Smartsheet vs. Trello

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
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)
Trello
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
Trello from Atlassian is a project management tool based on a Kanban framework. Trello is ideal for task-management in a to-do list format. It supports sharing boards and cards across users or teams. The product offers a free version, and paid versions add greater automation, collaboration, and administrative control.
$6
per month per user
Pricing
SmartsheetTrello
Editions & Modules
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
Standard
$6
per month per user
Premium
$12.50
per month per user
Enterprise
$17.50
per month per user
Free
Forever Free
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
SmartsheetTrello
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsA discount is offered for annual billing.A discount is offered for annual billing and for larger numbers of users.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
SmartsheetTrello
Considered Both Products
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 …
Trello
Chose Trello
Our business ended up using Monday due to the holistic nature of the tool. It allows us to collaborate amongst teams and see the project as a whole easier. Trello is for personal usage and task management. I use Monday to organize my overarching needs, and then put specific …
Chose Trello
I don't feel that Trello stacks up to these other tools as well. I used to use Trello much more in the past and, over the last 5 years, have consistently used it less and less because it is easier to stay within the workflow of the tools I listed above.
Chose Trello
Okay, I have to say that at the organization where I work, we completely switched from Trello to Monday.com, and it wasn't an easy decision. As I've mentioned throughout this review, I think Trello works perfectly for small and medium-sized businesses and/or entrepreneurs …
Chose Trello
We actually use both in our company. I personally prefer Slack just because I feel like it gives me more avenues of communication with my peers and coworkers then Trello does.
However, Slack would fail to meet our business requirements for what we need to succeed with new …
Chose Trello
Ease of adaption for small startups.
Chose Trello
Trello is more visual than Todoist and MS To Do. For me, the major advantage of Trello is its functionality around creating Kanban Boards—there is not the same flexibility or options in either of the other two products. I was also able to seek advice from colleagues who were …
Chose Trello
Asana is awesome but it comes with a price. For a startup pricing hurts. ClickUp is so vast and has a lot of areas to get lost in, if you don't set some standards there are many ways to do it wrong. Slack is just a communication platform, you can collaborate and stuff but not …
Chose Trello
Trello is more simple and not as "robust" as the other tools, but it's easier to use and manage and understand and ACTUALLY get stuff done with. It's simplicity is part of the beauty of using it. You don't need a million options that nobody uses, you just need to get stuff done.
Chose Trello
We found that those software, while they included Kanban boards, offered a lot more features. Our tickets tended to get lost and it was harder to navigate through. Our Product team didn't particularly like how they functioned as much.
Chose Trello
Trello won becuase of the easy drag and drop feature that makes it simple for team members to jump on and use from day one. That said, Asans has way more features and for a tech-savvy person it would be the choice; it is still user-friendly. While it has a steeper learning …
Chose Trello
Trello provides precise goal setting, targets, and activity tracking with minimal human intervention, while Trello provides tags and tasks to add users and communicate visual task organization. Trello also offers real-time updates, team collaboration, and project progress …
Chose Trello
Easier to use and easier to integrate with 3rd party software. Better design and we don't need to build everything from scratch.
Chose Trello
For our purposes and my role in the business, Trello is simpler and easier to use. I found Jira very hard to navigate to individual projects, and the process of creating a card was very time-consuming. That said, I think Jira performs a number of roles that Trello doesn't, and …
Chose Trello
Trello offers wide range of features even for free users which other vendors rarely offers.
Chose Trello
I have been able to use the free version of Trello for many years and for the free version, this platform offers incredible value. I have not yet found such value in other free versions of similar platforms. This platform is also very easy to use as a first time user.
Chose Trello
Trello is more in-depth and task-driven, whereas 15Five is more accountable and has personal weekly goals and accomplishments. Trello can be divided up to allow others to do the listed task, and all employees work together to accomplish and complete each required ticket/card …
Chose Trello
We are still transitioning into using Trello but used ActiveCollab in the past for our website management and projects. I do like the layout of Trello better and feel that the notifications work well.
Chose Trello
I also use Whatsapp chat as a task management tool. Whatsapp group chat is very convenient for assigning tasks and making follow-ups. Trello currently lacks here. Whatsapp chat is also way more handy and user-friendly than Trello, because of its better interface and engagement. …
Chose Trello
Atlassian Jira Align (formerly AgileCraft)
Chose Trello
Trello offers more functionality and features for use before forcing you to purchase.
