Smartsheet Review 2026: Features & Expert Opinion

Q: Can Smartsheet handle complex projects with multiple teams?

Yes, Smartsheet works well for cross-functional projects. You can assign tasks, set dependencies, automate approvals, and track progress with dashboards. It’s easy to share sheets with internal and external users, and you can control who sees or edits what. Teams can work in parallel while you keep visibility across the entire project.

Q: Is Smartsheet easy for non-technical team members to use?

It depends on the person. If someone’s comfortable with spreadsheets, they’ll pick it up quickly. But for folks new to structured project tools, it may take a bit of training. Once they learn how sheets, forms, and reports work, most users can manage their own tasks and updates.

Q: How does Smartsheet support collaboration?

Smartsheet lets your team comment on rows, @mention others, and set automatic alerts and reminders. You can collect updates through forms, and everyone sees the same real-time data. It also keeps a version history so you can track changes. Shared dashboards help stakeholders stay in the loop without digging through sheets.

Q: Can I automate repetitive tasks in Smartsheet?

Yes, Smartsheet has built-in, no-code automation tools. You can create rules that trigger based on dates, status changes, or new submissions. It’s helpful for reminders, approvals, or moving tasks between sheets. You don’t need to code anything, just set up triggers and actions in a visual editor.

Q: Is Smartsheet secure and compliant?

Smartsheet meets major security standards like ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit. Admins can manage access with role-based permissions, SSO, and multi-factor authentication. If you work in a regulated industry, Smartsheet offers enterprise options for more control and auditing.

Q: Can I track project performance in real time?

Yes, Smartsheet gives you real-time dashboards and reports. You can pull in data from multiple sheets to show task status, deadlines, budgets, or KPIs. Everything updates as users work, so you don’t need to manually refresh anything. It’s a good way to keep execs and teams aligned.

Q: How does Smartsheet handle document sharing and storage?

You can upload files directly to rows or attach them to sheets and forms. Smartsheet supports file types like PDFs, images, and Office docs. You can also link to cloud storage like Google Drive or OneDrive. It’s handy for keeping contracts, creative files, or reference docs tied to specific tasks.

Q: What happens if someone accidentally deletes data?

Smartsheet keeps a version history for sheets, so you can restore earlier versions if something goes wrong. Deleted rows and attachments go to a recycle bin, and you can recover them for a limited time. Admins also have tools to track user actions and prevent permanent loss.

Smartsheet is an AI-powered work management platform that helps teams plan, track, and manage work in a flexible spreadsheet-like interface. It’s a good fit for teams that require cross-functional coordination, such as operations, marketing, and PMO teams in industries like construction, healthcare, and IT. Smartsheet gives you a clear, customizable view of your work so you can keep projects moving without confusion or delays.

In this article, I’ll walk you through Smartsheet’s features, pros and cons, pricing, and where it works best—and where it doesn’t. If you’re trying to keep your projects organized and your team aligned, this’ll help you decide if Smartsheet’s right for your workflow.

Smartsheet Evaluation Summary

You can start faster by using ready-made templates, guided setup options, or importing existing work into Smartsheet.

Rating

4.5 /5

Pricing

From $9/user/month (billed annually)
Free trial + free demo available

Why You Can Trust Us

Smartsheet Overview

In my opinion, Smartsheet does a solid job as a project management software, especially for teams that like the familiarity of spreadsheets but need more structure and automation. It’s not the flashiest tool, but it delivers steady value with strong dashboards, flexible workflows, and solid reporting. It outperforms many tools when it comes to managing multiple, complex projects at scale, but it can feel clunky compared to lighter options.

Onboarding takes effort, and non-technical users might feel overwhelmed at first. That said, once it’s up and running, it’s a powerhouse for operations, marketing, and PMO teams that manage deadlines and dependencies across departments. If you’re judging tools based on control, visibility, and scalability, Smartsheet is a smart pick.

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pros

Gives your team a lot of flexibility with how you set up sheets, dashboards, and workflows
Proofing and approval tools can help you better collaborate with your team
Handles complex projects and cross-team coordination better than most tools

cons

It takes time to set up and isn’t very intuitive for new users
Interactive spreadsheets don’t automatically sync changes
You can’t easily build simple task lists without doing extra setup

Is Smartsheet Right For Your Needs?

