
Smartsheet has been a project management staple for years, but its pricing changes, licensing limitations, and outdated interface are pushing teams to explore alternatives. If you’re facing rising costs, administrative burden, or feature gaps, you’re not alone — thousands of teams made the switch in 2025.
This guide covers seven proven Smartsheet alternatives that solve the problems teams face most: better collaboration features, transparent pricing, modern interfaces, and automation that actually works.
Smartsheet is a cloud-based work management platform that combines spreadsheet functionality with project management features. It offers Gantt charts, resource management, automation, and dashboards — positioned as an enterprise solution for teams managing complex projects.
Core features include:
Smartsheet pricing (2026):
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 editor, 2 sheets |
| Pro | $9/user/month | Small teams (up to 10) |
| Business | $32/user/month | Growing teams |
| Enterprise | Custom | Large organizations |
All prices are annual billing.
Based on user reviews, community forums, and migration data, here are the top reasons teams abandon Smartsheet:
Smartsheet changed its licensing model in 2025, introducing viewer limits and charging for users who previously accessed sheets for free. Teams report billing surprises and administrative overhead managing permissions to avoid overcharges.
Real user quote (Reddit, November 2025): “Been with Smartsheet for 10 years and we will be moving to a new tool this new year. The licensing model changes and administrative burden to manage ongoing to ensure we aren’t getting over charged is pushing us to move on.”
While Smartsheet offers automation, users consistently report hitting walls:
Smartsheet’s interface hasn’t evolved significantly in years. New users find the spreadsheet-first paradigm confusing, and the learning curve is steeper than modern alternatives. Dashboard customization is limited, and the mobile experience lags competitors.
Users frequently request improvements — even small, straightforward ones — but changes either never get implemented or take extremely long to appear. There’s no public product roadmap, leaving teams guessing about future capabilities.
Smartsheet forms can only create new entries. If you need external users (clients, vendors, contractors) to update existing rows, you’re out of luck. The only workaround is Update Requests, which require manual triggers and don’t scale.
TaskRhino customer story: A healthcare staffing agency used Smartsheet to manage nurse assignments across 40 facilities. Each time a nurse confirmed availability, staff had to manually update the schedule sheet. With 200+ nurses submitting updates weekly, the administrative burden was unsustainable. After switching to a solution with update-capable forms, they eliminated 15 hours of weekly manual data entry.
Advanced form features like conditional logic, multi-page forms, and custom branding require workarounds or third-party tools. Dashboard widgets and charts have limited customization options compared to alternatives.
Here’s how the top alternatives stack up:
| Tool | Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| monday.com | $9/seat/month | Visual workflows & automation |
| Airtable | $20/seat/month | Database-powered projects |
| ClickUp | $7/user/month | All-in-one productivity |
| Asana | $10.99/user/month | Task & team management |
| Wrike | $9.80/user/month | Enterprise project management |
| Notion | $8/user/month | Knowledge & project management |
| Coda | $10/user/month | Docs that do work |
Best for: Teams wanting visual workflows, powerful automation, and better collaboration without the spreadsheet learning curve.
monday.com consistently ranks as the #1 Smartsheet alternative for good reason. It combines intuitive design with enterprise-grade features, making it accessible for small teams while scaling to complex enterprise workflows.
Superior User Experience:
More Powerful Automation:
Better Collaboration:
Transparent Pricing: Unlike Smartsheet’s recent licensing changes, monday.com pricing is straightforward. You pay per seat with clear feature tiers — no surprise charges for viewers or collaborators.
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 2 seats, 3 boards |
| Basic | $9/seat/month | Unlimited items, 5GB storage |
| Standard | $12/seat/month | Timeline, Gantt, calendar views |
| Pro | $19/seat/month | Time tracking, formula columns |
| Enterprise | Custom | Advanced security, multi-level permissions |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Intuitive visual interface | ❌ Can get expensive for large teams |
| ✅ Powerful automation without code | ❌ Reporting could be more advanced |
| ✅ Excellent mobile app | ❌ Steep pricing jump to Enterprise |
| ✅ 200+ native integrations | ❌ Limited offline functionality |
TaskRhino customer story: A mid-sized event management company managing 40+ live events monthly across the U.S. moved from Smartsheet to monday.com after hitting automation limits. They needed event details from CRM deals to automatically create multi-board project workspaces with pre-loaded vendor rosters and automated confirmation emails. Smartsheet couldn’t handle the cross-board complexity. After the switch, their event setup time dropped from 90 minutes to under 5 minutes per event.
