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Microsoft Project Server vs Smartsheet vs Wrike 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
5.1
Microsoft Project Server offers positive ROI, varying by organization type, with benefits of time savings and improved reporting.
Sentiment score
6.7
Smartsheet boosts efficiency and collaboration, streamlining project management with Excel-like simplicity, enhancing productivity, and offering cost-effective solutions.
Sentiment score
7.7
Users gained substantial financial savings and efficiency using Wrike, with ROI potentially tenfold and improved team visibility.
Microsoft Project provides significant return on investment through time savings, enhanced visibility, real-time reporting, and risk mitigation for projects.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.4
Microsoft Project Server support is decent but inconsistent; users rely on external resources and partners for comprehensive assistance.
Sentiment score
7.1
Smartsheet customer service is praised for responsiveness and training but criticized for ticket management and inconsistency.
Sentiment score
8.6
Wrike support is highly rated for responsiveness and expertise, offering quick resolutions and valuable community resources.
Their support tends to decline when not supporting cloud solutions.
It's challenging to navigate, often making it necessary to search for solutions externally.
Communication with two people, one was knowledgeable while the other was learning.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Microsoft Project Server is scalable for large projects, though performance may vary based on version and infrastructure costs.
Sentiment score
7.4
Smartsheet effectively scales for diverse user needs, with strong integration capabilities, despite some advanced feature limitations and cost concerns.
Sentiment score
7.4
Wrike is scalable and customizable, though opinions vary on performance; cloud capabilities efficiently manage expansions without disruptions.
Microsoft Project Server is fully scalable and is widely used in many industries.
The desktop version does not have scalability.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Project Server is stable and robust, with minor delays, improved in newer versions, especially the cloud version.
Sentiment score
7.9
Smartsheet is a reliable, stable cloud-based platform for project management, with minimal disruptions and frequent improvements enhancing its performance.
Sentiment score
7.5
Wrike is generally stable and effective, with minimal issues reported, mostly under specific conditions like variable internet speeds.
I have never had to reach out to their support because the product works as expected.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Project Server requires better integration, customization, user-friendliness, cloud functionality, and agile methodologies to compete with alternatives.
Smartsheet needs a more intuitive interface, better integration, robust features, and enhanced support for an improved user experience.
Wrike users desire improvements in reporting, interface, task management, mobile app, customization, collaboration, support, and cost efficiency.
Exporting data from Microsoft Project, especially Gantt charts, is overly complex and not user-friendly.
The lack of collaboration capabilities on the desktop version, unlike the cloud version, is a limitation.
Microsoft has become increasingly expensive, and there seems to be a push towards cloud solutions which can be challenging for some.
I have a novice understanding of Smartsheet, so I sought a solution more suited to repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Project Server offers flexible pricing, with on-premise and cloud options, potentially costing enterprises $120,000 to $150,000 annually.
Smartsheet offers flexible, competitively-priced licensing options appealing to various users, providing value through extensive functionality and customization.
Enterprise users appreciate Wrike's subscription model for its value and convenience, despite varying costs and perceptions.
Microsoft Project Server is on the expensive side due to high licensing costs.
Microsoft's products are expensive for individuals.
Considering the infrastructure commitments to SharePoint and SQL, the implementation costs are low if already set up.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Project Server streamlines complex project management with resource allocation, integration, and robust tools for efficient collaboration and scheduling.
Smartsheet excels in real-time data sharing, automation, integration, and customization, making it a favored alternative to Microsoft Project.
Wrike users appreciate its intuitive interface, collaboration tools, integration, customization, task management features, and strong support resources.
The dashboards are amazing for data crunching and provide a project focus with upcoming predictions, including burn-up and burn-down charts.
This setup allows for comprehensive reporting and management across multiple projects and portfolios.
The Gantt chart is also a very powerful tool for a visual presentation of sequences, critical paths, and execution processes, which simplifies comprehension for users.
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.
 

Featured Reviews

Mouloud Fourali - PeerSpot reviewer
Visual project planning enhances collaboration and proactive management
The dependency management in Microsoft Project is highly valuable, as it visually maps dependencies and impacts within a project plan. The online version facilitates easy collaboration without having to share multiple versions of the file. The Gantt chart is also a very powerful tool for a visual presentation of sequences, critical paths, and execution processes, which simplifies comprehension for users.
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.
Awadhesh Singh - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to tag people and has a form system to collect information but cannot work in multiple channels simultaneously
There are several areas where Wrike could improve. First, it doesn't allow accessing multiple channels simultaneously, which would be useful. Transferring data from one project to another is also difficult. It would be easier to work on parallel tasks across different projects. I've noticed others facing similar issues when I check the chat on their website. The tool should also improve coordination between external stakeholders and collaborators. It should also integrate financial features.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
8%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
10%
Healthcare Company
9%
University
7%
University
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business25
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise33
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business39
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Project Server?
The ability to track a project's progress using Microsoft Project Server is the most valuable aspect. It depends, esp...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project Server?
The pricing for Microsoft Project Server is standard, around $200-$250, but I think it's actually $80 to $100 per yea...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Project Server?
In order to improve Microsoft Project Server, collaborative features could be enhanced, as it is possible to improve ...
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 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?
The pricing is great and reasonable enough that I maintained my copy and bought it for my team independently.
What needs improvement with Wrike?
There are several areas where Wrike could improve. First, it doesn't allow accessing multiple channels simultaneously...
What is your primary use case for Wrike?
I use the tool as a project management tool to track project timelines and communicate with the team.
What advice do you have for others considering Wrike?
I rate the overall solution a seven out of ten. I would recommend it to others.
 

Also Known As

MS Project Server
No data available
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Magnachip, Gwinnett County Schools, CLEAResult, Medbit Oy, Intelbras S.A., ETS, CORE Construction, Keller Foundations
Sony Music, ESPN, Hilton, Unisource, Colliers, Extreme Networks, Groupon, Netflix
Down Association, Clever Clicks, Sevenly, Palatov Motorsport, LLC, Koch Ink, Opportunity To Do, Quark Software Inc., Transamerican Auto Parts, PlumChoiceÂ, Inc., InScribe, Evisions, Giant Steps, TechRepublic
Find out what your peers are saying about Atlassian, monday.com, Microsoft and others in Project Management Software. Updated: September 2025.
867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.