What Is Smartsheet? How It Works, Features & Uses (2026)

What is Smartsheet used for?

Smartsheet is primarily used to plan projects, coordinate team activities, and monitor work progress. Its spreadsheet-style interface lets project managers assign tasks and manage schedules, while automated workflows collect updates. Teams also use Smartsheet to consolidate information from several projects for reporting and resource planning.

For individual projects, teams can use sheets, Gantt charts, and automated reminders to coordinate work. Managing multiple projects introduces additional requirements, such as comparing resource demand or evaluating portfolio health. Smartsheet supports these activities through workload tracking and specialized portfolio capabilities, although access depends on the subscription or add-on.

What is the main purpose of Smartsheet?

Smartsheet helps teams manage projects through a shared system for planning tasks, tracking deadlines, and reporting progress. Its primary purpose is to make project information accessible to team members and support coordination through connected schedules, automated updates, and customizable reports.

How does Smartsheet work?

Smartsheet works by connecting project data stored in sheets to reports, dashboards, and forms. Teams enter or update information in a shared sheet, while other components retrieve selected records to support project tracking and reporting.

Sheets store project information

Sheets are the foundation of Smartsheet. Each row represents a task or record, while columns contain attributes such as owners, deadlines, and status. Parent and child rows organize related tasks, and formulas calculate values such as completion percentages or overdue work.

Reports combine information from sheets

Reports retrieve records from one or more sheets based on selected criteria. For example, a project manager can create a report showing all overdue tasks across active projects. Reports display live source data, so changes made in a sheet appear in its reports. Authorized edits made through a report also update the original sheet.

Dashboards display project performance

Dashboards present project metrics through widgets. Metric widgets reference individual cells or sheet summaries, while chart widgets visualize data from sheets or reports. Source-value changes update connected metrics, although newly added fields may require manual widget configuration.

Forms collect requests and updates

Forms capture information and create new rows in a connected sheet. Each submission can trigger workflows, such as assigning an owner or requesting approval. Subsequent changes to existing submissions can be collected through update requests.

How information moves through Smartsheet: A submitted request becomes a sheet row, can appear automatically in a qualifying report, and can contribute to dashboard metrics. Teams generally do not need to copy the same information between these components, provided their data sources and criteria are configured correctly.

How to use Smartsheet to manage a project: Step-by-step example

To understand how Smartsheet works, consider a website redesign project that involves design approval, page development, and final testing. The following example illustrates how a project manager can use Smartsheet to organize tasks, manage deadlines, and report progress.

Step 1: Create a project sheet

Start by selecting a project management template or creating a blank sheet. Name it "Website Redesign" and add columns for task names, assigned owners, start dates, end dates, and status.

Organize the project into phases such as Design, Development, and Testing. Add individual tasks beneath each phase and indent them to create parent-child relationships. This hierarchy makes it possible to view individual assignments alongside the overall project schedule.

Step 2: Assign tasks and set deadlines

Assign each task to a team member through the contact column. Enter the expected start and completion dates, then switch to Gantt view to see how the activities appear on a timeline.

For example, the designer handles mockup approval, while the developer takes responsibility for building website pages. The Gantt chart helps identify overlapping activities and upcoming deadlines.

Step 3: Add task dependencies

Enable dependencies in Project Settings and configure the Duration and Predecessor columns. For the website redesign, use the following sequence:

Smartsheet uses finish-to-start dependencies by default, so each successor begins after its predecessor finishes. If design approval is delayed by two working days, Smartsheet recalculates the dates of dependent tasks. Assuming the durations and dependencies remain unchanged, website development and final testing also move two working days later.

Step 4: Track progress and automate updates

As work progresses, team members update their assigned tasks from "Not Started" to "In Progress" or "Complete."

The project manager can configure an automated update request for tasks approaching their deadlines or an alert when a task becomes "At Risk." These notifications depend on predefined workflow rules; changing a status does not automatically notify everyone unless the appropriate automation is configured.

Step 5: Create a project status dashboard

Create a dashboard to display overdue tasks, completion percentages, and upcoming milestones. Use metric widgets to display calculated values from the project sheet and chart widgets to visualize task status.

For example, a dashboard showing five overdue tasks helps the project manager identify scheduling problems. Connected metrics reflect changes in their source data, although dashboard widgets must be configured to reference the appropriate cells or reports.

What are Smartsheet's main features?

Smartsheet includes project scheduling, task management, and reporting tools that help teams coordinate work through a shared platform. Its features support different project management methods, from sequential project schedules to Agile workflows.

