Every project your business undertakes consists of many different tasks, all with different deadlines and people responsible to meet them. And each stage and task is equally essential to creating and delivering the result you’re looking for.
Successfully managing a project through each stage is no easy feat. And that’s where project management software comes in.
Project management software offers robust functionality that helps companies keep their projects moving in the right direction.
You may be familiar with Smartsheet — A cloud-based platform that helps teams plan and manage projects in real-time.
But is it the best option for your business? The platform has an initial learning curve and it mimics a spreadsheet, making it difficult to manage more complex projects.
Are there Smartsheet alternatives?
If you’re looking for project management software, you’ll find this guide helpful. We’ve put together a list of the top Smartsheet alternatives to help you make an informed decision.
Smartsheet Alternatives:
Introduction to Smartsheet
What the Vendor Says: “Smartsheet is a cloud-based platform that allows organizations of all sizes to plan, capture, manage, automate, and report on work across the business, empowering you to move faster, drive innovation, and achieve more.”
About Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a cloud-based project management platform built with a spreadsheet-like interface for planning, tracking and managing all types of projects.
What’s Offered by Smartsheet?
Smartsheet offers a robust work management solution that enables companies to track their projects, manage resources and improve overall work efficiency.
Users can toggle between multiple views of their data to fit their work processes and use the built-in tools to collaborate with other team members. Smartsheet also offers powerful automation workflows and integrations with popular platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft and Slack.
Additional features include:
- Collaboration tools
- File sharing
- Resource management
- Budget management
- Automated alerts
- Reporting and analytics
- Milestone tracking
- Mobile app
Dashboard at a glance:
How Much Does Smartsheet Cost?
Smartsheet has a free plan that accommodates a single user and up to two editors. It includes basic features, such as two sheets, unlimited dashboards/reports and Gantt charts.
Then, there are three paid plans: Pro, Business and Enterprise.
The Pro and Business plans are offered as standard plans and designed for growing organizations.
The Pro plan is $7 per user a month and includes access to the library of free templates, automated workflows, collaboration tools and more.
The Business plan is $25 per user a month and includes progress tracking, live data connections, custom branding and more.
Smartsheet also offers an Enterprise plan that includes additional enterprise-specific tools, enhanced administrator controls and more.
Businesses interested this plan will need to reach out to Smartsheets’ sales team to request a quote.
Pros and Cons of Smartsheet
Pros: Robust project management platform designed with a spreadsheet-like interface. Offers seamless integration with popular third-party applications.
Cons: Reporting functionality is not as robust as other solutions. Some users note that the platform slows down when storing large data sets.
Check out the following Smartsheet review for more details.
Smartsheet Alternative #1: Asana
What the Vendor Says: “Asana is the work management platform teams use to stay focused on the goals, projects, and daily tasks that grow business.”
Introduction to Asana
Asana is one of the most popular Smartsheet alternatives, offering task management and collaboration solutions for teams to manage their projects and stay on task.
What’s Offered by Asana?
Asana offers a robust platform that enables companies to create visual project plans, set deadlines, assign tasks and eliminate roadblocks.
Asana also offers automation tools. Project managers and users can create custom rules to streamline processes and automate routine tasks like automatically assigning work to the right teammate. Companies can significantly improve their work efficiency by converting projects into custom templates.
Additional features include:
- Timeline view
- Custom fields
- Advanced integrations
- Milestone tracking
- Real-time activity feed
- Project templates
- Mobile app
Dashboard at a glance:
How Much Does Asana Cost?
Asana offers five payment options: Free, Starter, Advanced, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus.
- Free – The free tier supports up to 10 team members, with access to limited dashboards and search functions as well as unlimited task projects and conversations.
- Starter – The Starter plan costs $10.99 per user per month when billed annually. This tier supports up to 500 users and includes features, such as Gantt and Timeline views, unlimited dashboards and the Asana Intelligence tool.
- Advanced – The Advanced plan costs $24.99 per user, per month (billed annually) and has all of the features of the Starter plan, plus portfolios, workloads, approvals and integration with Jira Cloud.
- Enterprise – The Enterprise plan offers more advanced administrative controls, custom branding and same-day support. Prices are available upon request.
- Enterprise Plus – The Enterprise Plus plan adds on even more advanced security features. As with the Enterprise plan, pricing is available by quote.
Pros and Cons of Asana
Pros: Powerful collaborative work management solution with an intuitive interface. Businesses can start with a free plan for 15 users and upgrade later on.
