Smartsheet
TL;DR
Smartsheet is a work and project management platform built on an Excel-like grid — automation, collaboration, dashboards, reports, and resource management for teams that think in spreadsheets but outgrew them.
Pricing
Starting at $14/user/mo
Details
What is Smartsheet?
Smartsheet sits in the sweet spot between a spreadsheet and a full project management suite. It looks and feels like Excel, so anyone with spreadsheet experience can jump in, but behind the familiar grid are automation, reminders, dashboards, reports, Gantt charts, calendars, webforms, and resource management that scale from small teams to enterprise portfolios. TrustRadius scores it 8.3 out of 10 across 959 reviews. Reviewers praise the Excel-like usability, the simultaneous editing without sheet locks, the scheduling and reminders, and the dashboards. The complaints are the learning curve for non-spreadsheet users, the dated interface compared with modern tools, the steep price jumps between tiers, and the heavy feel for lightweight needs. It is the workhorse choice for ops, PM, and marketing teams that live in rows and columns and want structure without leaving their spreadsheet comfort zone.
Key Features
- Grid-based sheets — an Excel-like canvas for any workflow
- Automation — alerts, reminders, and rule-based workflows
- Dashboards — executive summaries from live data
- Reports — filter, group, and roll up across sheets
- Gantt charts — timeline views for project scheduling
- Calendars — deadline and resource views
- Webforms — capture data straight into sheets
- Resource management — capacity planning and utilization
- Approvals — structured sign-off on updates
- Integrations — 80+ apps plus API and Zapier
Who is it for?
- Operations, project management, and marketing teams that think in spreadsheets
- Organizations that need structured work management beyond Excel
- Teams that want dashboards and reports without a separate BI tool
- Enterprises scaling up to project portfolio management
Who is it NOT for?
- Teams that want a modern, visual, intuitive interface — try monday.com or Notion
- Users without spreadsheet experience who find grids intimidating
- Small teams on a tight budget watching the per-seat costs climb
- Anyone needing only simple, lightweight task tracking
The Bottom Line
Smartsheet earns a 4.2 out of 5 across 959 reviews, and it is a spreadsheet lover's project manager. Reviewers love the Excel-like usability, the simultaneous editing, and the dashboards; they wince at the dated interface, the steep price jumps, and the learning curve for non-spreadsheet users. My verdict: if your team already thinks in rows and columns, Smartsheet is a powerful, structured upgrade over shared spreadsheets. If you want a modern, friendly interface, Asana and monday.com are easier on the eyes and the wallet — but you will trade away the grid power that Smartsheet fans swear by.
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