Smartsheet is a SaaS, enterprise-ready cloud app for work management and collaboration, trusted by more than 80,000 businesses and millions of users in over 175 countries.
Regarded for its online project management, collaboration, and file sharing features, Smartsheet's intuitive spreadsheet-like app is used broadly to track and manage diverse types of work including: team projects and task lists, customer information, sales pipelines, event schedules, and business processes.
Customers can access their accounts online or through integrations with leading web services. Smartsheet is a top-rated online project management solution for Google Apps and Salesforce, and is also integrated with leading web apps such as Box, Dropbox and Zapier.
Since 2006, Smartsheet has established a proven track record for ease of use, security, and system availability. Customers include small and medium businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and academic institutions, as well as local and federal government agencies.
The management team is composed of experienced business leaders with a track record of building innovative, easy-to-use business software. The company’s headquarters are located in Bellevue, Washington. Investors include Sutter Hill Ventures, Insight Venture Partners, and Madrona Venture Group.
Pros
--You can easily switch between different views of the same data, e.g. grid vs. Kanban
--Dashboards and reporting are both powerful
--Growing number of integrations
--Commenting per-row is excellent
--Can be used as a simple spreadsheet
--Security/permissions are robust and intuitive
--Excellent training and certs available
--Forms feature is pretty complete for basic stuff
--Very extensive formula capabilities, almost like Excel
--The "business" pricing tier would actually be quite adequate for my group's needs, vs. the enterprise plan
--Nesting/hierarchy of rows can be useful
Cons
--No in-cell formatting
--Awkward multi-user editing, no auto-save, other users keep resetting views
--Reporting is difficult, meaning that you have to create separate complex reports instead of just saved views
--Not a true database or app builder
--Notifications system is wonky, delayed, and hard for new users to tame
--Very easy to abuse and misuse, even worse than Excel because you can add in the nesting/hierarchy (we have one user in particular that makes the most gawdawful sheets you've ever seen, partly because of the inherent Smartsheet interface)
--Attachments are pretty rough, not easily visible or visual, and no desktop app integrations (e.g. save a file from Word to SmartSheet)
--No concept of a "document" or app, only the spreadsheet motif; can't do notes or instructions very easily, for example, so people overload rows for this and that makes reporting even harder when you have to manually select rows
--Forms feature not embeddable or graphically complete with formatting to make it look nice
--Not clear how you combine formulas and forms without overwriting formulas at the bottom--I haven't figured this out yet even after years of using it
--Enterprise pricing is now forcing us to consider alternatives, including lower tiers of Smartsheet
Project management is a very important part of any Business operation and as such, its important to explore options. Smartsheet appeals to us because we have a strong background with Microsoft Excel and adopting it has been easy.
Our goal is finding a project management solution that works for our teams and ensuring that they actually use it. While everyone has their personal preference, SmartSheet was a better fit as a lot of our teams already use Excel extensively.
Pros
SmartSheet is a good project management tool that has an interface similar to Excel.
Pros:
1. Multiple Project Views - Project managers will appreciate the multiple viewing options such as Gannt and Kanban, standard spreadsheet and even a calendar view. Many options for different managers.
2. If Spreadsheets are your thing, SmartSheet is worth a try - If you and your team use spreadsheets a lot, you may appreciate that SmartSheet is based off the concept of spreadsheets, you can adopt and add different sheets for a variety of projects. So whether basic or advanced, a host of users can easily adapt to Smartsheet if they know how to use a spreadsheet, even to the point of adding formulas and formatting of cells. This is a huge selling point which makes SmartSheet a good option.
3. As Good as Project Management tools get - As a project management tool Smartsheet covers the basics. You get milestones, task management, comments, collaboration and project management and as mentioned before the view options.
4. You can add collaborators to a project for free - A good thing is that you can add multiple “users” to access Smartsheets without paying extra. If you do need to give them more privileges, there are options to set them up.
5. Support for Smartsheet is stellar - There is a thriving community of users and help guides and videos if you ever find yourself stuck and not sure what to do.
6. Smartsheet also integrates well with Microsoft Office 365.
Cons
There is not a lot to gripe about SmartSheets other than on occasion, the app can lag or suffer an error and finding what error it is and how to fix it can be a little frustrating.
There is a limitation with exporting reports. If you want to display data in a visual way, you may need to manually extract the data and then add it into another application. If the reports feature could be improved and maybe export in a usable format it would be a solid winner.
