Smartsheet review: A data-backed look

Smartsheet overview

Smartsheet brings project tracking, automation, and collaboration together in one place, making it easier for teams to stay organized and work more efficiently. With flexible views like Grid, Gantt, Card, and Calendar, teams can manage projects in the way that works best for them. Built-in automation helps streamline repetitive tasks, while customizable dashboards and AI-powered formulas provide real-time insights to keep projects on track. 

How much do businesses spend on Smartsheet?

The chart below showcases trends in average quarterly spend on Smartsheet across different business segments, which can help you evaluate what your organization might invest:

Very small businesses demonstrate volatile spending patterns with notable dips in Q2 before modest recovery, small and medium-sized organizations maintain relatively stable investments around $1,600-$2,000, while mid-market and enterprise companies exhibit dramatic growth culminating in $3,500 by Q4, reflecting strategic scaling of their Smartsheet deployments.

The data suggests that as businesses grow in size and complexity, their reliance on Smartsheet's capabilities, and their willingness to invest in the platform, increases substantially. The differentiated spending patterns highlight Smartsheet's scalable pricing model, which accommodates diverse organizational needs from small teams to complex enterprise workflows.

Who is Smartsheet best for?

The chart below provides an overview of Smartsheet's user base, segmented by very small businesses, small and medium-sized businesses, and mid-market/enterprise organizations.

Smartsheet's user distribution demonstrates relatively balanced adoption across business segments, with small and medium-sized businesses representing the largest portion at 41.1% of the user base. Mid-market and enterprise companies follow at 30.9%, while very small businesses account for 28% of users.

This balanced distribution highlights Smartsheet's versatility across the business spectrum, with particularly strong adoption among mid-sized organizations. The significant representation of small and medium-sized businesses (over 40% of users) suggests the platform successfully addresses the complex project management needs of growing organizations that require more than basic tools but aren't ready for full enterprise solutions.

The substantial presence of mid-market and enterprise customers (nearly one-third of users) demonstrates Smartsheet's ability to scale and support sophisticated use cases requiring advanced features like portfolio management, resource planning, and enterprise integrations.

These adoption patterns align with Smartsheet's positioning as a comprehensive work management platform that can start simple for small teams but expand to accommodate enterprise-level complexity as organizations grow.

Smartsheet key features

Task automation

• What it does: Automates repetitive tasks such as status updates, approvals, and reminders using rule-based workflows.
• Key benefit: Reduces manual work and ensures consistent process execution across projects.

Gantt charts

• What it does: Visualizes project timelines, dependencies, and milestones with interactive Gantt charts.
• Key benefit: Helps teams track deadlines and adjust schedules in real-time to avoid bottlenecks.

Resource management

• What it does: Allocates resources efficiently by tracking workload, availability, and project assignments.
• Key benefit: Prevents overloading team members and ensures balanced workloads.

Custom dashboards & reports

• What it does: Provides real-time insights with customizable dashboards, reporting tools, and data visualization.
• Key benefit: Enables data-driven decision-making by offering visibility into project progress and team performance.

Spreadsheet interface

• What it does: Offers a familiar grid-based layout with advanced project management functionalities.
• Key benefit: Eases adoption for users comfortable with traditional spreadsheets while adding powerful workflow tools.

Enterprise-grade security

• What it does: Supports role-based access control, secure file sharing, and compliance with data protection standards.
• Key benefit: Ensures sensitive project data remains secure while enabling controlled collaboration.

Smartsheet Pricing

Smartsheet pros & cons

Smartsheet is a good fit if:

• Your team needs structured project management with automation and reporting capabilities.
• You manage resource-heavy projects requiring workload balancing.
• Your organization values enterprise-grade security and compliance features.

Consider alternatives if:

• You prefer a more visual, drag-and-drop task management tool (like Trello).
• You need a project management solution with built-in time tracking (like ClickUp).
• Your team requires an all-in-one suite with extensive built-in collaboration tools (like Monday.com).