Finding the right project management software for your company can be challenging. It takes a perfect alignment of features and capabilities.
And using the wrong one can be costly. Your employees waste time, and your business wastes money because of misalignment and lack of proper communication. Keeping your projects moving forward at the right pace is difficult enough.
If you’ve found that Smartsheet doesn’t suit your business’s project management needs, you’ll find what you need in this article, as we discuss nine alternatives to Smartsheet.
What is Smartsheet?
Smartsheet is an enterprise work management platform that manages projects and processes for your company. It was based originally on a powerful spreadsheet app that had project management and other features built on top of it.
It’s a cloud-based app for data management and automation. As the name suggests, spreadsheets are where it shines. It can manage large amounts of data, and its automation features make input and export data easy.
The next section will delve into the pros and cons of Smartsheet. Then, we’ll review some alternatives to Smartsheet that may be more suitable for your company.
Why do some people (not) prefer Smartsheet?
Smartsheet has a variety of benefits and drawbacks shared in user reviews. Some found it intuitive and user-friendly, but others said it has a steep learning curve and data entry can be difficult.
Users who loved it praised its simplicity and ease of use. It’s designed for simple projects and small teams. It also has useful project management features and powerful automation capabilities.
Those complaining about it said advanced features are complicated to learn and difficult to create customized reports. It’s designed as a super-powered spreadsheet, and while that can be useful, it’s also a limitation. Other users said it’s hard to organize, has issues when editing data, and has limited capabilities compared to the competition.
Pros:
Simplicity and ease of use: Some found it efficient and easy for their team. They said the base features are intuitive and don’t have a tough learning curve.
Good for simple projects: When projects are complex, they can be confusing. When they’re simple, collaboration and progress are straightforward.
Powerful project management tool: It helps users streamline their project management process and keep everyone on the same page.
Automation capabilities: Time tracking and project progress reports are done automatically, saving users time.
Cons:
Focused on spreadsheets: One user tried to use it as a CRM and found it unsuitable for that application. It’s focused on spreadsheets, project management, and a few other features.
Difficult to make reports: The reporting features are not user-friendly, and customizing them is challenging.
High learning curve for advanced features: The advanced features are difficult to learn and use.
Data editing issues: Users said that data entry requires them to save after each input.
Hard to organize: It’s difficult to group projects and data intuitively. That makes it challenging to keep things organized and view an entire project simultaneously.
Limited scope of capabilities: It’s described as a powered-up spreadsheet. It has solid project management features but not much beyond that.
Users appreciated it as a simple product useful for automation and project management. It also excels at data management in small projects.
Dealing with more complex project slates becomes cumbersome. It doesn’t have much to offer beyond project management, spreadsheet, and automation capabilities. It works great for small, data-oriented teams, but larger teams and creative workers should look elsewhere for a comprehensive project management solution.
Top 9 Smartsheet alternatives for 2024
We did the research and reviewed nine of the best alternatives to Smartsheet. We’ll walk you through each app, who it’s best suited for, what integrations it offers, and share the features and benefits of each. You’ll also learn what users have said about each app and how much it costs, ranging from a limited free trial to an enterprise level with unlimited users and projects.
1. Lark - Best overall alternative
Lark is a comprehensive set of work tools that can replace Smartsheet and many other apps. It makes collaboration a breeze with integrated features like Meetings and Calendar. The number of features integrated into Lark Suite saves you time and money that you’d spend using a variety of other applications.
Access all your apps on the go with the Lark Suite mobile app version. It’s synced with your computer for seamless and intuitive use. Your team can collaborate, plan, and execute projects from the mobile app.
