If you’re looking for project management software and can’t decide between Smartsheet and Wrike, you’re in the right place. Below, I’ll compare both platforms and explain what makes each stand out. Muddying the waters is that both platforms rank well in our roundup of the best project management software, which is not a bad thing.
Both platforms excel at what they do, but they’ll appeal to two different groups. Smartsheet is ideal for scaled data-driven teams working on complex projects, while Wrike will appeal to all teams working on a variety of projects. Our comparison will help you determine which platform is right for you.
Featured Partners
1
monday.com
Yes
From $8 monthly per user
Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more
2
ClickUp
Yes, for unlimited members
$7 per month
Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more
3
Wrike
Yes
$10 per user per month
Salesforce, Adobe, Miro, Netsuite, QuickBooks, SAP
Smartsheet vs. Wrike: At a Glance
The table below gives you a glance at the differences between Smartsheet and Wrike. Then, I’ll explain the key differences in a little more detail.
| Smartsheet | Wrike | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | No free plan; paid plans start at $12 per user per month, billed monthly | Free plan; paid plans start at $10 per user per month, billed monthly (two-user minimum) |
| Features | Spreadsheets, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, calendars, grids, automation, AI, advanced reports, proofing, templates, and desktop and mobile apps | Kanban boards, Gantt charts, calendars, lists, automation, proofing, mobile and desktop apps, advanced reports, templates and collaborative documents |
| Integrations | 122 integrations | 51 out-of-the-box integrations (over 400 with integration add-on) |
| User Reviews | 4.5 from 3,368 reviews (Capterra) | 4.3 from 2,721 reviews (Capterra) |
| Customer Support | Knowledge base, forum, web-based ticketing, call back support and premium support add-ons | Knowledge base, forum, ticketing system, live chat, phone support and premium support add-ons |
| Learn More | - | |
| Read Reviews |
At a glance, you can see that Smartsheet and Wrike have much in common. They offer project and task management tools, automation builders, integrations, image proofing tools, desktop and mobile applications, AI and reports. The platforms are also priced similarly and receive high marks from real-world users. There are a couple of significant differences, though.
Smartsheet offers enhanced spreadsheet capabilities, making the platform ideal for teams familiar with using Excel or Google Sheets to sort and store large data sets such as customer data, inventory and financial information. Wrike puts Kanban boards, Gantt charts and lists front and center, which will appeal to a broader audience. Other differences are that Wrike allows document editing and has a shallower learning curve.
Smartsheet
Starting Price
$12 per user per month (billed monthly)
Free Plan
No free plan; 30-day trial of Business plan
Max No. of Users
10-plus
$12 per user per month (billed monthly)
No free plan; 30-day trial of Business plan
10-plus
- Powerful spreadsheets
- Workflow automation tools
- Robust image-proofing tools
- No free plan
- Steep learning curve
- Lackluster Kanban boards and Gantt charts
Wrike
Starting Price
$10 per user per month (billed annually)
Free Plan
Yes, and a 14-day trial of the Business plan
Max No. of Users
Unlimited
$10 per user per month (billed annually)
Yes, and a 14-day trial of the Business plan
Unlimited
- Free plan for unlimited users
- Plenty of project and task management tools
- Powerful automations and many integrations
- User minimums and maximums on paid plans
- Top paid plans are pricey
- Many costly add-ons
Key Features of Smartsheet and Wrike
In the following sections, you’ll learn about the common features Smartsheet and Wrike share and their differences in several categories.
Task Management
Smartsheet is known for its powerful spreadsheets and linkable cells, which enable teams to track data across sheets. Less known is that Smartsheet also offers Kanban boards, Gantt charts, grids, calendars and timeline views. Smartsheet’s tools aren’t the most intuitive, and the Kanban boards and Gantt charts are quite basic. Still, assigning tasks, adding due dates, sharing files and adding comments to tasks can be done without much hassle.
Smartsheet offers Gantt chart, Kanban board, calendar and grid views.
Wrike is a do-it-all platform that aims to appeal to traditional and Agile project teams. As such, it was not built around one particular task management tool. You will find easy-to-use, visually appealing and customizable Kanban boards, calendars, Gantt charts and tables. Adding details such as due dates, task descriptions and time spent on the task is a breeze, as is uploading files and leaving comments.
Wrike’s Kanban boards are easy to use and customize.
Verdict: Wrike wins the task management section. While Wrike doesn’t beat Smartsheet’s spreadsheets, Smartsheet’s other task management tools lack the polish and finesse of Wrike’s offerings. Wrike’s tools are easier to use, which makes them ideal for new teams and startups. Still, Smartsheet will appeal to those who need to manage expansive data sets and are more familiar with Excel and Google Sheets.
