Smartsheet vs Trello

Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a work management platform that combines the familiarity of spreadsheets with powerful project management and collaboration features. It is widely used by enterprise teams for project tracking, resource management, and automated workflows. Smartsheet is particularly popular with teams comfortable with Excel who need more collaboration and automation capabilities.

Paid pricing · Get Pricing →

Trello

Trello is a visual project management tool based on the Kanban board methodology. It uses cards, lists, and boards to help teams organize tasks and workflows in a simple, visual way. Owned by Atlassian, Trello is one of the most widely used project management tools in the world, known for its simplicity and ease of use.

Freemium pricing · Get Pricing →

Pros

• ✓Familiar spreadsheet interface reduces learning curve for Excel users
• ✓Powerful automation and workflow capabilities
• ✓Strong enterprise security and compliance features
• ✓Excellent for managing large portfolios of projects

Cons

• ✗Pricing is higher than many competitors
• ✗Interface feels dated compared to modern tools
• ✗No free plan — 30-day trial only
• ✗Less intuitive for teams unfamiliar with spreadsheet-style tools

Pros

• ✓Extremely easy to learn and use — teams are productive within minutes
• ✓Generous free plan with unlimited cards
• ✓Familiar Kanban interface that most people already understand
• ✓Large library of power-ups and integrations

Cons

• ✗Limited project management features beyond Kanban boards
• ✗Not suitable for complex projects with dependencies
• ✗Reporting and analytics are basic
• ✗Timeline and calendar views require paid plan

Best For

Enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-familiar project management with powerful automation

Best For

Small teams and individuals wanting simple, visual Kanban-based task management