Microsoft Project and Smartsheet are two popular project management software platforms that offer a more traditional user interface design. They may seem similar at first glance, but once I started reviewing both solutions, the differences became apparent.
- Microsoft Project is a better choice for power users who are comfortable with highly advanced features. It mostly integrates with other Microsoft products and relies on some of them for key functionality, so it’s best used by teams that are already committed to the Microsoft ecosystem.
- Smartsheet is a good option for teams that are managing their projects in spreadsheets and need an upgrade to dedicated project management software. It also offers more than 100 integrations with third-party software, making it a better choice for teams with a more diverse software stack.
Though existing Microsoft customers may feel at home with Microsoft Project, the best choice in terms of pure project management software capabilities is Smartsheet.
Microsoft Project vs. Smartsheet: Comparison table
After hands-on reviews of the best project management software, we’ve created a scoring rubric to use when comparing solutions like Microsoft Project and Smartsheet. While close, Smartsheet edges out Microsoft Project for best overall pick in our eyes.
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Microsoft Project vs. Smartsheet: Which is better?
Microsoft Project: Better for Microsoft-aligned teams
Use Microsoft Projects if
- you need highly advanced project management software,
- your team comprises power users who aren’t intimidated by the higher learning curve,
- your company is already committed to the Microsoft ecosystem,
- you don’t need integrations with third-party software, or
- you want or need an on-premises deployment option.
Microsoft Project pros and cons
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Smartsheet: Better for teams with diverse software stacks
Use Smartsheet if
- you want a more cost-effective software platform,
- you are looking for an upgrade from spreadsheets and want a familiar-looking interface,
- you want a lower learning curve than Microsoft Project,
- you need integrations with third-party software, or
- you don’t need on-premises deployment.
Smartsheet pros and cons
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Microsoft Project vs. Smartsheet pricing
Microsoft offers more plans and on-premises options to choose from than Smartsheet. However, Smartsheet is more affordable than Microsoft Project overall. Both vendor solutions offer a 30-day free trial for certain plans.
Microsoft Project pricing
Cloud-based subscriptions:
- Microsoft Planner: Part of Microsoft 365, which starts at $8.00 per user per month
- Planner Plan 1: $10.00 per user per month, billed annually
- Planner and Project Plan 3: $30.00 per user per month, billed annually
- Planner and Project Plan 5: $55.00 per user per month, billed annually
Microsoft Project is only available as annual subscriptions, and the vendor breaks down plans by per-user-per-month price. See the table below for the monthly snapshot and the annual price you can expect to pay for each subscription.
| Plan | Monthly Price* | Annual Price |
|---|---|---|
| Planner | $8.00 | $96.00 |
| Planner Plan 1 | $10.00 | $120.00 |
| Planner and Project Plan 3 | $30.00 | $360.00 |
| Planner and Project Plan 4 | $55.00 | $660.00 |
*While Microsoft lists plans with monthly prices, all plans are billed annually.
On-premises solutions:
- Project Standard 2024: $719.99 for a license for one PC
- Project Professional 2024: $1,409.99 for a license for one PC
- Project Server Plan: Contact for custom pricing quote
For more information, read our full Microsoft Project review and view our list of Microsoft Project alternatives.
Smartsheet pricing
- Pro: $9.00 per user per month billed annually, or $12.00 per user per month billed monthly
- Business: $19.00 per user per month billed annually, or $24.00 per user per month billed monthly
- Enterprise: Contact for custom pricing quote
- Advanced Work Management: Contact for custom pricing quote
Smartsheet plans include monthly and annual options for users looking to avoid vendor lock-in with a monthly plan or want to save more with a yearly subscription. See the table below for a look at the monthly plan rates and the savings included in selecting an annual plan.
| Plan | Monthly Plan | Annual Plan Per Month | Annual Plan Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $12.00 | $9.00 | $108.00 |
| Business | $24.00 | $19.00 | $228.00 |
| Enterprise & Advanced Work Management | Quote | Quote | Quote |
For more information, read our full Smartsheet review and view our list of Smartsheet alternatives.
Microsoft Project vs. Smartsheet: Feature comparison
Project management
Winner: Smartsheet
Microsoft Project got a 3.9/5 for features overall on our scoring rubric. It offers three main project views: grid, board, and timeline (Gantt) view. The design is similar to other Microsoft products, but I didn’t find the interface particularly intuitive to use, and the sheer number of features can be overwhelming and makes it difficult to find what you need.