Collaboration Tools
Regarding collaborative tools, Smartsheet offers an intuitive proofing tool that integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud. It allows team members and guests to discuss and approve images and documents. Smartsheet also has a commenting system for communication, and team members can share files and manage them in a digital asset manager (DAM). However, you won’t find instant messaging, collaborative documents or whiteboards.
Smartsheet’s image proofing tool is very intuitive.
Wrike is similar regarding collaboration tools. There’s no instant messaging (just a commenting system) or collaborative whiteboards. Along with Smartsheet, Wrike offers a proofing tool (that can integrate with Adobe Creative Cloud) where team members, stakeholders and clients can leave comments and approve images, a DAM and collaborative documents. However, for collaborative documents to work, you must download additional software.
While not a real-time collaboration tool, having a document editor in Wrike is still nice.
Once you have installed the software, you can edit an uploaded document. Wrike will launch the application the document was created in (Word, for example) so that changes can be made. Once it is saved, a new copy of the document will be uploaded. Similar to the image proofing tool, team members and guests can leave comments on the document. It’s not a fantastic tool, and I find it clunky to use, but it’s still better than nothing.
Verdict: It’s a draw. While Wrike does offer an antiquated document editor, both Smartsheet and Wrike are equally lacking in the collaborative tools department. Still, should you only need a commenting system for communication, a less-than-ideal document editor, a proofing tool for images and documents, or don’t mind relying on integrations for robust collaboration features, you’ll be fine with either platform.
Administration Features
If you manage large teams and need to set policies surrounding data and define user roles and permissions, Smartsheet will appeal to you. In Smartsheet, you can assign roles, create custom roles, add and remove users, grant and revoke access to items, set group management policies and work schedules, and transfer owner permissions.
Additionally, admins can create one-time passwords (OTP) and security assertion markup language (SAML) policies that enable users to sign in with one set of credentials through OKTA, Google, Apple and Microsoft Azure AD and require multifactor authentication for guests. Admins can also restrict access by domains and email addresses. Unfortunately, many advanced admin tools are for members of high-tier plans.
Smartsheet’s administration tools allow you to control user access and set security policies.
Wrike also offers an impressive suite of administration and security features. Admins can set and create user roles, set fiscal year settings, create work schedules and have access to many granular controls that limit what users can do and see. If you handle sensitive data or regularly deal with NDAs, Wrike’s administrative features will make your heart happy.
Administrators can also control security by restricting access to specific IP addresses, setting single sign-on and two-factor authentication policies, creating password policies and locking spaces. The major caveat is that most of Wrike’s advanced administration and security tools are for Enterprise and Pinnacle users only, which means many SMBs might be priced out of those features.
Wrike allows administrators to control access to everything you can think of inside the platform.
Verdict: Wrike wins the administration features section. Smartsheet and Wrike offer robust administration and security options, but Wrike wins this round because of how much control it gives administrators. Smartsheet still offers powerful administration tools and more admin features in its lower plans, but in terms of the sheer number of options to control access, it can’t quite compete with Wrike.
Reporting and Analytics
Smartsheet is a powerhouse when it comes to reporting. Users can generate reports that span multiple sheets (30,000 sheets maximum) and see the results on a single screen. The reports you generate can take an entire sheet into consideration, or you can narrow reports down to rows. Smartsheet can also quickly summarize data so that it can be shared with stakeholders and clients.
Smartsheet also offers customizable dashboards. While the dashboards aren’t the most intuitive or visually pleasing dashboards I have used, they’re functional and get the job done. Just be prepared to spend some time configuring where to pull data from. Still, once you get a dashboard configured, you’ll have key performance indicators at your fingertips.
Smartsheet’s dashboards aren’t the most pleasing visually, but they’re functional and can be packed with data.
Wrike also offers users many options regarding reports. Seven pre-made reports allow you to see active tasks, weekly status reports, overdue tasks, projects due this month, unassigned tasks, time spent on tasks and team utilization. Additionally, you can create custom reports and filter data as needed. Customizable dashboards are also present. I find Wrike’s dashboards easier to configure and more visually appealing than Smartsheet’s.
Wrike’s dashboards are easy to customize and show many project performance indicators.
Verdict: Smartsheet wins the reporting and analytics round. While Wrike is no slouch when it comes to reports, the sheer level of report customization in Smartsheet makes it hard to beat. Project managers who like knowing what’s going on will appreciate being able to dial in reports that get down to the smallest detail.
Integrations and Automation
Smartsheet connects to over 100 common applications used by SMBs. Integrations include Google Drive, Slack, Power BI and Microsoft Teams, to name a few. Smartsheet also offers bidirectional connectors with Jira and Salesforce, meaning data updated in one platform will be updated in the other. Users can also tap into Smartsheet’s API to create integrations. However, one caveat is that some integrations only work with specific Smartsheet plans.
