Smartsheet is an ideal solution for many small business owners as an all-in-one project management and task tracking system. If you’re looking to use something different, though, don’t worry—plenty of great alternatives available provide similar functionality to Smartsheet at a fraction of the cost. Check out our list of the seven best Smartsheet alternatives to learn more about each option and find the one that will work best for your needs.

Top 7 Smartsheet Alternatives and Competitors for Business Owners

  1. Google Sheets – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Versatility
  2. Zoho Sheets – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Collaboration
  3. Click Up – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Cost Management
  4. Microsoft 365 Planner – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Third-Party Integration
  5. Trello – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitors for Simplicity
  6. Teamwork Projects – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Large Businesses
  7. Wrike – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitors for Flexibility

1. Google sheets – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Versatility

PRICING: Basic Plan begins at $6 per user every month; the Business plan at $12 per user monthly

With an estimated 5 million active users, Google Sheets is one of the most prominent substitute business management tools. With it, you can track your inventory; create a database of contacts and leads; stay on top of weekly sales metrics; and more. There’s even a robust analytics package carved into Google Sheets. The service requires a Google account, accessible to anyone with a Gmail address. It works on Windows PCs and Macs (mobile access varies depending on your device). You can also get up-to-date features as they are released through regular app updates. Google Sheets maintains integrations with other apps such as Trello, Mailchimp, Dropbox, Evernote, and Microsoft Office 365. If you use G Suite Enterprise Edition or Drive Enterprise, then you have unlimited storage space in the cloud without any limits on file size or team members. If not, a limit of 1GB per file must be stored in Drive Storage. And if you’re working on big files like spreadsheets or presentations, this might pose a problem. Some downsides include missing out on exclusive discounts available only to customers who subscribe to the monthly plan and having no offline editing capabilities when working outside the Wi-Fi range. Regardless, Google Sheets could be perfect for your needs if you’re looking for an affordable option without a monthly fee.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Offline Editing
  • Machine learning-based features
  • Spreadsheet editing and formatting
  • Compatibility
  • Collaboration features
  • Security
  • Data visualisation

REASONS YOU SHOULD BUY:

  • Spreadsheets require minimal training
  • Easy customisation
  • collaborative than other tools

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Spreadsheets are not secure
  • Glitches and errors during formatting

» MORE: Best Zoho Alternatives & Competitors

2. Zoho Sheets – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Data Preservation

PRICING: Free trial available, Free version available. Contact the company for a quote

Because of its simplicity, automation, and collaboration features, Zoho Sheets is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for an alternative to a Smartsheet. You can track multiple projects simultaneously with spreadsheets that function online and offline. A free account is available; it’s precise if you have a simple set of needs or are just testing different programs. Pricing ranges from $8 to $10 per user per month, depending on your needs. For example, the low-end plan will give you up to five users but will limit storage space and the amount of time each spreadsheet can be accessed. The higher programs offer more significant storage and accessibility time and advanced functionality like integrating files from other apps. If you need more than one person in your organisation using the same app, look into Zoho Projects – this offers some pretty cool team management tools like assigning tasks, setting deadlines, tracking changes in real-time, and more.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Extensive templates
  • Spreadsheet control
  • Race Charts. Analysis and Insights
  • Data Cleaning Custom Function
  • Third-Party Collaboration and compatibility
  • Data Preservation

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Rich functionality
  • Excellent technical support
  • Flawless integration programming with other sheets like Excel etc.

REASON TO AVOID:

  • Laggy web interface
  • A bit unstable

» MORE: ClickUp Pricing : Ultimate Cost Guide (Most Valuable Plans)

3. Click Up – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Cost Management

PRICING: A free version is available; Pricing begins from $5, ranges through $12, and maxes at $19

A tool like Click Up is an ideal alternative for those who want something more robust than smartsheet but don’t need complete project management or invoicing capabilities. It’s cheaper and easier to use than most similar platforms, so your business can save money without sacrificing functionality. This ease of use extends even further when it comes to collaboration—team members can easily share data without having access rights issues to worry about. The fact that Click Up integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, Slack, and Box makes it easy to work remotely on team projects. You can have multiple files open simultaneously in one window and switch between them quickly and easily. The interface is designed to spend less time clicking around and scrolling up and down pages looking for what you need. You can assign tasks to different users by dragging their names into an area marked designated to choose then which task they will be responsible for by dragging it over their name. A green checkmark appears next to the task name as tasks are completed.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Time and Process management
  • Task management
  • Multiple Third-party app integrations
  • Workspace dashboard customisation
  • Team collaboration and reporting

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Friendly layout
  • Cost-effective
  • Suitable for teams, users, and groups

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Too many features and customisation options could make it cumbersome and overwhelming
  • Archaic interface

» MORE: Best GrubHub Substitutes And Competitors

4. Microsoft 365 Planner – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Third-Party Integration

PRICING: With annual commitments, The Basic Plan ranges from $5; the Standard plan goes for $12.50; the Premium plan begins at $20, while The Business plan is stipulated strictly at $8.25

Unlike its traditional Project management app, Microsoft 365 Planner lets you add tasks and assign them to team members. You can work with others on a shared calendar, and everyone can get a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening. Like other project management apps, Planner automatically prioritises upcoming events based on team member availability and past performance. For example, if someone regularly misses deadlines or doesn’t complete their tasks on time, they will fall lower on the priority list. But this also means they won’t be able to put their mission as the top priority or start it until there are no higher-priority items assigned to another person.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Dashboard Tracking
  • Outlook integration
  • Schedule View
  • Topic-based Task organisation
  • Dashboard customisation
  • Task Management collaboration
  • Email Notifications

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Super easy to set up and use
  • It fully integrates with office 365
  • Standby technical support

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • No provision for recurring simulations
  • Absence of features like in-app notifications, risk management features, access to dashboards, and portfolio management
  • Impossible to set milestones and data-enabled charting due to the absence of the Gantt chart feature.

