Smartsheet Review: Pros, Cons, Features and Pricing

Smartsheet is a marketing workflow software that helps teams manage projects and collaborate efficiently. It's ideal for marketing departments, project managers, and creative teams in industries like advertising and digital marketing. Smartsheet offers easy-to-use tools for managing complex workflows and improving team productivity.

Smartsheet addresses issues like project visibility and team collaboration for marketing teams and project managers. In this article, I'll cover Smartsheet's features, pros and cons, use cases, pricing, etc., so you can decide if this software aligns with your marketing management needs and goals.

Smartsheet Evaluation Summary

Why Trust Our Software Reviews

Smartsheet Overview

Is Smartsheet Right For Your Needs?

Who Would be a Good Fit for Smartsheet?

Smartsheet is great for marketing teams and project managers in industries like advertising and event planning. If your work involves managing large projects with many moving parts, Smartsheet's powerful project management tools and customization options help you stay organized and on track. Its spreadsheet-like interface is familiar and easy for your team to adopt, making it an excellent choice for teams that need detailed tracking and reporting.

Marketing Agencies

Smartsheet helps your agency manage multiple client projects with its detailed task tracking and reporting features.
Event Planning

You can coordinate complex schedules and logistics easily with Smartsheet's customizable workflows and timelines.
Construction Projects

Smartsheet's project management tools allow you to track budgets, timelines, and tasks effectively in construction projects.
Product Development

Your team can manage product launches and track progress with Smartsheet's robust project planning features.
Human Resources

HR teams can benefit from Smartsheet's ability to track recruitment processes and employee onboarding efficiently.
IT Departments

IT teams can use Smartsheet to manage projects and track IT infrastructure changes with its detailed task management capabilities.

Who Would be a Bad Fit for Smartsheet?

Smartsheet might not suit small businesses or startups with limited budgets and simple project management needs. If your team prefers visually appealing interfaces or needs intuitive, easy-to-learn software, Smartsheet's spreadsheet-like format could feel cumbersome. Creative teams seeking advanced design collaboration tools might also find it lacking. Its learning curve can deter teams looking for quick setup and immediate ease of use.

Small Startups

Smartsheet’s extensive features might overwhelm small startups looking for simple solutions without a steep learning curve.
Design Agencies

Agencies focusing on design might find Smartsheet lacking in visual tools for creative collaboration.
Retail Stores

Retail operations needing quick, day-to-day task handling might find Smartsheet’s functionality unnecessarily complex.
Non-Tech Savvy Teams

Teams unfamiliar with project management software may struggle with Smartsheet’s interface and require simpler tools.
Freelancers

Freelancers needing basic task management might find Smartsheet's features excessive for their needs.
Education Institutions

Educational settings that require user-friendly interfaces may find Smartsheet’s layout less appealing for educators and students.

How We Test & Score Tools

We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.

Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.

Core Functionality (25% of final scoring)

The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.

Standout Features (25% of final scoring)

Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.

We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.

Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)

We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.

Onboarding (10% of final scoring)

We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.

Customer Support (10% of final scoring)

We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.

Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)

Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.

Value for Money (10% of final scoring)

Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.