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Smartsheet vs Trello comparison

Smartsheet and Atlassian are both solutions in the Project Management Software category. Smartsheet is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.7, while Atlassian is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.3. Smartsheet holds a 4.3% mindshare in PMS, compared to Atlassian’s 2.3% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Smartsheet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Atlassian users who would recommend it.
Smartsheet
Read 42 Smartsheet reviews
  • 2,703 Views
  • 1,757 Comparison Views
93% willing to recommend
Trello
Read 46 Trello reviews
  • 991 Views
  • 832 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Smartsheet and Trello compete in the project management category, offering distinct strengths tailored to various user needs. Smartsheet holds an advantage for complex project management tasks due to its robust features and integrations, while Trello's intuitive Kanban boards are preferred for straightforward task management, appealing to non-technical users.

Features: Smartsheet includes Gantt charts, workflows, and automation capabilities, along with extensive integrations with Jira and Microsoft Teams. Its cloud-based nature enhances data sharing and customization. Trello features intuitive Kanban boards that provide a visual task management approach, easy drag-and-drop functionality, and a user-friendly interface conducive to non-technical users.

Room for Improvement: Smartsheet could benefit from enhancements in real-time collaboration, a more intuitive interface, and better security settings. Users also seek improved Excel integration and expanded formula capabilities. Trello could improve its automation features, integration with other tools, task linking capabilities, and notification handling, alongside updates to its mobile app and export options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Smartsheet provides public and hybrid cloud deployment options and offers essential resources, though customer service quality varies. Trello’s straightforward public cloud deployment is complemented by generally helpful customer support, despite limited on-site options. Trello is perceived as slightly more user-friendly in terms of deployment and support.

Pricing and ROI: Smartsheet's pricing includes varied licensing options and can become expensive as it scales, especially for the enterprise version. Trello, with a strong free tier, is budget-friendly and attractive to small teams or individual users. While both have capable free versions, Trello stands out in accessibility, whereas Smartsheet provides greater ROI through advanced project management capabilities at a higher cost.

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Buyer's Guide
Smartsheet vs. Trello
September 2025
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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
6.7
Smartsheet boosts efficiency and collaboration, streamlining project management with Excel-like simplicity, enhancing productivity, and offering cost-effective solutions.
Sentiment score
4.4
Trello saves time, organizes tasks effectively, and improves workflow, though precise ROI is often undetermined by users.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the Smartsheet report
Sometimes we can have a back-and-forth conversation in the comments, which helps minimize some meetings.
For more quotes and insights, download the Trello report
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
Smartsheet customer service is praised for responsiveness and training but criticized for ticket management and inconsistency.
Sentiment score
2.1
Trello's intuitive interface and effective online resources minimized the need for direct technical support, despite some email response delays.
 

Scalability Issues

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
6.2
Trello is ideal for small to medium teams, but larger enterprises often choose alternatives due to scalability limitations.
 

Stability Issues

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
6.8
Trello is highly stable with minimal issues, reliable performance, rare downtime, and supports multiple users efficiently in various scenarios.
 

Room For Improvement

Smartsheet needs a more intuitive interface, better integration, robust features, and enhanced support for an improved user experience.
Trello needs enhanced time-tracking, communication tools, integration, scalability, mobile app features, pricing, onboarding, AI, and task management.
I have a novice understanding of Smartsheet, so I sought a solution more suited to repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
For more quotes and insights, download the Smartsheet report
Currently, notifications flood my inbox, making it hard to differentiate what I actually need to open.
A way to manage an overall project with all the specifications, and then managing all the sub-cards related to that project.
It would be beneficial to have a search system that can pull up topics using keywords or AI-driven capabilities, making it easier to find relevant cards.
For more quotes and insights, download the Trello report
reviewer2678097 - PeerSpot reviewer
AW
aklessin - PeerSpot reviewer
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Setup Cost

Smartsheet offers flexible, competitively-priced licensing options appealing to various users, providing value through extensive functionality and customization.
Trello's free version suffices for many, but paid plans start at $6, offering a cost-effective balance of features.
 