Key Features:
Base: Build workflows and dashboards without code
Messenger: Connect with teams and get more done in chat
Docs: Flexible online documents for real-time collaboration
Meetings: Powerful in-call content sharing and translations
Email: Secure and convenient corporate email for free
Calendar: Create, manage, and share schedules for work
OKR: Build, align, and track business goals
Meegle: Comprehensive project management tool for teams
Open Platform: Customize Lark with diverse, powerful APIs
Pros:
The comprehensive feature set makes it an all-in-one collaboration suite
User-friendly, attractive interface makes it easy to keep up with your work
Integrated chat, email, and messages enable smooth collaboration for your team
Cons:
Sometimes, it gives too many notifications
Occasional bugs in the interface
Pricing:
Feature-rich free trial supports up to 50 users
Pro version supports 500 users at $12 per user per month
Enterprise version has custom pricing
Integrations:
Zapier
Office 365
Google Drive
Salesforce
Trello
Asana
GitHub
Jira
Slack
Zoom
2. ClickUp - Best for collaboration and communication
ClickUp is a project management platform focused on remote workers. It’s intricately designed for connecting team members and projects. Its chat feature makes collaboration and communication easy. The initial setup for your team is often time-consuming and clunky. It can also get overwhelming when you have a lot of projects, tasks, and team members to track.
Key Features:
ClickUp brain: AI tools that connect your tasks, docs, people, and more
Team management: Stay updated on your team’s progress and collaborate efficiently
ClickUp docs: Document creation and management engine
Task management: Organize, plan, and prioritize your tasks
Native time tracking: Track the amount of time your team spends on each project
Real-time reporting: Keep track of the progress towards your goals and manage project resources
Mobile app
Pros:
It’s easy for non-technical users to learn and use. Simple interface and straightforward task management
Automations are easy to set up, enabling teams to operate and progress more efficiently
The chat features simplify communication and collaboration so everyone can stay on the same page
Cons:
Can get cumbersome when you use a lot of automations, tasks, and projects
Initial setup is challenging, and there’s a learning curve to keeping everything organized
Integrations:
Slack
Hubspot
Google Sheets, Gmail, and Google Calendar
Zoom
Dropbox
Loom
Zendesk
Pricing:
Free version available for personal use
Unlimited: $7 per user per month
Business: $12 per user per month
Enterprise: Contact for pricing
3. Asana - Best for small teams
Asana is an intuitive and aesthetically-designed project management platform. It’s easy to get started and use for your company. The free version is feature-rich and supports up to 10 users. Notifications can become overwhelming, especially with email notifications automatically opted in. The costs of using the full version add up quickly when you have a lot of users, and scheduling recurring tasks is difficult using Asana.
Key Features:
Project Management
Task Management
Calendar
Gantt Chart
Resource Management
Time Tracking
Pros:
Free for up to 10 users, with a wide variety of features in the free version
Clean, intuitive interface makes it easy to collaborate and track tasks and projects
Simple to set up and easy to learn to use
Cons:
Notifications get lost because of excessive notifications and emails. Email notifications are automatically opted-in and clutter your inbox.
Lacks the ability to schedule recurring tasks
High price for the full version
Integrations:
Google Sheets, Gmail, Looker, and Google Drive
Zoom
Slack
Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Outlook
Salesforce and Tableau
Pricing:
Offers free version and free trial
Paid plans start at $13.49 per user per month
4. Trello - Best for Kanban devotees
Trello is a Kanban board, with tasks ordered in columns and placed on cards. It’s a very simple and easy-to-use program but lacks advanced features. This is the best Smartsheet alternative for teams that enjoy using a Kanban-style project management system. The entire app focuses on the central theme of using Kanban boards for task management.
Key Features:
Kanban Boards
Task Management
Project Management
Automation
Customizable Templates
Pros:
Simple design and user-friendly interface
Quick and easy to set up
Inexpensive and affordable pricing
Cons:
Must have an internet connection to use the application
Limited tools and few advanced features
Integrations:
Slack
Zendesk
Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Gmail
Dropbox
Zapier
Salesforce
Pricing:
Free plan available with up to 10 boards
Standard: $5 per user per month
Premium: $10 per user per month
Enterprise: $17.50 per user per month
5. Basecamp - Best for remote teams
Basecamp is a CRM and project management app created by 37Signals in 1999. It’s simple and easy to use. The tradeoff is that it lacks advanced features that some other platforms have. It’s a bare-bones project management platform with helpful customer support and clear visibility of teams and projects.
Key Features:
Document and file storage
Group message boards and chat
Task management
Pros:
Simple, easy-to-use interface and features
Great customer support
Easy visibility and organization of teams and projects. This clarity makes progression simple and ensures no detail gets missed.
