Smartsheet vs. Monday.com
Smartsheet and Monday.com are popular task management tools for planning projects, assigning work, tracking progress, and coordinating teams. Smartsheet uses a spreadsheet-style interface suited to structured plans and data-heavy workflows. Monday.com offers visual, customizable boards designed to make team tasks and project status easy to see.
Users often compare them for their collaboration features, workflow automation, reporting, integrations, and ability to support different team sizes. The best fit depends on how your team prefers to work and what it needs from a task management platform.
A useful comparison should cover features, pricing, ease of use, customization, integrations, and scalability.
Smartsheet VS Monday.com: Which tool is the most popular?
| Tool | Reviews | Average rating | Positive / Neutral / Negative | Popularity summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday.com | 298 | 3.96 | 225 / 16 / 57 | Most popular by review volume and average rating |
| Smartsheet | 29 | 3.21 | 17 / 2 / 10 | Least popular by review volume and average rating |
Monday.com leads on both measures, with far more reviews and a higher average rating. Smartsheet has fewer reviews and a lower average rating. Review volume indicates stronger representation in this dataset, but does not by itself measure overall market adoption.
Smartsheet and Monday.com: Quick Comparison Overview
| Category | Ahrefs | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Primary features | SEO research tools for backlink analysis, keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, and content research. | Broader digital-marketing suite covering SEO, competitor research, site audits, rank tracking, content marketing, local SEO, PPC, and social media. |
| Target audience | SEO specialists, content teams, and agencies focused on organic search and link building. | In-house marketing teams, agencies, and businesses managing several digital-marketing channels. |
| Main advantages | Strong backlink and competitor research, with a focused toolkit for finding SEO and content opportunities. | Wider range of marketing tools in one platform, especially useful for combining SEO with paid, local, and social campaigns. |
| Core value proposition | Make organic-search research and link-building workflows more effective. | Manage and measure a broader digital-marketing program from one platform. |
| Ideal use cases | Analyzing competitors’ backlinks, researching keywords and content gaps, auditing a site, and tracking organic rankings. | Coordinating SEO with PPC, local visibility, content, and social efforts; conducting cross-channel competitor research. |
Sources: Ahrefs features · Semrush features
Feature availability varies by plan and may change.
Most liked vs most disliked features of Smartsheet and Monday.com
| Platform | Overall user sentiment | Commonly praised | Common concerns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartsheet | Generally positive, particularly for practical project tracking and collaboration. Users value its usefulness and cost-effectiveness, though some need more support to get started and fit it into their workflows. | Team collaboration and file sharing; an approachable design for organizing and assigning tasks; centralized project tracking, including tasks and dependencies; good value for the features offered. | Free-plan limitations; a learning curve and requests for better onboarding guidance; difficulty integrating the platform into existing workflows; desire for smarter integrations and recommendations. |
| Monday.com | Generally positive for usability, visual project tracking, and customization. Users appreciate its collaboration and automation, but note that its feature set, pricing, and performance can be drawbacks. | Intuitive interface and quick onboarding; customizable dashboards and workflows; clear project progress tracking; improved team communication; time-saving automation. | Feature overload and a learning curve for new users; costs that can rise for smaller teams; occasional sluggishness, especially on mobile; free-plan constraints; less-developed dependencies and integrations. |
Key Features of Smartsheet vs Monday.com
Smartsheet
| Feature | How it helps users | What stands out |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet-style task and project plans | Lets teams organize tasks, owners, dates, status, and other details in a familiar grid. | Combines a spreadsheet-like interface with project-management capabilities. |
| Multiple views | Teams can switch how they see the same work—for example, as a grid, Gantt chart, calendar, or card view—to suit different planning needs. | Useful for teams that want detailed tables as well as visual timelines and boards. |
| Automation and reminders | Automates routine steps such as sending alerts, requesting updates, or moving work along an approval process. | Helps reduce manual follow-up on structured workflows. |
