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Software · head to head

Smartsheet vs Asana

Smartsheet logo

Smartsheet

Software

The platform for dynamic work

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Asana logo

Asana

Software

Manage your team's work, projects, & tasks online

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Asana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Smartsheet formulas lack Excel robustness; complex data manipulation hits performance limits; Asana the free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
  • They diverge on capability: Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views, Asana covers Multiple project views.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Smartsheet and Asana actually diverge.

Attributes where Smartsheet and Asana differ
AttributeSmartsheetAsana
Starting price$9/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20052008

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 Smartsheet

  • Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views
  • Automated workflows
  • Forms & data collection
  • Dashboards & reporting
  • Proofing & approvals
  • Document generation
  • Integration platform
  • Microsoft Office 365

Only in Asana

  • Multiple project views
  • Task dependencies
  • Milestones
  • Portfolios
  • Goals & OKRs
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting dashboards
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • Resource management
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Smartsheet

  • Project portfolio managementnot Asana
  • IT project managementnot Asana
  • Marketing campaignsnot Asana
  • Product launches
  • Process automationnot Asana

Asana

  • Project planning & trackingnot Smartsheet
  • Campaign managementnot Smartsheet
  • Product launches
  • Event planningnot Smartsheet
  • Agile & Scrum managementnot Smartsheet

Both are used for product launches, 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.

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

Asana

  • The free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
  • Timeline and Gantt views, reporting dashboards and time tracking all require Starter at $10.99 per user per month
  • Portfolios, goals, workload management and approvals need Advanced at $24.99 per user per month
  • Salesforce, Tableau and Power BI integrations are Advanced or above
  • Monthly billing costs more, at $13.49 and $30.49 against the annual rates

Pricing, plan by plan

Smartsheet

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

Asana

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Asana review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Smartsheet if

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

Choose Asana if

  • You need multiple project views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want task dependencies.
Asana review

Questions people ask

Is Smartsheet or Asana better?
Neither clearly leads. Smartsheet starts at $9/month and Asana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Smartsheet or Asana?
Asana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Smartsheet and Free for Asana.
Does Smartsheet or Asana run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Asana for free?
Yes. Asana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Smartsheet starts at $9/month.
What is Smartsheet best used for?
Smartsheet is most often used for project portfolio management, it project management, marketing campaigns, product launches. Of those, project portfolio management and it project management are not what Asana is typically brought in for.
What can Smartsheet do that Asana cannot?
Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views, Automated workflows, Forms & data collection, Dashboards & reporting. Asana covers Multiple project views, Task dependencies, Milestones, Portfolios. Both handle Resource management, Slack, Salesforce, SOC2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Asana: Does Asana have a free tier?

Yes. Asana offers a free Personal plan for up to 2 users, plus free trial access to paid plans.

Source
Smartsheet: Does Smartsheet work offline?

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

Source
Asana: What is the starting price for Asana paid plans?

Asana Starter plan begins at $10.99 per user per month when billed annually, or $13.49 per user when billed monthly.

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
Asana: Does Asana integrate with other work tools?

Yes. Asana offers 200+ integrations including Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Jira, and Zoom.

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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