» MORE: Top eToro Alternatives & Competitors

5. Trello – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitors for Simplicity

PRICING: With a free trial, all packages begin from $5 per month.

If you’re seeking a more straightforward way to create and organise team projects, Trello is a great solution. Compared with other project management tools like Asana or Basecamp, Trello offers a more lightweight approach, but it’s perfect for organising a small team. The app allows users to create cards (projects) arranged in columns (lists). Users can drag and drop cards between lists to reflect the state of their progress on a given task.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Trello boards
  • Butler feature
  • Template feature
  • Card feature
  • In-line editing
  • SSL Data encryption
  • Activity logs
  • Cards record archive and file attachment
  • Drag and drop
  • Voting options
  • Information retrieval

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Search-enabled database
  • Security and optimisation
  • Well-organized and programmed
  • Standby customer support

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Cumbersome to scale
  • Limited storage and functionality in the trial version
  • Lags on mobile platform

» MORE: Best Twitch Alternatives For Streaming (Most Reliable)

6. Teamwork Projects – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitor for Large Businesses

PRICING: A free version is available for up to 5 users; payment plans range from $10 to $18. A 30-day free trial is also available.

As a prominent business owner, you must be familiar with tools like Teamwork Projects as a significant business owner. Designed for collaborative projects and effortless collaboration with team members, the only difference from others is that you’ll need an internet connection to access their features since they operate as cloud-based systems. Unlike other competitors on this list, these are paid apps rather than free web-based software. In addition to paying for the service each month, there’s also the cost of any storage space needed to store files if you don’t have your external storage system. With both of these factors considered, it can be pretty costly.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Ad hoc Reporting
  • Alerts/Notifications
  • Approval Process Control
  • Assignment Management
  • Audit Trail and Management
  • Calendar Management
  • Data Import/Export
  • Drag & Drop
  • Email Management
  • Idea Management
  • Kanban Board
  • Milestone Tracking
  • Workflow Configuration

REASONS TO BUY:

  • An excellent software overall; suitable for all sizes of businesses
  • Well-designed interface
  • Loaded with features and functionalities

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • A bit cumbersome to use for the non-tech savvy user
  • It needs more reporting options

» MORE: Alternatives to Adobe Animate (Affordable and Reliable)

7. Wrike – Best Smartsheet Alternative and Competitors for Flexibility

PRICING: Free for up to 5 users; Professional plan begins from $9.80; Business $24.80; other methods requiring custom quoting should be requested directly from the company.

With a free plan that supports up to five users, Wrike is a viable alternative for small business owners who are just getting started and have limited needs. You’ll have access to all of Wrike’s features on top of its dashboard, which makes it easy to monitor progress on any given project—and provides an overview of all projects at once. Additionally, Wrike has an app on both iTunes and Google Play that allows you and your team members instant access from anywhere. And as with other competitors, if you upgrade to the premium plan (starting at $8 per user per month), Wrike offers more robust features like automated reports and advanced filters. It also enables real-time collaboration among employees. However, plenty of add-ons are available to purchase separately or alongside your account if you need additional tools. On the downside, though it offers integrations with third-party apps like Gantt Project and Fleep, they don’t seem as seamless as those provided by Smartsheet.

Furthermore, while we found some pricing options when doing our research, we couldn’t find any information about what comes included with each one. For example, what does team size mean? There’s no way to know without contacting customer service. In terms of functionality and features, this tool may not offer everything you’re looking for; in particular, there’s no task management system here.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Gantt Charts
  • Three Pane view
  • Task forms and reporting
  • Detailed reporting
  • Flawless Communication
  • Easy Time-Tracking
  • Reporting Using Real-time Data
  • Visual Timelines
  • Organized File Management.
  • Collaborative Editing
  • Resource Management
  • Efficient Task Management
  • Two-factor authentication support

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Easy to use and navigate
  • Multiple task management form
  • Well-organized dashboard for ease and flexibility

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Cumbersome sometimes, especially in locating previous conversations and schedules
  • Difficulty in setting up priority testing and tasks

» MORE: Alternatives To Adobe Premiere (Affordable & Reliable)

REFERENCES:

  • https://www.getapp.com/collaboration-software/a/google-sheets/reviews/
  • https://www.trustradius.com/products/google-sheets/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons
  • https://www.getapp.com/collaboration-software/a/zoho-sheet/
  • https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-sheet/reviews
  • https://project-management.com/pros-and-cons-of-using-clickup/
  • https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/what-is-microsoft-planner
  • https://www.selecthub.com/project-management-software/trello/
  • https://clickup.com/blog/trello-project-management/
  • https://comparecamp.com/trello-reviews-pricing-benefits-and-features-analysis/
  • https://www.teamwork.com/try-now/project-management-software-ap/
  • https://www.teamwork.com/project-management-software/features/
  • https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/small-business/project-management/wrike-review/