Top 10 Smartsheet Alternatives for 2025

What is Smartsheet and Why Consider Alternatives?

Smartsheet has become a popular choice for businesses needing a blend of spreadsheet functionality and project management capabilities. At its core, it's a work management platform that uses a spreadsheet-like interface to organize tasks, track progress, and collaborate. You can use it for everything from simple task lists to complex project workflows, resource management, and even CRM functionalities.

However, Smartsheet isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Its pricing can be a barrier for smaller businesses, and its user interface, while familiar, can sometimes feel cluttered and overwhelming. Furthermore, some users find its customization options somewhat limited compared to more specialized project management tools.

The need for alternatives arises from various factors. Perhaps your budget is tight and Smartsheet's tiered pricing isn't sustainable. Maybe your team prefers a different user experience or requires more advanced features not readily available within Smartsheet. Or perhaps you're looking for a tool with better integrations with your existing tech stack. Whatever the reason, exploring alternatives ensures you find the right tool to streamline your processes and boost productivity.

Key Features to Look For in a Smartsheet Alternative

When choosing a Smartsheet alternative, it's crucial to pinpoint which functionalities you rely on most. While all offer task management and collaboration, their strengths vary. Here's what to keep in mind:

• Workflow Automation: Does the platform offer robust automation capabilities? Look for drag-and-drop workflow builders, conditional logic, and triggers that can streamline your processes.
• Reporting and Analytics: Can you easily generate reports, visualize data, and track progress? Look for customizable dashboards, charts, and the ability to export data.
• Collaboration Tools: Real-time collaboration is key. Features like commenting, task assignments, and shared workspaces enhance team productivity.
• Integrations: Does the software integrate with your existing tools (e.g., Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, CRM)? Seamless integration minimizes data silos and maximizes efficiency.
• Customization: Can you tailor the platform to your specific needs? Consider the ability to create custom fields, views, and formulas.
• Mobile Accessibility: A strong mobile app allows you and your team to stay connected and productive on the go.
• Security: Enterprise-level security features are essential for protecting sensitive data.
• Ease of Use: A steep learning curve can hinder adoption. Choose a platform that's intuitive and user-friendly.
• Scalability: Can the software grow with your business? Consider its ability to handle increasing data volume and user numbers.
• Pricing: Factor in not just the initial cost but also potential add-ons and scaling costs.

1. Monday.com: The Collaborative Work OS

Monday.com consistently ranks high in the project management and collaboration space, and for good reason. It's more than just a Smartsheet alternative; it's a full-fledged Work OS. What sets it apart is its intensely visual and customizable interface. Boards, columns, and statuses are easily configurable to match your specific workflows, making it adaptable to a wide variety of business processes - from marketing campaigns to sales pipelines and even HR onboarding.

Key Strengths:

• Intuitive Drag-and-Drop Interface: The visual nature of Monday.com makes it incredibly user-friendly, even for those with limited technical experience.
• Robust Automation Capabilities: Automate repetitive tasks, trigger notifications, and streamline workflows with Monday.com's powerful automation rules.
• Extensive Integrations: Connects seamlessly with popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and more, centralizing your data and communication.
• Excellent Collaboration Features: Real-time updates, commenting, and task assignments foster team collaboration and transparency.
• Highly Customizable Dashboards: Create personalized dashboards to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and gain valuable insights into your operations.

Potential Drawbacks:

• Pricing: Can be expensive for larger teams or those requiring advanced features. Tiered pricing structure means the best functionalities are locked behind higher-cost plans.
• Learning Curve (Advanced Features): While the basics are easy to grasp, mastering all of Monday.com's advanced features can take time and effort.

Ultimately, Monday.com's flexibility and collaborative features make it a strong contender for businesses looking to centralize their operations and improve team productivity.

2. Asana: Powering Agile Workflows

Asana has cemented its place as a leading project management tool, and for good reason. It's particularly strong for teams embracing Agile methodologies, offering a visual and intuitive interface that simplifies complex workflows. Think Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and timeline views - Asana offers it all, allowing for granular task assignment, dependency mapping, and progress tracking.

What sets Asana apart is its flexibility. While it's robust enough for large enterprises, it's also incredibly accessible to smaller teams just starting to structure their work. Its focus on collaboration features, such as task commenting, file sharing, and automated notifications, fosters a transparent and communicative work environment. Plus, integrations with popular apps like Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams ensure seamless data flow across your entire tech stack.

