ClickUp vs Smartsheet: Work Management Software Compared (2026)
ClickUp and Smartsheet both cover project planning, tracking and reporting, but from different starting points.
- Verified 27 Oct 2026Sources are dated on this page
- 7 sourcesLinked, typed and dated
- No winner declaredFit depends on your criteria
- Not tested by Stack18Editorial summary of documented facts
ClickUp vs Smartsheet: the short answer
ClickUp and Smartsheet both cover project planning, tracking and reporting, but from different starting points. ClickUp is a task-first all-in-one workspace with docs, whiteboards, goals and time tracking, sold per member from a free plan. Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-style grid with Gantt, card and calendar views, sold per member in Pro, Business, Enterprise and Advanced Work Management plans, with free viewers.
The sources reviewed describe ClickUp as the cheaper, feature-rich option with native time tracking and many views, and Smartsheet as the structured, formula-driven choice with free viewers and governance. Resource management and time tracking differ most: ClickUp includes time tracking, while Smartsheet's time and resource tools are reported as a separate product.
We compare what independent 2026 sources and Smartsheet's own pages support and mark the rest Unknown. One source sells a competing product. No winner is declared: the better fit depends on whether your team thinks in grids or in tasks.
Choose ClickUp if you- Budget-conscious teams that want time tracking, goals and docs in one tool
- Teams that want unlimited free members to start
- Teams that value many views and configurability
Choose Smartsheet if you- PMOs and operations teams that want grid, Gantt and formulas
- Organisations with many stakeholders who only need to view
- Teams moving shared spreadsheets into a managed system
ClickUp and Smartsheet at a glance.
One card per product, drawn from each full profile. Open a profile for features, pricing plans, limits and sources.
ClickUp
ClickUp (Mango Technologies) · Project Management Software
ClickUp is an all-in-one work and project management platform that combines tasks, docs, goals, dashboards and automation, sold per member in Free Forever, Unlimited, Business and Enterprise plans.
- Pricing
- Free Forever plan; Unlimited reported at $7 per member per month billed annually.
- Best for
- Teams that want a generous free plan to evaluate
Smartsheet
Smartsheet Inc. · Project Management Software
Smartsheet is a cloud work management and project management platform that combines a spreadsheet-like grid with Gantt, board, calendar and timeline views, forms, reports, dashboards, workflow automation and AI features.
- Pricing
- No free plan for new sign-ups; Pro reported at $9 per member per month billed annually.
- Best for
- PMOs and project managers who want Gantt and dashboards in a spreadsheet-style tool
ClickUp vs Smartsheet: feature-by-feature comparison.
Every row is drawn from the sources listed below. Rows that differ are marked, and you can filter the table to show only those.
- YesDocumented
- PartialAvailable with limits or on some plans
- NoDocumented as unavailable
- UnknownNot documented in the sources reviewed
| Dimension |  ClickUp |  Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ||
| Core approach | YesTask-first workspace with docs, whiteboards, goals, chat and time tracking. | YesSpreadsheet-style grid with card, calendar and Gantt views, forms and dashboards. |
| Pricing | ||
| Free planDiffers | YesFree Forever with unlimited members and tasks, with storage and feature caps. | NoNo free plan for new sign-ups; a 30-day trial is reported. |
| Entry paid price (annual) | YesUnlimited at $7 per member per month. | YesPro at $9 per member per month, for one to ten members. |
| Mid-tier price (annual) | YesBusiness at $12 per member per month. | YesBusiness at $19 per member per month. |
| Viewers and guestsDiffers | UnknownGuest policies were not documented in the sources reviewed. | YesViewers are free; unlimited free guests on Business and Enterprise. |
| Views | ||
| Project views | YesGuides report 15 or more views, including Gantt. | YesGrid, card, calendar and Gantt views. |
| Time tracking | ||
| Time trackingDiffers | YesNative time tracking reported on paid plans. | PartialReported as not native; one guide ties it to the separate Resource Management product. |
| Resources | ||
| Resource management | PartialWorkload view on Business; described as lighter than dedicated tools. | PartialA separate Resource Management product on G2; guides report an add-on cost that is not vendor-confirmed. |
| Automation | ||
| Automation | PartialCustomisable automations with allowances capped by plan. | PartialWorkflows and automations reported at 250 a month on Pro, with more on higher plans. |
| AI | ||
| AI featuresDiffers | YesClickUp Brain is a paid per-member add-on. | PartialAI credits and an assistant listed; plan availability was not documented. |
| Ease of use | ||
| Learning curve | PartialDescribed as feature-rich with a steeper learning curve. | PartialDescribed as familiar to spreadsheet users but needing admin support at scale. |
| Governance | ||
| Enterprise controlsDiffers | PartialAdvanced permissions and governance on Enterprise. | YesEnterprise plan management and access controls; one source credits a compliance advantage. |
ClickUp vs Smartsheet pricing.
