Smartsheet vs Trello
A side-by-side look at 2 Productivity tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.
smartsheet.com
Best for Teams and PMOs that want spreadsheet-style familiarity with project views, automation and portfolio visibility.
A spreadsheet-style work management platform for running projects, portfolios and automated workflows.
Visit Smartsheet
trello.com
Best for Individuals and small teams wanting simple kanban boards
Visual kanban boards for organizing anything.
Visit TrelloPricing compared
Smartsheet
$9/member/mo
Trello
$5/user/month
Head to head
| Smartsheet | Trello | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9/member/mo | $5/user/month |
| Free tier | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Free trial available | — |
| Platforms | Web · iOS · Android | — |
| Founded | — | 2011 |
| HQ | Bellevue, WA, USA | New York, NY |
| Team size | — | 1000-2000 |
Pros & cons
Smartsheet
Pros
- Familiar grid interface lowers the learning curve for spreadsheet users.
- Gantt, table, board and calendar views sit on the same data.
- Unlimited free Contributors on paid plans keeps collaboration costs down.
- Automations, forms and reports are built in rather than add-ons.
- Enterprise tier adds portfolios, scenario planning and SAML-based SSO.
Cons
- Per-Member pricing and plan minimums (Business needs 3+ Members) can add up for larger teams.
- Pro plan is capped at 250 automations per month and 1-10 Members.
- Enterprise and Advanced Work Management pricing is custom and not published.
- Can feel heavier than lightweight task tools for small teams.
Trello
Pros
- Extremely easy to set up and use
- Beautiful, intuitive kanban interface
- Generous free plan with unlimited cards
- Power-Ups extend functionality
- Great mobile apps
Cons
- Kanban-only view limits complex project planning
- Reporting is basic without paid Power-Ups
- No built-in time tracking
- Can get disorganized at scale
Features compared
| Smartsheet | Trello | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans & pricing | ||
| Free tier | — | ✓ Yes |
| Free trial | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Pricing model | Per Member per month | Free; Standard $5/user/mo; Premium $10/user/mo; Enterprise custom |
| Money-back guarantee | — | ✗ No |
| Platforms & access | ||
| Web app | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Mobile apps | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Desktop app | — | ✗ No |
| Self-hosted option | — | ✗ No |
| Offline mode | — | ✗ No |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| Public API | — | ✓ Yes |
| Webhooks | — | ✓ Yes |
| Native integrations | — | Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, Jira, Confluence, Salesforce, Zapier |
| Automation (Zapier/Make) | — | ✓ Yes |
| Security & compliance | ||
| SSO / SAML | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Two-factor auth | — | ✓ Yes |
| SOC 2 | — | ✓ Yes |
| GDPR compliant | — | ✓ Yes |
| Encryption at rest | — | ✓ Yes |
| Collaboration | ||
| Team workspaces | — | ✓ Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | — | ✓ Yes |
| Role-based permissions | — | ✓ Yes |
| Guest access | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Support | ||
| Email support | — | ✓ Yes |
| Live chat support | — | ✗ No |
| Phone support | — | ✗ No |
| Knowledge base | — | ✓ Yes |
| SLA | — | 99.9% uptime SLA for Enterprise plans |