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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 improves productivity and project delivery, offering ROI benefits with efficient processes despite limited direct monetary savings.
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 is mixed, excelling in email support but facing issues with phone communication and response times.
They are just a chat away, and there is typically a dedicated person or two handling my account.
Associate Director at Scimax Global LLC
It was really seamless support throughout the process of getting everything set up, which could have certainly been a big failing on their part because it does have very nuanced settings depending on how I would like to configure my project.
Owner & Digital Marketing Manager at MPCosta
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 adaptable for teams of all sizes but may be complex for small businesses seeking simpler tools.
Smartsheet is pretty flexible and scalable.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
I can go straight from ideating within a spreadsheet to implementing within the project management much easier in To Do than in Zoho Projects.
Owner & Digital Marketing Manager at MPCosta
 

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 with minimal issues, improved over years, but desires more AI features for enhanced reliability.
 

Room For Improvement

Users want better data management, UI, integration, security, support, and Excel-like features in Smartsheet.
Zoho Projects needs enhancements in usability, integration, customization, collaboration, and analytics, while adding customer portals and simplifying functionalities.
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 is cost-effective, offering global competitive pricing and multi-application licenses, remaining cheaper than competitors like Salesforce.
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 integrates with various tools, offering task management, customization, scalability, collaboration, and essential time tracking features.
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
10th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
43
Ranking in other categories
Project Portfolio Management (7th)
Zoho Projects
Ranking in Project Management Software
14th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Smartsheet is 2.0%, down from 4.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoho Projects is 1.1%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Management Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Smartsheet2.0%
Zoho Projects1.1%
Other96.9%
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.
Matt Costa - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner & Digital Marketing Manager at MPCosta
Accurate time tracking has improved invoicing workflows but task management still needs refinement
I am used to working in To Do, which is a very fast platform. You can essentially copy and paste a range of tasks with various details and paste it directly into the platform, which allows it to handle them very quickly and accurately. Zoho Projects is much more enterprise-focused, so the functionality and flow is a little more restricted than I would enjoy. It has all of the same fields, but those fields are somewhat harder to get information into and out of than many other project management platforms. As for features with Zoho Projects, the time tracking capabilities are very robust, but the method by which I start and stop the timer is not very fluid. As far as features I would like integrated, I am uncertain; rather, I see features that could be improved.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
8%
Construction Company
7%
Construction Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
 

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 Business17
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 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 needs improvement with Smartsheet?
Currently, I feel that Smartsheet fulfills all my needs. However, I need to investigate more about the product to identify specific areas for improvement.
What needs improvement with Zoho Projects?
I am used to working in To Do, which is a very fast platform. You can essentially copy and paste a range of tasks with various details and paste it directly into the platform, which allows it to ha...
What is your primary use case for Zoho Projects?
I was using Zoho Projects previously, but my company still owns many integrated software solutions. I needed the ability to track time within Zoho Projects that automatically streams into invoicing...
What advice do you have for others considering Zoho Projects?
I would mention to other users who would like to start working with Zoho Projects to utilize the support available as much as possible to make their life easier. That was a big portion of what made...
 

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: June 2026.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.