We have a global team of collaborators often working on the same document. SmartSheet, being a web-based collaborative tool makes it effortless to delegate and track tasks, allocate resources, and oversee budget in a concise form. The transparency in this tool is exemplary as one can view activity logs and track changes. Unlike its main competitor MS Project, SmartSheet is capable of tracking real-time workflow wherein changes made by one individual can be reflected across the entire team in an instant.
It functions spectacularly on a range of operating systems (I use it on iOS as well) and has proven to be a cohesive platform to visualize project data in real time, all in one place for all relevant team members to view and work on. I would highly recommend SmartSheet for teams who are looking for project management software that requires minimum training with maximum output.
Pros
SmartSheet is a cloud-based tool that helps Project Managers better align their resources, cost and time. Being a part of a virtual team responsible for collaborating whilst managing critical projects, Smartsheet has been indispensable in helping us track project timeline through interactive Gantt charts, establish critical paths, manage team resources, analyze budget and costs, in addition, to document sharing through OneDrive, Skype and even the app.
It is definitely reliable, has a simple user interface, flexibility in function, offers real-time data tracking through dashboards and training additional collaborators is uncomplicated. I love how SmartSheet offers a powerful conditional formatting feature, visualization of data that is editable and printable for presentations and has a spreadsheet-like interface (like Excel) yet is straightforward, unlike its counterparts.
Another thumbs up feature is that SmartSheet offers a 30-day trial wherein full functionality can be tested and project plans produced before actually investing in the software!
Cons
Our firm works from Sunday to Thursday (unlike the USA) and though they are advised well ahead, maintenance windows don't always align with our schedule, and we have to work around that. One attribute that can definitely be improved is the option of turning on auto-save, instead of manually saving the document. Often the development of a comprehensive project plan across several collaborators is quite intense and even if one of them fails to manually save the document, it is quite a hassle.
Overall, my experience with Smartsheet has been wonderful. The extremely active Community has made all the difference in the world, answering questions within an hour or two. The staff are also active in the Community and you can see their passion for the application and truly helping their customers. Smartsheet is highly worth the investment.
Pros
Smartsheet has so much going for it. It truly fits the new technological world that we live in by providing more than just the basics. Being a cloud-based application (SaaS), and compatible with mobile devices, makes it more functional across the board. It mostly touts itself as a project management tool, which is very true. Most project managers utilize certain applications that require the project to be saved down to a file, which is not easily shareable. Smartsheet can handle the same project management tools and live in cyberspace that can be utilized by numerous people, which different levels of access (viewing, editing, administering) and different views (tasks, gantt, kanban, etc.), and allow people to make comments, add attachments, and more. The most use I have made of Smartsheet within my organization is using it like a spreadsheet. I'm able to have numerous sheets for different departments where they have access to only their own sheets and update only what they need to update. Then I can create a new sheet that combines information from all of the sheets that will auto-update from the original sheets. I can also create reports and dashboards (with charts, metrics, etc.) based on information from all the different sheets. It's quite functional and utilizes much of the same fundamental logic that Excel provides. The Smartsheet website has an extremely detailed (and searchable) Help section and very active Community. Even includes videos to help guide!
Cons
Smartsheet does have some limitations. Most specifically, it isn't Excel and it isn't Project, so users shouldn't expect it to do everything those applications can do. However, there are times when it seems obvious that a particular functionality should be included that isn't. With that said, Smartsheet does a great job of listening to the Community and is constantly improving the application with enhancements to help the Community with its most voted on requests. Another thing that is frustrating is when an error pops up. More often than not, the error is written in a way that doesn't tell the user how to fix the error. Again, when this happens, I just reach out to the Community and get the answers I need.
It does help us track projects and the alerts we've set up help keep users aware of deadlines. So for that, Smartsheet works well. We've found a workaround for the one area we've paid extra for--the reporting--that is deficient. The biggest selling point is its approachability: anyone that is familiar with a spreadsheet application should be able to intuitively understand how SmartSheet basically works. That at least removes the biggest obstacle for a project management solution being ignored: the difficulty of use.
Pros
SmartSheet allows individuals and teams to work projects together, plotting milestones and critical paths, tracking tasks, creating alerts, and using gantt charts to quickly view how various team members are allocated and intersect. It does a good job of integrating with Office 365, allowing you to share links to files in OneDrive and to Skype within SmartSheet. The revamped interface makes it closer to working in Excel, which is the really the whole premise to Smartsheet: providing a familiar spreadsheet interface for working projects. To that end, there is a wealth of functionality for formatting cells to indicate project stages, task completion, etc. You can even apply conditional logic to have cells change color when a task reaches a certain stage. There are good controls for determining levels of access, so you prevent changes to your sheet except by authorized persons. Overall, it's a good tool for managing projects.