Choose monday.com if you want:
Get started with monday.com automation →
Best for: Teams that need relational database power with spreadsheet simplicity and custom workflows.
Airtable bridges the gap between spreadsheets and databases, offering powerful relational data management wrapped in an approachable interface. It’s ideal for teams that have outgrown spreadsheets but don’t want enterprise database complexity.
Database Flexibility:
Better Forms:
Developer-Friendly:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 records/base, 2GB |
| Team | $20/seat/month | 50,000 records, 20GB, 6-month history |
| Business | $45/seat/month | 125,000 records, priority support |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited records, advanced admin |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Relational database power | ❌ Steeper learning curve than monday.com |
| ✅ Beautiful gallery views | ❌ Expensive for large teams |
| ✅ Excellent API and extensions | ❌ Automation limited on lower tiers |
| ✅ Flexible data modeling | ❌ Limited Gantt chart features |
Choose Airtable if you need:
See How BoardBridge Handles This Workflow
Book a free demo to see BoardBridge solve this exact problem — live, with your data.
Best for: Teams wanting to consolidate multiple tools (project management, docs, chat, goals) into one platform.
ClickUp positions itself as “one app to replace them all” — and it comes close. It combines project management, documentation, chat, goals, and time tracking in a feature-rich (some say overwhelming) platform.
Everything in One Place:
Powerful Features:
Generous Free Plan: ClickUp offers one of the most generous free plans in project management:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited users, 100MB storage |
| Unlimited | $7/user/month | Unlimited storage, integrations |
| Business | $12/user/month | Advanced automation, timelines |
| Enterprise | Custom | White labeling, dedicated support |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Incredibly feature-rich | ❌ Can feel overwhelming for new users |
| ✅ Generous free plan | ❌ Steep learning curve |
| ✅ All-in-one consolidation | ❌ Interface can feel cluttered |
| ✅ Excellent value for price | ❌ Too many options for simple needs |
Choose ClickUp if you want:
Best for: Teams prioritizing task clarity, team coordination, and straightforward project tracking.
Asana focuses on task management fundamentals done exceptionally well. It doesn’t try to be a database or a CRM — it helps teams organize work, assign responsibilities, and track progress with minimal friction.
Simplicity and Clarity:
Team Collaboration:
Workflow Automation:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | Unlimited tasks, up to 15 users |
| Premium | $10.99/user/month | Timeline, workflow builder, forms |
| Business | $24.99/user/month | Portfolios, workload, goals |
| Enterprise | Custom | Data security, admin controls |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Clean, easy-to-learn interface | ❌ Limited customization vs competitors |
| ✅ Excellent onboarding experience | ❌ Basic reporting on lower tiers |
| ✅ Strong mobile apps | ❌ No built-in time tracking |
| ✅ Great for distributed teams | ❌ Forms are basic |
Choose Asana if you want:
Best for: Enterprise teams managing complex projects with custom workflows, advanced permissions, and extensive integrations.
Wrike targets mid-market to enterprise teams with sophisticated project management needs. It offers deep customization, powerful automation, and enterprise-grade security — positioned as the grown-up alternative to simpler tools.
Enterprise-Grade Features:
Powerful Reporting:
Integration Ecosystem:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 5 users, basic task management |
| Team | $9.80/user/month | Shareable dashboards, 2GB storage |
| Business | $24.80/user/month | Custom workflows, reports, 5GB |
| Enterprise | Custom | Advanced security, dedicated support |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Deep enterprise features | ❌ Steep learning curve |
| ✅ Excellent proofing tools | ❌ Expensive for small teams |
| ✅ Robust reporting capabilities | ❌ Interface feels dated |
| ✅ Strong security and compliance | ❌ Overkill for simple projects |
Choose Wrike if you need:
Explore enterprise project management solutions →
Best for: Teams wanting a flexible workspace that combines wikis, docs, databases, and project management in one tool.
Notion reimagines what a productivity tool can be. It’s not just project management — it’s a connected workspace where documentation, knowledge bases, and project tracking live together in a modular, endlessly customizable environment.
Flexibility and Modularity:
Documentation + Projects:
Beautiful Design:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited pages, 10 guests |
| Plus | $8/user/month | Unlimited file uploads, 100 guests |
| Business | $15/user/month | Advanced permissions, SAML SSO |
| Enterprise | Custom | Dedicated support, advanced security |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Incredibly flexible and customizable | ❌ Can be slow with large databases |
| ✅ Beautiful, modern interface | ❌ Learning curve for complex setups |
| ✅ Great for docs and wikis | ❌ Limited Gantt and timeline features |
| ✅ Affordable pricing | ❌ Not purpose-built for PM |
Choose Notion if you want:
TaskRhino customer story: A SaaS company managing product development across 6 distributed teams struggled with Smartsheet’s rigid structure. They needed documentation, roadmaps, sprint planning, and customer feedback in one place — not scattered across Smartsheet, Confluence, and Jira. After consolidating into a custom Notion workspace, their product discovery cycle shortened by 40% and cross-team visibility improved dramatically.