However, Asana's power can also be a potential drawback. The sheer number of features and customization options can feel overwhelming for new users. There's a learning curve involved in mastering its full potential. Furthermore, pricing can escalate quickly as your team grows and you require more advanced features.

3. ClickUp: Highly Customizable and Feature-Rich

ClickUp positions itself as a project management powerhouse, and for good reason. It's arguably one of the most customizable options on this list, offering a truly one app to rule them all experience. Forget juggling multiple tools - ClickUp aims to consolidate everything from task management and document collaboration to time tracking and goal setting.

What makes ClickUp stand out?

• Extensive Customization: You can tailor almost every aspect of ClickUp to your specific workflow. This includes custom fields, statuses, views (list, board, calendar, Gantt chart, etc.), and even custom icons. This level of control is fantastic for teams with unique processes or those needing a solution that can be perfectly molded to their needs.
• Hierarchical Structure: ClickUp uses a hierarchical system (Spaces > Folders > Lists > Tasks > Subtasks) which allows for incredible organization and detail. This makes it perfect for complex projects with numerous moving parts.
• Robust Features: Beyond the basics, ClickUp offers features like goal tracking, time estimates, automation (using ClickApps), whiteboards, and even a built-in chat function.
• Free Plan: ClickUp's generous free plan is a great way to test the waters and see if the platform is the right fit before committing to a paid subscription.

Potential Downsides:

• Steep Learning Curve: With so many features and customization options, ClickUp can feel overwhelming initially. It requires a time investment to learn the platform effectively.
• Can Be Cluttered: The sheer number of options can lead to a cluttered interface if not managed carefully.

Who is ClickUp best for? Teams who require a highly customizable and feature-rich platform willing to invest the time to learn its intricacies. It's particularly well-suited for project managers, operations teams, and organizations with complex workflows.

4. Trello: Visual Task Management with Kanban

Trello's strength lies in its visual appeal and ease of use, built around the Kanban board system. This makes it incredibly intuitive for teams who prefer a drag-and-drop interface to manage tasks. Cards represent individual tasks, and you can move them across columns (typically To Do, In Progress, and Done) to reflect their current status. Beyond basic task management, Trello allows for extensive customization. You can add checklists to cards, assign due dates, add attachments, and collaborate with team members through comments. Power-Ups (integrations) expand its functionality, connecting it to tools like Slack, Google Drive, and more.

While the free plan is generous for smaller teams, power users and larger organizations will likely need the paid plans to unlock features like advanced reporting, unlimited boards, and priority support. It's a great option for teams who prioritize visual organization and straightforward task tracking, but might lack the advanced spreadsheet capabilities found in Smartsheet.

5. Airtable: The Spreadsheet-Database Hybrid

Airtable occupies a unique space in the landscape of Smartsheet alternatives. It's often described as a spreadsheet-database hybrid, and for good reason. It combines the familiarity and ease of use of spreadsheets with the power and flexibility of a relational database. This means you can organize your data in a visually appealing and easily navigable grid view, while also linking tables, creating calculated fields, and establishing complex relationships-something traditional spreadsheets struggle with.

What makes Airtable shine?

• Flexibility: Airtable is incredibly adaptable. It can be used for everything from simple task tracking and content calendars to complex CRM and inventory management systems. The pre-built templates are a great starting point, and the customization options are vast.
• Collaboration: Like Smartsheet, Airtable offers robust collaboration features, allowing multiple team members to access and update information in real-time. Sharing views and permissions are straightforward.
• Integrations: Airtable boasts a thriving ecosystem of integrations with popular apps like Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams. This seamless connectivity streamlines workflows and minimizes data silos.
• Beautiful Interface: Many users find Airtable's user interface to be more visually appealing and intuitive than Smartsheet, contributing to increased adoption and user satisfaction.

Potential Downsides:

• Learning Curve (for advanced features): While the basics are easy to grasp, mastering Airtable's more advanced features, like complex relationships and automations, can require a bit of a learning curve.
• Pricing: While there's a free plan, the cost can escalate quickly as your team grows and you require more storage and advanced features.

Ultimately, Airtable is an excellent choice for businesses that need a flexible, powerful, and visually appealing solution for data organization and collaboration, particularly if they're outgrowing simple spreadsheets but aren't quite ready for a full-fledged database system.