One important distinction is how Smartsheet handles workflow automation versus AI. Automations follow predefined rules, such as sending a reminder three days before a deadline. AI features interpret natural-language requests to generate formulas or summarize project information.

What are the advantages and limitations of Smartsheet?

Smartsheet combines spreadsheet-style project tracking with scheduling and workflow automation. Its flexibility lets teams configure project processes around their requirements, although implementation complexity and subscription costs can increase as those processes expand.

One consideration is who maintains the project management system after implementation. For example, a PMO that standardizes project templates must also account for changes to reporting requirements and automated workflows. Smartsheet Control Center can distribute changes across existing projects, but it requires an eligible subscription or add-on.

How much does Smartsheet cost?

Smartsheet pricing starts at $9 per member per month for the Pro plan and $19 per member per month for Business, both billed annually. Enterprise and Advanced Work Management require custom quotes. Smartsheet also offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.

Prices are in USD and reflect annual billing. Pro supports 1–10 paid members and is available to new customers. Business requires at least three paid members.

Which Smartsheet plan do you actually need?

Pro covers basic project scheduling and task tracking. Business is more appropriate when teams need workload visibility or reports that combine multiple sheets.

Member classification also affects total costs. Under Smartsheet's User Subscription Model, some collaborators can participate for free, while internal users who edit project records may require paid memberships. Qualifying actions can trigger provisional access, so administrators should review membership settings before renewal.

For example, ten paid Business members cost $190 per month, or $2,280 annually, before add-ons. Advanced resource management and specialized integrations can increase the total.

Who should use Smartsheet?

Smartsheet is suitable for project managers and teams that need spreadsheet-based project tracking with scheduling, automation, and reporting capabilities. Its value depends on the complexity of the work, the number of projects managed, and the reporting requirements of stakeholders.

Before choosing Smartsheet, evaluate the number of project contributors, the frequency of status reporting, and whether your team needs dependency scheduling or automated approvals. These requirements help determine whether Smartsheet's capabilities justify the setup effort and subscription costs.

Smartsheet vs Excel: What's the difference?

Smartsheet is a work management platform built around project schedules and team collaboration, while Microsoft Excel primarily handles spreadsheet calculations and data analysis. Both can track tasks and deadlines, but Smartsheet includes native project management features that require additional configuration in Excel.

What are the best Smartsheet alternatives?

The best Smartsheet alternatives include monday.com, ClickUp, and Wrike, particularly for teams that prefer task-centered workflows or require specialized project management capabilities. Although all three support project planning and reporting, they differ in how teams organize work and manage resources.

Smartsheet alternative	Best for	Key features	Why choose it over Smartsheet?
monday.com	Visual project management	Custom project boards, dependency scheduling, workload views, and portfolio dashboards	Offers board-based project management with built-in project health indicators and resource planning capabilities on eligible plans.
ClickUp	Task management and Agile workflows	Nested subtasks, sprint management, custom statuses, and time tracking	Supports granular task breakdowns and sprint workflows within a customizable workspace.
Wrike	Complex project coordination and creative teams	Cross-tagging, Gantt charts, resource management, and visual proofing	Allows a single task to appear in multiple project locations and supports feedback directly on creative assets.

The deciding factor is how your team organizes work across projects. For example, Wrike's cross-tagging lets two departments reference the same task without duplicating it, while ClickUp's task hierarchy supports projects that require several levels of subtasks. monday.com offers dedicated project boards with progress indicators and effort tracking.

How do you get started with Smartsheet?

You can start using Smartsheet through its 30-day free trial or a paid subscription. For first-time users, begin with one project to learn how sheets, task assignments, and automated workflows work together.

1. Create an account: Sign up for a Smartsheet trial or select a subscription plan.
2. Set up a project: Choose a prebuilt project template or create a blank sheet using Smartsheet's setup guide.
3. Add project tasks: Enter task names, assign owners, and specify start dates and deadlines.
4. Invite collaborators: Share the sheet with team members and assign appropriate access permissions.
5. Configure automations: Set up deadline reminders or automated update requests to collect task progress.
6. Monitor project performance: Create a report or dashboard to review task completion and overdue work.

Before migrating multiple projects, test how Smartsheet handles schedule changes and team updates. Check whether dependent dates adjust as expected and whether collaborators can complete their assigned activities with their existing permissions. These tests help identify configuration or licensing requirements before a larger rollout.

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