15 Best Smartsheet Alternatives for Startups in 2024

With the constant advancement of technology, project management platforms like Smartsheet are becoming more important than ever for startups. However, it's always smart to stay aware of the competitive landscape, which is where our focus shifts toward exploring the best Smartsheet alternatives out there right now.\

These contenders offer unique functionalities that might just align better with your startup's needs. Let's dig into some Smartsheet competitors that are making waves in the marketplace.

When looking for the best Smartsheet alternatives Monday.com is one of the strongest contenders. As a visual “Work OS,” it allows teams to manage projects using customizable boards that can be viewed in different formats like Kanban, calendar, timeline, and even Gantt charts. 

Coupled with its integrations with popular tools like Slack, Dropbox, and Adobe Creative Cloud, Monday.com can really streamline your workflows. Even better yet, the pre-set or custom automations and apps of Monday.com expand the capabilities of the Work OS, making project management more streamlined and efficient for organizations just like yours.

Learn more by reading our full Monday.com review.

Wrike offers a unique combination of features that make it a viable Smartsheet alternative for startups. Its project management software provides a centralized platform for collaboration where teams can organize work and integrate a multitude of tools. 

Getting an even greater productivity boost is possible through the automation of repetitive tasks, eliminating wasted effort. What sets Wrike apart is the visibility it provides on projects through customized workflows and views paired with its ability to align strategy with execution. 

This balance allows for faster delivery of business outcomes and data-driven decisions that’ll help guide your startup to success.

Learn more by reading our full Wrike review.

Zoho Projects rightfully earns its place among the best Smartsheet alternatives. With features like Gantt chart planning and task tracking combined with the ability to automate routine tasks through its drag-and-drop interface, Zoho Projects offers a user-friendly and customizable project management platform. 

A notable feature is its seamless integration with other Zoho apps and external apps through its marketplace. Zoho Projects provides efficient planning, ensures accountability, facilitates collaboration, and streamlines processes to help your startup meet its goals effectively.

A streamlined project management and work execution platform that caters to all your startup needs in one place, ClickUp is definitely worth considering. Its AI-powered capabilities offer dashboards, flexible views, and customization options as well as impressive automations. 

ClickUp is the one-stop solution for teams looking to improve collaboration, streamline work processes, and elevate the visibility of progress and responsibilities. 

With ClickUp, you get a powerful no-code automation tool that has been tried and tested, with over 2 million teams worldwide crediting it for increased productivity and reduced delivery times.

Asana’s platform has been thoughtfully designed to connect work and workflows with your startup's overarching goals. It offers specific features to help with clarity and focus on shifting business needs to maximize results from launches. Its integrations with major tools give a user-friendly interface for all users. 

Asana's unique selling point is its focus on mission alignment. By connecting different types of work to high-level goals, Asana ensures your team's contributions align with what your startup is trying to achieve.

No Smartsheet alternatives list would be complete without mentioning Airtable. Airtable allows users to operationalize their unique data without the need for coding. With its native AI components, you can incorporate dynamic AI functionality into your apps in minutes. 

Its ability to transform rigid tools into flexible and customizable solutions sets it apart from other project management tools. The fact that it requires no coding enables customizable app development through its no-code interface, allowing startups to stay ahead of trends and transform workflows more efficiently.

Trello is definitely a contender in the world of work management platforms, offering a visually engaging alternative to Smartsheet. With an intuitive navigation system represented by boards, lists, and cards, Trello allows teams to stay organized and streamline their workflows. Plus, the inclusion of templates called "workflows" creates an engaging platform that effortlessly accommodates various project types.

Trello's extended compatibility with other apps and its sophisticated automation capabilities provide a solid foundation for project management, making it a compelling choice for startups. The pricing tiers also cater to different business needs and sizes, ranging from individuals to large organizations. With all of this in mind, for anyone looking for a simpler yet robust alternative to Smartsheet that offers excellent value for money, Trello stands out as a strong candidate.

Basecamp stands its ground as a prime, all-in-one alternative to Smartsheet. It hosts a variety of collaboration features within its architecture, allowing teams to engage in private discussions, schedule tasks, and manage files from a single platform. The single-platform approach caters to startups looking for a simplified means of managing their projects.

Basecamp also excels in customer service support and offers a timeline that paints a clear picture of ongoing activities. It's not just a step away from multiple individual apps; it's a leap forward in terms of integration and productivity. By consolidating tools into one place, Basecamp reduces inefficiencies and costs, making it a popular pick among startups.

