Smartsheet vs monday.com [2026]: Which Platform Is Right for Your Team? (Expert Comparison)
TaskRhino has implemented monday.com for 110+ teams, and many of them came from spreadsheet-style tools like Smartsheet. This comparison uses each vendor’s own pricing and help pages (USD list prices) to show how the two platforms differ — and where each one fits.
If you’re choosing between Smartsheet and monday.com, you need to know how they differ in pricing, features, views, automation, integrations, and enterprise capabilities. More importantly, you need to know which one fits your team’s actual workflow. For other options, see our Smartsheet alternatives guide.
Quick Verdict: Smartsheet vs monday.com
Choose Smartsheet if you:
- Need advanced Excel-like formulas and complex calculations
- Work in regulated industries requiring FedRAMP or DoD IL4 compliance
- Manage traditional waterfall projects with heavy Gantt dependencies
- Have users who live in spreadsheets and resist visual tools
- Need unlimited automations (Business plan and above)
- Require project portfolio management at enterprise scale
Choose monday.com if you:
- Want an intuitive, visual interface with minimal training
- Need multiple view types (Kanban, Timeline, Calendar, Workload, Map)
- Value speed of deployment over spreadsheet complexity
- Run agile or cross-functional workflows
- Want a free plan (up to 2 seats)
- Need built-in time tracking and workload views
- Prefer modern UI/UX over spreadsheet-style grids
Winner for Most Teams: monday.com — Easier to adopt, faster to implement, and more flexible for modern work management. Smartsheet wins for enterprise teams with complex project portfolios and spreadsheet power users.
Master Comparison Table: Smartsheet vs monday.com
| Feature | Smartsheet | monday.com | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | 30-day trial only | Free plan (2 seats, 3 boards) | monday.com |
| Automations (entry tier) | 250/month (Pro, $9) | 250 actions/month (Standard, $12); none on Basic | Smartsheet |
| Time Tracking | Add-on (Resource Management) | Built-in (Pro+) | monday.com |
| Gantt on the entry plan | Pro ($9) | Standard ($12) | Smartsheet |
| Formula Complexity | Excel-like (cell, column and cross-sheet formulas) | Formula column (Pro+) | Smartsheet |
| Native Integrations | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack and nearly 100 more | 850+ integrations and apps | monday.com |
| HIPAA Compliance | Enterprise plan (with BAA) | Enterprise plan | Tie |
| API | REST API (Business+) | GraphQL API (all plans) | monday.com |
| Dashboards | Reports and dashboards (all plans) | Dashboards with widgets (1 board on Basic, up to 50 on Enterprise) | Tie |
| Gantt Dependencies | All plans | Gantt from Standard, critical path on Pro | Smartsheet |
Overall: an even split (4 wins each, 2 ties). monday.com wins on its free plan, built-in time tracking, integrations and API access; Smartsheet wins on formulas, automation volume, and Gantt with dependencies on its cheapest plan. Smartsheet also offers a FedRAMP and DoD IL4 platform for government teams.
Detailed Comparison: Smartsheet vs monday.com
1. Pricing Comparison
Both platforms use per-user pricing, but the structures differ significantly. monday.com offers a free plan and more transparent pricing, while Smartsheet gates key features behind add-ons.
Smartsheet Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price (USD, Annual) | Price (USD, Monthly) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $9/user/month | $12/user/month | 1-10 members; 30-day free trial |
| Business | $19/user/month | $24/user/month | 3 or more members |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Quote from Smartsheet sales |
| Advanced Work Management | Custom | Custom | Quote from Smartsheet sales |
monday.com Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price (USD/seat/month, yearly) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 2 seats, 3 boards |
| Basic | $9 | Unlimited items, 1,000 AI credits/month; 3-seat minimum |
| Standard | $12 | Timeline & Gantt, Calendar, guest access, 250 automation actions/month |
| Pro | $19 | Time tracking, Workload view, private boards, 25,000 automation actions/month |
| Enterprise | Custom | 250,000 automation actions/month, resource management, HIPAA |
In Canada, monday.com shows Basic $13, Standard $17 and Pro $26 CAD per seat/month billed yearly. For the full plan breakdown, see our monday.com pricing guide.
Winner: Tie on list price — both start at $9 and charge $19 for the main team plan. monday.com has a free plan; Smartsheet’s $9 plan already includes Gantt charts and 250 automations a month.