6. Notion: Your All-in-One Workspace

Notion has exploded in popularity, and for good reason. It's far more than just a spreadsheet; it's a fully customizable workspace that combines note-taking, project management, databases, and wikis all in one place. While it may not have the dedicated spreadsheet power of Smartsheet, its flexibility is a major draw.

Here's why Notion deserves consideration:

• Database Power: Notion's databases are remarkably versatile. You can build custom project trackers, CRM systems, content calendars, or anything else you can imagine. Properties like relationships, formulas, and views (table, board, calendar, gallery) give you a ton of control.
• Beautiful Interface: The aesthetic appeal of Notion is undeniable. Its clean and modern interface makes it enjoyable to use, which can improve team adoption.
• Collaboration: Real-time collaboration features allow multiple users to work together seamlessly.
• Templates: Notion offers a vast library of user-created templates to get you started quickly.
• Knowledge Base: Build internal wikis and documentation for easy access to company information.

However, be aware: The learning curve can be a bit steeper than some of the more focused Smartsheet alternatives. It's a powerful tool, but requires some effort to master. It also lacks some of the advanced reporting features found in Smartsheet.

7. Wrike: For Complex Project Management

Wrike distinguishes itself with a robust feature set geared towards complex project management and collaboration. It's more than just a spreadsheet; it's a fully-fledged work management platform. Key features include customizable dashboards, Gantt charts, resource management capabilities, and proofing tools - all designed to streamline workflows and keep large teams aligned.

Who is it for? Wrike is an excellent choice for businesses dealing with intricate projects, multiple stakeholders, and a need for granular control over tasks and resources. Marketing agencies, construction companies, and product development teams often find its features invaluable.

What's good? Its flexibility is a major selling point. You can tailor workflows, create custom request forms, and integrate with a wide range of tools. The reporting capabilities are also impressive, providing deep insights into project performance.

What's not so good? The learning curve can be steep, especially for users unfamiliar with project management software. The pricing can also be a barrier for smaller businesses with limited budgets, as it's typically geared towards mid-to-large enterprises. There's also a perception that its interface, while functional, isn't the most intuitive or visually appealing.

8. Zoho Projects: Integrated with Zoho's Ecosystem

Zoho Projects shines for businesses already invested in the Zoho ecosystem. Its deep integration with Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and other Zoho applications allows for seamless data flow and process automation. This eliminates manual data entry and reduces the risk of errors, significantly improving efficiency. You can easily pull customer information from Zoho CRM into your project tasks, link invoices from Zoho Books to completed projects, and generally keep all your business data connected.

Beyond the Zoho suite, Zoho Projects offers robust features like Gantt charts, task dependencies, time tracking, and customizable dashboards. Its collaborative features, including discussion forums and document sharing, keep teams aligned. While the user interface might not be as modern as some competitors, its powerful features and affordability, especially for existing Zoho users, make it a compelling option. Free plan is available, but limited.

9. Microsoft Project: A Powerful, Established Option

Microsoft Project is a heavyweight contender in the project management space, and for good reason. It's been around for decades and boasts a robust feature set, particularly well-suited for complex projects with dependencies, critical paths, and resource management needs. Think of it as the 'enterprise-grade' option compared to some of the more user-friendly alternatives on this list.

What it Does Well:

• Detailed Scheduling: Microsoft Project excels at creating intricate project schedules with task dependencies, milestones, and deadlines. The Gantt chart functionality is powerful and allows for precise planning.
• Resource Management: It provides extensive tools to allocate resources (people, equipment, materials) to tasks, track their availability, and optimize utilization. This is crucial for projects with limited resources.
• Critical Path Analysis: Easily identify the critical path - the sequence of tasks that directly impacts the project's completion date - and proactively manage potential delays.
• Reporting: Generate detailed reports on project progress, resource allocation, and overall performance, aiding in informed decision-making.
• Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products like Excel, Word, and Teams, streamlining workflows.

Where it Falls Short:

• Steep Learning Curve: Microsoft Project can be intimidating for new users. Its extensive features and complex interface require significant training and practice to master.
• Cost: It's a more expensive option compared to many Smartsheet alternatives, particularly for smaller businesses. Licensing can be a significant investment.
• Collaboration: While collaboration features exist, they aren't as intuitive or real-time as some newer cloud-based alternatives.
• User Interface: The interface, while powerful, can feel dated and less visually appealing than some of the modern options.

Who it's Best For: Large organizations, project managers dealing with complex, multi-faceted projects, and teams comfortable with a more traditional project management approach. If you're already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, Project is a logical extension.

