Top 12 Smartsheet alternatives 2024

Let‘s face it–finding the right project management tool isn‘t always easy. There are so many options out there, each with its strengths and each promising to be “the one.” If you‘re here, it‘s probably because you‘ve given Smartsheet a try. And maybe it‘s helped in some ways, but it hasn‘t quite met all your needs.

This article is here to help you explore tools that might fit your workflow, your team‘s needs, and your vision a little better. We‘ll walk you through the top Smartheet alternatives and their features to help you find the best fit for your project management style.

Why look for Smartheet alternatives?

Smartsheet has a solid foundation and is packed with features, but it also has some rough edges that can make managing projects more challenging than it should be. Here are some common reasons Smartsheet users start exploring other options.

Smarsheet cons:

1. Outages that disrupt workflows

We all can imagine ourselves in the middle of a busy workday. And nothing can be worse at that moment than finding Smartsheet is down. Outages, unfortunately, aren‘t rare with Smartsheet.

2. Permissions that complicate rather than simplify

Smartsheet‘s permission system feels more like a puzzle than a helpful tool. Smartsheet‘s setup often leads to accidental oversights or endless permissions-checking.

3. Workarounds for basic formula functionality

Sometimes, you just need a quick formula to pull data or calculate a few figures. However, Smartsheet can turn even basic tasks into workaround-heavy projects.

4. Hard-to-get reports

Reporting should be easy to get clear insights and share them with others. However, in Smartsheet, generating comprehensive reports can involve multiple steps, and it‘s easy to end up with a report that doesn‘t capture everything you want.

5. Limited customization options

Some users feel restricted by the platform’s customization capabilities. Tailoring the tool to fit specific project needs can be challenging, leading to inefficiencies in workflow management.

12 best Smartsheet alternatives 2024

Birdview PSA

Birdview PSA is designed for teams that need more than project tracking. It brings together strategic resource management, workflow automation, project accounting, and powerful data insights with Power BI reports, offering an all-in-one solution that‘s a step up from Smartsheet‘s limited functionality. With Birdview professional services automation software, teams in professional services get clear visibility into workloads and budgets, along with customizable dashboards for real-time insights, making project management smoother and smarter. This streamlined approach reduces the need for workarounds, allowing users to focus on what matters: delivering projects on time and within budget.

Key features:

👥 Resource planning

Birdview‘s resource planning tools give you a real-time view of team capacity and availability, making it easy to allocate resources where they‘re needed most. You can optimize team performance and avoid burnout with smart scheduling and workload balancing.

📈 BI reports and dashboards

Birdview‘s BI reports and dashboards deliver in-depth insights across projects, budgets, and timelines, enabling you to make data-driven decisions. Easily customize reports to highlight key metrics and visualize progress, keeping stakeholders informed and on track.

💰 Billing and accounting

Birdview‘s project accounting features integrate seamlessly with your project workflows, allowing you to track project costs, manage budgets, and streamline invoicing. With accurate, up-to-date financial data, it‘s simple to keep projects profitable.

🛡 Security

Birdview PSA prioritizes data security by hosting on Microsoft Azure and meeting rigorous security standards such as ISO 27007, PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 1/2/3, FedRAMP, and UK G-Cloud. Data is encrypted with SSL/HTTPS during transmission and fortified with robust backup, recovery, and malware protection systems at rest.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Comprehensive resource planning functionality
• Wide range of project management features
• Customizable dashboards and reports
• Responsive customer support

👎 Cons:

• The steep learning curve for advanced features
• Limited mobile functionality

Wrike

Wrike is a collaborative work management tool and a Smartheet alternative that helps teams organize tasks, track progress, and manage projects in one place. Wrike supports teams across various industries by making it easy to keep everyone on the same page and projects on track.

Key features: Task management, Gantt charts, time tracking, customizable dashboards, real-time collaboration

Trial: A free 14-day trial is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Comprehensive project management tools
• Effective team collaboration features
• Customizable workflows

👎 Cons:

• The steep learning curve for new users
• Higher cost for premium features
• Occasional performance issues with large projects
• Limited mobile app functionality

Planview AdaptiveWork

Planview AdaptiveWork allows teams to handle multiple projects with integrated tools for tracking, reporting, and resource management. With options for customizable workflows and built-in analytics, AdaptiveWork provides teams with insights and control over their tasks and timelines in a structured environment.

Key features: Kanban boards, Gantt charts, custom reporting capabilities, integrations with other business systems, resource management tools.

Trial: A free trial is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• Improved project visibility
• Reduced project risks
• Improved decision-making

👎 Cons:

• High cost, especially for large teams
• Complex setup and learning curve
• Limited customization options
• Occasional bugs and glitches
• Requires significant implementation effort

Clarity

Clarity is one of the Smartheet alternatives that helps organizations manage project portfolios by centralizing resources, scheduling, and budgeting. It offers detailed reporting and customizable views, allowing teams to track progress and make adjustments based on real-time data.

Key features: Resource management, financial management, project scheduling, time tracking, reporting and analytics.

Trial: No free trial is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• Comprehensive feature set
• Robust reporting capabilities
• Scalable for large enterprises

👎 Cons:

• The steep learning curve
• Complex setup and configuration
• High cost for smaller organizations
• Performance issues with large data sets
• Limited customization options

MS Project

Microsoft Project provides a centralized platform for project planning, resource allocation, and timeline management. Teams use it to create task schedules, monitor progress, and track budgets, helping to keep projects organized from start to finish.