| Forms for collecting work | Captures requests or updates in a consistent format and feeds them into a sheet for tracking. | A practical way to turn incoming requests into trackable work. |
| Reports and dashboards | Summarizes progress and key information across projects so teams can monitor work and share status. | Supports reporting across multiple sheets and projects. |
| Collaboration | Gives teams a place to discuss work and share context alongside tasks. | Keeps conversations connected to the work being managed. |
monday.com
| Feature | How it helps users | What stands out |
|---|---|---|
| Customizable boards | Teams track tasks using items, owners, dates, statuses, and other configurable fields. | Its visual, configurable boards can be adapted to many team workflows. |
| Multiple views | Views such as Kanban, timeline, calendar, Gantt, and workload help teams plan and review the same work in different ways. | Makes it easy to move between day-to-day task tracking and higher-level planning. |
| Automations | Triggers actions and notifications based on changes to board items, reducing repetitive coordination. | No-code automation is built into the workflow-building experience. |
| Dashboards | Brings information from boards together to help teams follow progress and spot issues. | Useful for getting an overview without reviewing every task individually. |
| Forms and work intake | Collects requests and turns submitted information into work items. | Connects request collection with the team’s task-tracking boards. |
| Collaboration tools | Updates, files, and related work context can be kept alongside tasks. | The broader monday.com product suite includes tools such as monday workdocs, which can connect planning and collaboration. |
In brief
- Smartsheet may suit teams that prefer a spreadsheet-like way to manage structured projects, reporting, and request workflows.
- monday.com may suit teams that want highly visual, customizable boards and flexible ways to coordinate work.
Features and availability can vary by product and subscription plan. See the brands’ feature pages: Smartsheet features and monday.com features.
Smartsheet vs Monday.com Pricing Comparison
Smartsheet and monday.com pricing
Prices below are in U.S. dollars per user or seat, before taxes. Annual prices are monthly equivalents billed annually; monthly prices are billed month to month. Enterprise plans are quote-based, and prices can vary by region or purchase size.
| Plan | Smartsheet | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Free | No permanent free plan is listed on the pricing page. Smartsheet offers a 30-day free trial. | $0. Free Forever plan for up to 2 seats. Includes up to 3 boards, 8 column types, and 500 MB of storage. |
| Entry-level paid | Pro: $9/user/month annually or $12/user/month monthly. Supports up to 10 members. Includes core project and work management, sheets, forms, reports, and a monthly allowance of automations. | Basic: $9/seat/month annually or $12/seat/month monthly. Includes unlimited free viewers, unlimited items, 5 GB of storage, and dashboards based on one board. |
| Mid-tier | Business: $19/user/month annually or $24/user/month monthly; minimum of 3 members. Adds capabilities for larger teams, including expanded collaboration, administration, and workflow management. | Standard: $12/seat/month annually or $14/seat/month monthly. Adds timeline and Gantt views, guest access, automations and integrations, and dashboards combining up to 5 boards. |
| Advanced team plan | Enterprise: Custom pricing. Adds enterprise-level administration, security, governance, and integrations. | Pro: $19/seat/month annually or $24/seat/month monthly. Adds private boards, chart view, time tracking, formula columns, and larger automation and integration allowances. |
| Top tier | Advanced Work Management: Custom pricing. Designed for complex work-management needs, with advanced capabilities and add-ons such as portfolio and workflow-management tools. | Enterprise: Custom pricing. Adds advanced security, permissions, reporting, administration, and enterprise-scale automation and integration capabilities. |
Pricing and discounts
| Item | Smartsheet | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Annual billing savings | Pro is about 25% less than its monthly-billing rate; Business is about 21% less. | Basic is about 25% less, Standard about 14% less, and Pro about 21% less than the respective monthly-billing rates. |
| Free trial | 30 days. | 14 days; the trial provides access to Pro features. |
| Other special rates | The public pricing page does not specify a universal special-rate discount. Custom plans are priced by quote. | The public pricing page does not specify a universal special-rate discount. Enterprise plans are priced by quote. |
Smartsheet’s published paid tiers start at Pro and Business, while monday.com also offers a permanent free plan. monday.com’s paid plans emphasize board-based features and seat-based pricing; Smartsheet’s higher tiers are geared toward scaling work management and administration.