10. Jira: For Agile Teams and Complex Workflows

While Smartsheet excels in project planning and task management for a broad range of industries, Jira (from Atlassian) is a powerhouse specifically designed for software development teams practicing Agile methodologies. It's much more than just a task tracker; it's a complete ecosystem for issue tracking, project management, and collaboration.

Key Features:

• Agile Boards: Kanban and Scrum boards to visualize workflow and track progress.
• Issue Tracking: Robust system for bug reporting, feature requests, and task assignments.
• Reporting & Analytics: Powerful reporting tools to identify bottlenecks and improve team performance.
• Customization: Highly customizable workflows and fields to fit specific team needs.
• Integrations: Integrates with a vast array of development tools like Bitbucket, GitHub, and Slack.

Why Consider It? Jira is a strong contender if your primary focus is software development and you need a tool deeply integrated with the development lifecycle. It's complex to learn and implement initially, but offers immense power for teams who embrace Agile.

Potential Drawbacks: The learning curve can be steep, and it's not ideal for non-technical project management scenarios. The cost can also be a factor for smaller teams.

11. ChecklistGuro: The Business Process Management (BPM) Powerhouse

While Smartsheet excels in project tracking and task management, ChecklistGuro offers a broader scope with its focus on Business Process Management (BPM). Essentially, we're not just about tracking tasks; we're about optimizing the workflows that generate those tasks.

What makes ChecklistGuro different? We offer a visually driven platform for designing, automating, and managing complex business processes. Think beyond simple spreadsheets - imagine flowchart-based process mapping, conditional logic, automated notifications, and robust reporting capabilities. We're built to handle a wider range of use cases, from onboarding new employees and managing customer requests to automating approvals and ensuring compliance.

Key Features You'll Love:

• Process Mapping & Flowcharts: Design your processes visually with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
• Workflow Automation: Automate repetitive tasks and reduce errors with conditional logic and automated actions.
• Dynamic Forms: Build custom forms to collect data and integrate seamlessly into your workflows.
• Collaboration Tools: Enable real-time collaboration and track progress across teams.
• Powerful Reporting & Analytics: Gain insights into process performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Role-Based Access Control: Manage permissions and ensure data security.

Who is ChecklistGuro for? ChecklistGuro is a great fit for businesses needing to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and gain full visibility into their business processes - especially those looking to move beyond basic task tracking and embrace true BPM.

Choosing the Right Alternative for Your Business

Okay, let's dive into how to pick the best fit. It's not just about features; it's about aligning with your specific business needs and workflow. Here's a breakdown of factors to consider:

• Team Size & Complexity: Smaller teams with straightforward projects might thrive with simpler, more user-friendly tools. Larger teams with intricate processes will likely require robust features and advanced automation capabilities.
• Budget: Pricing models vary significantly. Consider not only the initial cost but also potential scaling costs as your business grows. Factor in user licenses and any add-ons you might need.
• Integration Requirements: Does the alternative need to play nicely with your existing software stack (CRM, accounting, communication tools)? Seamless integration can save significant time and reduce errors.
• Ease of Use: A powerful platform is useless if your team struggles to adopt it. Prioritize user-friendliness, especially if you're looking for quick onboarding and high adoption rates. Look for intuitive interfaces and readily available training resources.
• Specific Feature Needs: List out exactly what you need this tool to do. Is it Gantt charts, Kanban boards, custom reporting, or advanced formulas? Some alternatives excel in certain areas while lacking in others.
• Mobile Accessibility: In today's world, being able to access and update information on the go is crucial. Ensure the alternative offers a well-designed and functional mobile app.
• Trial Periods: Always take advantage of free trials to thoroughly test the software before committing. This is your chance to see if it truly fits your team's workflow and addresses your pain points.

Resources & Links

• Monday.com - A popular work management platform known for its visual boards and customizable workflows.
• Notion - An all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, wikis, and databases, offering significant flexibility.
• Asana - Project management software known for its task management and team collaboration features.
• ClickUp - A highly customizable project management tool with a broad range of features and views.
• Wrike - Enterprise-grade project management software with robust reporting and automation capabilities.
• Teamwork - A project management platform geared towards client work and agencies.
• Airtable - A spreadsheet-database hybrid, offering a unique blend of organization and flexibility.
• Planview - Enterprise portfolio and resource management software.
• nProjectManager - A comprehensive project management solution.
• Smartsheet - For comparison and context, including a link back to the platform it aims to replace.