Looking for Smartsheet Alternatives? I Tested Best for 2025

A few months ago, I was managing a project with a growing team and tight deadlines. I started using Smartsheet, thinking its spreadsheet-style setup would help us stay organized. At first, it worked fine, but soon I ran into some major issues.

There was no simple way for the team to work together in real-time, and I found myself constantly switching between other tools just to keep everyone updated. Tracking how long tasks were taking? That wasn’t even an option, making it harder to stay on top of deadlines. On top of that, Smartsheet only offered premium plans, which made it tough to justify the cost as the project went on.

If you’ve faced these same struggles, I get it. That’s why I decided to explore Smartsheet alternatives that keep my team connected, on track, and within budget. Let’s dive into 15 powerful Smartsheet alternatives that could make managing projects much easier for you too.

Why You Need to Look For Smartsheet Alternative in 2025?

Let’s first see why you should make a shift from Spreadsheets to a visually collaborative tool. Here are some Smartsheet limitations that may make project management difficult for you:

1. No Time Tracking

One of the most important features of project management software is the ability to track the time spent on each task or project. Smartsheet doesn’t have a lot of time tracking options. One of the most significant flaws of the tool is that you cannot track how much time you or your team members spend on each activity.

2. Lack of a Built-in Chat 

Chat features or comment sections within tasks should be a vital aspect for timely communication among team members. Smartsheet lacks real-time chat features for team members to communicate and collaborate on project progress.

3. A Limited Reporting Feature

Smartsheet has a reporting option, but it is not quite user-friendly. Users must complete numerous steps, spend a lot of time, and construct a report on their own to make a fully functional project report. This is both time-consuming and aggravating.

4. Too Expensive

Smartsheet, in contrast to the bulk of other project management software on the market that offer cheaper costs, can appear to be rather expensive. With only a 30-day free trial and upgrades starting at $9, Smartsheet begs the question of if there are any other less expensive options to examine.

15 Best Smartsheet Alternative You Must Use

1. Nifty (Best Smartsheet Alternative) 

Nifty is a cloud-based project management software and a perfect alternative to Smartsheet. Nifty quickly became my go-to tool because it solved all of the headaches I had with Smartsheet. It has everything I need in one place: simple task management, easy time tracking, personal and team chats, detailed reports, powerful integrations, and automation that keeps everything running smoothly.

Using Nifty has made managing my projects feel way more seamless and stress-free, helping my team stay aligned and productive. Missing a project deadline would be meaningless if you use Nifty, and you will complete every work on time.

Why Nifty is the best alternative to Smartsheet?

• Real-Time Collaboration: Nifty allows seamless collaboration, enabling teams to work together in real-time without the need for multiple tools.

• Time Tracking and Reporting: With built-in time tracking and detailed reporting, Nifty makes it easy to monitor progress, manage deadlines, and ensure projects stay on track.

• Free Forever Plan: Unlike Smartsheet, Nifty offers a robust free-forever plan, providing essential features without the need for costly subscriptions.

• Integrated Task and Project Management: Nifty combines task management, project planning, and tracking into a single platform, streamlining workflows and reducing the need to switch between tools.

• Powerful Integrations: Nifty integrates with popular tools like Slack, Google Workspace, and more, ensuring your team stays connected and productive.

Pricing

• Free forever – $0 (Unlimited User)
• Paid plan – $3.9/month

Nifty Reviews and Ratings

• G2: 4.7/5
• Capterra: 4.5/5

👉  Try For Free Now 🎉

2. Basecamp

Basecamp is another Smartsheet alternative that includes advanced features. Project templates, Gantt charts, time tracking, priority setting, and more are all on the list. As a result, many large enterprises, small businesses, and freelancers can use it as a Smartsheet alternative to manage projects and team members.

Pricing

The cost of using Basecamp is $99/month and there is a 30-day free trial. 

3. Slack 

If communication is your primary concern, Slack is an excellent team chat software. This Smartsheet alternative allows teammates to communicate and share information. Slack allows for all communication to take place in one area. In addition, several channels can be set up for different topics to avoid disorganized chats.

There may also be private channels where you can communicate sensitive information with your colleagues. You can also send pictures, PDFs, and spreadsheets to other team members. Finally, Slack can be integrated with as many third-party apps.

Pricing

In addition to the free plan, Slack also offers more features in a paid plan which is available at $0 to $15/user/month.

4. Asana

Asana is a well-known project management software and it includes a well-developed milestone feature that encourages users to progress based on goals. You can stay on top of everything and never miss a deadline with this Smartsheet alternative.

Pricing

There is a free Basic Plan in addition to the Premium Plan which is $12.99/user/month and the Business Plan which is $25.99/user/month.

5. Monday.com

Monday.com is a task and project management tool that allows you to plan, organize, and track tasks and projects visually. It is a versatile tool that lets you manage your workflows fast and efficiently. The six views on Monday are Calendar view, Chart view, Files view, Kanban view, Map view, and Timeline view.

By the way, you can also know why Monday sucks before making any purchase. 

Pricing

Monday.com offers a free plan. In addition, more features are available in the paid plans that range from $8 to $16/user/month.

6. Wrike 

If you are looking for an online project management solution that allows you complete visibility and control over your work, Wrike is a wonderful option. This Smartsheet alternative allows for more efficient planning, better workflow management, visibility, and collaboration.