Who Would be a Good Fit for Smartsheet?

Smartsheet works best for teams that manage complex projects with lots of moving parts, like operations, marketing, or PMO teams. If you’re tracking dependencies, deadlines, approvals, and deliverables across multiple people or departments, Smartsheet gives you the structure and visibility to keep things on track. It’s also a great tool if your team likes spreadsheets but needs more automation, reporting, and control.

Marketing Teams

You can manage campaign timelines, creative approvals, and content calendars in one place using built-in forms, reminders, and dashboards.
Construction Projects

Smartsheet is great for tracking tasks, permits, and inspections across vendors and crews using Gantt charts and status columns.
PMO Departments

You get a clear portfolio view of all your projects, timelines, and risks with built-in reports and resource views.
Healthcare Operations

Smartsheet helps you track compliance tasks, training, and onboarding with audit-ready logs and approval workflows.
IT Teams

Smartsheet is useful for managing system rollouts, support requests, and change logs with forms, automations, and sheet linking.
Mid-Sized & Enterprise-Level Companies

You get enough structure to handle complex operations and scale without needing a full custom solution.

Who Would be a Bad Fit for Smartsheet?

If your team runs simple, repeatable projects or just wants a fast way to assign tasks, Smartsheet might feel like overkill. It’s not built for teams that want plug-and-play simplicity or don’t have time to configure sheets and workflows. Creative teams, freelancers, or very small teams might feel bogged down by the setup and learning curve.

Freelance Creatives

Smartsheet requires too much setup just to manage a few tasks or share updates with clients.
Small Startups

You probably won’t need Smartsheet’s structure or reporting if your team’s still figuring out basic processes.
Sales Teams

Smartsheet isn't built for CRM work—tracking leads, calls, and deal stages feels clunky and inefficient.
Agencies

If you manage fast-turn client projects, Smartsheet may slow you down with too much structure and not enough speed.
Retail Stores

You won’t find much value in Smartsheet for day-to-day store ops or inventory tracking.
HR Teams

Smartsheet lacks people-first features, which makes it not the best fit for managing hiring pipelines or employee engagement.

Our Review Methodology

How We Test & Score Tools

We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.

Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.

Core Functionality (25% of final scoring)

The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.

Standout Features (25% of final scoring)

Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.

We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.

Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)

We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.

Onboarding (10% of final scoring)

We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.

Customer Support (10% of final scoring)

We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.

Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)

Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.

Value for Money (10% of final scoring)

Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.

New Product Updates from Smartsheet

July 19 2026

Smartsheet Smart Assist Adds File Uploads

Smart Assist now supports direct file uploads in chat, making it easier to bring external content into Smartsheet and turn it into actionable work. By letting Smart Assist process files you already have, teams can get faster guidance and automate follow-up actions on sheets. Highlights include:

Transcript Processing: Extracts action items from uploaded transcripts and suggests new rows or updates.
Bulk Edits: Matches uploaded invoice data to existing rows and recommends updates.
Spreadsheet Ingestion: Imports CSV files to populate or update sheet data.
Reference Content: Uses uploaded briefs, images, PDFs, and other files to recommend actions and update sheets.

Visit Smartsheet's official site for more details.

June 28 2026

Smartsheet Lets AI Tools Build and Edit Dashboards

Smartsheet has expanded its dashboard experience so you can generate tailored dashboards and refine AI-powered charting without leaving the tools you already use. The result is faster dashboard creation and easier iteration on insights from wherever you work. Highlights include:

AI Dashboard Creation: Build new dashboards using natural language from connected AI tools.
Dashboard Editing: Add AI-generated charts to existing dashboards directly from AI conversations.
MCP Integration Support: Create and update dashboards through supported AI assistants connected with MCP integrations.

Visit Smartsheet's official site for more details.

June 14 2026

Smartsheet Adds Event Reporting and AI Controls

Smartsheet has expanded Event Reporting with IP enrichment and Admin Center controls for AI capabilities. These updates help admins track security events, investigate activity, and manage AI adoption more efficiently. Highlights include:

Event Reporting: Tracks admin actions, authentication changes, security settings, governance policies, and login activity.
IP Enrichment: Adds originating IP addresses to events to help teams review activity and investigate security concerns.
AI Capability Controls: Lets admins enable or disable available AI features to manage organization-wide access.