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Jira vs Microsoft Project vs Smartsheet comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.0
Jira offers cost savings and efficiency with initial setup costs, yielding qualitative benefits despite varying feedback on plugin support.
Sentiment score
7.4
Microsoft Project boosts ROI through better resource use, quicker timelines, and centralized management, streamlining workflow and reducing costs.
Sentiment score
6.9
Smartsheet enhances productivity and collaboration, automates processes, manages timelines, and is cost-effective compared to Microsoft Project alternatives.
It's always hard to measure ROI precisely, but overall, the development time usually pays off within a year through efficiency gains.
Microsoft Project does help save time and money due to its completeness as a project management solution.
Compared to Microsoft Project, which is more expensive, we save costs using Smartsheet.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Jira's customer service is well-regarded for online resources, though some desire faster email responses and phone support.
Sentiment score
6.5
Users experience mixed tech support, balancing onsite/offshore models, community forums, and improved language availability; average rating is 7/10.
Sentiment score
6.8
Smartsheet's customer service feedback is mixed, with praise for responsiveness and resources but concerns over response delays and ticket management.
Jira's customer support is one of the best I have ever dealt with because they respond quickly.
I did not face any issues with stability or upgrades.
Currently, there are more support personnel who speak English, and Microsoft has increased its Spanish language support compared to previous years.
I would give somewhere around 10 for my overall experience with support.
There is a website and a connection to AI for support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Jira effectively supports large teams and user bases with customization options, despite some challenges like hardware needs and costs.
Sentiment score
7.0
Microsoft Project supports large-scale users and complex tasks, with noted challenges in version differences and cloud integration.
Sentiment score
7.4
Smartsheet is praised for scalability, integration features, and cost-effectiveness, with some concerns over task tracking in larger projects.
Scalability for Jira is great, and it handles growth easily from 100 to thousands.
Smartsheet is pretty flexible and scalable.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Users praise Jira's reliability and smooth operation, noting occasional issues are often linked to server constraints or customization.
Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Project is stable and reliable, with users reporting minimal issues, consistent performance, and positive usability experiences.
Sentiment score
7.9
Users find Smartsheet stable, with minor issues, high reliability ratings, and minimal disruptions enhancing overall satisfaction.
Microsoft Project is a stable tool, and when using it in different projects, it works perfectly.
I would rate the stability of Microsoft Project as an eight out of ten.
 

Room For Improvement

Jira users cite difficulties with customization, usability, performance, integrations, native features, scalability, and desire improved reporting and administration.
Microsoft Project needs enhanced UI, better integration, collaboration features, streamlined reporting, improved training resources, and more affordable pricing.
Users want better data management, UI, integration, security, support, and Excel-like features in Smartsheet.
Focus more on improving API integration and automation tools, not just the design.
To improve Jira, maybe some AI features could be added.
It would be beneficial to see enhanced reporting functionalities in future versions.
The worst part is handling too many items, like 1,000 items, which Microsoft Project struggles with, especially when printing.
The critical path evaluation features in Microsoft Project could be improved.
I have a novice understanding of Smartsheet, so I sought a solution more suited to repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
 

Setup Cost

Jira's pricing is affordable for small teams but escalates significantly with increased users and plugin needs for enterprises.
Microsoft Project offers cost-effective pricing, but expenses rise with plugins and users, bundled within Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Smartsheet pricing is user-based, varies by plan, and advanced features can increase costs compared to competitors like Microsoft Project.
Even if only five people from your team use a financial plugin, you still pay for all 100 seats.
The issue with Microsoft is that the license is per personnel, making it expensive.
I believe it's usually included in the Microsoft 365 package.
Licensing might be cheaper per user.
 