You may create dashboards that just show you the information you want to see. Plus, the interactive Gantt charts help you better manage your resources.

Pricing

You can use the free plan, the Professional plan at $9.80/user/month, or the Business plan at $24.80/user/month. The Enterprise plan can be specifically optimized for your business if you contact Wrike.

7. Jira

Jira is a strong challenger for Smartsheet because it is most used by agile teams for software development. To ensure that projects are completed efficiently, Jira allows teams to employ workflow mapping and agile reporting approaches. Kanban and scrum boards, customizable dashboards, sprint and backlog management, and third-party integrations are some of the features that Jira offers.

However, the drawback to Jira is that it has a complicated functionality that may affect the productivity of your software development team. 

Pricing

Jira offers a free plan, a Standard Plan at $7.5/user/month, a Premium Plan at $14.5/user/month, and an Enterprise Plan which is billed annually. There is also a 7-day free trial for the plans.

8. Trello

Trello is our next Smartsheet alternative on the list, which uses interactive boards to keep track of all of the many projects and activities associated with them. Using Trello, you can share files with your team members, archive cards (tasks) that you no longer need, backup data, and filter data.

The thing you should consider about Trello is that it is suitable for small teams which would be a reason to look for Trello alternatives.

Pricing

In addition to the free plan, the Standard Plan costs $5/user/month, the Premium Plan costs $10/user/month, and the Enterprise Plan costs $17.5/user/month.

9. Clarizen

Clarizen is another Smartsheet alternative that makes work easier and more productive. It offers custom corporate solutions that help you manage your whole work lifecycle, from strategy to planning to execution. Clarizen facilitates a highly configurable and advanced platform for project management by allowing users to customize workflows according to their team’s needs.

However, the problem with Clarizen is that it is not so user-friendly due to its complex features. Moreover, small teams may find many of these features useless as they do not need them. 

Pricing 

The pricing is not pointed out on the website and you need to contact them if you want to know the pricing.

10. Bonsai

Bonsai features layouts, branding, and packages. This Smartsheet alternative is good, especially for freelancers but also for any type of business. Bonsai offers time tracking, task management, invoices, forms, automation, and more to help you run your business more efficiently.

Pricing

You can use the Workflow Plan at $19/mo or the Workflow Plus Plan at $29/mo.

11. Taskworld

You can keep track of tasks, discuss ideas, and track performance with Taskworld. This Smartsheet alternative is beneficial to both large and small businesses. With Taskworld, you can take care of project management, time tracking, team communication, file management, and performance reporting. You can also prioritize your tasks by using tags and colored labels.

Pricing 

Taskworld offers a free plan and its paid plans are available from $10.99/user/month.

12. nTask

nTask is a project management software with features that fully cater to both individual and team job management requirements. nTask provides seamless saving, processing, and monitoring of project performance with a simple user interface and carefully created functionality. Some of the features are the Gantt Chart, meeting management, multiple workspaces, timesheets, etc.

However, some of the drawbacks that you should know about are that chatting within tasks is not possible and there are no public links for Kanban boards.

Pricing

There is a free plan at nTask, and the paid plans are the Premium Plan at $3/user/month and the Business Plan at $8/user/month.

13. Airtable

Airtable is a cloud-based project management software that combines the features of a task management tool and a spreadsheet to give the most user-friendly project management experience possible. Airtable, a free Smartsheet replacement, has a pleasant design and simple interface that allows users to have fun while getting things done.

It is important, however, to keep in mind that Airtable is primarily a data storage and visualization tool rather than a project management tool.

Pricing

In addition to the free plan, Airtable also offers more features in its paid plans. The Plus Plan is at $10/user/month, the Pro Plan is at $20/user/month, and the Enterprise Plan can be customized for your needs.

14. Freedcamp

Freedcamp is another Smartsheet alternative that allows you to manage many activities quickly and easily. The solution has an internal wiki that allows you to maintain all of your organization’s data in one place and access it at any time. You can create meaningful project events and give your team something to look forward to by using milestones throughout the project lifetime.

Furthermore, using the issue tracker, you can quickly track and resolve project issues in a timely manner. Remember that the free plan of Freedcamp is very limited in offering features. In addition, the paid plans do not offer a time tracking feature. 

Pricing

The paid plans are Pro Plan at $1.49/user/month, Business Plan at $7.49/user/month, and Enterprise Plan at $16.99/user/month.

15. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a task and project management program in general. Several social media collaboration tools, communication management, file sharing, tasks, and contact monitoring activities are all included in the program.

To stay up with the competition, Bitrix24’s developers are constantly releasing new versions. However, its user interface is hard to deal with according to the reviews. 

Pricing

There is a free plan, a Basic Plan for 5 users at $39/month, a Standard Plan for 50 users at $79/month, and a Professional Plan for unlimited users at $159/month.

Pick Nifty as a Best Smartsheet Alternative in 2025

While Smartsheet has its strengths, it falls short when it comes to real-time collaboration, time tracking, and offering a free-forever plan—features that modern teams need to stay productive.

Why settle for a tool that limits your team’s potential when there’s a solution built for today’s challenges? Nifty isn’t just another project management tool; it’s designed to bring everything together—task management, time tracking, real-time collaboration, and powerful integrations—all in one place.

The best part? Nifty offers all these features with a free-forever plan, making it accessible and easy to use for teams of any size.

So why wait? Switch to Nifty and take your project management to new heights!