7 alternatives to Smartsheet, compared on pricing we verified from each vendor’s own page. Trello is the cheapest at $5/user/mo annual (Standard). Smartsheet itself starts at $9/member/mo billed yearly ($12 monthly), against a median of $9 a month across the 10 monthly-comparable tools we track in project management. Every row below links to our full review of that tool.
Where Smartsheet sits. Of the 10 tools in project management whose monthly price we can compare, Smartsheet is 6th of 10 on price — the category runs from $5 to $25 a month. Everything cheaper than it is listed below.
Why people look for Smartsheet alternatives
- Per-seat billing. Smartsheet charges per seat, so the bill scales with headcount rather than with usage. At ten people that is a different purchase from a flat-rate tool with the same sticker price — we work the arithmetic through in per-seat or flat.
- No free tier. Smartsheet does not publish one, so evaluating it costs money before you know whether it works.
- The headline price needs annual payment. Smartsheet’s advertised figure is an annual rate shown monthly; paying month to month costs more. That is true of 53% of the tools we track, but it still surprises buyers.
The 7 alternatives, compared
| Tool | Entry price | What kind of price | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartsheet (the one you are replacing) | $9/member/mo billed yearly ($12 monthly) | annual rate shown monthly | No | — |
| Trello | $5/user/mo annual (Standard) | annual rate shown monthly | Yes | Lowest monthly price here |
| Height | $6.99/user/mo annual | annual rate shown monthly | Yes | Like-for-like on price ($6.99 vs $9) |
| ClickUp | Unlimited $7/user/mo (annual) | annual rate shown monthly | Yes | Like-for-like on price ($7 vs $9) |
| Jira | $7.91/user/mo (Standard) | true monthly rate | Yes | Like-for-like on price ($7.91 vs $9) |
| Monday.com | Basic $9/seat/mo (annual) | annual rate shown monthly | Yes | Like-for-like on price ($9 vs $9) |
| Linear | Basic $10/user/mo (annual) | annual rate shown monthly | Yes | Like-for-like on price ($10 vs $9) |
| Wrike | $10/user/mo (Team) | true monthly rate | Yes | Like-for-like on price ($10 vs $9) |
Prices are the cheapest paid entry each vendor publishes on its own pricing page, verified 12 October 2026. The what kind of price column matters more than it looks: an annual rate shown monthly is not a figure you can pay month to month, so two tools in this table can look a dollar apart and bill very differently.
How each one differs from Smartsheet
Ordered by how close each one is to Smartsheet on price and billing model, rather than alphabetically, so the nearest swaps come first.
Monday.com
Monday.com priced close to Smartsheet at $9; offers free access where Smartsheet does not. A 3-seat minimum applies; automation/integration volumes are capped by tier. Read the full Monday.com review.
Linear
Linear priced close to Smartsheet at $10; offers free access where Smartsheet does not. Paid tiers are billed annually; monthly billing costs more. Read the full Linear review.
ClickUp
ClickUp priced close to Smartsheet at $7; offers free access where Smartsheet does not. AI (ClickUp Brain) is a paid add-on; performance varies on large workspaces. Read the full ClickUp review.
Height
Height priced close to Smartsheet at $6.99; offers free access where Smartsheet does not. Read the full Height review.
Trello
Trello starts at $5 against Smartsheet’s $9; offers free access where Smartsheet does not. Read the full Trello review.
When Smartsheet is still the right answer
Three of the alternatives above are cheaper on paper, and that is the wrong place to stop. Reasons to stay put: at $9 a month it already costs less than the $9 median for project management, so switching on price alone is unlikely to pay; migration is rarely free — exports, re-training and rebuilt integrations all cost time that a cheaper sticker may not recover. Our Smartsheet review carries the verdict and the watch-outs.
What to check before you switch
- Put both prices on the same billing basis. Smartsheet’s headline needs annual payment, so a candidate quoting a true monthly rate is not the comparison it appears to be — how to tell which you are looking at.
- Recount the bill at your real headcount. Smartsheet charges per seat, so a flat-rate candidate that looks dearer for one person can be cheaper for ten — the per-seat arithmetic inverts more often than people expect.
- Find out what evaluating the candidate costs. Smartsheet has no free tier, so if the alternative does, the trial itself is a saving worth counting.
- Check the export path before you commit, not after. Ask specifically what format your data leaves in and whether history comes with it.
- Price the integrations you actually use. A replacement that drops one connector you depend on costs more than its sticker.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest alternative to Smartsheet?
Of the Smartsheet alternatives we track with a monthly-comparable published price, Trello is the lowest at $5/user/mo annual (Standard), against Smartsheet at $9/member/mo billed yearly ($12 monthly). Verified 12 October 2026.
Is there a free alternative to Smartsheet?
Yes. Trello, Height, ClickUp, Jira, Monday.com, Linear, Wrike all offer free or limited free access. Smartsheet itself does not publish a free tier.
What is the closest alternative to Smartsheet?
On pricing structure, Height: $6.99/user/mo annual against Smartsheet’s $9/member/mo billed yearly ($12 monthly), and both charge per seat. That makes it the most like-for-like swap on cost, though you should still compare the feature set against your own list.
Is Smartsheet still worth it in 2026?
Often, yes. Smartsheet starts at $9/member/mo billed yearly ($12 monthly), which is $9 a month against a category median of $9. That is above the median for project management, so price is a legitimate reason to look. Our full Smartsheet review has the verdict and the watch-outs.
How did you choose these Smartsheet alternatives?
They are the tools we track in the same category (Project Management) that have a DigiJaws review, ordered by published entry price with the priced options first. Every price is read from the vendor’s own pricing page on a recorded date and carries a label for what kind of figure it is — a true monthly rate, an annual rate shown monthly, a usage rate or a quote-only placeholder. We do not rank on commission and we publish no price we cannot source.
Alternatives are the tools we track in Project Management with a DigiJaws review. Every price is read from the vendor’s own pricing page on a recorded date; we publish no figure we cannot source, and quote-only vendors carry no price rather than an estimate. Full pricing dataset under CC BY 4.0, and the category roundup is here. Verified 12 October 2026.
Smartsheet Alternatives: 7 Options Compared (2026). DigiJaws, 2026. https://digijaws.com/reviews/smartsheet-alternatives/