Key features: Gantt charts, resource management, project scheduling, time tracking, reporting and analytics.

Trial: A free 30-day trial is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• Comprehensive project management tools
• Seamless integration with Microsoft Office suite
• Advanced reporting capabilities
• Familiar interface for Microsoft users

👎 Cons:

• The steep learning curve for new users
• Limited collaboration features
• Complexity in setting up advanced features
• Performance issues with large projects

Workfront

Adobe Workfront is another Smartheet alternative on our list. It‘s a work management platform that helps teams organize, track, and collaborate on projects. Workfront enables teams to centralize project details and monitor each step toward completion.

Key features: Task management, resource management, capacity planning, Gantt charts, time tracking.

Trial: No free trial is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• Robust reporting capabilities
• Seamless integration with Adobe products
• Customizable workflows

👎 Cons:

• The steep learning curve for new users
• Complexity in setting up advanced features
• Performance issues with large projects
• Limited mobile app functionality

Airtable

Airtable is a versatile platform that combines the functionality of a database with the familiarity of a spreadsheet, enabling users to organize and manage data collaboratively. It offers customizable templates and views to suit various workflows, making it adaptable across different industries and team needs.

Key features: Customizable templates, multiple view options (grid, calendar, kanban), real-time collaboration, integration with third-party applications, automation of workflows.

Trial: A free version is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Flexible customization options
• Robust collaboration features

👎 Cons:

• Limited functionality in the free version
• Performance issues with large datasets
• Steeper learning curve for advanced features
• Mobile app limitations
• Higher cost for premium features

Monday.com

Monday.com is a work operating system and a Smartheet alternative that enables teams to build custom workflows to manage projects, tasks, and everyday work. Its visual interface and customizable templates cater to various industries, facilitating collaboration and productivity.

Key features: Customizable templates, multiple project views (Kanban, Gantt, calendar), automation of repetitive tasks, integration with third-party applications, real-time collaboration tools.

Trial: A free 14-day trial is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• Intuitive and user-friendly interface
• Highly customizable workflows
• Comprehensive project tracking tools

👎 Cons:

• Higher cost for advanced features
• Steeper learning curve for complex functionalities
• Occasional performance issues with large datasets
• Limited offline access
• Limited mobile app functionality

Workzone

Workzone is a project management platform designed to help teams organize tasks, collaborate on documents, and track project progress. It offers a balance between simplicity and functionality, making it suitable for various industries and team sizes.

Key features: Task management, document sharing, project templates, Gantt charts, time tracking.

Trial: A free trial is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Comprehensive project tracking
• Effective document collaboration

👎 Cons:

• Outdated interface
• Limited mobile functionality
• Complex permission settings
• Performance issues with large projects
• Limited customization options

nTask

nTask is a project management platform designed to streamline workflows and enhance team collaboration. It offers a suite of tools to assist in planning, executing, and monitoring projects across various industries.

Key features: Task management, time tracking, meeting management, issue tracking, risk management.

Trial: A free version is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Comprehensive project management tools
• Effective team collaboration features
• Customizable workflows

👎 Cons:

• The steep learning curve for new users
• Higher cost for premium features
• Occasional performance issues with large projects
• Limited mobile app functionality
• Complexity in setting up advanced features

Quickbase

Quickbase is a no-code Smartheet alternative that enables users to create custom business applications without extensive programming knowledge. It facilitates the automation of workflows and centralization of data, catering to diverse organizational needs.

Key features: No-code application builder, workflow automation, data consolidation, customizable dashboards, integration with third-party applications.

Trial: A free 30-day trial is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Rapid application development
• Extensive customization options
• Strong data management features

👎 Cons:

• Steep learning curve for complex functionalities
• Higher cost for premium features
• Occasional performance issues with large datasets
• Complexity in setting up advanced features

Podio

Podio is a customizable work management platform that enables teams to organize and track their projects, tasks, and communications in one place. Its flexibility allows users to tailor workspaces and applications to fit specific workflows and business processes.

Key features: Task management, project planning and scheduling, multiple project handling, commenting and notes, time and expense tracking.

Trial: A free version is available.

What users say

👍 Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Effective team collaboration features
• Affordable pricing for small teams

👎 Cons:

• The steep learning curve for advanced features
• Limited reporting capabilities
• Occasional performance issues with large data sets
• Complexity in setting up advanced workflows

What‘s next? Chose the best Smartsheet alternative for you

Smartsheet might have been your first stop. But the good news is, there‘s no shortage of alternatives. Now that you know what‘s out there, it‘s about zeroing in on the platform that‘s not only functional but also feels like a natural fit for the way you work.

If a comprehensive, intuitive tool with strategic resource planning is what you‘re after, Birdview PSA is a standout choice. Designed to simplify complex workflows and provide deep project insights, Birdview PSA equips professional service teams with the tools they need to manage resources, streamline project accounting, and make data-driven decisions.

You can get a feel for its capabilities firsthand. Sign up for Birdview PSA‘s free trial or schedule a demo today to see if it fits your team‘s needs perfectly.