Smartsheet supports automations and provides an automation builder, making it possible to create automated, cross-platform workflows. I like that Smartsheet offers the choice of creating custom automations or using templates for common scenarios, such as receiving notifications when specific criteria are met. You can also create recurring tasks.
In Smartsheet, you can create automations from scratch or use templates.
Not surprisingly, you can also integrate Wrike with many third-party applications. Configuring automations is straightforward and creating simple workflows is a cinch. However, you must subscribe to Wrike Integrate to create complex automated workflows. You’ll need to pay extra again to create bidirectional data sharing, as you’ll need to subscribe to Wrike Sync. On top of this, these add-ons will only work from the Business plan onward.
Wrike offers automation templates and allows users to create custom rules and recurring tasks. I find Wrike’s automation builder easier to use than Smartsheet’s, but it’s still leagues behind other automation builders on platforms such as ClickUp, monday.com and Asana. It would be remiss of me not to mention that Wrike also locks a few integrations (Adobe Creative Cloud, Power BI, Salesforce, QuickBooks) to specific plans.
Wrike can connect with many third-party applications.
Verdict: It’s a draw. Smartsheet and Wrike are similar in terms of integrations and automation. Neither pulls ahead due to apps being locked behind specific paid plans and unnecessary cash grabs. Wrike offers more integrations and a better automation builder but wants to nickel and dime you to death for capabilities that should be included, while Smartsheet’s automation builder is harder to use. It’s six of one and a half dozen of another.
Artificial Intelligence
Smartsheet offers an AI tool to help project managers and team members save time. You can use the tool to create formulas, which is handy if you’re unfamiliar with spreadsheets. It can also summarize data, perform calculations, create reports and charts, and draft and translate text. The tool isn’t the most powerful I have used in the project management space, but it’s still quite handy. Unfortunately, it’s only available in the Enterprise plan and up.
Smartsheet’s AI can create formulas, analyze data, translate text and create summaries.
Wrike’s artificial intelligence tool is more powerful than Smartsheet’s. It can create meeting agendas, project scopes, risk management plans and subtasks. It can also summarize comments left on tasks and suggest automations. Oddly, you must enable the tool as it’s not on by default. Most AI features are available from the Team plan, which is far better than how Smartsheet structures its AI tool.
Wrike’s AI tool can help you create meeting agendas, subtasks and other drafts.
Verdict: Wrike wins the artificial intelligence section. While Smartsheet’s AI tool is useful and will help users save time, Wrike’s implementation of AI is better. The tool can do much more than Smartsheet’s, and most of its capabilities are available to users from the affordable Team plan. In contrast, Smartsheet reserves its AI tool for Enterprise and Advanced Work Management plans.
Pricing
Now that we understand the key features of Smartsheet and Wrike, it’s time to examine the cost of using each platform.
| Smartsheet | Wrike | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Yes, 30 days | Yes, 14 days |
| Free Plan | No | Yes (unlimited users, basic functionality) |
| Pro (Smartsheet) / Team (Wrike) | $12.00 user per month (one to 10 users) | $10.00 per user per month billed annually (two to 15 users) |
| Business (both) | $24.00 per user per month (three-plus members) | $24.80 per user per month billed annually (five to 200 users) |
| Enterprise (both) | Custom pricing (10-plus members) | $45.00 per user per month billed annually (five to unlimited users) |
| Advanced Work Management (Smartsheet) / Pinnacle (Wrike) | Custom pricing | $60.00 per user per month billed annually (five to unlimited users) |
There are some differences regarding costs. One is that Wrike offers a free plan that supports unlimited users but restricts tool access. Smartsheet doesn’t offer a free plan. Both platforms offer discounts when you pay annually, but Wrike does not disclose its current deals. Smartsheet’s Pro plan supports 10 users and costs $12 per user, billed monthly. Wrike’s Team plan supports two to 15 users and costs $10 per user per month, billed annually.
The mid-tier plans jump dramatically in price. Smartsheet’s Business plan costs $24 per user per month (billed monthly) and Wrike’s Business plan costs $24.80 per user per month (billed annually). Each platform also offers Enterprise-level plans. I could not obtain quotes from Smartsheet for its two top-tier plans. However, Wrike did supply a quote. Wrike’s Enterprise and Pinnacle plans cost $45 and $60 per user per month (billed annually).
To match some of Smartsheet’s functionality, you’ll need to subscribe to some of Wrike’s premium add-ons.
I also have to mention that to match some of Smartsheet’s functionality, you will need to pay extra for some of Wrike’s add-ons, so keep this in mind. If you’d like more detailed pricing information, check our Smartsheet pricing guide and our Wrike pricing guide.