Chose Trello
Trello is convenient for tasks management of the team, there are columns, additional tools, and integrations. Regular to-do lists are better to add routine tasks that you need to do daily. In Trello, It is convenient to add small projects or add smaller tasks for a big project …
Chose Trello
Trello is better than Gitlab CI and other tools because it provides a very simple way of managing project with just lists and draggable components. Also, thanks to Mobile version, it is really easy for a team lead to manage his projects at anytime of a day. So I widely …
Chose Trello
Trello has a better and easy UI, very quick learning curve. Flexibility to add plugins.
Chose Trello
Trello looked very simple to use compared to others. And basic features mostly suffice the requirement.
Features
SmartsheetTrello
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
Smartsheet
9.0
Ratings
16% above category average
Trello
9.5
Ratings
22% above category average
Task Management10.00 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Resource Management9.00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Gantt Charts9.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Scheduling10.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Workflow Automation8.10 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Team Collaboration10.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Support for Agile Methodology7.00 Ratings9.40 Ratings
Support for Waterfall Methodology8.90 Ratings6.60 Ratings
Document Management8.90 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Email integration9.90 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Mobile Access8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Timesheet Tracking10.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Change request and Case Management9.00 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Budget and Expense Management9.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Professional Services Automation
Comparison of Professional Services Automation features of Product A and Product B
Smartsheet
9.1
Ratings
19% above category average
Trello
5.0
Ratings
41% below category average
Quotes/estimates8.80 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Invoicing9.80 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Project & financial reporting8.90 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Integration with accounting software8.90 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
SmartsheetTrello
Small Businesses
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.0 out of 10
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
InEight
InEight
Score 8.3 out of 10
InEight
InEight
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
InEight
InEight
Score 8.3 out of 10
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InEight
Score 8.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
SmartsheetTrello
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(0 ratings)
9.8
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(0 ratings)
9.5
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.1
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
SmartsheetTrello
Likelihood to Recommend
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.
Read full review
Trello is great for cross-team communication and intra-team organization. It's simple to get setup, with flexible tools that give businesses control over how to make Trello work the best for them. It is an amazing platform for operations tracking, project management, and even organizing customer service requests for a smaller business.
Read full review
Pros
  • 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
  • Helps track employees "to do before hire", "to do after hired," and "to do when employee leaves"
  • Provides important information on each employee like personal information along with data collected during the time of hire and during employment time
  • Allows more than one person to be assigned to a task per employee and will remain open until everyone involved has completed their task
Read full review
Cons
  • 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
Read full review
  • I use colour coding a lot so I would like a wider range of colour options.
  • Also as a visual thinker I would like to be able to easily add images to cards.
  • I would like to be able to attach a wider range of file formats to cards.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
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.
Read full review
I am very likely to renew Trello, because it doesn't cost anything to do so. I am also very likely to use Trello's upgraded features in the future because a lot of my team's data is stored on there and they have already gotten used to the platform. Trello is very easy for new team members to pick up, making the onboarding and usability very streamlined.
Read full review
Usability
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
Read full review
I am technology illiterate, it's my Achilles heel and this program is so easy to use. I have been utilizing it for a decade now. It makes organizing and prioritizing my life, my work, my business, my kids life, etc so much more manageable and without having to hold on to a bunch of into in my head. I can find it and locate it quickly and easily in Trello.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
yes always support available when I need it!
Read full review
Performance
No answers on this topic
Never experienced issues with the above!
Read full review
Support Rating
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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I haven't had much need to contact their support because the product is easy to use and pretty bug-free. I did reach out to them about swimlanes and I was able to find the information I needed very quickly and it was thorough and accurate information about current functionality. I love that they use their own product. That's always a good sign.
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In-Person Training
No answers on this topic
It was helpful and informative! It was back before the pandemic in 2019 so I'm not sure if they still do it but I really enjoyed the experience
Read full review
Implementation Rating
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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For our small business, getting a few of us started well on Trello was the key, I think. As long as a couple of us were really comfortable with the interface, we could lead others and help them with any questions. From now on, anyone who works with us just naturally uses Trello for information sharing - it's just part of what we do.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
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
Our business ended up using Monday due to the holistic nature of the tool. It allows us to collaborate amongst teams and see the project as a whole easier. Trello is for personal usage and task management. I use Monday to organize my overarching needs, and then put specific tasks into Trello to stay organized.
Read full review
Scalability
No answers on this topic
Feels like anyone across the org (no matter their location) can use the tool easily!
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • 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
  • It's been an essential tool for our onboarding team. We wouldn't be able to operate without it.
  • It's been a very affordable investment for our team as well since we still use the free version.
  • We have had a negative return in the fact that there aren't any reporting tools within the app. We have to spend time tracking certain elements manually.
Read full review
ScreenShots