Sources: Smartsheet pricing · monday.com pricing
Support Options Comparison: Smartsheet vs Monday.com
| Support option | Smartsheet | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat | The support page directs customers to its support resources and support-request routes, but does not clearly promise live chat for every customer. | The Contact Support page is the route to its support team and describes support as available 24/7. It does not clearly specify that every request is handled through live chat. |
| Phone support | Phone support is not presented as a general option on the public support page. | Phone support is not listed as a general option on the contact-support page. |
| Documentation | The support site links to product help and learning materials for setup, features, and troubleshooting. | The Help Center provides searchable product guides and troubleshooting articles. |
| Additional resources | Resources include the Smartsheet Community, learning and training materials, and webinars. | Resources include tutorials and other learning materials, alongside the Help Center. |
Bottom line: Both products emphasize online help and self-service resources. monday.com explicitly describes its support as 24/7; neither linked page clearly presents phone support as a standard option, and neither makes universal live-chat availability clear.
Unique Features of Smartsheet Vs Monday.com
“Uncommon” here means capabilities that go beyond a basic task tracker; they are not necessarily exclusive to either product.
| Brand and feature | Added value | Why it may be a deciding factor |
|---|---|---|
| Smartsheet — Control Center and portfolio management | Standardizes project setup and supports oversight across multiple projects, rather than treating every project as a separate task list. | Useful for organizations running many similar projects that need consistent templates, governance, and portfolio-level visibility. |
| Smartsheet — Dynamic View | Lets teams share a tailored view of information without giving every collaborator access to the entire underlying sheet. | A strong fit for work involving clients, vendors, or internal teams with different access needs—especially when data visibility matters. |
| Smartsheet — Resource Management | Adds capacity and resource planning to work tracking, helping managers see how people and work are allocated. | Can matter when staffing decisions, utilization, or competing project demands are as important as task deadlines. |
| Smartsheet — Proofing and approvals | Supports review and approval of work such as creative assets and documents within the work process. | Valuable for teams with formal review cycles, such as marketing or compliance, where feedback and sign-off need to be tracked alongside delivery. |
| Smartsheet — WorkApps | Allows teams to assemble role-focused work experiences from Smartsheet content without building a separate application. | Helps organizations give different groups a simpler, more relevant interface while keeping work connected to shared data. |
| monday.com — AI capabilities | Brings AI-assisted tasks—such as generating or summarizing content and handling information on boards—into work processes. | May appeal to teams looking to reduce routine work or help users act on information without moving it into a separate AI tool. |
| monday.com — Workdocs connected to boards | Combines collaborative documents with tracked work, making it easier to connect planning and discussion to execution. | Useful when teams want project briefs, meeting notes, or plans to stay close to the work they describe, rather than live in disconnected documents. |
| monday.com — Cross-board dashboards | Brings information from multiple boards into configurable dashboards. | A deciding factor for managers who need a consolidated view of progress across teams or projects without relying on manual status reports. |
| monday.com — No-code automations and integrations | Lets teams automate routine actions and connect work to other tools using configurable rules. | Particularly useful when recurring handoffs or updates consume time and teams want to shape workflows without custom development. |
| monday.com — Workload views | Helps visualize assigned work and capacity across people or teams. | Relevant for teams that need to spot over-allocation and balance workloads—not just monitor whether individual tasks are complete. |
Most frequently asked questions about Smartsheet vs Monday.com
Which is easier to learn: Monday.com or Smartsheet?