Cons:
Lacks comprehensive features like video conferencing
Doesn’t do well with complex projects and large teams. Projects with many contributors, tasks, or milestones would be better off in a different app
Integrations:
Zapier
Zoom
Dropbox
Google Drive and Google Sheets
Microsoft OneDrive and Teams
Salesforce
Slack
Pricing:
Free trial available
Paid version starts at $15 per user per month
Unlimited users for $299 per month
6. Jira - Best for software development teams
Jira is a project management tool designed for software developers, especially those using Agile and Scrum frameworks. It helps them plan, track, and release software on time and on budget. It’s great for software development but not suited for other industries. Implementing it initially and communicating with your team can be challenging, but it’s user-friendly and has helpful customer service.
Key Features:
Kanban boards
Scrum boards
Timelines
Reports and insights
Workflow management
Task management
Time tracking
Project roadmaps
Pros:
User-friendly and easy-to-navigate interface and features
Optimized to manage software development roadmaps
Helpful integrations and customer service
Cons:
Collaborating on projects can be complex and difficult for communicating
Initially difficult to implement for teams and companies
Integrations:
Gmail, Google Sheets, and Google Drive
Microsoft Teams, Excel, and Outlook
Slack
Salesforce
Trello
Pricing:
Offers free trial and free version
Starts at $7.75 per user per month
7. Miro - Best for designers
Miro is an online whiteboard platform with project management capabilities. It enables teams to collaborate in a visual format using a dashboard that resembles a whiteboard. Miro targets designers and visual thinkers who work best when communicating with visual images. It helps businesses build, innovate, and execute design projects.
Key Features:
Whiteboard layout
Visual project management
Diagramming & process mapping
Product development workflows
Content & data visualization
Workshops & async collaboration
Artificial intelligence tools
Pros:
Intuitive freehand and real-time visual collaboration dashboards
Useful templates that make it easy to set up a new dashboard
Powerful collaborative features help your team stay on the same page
Cons:
Has a steep learning curve that makes it tough for new users to start
Free version has limited features and lacks customer support
Integrations:
Microsoft Teams
Zoom
Slack
Asana
Notion
Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Gmail
Pricing:
Free version with unlimited team members
Starter plan - $8 per user per month
Business plan - $16 per user per month
Enterprise plan - contact Miro for details
8. Monday - Best for customizing workflows
Monday.com is a tool that offers full customization of workflows so you can create unique solutions for your business. It can track and manage data or projects. By setting up custom workflows, your team can stay on the same page in the key areas of your business.
Key Features:
Dashboards
Kanban
Docs
Automations
Gantt Chart
Files
Forms
Pros:
Customizable dashboards and workflows to suit the needs of your business
Simple, intuitive, easy to use, and easy to set up.
Powerful for organizing projects and tracking progress collaboratively
Cons:
Limited set of features for specific use cases, such as HIPAA compliance
Customization is sometimes not flexible enough to suit a user’s needs
Integrations:
Slack
Google Drive, Google Sheets, Gmail, and Google Calendar
Microsoft Outlook and Teams
Zoom
Microsoft OneDrive
Pricing:
Free for up to 2 users
Basic: $9 per user per month
Standard: $12 per user per month
Pro: $19 per user per month
Enterprise: contact Monday for details
9. Wrike - Best for marketers
Wrike is a customizable work management software. It provides enterprise-level security for users and focuses on project management. It’s a work management tool for collaboration across many projects.
Key Features:
Dashboards
Automation
Dynamic Request Forms
Proofing and Collaboration
Kanban Boards
Gantt Charts
Project Resource Planning
Pros:
Wrike’s free plan is open to unlimited users
Easy-to-use interface and user-friendly design
Great and responsive customer support
Cons:
Onboarding is challenging, and initial setup needs to be done carefully
Reporting and analytics tools are lacking
Integrations:
Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Calendar, and Gmail
Microsoft Outlook and Teams
Salesforce
Facebook and Instagram
Google Analytics
Pricing:
Free version
Team: $9.80 per user per month
Business: $24.80 per user per month
Now, you’ve seen various Smartsheet alternatives for project management. If you’re still undecided, keep reading to learn how Lark can replace Smartsheet for your company. You’ll read the opinions of real users and see how much Lark can do for your business.
You can also find out for yourself and try Lark for free today.
How Lark outsmarts Smartsheet
Lark is more than just a project management platform. Its wide variety of features can replace many of your current software products. It’s developed as a comprehensive resource for your team’s needs.
