Smartsheet review
Spreadsheet-style work management for data-heavy teams, with a steeper learning curve for beginners
Smartsheet has a large review base, with Findstack reporting an aggregated 4.4 out of 5 across 14,385 users, but independent reviewers describe the spreadsheet-based interface as complex for beginners, and larger plans are priced by quote.
Smartsheet score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of results | 30% | 6.5/10 |
| Output quality | 25% | 6.5/10 |
| Ease of use | 15% | 5.5/10 |
| Pricing and value | 15% | 6.5/10 |
| Customer support | 10% | 6.0/10 |
| Security and compliance | 5% | 6.5/10 |
What Smartsheet is and who it is for
Smartsheet is a cloud-based work management platform where project management teams plan work in rows and columns, and independent review sources rate it a better fit for data-heavy projects than for beginners (third-party reported). The vendor describes it as a platform for organizations of all sizes to plan, capture, manage, automate and report on work (vendor-sourced). Third-party company profiles say it was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Sources disagree on the founders: Wikipedia lists Maria Colacurcio, Brent Frei and Eric Brown, while Tracxn lists Brent Frei and Eric Browne. Ownership changed in 2025, when Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners completed their acquisition of Smartsheet on January 22, 2025, according to the company's press release filed with the SEC (vendor-sourced). GeekWire reported the same completed deal (third-party reported), and Smartsheet is now privately held.
Smartsheet suits teams that run data-intensive projects in a grid. One independent reviewer, Experte, calls it a spreadsheet-based platform that fits data-heavy projects but is less suitable for beginners and visual thinkers (third-party reported). If your team wants a more visual layout, Asana may fit better.
What Smartsheet does
The vendor positions Smartsheet around five jobs: planning, capturing, managing, automating and reporting on work (vendor-sourced). The product is built on a spreadsheet-style grid, which is the main reason reviewers point to it for data-intensive projects.
The most consistent criticism is complexity. Experte scores Smartsheet 7.4/10 and lists "complex to use" among its cons (third-party reported). Reviewers also say the platform is less suitable for beginners and for people who prefer visual project views.
On security, the vendor publishes an enterprise security and governance page and security whitepapers (vendor-sourced). Buyers with specific requirements such as single sign-on or data export terms should compare those documents against their own policies.
Smartsheet pricing
Smartsheet has no free plan, according to Zapro (third-party reported). Plans are priced per member per month. The figures below come from the price trackers Softr and Zapro (both third-party reported), and Zapro states that it verified them against the vendor site on September 21, 2026.
- Pro: $9 per member per month billed annually, or $12 billed monthly.
- Business: $19 per member per month billed annually, or $24 billed monthly, with a 3-seat minimum.
- Enterprise: custom pricing quoted by sales.
- Advanced Work Management: quote-only, listed by Zapro as a separate tier.
Billing term changes the total. For 25 Business members, Softr calculates $5,700 a year on annual billing against $7,200 on monthly billing. Entry price and real cost can diverge for larger teams, because the Enterprise and Advanced Work Management tiers are not published. Smartsheet also sells support packages separately (vendor-sourced), which can add to the total.
Smartsheet pros
- The review base is large. Findstack reports an aggregated 4.4 out of 5 across 14,385 users (third-party reported), and Smartsheet has product profiles on G2 and Capterra.
- Pro and Business prices are public, so small and mid-sized teams can estimate cost per member before contacting sales.
- Independent reviewers say the spreadsheet-based design suits data-intensive projects.
- Annual billing lowers cost. At 25 Business members, the difference is $1,500 a year against monthly billing, based on Softr's figures.
- The vendor publishes security documentation, including an enterprise security and governance page and downloadable whitepapers.
Smartsheet cons
- Independent reviewers describe the platform as complex to use and less suitable for beginners and visual thinkers.
- There is no free plan, so teams cannot start without paying (Zapro, third-party reported).
- Enterprise and Advanced Work Management pricing is quoted by sales, which makes total cost hard to estimate for larger organizations.
- Business on monthly billing carries a 3-seat minimum, and monthly rates are higher than annual rates on both Pro and Business.
- Evidence of customer outcomes is mostly vendor-sourced case material, so the proof of results score rests mainly on review volume and ratings.
How Smartsheet compares
- Asana: worth reading if the spreadsheet-based layout that reviewers flag for Smartsheet is a poor fit for your team.
- monday.com: worth reading if you want to compare a second option in the category before paying for a Smartsheet plan, since Smartsheet has no free tier.
Featured in: Best project management software
Last researched: October 29, 2026.
Reviewed by Greylisting Team.
Smartsheet verdict
Smartsheet earns a 6.3/10. It is a credible option for teams that plan work in a grid and handle data-heavy projects, and its Pro and Business prices are public. It is a weaker choice for beginners, teams that prefer visual views, and buyers who need a free plan or predictable pricing at the Enterprise level.