Kanban Tool vs. Smartsheet

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Kanban Tool
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
Kanban Tool is a visual project management application based on Kanban that helps companies visualize workflow, track project progress, analyze and improve business processes. Some key features include: time tracking and time reports, real-time collaboration and Kaban analytics.
$6
per month per user
Smartsheet
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
Smartsheet is an online project management and collaboration tool. It includes automated alerts, instantaneous updating and sharing across team members, resource management, nested tasks organized in a hierarchy, a Gantt chart view, exportable and automated reports, and integration with email.
$12
per month per user (up to 10 users)
Pricing
Kanban ToolSmartsheet
Editions & Modules
Kanban Tool Team
$6
per month per user
Kanban Tool Enterprise
$11
per month per user
Kanban Tool On-Site Team
$720
per year per 10-user pack
Kanban Tool On-Site Enterprise
$1,320
per year per 10-user pack
Pro
$12
per month per user (up to 10 users)
Business
$24
per month per user (3 user minimum)
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Advanced Work Management
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Kanban ToolSmartsheet
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsA discount is offered for annual billing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Kanban ToolSmartsheet
Considered Both Products
Kanban Tool
Chose Kanban Tool
More straight forward and easier to setup and use. Ideal for teams that need a quick and simple solution. More specialized features and customized options. more flexible and adaptable to various workflows.
Chose Kanban Tool
Probably my personal preference but I just didn't like Trello. I found Kanban Tool much more in line with what I wanted in a project management solution.
Chose Kanban Tool
Doesn't allow to easily customize swim lanes or add multiple boards to a single view. Other products were very expensive, even for small teams.
Chose Kanban Tool
It has a free option for 2 users and 2 boards. It is really easy to manage and to customize.
Chose Kanban Tool
Jira is more robust and more connected. Kanban Tool is a good basic tool to do basic tasks. At an enterprise level, Jira has more to offer a mixed discipline team that has hardware and software builds (model-based design). For small teams doing just software development in an …
Chose Kanban Tool
Kanban is superior to Scrum and AGILE because it can visually organize all your projects and data into one board. Kanban integrates with JIRA which digs deeper into the project data when it is needed. By integrating Kanban with JIRA, you don't need any other tool for project …
Chose Kanban Tool
It was much cheaper than competition but that's not the main reason. It is very easy to understand.
Chose Kanban Tool
We've only tried JIRA Agile and KanbanFlow before. Kanban Tool was the one that our team actually liked and enjoyed working with. Also - it's been much easier to get started with and to understand than some of the other two (JIRA in particular). Although JIRA has many more …
Smartsheet
Chose Smartsheet
I use both. Excel for more data/spreadsheet focused tasks and Smartsheet for our event planning and project management. Smartsheet allows for collaboration, has project management features like task tracking and the Gantt chart, and even has some handy automation features …
Chose Smartsheet
I tried Miro for a while and it just didn't have the features Smartsheet does. If I'm going to pay for a "supercharged Excel," I expect to really do a ton more than Excel!
Chose Smartsheet
It allows team collaboration.
Project monitoring is very easy.
Dashboards are very good for the project reporting.
Chose Smartsheet
Asana and monday.com are typical project management tools where resources can be tracked based on the tasks, etc. Smartsheet does exactly the same but additionally allows people outside of PM to automate their data collaboration with other employees. The solutions that …
Chose Smartsheet
Smartsheet is user friendly with easy to use templates as compared to Microsoft project. Other thing is collaboration which cannot be achieved in Microsoft project. Smartsheet has different types of pricing for different types of users but Microsoft project only offers …
Chose Smartsheet
Jira is better on user interface and task tracking. However the dashboard isn't as versatile as on Smartsheet. That being said, it takes maintenance to keep the Smartsheet dashboard updated regularly (not automated).
Chose Smartsheet
Definitely a lot more intuitive and a lot less clunky and confusing. When I have to introduce Smartsheet to other team members who have experience with MS project they are overwhelmed with how easy it is and feel a lot more engaged when developing their own workbooks
Chose Smartsheet
Smartsheet enable users to build the more custom solutions that can include workflows, reports, dashboards, sheet data, reminders, etc. It allows to create the most complete reports and have available thousand of already built solutions on the Solution Center. Also, has the …
Chose Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a dedicated project management tool that is built on spread sheet principles. When compared to Microsoft's own offering, Smartsheet came out on top in some areas like dedicated project management features vs having to build custom features to Microsoft 365. …
Chose Smartsheet
Jira and Redmine are much more robust and technologically advanced project management solutions. I enjoy using either when managing a very large project. However, I prefer to use Smartsheet for my smaller to medium sized projects. As for Google Drive - I would say that Google …
Chose Smartsheet
It has been my favorite alternative; I can control Smartsheet from my mobile device since, as a manager, it allows me to visualize the files made through it, with the convenience of any time and space.