ClickUp pricing
Per member per month by plan, with a free plan, custom Enterprise pricing and a separate per-member AI add-on.
- Free Forever$0
- Unlimited$7 per member per month billed annually
- Business$12 per member per month billed annually
- EnterpriseCustom
- Brain AI add-onPer paid member per month; sources report $5 to $9
Figures reported consistently by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
All ClickUp plans and sources
Smartsheet pricing
Per member per month by plan (Pro, Business, Enterprise, Advanced Work Management), billed annually or monthly. Viewers are free, and guests are free on Business and Enterprise.
- Pro$9 per member per month billed annually; $12 billed monthly
- Business$19 per member per month billed annually; $24 billed monthly
- EnterpriseCustom pricing
- Advanced Work ManagementCustom pricing
Figures reported consistently by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 17 Oct 2026.
All Smartsheet plans and sourcesClickUp is cheaper at every comparable tier. Our arithmetic on reported annual prices for 10 users gives about $840 a year on ClickUp Unlimited ($7 x 10 x 12) and $1,440 on Business ($12 x 10 x 12), against $1,080 on Smartsheet Pro ($9 x 10 x 12) and $2,280 on Business ($19 x 10 x 12). For 25 users, Smartsheet Pro no longer applies (it covers one to ten members), so the comparison is ClickUp at about $2,100 or $3,600 a year against Smartsheet Business at about $5,700 ($19 x 25 x 12).
Smartsheet's free viewers change the maths for teams with many readers: stakeholders who only view dashboards cost nothing, while every ClickUp paid member is billed. Add-ons also matter: ClickUp Brain adds a per-member AI cost, and Smartsheet's resource management is reported as separate.
Prices changed on both sides recently, so confirm current terms with each vendor.
Prices and plans change. Confirm current terms with each vendor before you decide.
ClickUp vs Smartsheet: implementation, ecosystem, AI and security.
Ease of implementation and usability
We did not test setup or migration for either product. Guides describe ClickUp as flexible but heavy to configure and Smartsheet as natural for spreadsheet users. Pilot one real plan with dependencies and reporting in each.
Integrations and ecosystem
ClickUp connects to many tools through native integrations, Zapier and its API. Smartsheet is described as strong on Jira, Salesforce and Microsoft Teams connectors. Counts were not verified, so check the specific tools you use.
AI capabilities
ClickUp sells Brain as a per-member add-on, while Smartsheet lists AI credits, an assistant, formula generation and summarisation. We did not test output quality for either product.
Security, deployment and administration
ClickUp lists advanced permissions and governance on Enterprise. Smartsheet lists enterprise plan management and access controls, and one source credits it with a government compliance edge, which we could not verify. Request current security documentation from both.
ClickUp and Smartsheet: each option, in balance.
ClickUp
Strengths and limitations from the profile
- The free plan includes unlimited tasks and members, which is unusually generous.
- Entry paid pricing of $7 per member is reported among the lowest for a full work management suite.
- Many functions such as docs, goals and dashboards sit in one workspace.
- Many features are capped by number of uses on lower plans rather than being unlimited.
- AI is a separate add-on billed on every paid member, which raises total cost.
- Goals, time tracking and workload management need the Business plan, not Unlimited.
- API limits of 100 calls a minute on most plans can bottleneck automation-heavy workflows.
