Best Smartsheet Alternatives in 2026
Why People Leave Smartsheet
It’s a spreadsheet pretending to be a PM tool — power users love it, everyone else gets confused
Smartsheet free: No free plan (30-day trial) | medium learning curve
Asana
Free for up to 10 usersHow it's different: Mid-size teams that need structured project workflows without developer complexity
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Asana: Starter $10.99/user/mo
Monday.com
Free for up to 2 usersHow it's different: Visual teams who want colorful dashboards and easy drag-and-drop workflows
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Monday.com: Basic $9/seat/mo
ClickUp
Free forever plan with 100MB storageHow it's different: Teams that want an all-in-one workspace and don't mind a learning curve
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | ClickUp: Unlimited $7/user/mo
Trello
Free with unlimited cards and up to 10 boardsHow it's different: Small teams and individuals who think in kanban and want zero friction
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Trello: Standard $5/user/mo
Basecamp
No free plan (30-day trial)How it's different: Remote teams that value simplicity and async communication over granular task management
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Basecamp: Basecamp $15/user/mo
Wrike
Free for up to 5 usersHow it's different: Enterprise teams juggling multiple cross-functional projects with heavy reporting needs
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Wrike: Team $9.80/user/mo
Teamwork
Free for up to 5 usersHow it's different: Agencies and client services teams that need billable time tracking baked into project management
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Teamwork: Deliver $13.99/user/mo
Hive
Free for up to 10 usersHow it's different: Fast-moving teams that want a modern all-rounder with built-in email and AI features
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Hive: Teams $18/user/mo
Linear
Free for up to 250 issuesHow it's different: Engineering teams that want the fastest, most opinionated issue tracker on the market
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Linear: Standard $8/user/mo
Height
Free for unlimited members with basic featuresHow it's different: Product and engineering teams that want AI baked into every project action — not bolted on
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Height: Team $8.50/user/mo
Shortcut
Free for up to 10 usersHow it's different: Software teams that outgrew Trello but find Jira suffocating — the sweet spot for 10-100 engineers
Price comparison: Smartsheet: Pro $9/user/mo | Shortcut: Team $8.50/user/mo