Top Smartheet Alternatives 2025

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 2025

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 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 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 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

Best project portfolio management software 2024

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

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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

Top 12 Smartsheet alternatives 2025