Smartsheet

What is Smartsheet?

Smartsheet is a cloud work management platform built on a familiar grid of rows and columns. Teams turn sheets into project plans, forms, dashboards and reports, then switch between Gantt, board and calendar views. AI tools such as Smart Assist and Smart Columns answer questions and categorise data.

Smartsheet Inc. is based in Bellevue, Washington, and launched in 2005. In late 2025 it announced Smart Agents, including a Project Manager agent that flags risks. The product is live in October 2026.

Key Features

• Multiple views: Smartsheet shows the same data as a grid, Gantt chart, board, calendar or timeline. Changing a date in one view updates the others, so planners and stakeholders work from one source.
• Smart Assist: Smart Assist is an AI companion that answers questions about project data, risks and next steps. It can also build workspaces, which shortens set-up time for a new project.
• Smart Columns: Smart Columns use AI to label, translate, summarise or analyse data across hundreds of rows. Teams sorting survey answers or intake requests can categorise them without writing formulas.
• AI dashboard builder: Smartsheet builds dashboards from a plain description of the metrics and timeframe you need. It also generates formulas, which helps users who find cross-sheet functions hard to write.
• Automations: Rule-based workflows send alerts, request approvals and update rows when conditions change. Pro includes 250 automations a month, while Business removes that cap for busier teams.
• Dashboards and reports: Reports and dashboards roll up status from many sheets into one live view. Portfolio managers can track progress across programmes without chasing owners for updates.
• Forms: Smartsheet forms send each submission straight into a sheet as a new row. Request intake, bug reports and event registrations then feed automations and dashboards without manual copying.
• Smart Agents and AI connectors: Smartsheet announced Smart Agents in late 2025, including a Project Manager agent that flags risks. It also offers connections to Claude, Copilot, Gemini and ChatGPT for custom agents using live work data.
• Governance and admin: Role-based access, audit logs and admin controls support regulated organisations. Enterprise plans add SAML single sign-on, and activity tracking shows compliance teams who changed what.

Pros

• Familiar layout: Smartsheet looks like a spreadsheet, so Excel users start building plans quickly. G2 and Capterra reviewers repeatedly cite this familiarity as the reason teams adopt it without long training.
• Enterprise scale: Portfolios, governance controls and audit logs suit large programmes and PMOs. Capterra reviewers describe it covering workflow automation, reporting and compliance in one place across departments.
• Real-time collaboration: Distributed teams edit the same sheets and see changes as they happen. Reviewers say this keeps a single source of truth and cuts the need for status meetings.
• Free collaborators: Guests, viewers and contributors can work in shared sheets without each buying a paid seat. That keeps costs down when clients or contractors only need to update their own tasks.
• AI inside sheets: Formula help, Smart Columns and the dashboard builder save clean-up time. Users who struggle with cross-sheet references can get working formulas from a plain request.
• Broad integrations: Native connectors cover Microsoft 365, Teams, Google Workspace, Slack, Jira and Salesforce. A REST API and webhooks fill the gaps, so Smartsheet fits into existing enterprise software.

Cons

• No free plan: New users only get a 30-day trial, since the old free plan is closed to sign-ups. Rivals such as monday.com, Asana and Airtable all keep free tiers for small teams.
• Rising costs: Capterra reviewers report steep subscription costs that grow with collaborators and advanced features. Some long-term customers describe sharp increases at renewal, so budget for growth rather than the starting seat price.
• Add-on costs: Dynamic View, Data Shuttle and premium support sit in the Advanced Work Management bundle at extra cost. Teams that need those tools should price them before comparing Smartsheet with all-in-one rivals.
• Learning curve: Basic sheets are easy, but advanced formulas, cross-sheet references and reports take time to master. Reviewers call some formula steps tedious, so larger rollouts often lean on official training courses.
• Slow large sheets: G2 reviewers say sheets with thousands of rows can load slowly. Teams planning very large trackers may need to split data across sheets and combine it with reports.
• Weaker mobile app: Reviewers find the mobile app less capable than the web and desktop versions for complex edits. It works for checking status and updating tasks, but detailed planning still happens on a computer.
• Support delays: Some Capterra reviewers report long phone waits and AI-led ticket triage, even with premium support. Plan to rely on the documentation and community forums for everyday questions.

Who is Using Smartsheet?

• Project managers: They build Gantt plans and track dependencies.
• PMOs: They run portfolios and standard templates.
• Marketing teams: They manage campaign calendars and approvals.
• IT teams: They track rollouts and resources.

Pricing

Smartsheet is paid, with a 30-day trial and no free plan for new users (USD figures from 2026 pricing guides, checked October 2026).

One guide still lists an older $32 Business rate. Confirm figures with sales before budgeting.

What Makes Smartsheet Unique?

The spreadsheet grid stays at the heart of every Smartsheet view. Gantt charts, boards and dashboards all draw on the same rows, so finance-minded staff keep their formulas while project leads see visual plans. Detailed permissions suit regulated firms.

Compatibilities and Integrations

• Platforms: Web, Windows and macOS apps, plus iOS and Android.
• Integrations: Microsoft 365, Teams, Google Workspace, Slack, Jira and Salesforce.
• API: A REST API and webhooks support custom syncs.
• Export: Excel, PDF and CSV export, plus Excel import.

Smartsheet Tutorials

A first project takes about an afternoon.

1. Start the trial and choose a template.
2. Add tasks, owners, dates and dependencies.
3. Switch to Gantt view to check timelines.
4. Set automations for reminders and approvals.
5. Build a dashboard and ask Smart Assist about progress.

How We Rated It

Summary

Smartsheet suits PMOs and enterprise teams who like spreadsheets but need Gantt charts and portfolio reporting. Cost is the main drawback, as there is no free plan. Rebuild one live project during the trial before you commit.