource allocation, companies can maximize productivity while preventing team burnout.
Portfolio Management
For organizations managing multiple projects, Smartsheet’s Portfolio Management tools provide:
This feature is ideal for PMOs (Project Management Offices), enterprises, and large teams looking to maintain oversight on complex initiatives.
Secure Request Management
Smartsheet makes managing internal and external requests easier through structured intake forms and approval workflows. With this tool, you can:
This is useful for HR teams, IT support desks, procurement teams, and finance departments handling purchase approvals.
Intelligent Workflows
Smartsheet incorporates AI-driven automation to optimize workflows and decision-making. Capabilities include:
By leveraging AI-powered workflows, organizations can increase efficiency and minimize errors in complex projects.
No-Code Work Apps
With Smartsheet WorkApps, you can build custom business applications without writing a single line of code. This feature enables you to:
IS IT EASY TO USE?
Smartsheet’s onboarding process is simple and intuitive. You’ll start by entering basic details like your name, industry, role, team size, and how you plan to use Smartsheet. From there, you’ll name your project, add tasks, and set up dashboards. While building a project from scratch can take longer than using a pre-made template—and may come with a slight learning curve—once you’re set up, the platform is straightforward and easy to navigate.
USER INTERFACE
When we tested Smartsheet, we found its interface to be intuitive yet packed with powerful features. At first glance, it looks and feels a lot like Microsoft Excel, but with more interactive elements, collaboration tools, and project management capabilities.
One of the things we appreciated was the clean and structured layout. The dashboard is well-organized, making it easy to navigate between sheets, reports, and dashboards. Customization is a big strength—whether you're setting up Gantt charts, Kanban boards, or automated workflows, you can tailor everything to fit your specific needs.
A standout feature is drag-and-drop functionality, which makes rearranging tasks, creating sub-tasks, and prioritizing work effortless. Conditional formatting adds another layer of usability, allowing you to highlight deadlines, track progress visually, and filter key data at a glance.
That said, Smartsheet does have a learning curve, especially if you’re transitioning from simpler project management tools. Building a project from scratch takes some initial effort, but once everything is set up, the platform becomes highly intuitive and easy to use.
Overall, we found Smartsheet’s interface to be user-friendly, flexible, and designed for efficiency. It strikes a balance between spreadsheet familiarity and modern project management, making it a solid choice for teams who need both structure and adaptability.
DESKTOP AND MOBILE APPS
Smartsheet offers both desktop and mobile applications, ensuring you can manage your projects from anywhere. The web-based desktop version is the most feature-rich, allowing for full project customization, automation setup, detailed reporting, and team collaboration. It performs well across browsers, with a clean, spreadsheet-like interface that integrates smoothly with third-party apps.
On the mobile side, Smartsheet provides iOS and Android apps, optimized for on-the-go project tracking. While the mobile app doesn’t offer the full functionality of the desktop version, it works well for quick updates, reviewing discussions, proofing files, and checking project statuses. The interface is streamlined, making it easier to navigate tasks, receive notifications, and respond to approvals without feeling overwhelmed.
That said, building complex projects, setting up automations, or managing large data sets is still better suited for the desktop experience. The mobile app is best for staying connected and handling quick actions, rather than heavy-duty project management.
IS IT SAFE AND SECURE?
Yes, Smartsheet is highly secure, offering enterprise-grade protection to safeguard your data. The platform is SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA compliant, ensuring that businesses handling sensitive information can meet regulatory requirements.
From our experience, role-based access controls (RBAC) allow you to define user permissions, ensuring that only authorized team members can access, edit, or share data. Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and encryption protocols further enhance security, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Smartsheet also provides audit logs and activity tracking, allowing admins to monitor changes, user activity, and data access in real time. For businesses needing even greater protection, the Enterprise Plan includes advanced security features like domain-restricted sharing and compliance controls.
HOW MUCH IS IT?
Smartsheet offers four pricing tiers: Free, Pro, Business, and Enterprise. You can start with a 30-day free trial of the Business plan without needing a credit card, and if you choose not to upgrade, your account will automatically downgrade to the Free plan.
The Pro Plan, priced at $9 per user per month or $84 per user per year, supports up to 10 users and provides essential features such as unlimited sheets, reports, dashboards, and integrations. It includes 250 automations per month, forms for data collection, user management controls, and 20GB of file storage. However, teams are limited to 10 editors.
For growing teams, the Business Plan, at $32 per user per month or $300 per user per year, offers enhanced capabilities by removing editor limitations and significantly expanding automation and storage. It includes unlimited automations, 1TB of attachment storage, and advanced features such as baselines, proofing, and activity logs. Additionally, the plan integrates the Resource Management Suite (previously a separate tool called 10,000ft) and provides more advanced admin and security controls.
