Smartsheet vs ClickUp: Which Tool is Better for Project Management?

In the market for a project management tool and looking to compare ClickUp vs Smartsheet? Both of these software apps offer powerful features and capabilities, but they are designed with different users in mind. 

So, which should you choose? Before making any big decisions, let’s thoughtfully compare Smartsheet vs ClickUp based on features, performance, collaboration capabilities, customization options, scalability, and cost. 

By evaluating each product through identified criteria it will be easier for you to make an informed decision about your next project management solution.

Let's dive in!

What is ClickUp

ClickUp is an all-in-one project management software and productivity platform designed for all users. This software offers over a hundred customizable features to help you manage projects and delegate tasks, and set up automation. ClickUp's powerful features allow an entire team to collaborate and work together all in one place to achieve project completion and success. The app also offers ready to use customizable templates to get you started quickly on any project or goal. Manage resources, specific tasks, multiple users, and large teams with the help of this comprehensive management platform.

Best Features

• More than 35 ClickApps to help you customize your space
• Choose from 15+ different views including a calendar view that will work best for a team or project
• Provides integration to popular finance, Payroll, HR management system, and CRM systems
• Set and automate recurring tasks and task dependencies to improve productivity

Limitations

• App interface, views, and features can be too complex for first-time users
• Some features and views are not available for mobile view

Pricing

• Free: Free forever
• Unlimited: $5 per user per month
• Business: $12 per user per month
• Business Plus: $19 per user per month
• Enterprise: Contact sales

User Ratings

G2: 4.7/5 (4800+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.7/5 (3100+ reviews)

“ClickUp is an incredibly flexible platform that truly revolutionized how I worked. The ability to customize the system to fit my workflows was a major selling point when I first looked into it and something that has been invaluable ever since. It offers me the unique opportunity to choose from a range of pre-made tasks, processes and boards or create my own - allowing me unlimited freedom in designing how I want to get things done.

The flexibility of Clickup also allows for collaboration between different members of the team without any hassle. Every user can have their own customized view and share what they’re working on with others so everyone is always on the same page. This makes communication much more efficient, as well as reduces errors through shared knowledge about which tasks are assigned where and by whom." - Xavier W., Director

Sign up for ClickUp for free, no credit card required

What is Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a cloud-based work management platform for enterprises and organizations. This application helps teams plan, execute, and report on tasks and projects at a scale. The platform features a familiar spreadsheet interface and views to help project managers and their teams track and manage projects. Smartsheet offers project management through different views including Gantt, Calendar, Kanban, and more. Smartsheet is also a great way to collaborate with internal and external parties making it a great option for large-scale projects.

Best Features

• API allows users to develop their own programs and tools
• Save time by automating repetitive tasks and processes
• Flexible views and dashboards to suit your needs

Limitations

• Learning curve due to customization features
• Time tracking and resource management tools require purchase
• No free plan

Pricing

• Smartsheet doesn’t have a free plan
• Pro: $7 per user per month
• Business: $25 per user per month
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

This product has revolutionized the way I manage my team. I am able to use Smartsheet to track many different projects and annual work goals for my team. My staff appreciates the increased autonomy Smartsheet has brought to us. Their goals and metrics are clear and they feel more ownership over their work. Other teams have started to use Smartsheet for their own business purposes and this is making its way through the organization. -Jason B., Government Administration

ClickUp vs Smartsheet in the Community

When looking for reliable information about ClickUp vs Smartsheet, it is important to include resources from the community. This is because the community perspective offers a unique view on each of these tools, as members are unbiased and have likely used both options themselves. 

Check out this video from a popular influencer:

Using the G2 Grid for project management software comparison is also a great way to quickly evaluate the two tools and make an informed decision. G2Crowd sources from a diverse set of user reviews to create this measurement to help potential customers compare different solutions side-by-side. 

As you can see, ClickUp scores very well and is in the leader category while Smartsheet is the second-highest tool on the chart.

Depending on your use case, you may want to consider these scores and rankings as they are a very good reflection of current user satisfaction and an indication of future potential.

ClickUp vs Smartsheet on Reddit

What better way to really get a feel for a tool than reading through what users on the internet are candidly sharing? Check out some Reddit posts on both tools. 

ClickUp Reddit Review

“What I like about ClickUp is its flexibility. Certainly it is not going to tick all the boxes. But it brings a solid suite of features. For me, it is fantastic that lists are flexible and support custom fields. There's various ways to display your tasks - Gantt chart, Kanban, tabular etc. You can reference ClickUp Docs as well - think of it like a simplified MS Word but being able to reference your tasks. I use it for my personal projects, for a list of books I want to read, for tracking gift ideas, for managing more complex personal side projects etc.” - via Reddit

Smartsheet Reddit Review

“At my last company we used it extensively for everything from project management to bug tracking to inventorying. Worked really well and they made quite a few improvements to it during the time I was there. The fact that we could grant some access to people in other organizations was nice when we worked with vendors and partners as well.” - via Reddit

Now, onto our honest opinions on different categories of comparison between Smartsheet and ClickUp.