Adobe Workfront stands out as an advanced Smartsheet alternative that can address the requirements of even the most ambitious startups. It replaces inboxes and chat windows with a more streamlined workflow and offers innovative tools to manage projects efficiently. The platform champions strategic planning, giving businesses the ability to align everyday tasks with overarching business strategies.

With Adobe Workfront, startups can experience enhanced marketing workflows and gain better control over their campaign assets. The platform ensures brand compliance and facilitates cross-team collaboration and content supply chain integration, resulting in faster content deployment. 

As a comprehensive work management system, Adobe Workfront is the embodiment of efficiency, making it an ideal choice for startups eager to optimize their project management and marketing operations.

For startups that prioritize time tracking and insightful decision-making, Intervals is a great alternative to Smartsheet. Its platform encompasses time tracking, task management, reporting, project management, and much more. The platform's initiatives towards centralization make sure that no business insight is left unchecked.

Emphasizing tangible time and project management benefits, Intervals claims a position in the market where it competes with heavyweights like Smartsheet. The platform's calculator even allows users to determine potential lost revenue due to untracked time. 

Its affordable approach towards billing - based on active projects rather than users – makes it an excellent fit for budget-conscious startups looking for an all-encompassing project management solution.

If you're a startup looking for an end-to-end work management system, then Scoro might be the perfect alternative to Smartsheet for you. Its comprehensive framework allows businesses to manage their entire project lifecycle within a single system - from scope estimation to invoice processing. The platform provides a real-time overview of projects and performance, enabling proactive decision-making.

Scoro's highlight is its ability to bring together the sales, delivery, and financial aspects into one unified system. This holistic approach helps startups identify profitable aspects and potential shortcomings in their operations. 

By empowering businesses with an all-encompassing work management solution, Scoro presents an efficient alternative to Smartsheet for any and all entrepreneurs striving for insight-driven growth.

Teamwork's name mirrors its application: it's a project management platform designed to facilitate collaborative work and control operations smoothly. As an alternative to Smartsheet, Teamwork's charm lies in its ability to balance team capacity, organize work within a single system, and optimize recurring revenue from retainers. This software helps businesses prioritize their tasks, attain the most from their teams' time, and enhance their profit margins.

On top of that, Teamwork simplifies operations with ready-to-use templates, intake forms, process automation, and easy integrations. These features streamline client work operations and ensure that teams stay utilized in delivering profitable work. For startups looking to manage their client work efficiently while focusing on scaling their business, Teamwork can be a compelling choice.

Microsoft Project is a big-name alternative to Smartsheet, giving users a flexible platform to handle projects of varying scales. Whether you're a seasoned project manager or a budding entrepreneur, its user-friendly interface makes project management a breeze. Microsoft Project doesn't just provide tools to manage complex projects effectively; it establishes an integrated workspace by bridging gaps with other Microsoft services like Teams for seamless collaboration, file sharing, and meetings.

In a world where remote working is inclusive, Microsoft Project's capabilities to allow multi-locality task updates are a big plus. Couple this with dynamic scheduling that factors in effort, duration, and resources assigned, and you have a refined approach to project management. 

The icing on the cake is interactive Power BI dashboards that give you an eagle-eye view of your project status while also enabling drill-downs into specific project and program details. With Project's secure, Azure-built platform, managing painstaking projects becomes effortless.

nTask is a competitor to Smartsheet that brings an all-encompassing platform, specifically emphasizing efficient task management. It gives its users an understanding of their team's activities and ongoing projects in one consolidated space. Users also vouch for nTask's ability to outperform other tools like Trello and Asana in terms of features without compromising on design and interface.

You can control costs, manage resources, set team priorities, and even customize your workflows with nTask. Added advantages like task reminders and unlimited customization options make the platform adaptable to your project's specific needs. You don't have to worry about security either; nTask provides enterprise-grade security features, ensures compliance with relevant regulations, and has an integration with over 1,000 apps through Zapier that further widens your project's success route.

The final Smartsheet alternative to consider is Workzone, a favorite among creatives for its balance between robust features and simplicity. Often described as transformative by its users, Workzone offers customizable workflows and Gantt charts, facilitating efficient internal processes and revolutionizing client interactions. It scores high in delivering results on time and is backed by a world-class customer support team.

Workzone gives you a bird's eye view of your project status, helping you see which tasks are on time and which ones need immediate attention. It facilitates secure collaboration through online document sharing, review, and approval processes and provides detailed insights to optimize results across various departments or campaigns. 

With built-in features like personal todo lists and automatic reminders, Workzone ensures your team's focus remains undivided on project priorities. Beyond just providing software, Workzone also equips teams with foundation, processes, and discipline - all essential elements for the ultimate project management success.