Cons
The reporting functionality we paid extra for is a joke. Instead, we've resorted to pulling data into Microsoft's Power BI to create reports and visualize data. And like many other Cloud-based services, there's a core product and then tiers of functionality that cost significantly more. Smartsheet is a capable product, but I'm frankly unsure it's cost is justified by its maturity. I've had the feeling I've been paying for what's coming, not for what's already there. But since we've invested in it, I guess we'll stay the course.
Plans start at $14.00/mo. (*Users create sheets and decide who and how others can collaborate on them. Collaborators are invited to sheets with edit or view permissions. A user requires a Smartsheet license, collaborators have free access.) Nonprofit, schools, gov't agency receive additional discounts on annual plans.
Seamless integration with Google Apps:
- Sign in with your Google account info
- Sync with Google Calendar
- Works with Google Drive: attach Drive files to any row in Smartsheet
- Update project info from Gmail
- Import/Export between Google Spreadsheet and Smartsheet
- Import Google Contacts
- Open attached Microsoft Project and Excel files in Google Drive
Salesforce integration:
Smartsheet and Salesforce work together for ultimate productivity. Link project sheets to Salesforce accounts, contacts, opportunities or cases for real-time collaboration on project status, files, and discussions. Other perks include:
- Single sign-on from Salesforce
- Create new project sheets from Salesforce
- Link to existing project sheets
- Access key project sheets from any Salesforce account, contact, opportunity or case.
Box integration:
Collaboration takes on new meaning with the Smartsheet and Box integration. The cloud apps are easy to use together and offer instant value. Teams can quickly share and collaborate on files related to specific projects with internal staff as well as external teams, including vendors clients and contractors. Some other benefits include:
- Perfect for the Small Teams or Large Enterprise: Smartsheet and Box are easy to use, don't require IT to install or manage, and immediately deliver value to users
- Add Structure, Save Time: Access files from Box in the context of your project or task
- No Need to Upload New Versions: All changes made to documents in Box are instantly available in Smartsheet
- Share Files with Teams Near and Far: Smartsheet's project sharing and row sending capabilities allow you to share files in Box with other team members with a click of the mouse
- A Little or A Lot: Link a specific document - or an entire folder of documents - to your Smartsheet project
A cloud-based project management solution, Smartsheet is an integrated platform combining essential tools for work management, file sharing, and collaboration. Using a familiar spreadsheet interface that requires zero to minimal learning curve, it enables businesses of all sizes to organize and coordinate work of any kind, from organizing a product launch to structuring budgets or deal pipelines.
Flexible and customizable, you can set it up to your liking, instead of you adapting to it. With all your tasks, files, documents, and processes in one centralized place that your team and collaborators can access anytime, anywhere, running your day-to-day operations doesn’t have to involve numerous phone calls, email or SMS exchanges to get things done.
Smartsheet’s core features include Gantt charts, file sharing, collaboration, alerts and reminders, and reporting.
With the simplicity of a spreadsheet but the power of a project management, database, and collaboration solution in one, Smartsheet is used by more than 5 million users and 60,000+ businesses in 175+ countries. The mobile app enables on-the-go project management and task completion, and automated push notifications alert pertinent people of changes in real time.
Workspaces can be created to share sheets, folders, and reports, and a sheet can be published as an interactive sheet or read-only HTML page that you can embed on your website or link in an email. Smartsheet’s cell linking functionality enables you to link data across multiple sheets, such as when you’re aggregating departmental budgets in a single sheet or creating cross-project dependencies. Linked cells automatically update when information in the source sheet changes.
Gantt charts are a visual way to plan and schedule projects, assess timelines, analyze resource assignments, and understand task prioritization and dependencies. Smartsheet’s interactive Gantt charts allow teams to stay up to date on the progress of a project through color-coded task status levels that can be set up via a simple rule called conditional formatting. This way, even at a glance, those involved in the project are immediately aware of what’s going on.
Smartsheet’s user-friendly drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for you – even when you’re new to Gantt charts – to update a project, adjust a date, or reassign a task.
At the heart of every team-based project are files that take on various forms – PDFs, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images, videos, and more. And then there are threaded discussions and free-form notes to keep everyone in the loop and apprised of the project’s progress. Smartsheet enables team members and other stakeholders to collaborate on various pieces of a project through file sharing.
Files and attachments are in one central location, and available to you anytime. To attach an item to a row on your sheet, simply click on the plus sign in the paperclip column or go to the row menu and select Row Attachments from the options. You’re then ready to drag and drop files to the attachment window. You can also click on the Attach button to navigate to the locations of the files you want attached. Attachments can be from your computer or sites such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and Box.