Usability and Feature Comparison

ClickUp's Usability and Features

ClickUp is known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. Its drag-and-drop capabilities allows users to easily use the tool and the Home feature displays all your tasks in one place. There are over 15+ custom views available for anyone, from individual contributors to executives, to see work from their point of view. The app also has a drag-and-drop functionality for updating due dates and existing tasks. 

Besides the standard project management software features and tools such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and Sprints, ClickUp also offers a variety of unique features such as the screen recording Clip feature. Record your screen and attach it directly to ClickUp tasks, saving you from having to use other screen recording apps such as Loom. 

Its whiteboards are an incredibly useful and versatile tool that allows users to visualize concepts, brainstorm ideas, and plan out entire projects. You can create an unlimited number of boards that can be viewed by anyone with access. The boards are also customizable, allowing users and guests to add text, images, notes, and more.

The sheer multitude of ClickUp features does make it a bit difficult and overwhelming for beginners. This can be compensated by being able to turn on and off different ClickApps so you can choose which features you want enabled for your team to eliminate a learning curve. Effectively organize and prioritize tasks with the help of these customizable features to create your own personal workspace. 

Sandra D., a digital marketing specialist says: “As a Scrum Master, I feel that ClickUp is a marvelous tool for any Agile marketing teams out there. We have biweekly sprint planning sessions, and using ClickUp makes getting through them a breeze. Custom views can be created at all levels -- for an individual list (we use these to separate business lines within our team), for an entire folder (which we use for a view of all the areas of our team). At the folder level, during grooming, I filter by all items due in the coming two weeks and then we can go through them and groom them. ClickUp allows for custom fields so that any details that are relevant across the board on a task can be filled in. This allows us to keep tasks organized by their values in the custom fields.”

Smartsheet's Usability and Features

Smartsheet has all the features you can find from a spreadsheet application with added features to support multiple user editing and collaboration. Users can add pictures, reports, and forms for third-party collaborations. Users can also integrate Smartsheet with popular third-party applications like Office 365 and Google Suite.

The tool is flexible and enables users to quickly adapt without little to no knowledge of programming, coding, or data analysis. Smartsheet offers a library of articles, training, templates, and a community to get support or help when it comes to using the tool. Smartsheet offers a range of other advanced features such as automations, real-time dashboards, and custom reporting.

Shana M., a Manager says the following: Smartsheet is an extremely easy to use and understand form-builder. It was an amazing solution for an issue we experienced while updating one of our current systems. The system was down for 10 calendar days during change-over, and we needed a way for people to still submit information to be reviewed, corrected, and approved by key participants so that our team could finalize and submit things to our sponsors in a timely manner. It was relatively simple to set up. I was able to load in sufficient data to enable routing to various parties for review and approval. I was able to include some ability to request changes/corrections. And our campus was happy with it. That was a very big deal. We got massively positive feedback for something that would not have been possible without Smartsheet's capabilities.

Collaborative Capabilities Comparison

ClickUp's Collaborative Capabilities

ClickUp's collaboration features make it an ideal choice for distributed teams and remote work. Its wide range of features allows users to communicate quickly and effectively, no matter where they are located. On top of real-time editing, you can assign tasks to team members, comment on tasks and projects, @mention teammates and assign comments to them, and create task lists that can be shared with other team members, contractors, and clients outside of your team. 

ClickUp's Chat View is also an incredibly useful feature that allows users to communicate and brainstorm easily in a specific List or Folder without having to switch between different applications. There's also an in-built Calendar feature that syncs with Google and Outlook calendars to help team members decide on important dates and team meetings. 

Its broad range of features makes it a great choice for any team looking to get organized and collaborate more effectively. These functions improve overall team communication and collaboration especially those who are working remote.

Reema D., an associate director says: “The best parts about ClickUp are the potential for collaboration and the visual ability to watch tasks go through stages of completion. My team uses ClickUp primarily for candidate tracking and hiring. Through ClickUp, my team can share candidates, track contact logs, view resumes through their attachment upload feature, make notes, and move the candidate through the hiring process.”

Smartsheet's Collaborative Capabilities

Achieve real-time collaboration and project management with the help of Smartsheet. Easily track tasks, make a to-do list for all team members, and collaborate with your team members without the need to write code. Smartsheet has an array of features to keep multiple users working on the same project organized despite working on a sheet or project simultaneously.