But what’s impressive about Microsoft Project is that it gives you the option to get very detailed with resource management, such as tracking costs of materials over the course of a project or seeing how much time an individual has spent on a task.
Smartsheet scored better at 4.6/5 for features overall. It offers four project views: grid, card (kanban), calendar, and Gantt. It’s not the most colorful or appealing interface, but it is easier to navigate than Microsoft Project, in my opinion.
You can either start with a blank sheet or use a template to help guide the process. Conditional formatting rules speed up the process even further, and you can also create automation rules to cut down on manual work. Smartsheet does offer a paid add-on for resource management, but it’s not as robust as Microsoft Project.
Gantt view in Smartsheet shows important details like task status, duration, and team member assigned, reducing the need for extra clicks. With more details displayed, this interface may also be more cluttered for more complex projects.
Document management
Winner: Smartsheet
You can upload documents to a site in Microsoft Project, but editing and updating capabilities are limited because the assumption is that you are already using SharePoint or OneDrive for document storage and management. Microsoft Project also doesn’t integrate with other apps, so you can’t use an outside platform like Google Docs either. This is one of the reasons why Microsoft Project is best used by teams that are already committed to the Microsoft ecosystem.
Smartsheet also allows you to upload files to a project, and it links to multiple popular document management solutions, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. The Business and Enterprise plans offer a proofing feature that allows teams to visually mark up content, including videos, within the Smartsheet tool to keep everything centralized in one place.
If you’re not already using SharePoint or OneDrive, then I would recommend Smartsheet as the better choice for document management.
Communication tools
Winner: Smartsheet
Similar to document management, Microsoft Project does not contain any native features for communication or collaboration. Instead, users will be prompted to connect with colleagues using one of Microsoft’s many other communication tools like Teams, Outlook, or Skype. If you aren’t already part of the Microsoft ecosystem, then you will need to invest in other software that can take over this function — and it won’t integrate with Microsoft Project.
On the other hand, Smartsheet allows teams to have conversations via comments on sheets and rows. Individuals can tag each other in comments to send a notification. Comments can also be accessed via the mobile app so you can read and respond on the go.
While it doesn’t offer a more robust native chat function, Smartsheet does integrate with some messaging platforms, such as Slack, to supplement the built-in comment feature. Unless your team already uses Microsoft’s stack of applications, Smartsheet is the better choice for communication functionality.
Ease of use
Winner: Smartsheet
Smartsheet ranked significantly better than Microsoft Project when it comes to ease of use. Smartsheet got a 3.5/5, while Microsoft is only at 1.8/5.
Smartsheet isn’t the most intuitive project management software I’ve tested, but it was far easier to figure things out compared to Microsoft Project since the layout is more logical. It was also much faster to create and load new projects in Smartsheet, and the larger number of template options helped speed up that process further.
While veteran project managers may appreciate the in-depth view of financials and resource planning in Microsoft Project, less experienced users may struggle with the steep learning curve.
Customer support
Winner: Microsoft Project
On the other hand, Microsoft Project scored a bit better than Smartsheet on the customer service front: Microsoft Project got 4.2/5 and Smartsheet got 3.8/5. The reason for this is that Smartsheet paywalls certain support features (such as 24/7 phone support and a chat bot app) either to the more expensive plans or to a support add-on that costs an additional fee.
Microsoft Project doesn’t charge extra for support, though some users do say that the customer service could be improved.
Integrations
Winner: Smartsheet
When it comes to integrations, Smartsheet beats Microsoft Project by a landslide. Not only does Smartsheet offer 100+ native integrations, it also connects to thousands more platforms through Zapier.
In contrast, Microsoft Project’s native integrations are mostly limited to other Microsoft products, and it doesn’t connect to Zapier (unlike some other Microsoft products), so there isn’t even a workaround.
Review methodology
To compare these project management tools, I signed up for free trials in addition to viewing demo videos, consulting project documentation and reading user reviews. I considered features such as task management, portfolio management, document management, and communication tools. I also weighed other factors such as ease of use, customer support, integrations, and pricing.
If neither Microsoft Project nor Smartsheet sounds right for you, don’t worry. There are plenty of other project management solutions out there, including some with forever-free plans. Check out our picks for the top project management software of 2024 to see what your options are.
Update notes
- March 16, 2025: Sam Ingalls reviewed each solution, fact-checked any claims to ensure all details are up-to-date and accurate, and expanded on the original analysis.
- May 29, 2024: Kara Sherrer wrote the original version of this article.
