Softwr

Construction · head to head

Kahua vs Smartsheet

Kahua logo

Kahua

Construction

Cloud platform for construction and capital projects

From
$400/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smartsheet logo

Smartsheet

Construction

The platform for dynamic work

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kahua no standard pricing tiers published; all pricing is custom and quote-based; Smartsheet formulas lack Excel robustness; complex data manipulation hits performance limits
  • They diverge on capability: Kahua covers Project management, Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kahua and Smartsheet actually diverge.

Attributes where Kahua and Smartsheet differ
AttributeKahuaSmartsheet
Starting price$400/month$9/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Founded20072005

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Kahua

  • Project management
  • Document control
  • Collaboration
  • Issue tracking
  • Reporting
  • Microsoft 365
  • Box
  • Procore

Only in Smartsheet

  • Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views
  • Automated workflows
  • Forms & data collection
  • Resource management
  • Dashboards & reporting
  • Proofing & approvals
  • Document generation
  • Integration platform

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Kahua

  • Acting as the system of record for a capital construction program across the asset lifecyclenot Smartsheet
  • Public agencies and program managers tracking portfolios of projectsnot Smartsheet
  • General contractors standardising project delivery and cost control across active projectsnot Smartsheet
  • Specialty contractors managing crews, work orders and project financialsnot Smartsheet

Smartsheet

  • Project portfolio managementnot Kahua
  • IT project managementnot Kahua
  • Marketing campaignsnot Kahua
  • Product launchesnot Kahua
  • Process automationnot Kahua

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Kahua

  • No standard pricing tiers published; all pricing is custom and quote-based
  • Pricing varies by organization type, program or construction scale, selected package, and deployment environment
  • Implementation costs for data migration, integrations, training, and configuration scoped separately and included in quote

Smartsheet

  • Formulas lack Excel robustness; complex data manipulation hits performance limits
  • Gantt chart customization is limited with poor handling of part-time resource allocation
  • Expensive pricing compared to other project management tools; collaboration features are paid-only
  • Limited offline access and minimal mobile functionality compared to modern competitors

Pricing, plan by plan

Kahua

$400/month
  • Professional$400/month
    • Project management
    • Document control
    • Collaboration
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced analytics
    • Custom workflows
    • API access

Smartsheet

$9/month
  • Pro$9/month
    • Core project management
    • Automation
    • 1-10 members
  • Business$19/month
    • Advanced automation
    • Portfolio management
    • 3+ members

Which should you pick?

Choose Kahua if

  • You need project management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want document control.
Kahua review

Choose Smartsheet if

  • You need grid, card, gantt & calendar views.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated workflows.
Smartsheet review

Questions people ask

Is Kahua or Smartsheet better?
Neither clearly leads. Kahua starts at $400/month and Smartsheet at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kahua or Smartsheet?
Kahua starts at $400/month and Smartsheet at $9/month.
Does Kahua or Smartsheet run on more platforms?
Kahua runs on Web, Ios, Android. Smartsheet runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Kahua best used for?
Kahua is most often used for acting as the system of record for a capital construction program across the asset lifecycle, public agencies and program managers tracking portfolios of projects, general contractors standardising project delivery and cost control across active projects, specialty contractors managing crews, work orders and project financials. Of those, acting as the system of record for a capital construction program across the asset lifecycle and public agencies and program managers tracking portfolios of projects are not what Smartsheet is typically brought in for.
What can Kahua do that Smartsheet cannot?
Kahua covers Project management, Document control, Collaboration, Issue tracking. Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views, Automated workflows, Forms & data collection, Resource management. Both handle Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kahua: How much does Kahua cost?

Kahua does not publish standard pricing. Costs vary by organization type (Owners/Program Managers, General Contractors, Specialty Contractors), program scale, selected package, deployment environment, and implementation requirements. Customers must request pricing quotes.

Source
Smartsheet: What is Smartsheet pricing for a construction team?

Smartsheet Pro starts at $9 per user per month (annual billing) for 1-10 members. A construction company can deploy Business plan for 18 licensed users at $19 per user plus unlimited free collaborators (subcontractors, clients) for a typical monthly cost around $576.

Source
Kahua: What package options does Kahua offer?

Kahua offers three main package categories: Owners and Program Managers, General Contractors, and Specialty Contractors. Additional specialty apps and suites including capital planning, analytics, asset management, and safety can extend the base solution.

Source
Smartsheet: Does Smartsheet work offline?

No. Smartsheet has minimal offline access and requires internet connectivity for full functionality.

Source
Kahua: Are implementation and integration costs included in Kahua pricing?

Implementation details including data migration, integrations, training, and configuration are scoped based on requirements and clearly identified in the custom quote provided.

Source
Smartsheet: What integrations does Smartsheet support?

Smartsheet integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Jira, Salesforce, Dynamics 365, Tableau, Power BI, DocuSign, Box, Dropbox, plus Zapier and Make for no-code automation.

Source
Smartsheet: Can I use Smartsheet formulas like Excel?

Smartsheet formulas lack the robustness of Excel. Complex nested functions or large-scale data manipulation often hit performance limits, requiring multiple helper columns.

Source
Smartsheet: Does Smartsheet have a free plan?

No. Smartsheet Pro starts at $9 per user per month (annual billing). There is a free trial available, but no perpetual free plan.

Source
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