2. Ease of Use
Example: Consider a 25-person construction firm where only a handful of staff use Smartsheet and the rest keep reverting to email and spreadsheets. Visual Kanban boards and timeline views tend to suit field staff who find a spreadsheet grid “too complicated.”
Winner: monday.com — Visual boards are easier for non-technical users. Smartsheet wins for teams already fluent in Excel.
3. Views Comparison
How you visualize your work determines how effectively you can manage it. Smartsheet starts from a grid; monday.com starts from boards.
Smartsheet Views
| View Type | Availability | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Grid | All plans | Primary spreadsheet view |
| Gantt | All plans | Project timelines with dependencies |
| Board | All plans | Kanban-style task cards |
| Calendar | All plans | Date-based scheduling |
| Table | All plans | Structured list view |
| Timeline | Business+ | Project scheduling (horizontal bars) |
monday.com Views
| View Type | Availability | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Main table | All plans | Structured list view (default) |
| Kanban | All plans | Visual workflow management |
| Timeline & Gantt | Standard+ | Project scheduling, dependencies; critical path on Pro |
| Calendar | Standard+ | Date-based scheduling |
| Map | Standard+ | Location-based work tracking |
| Chart | Pro+ | Data visualization (bar, line, pie charts) |
| Workload | Pro+ | Team capacity and resource allocation |
View Comparison Table
| View Feature | Smartsheet | monday.com | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanban Boards | Board view (all plans) | Kanban view (all plans) | Tie |
| Gantt with dependencies | All plans | Standard+ | Smartsheet |
| Timeline | Business+ ($19) | Standard+ ($12) | monday.com |
| Workload/Capacity View | Workload tracking (Business+) | Workload view (Pro+) | Tie |
| Chart/Analytics View | Dashboards and reports | Chart view (Pro+) and dashboards | Tie |
| Map View | – | Standard+ | monday.com |
Winner: Tie — Smartsheet puts Gantt and dependencies on its cheapest plan; monday.com has more visual views (Map, Chart, Workload) and Timeline on a cheaper plan.
4. Automation
| Automation Feature | Smartsheet | monday.com | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry tier | 250/month (Pro) | 250 actions/month (Standard); none on Basic | Smartsheet |
| Mid tier | Unlimited (Business) | 25,000 actions/month (Pro) | Smartsheet |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | 250,000 actions/month | Smartsheet |
| Built-in actions | Alerts, reminders, approval and update requests, move or copy rows | Trigger-and-action recipes across boards and integrations | Tie |
Winner: Smartsheet — unlimited automations from the Business plan.
5. Integrations
| Integration Feature | Smartsheet | monday.com | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native Integrations | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack and nearly 100 more | 850+ integrations and apps | monday.com |
| API Access | REST API (Business+) | GraphQL API (all plans) | monday.com |
| Microsoft Teams and Outlook | All plans | Yes | Tie |
| BI tools | Power BI and Tableau (Business+) | Via integrations and the API | Smartsheet |
Winner: monday.com — a larger integration library and API access on every plan.
6. Resource Management & Time Tracking
| Feature | Smartsheet | monday.com | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resource Management | Separate add-on (priced on request) | Workload view (Pro+); resource management tools on Enterprise | monday.com |
| Time Tracking | Resource Management add-on | Built-in Time Tracking (Pro+) | monday.com |
| Workload tracking | Business+ | Pro+ | Tie |
| Team Size | Smartsheet Business + Resource Management | monday.com Pro (time tracking, Workload view) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 people | $190/month + add-on | $190/month (Pro) | The add-on price |
| 50 people | $950/month + add-on | $950/month (Pro) | The add-on price |
Winner: monday.com — time tracking and the Workload view are included on Pro, with no add-on.
7. Security & Compliance
| Security Feature | Smartsheet | monday.com | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAML SSO | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan | Tie |
| HIPAA Compliance | Enterprise plan (with BAA) | Enterprise plan | Tie |
| FedRAMP / DoD IL4 | FedRAMP and DISA IL4 platform | Not listed | Smartsheet |
| Certifications | SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, FedRAMP | SOC 2, ISO 27001 | Smartsheet |
| Data Residency | Offered | US, EU or APAC data region | Tie |
| Custom Branding | Custom colours and logos (Business+) | Enterprise only | Smartsheet |
Winner: Smartsheet — for government and defence teams that need FedRAMP or DoD IL4.
8. Mobile Apps
Both platforms include iOS and Android apps on every plan, including monday.com’s free plan.
Winner: Tie — compare the apps on your own devices during a trial.