Chose Smartsheet
Price and ease of collaboration was the deciding factor and since we made this decision quite awhile ago, Microsoft Project's collaboration features were not there yet, making Smartsheet the clear winner. Many of our Project Manager were comfortable working with Microsoft …
Chose Smartsheet
Smartsheet makes it simple to plan and budget on projects, streamline business workflows and improve overall customer service. The pricing plans are affordable and businesses that implement Smartsheet enjoy tremendous long-term value. Employee work performance is boosted and …
Chose Smartsheet
I believe Smartsheet is much easier to use than Asana. There is a better way to collaborate with colleagues and track your progress on projects. There is a better structure on how to set up your system. It has better filters to see what you have accomplished vs what is open and …
Chose Smartsheet
Functionality is far superior and very easy to use.
Chose Smartsheet
Smartsheet is an exceptionally robust and ,offer unique hybrid solution to manage projects and automate workflows that is based on accurate data. It offers better time-saving functions that speeds up delivery of projects on schedule and using the allocated resources.
Chose Smartsheet
Smartsheet has been a positive success; it has been easy to use and quite intuitive. It allowed us to foster collaboration between colleagues.
Chose Smartsheet
Works more efficiently than MPP as updates can happen in real time in the cloud and be collaborated on with other team members.
Chose Smartsheet
Before utilizing Smartsheet we utilized a combination of Quip and an in-house developed task management tool. Even though we did not utilize Smartsheet for all of our project management needs it did provide a useful structure for planning a schedule for routine tasks and …
Chose Smartsheet
Other software's are more geared towards the construction process while Smartsheet is more geared to generic Project Management, no specific to the construction industry. We are using Smartsheet to communicate with our client and not to manage construction so from that …
Chose Smartsheet
I prefer the more traditional usability of Smartsheet. It's like Microsoft Project or Excel, but far easier for my organization to access. We don't currently have it set up as our resource manager or integrate it with our timesheets (our problem, not Smartsheet), and I think …
Chose Smartsheet
Smartsheet is much easier to collaborate on than Microsoft or Primavera in terms of scheduling software, but lacks the customizability of its competitors. You can also much easier link projects together when master scheduling which is a huge advantage compared to Microsoft …
Chose Smartsheet
We use Basecamp for our day-to-day in-house operations, but need a more "rigid" structure (spreadsheet) for managing projects with clients. Everything is in one place in Smartsheet and clients are able to find and use it easily.
Chose Smartsheet
All the products seemed to perform the project and task management function adequately. The following factors were the keys to our selection:
  1. Ease of use - so similar to Excel everyone can figure it out.
  2. Flexible architecture lends itself to many different use cases beyond …
Chose Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a must to companies that are in need of automating key business processes that will save them time and eliminate productivity killers. This software enables teams identify bottlenecks early on tasks and projects that are due so that they are able plan on a course …
Features
Kanban ToolSmartsheet
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
Kanban Tool
6.3
Ratings
19% below category average
Smartsheet
9.0
Ratings
16% above category average
Task Management8.50 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Resource Management6.40 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Gantt Charts1.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Scheduling6.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Workflow Automation7.30 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Team Collaboration6.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Support for Agile Methodology7.30 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Support for Waterfall Methodology3.90 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Document Management6.40 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Email integration7.30 Ratings9.90 Ratings
Mobile Access8.50 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Timesheet Tracking8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Change request and Case Management8.20 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Budget and Expense Management3.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Professional Services Automation
Comparison of Professional Services Automation features of Product A and Product B
Kanban Tool
5.7
Ratings
28% below category average
Smartsheet
9.1
Ratings
19% above category average
Quotes/estimates5.50 Ratings8.80 Ratings
Invoicing5.50 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Project & financial reporting3.00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Integration with accounting software9.00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Kanban ToolSmartsheet
Small Businesses
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Score 9.0 out of 10
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Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
InEight
InEight
Score 8.3 out of 10
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Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
InEight
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Score 8.3 out of 10
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Score 8.3 out of 10
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User Ratings
Kanban ToolSmartsheet
Likelihood to Recommend
8.5
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.1
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.3
(0 ratings)
8.1
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.2
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Kanban ToolSmartsheet
Likelihood to Recommend
Most users looking at Kanban Tool will ultimately have a process that they work through. This is a great tool and very flexible for any business. Take your time to really review your process and the stages of the process. Kanban Tool will make it clear visually so you can see bottlenecks and areas to improve. I think this tool can be adapted to any company or process.
