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Smartsheet vs Zoho Projects comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

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
6.9
Smartsheet enhances productivity and collaboration, automates processes, manages timelines, and is cost-effective compared to Microsoft Project alternatives.
Sentiment score
8.1
Zoho Projects offers increased productivity, better project visibility, and cost-effectiveness, though monetary gains were less evident for users.
Compared to Microsoft Project, which is more expensive, we save costs using Smartsheet.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
It has helped me streamline processes by using my SOPs and Zoho for improvement.
Associate Director at Scimax Global LLC
 

Customer Service

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.
Sentiment score
6.5
Zoho Projects customer service varies; some praise responsiveness while others experience delays and language barriers affect satisfaction.
They are just a chat away, and there is typically a dedicated person or two handling my account.
Associate Director at Scimax Global LLC
The overall rating for the tech support and customer service team is four out of ten.
Functional Consultant at a non-tech company with 51-200 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Smartsheet is praised for scalability, integration features, and cost-effectiveness, with some concerns over task tracking in larger projects.
Sentiment score
7.9
Zoho Projects is widely rated for scalability, supporting small to large teams, though improvement is needed for very large projects.
Smartsheet is pretty flexible and scalable.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Users find Smartsheet stable, with minor issues, high reliability ratings, and minimal disruptions enhancing overall satisfaction.
Sentiment score
7.9
Zoho Projects is highly stable, reliable, and user-friendly, with occasional glitches; recent updates have improved performance.
 

Room For Improvement

Users want better data management, UI, integration, security, support, and Excel-like features in Smartsheet.
Zoho Projects needs improvements in UI simplicity, integrations, support, task management, collaboration, mobile functionality, and AI analytics.
I have a novice understanding of Smartsheet, so I sought a solution more suited to repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
Strategic Programs Vice President, Project Management Office at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Providing small bite-sized instructional videos, like how to create a bug, and customizable help icons would be beneficial.
Associate Director at Scimax Global LLC
More technical features for agile methodology would be valuable.
Functional Consultant at a non-tech company with 51-200 employees
Managing multiple projects in the project presents challenges.
Engineer information management services at SCTIMST
 

Setup Cost

Smartsheet pricing is user-based, varies by plan, and advanced features can increase costs compared to competitors like Microsoft Project.
Zoho Projects provides cost-effective pricing with competitive plans, remaining affordable compared to competitors like Salesforce, despite regional variations.
Licensing might be cheaper per user.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Initially, it was an affordable option for early adopters, but the price has risen four to five times.
Associate Director at Scimax Global LLC
Zoho Projects is considered cheap compared to Google and Microsoft services.
Engineer information management services at SCTIMST
 

Valuable Features

Smartsheet offers real-time collaboration, customizable dashboards, automation, and integration, making it ideal for efficient project management.
Zoho Projects offers automation, integration, and customization, enhancing project efficiency with CRM, finance tools, and seamless task management.
Automation helps by simplifying some manual work, saving time and facilitating communication.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
We were looking for a tool that allowed for repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
Strategic Programs Vice President, Project Management Office at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
What I appreciate best about Smartsheet is the straight Gantt chart and its flexibility.
Solution Architect at Think People
Its integration with Zoho Docs and features like creating a Wiki and the ability to co-author documents without performance constraints are valuable.
Associate Director at Scimax Global LLC
Task management features have significantly enhanced project efficiencies with quantifiable gains.
Functional Consultant at a non-tech company with 51-200 employees
The collaboration tools within Zoho Projects are good.
Engineer information management services at SCTIMST
 

Categories and Ranking

Smartsheet
Ranking in Project Management Software
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
43
Ranking in other categories
Project Portfolio Management (3rd)
Zoho Projects
Ranking in Project Management Software
14th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Smartsheet is 2.2%, down from 4.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoho Projects is 1.1%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Management Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Smartsheet2.2%
Zoho Projects1.1%
Other96.7%
Project Management Software
 

Featured Reviews

DS
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Automation simplifies manual tasks and facilitates team communication
There are many useful features in Smartsheet. One can easily share plans with the entire team, and it functions similarly to Microsoft Project. Creating dependencies across all tasks is smooth, and team members can make adjustments if necessary. Automation helps by simplifying some manual work, saving time and facilitating communication.
Sainath Racherla - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Director at Scimax Global LLC
Project coordination has improved with excellent integration and support, though more comprehensive training and version control are needed
The adaptation process can be enhanced with training sessions and templates. There is potential for improvement in version control, particularly in integration with Zoho Docs. Providing small bite-sized instructional videos, like how to create a bug, and customizable help icons would be beneficial. Additionally, I should be able to cross-link bugs between projects.
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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 Business16
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise1
 

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...
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...
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 have a monthly subscription, while the company uses an annual basis.
What do you like most about Zoho Projects?
While integrating a voice solution with Zoho Projects, the focus was on creating a unified interface for voice and customer engagement across various platforms like Facebook, social media, and emai...
What needs improvement with Zoho Projects?
More technical features for agile methodology would be valuable. Beyond automation and integration enhancements, additional improvements and enhancements to Zoho Projects would be beneficial in the...
What is your primary use case for Zoho Projects?
Zoho Projects is used for project management and task coordination. The Gantt chart feature is utilized for visual project timeline representation. The project planning capabilities are beneficial ...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Sony Music, ESPN, Hilton, Unisource, Colliers, Extreme Networks, Groupon, Netflix
Intel, Jaguar, PWC, Yatra, Yale, Timex
Find out what your peers are saying about Smartsheet vs. Zoho Projects and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.