Project Management by Team · Researched comparison

8 Best Smartsheet Alternatives for Teams in 2026

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The short answer

Monday.com is the best Smartsheet alternative for most teams because it pairs visual boards with timelines, automations, and dashboards in a workspace that is easier to read than a grid of rows. Basic costs $9 per seat per month billed annually, with a free plan for up to two seats. ClickUp is the cheapest all-in-one pick.

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Key takeaways

  • Monday.com is the best all-round Smartsheet alternative, with plans from $9 per seat per month billed annually and a free plan for up to two seats.
  • ClickUp is the cheapest all-in-one pick at $9 per user per month billed annually, with docs, goals, and time tracking built in.
  • Zoho Projects is the lowest-priced option at $4 per user per month billed annually, with a free plan for up to five users.
  • Airtable suits teams that plan in structured data, at $20 per user per month billed annually, while Smartsheet has no free plan, only a 30-day trial.
  • Trello is the simplest and cheapest start at $5 per user per month billed annually, while Teamwork suits agencies that bill clients.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
Monday.comVisual boards and automations$9 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes, up to 2 seats
ClickUpBoards, docs, and goals in one workspace$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
AsanaStructured work across departments$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes, up to 2 users
AirtableStructured data and databases$20 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
Zoho ProjectsLow-cost project tracking for small teams$4 per user/month (billed annually)Yes, up to 5 users
TeamworkClient work and agencies$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes, up to 5 users
WrikeApprovals and formal intake$10 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TrelloSimple Kanban boards$5 per user/month (billed annually)Yes, up to 10 collaborators

How we choose

We compared the vendor pricing pages for each tool on 14 November 2026, and we took the annual billing rate where the vendor publishes one. We compared project views, time tracking, automations, resource views, and user caps from the vendor docs and plan pages. We did not claim hands-on testing. We left out tools with no published starting price and tools whose main feature is outside project work. Prices change, so check the vendor pricing page before you buy.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

Monday.com

Best for Visual boards and automations

  • Color-coded status columns that read at a glance
  • timeline and Gantt views on Standard
Price$9 per seat/month (billed annually)
See Monday.com pricing

Monday.com is the most visual option in this guide. Boards use color-coded status columns, and the timeline and Gantt views are clear at a glance. Standard at $12 per seat per month billed annually adds 250 automation and integration actions a month, while Pro at $19 raises the cap to 25,000 and adds time tracking and private boards. The free plan covers up to two seats, and every plan that charges starts at three seats.

The limits sit in the seat rules and the Basic plan. Basic costs $9 per seat per month billed annually but includes no automations and no integrations, so most teams need Standard at least. Seats are sold in buckets, so a team of four pays for five seats, and a team of six pays for ten. Monday.com is the best pick for teams that want a bright, visual workspace and are happy to move to Standard to get automations.

Price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, up to 2 seats

Website: monday.com

Watch out for

  • Basic includes no automations and no integrations
  • seats are sold in buckets, so a team of four pays for five
2

ClickUp

Best for Boards, docs, and goals in one workspace
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

ClickUp is the cheapest all-in-one pick in this guide. Docs, wikis, tasks, goals, and time tracking live in one workspace, so a team can plan, write, and track time without adding a second tool. The board view works much like a simple Kanban board, with list, calendar, and Gantt views beside it. The free plan covers unlimited tasks and members, which makes it easy to try with a real team.

The trade-off is setup time. ClickUp packs many features into one workspace, and a new team can spend a week tuning spaces, statuses, and views before work feels smooth. The free plan also caps file storage at 60 MB, so teams that share large files will need Core. ClickUp is the best pick for teams that want one workspace for the whole company at $9 per user per month billed annually.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: clickup.com

What we like

  • Docs, wikis, tasks, goals, and time tracking in one workspace
  • board, list, calendar, and Gantt views

Watch out for

  • The workspace has many settings, so new teams need time to set it up
  • the free plan caps storage at 60 MB
3

Asana

Best for Structured work across departments
$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Asana is the most structured option in this guide. Starter at $10.99 per user per month billed annually adds timeline and Gantt views, dashboards, forms, custom fields, and unlimited automations. The Personal plan is free for up to two users, and Starter adds unlimited free guests, so clients and contractors can follow work without a seat.