Cons: Resource management functionality is not offered. Some users note that the number of options and features can make it complicated for everyday use.
Check out this in-depth Asana review to learn more about this vendor.
Smartsheet Alternative #2: KeyedIn Projects
What the Vendor Says: “Place the right bets, turn quickly and deliver faster with this innovative approach to top-down portfolio and capacity planning.”
Introduction to KeyedIn Projects
KeyedIn Projects is a project management solution that enables companies of all sizes to manage their entire portfolio and make better decisions.
What’s Offered by KeyedIn Projects?
KeyedIn Projects provides organizations with a robust set of tools that allow organizations to manage projects throughout the entire lifecycle from one centralized location.
Companies can align their projects with strategic objectives and get accurate resource forecasting. The platform also includes financial management features, which project managers can use to track project performance against budgets.
Additional features include:
- Portfolio management
- Forecasting and budgeting
- Resource management
- Document management
- Reporting and analytics
- Mobile access
Dashboard at a glance:
How Much Does KeyedIn Projects Cost?
KeyedIn Projects offers different license types, which allows companies to tailor a solution that suits their project management needs.
Here’s a snapshot of KeyedIn Projects’ license types:
Pricing information for the license types isn’t displayed on the website. Interested businesses can reach out to KeyedIn Projects directly to request a quote or sign up for a free trial.
Pros and Cons of KeyedIn Projects
Pros: Teams can prioritize projects based on specific criteria and automate workflows. Offers resource and budget management functionality.
Cons: Client portals aren’t available. Billing features can only be added by integrating into an existing financial system. Lengthy implementation process.
Check out the following KeyedIn Projects review for more details.
Smartsheet Alternative #3: Replicon
What the Vendor Says: “Comprehensive suite to manage time, projects, people & profits.”
Introduction to Replicon
Replicon Project Time Tracking is a comprehensive time tracking suite that’s designed to help companies improve their processes and productivity.
What’s Offered by Replicon?
Replicon Project Time Tracking offers an all-in-one work management solution that consists of four products: TimeBill, ProjectTime, Expense and TimeOff. Companies can add the modules they need based on their specific requirements.
Companies can set up complex projects, manage budgets, track expenses, define workflows and more. Replicon Project Time Tracking also offers a mobile app that project managers and employees can use to access the platform and stay on top of their workload.
Additional features include:
- Progress timelines
- Consolidated client view
- Expense policies
- Resource availability
- GPS tracking
- Configurable invoices
- Multi-currency support
- Document management
- Flexible reporting
- Third-party Integrations
Dashboard at a glance:
How Much Does Replicon Cost?
Replicon Project Time Tracking allows companies to choose specific products based on their needs.
Here’s a snapshot of Replicon’s pricing for its suite of products:
Pros and Cons of Replicon
Pros: Flexible all-in-one platform with robust time tracking features. Companies can tailor their solutions.
Cons: Collaboration features aren’t available from the platform. Some users note higher costs than similar tools and limitations with the mobile app.
Check out this in-depth Replicon Review to learn more about this vendor.
Smartsheet Alternative #4: KPI Fire
What the Vendor Says: “Align improvement projects with strategic goals and key performance metrics.”
Introduction to KPI Fire
KPI Fire is a cloud-based platform that helps medium to large-sized companies align their projects with strategic goals and monitor key performance metrics.
What’s Offered by KPI Fire?
KPI Fire offers a powerful strategy execution and continuous improvement platform that enables companies to utilize methodologies like Hoshin Kanri, Balanced Scorecard and more.
The platform includes four tools: Strategic Planning, KPI Dashboards, Idea Management and Project Management. These tools allow companies to capture and turn ideas into projects, create custom workflows and track key performance indicators.
Additional features include:
- Strategy planner
- Key performance indicator dashboards
- Idea funnel and tracking
- Customizable templates
- Task-based workflows
- Road mapping
- Goal setting
Dashboard at a glance:
How Much Does KPI Fire Cost?
KPI Fire offers two plans: Continuous Improvement and Strategy Execution.
Continuous Improvement includes features like project and task management, workflow templates, notifications, idea management and more.
Strategy Execution includes more advanced features like goal reviews, key performance indicators, tactical projects, role-based access and more.
Here’s a snapshot of KPI Fire’s pricing:
Pricing for these plans isn’t displayed on the website. Prospective clients can fill out a form to request a demo or reach out to KPI Fire’s sales team for more information.
