Smartsheet Review: Pros, Cons, Features, and Pricing

Q: How can Smartsheet improve your team's productivity?

Smartsheet can boost your team's productivity by offering automated workflows and pre-built templates. These tools help you manage projects more efficiently by reducing manual work. Additionally, the platform's sheet-to-sheet linking and shared real-time dashboards ensure everyone, including stakeholders, stays updated on project progress, minimizing the need for constant check-ins.

Q: What's involved in onboarding your team to Smartsheet?

Onboarding your team to Smartsheet might be challenging due to its steep learning curve. Initially, there's no formal onboarding process, so your team will need to familiarize themselves with the platform's spreadsheet-like interface. However, once they get the hang of it, they can leverage the tool’s capabilities to streamline workflows.

Q: How does Smartsheet handle data security and compliance?

Smartsheet takes data security and compliance seriously, offering features that align with industry standards. The platform supports secure data sharing and provides administrative controls to manage user access and permissions, helping you ensure your financial data remains confidential and compliant with relevant regulations.

Q: Can you customize Smartsheet to fit your organization's needs?

Smartsheet is highly customizable, allowing you to tailor workflows and reports to your needs. You can create custom templates and automate repetitive tasks with its no-code automation tools to save time. This flexibility helps you adapt the platform to various business functions without major disruptions.

Q: How does Smartsheet facilitate collaboration across departments?

Smartsheet provides cross-departmental collaboration features with integrated proofing and approval tools. They allow your team to review and approve documents seamlessly, reducing bottlenecks. Additionally, Smartsheet's real-time dashboards provide visibility into project statuses, fostering better communication and coordination among teams. Smartsheet also offers a mobile app, so team members can access their work from anywhere.

Q: What should you expect regarding Smartsheet's user interface?

Smartsheet’s user interface resembles a traditional spreadsheet, which can be both a pro and a con. While it offers familiar spreadsheet functionalities, its UI may not be as intuitive as other project management software. Your team may need time to adapt, but the platform's robust features can outweigh initial usability concerns.

Q: How does Smartsheet support complex project management?

Smartsheet is equipped to handle complex project management tasks with features such as Gantt charts, automated workflows, and extensive reporting capabilities. These tools enable you to plan, track, and manage large-scale projects effectively. The platform's cloud support ensures that all project data is accessible and up to date, no matter where your team is located.

Q: How can Smartsheet integrate with your current tools?

Smartsheet integrates seamlessly with major applications like Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace. This ensures that your team can continue using the tools they're familiar with while leveraging Smartsheet’s project management capabilities.

Smartsheet is financial management software built around a spreadsheet-style interface that finance teams use for budgeting, project cost tracking, and financial reporting. I'd consider it if your team is outgrowing Excel but isn't ready for a dedicated FP&A platform—it gives you real-time collaboration, automated workflows, and structured data controls without the implementation complexity of tools like Adaptive Insights.

Smartsheet Evaluation Summary

Smartsheet streamlines budgeting, tracking, and financial reporting in one platform

Customer Rating

4.5 /5

Pricing

From $9/user/month (billed annually)
30-day free trial

Why Trust Our Software Reviews

Smartsheet Overview

In my opinion, Smartsheet serves as a competent finance automation software, particularly for teams familiar with spreadsheet-based tools. It integrates well with Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace, which enhances its utility. The onboarding process can be challenging, which may extend the learning curve. While prices for more advanced plans can be high, the range of features justifies the cost for larger teams. I think it's best suited for enterprises that need robust spreadsheet capabilities and can invest time into learning the tool.

pros

It scales with any enterprise.
You can automate workflows using spreadsheets and templates.
It offers integrated proofing and approval tools for team collaboration.

cons

The outdated UI affects how easy it is to use.
Onboarding is non-existent when you first get your account.
Its interface and workflows aren’t easy to use at first.

Is Smartsheet Right For Your Needs?

Who Would be a Good Fit for Smartsheet?

Smartsheet is ideal for teams and departments that manage complex projects and need robust collaboration tools. It's particularly beneficial for project managers who enjoy the familiarity of spreadsheets but require advanced functionalities like automated workflows and real-time dashboards. If your work involves extensive project planning and tracking, Smartsheet's Gantt charts and reporting capabilities will support your needs efficiently. Its integration with major applications such as Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace further enhances its utility.

Project Management

Smartsheet supports complex project management with Gantt charts, real-time dashboards, and strong reporting features.
Marketing Teams

Marketing teams can automate workflows and collaborate effectively with integrated proofing and approval tools.
IT Departments

IT departments can use Smartsheet to manage resources and publish reports, dashboards, and calendars with ease.
Construction Firms

You can utilize sheet-to-sheet linking and real-time updates to track project progress, suitable for construction firms.
Human Resources

You can streamline hiring processes with pre-built templates and automated workflows.

Who Would be a Bad Fit for Smartsheet?

