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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
7.7
Zoho Projects boosts profits by 50%, offers productivity and visibility gains, with valuable time savings and streamlined processes.
Compared to Microsoft Project, which is more expensive, we save costs using Smartsheet.
It has helped me streamline processes by using my SOPs and Zoho for improvement.
 

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
6.7
Zoho Projects' customer service is mixed, praised for responsiveness but hindered by language barriers and telephone support issues.
They are just a chat away, and there is typically a dedicated person or two handling my account.
 

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
8.3
Zoho Projects is praised for scalability and flexibility, effectively serving small to large teams and diverse projects.
Smartsheet is pretty flexible and scalable.
 

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 few issues; occasional glitches and downtime are often due to cloud-related factors.
 

Room For Improvement

Users want better data management, UI, integration, security, support, and Excel-like features in Smartsheet.
Zoho Projects needs improved integration, user interface, mobile functionality, and support, with enhanced collaboration, analytics, security, and customization.
I have a novice understanding of Smartsheet, so I sought a solution more suited to repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
Providing small bite-sized instructional videos, like how to create a bug, and customizable help icons would be beneficial.
Managing multiple projects in the project presents challenges.
 

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 a cost-effective project management tool, with competitive pricing and value through the Zoho One license.
Licensing might be cheaper per user.
Initially, it was an affordable option for early adopters, but the price has risen four to five times.
Zoho Projects is considered cheap compared to Google and Microsoft services.
 

Valuable Features

Smartsheet offers real-time collaboration, customizable dashboards, automation, and integration, making it ideal for efficient project management.
Zoho Projects provides an integrated, customizable, and user-friendly platform with excellent collaboration, automation, and tracking features, boosting productivity.
Automation helps by simplifying some manual work, saving time and facilitating communication.
What I appreciate best about Smartsheet is the straight Gantt chart and its flexibility.
We were looking for a tool that allowed for repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
Its integration with Zoho Docs and features like creating a Wiki and the ability to co-author documents without performance constraints are valuable.
The collaboration tools within Zoho Projects are good.
 

Categories and Ranking

Smartsheet
Ranking in Project Management Software
5th
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
13th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Smartsheet is 4.3%, down from 5.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoho Projects is 1.1%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Management Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Smartsheet4.3%
Zoho Projects1.1%
Other94.6%
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.
Sainath Racherla - PeerSpot reviewer
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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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
15%
Government
10%
Healthcare Company
9%
University
7%
No data available
 

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 Business15
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?
The pricing is great and reasonable enough that I maintained my copy and bought it for my team independently.
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?
At the portfolio management level, Zoho Projects has some issues. Managing multiple projects in the project presents challenges.
What is your primary use case for Zoho Projects?
I use Zoho Projects ( /products/zoho-projects-reviews ) for managing the routine management of projects and for sharing with my colleagues.
 

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: September 2025.
869,566 professionals have used our research since 2012.