Pros and Cons of KPI Fire
Pros: Intuitive project management tool that supports Hoshin Kanri methodologies. Offers real-time visibility into key performance indicators.
Cons: Metric dashboards have limited charts and features. Some users note that the graphical interface looks dated.
To learn more, check out the following KPI Fire review.
Smartsheet Alternative #5: MindGenius
What the Vendor Says: “Yes, project management can be simpler. More complete. More enjoyable.”
Introduction to MindGenius
MindGenius is a project management software built for small to mid-sized companies to plan, schedule and manage their tasks.
What’s Offered by MindGenius?
MindGenius offers robust task management features that enable companies to schedule tasks, assign resources, monitor progress and identify bottlenecks. Users can visualize their tasks and switch between different views.
MindGenius also offers an intuitive mind-mapping tool, which includes built-in templates and an image library. Teams can use this feature to map out their ideas and create visual maps of new projects.
Additional features include:
- Dynamic view functionality
- Portfolio management
- Idea management
- Milestone tracking
- Resource management
- Activity log
Dashboard at a glance:
How Much Does MindGenius Cost?
MindGenius offers two licensing models: Subscription and Perpetual.
The Subscription license costs $160 for the first year and an annual charge of $56 onwards. It includes access to MindGenius Online and upgrades to future releases.
The Perpetual license has a one-time cost of $256 and includes a 12-month free subscription to MindGenius Online.
Interested businesses can sign up for a free 14-day trial.
Pros and Cons of MindGenius
Pros: Robust project management tool with multiple dynamic views. Offers mind-mapping tools for organizing and managing ideas.
Cons: Not intended for managing complex projects. Budgeting and expense features aren’t offered. Only phone and email support are available.
Check out the following MindGenius review for more details about this vendor.
Smartsheet Alternative #6: Workfront
What the Vendor Says: “One place for all enterprise work: connected, flexible, and collaborative.”
Introduction to Workfront
Workfront is a web-based project management software that streamlines work processes and facilitates collaboration from any device.
What’s Offered by Workfront?
Workfront offers a robust and flexible platform that enables companies to manage enterprise-level work. The platform can be configured to support teams within marketing, IT, agencies and professional services.
Teams can collaborate from a single work platform and manage all digital assets in one place. With real-time dashboards, project managers can track the status of current projects and identify any bottlenecks. Workfront offers integrations with popular applications like Box, Outlook, Slack and more.
Additional features include:
- Portfolio management
- Resource management
- Collaboration tools
- Document management
- Digital access management
- Time tracking
- Online proofing
Dashboard at a glance:
How Much Does Workfront Cost?
Workfront offers for plans: Team, Pro, Business and Enterprise.
The Team plan is best suited for a single team and includes basic project management features.
The Pro plan is designed for one department and includes resource management, reporting and more.
The Business plan is ideal for mid-sized companies with 10 departments and includes strategic portfolio planning, advanced integrations and more.
The Enterprise plan is built for large enterprises and includes access to every feature and advanced security.
Here’s a snapshot of Workfront’s plans:
Pricing for each plan isn’t displayed. Prospective clients can request a free demo or reach out to Workfront’s sales team for more information.
Pros and Cons of Workfront
Pros: Flexible project management tool that can be customized to IT, agencies and services teams. Offers an intuitive platform for managing and tracking digital assets.
Cons: Might be too complicated for companies looking for simple task management software. Some users note an initial learning curve.
Check out this in-depth review of Workfront for more information.
The Right Smartsheet Alternative for Your Business
Not sure which project management software to choose for your business?
Here are some Smartsheet alternatives that we recommend:
The Right Smartsheet Alternative for Small Businesses
We recommend small businesses check out:
The Right Smartsheet Alternative for Mid to Large-Sized Businesses
We recommend mid to large-sized businesses check out:
The Right Smartsheet Alternative for Agencies and Professional Services
We recommend agencies and professional services check out:
Conclusion
Project management software provides tools that facilitate collaboration, scheduling, document sharing and more. Utilizing these platforms can allow your business to manage all aspects of a project from initiation to completion.
Smartsheet is a popular platform that consolidates project management tools like task management, content collaboration, custom dashboards, automation workflows and more.
However, Smartsheet lacks certain features like time tracking, so it may not be the best project management software for your business. Use this in-depth comparison guide of the leading Smartsheet alternatives to help you evaluate your options.