9. Migration & Data Import
Switching platforms is a major decision. Import capabilities determine how painful that transition will be.
| Migration Feature | Smartsheet | monday.com | Tie |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSV Import | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Import from Competitor | Limited | Limited | Tie |
| API for Custom Migration | REST API | GraphQL API | Tie |
Can I migrate from Smartsheet to monday.com? Yes. You can export Smartsheet data as Excel or CSV and import it into monday.com boards. For complex migrations involving automations, formulas, and dashboards, professional migration services are recommended.
Example: For a 30-person project team with 15 Smartsheet sheets, a typical move looks like this:
- Export each Smartsheet sheet as an Excel file.
- Map the columns to monday.com board structures.
- Import the data into the new boards.
- Rebuild the automations (usually the slowest part).
- Train the team on the new workflows.
Winner: Tie — Both platforms handle standard imports (Excel, CSV) equally well. Complex migrations require planning regardless of platform.
10. Support & Learning Resources
Quality support can make or break platform adoption, especially during onboarding.
| Support Feature | Smartsheet | monday.com | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Support | Included with Advanced Work Management | 24/7 prioritized support on Enterprise | Tie |
| Knowledge Base | Articles, tutorials and videos | Help centre and tutorials | Tie |
| Certification Programs | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Implementation Help | Smartsheet consulting, training and implementation support | Certified partners such as TaskRhino | Tie |
Winner: Tie — both have self-serve help and a paid route to premium support.
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Final Verdict: Smartsheet vs monday.com
After evaluating both platforms across pricing, features, usability, integrations, and enterprise capabilities, here’s our verdict:
When Smartsheet Is the Right Choice
Choose Smartsheet if you:
- Work in government or defence — FedRAMP and DoD IL4 compliance are required
- Need unlimited automations — Running more than the 25,000 automation actions a month monday.com Pro allows
- Live in Excel — Your team thinks in formulas, VLOOKUP, and pivot tables
- Manage traditional waterfall projects — Heavy Gantt dependencies with critical path tracking
- Require complex formulas — Advanced calculations that go beyond basic project math
Smartsheet excels for: Federal agencies, defence contractors, enterprise PMOs, spreadsheet power users
When monday.com Is the Right Choice
Choose monday.com if you:
- Want fast adoption — Visual boards most people pick up quickly
- Value visual workflows — Kanban, timeline, and map views matter to your team
- Need built-in time tracking — Don’t want to pay extra for time tracking and workload views
- Run agile or cross-functional workflows — Flexible boards that adapt to different team needs
- Want transparent pricing — No surprise add-ons for essential features
- Need a free plan — Starting small and growing over time
- Prefer modern UX — Clean, intuitive interface over spreadsheet grids
monday.com excels for: Marketing agencies, software teams, creative studios, growing businesses, distributed teams, agile organizations
The Bottom Line
For most teams, monday.com is the better choice. It’s easier to adopt, more cost-effective when you factor in add-ons, and delivers better out-of-the-box functionality for modern work management. The visual interface, built-in time tracking, and free plan make it ideal for small to mid-size teams. Our review of monday.com covers the platform in more depth.
Smartsheet wins for enterprise teams in regulated industries and organizations that require advanced formula capabilities or FedRAMP compliance. If your team lives in spreadsheets and resists visual tools, Smartsheet’s familiar grid interface may drive better adoption.
The real differentiator isn’t features — it’s adoption. Smartsheet rollouts can stall when teams find the grid too complex, while monday.com’s visual boards are easier for executives and field staff alike. Choose the tool your team will actually use, not the one with the most feature checkboxes.
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Ready to Choose the Right Platform?
Choosing between Smartsheet and monday.com depends on your team’s workflows, technical expertise, and budget. If you’re still unsure which platform fits your needs, we can help.
TaskRhino has implemented monday.com for 110+ teams and handles Smartsheet moves end to end, from data migration to automation rebuilds to team training.
Whether you’re starting fresh or considering a migration, book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your specific needs. We’ll walk through your workflows, answer your questions, and help you make the right decision — even if that means staying with your current tool.
Written by the TaskRhino team, a certified monday.com partner, using Smartsheet’s and monday.com’s own pricing and help pages.
Planning a move? See our Smartsheet to monday.com migration service: what moves, what we rebuild and what cannot move.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Smartsheet better than monday.com for enterprise?