Smartsheet isn't ideal for small businesses or teams with limited resources. Its steep learning curve and extensive features can overwhelm smaller operations. Additionally, if you're working with a tight budget, the limited storage space in Smartsheet's more affordable plans might not meet your needs.

Small Businesses

If your team is small, Smartsheet’s complexity might outweigh its benefits.
Creative Teams

If you prioritize visually appealing interfaces, Smartsheet's outdated UI might disappoint.
Simple Task Management

For tasks that don’t require advanced features, Smartsheet's capabilities may be overkill.
Non-Technical Users

If your team struggles with technology, Smartsheet's learning curve could hinder productivity.
Limited IT Support

Without robust IT support, navigating Smartsheet’s setup and maintenance can be challenging.

How We Test & Score Tools

We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.

Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.

Core Functionality (25% of final scoring)

The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.

Standout Features (25% of final scoring)

Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.

We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.

Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)

We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.

Onboarding (10% of final scoring)

We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.

Customer Support (10% of final scoring)

We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.

Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)

Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.

Value for Money (10% of final scoring)

Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.

Core Features

Automated Workflows: Smartsheet allows you to automate repetitive tasks, reducing the manual effort required in financial processes. This allows your team to focus on more strategic tasks by handling approvals, notifications, and updates automatically.

Real-Time Dashboards: With real-time dashboards, you can visualize financial data and trends instantly. This helps you make informed decisions quickly by displaying key metrics in an easy-to-understand format.

Comprehensive Reporting: Smartsheet’s reporting tools enable you to generate detailed financial reports with ease. You can customize these reports to focus on specific data points, ensuring that your team has the insights needed to drive business decisions.

Document Management: You can attach, manage, and convert files into proof items directly within Smartsheet. This allows you to track approvals and versions, facilitating focused conversations around financial documents.

Resource Management: You can visualize team workloads and project allocations to manage resources effectively and optimize project assignment based on availability.

Gantt Charts for Planning: You can utilize Gantt charts to plan and track financial projects and timelines. This feature assists in setting clear deadlines and dependencies, making it easier to manage complex financial tasks.

screenshot - Smartsheet Review: Pros, Cons, Features, and Pricing — Automates approvals, alerts, and processes to reduce manual work.

Standout Features

Brandfolder Integration: This digital asset management platform within Smartsheet helps you store, label, and categorize files efficiently. This is particularly valuable for companies handling large volumes of content, ensuring easy retrieval and reuse.

WorkApps: Customize your project experience by organizing documents, spreadsheets, and timelines into a single app. This feature allows your team to access only the relevant information, enhancing productivity.

Ease of Use

Smartsheet's UI can be hard to learn initially. The spreadsheet-like appearance requires a shift in mindset but offers powerful customization once mastered. Users often find the onboarding lacking, but if your team embraces the learning curve, you'll unlock robust automation and integration capabilities that enhance your workflows.

Onboarding

Smartsheet's onboarding experience is minimal, with no detailed guidance within the tool. Users often find themselves needing to explore Smartsheet University or other resources to learn effectively. The interface's complexity can hinder the onboarding process compared to more user-friendly Smartsheet alternatives, such as Monday.com and ClickUp. This setup may delay your team’s time to value as you navigate the learning curve independently.

Customer Support

Smartsheet's customer support is average, offering a help centre with documentation and tutorials, a user community, and paid personalized coaching. Email and phone support are also available, though some users report long wait times.

Integrations

Smartsheet integrates with Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Excel, Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, DocuSign, Power Automate, Zapier, Jira, Power BI, and Salesforce.

Smartsheet also offers an API and connects with third-party integration tools and add-ons.

Value for Money

Smartsheet offers several pricing plans to suit different business needs, including a free plan for two users. While customized plans with advanced features may be more costly, Smartsheet offers good value for money. A free demo is available, so you can evaluate the software before purchasing.

Free Plan: Offers two sheets for two users, with access to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Slack integrations.
Pro Plan: $9/member/month (billed annually); limited to 10 users and includes core features, such as unlimited sheets, forms, and reports.
Business Plan: $19/member/month (billed annually); includes team workload tracking, a timeline view widget, and admin capabilities.
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing; offers directory integrations for simplified user authentication and AI capabilities.
Advanced Work Management Plan: Custom pricing for additional features according to your needs.

New Product Updates from Smartsheet

August 23 2026

Smartsheet Adds Smart Assist for Sheets on Mobile

Smartsheet has brought Smart Assist directly into sheets on the iOS and Android mobile apps. This gives teams AI-powered visibility and quicker communication from anywhere, helping users understand progress and act on work faster. Highlights include:

AI Status Readouts: Summarizes completed, in-progress, at-risk, and blocked work directly from a sheet.
Suggested Prompts: Helps surface assigned tasks, overdue items, summaries, and other sheet information.
Drafted Updates: Lets users prepare updates for collaborators directly from the Smart Assist panel.