Valuable Features

Smartsheet excels in real-time data sharing, automation, integration, and customization, making it a favored alternative to Microsoft Project.
Trello excels in task management with its intuitive interface, seamless collaboration, automation, and integration, enhancing team productivity.
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.
For more quotes and insights, download the Smartsheet report
Trello's interface is aesthetically pleasing for project management, and it enhances collaboration with other team members.
It replaces ping-ponging emails back and forth with a board where people can follow a task from start to finish and see when it's done.
Trello has impacted my organization positively by keeping everything very organized and allowing people to keep track of their tasks.
For more quotes and insights, download the Trello report
reviewer2678097 - PeerSpot reviewer
ST
AD
AW
aklessin - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Categories and Ranking

Smartsheet
Ranking in Project Management Software
5th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
Project Portfolio Management (3rd)
Trello
Ranking in Project Management Software
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
46
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Smartsheet is 4.3%, down from 5.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Trello is 2.3%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Management Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Smartsheet4.3%
Trello2.3%
Other93.4%
Project Management Software
 

Featured Reviews

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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Ariel Lindenfeld - PeerSpot reviewer
Customizable labels and the ability to modify cards streamline task management and save time
There can be bugs sometimes. When more than one person tries to edit the description at the same time, it can do some unexpected things. I would like to see that improved. Sometimes they add new features, which can be either welcome or odd. More control over email notifications would also be helpful.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
10%
Healthcare Company
9%
University
7%
Educational Organization
9%
Insurance Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business37
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise11
 

Questions from the Community

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 their PM tool RFP. The short of it is this, MS Project is not caught up with the mo...
See all answers
What do you like most about Smartsheet?
The tool creates shareable dashboards. These dashboards allow us to display project deliverables' status, their position in the queue, expected delivery timelines, and more. The best part is that t...
See all answers
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.
See all answers
What do you like most about Trello?
The solution is very user-friendly, where you have everything you need.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Trello?
I do not know about the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Trello because this part was handled by another coworker, and I never worked with that part.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Trello?
Sometimes I get notifications in one hour, and I would prefer to receive them immediately in just a small stack, such as within two or three minutes, not an hour.
See all answers
 

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Compared 8% of the time
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Compared 20% of the time
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Compared 19% of the time
Jira vs Trello Logo
Jira vs Trello
Compared 17% of the time
Wrike vs Trello Logo
Wrike vs Trello
Compared 14% of the time
Microsoft Project vs Trello Logo
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Compared 11% of the time
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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Smartsheet
August 2025
Smartsheet reportDownload Smartsheet product report
Buyer's Guide
Trello
August 2025
Trello reportDownload Trello product report
 

Overview

Smartsheet is a dynamic platform with features like real-time data sharing, Gantt charts, and integration with Jira and Microsoft Teams, offering valuable tools for efficient task management.

Smartsheet combines Excel-like functionality with cloud accessibility, making it efficient for tracking, reporting, and workflow management. Users benefit from its scalability and robust security, making it ideal for enterprise-level projects. However, improvements in data visibility, real-time collaboration, and user-friendliness can enhance its utility. Customizable dashboards, project management features, and seamless integrations offer great flexibility, though there is a demand for better automation, API enhancements, and new templates.

What are Smartsheet's most important features?
  • Real-time Data Sharing: Facilitates seamless collaboration between users.
  • Project Management Tools: Includes Gantt charts and task prioritization for efficient project tracking.
  • Integration: Works with major platforms like Jira and Microsoft Teams for comprehensive data flow.
  • Automation Capabilities: Reduces manual work with robust automation functionalities.
  • Customizable Dashboards: Allows users to tailor dashboards to meet specific needs.
What benefits or ROI should users look for in reviews?
  • Efficiency: Streamlines workflows with tools that enhance project tracking and collaboration.
  • Scalability: Supports growing enterprise demands with its scalable architecture.
  • Security: Provides robust, secure environments for data management.
  • Adaptability: Offers flexibility to customize workflows for improved resource management.

Smartsheet is utilized by organizations in industries like engineering, education, and IT for project management, task tracking, and data integration. It enables planning, scheduling, and team collaboration, facilitating dashboard creation and automation of processes. Its flexibility in customizing workflows is appealing to those managing projects and programs.

Smartsheet

Trello is the visual collaboration tool that creates a shared perspective on any project. Trello’s boards, lists and cards enable you to organize and prioritize your personal and work life in a fun, flexible and rewarding way.

Atlassian
 

Sample Customers

Sony Music, ESPN, Hilton, Unisource, Colliers, Extreme Networks, Groupon, Netflix
Pixar, Google, PayPal, Kickstarter, National Geographic, Viewbox Holdings
Buyer's Guide
Smartsheet vs. Trello
September 2025
Free Report: Smartsheet vs. Trello
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