Need Help With Your monday.com Setup?
TaskRhino has implemented monday.com for 110+ teams. Get a free consultation.
Best for: Teams wanting powerful automation and databases embedded in documents, replacing spreadsheets with interactive docs.
Coda calls itself “a new type of doc” — and that’s accurate. It combines document editing, databases, and automation in a format that feels like a doc but acts like software. If Notion is a flexible workspace, Coda is a programmable one.
Docs + Databases:
Powerful Automation:
Developer-Friendly:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited docs, 2 editors |
| Pro | $10/user/month | Unlimited automations, 2-way sync |
| Team | $30/user/month | Advanced permissions, admin tools |
| Enterprise | Custom | Dedicated support, advanced security |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Incredibly powerful formulas | ❌ Steep learning curve |
| ✅ Automation embedded in docs | ❌ Can feel complex for simple needs |
| ✅ Excellent for custom tools | ❌ Limited templates vs competitors |
| ✅ Developer-friendly | ❌ Not ideal for traditional PM |
Choose Coda if you want:
Talk to an expert about automating your workflows →
Here’s how the alternatives compare on key features:
| Tool | Grid | Gantt | Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| monday.com | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Airtable | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| ClickUp | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Asana | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Wrike | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Notion | ✅ | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ |
| Coda | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Tool | Native Automation | API Access | Integrations |
|---|---|---|---|
| monday.com | ✅ Advanced | ✅ | 200+ |
| Airtable | ✅ | ✅ Robust | 1,000+ via Zapier |
| ClickUp | ✅ Powerful | ✅ | 1,000+ |
| Asana | ✅ | ✅ | 200+ |
| Wrike | ✅ Advanced | ✅ | 400+ |
| Notion | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ | 50+ |
| Coda | ✅ Advanced | ✅ | 600+ via Packs |
| Tool | Comments | Real-time | Time Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|
| monday.com | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Native |
| Airtable | ✅ | ✅ | Via extensions |
| ClickUp | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Native |
| Asana | ✅ | ✅ | Via integrations |
| Wrike | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Native |
| Notion | ✅ | ✅ | Via integrations |
| Coda | ✅ | ✅ | Via packs |
| Tool | Forms | Update Existing | Custom Branding |
|---|---|---|---|
| monday.com | ✅ | ❌ WorkForms only create | ⚠️ Pro+ |
| Airtable | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| ClickUp | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Asana | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Wrike | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Notion | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Coda | ✅ | ✅ Via buttons | ❌ |
Picking the right tool depends on your team’s priorities. Here’s how to decide:
Switching project management platforms feels daunting, but with proper planning, most teams complete migration in 2-4 weeks. Here’s how to do it smoothly:
Audit your current setup:
Choose what to migrate: Not everything needs to move. Focus on:
Set up your new tool:
Export from Smartsheet: Most alternatives offer CSV/Excel import. Export your sheets to CSV from Smartsheet’s File menu.
Import considerations:
Rebuild automations: Smartsheet automations won’t transfer automatically. Rebuild them in your new tool:
Run both tools simultaneously for one week:
Fully switch to the new tool:
Pro tip: Keep Smartsheet accessible (read-only) for 30 days after cutover for reference.
Stop Creating Duplicates
BoardBridge forms update existing items — no Enterprise plan, no workarounds, no duplicates.
Celoxis tops lists as a Smartsheet alternative with robust task management, while Zoho Projects integrates seamlessly for Zoho users, offering Gantt charts, time tracking, automation, and detailed reporting at cost-effective pricing. Both provide intuitive interfaces for diverse skill levels, surpassing Smartsheet’s outdated UI with automated scheduling and timeline analysis. Zoho’s Microsoft 365 compatibility adds free access for subscribers, easing ecosystem transitions.
Editor's Choice

Salesforce Alternatives for SaaS Companies: 10 CRMs Built for Recurring Revenue

10 Best Salesforce Alternatives for Startups: Pricing, Features & Scalability Compared

10 Best Salesforce Alternatives for Growing SMBs ( Latest Rankings)