ProjectManager vs Smartsheet

ProjectManager

• Teams that plan with Gantt charts, dependencies and critical path
• Managers balancing workloads and budgets across a portfolio
• Organizations moving plans over from Microsoft Project
• Field teams updating tasks and logging hours from a phone

Smartsheet

• Teams that are comfortable working in spreadsheets
• Project offices that need Gantt charts, reports and dashboards
• Enterprises standardizing portfolio reporting across many projects

ProjectManager

• There is no free plan; when the 30-day trial ends the account and its project data are locked until a paid edition is bought.
• Team is capped at 10 users and 20 projects; resource management, timesheets, budgeting and automation start on Business.
• Slack, Microsoft Teams and two-way Jira and Azure DevOps sync are sold as an Integration Bundle at $5 per user / month.
• SAML single sign-on, custom permissions and audit logs are limited to Enterprise, which is quoted on request.

Smartsheet

• There is no free plan; a paid plan is needed once the 30-day trial ends.
• Pro is limited to 10 Members and is only available to new customers; Business requires at least 3 Members.
• Pro is capped at 250 automations a month and 20 GB of storage.
• The API is offered from the Business plan, and SAML single sign-on needs Enterprise.

ProjectManager

Five views of one plan

Every plan includes Gantt, list, sheet, board and calendar views of the same project, with data updating in real time across them.

Gantt charts with critical path

The Gantt chart supports dependencies, milestones, baselines and critical path, and existing plans can be imported, including Microsoft Project files.

Resource and workload planning

On Business, managers define working days, set labor rates and balance workloads, while team members log hours on tasks and submit timesheets.

Portfolio dashboards and roadmap

Business adds a portfolio dashboard that rolls up tasks, cost and workload across projects, and a roadmap view of the whole portfolio in Gantt format.

Workflow automation

Rules built from triggers and actions update status, assignee, priority or tags without code: 5 rules per workflow on Business and 20 on Enterprise.

AI Project Insights

Available from Business, it generates summaries of project progress and tips on risk, resourcing and task execution.

Smartsheet

Sheets with multiple views

Work is stored in spreadsheet-like sheets that can be switched between grid, Gantt, card and calendar views. Timeline view starts on the Business plan.

Reports and dashboards

Reports pull together and filter rows from sheets, and dashboards summarize the results for stakeholders.

Forms

Forms gather structured input such as requests, field reports and feedback. Forms are unlimited on the Pro plan and above.

Automated workflows

Workflows can be built from templates or from scratch for tasks such as reminders. Pro allows 250 automations a month; Business and above are unlimited.

Resource management

Shows who is assigned to what, so managers can even out workloads and plan for upcoming demand. Workload tracking is listed from the Business plan.

AI tools

Smart Assist and Smart Columns help with formulas and data analysis, and Business adds connections to external AI tools through MCP.

ProjectManager

• Team$15

  per user / month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly)

  Up to 10 users and 20 projects, with Gantt, list, sheet, board and calendar views, a project dashboard, 5GB of storage and API access.

• Business$28

  per user / month, billed annually ($32 billed monthly)

  No user limit and up to 100 projects. Adds resource and workload planning, timesheets, budgets, portfolio dashboards, AI Project Insights and automation.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Unlimited projects and storage, SAML single sign-on, custom permissions, audit logs, Power BI and Excel integrations, and priority support.

Smartsheet

• Pro$9

  per Member / month, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly)

  1 to 10 Members with unlimited free Contributors. Gantt, table, board and calendar views, 250 automations a month and 20 GB of storage.

• Business$19

  per Member / month, billed yearly ($24 billed monthly)

  3 or more Members. Adds timeline view, workload tracking, unlimited automations, proofing, admin controls and 1 TB of storage.

• EnterpriseCustom

  10 or more Members. Adds SAML single sign-on, portfolios, scenario planning, directory integrations and unlimited attachment storage.

• Advanced Work ManagementCustom

  Everything in Enterprise, plus Control Center, Dynamic View, Data Shuttle, DataMesh, connectors and premium support.

ProjectManager

• Annual discount

  Save up to 17% by paying annually

  Team is $15 per user / month billed annually against $18 billed monthly, and Business is $28 against $32. The pricing FAQ puts the saving at up to 17%; the toggle on the same page says up to 16%.

Smartsheet

• Annual discount

  Lower per-Member price with yearly billing

  Pro is $9 per Member / month billed yearly against $12 monthly (25% less), and Business is $19 against $24 (about 21% less).