The Enterprise Plan is designed for large organizations that require enhanced security, compliance, and administrative features. Pricing for this plan is customized based on business needs, so organizations must contact Smartsheet for a tailored quote.
IS THERE A FREE VERSION?
Yes, Smartsheet offers a Free Plan, but it comes with limitations. The Free Plan is designed for individuals and allows only one user with up to two additional editors. It includes access to dashboards, multiple sheet views (such as Kanban and Calendar), 100 automations per month, and 500MB of attachment storage. However, it does not support web forms for data collection, and its collaboration features are restricted compared to the paid plans. If you sign up for the 30-day free trial of the Business plan and choose not to upgrade, your account will automatically downgrade to the Free Plan once the trial ends.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Smartsheet offers a variety of customer support options, ensuring users can find assistance when needed. Throughout our time using the platform, we had several interactions with Smartsheet’s support team, and overall, we found them to be responsive, knowledgeable, and committed to helping users resolve issues efficiently.
For Pro and Business plan users, Smartsheet provides 24/7 live chat and email support, which we tested multiple times. The live chat team responded quickly, typically within a few minutes, and provided clear, step-by-step guidance on setting up automations, troubleshooting formulas, and optimizing dashboards. Email responses took a bit longer, but we still received detailed answers within a reasonable timeframe.
Enterprise users have access to phone support, which we found to be particularly useful for more complex inquiries. When we reached out for help configuring role-based permissions and security settings, the phone support agent was patient and well-informed, walking us through the entire setup process in real-time.
Beyond direct support, Smartsheet offers a comprehensive knowledge base, which includes how-to guides, FAQs, and video tutorials. We often found that many common questions—such as how to customize workflows or use advanced formulas—were already answered in their documentation. Additionally, the Smartsheet Community Forum is an excellent resource where users share best practices, troubleshoot issues, and exchange ideas.
BOTTOMLINE
If you're looking for a versatile project management tool with powerful dashboards, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and form-building capabilities, Smartsheet is a top choice. While it requires some initial setup, the platform’s automation, integrations, and collaboration features make it a game-changer for teams that need to stay organized and efficient. Whether you’re managing a small project or a large-scale enterprise workflow, Smartsheet helps you work smarter, not harder.
FAQ
What is Smartsheet used for?
Smartsheet is a cloud-based project management and work collaboration tool that combines spreadsheet-style functionality with advanced workflow automation, reporting, and team collaboration features. It’s used for task tracking, project planning, resource management, and automating business processes.
Is Smartsheet free to use?
Smartsheet offers a Free Plan, but it has limitations, such as only one user, two editors, and 100 automations per month. Paid plans (Pro, Business, and Enterprise) unlock more advanced features like unlimited automation, reporting, dashboards, and integrations.
How does Smartsheet compare to Excel?
While Smartsheet has a spreadsheet-like interface, it goes beyond traditional spreadsheets by offering project tracking, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, automation, and integrations. Unlike Excel, Smartsheet is collaborative in real-time, making it better suited for team-based project management.
Can Smartsheet integrate with other apps?
Yes, Smartsheet integrates with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Jira, Slack, Box, Dropbox, and more. If a direct integration isn’t available, Zapier and Smartsheet’s API can be used to connect it with other applications.
Does Smartsheet support automation?
Yes, Smartsheet allows no-code automation for tasks like sending notifications, updating task statuses, approving workflows, and triggering reports based on predefined rules. Business and Enterprise plans offer unlimited automation.
Does Smartsheet have a mobile app?
Yes, Smartsheet has iOS and Android apps that allow users to view tasks, collaborate, proof files, receive notifications, and make quick updates. However, building complex project schedules is still best done on the desktop version.
Can I use Smartsheet offline?
Smartsheet is primarily cloud-based, meaning most features require an internet connection. While some data may be accessible in offline mode, you’ll need to reconnect to sync updates.
Is Smartsheet good for Agile project management?
Yes, Smartsheet supports Agile workflows with Kanban boards, sprint tracking, backlog management, and real-time collaboration tools. However, some users prefer dedicated Agile tools like Jira for software development projects.
How secure is Smartsheet?
Smartsheet offers enterprise-grade security, including SOC 2 Type II compliance, GDPR and HIPAA adherence, role-based access controls (RBAC), Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and audit logs.
Does Smartsheet offer Gantt charts?
Yes, Smartsheet includes Gantt chart templates, allowing users to visualize project timelines, set dependencies, and track progress.
How do permissions work in Smartsheet?
Smartsheet offers role-based access control, meaning you can set user roles such as Admin, Editor, Viewer, or Commenter to restrict or grant different levels of access to sheets and reports.