Monday.com is generally described by reviewers as easier to pick up, especially for people who want a visual, guided interface. Smartsheet often feels familiar to spreadsheet users, but reviewers note that its advanced features and sheet-based structure can take longer to master. In short: Monday.com tends to suit teams prioritizing quick onboarding; Smartsheet may feel more natural to teams already comfortable with spreadsheets.
Which tool is better for everyday task management?
Both handle task lists, owners, due dates, statuses, and project views. Reviewers often favor Monday.com for day-to-day work because boards, status labels, and visual timelines make progress easy to scan. Smartsheet is frequently praised for managing detailed plans and structured work, particularly when teams want tasks arranged in a spreadsheet-like grid. The better choice depends on whether your team prefers visual boards or a familiar table.
Which platform offers more customization?
Both are customizable, but they approach it differently. Monday.com reviewers often praise the ability to tailor boards, columns, and workflows without much technical setup. Smartsheet reviewers value its flexible sheets, formulas, reports, and configurable project structures, while noting that more complex setups can require extra planning. Monday.com tends to make visual customization more approachable; Smartsheet can offer more spreadsheet-style control.
Which is better for collaboration and team communication?
Monday.com is often favored for keeping discussions and updates close to the work, with reviewers appreciating visible ownership and status changes. Smartsheet supports collaboration through comments, sharing, and workspaces, and is often valued for coordinating structured projects across teams. Review feedback commonly points to Monday.com as the more immediately collaborative-feeling workspace, while Smartsheet is a strong fit when collaboration centers on shared plans and reports.
Which has stronger automation features?
Both offer workflow automation, such as updating statuses or notifying people when conditions are met. Monday.com reviewers often describe its automations as accessible for routine workflows, though the available volume and options can depend on the plan. Smartsheet is praised for automating repeatable processes across sheets and projects, but reviewers say building more involved workflows can take some setup. Compare plan limits and the specific triggers and actions your team needs.
Which tool is better for reporting and project visibility?
Smartsheet is frequently praised in reviews for reports, dashboards, and bringing information together from multiple sheets—useful for portfolio-level tracking. Monday.com also offers dashboards and visual summaries, and reviewers often find them approachable for checking team workload and project status. Smartsheet may appeal more when reporting depends on structured data across projects; Monday.com may be preferable when teams want an at-a-glance visual overview.
Which is better for managing complex projects?
Reviewers often lean toward Smartsheet for detailed project plans, dependencies, and work that needs spreadsheet-style structure or roll-up reporting. Monday.com can also support complex workflows, but its visual boards are often most appealing to teams that want flexibility and ease of use without making the plan feel overly formal. For highly structured, multi-project coordination, assess Smartsheet’s planning and reporting features; for adaptable team workflows, evaluate Monday.com.
Which tool has better integrations?
Both connect with common workplace and project tools, but the useful integrations depend on your existing stack and the plan you choose. Reviewers generally value Monday.com’s integrations for connecting everyday team workflows, while Smartsheet is often discussed in the context of linking project information and business processes. Rather than relying on a broad comparison, check each product’s current integration directory for the specific apps your team uses.
Which is better for spreadsheet users?
Smartsheet is usually the more natural choice for people who prefer working in rows, columns, formulas, and spreadsheet-style project plans. Reviewers often describe that format as familiar and useful for handling structured information. Monday.com also offers table-like views, but its product is more centered on visual boards and configurable workflows. Teams attached to spreadsheet-based planning may find Smartsheet easier to fit into existing habits.
How should a team decide between Monday.com and Smartsheet?
Choose Monday.com if your priorities are quick onboarding, visual task tracking, and flexible boards that are easy for a broad team to use. Choose Smartsheet if your team prefers spreadsheet-style work, detailed project planning, or reporting across structured projects. Reviewers of both products also flag practical considerations such as plan limits, feature availability, and the effort involved in configuring workflows, so test a representative project before committing.