Ease of Use
I won’t lie. Without extensive knowledge of spreadsheets and how they function, you will feel lost jumping into Smartsheet. Even the Kanban boards and Gantt charts have a slight learning curve. However, once you learn the software and how the tools operate, you’ll be creating projects, assigning tasks, adding due dates and other task data, creating formulas and proofing images like a champ.
Navigating Smartsheet is easy, thanks to well-designed menus and handy icons that depict the tools. Smartsheet’s iOS and Android apps are also stellar. Scrolling is buttery smooth and most views are available. There’s even a dedicated mobile view. You can quickly create new projects, upload files and perform basic task management duties. It’s not the most feature-filled mobile application, but what’s there works incredibly well.
Smartsheet’s mobile applications work incredibly well.
In my opinion, Wrike will appeal to a broader audience because it’s easier to use. Wrike is easy to navigate, and the tools are much more intuitive than Smartsheet’s. The Kanban boards, calendars, Gantt charts and lists all work as expected. Generating projects, managing tasks and resources, tracking time, and creating integrations and automations require no explanation. Teams, new and old, will feel comfortable in Wrike.
Wrike’s Android and iOS applications are also rock solid. There’s no stuttering; you can customize navigation menus, collaborate on and proof images, and efficiently manage projects and tasks. The app is missing some features, but you can perform basic functions on the go without fuss.
Wrike’s mobile applications work well and are very customizable.
Customer Support
Smartsheet offers a robust knowledge base where you can search for answers and a community forum where you can ask questions and receive help. However, I deplore how customer support is handled. Smartsheet offers email (ticketing) support, but there’s no phone or live chat support unless you pay extra for support add-ons. I tested the ticketing system. I sent a ticket and received a helpful reply in just over 20 hours.
Wrike’s support options are better, but not by much. Free users get access to a knowledge base and a community forum. Paying users can use an AI chatbot, live chat through the help center, a ticketing system or request a callback. You must pay for premium support for full phone support and live chat in the workspace. After sending a ticket, it took nearly 36 hours to receive a reply that helped me solve my issue. That’s too slow.
Our Expert Opinion
Smartsheet and Wrike are similar in many ways. Both offer spreadsheets, Kanban boards, Gantt charts and calendars. They also offer proofing tools, templates, automation builders, many integrations, AI, resource management features and powerful administration and security tools. They even have similar prices if you don’t need premium add-ons. The platforms excel at what they do but will appeal to different teams. I’ll break it down below.
Who Is Smartsheet Best For?
Smartsheet is for project managers and teams with experience using spreadsheets to manage large data sets. The software is ideal for maintaining customer contact and CRM data, inventories, financial information and patient data. It is also an excellent tool for those working in construction, manufacturing and HR. It provides other views to help manage tasks, but I don’t recommend relying on them for complex Agile projects.
Smartsheet is not for new teams or any SMB that needs to save money, as it has a steep learning curve and does not offer a free plan. If you need a similar platform but require a free plan, check out our Airtable review. For other free software options, read our best free project management software roundup.
Who Is Wrike Best For?
Wrike is for project teams that work on a variety of projects and need easy-to-use task management tools. It’s ideal for those using traditional project management methodologies such as Waterfall and the critical path method and Agile teams that use Kanban and the Scrum framework. The platform is ideal for software development and marketing, media and entertainment, construction and manufacturing teams.
Wrike might not be the best choice for those with a limited budget or who need better real-time collaboration tools. Another option that offers similar tools, enhanced real-time collaboration features, a better free plan and a slightly more affordable mid-tier paid plan is ClickUp. You can learn more about it in our ClickUp review.
Featured Partners
1
monday.com
Yes
From $8 monthly per user
Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more
2
ClickUp
Yes, for unlimited members
$7 per month
Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more
3
Wrike
Yes
$10 per user per month
Salesforce, Adobe, Miro, Netsuite, QuickBooks, SAP
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the disadvantages of Wrike?
Wrike is a powerful platform; however, many advanced features are part of add-ons. Wrike is already a pretty expensive platform, and the extra expense for features that should be included in the paid plans could price many SMBs out of the software.
What can Smartsheet do that Excel can't?
Smartsheet allows users to create data-heavy spreadsheets and link cells across sheets, which can help improve efficiency. Not only does this allow you to share real-time information across sheets, but it also allows you to generate multi-sheet reports.
What are the limitations of Smartsheet?
Smartsheet’s limitations include its lack of a free plan for small businesses and startups and its nonintuitive and lackluster Gantt charts and Kanban boards. The workflow management tools, outside of the excellent spreadsheets, make it hard to recommend Smartsheet to teams who regularly rely on those views.