Valuable Features

Jira excels in customization, agile support, and integration, offering flexible workflows, robust reporting, and comprehensive project management features.
Microsoft Project is praised for its detailed scheduling, integration, and user-friendly interface, supporting complex plans with robust features.
Smartsheet offers real-time collaboration, customizable dashboards, automation, and integration, making it ideal for efficient project management.
You can build your own workflows and make it work exactly the way your team needs and integrate it with almost every third-party software.
This tool is the most accurate project management tool, allowing me to run a full set of project activities without having to switch between different tools for scheduling and other tasks.
The collaboration features are valuable for controlling the project and transmitting information to other team members when working in a team.
The scheduling part of Microsoft Project is easy; if you change one of the dates, the rest of the dates automatically get changed based on the dependency.
Automation helps by simplifying some manual work, saving time and facilitating communication.
We were looking for a tool that allowed for repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
What I appreciate best about Smartsheet is the straight Gantt chart and its flexibility.
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Jira is 7.5%, down from 8.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Project is 5.6%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Smartsheet is 4.3%, down from 5.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Management Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Jira7.5%
Microsoft Project5.6%
Smartsheet4.3%
Other82.6%
Project Management Software
 

Featured Reviews

Nathan Akimoff - PeerSpot reviewer
Has customized workflows to fit internal processes and improved overall team organization
I don't have a particular customization or integration that's been especially valuable for my team, but I experienced integrating Jira and QuickBooks, which was very challenging, but it really impacted the efficiency of the whole company. I have been working with Jira for over 12 years, and I've seen it grow every year. It's a powerful product, but lately, I think Atlassian has been adding too many simplified features that look nice but don't offer the same level of flexibility, and made some fields not available through the API, which is kind of frustrating. If I could make one suggestion, it would be to focus more on improving API integration and automation tools, not just the design.
Nurul Asyikin Wahab - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient project management with robust data tracking and an easy setup
When I have too many elements or items in a project, it becomes cumbersome, especially during printing. Non-technical users do not need all the data, so it's primarily for technical personnel. Without guidance, it's challenging to use the app. With guidance and expert knowledge, it becomes manageable, however, it's not for non-technical teams. The worst part is handling too many items, like 1,000 items, which Microsoft Project struggles with, especially when printing. Printing on A3 size is quite burdensome, so I prefer viewing it on a tablet or computer. On a tablet or phone, I can see the full project elements depending on the screen size.
PaulDiaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Needs to improve baselines and changing dates can be frustrating
I like the dashboarding feature best, as it lets me assemble a workspace with source sheets, dashboards, and reports simultaneously. The standard reports and worksheets are most useful for team collaboration. People look at dashboards during presentations, but they go to the sheets to update projects, add comments, or make notifications. It's automated, so changes come to me or whoever needs to see them. I can send notifications from specific line items. The worksheet is key for tracking project progress, though we track it at a higher level rather than detailed work breakdown structures. Subject matter experts say when they'll deliver things, and that's what we track.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
9%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Government
10%
Healthcare Company
9%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business104
Midsize Enterprise56
Large Enterprise149
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise41
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise22
 

Questions from the Community

Is Jira better or would you go with Micro Focus ALM Octane?
Hi Netanya, Basically , it all depends on the use cases for your environment and the business needs. Hope the below d...
Which is better - Jira or Microsoft Azure DevOps?
Jira is a great centralized tool for just about everything, from local team management to keeping track of products a...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Jira?
We operate under a nonlimited license with Jira, allowing a number of users to access it with a single enterprise lic...
Has anyone moved from Microsoft Project to Smartsheet? How has your experience been with Smartsheet?
Hi @Eire Zimmermann, I helped an organization evaluate both MS-Project and Smartsheet when they were conducting thei...
What do you like most about Microsoft Project?
The product's initial setup phase is easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project?
The company typically pays for the Microsoft Project licensing. I'm not certain about the exact cost of the licenses,...
What do you like most about Smartsheet?
The tool creates shareable dashboards. These dashboards allow us to display project deliverables' status, their posit...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Smartsheet?
Licensing might be cheaper per user. I rate it as seven or eight due to its demanding nature. For personal use, I hav...
What needs improvement with Smartsheet?
Currently, I feel that Smartsheet fulfills all my needs. However, I need to investigate more about the product to ide...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Jira Software
Project Pro, MS Project
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Square, Nasa, eBay, Cisco, SalesForce, Adobe, BNP Paribas, BMW and LinkedIn, Pfizer, Citi.
Aston Martin, ABANCA, Airbus Group, Capita, Cardiff University, City of Saskatoon, Intel, Pegasus Airlines, South Australia Power Network (SAPN), Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing
Sony Music, ESPN, Hilton, Unisource, Colliers, Extreme Networks, Groupon, Netflix
Find out what your peers are saying about Atlassian, monday.com, Microsoft and others in Project Management Software. Updated: October 2025.
872,706 professionals have used our research since 2012.