Software · head to head
Monday.com vs Smartsheet
The short version
- Only Monday.com has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Monday.com expensive at scale with 3-seat minimum and costs increasing quickly with team size; Smartsheet formulas lack Excel robustness; complex data manipulation hits performance limits
- They diverge on capability: Monday.com covers Customizable workflows, Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Monday.com and Smartsheet actually diverge.
| Attribute | Monday.com | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $9/month |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2012 | 2005 |
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Monday.com
- Customizable workflows
- Multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar)
- Automation engine
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile apps
- Forms
- Dashboards
- Workload management
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
- Salesforce
- Jira
- SOC2
- ISO27001
- HIPAA
- GDPR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Monday.com
- Project managementnot Smartsheet
- Sales CRMnot Smartsheet
- Marketing campaigns
- HR processesnot Smartsheet
- IT ticketingnot Smartsheet
Smartsheet
- Project portfolio managementnot Monday.com
- IT project managementnot Monday.com
- Marketing campaigns
- Product launchesnot Monday.com
- Process automationnot Monday.com
Both are used for marketing campaigns, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Monday.com
- Expensive at scale with 3-seat minimum and costs increasing quickly with team size
- Limited free plan with only 2 users and 3 boards
- Mobile app provides reduced functionality compared to web version
- Email CC/BCC limitations for looping in stakeholders without full board access
- WorkForms can only create new items, not update existing ones
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
Monday.com
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Monday.com review.
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 Monday.com if
- You need customizable workflows.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want multiple views (kanban, gantt, calendar).
Choose Smartsheet if
- You need grid, card, gantt & calendar views.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want automated workflows.
Questions people ask
- Is Monday.com or Smartsheet better?
- Neither clearly leads. Monday.com starts at Free and Smartsheet at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Monday.com or Smartsheet?
- Monday.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Monday.com and $9/month for Smartsheet.
- Does Monday.com or Smartsheet run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Monday.com for free?
- Yes. Monday.com has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Smartsheet starts at $9/month.
- What is Monday.com best used for?
- Monday.com is most often used for project management, sales crm, marketing campaigns, hr processes. Of those, project management and sales crm are not what Smartsheet is typically brought in for.
- What can Monday.com do that Smartsheet cannot?
- Monday.com covers Customizable workflows, Multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar), Automation engine, Real-time collaboration. Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views, Automated workflows, Forms & data collection, Resource management. Both handle Slack, Salesforce, Jira, SOC2.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Monday.com: Does Monday.com have a free plan?
Yes, Monday.com offers a free plan limited to 2 users and 3 boards. Paid plans start at around $9 per seat per month and require a minimum of 3 seats.
SourceSmartsheet: 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.
SourceMonday.com: Can I use Monday.com on mobile?
Monday.com is available on iOS and Android, but the mobile app lacks the full depth of the desktop version, making complex board management more difficult on the go.
SourceSmartsheet: Does Smartsheet work offline?
No. Smartsheet has minimal offline access and requires internet connectivity for full functionality.
SourceMonday.com: Does Monday.com support offline work?
Monday.com is primarily a cloud-based platform and does not have robust offline capabilities. You need an internet connection to access and edit boards.
SourceSmartsheet: 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.
SourceMonday.com: What is Monday.com's pricing based on?
Pricing is based on the number of seats and which product module you choose (Work Management, Sales CRM, Dev, or Service). Each module has different features and pricing.
SourceSmartsheet: 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.
SourceSmartsheet: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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