Here are a few areas where users found Lark’s features and platform better than Smartsheet:
More comprehensive suite of features
Lark
Users found Lark’s wide-ranging features useful and easy to implement.
Here are some of the tools Lark includes:
Meegle: Comprehensive project management for teams
Base: Build workflows and dashboards
Messenger: Stay in contact with your team
Docs: Collaborate on documents and spreadsheets
Meetings: Communicate with your team
Email: Integrated free professional email platform
Calendar: Send invites to your team and attend events
OKR: Create and track goals for your team and business
Smartsheet
Users described Smartsheet as a giant spreadsheet. It’s great for what spreadsheets can do, but it's limited outside that range. It doesn’t have a wide variety of tools and features that go outside the scope of project management.
Better collaboration tools
Lark
Lark has messaging and video chat tools to keep up with every aspect of your team’s progress. You can set up video calls with your team that they can join from the calendar invite. You can also record and send training videos to your team using Lark’s call recording capabilities. Video chats are high quality and have a high capacity of 100 users. Lark even offers tools for global collaboration.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet lacks integrated collaboration tools beyond its project management platform. It has basic messaging features but lacks email, video calls, and collaborative docs. You’ll have to connect it to outside platforms and use different online platforms to keep up with all your work using Smartsheet.
Easier to implement
Lark
Users found Lark to be simple to start using and easy to implement. They said that switching from using other apps to implementing Lark in their workflows was an easy process.
Smartsheet
Customers said implementing Smartsheet was time-consuming and had a steep learning curve for their team. Some businesses hired contractors to assist with the training process because it was so complicated.
Better project management capabilities
Lark
Lark’s wide variety of features enables you to integrate project management directly into your daily workflow. You can go directly from your dashboard to calls, meetings, emails, spreadsheets, and docs. With Lark, users can create to-do lists, assign tasks to team members, and track progress. They can also view project details and use project timelines to help with project tracking.
Smartsheet
Users found it difficult to keep up with their projects using Smartsheet. Switching between projects is difficult, and grouping spreadsheets in one project is hard. Smartsheet can handle one project, but getting an overall view of your entire slate of projects is challenging.
Better pricing tiers
Lark
Lark has a powerful free tier that supports up to 50 users. It offers all the features you’ll need to keep your small team on target. It’s easy to upgrade if you need more users, storage, or other features. Paid plans start at $12 per user per month for up to 500 users, with unlimited users on higher-level plans.
Smartsheet
Customers found Smartsheet to be a financial burden for their company. The free version lacks usefulness because it only supports one user. The pro plan is inexpensive but caps out at ten users. If you’re looking for a solution that supports more than ten users, Lark is the better option. With Smartsheet, you’ll be paying at least $25 per user per month for tiers that allow more than ten users.
Easier to manage data and docs
Lark
Use Docs to ease your collaboration and keep your team on the same page. With Docs, you can add multiple team members to one document and manage tasks accordingly. You can link to spreadsheets from other platform tools to collaborate more efficiently.
Smartsheet
Customers find data management to be cumbersome and challenging. They also found that spreadsheets took a long time to load when they contain a lot of data. Smartsheet makes users save data after each input which is time-consuming.
Better layout and user interface
Lark
Users said Lark has a simple, clean, and attractive user interface. It’s well organized and easy to navigate between features. They said the simplicity makes it easier to keep up with their work and communicate with their team members. It’s easy to train new team members because the interface is intuitive.
Smartsheet
The interface is useful but complicated. It’s often difficult to figure out how to do what you need to use the app. Customers said they had to hire a company to develop training materials for new hires because Smartsheet was so tough to learn.
As shown above, users found Lark to be the better choice in many categories. If you’re interested in using Lark as an alternative to Smartsheet for project management, read on to learn how to implement Lark in your workflow today.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for an alternative to Smartsheet for project management, this article should have solved that problem. You’ve learned about the pros and cons of Smartsheet and other alternative software solutions.
If you’re still uncertain, it’s easy to get started with a new solution for your business. It’s easy to use Lark for your project management needs.
Lark is a comprehensive suite of tools that goes far beyond project management. It can replace Smartsheet and many other software solutions your business currently uses.