Smartsheet
Strengths and limitations from the profile
- A spreadsheet-style grid with Gantt, board, calendar and timeline views lowers the learning curve for teams coming from Excel.
- Documented AI features cover plain-language formulas, charts, summaries and intelligent form fill.
- Free viewers, and free guests on Business and Enterprise, let stakeholders follow progress without a paid seat.
- Integrations with Jira, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Slack and Tableau suit enterprise tool stacks.
- Pro and Business have published per-member prices of $9 and $19 billed annually.
- The free plan is legacy and closed to new sign-ups, so new teams start with a trial rather than a free tier.
- Pro is limited to one to ten members and Business requires at least three, which constrains plan choice for very small or growing teams.
- Enterprise and Advanced Work Management are custom-quoted, so enterprise costs are not published.
- Reviewers note a steeper learning curve for enterprise features, and advanced automation such as Bridge is a separate module.
- Smartsheet is privately owned by Blackstone and Vista funds since January 2025, so future pricing and packaging may change.
ClickUp or Smartsheet: which fits which situation?
No overall winner is declared. The better choice depends on the criteria that matter most to you, so test both against your own requirements.
Choose ClickUp if you…
- Budget-conscious teams that want time tracking, goals and docs in one tool
- Teams that want unlimited free members to start
- Teams that value many views and configurability
Choose Smartsheet if you…
- PMOs and operations teams that want grid, Gantt and formulas
- Organisations with many stakeholders who only need to view
- Teams moving shared spreadsheets into a managed system
Switching between ClickUp and Smartsheet.
Moving between ClickUp and Smartsheet means converting tasks to rows and sheets (or the reverse), rebuilding formulas and automations, and recreating dashboards. Grid formulas have no direct ClickUp equivalent. Export a sample project, rebuild it, and run one project in parallel.
- Export a sample of your data and test an import into the other product.
- List the automations, integrations and permissions you would need to rebuild.
- Pilot with one team before a full cut-over.
- Check contract terms and notice periods with both vendors.
General guidance, not specific to either vendor. Confirm migration options with the vendors.
ClickUp vs Smartsheet: questions and answers
Is ClickUp cheaper than Smartsheet?
Yes at every comparable tier: ClickUp Unlimited is $7 per member against $9 for Smartsheet Pro, and Business is $12 against $19, billed annually.
Does Smartsheet have a free plan?
No for new sign-ups; a 30-day trial is reported. ClickUp has a Free Forever plan.
Which has time tracking?
ClickUp includes native time tracking. Guides report Smartsheet does not, and ties it to a separate Resource Management product.
Are Smartsheet viewers free?
Yes. Viewers are free, and Business and Enterprise add unlimited free guests.
Which is better for Gantt charts?
Both offer Gantt. Guides describe Smartsheet as stronger for grid-based planning and ClickUp as more flexible.
Which is easier to learn?
Guides describe Smartsheet as familiar to spreadsheet users and ClickUp as more powerful but heavier to configure.
Does ClickUp have AI?
Yes, ClickUp Brain, as a paid per-member add-on.
Where this comparison comes from.
- Smartsheet vs. ClickUp: Expert Comparison & Reviews 2026 The Digital Project Manager Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Smartsheet vs ClickUp: Software Comparison TechRepublic Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- ClickUp vs Smartsheet Pricing (2026) Costbench Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Smartsheet vs. ClickUp vs. SmartSuite (SmartSuite sells a competing product) SmartSuite Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- All ClickUp Plans & Pricing Costbench Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- General Smartsheet FAQs Smartsheet Official Accessed 17 Oct 2026 Used for views, AI features and integrations.
- How much does Smartsheet cost in 2026? Automation Atlas Third-party Accessed 17 Oct 2026
Comparison rows summarise the sources listed and the two profiles. Confirm current details with each vendor. Stack18 has not tested either product. One or both profiles are secondary-source profiles: vendor pages were not reviewed directly, so verify figures with the vendors.
Ready to test ClickUp and Smartsheet?
Check each vendor's current pricing and terms, run both against a real scenario from your business, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf software is not the answer.
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