For teams to effectively collaborate on tasks, Smartsheet allows you to share your sheets, send row attachments, or publish sheets as a webpage. Multiple people can simultaneously work on a sheet, and the latest version of a shared sheet is available to collaborators anywhere, anytime, and on any device.
Smartsheet’s Highlight Changes feature is a handy tool to visually keep track of recent changes to a shared sheet. Alerts can be set up to notify collaborators of any changes. There’s also a lock feature you can use for rows or columns you don’t want changed. Update requests to rows or columns can be requested, and individual rows can be shared even with others without a Smartsheet account.
An entire sheet can be sent as an email attachment or published as a webpage, which can be accessed by anyone with a link. The published sheet can be made editable or read-only.
The Smartsheet Alerts and Reminders feature enables you and your team to keep track of changes to a sheet and remember important dates, such as upcoming deadlines, meetings, and board room presentations, among others.
To create an alert for changes made to a sheet, go to the Alerts tab and click on New Notification. Specify who receives the notification, how often, and under which circumstances or conditions. For new reminders, from the Alerts tab, click on the New Reminder button. Identify who gets the reminder and the date it should be sent. Alerts and notifications are received via email.
For a view into the status of your tasks and projects, Smartsheet’s reporting functionality provides high-level insight into tasks that are behind schedule, those that are becoming due, aren’t assigned yet, assigned to a specific person, and so on. Just like sheets, reports can be shared or sent as an attachment. They can also be saved as Excel or PDF files, or sent out on a recurring basis.
To create a report, click on the Add New (+) button and select Blank Report. The Report Builder then lets you select the sheets you want included in the report. Depending on the type of report you need, you can choose a single or multiple sheets. The columns you include in your reports are totally up to you.
Aside from an open API that allows you to build your own integrations, Smartsheet readily integrates with third-party apps such as Microsoft Outlook, Evernote, DocuSign, Box, Dropbox, Google Apps, iCal, Harvest, MailChimp, Marketo, Salesforce, JIRA, Office Timeline, OneLogin, Tableau, Zapier, and many more.
When your free 30-day trial expires, you can upgrade to any of Smartsheet’s subscription options: Basic, Team, or Enterprise. Basic is for individuals and is priced at $14 per month, if billed annually. It can accommodate an unlimited number of collaborators, has a total storage capacity of 3 GB, and supports Gantt charts, web forms, mobile, customization, and a total of 10 sheets.
Team is priced at $39 per month, if billed annually, for three creators and unlimited collaborators. Storage space is 45+ GB. The app accommodates 150+ sheets and carries all Basic features plus reporting, user management, groups, and resource management. Each additional creator costs $9 per month.
Pricing for the Enterprise account can be requested from Smartsheet’s sales team. Aside from all the features available in the Team plan, the Enterprise subscription covers unlimited sheets, unlimited file storage, dedicated support, single sign-on, and automated provisioning.
Discounts are available for schools and nonprofits.
Below are some frequently asked questions for Smartsheet.
Smartsheet offers the following pricing plans:
Starting from: US$14.00/month
Pricing model: Subscription
Free Trial: Available
Plans start at $14.00/mo. (*Users create sheets and decide who and how others can collaborate on them. Collaborators are invited to sheets with edit or view permissions. A user requires a Smartsheet license, collaborators have free access.) Nonprofit, schools, gov't agency receive additional discounts on annual plans.
Smartsheet offers the following features:
Smartsheet has the following typical customers:
Freelancers, Large Enterprises, Mid Size Business, Non Profit, Public Administrations, Small Business
Smartsheet supports the following languages:
English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
Smartsheet has the following pricing plans:
Subscription
Smartsheet supports the following devices:
Android, iPhone, iPad
Smartsheet integrates with the following applications:
Azuqua, Bitium, ClicData, Dropbox, Evernote, Klipfolio, Meisterplan, Salesforce Sales Cloud, Slemma, Zapier
Smartsheet offers the following support options:
Knowledge Base, Online Support, Phone Support, Video Tutorials
I hated it a few years back when I first started using it. The thing that won me over and made me a power user was the interface refresh about a year ago. I then took the Smartsheet training to be certified and that opened my eyes to the power of the tool (and also to the fact that the sheets I hated were users in our company using it very, very WRONG). Anyway, while we do love it, there are a few antiquated things like concurrent editing that are truly broken (Google sheets can do this just fine!) and the recent price increase for our contract means that we are probably moving to another tool.