The limits sit in the higher tiers. Goals, portfolios, workload, and native time tracking only arrive on Advanced at $24.99 per user per month billed annually, so a team that needs portfolio views pays more than double the Starter rate. Asana also sells seats in set increments, which can leave a team paying for seats it does not use. Asana is the best pick for departments that want clean, structured work across many projects.

Price: $10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, up to 2 users

Website: asana.com

What we like

  • Timeline and Gantt views, dashboards, and forms on Starter
  • unlimited free guests

Watch out for

  • Starter has no goals, portfolios, or native time tracking
  • seats are sold in set increments, so a team can pay for seats it does not use
4

Airtable

Best for Structured data and databases
$20 per user/month (billed annually)

Airtable is the closest match for teams that liked Smartsheet grids but want a real database underneath. Bases hold linked records, attachments, and rich field types, and Team at $20 per user per month billed annually allows 50,000 records per base, 20 GB of attachment storage, and 25,000 automation runs a month. Gantt and timeline views sit on Team, and the free plan covers small bases.

The seat rules need care. Team bills for anyone with comment access, so a workspace with many stakeholders costs more than the editor count suggests. Business at $45 per user per month billed annually fixes that by making commenters free, but it more than doubles the per-seat price. Airtable is the best pick for teams that plan in structured data and need linked records, forms, and automations in one place.

Price: $20 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: airtable.com

What we like

  • Real databases with linked records and rich field types
  • 50,000 records per base on Team

Watch out for

  • Team bills for commenters as well as editors
  • the jump to Business at $45 more than doubles the per-seat price
5

Zoho Projects

Best for Low-cost project tracking for small teams
$4 per user/month (billed annually)

Zoho Projects is the budget pick in this guide. Premium at $4 per user per month billed annually includes unlimited projects, time tracking, budgeting, recurring tasks, and automation, which covers most small team needs at less than half the price of the next cheapest option. The free plan covers up to five users, three projects, and 5 GB of storage.

The trade-off is polish and depth. Advanced reporting, portfolio dashboards, and custom roles sit on Enterprise at $9 per user per month billed annually, and the interface feels dated next to Monday.com and Asana. Zoho Projects is the best pick for small teams and freelancers that want solid project tracking at the lowest price in this guide.

Price: $4 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, up to 5 users

Website: zoho.com

What we like

  • The lowest starting price in this guide at $4 per user per month billed annually
  • free plan for up to five users

Watch out for

  • Advanced reporting and portfolio tools sit on Enterprise at $9
  • the interface feels dated next to Monday.com and Asana
6

Teamwork

Best for Client work and agencies
$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Teamwork is the agency pick in this guide. Basics at $9.99 per user per month billed annually includes time tracking, task lists, milestones, and client-facing features that agencies use every day, such as client users and project templates. The free plan covers up to five users, which suits a small agency trying the tool on one client.

The trade-off is learning time. Teamwork packs many menus and settings into each project, so a new team needs a week to settle in. Resource planning and workload views sit on Accelerate at $24.99 per user per month billed annually. Teamwork is the best pick for agencies and client services teams that bill by the hour and need time tracking beside project work.

Price: $9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, up to 5 users

Website: teamwork.com

What we like

  • Client work, billing, and time tracking built for agencies
  • free plan for up to five users

Watch out for

  • The interface has many menus, so new users need time to learn it
  • resource views sit on higher tiers
7

Wrike

Best for Approvals and formal intake
$10 per user/month (billed annually)

Wrike is the pick for teams that run formal, approval-heavy work. Team at $10 per user per month billed annually includes Gantt charts, request forms, dashboards, and 2 GB of storage per user, which covers most departmental planning. Business at $25 adds time tracking, approvals, proofing, and resource views for teams that manage client work.