Businesses handling transactions and invoices are able to keep everything in one place to ensure a smooth process and workflow. Users are able to spend less time looking for specific files or sheets. Smartsheet also features alerts to keep everything on time or even ahead of schedule. The application also offers automation to streamline repetitive tasks and processes.

Jeff S., a Senior Solutions Engineer says this about Smartsheet’s collaboration features: “It allowed collaboration before we had Excel SharePoint, which was great. Also, linking to other SmartSheets was helpful, but the linking with thousands of rows causes too much friction in the user experience. Our original problem is now gone, with Excel in SharePoint we can more easily collaborate on spreadsheets.”

Customization and Scalability Comparison

ClickUp's Customization and Scalability

ClickUp is highly customizable and can be tailored to fit the specific needs of any organization or individual. It is designed to accommodate a diverse range of users, including neurodiverse users. For example, users can customize their view with different filters and sorting options, such as due date, assignee, priority, and tags. 

Its scalability is enabled by the multi-dimensional structure - for instance, ClickUp’s organizational hierarchy allows users to structure their workspace in whatever way works best for them. ClickUp also offers extensive reporting capabilities which can be adjusted depending on the size of an organization. For example, businesses can customize reports to track specific metrics, such as project progress, total time tracked, or employee workload. 

This makes it a great solution for organizations of all different sizes and types that are looking for an intuitive yet powerful project management tool.

Dimitrije C., Head of Audio agrees: “I think ClickUp is very good at making large-scale processes visible to a large number of teams and people, and for me, it's been a massive improvement compared to a few project management solutions we've used previously in that aspect, especially since we started remote work. I don't know how I'd be able to keep up with the work of other departments in my company if I didn't have the flexible options of ClickUp, for following only the tasks which are relevant for my team and me.”

Smartsheet's Customization and Scalability

Source: Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a great way to track multiple projects at the same time. Users handling huge databases will also benefit from this highly flexible tool. To further improve your team’s productivity, Smartsheet automation’s feature is great for cutting down time spent on repetitive tasks.

Scaling the use of this tool might be challenging for users with limited knowledge of project management applications. This can be an issue when creating automation, dashboards, and data aggregation from third-party sources. Smartsheet offers a learning center as well as certifications to improve user proficiency when it comes to using the app.

Melissa W. says: “The range of possibilities with how Smartsheet can be customized seems almost endless, if you can think of something you want there's probably a way to make it happen. Dashboards are super useful both as a way to visualize data from our master spreadsheet, but also as a way to set up our company hub of resources and links all in one place. Another really useful feature is the ability to set up automated workflows.”

Cost Comparison

ClickUp's Pricing

By offering several plans, ranging from the free Forever Free plan to the Enterprise Plan, ClickUp has something for everyone. The Forever Free plan is perfect for small teams who need basic project management capabilities at no additional cos. This is great for teams or individuals who don’t require the comprehensive feature set of a premium plan. For those looking for an even more advanced project management solution, the Unlimited Plan and Business Plan provide access to powerful features such as Gantt charts, timelines, and workload management. This is a great option for small businesses and growing teams who will need a little bit more flexibility when it comes to managing teams, tasks, and documents. 

ClickUp's Enterprise Plan is the ideal choice for more complex organizations. It is designed to meet even the most demanding needs, from HIPAA compliance and whitelabeling to custom integrations and dedicated support.

Here's what Allan G., a project manager says about the cost: “[ClickUp] allows me to treat my business like software. I can adapt procedures so that orders flow through our company naturally. It can work like a manual ERP if you set it up correctly. I love that you can really do whatever you want, all for a very low price.”

Smartsheet's Pricing

Smartsheet’s pricing plan is comparable to other top project management applications. Individual users can try Smartsheet for free. This version can accommodate up to two editors. Teams with more than 3 members can avail the Pro plan for $7 per month per user for a maximum of 10 users.

The Business plan is recommended for bigger teams which will cost $25 per user per month. This plan covers unlimited editors, automation, and other advanced features. Enterprises can contact Smartsheet for a custom plan with enterprise-grade features.

Megan C. mentions this about pricing: “I absolutely love the software and the company. The system meets our needs and is flexible when we need to make adjustments. While the cost is fairly high to start up, annually it is worth the cost, as it streamlines our processes and allows us to be more efficient.”

Smartsheet vs ClickUp: Bottom Line

Choose ClickUp if:

• You need process management, time management, collaboration, and reporting features
• You are looking for full customization capabilities
• You’re a growing team handling multiple projects at once

Choose Smartsheet if:

• You’re looking for an easier project tracking tool
• You’re looking for a traditional spreadsheet approach for task management
• You need a tool with CRM capabilities