Read full review
The Smartsheet platform is extremely similar to Microsoft Excel, so if you are familiar with Excel, you will pick Smartsheet up quickly. Even if you aren't Smartsheet has a relatively simple user interface, meaning just about anyone can learn it. One thing to note is that the interface is that some may consider the interface so simple that they feel the need to look for more robust platforms. If you have a small to medium project that needs to be manages in a central hub, Smartsheet would be a great fit. If you have a very large project, I might consider looking into more advanced platforms.
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Pros
  • It provides a good basic overview of where tasks are on a timeline (particularly helpful for a pull-based approach).
  • It provides a good collaborative space to have multiple folks commenting on multiple tasks.
  • It does a good job of managing very basic visual elements of an agile development cycle.
Read full review
  • The easy to use dashboard has enabled us get comprehensive view of projects across the entire business.
  • It has streamlined internal communication with ease of sharing information across different teams.
  • Smartsheet automates our workflows, enhances collaboration and ensures there are no data silos.
  • I like that it saves time for us and ensures we spend less time switching between apps.
Read full review
Cons
  • Kanban does not show the task or story clearly. You have to open the project separately to view the details of the project.
  • Kanban gives a higher level project management view but it lacks customization and personal settings features.
  • I would like to see Kanban provide mobile access to their tool, data, and board. This would be very useful for all companies and provide an increase in efficiency and productivity.
Read full review
  • Smartsheet set up is similar to Excel, yet when you upload an Excel file, things like conditional formatting are lost. Smartsheet has its own conditional formatting, and you have to reinstate the rules. It would be great if those would apply automatically once a file is uploaded
  • Some Smartsheet management and access rules can take some tweaking to work properly. This may be a case of offering more info to admins so they can apply these better and with more efficiency
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Likelihood to Renew
We are more likely than not to renew our use of Kanban. Even with its limits, it still is a good product that fulfills our needs.
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Smartsheet has made my work life easier. Reduced my email significantly. Smartsheet and SaneBox have got me leaving the office with 0... Yes 0 emails in my inbox. My inbox would reach 150-250 email per day. Smartsheet brought that number down significantly and SaneBox took it the rest of the way. Do yourself a favor and check out SaneBox, too.
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Usability
The integration with Teams is well suited. This works wonderful for my
company. Our team can easily prioritize tasks based on their importance.
It help our team identify and reduce inefficiencies in workflow. With
great visibility in data our team can make informed decisions. Ensuring
clear accountability and responsibility of team members
Read full review
Smartsheet is very easy to learn. However, while I have been able to pick it easily, Microsoft Excel and Project super users that I have trained on Smartsheet get bogged down in the differences and can find it frustrating. Explaining the differences ahead of time and why Smartsheet is being chosen instead of a different software seems to counteract those reactions
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Support Rating
This is the best tool I had a chance to work with- since I started to use it I saved a lot of time and I made my work go smoothly.
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They're a smaller company but they've always given great service when we rarely need to reach out. Pretty good online content but a bigger user base would help to produce more content in a self-sufficient community much as we see with Salesforce. To be fair we haven't needed their direct customer support very often. The sales guys are nice and not too pushy!
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
Work with the Smartsheet support team to get the best overall. If no one in your organization has used Smartsheet before, the support team will get things started. We had a couple of people who had used this product before and it was a great help in getting our framework together how we wanted to use it.
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Alternatives Considered
Kanban is superior to Scrum and AGILE because it can visually organize all your projects and data into one board. Kanban integrates with JIRA which digs deeper into the project data when it is needed. By integrating Kanban with JIRA, you don't need any other tool for project management that is effective for both the business and the development teams. Kanban is recommended for any user groups who wish to increase their efficiency to deliver products, transparency for all users and on-time productivity.
Read full review
Smartsheet is a dedicated project management tool that is built on spread sheet principles. When compared to Microsoft's own offering, Smartsheet came out on top in some areas like dedicated project management features vs having to build custom features to Microsoft 365. However when you compare them on price, Microsoft 365 definitely has more value than Smartsheet.
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • Better communication and organization of ongoing projects.
  • We are a very small team, with many areas to work on. Having everything in one system gives us a lot of visibility.
  • Greatly reduced costs from using other tools that were much more expensive.
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  • Our positive ROI has decreased the overall cost in project management as it reduced the amount of MS project licenses we needed.
  • We have also seen a positive ROI on using the cloud storage and it automatically supports proper version control.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Kanban Tool Screenshots

Screenshot of Visual project management tool - Kanban board from Kanban Tool.Screenshot of The collection of Power-Ups form Kanban ToolScreenshot of Kanban Tool board example, with My Work widget, Recurring and Postponed Tasks visible in the side panel. User's own background selected.Screenshot of Kanban Tool  board example. Default light theme applied.Screenshot of Kanban Tool - an open card view, with comments in the side panel. The choice of what fields show on cards is with the user.Screenshot of Kanban Tool's free Power-Ups  for user's own activation.