The limits sit in the seat rules and the Business tier. Wrike sells seats in blocks of five, so a team of six pays for ten seats. Time tracking only arrives on Business, which more than doubles the per-user price, so a team that only needs time tracking should look at ClickUp or Teamwork first. Wrike is the best pick for teams that need approvals, proofing, and formal intake forms.

Price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: wrike.com

What we like

  • Gantt charts, request forms, and approvals on Team
  • strong reporting on Business

Watch out for

  • Time tracking only arrives on Business at $25
  • seats are sold in blocks of five
8

Trello

Best for Simple Kanban boards
$5 per user/month (billed annually)

Trello is the simplest option in this guide. Cards move across a board, and that is most of what a small team needs to start. The free plan covers up to ten collaborators per workspace and ten boards, while Standard at $5 per user per month billed annually removes the board limit and adds 1,000 automation runs a month and Planner. Premium at $10 adds calendar, timeline, table, and dashboard views.

The trade-off is depth. Trello has no native time tracking, no workload view, and thin reporting, even on Premium. A team that outgrows boards will need a second tool for budgets or capacity. Trello is the best pick for small teams that want the fastest start and the lowest entry price in this guide.

Price: $5 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, up to 10 collaborators

Website: trello.com

What we like

  • The simplest board in this guide, with a free plan for up to ten collaborators
  • Standard at $5 is the cheapest entry price here

Watch out for

  • No native time tracking or workload views
  • reporting is thin, even on Premium at $10

What to check before you buy

  • Count the seats you will actually pay for, including guests and commenters, because some tools bill for commenters and some do not.
  • Check the free plan caps on users, projects, and storage before you move a whole team.
  • Test the import tool with one real project, and check that tasks, comments, attachments, and due dates carry over.
  • Confirm which plan holds the features you need, such as time tracking, proofing, or resource views, because Smartsheet Business holds those behind a $19 per member per month price.
  • Ask about seat minimums and seat blocks, since Smartsheet Pro caps at ten members and Monday.com sells seats in buckets.

FAQ

Is there a free Smartsheet alternative?

Yes. ClickUp, Asana, Airtable, Zoho Projects, Teamwork, Wrike, and Trello all have free plans, and Monday.com is free for up to two seats. The free plans still cap users, projects, or storage, so check the limits before you move a whole team. Smartsheet itself has no free plan for new signups, only a 30-day trial.

Which Smartsheet alternative is easiest to learn?

Monday.com is the easiest to learn in this guide, because its boards use color-coded status columns that read at a glance, and most teams set up a first board in an hour. ClickUp is more capable but takes longer to set up, while Asana sits in the middle. If your team only needs lists and cards, Trello is still the fastest start.

Which Smartsheet alternative has the best time tracking?

ClickUp Core and Teamwork Basics both include time tracking at $9 and $9.99 per user per month billed annually, which makes them the cheapest picks with time tracking built in. Monday.com needs Pro at $19 per seat per month, and Asana needs Advanced at $24.99 per user per month. Smartsheet itself only adds time tracking through add-ons and higher tiers.

Can I import Smartsheet sheets into another tool?

Yes. ClickUp, Asana, and Monday.com all offer importers that move sheets, tasks, and members into the new workspace, and Airtable can take a CSV export from Smartsheet. Attachments and comments usually carry over, but check the result project by project, because formulas, automations, and report links may not transfer. Run the import on one sheet first, and keep Smartsheet open until the new workspace is checked.

How much does it cost to move a ten-person team off Smartsheet?

A ten-person team pays from $480 a year on Zoho Projects Premium to $2,400 a year on Airtable Team, before tax. ClickUp Core and Monday.com Basic each cost $1,080 a year for ten people, while Asana Starter costs $1,318.80 a year and Teamwork Basics costs $1,198.80 a year. Smartsheet Pro itself costs $1,080 a year for ten people, and Smartsheet Business costs $2,280 a year.

Sources we checked

How we score

Need the method behind these picks?

We publish the criteria and the weights, so you can disagree with them.

Monday.com#1 PICK
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