Not necessarily. Both platforms offer SAML SSO and HIPAA compliance on their Enterprise plans. Smartsheet has an edge for federal and defence teams because it offers a FedRAMP and DoD IL4 platform. monday.com lets you host data in the US, EU or APAC data region and includes resource management tools and 250,000 automation actions a month on Enterprise. For most enterprises outside government, the choice comes down to whether your teams prefer a spreadsheet grid or visual boards.
Can I migrate from Smartsheet to monday.com?
Yes. You can export Smartsheet data as Excel or CSV and import it into monday.com. For complex migrations involving automations, formulas, and cross-sheet references, work with a certified monday.com partner (like TaskRhino) to map your workflows, rebuild automations, and train your team. See our Smartsheet to monday.com migration service for what moves and what has to be rebuilt.
Which is cheaper for a 50-person team?
For 50 people (USD, billed yearly): • Smartsheet Business (no add-ons): $950/month ($11,400/year) • monday.com Standard: $600/month ($7,200/year) • monday.com Pro (includes time tracking and the Workload view): $950/month ($11,400/year)
monday.com Pro costs the same as Smartsheet Business and includes time tracking, which Smartsheet sells as part of a separate add-on. monday.com Standard saves $4,200/year, but it allows 250 automation actions a month, while Smartsheet Business has unlimited automations and unlimited free guests.
Does Smartsheet have unlimited automations?
Yes, but only on the Business plan and above. Smartsheet Pro limits you to 250 automations per month. monday.com counts automation actions by plan: none on Basic, 250 a month on Standard, 25,000 on Pro and 250,000 on Enterprise. For most teams, Pro’s 25,000 actions are enough; Smartsheet’s unlimited automations matter most for teams running highly complex, automation-heavy workflows.
Is monday.com easier to use than Smartsheet?
For most people, yes. monday.com’s visual, board-based interface needs little training. Smartsheet’s spreadsheet grid is familiar to Excel users but harder for everyone else, so Smartsheet rollouts often need dedicated champions to drive adoption. If your team already lives in spreadsheets, Smartsheet may be the easier switch.
Can Smartsheet do Kanban boards?
Yes. Smartsheet’s Board view works as a Kanban board on every plan, and monday.com’s Kanban view is on every plan too, including Free. If Kanban workflows are central to your team, monday.com makes it easier to switch between Kanban and its other views on the same board.
Does monday.com have Gantt charts?
Yes. monday.com offers both Timeline view and Gantt view starting on the Standard plan, with milestones and critical path on Pro. Smartsheet includes Gantt with dependencies on every plan and adds baselines from Business, which makes it a strong choice for traditional waterfall project management.
Which platform is better for agile teams?
monday.com. Agile teams benefit from monday.com’s multiple view types (Kanban for sprint boards, Timeline for release planning, Chart view for burndown tracking), built-in time tracking, and faster iteration on board structures. Smartsheet’s grid-based approach works for agile but requires more customization and doesn’t offer the same visual workflow flexibility.
Do I need add-ons for resource management with Smartsheet?
Yes. Smartsheet’s resource management and time tracking come with a separate add-on called “Resource Management by Smartsheet” (formerly 10,000ft), available on Business and Enterprise. Smartsheet does not list its price on the pricing page, so ask Smartsheet for a quote. monday.com includes time tracking and the Workload view on Pro ($19/user/month), and its resource management tools on Enterprise, with no add-ons required.
Is Smartsheet HIPAA compliant?
Yes. Smartsheet Enterprise customers can work with Protected Health Information after signing a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). monday.com also offers HIPAA compliance on its Enterprise plan. If you’re managing PHI (Protected Health Information), either platform can work — choose based on usability and total cost.
Can I use either platform for free?
monday.com offers a free plan for up to 2 seats with 3 boards, up to 3 docs, 200+ templates and mobile apps. It suits freelancers or very small teams. Smartsheet offers a 30-day free trial of Pro features, but after that, you must upgrade to a paid plan. There is no permanently free tier for Smartsheet.
Which platform has better customer support?
Both have self-serve help centres and tutorials. monday.com lists 24/7 prioritized support on its Enterprise plan, and Smartsheet includes Premium Support with Advanced Work Management. For mission-critical implementations, consider working with a certified partner (like TaskRhino) for dedicated support beyond vendor-provided resources.
Which platform is better for construction project management?
Both work for construction. Construction teams benefit from monday.com’s Timeline view for project scheduling, Map view for job site tracking, mobile apps for field updates, and visual Kanban boards for task management. Smartsheet’s Gantt charts work well for complex construction schedules, but the grid interface can be challenging for non-desk workers.
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