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Key Takeaways: Asana vs Smartsheet

If you look at our roundup of the best project management software, youll see that Asana and Smartsheet make the rank. This is no fluke, as both platforms which include spreadsheets and more excel at what they do. If youre struggling to choose between these two platforms, sit down and read this Smartsheet vs Asana guide.

Our team of experts has put both of these project management suites through their paces. In the coming sections, well show you how Smartsheet and Asana compare with regard to security, pricing, ease of use and much more.

Our team of experts has reviewed Smartsheet (heres our Smartsheet review) and Asana (check out our Asana review), and we put the platforms through rigorous tests in real-world applications. We evaluate the tools and features, and grade each so that you can better understand what they can and cant do.

Below is a handy table that lets you quickly see the key similarities and differences between Asana and Smartsheet. When youre ready to see more in-depth reporting on each platforms features, scroll down.

In the next few sections, well closely examine what Smartsheet and Asana have in common. We think youll be surprised just how similar these competing pieces of software are.

Smartsheet and Asana are feature-packed platforms that can help make managing projects straightforward. In either project management software, youll find multiple views that help with tasks. There are portfolio management and resource management features, reports, and apps for iOS and Android. Youll find support for integrations and automations, and also customizable dashboards.

Smartsheet has evolved over the years into a do-it-all project management platform.

When it comes to core features, both Asana and Smartsheet come through. Youll find that both are comprehensive project management tools with all the bells and whistles that modern project teams need to get their work completed efficiently.

Asana and its tools allow teams to use multiple project management methodologies.

Security is something that both platforms take seriously as well. Asana and Smartsheet use AES-256 and transport layer security encryption (TLS) methods to protect data in transit and at rest. Additionally, youll find SAML and single sign-on security features, as well as two-factor authentication and team member settings for custom roles and permissions.

Given that Smartsheet is known for its spreadsheets, you might be surprised to find out that it offers similar workflow management tools as Asana. Fire up either platform and youll find Gantt charts, lists (spreadsheets), kanban boards and calendars that can help organize tasks, manage tasks and help with overall project progress tracking.

Smartsheets tools may not be pretty, but they are incredibly functional.

The star of the show in Smartsheet is the spreadsheet feature. Theyre incredibly powerful. Every row and column can support comments; you can upload images, assign tasks, add due dates, and attach supporting files and documents. Spreadsheet lovers will also be pleased to hear that you can use old-school formulas, just like you can in Excel or Google Sheets.

Project managers who like task-centric workflow management tools will also appreciate the kanban boards and Gantt charts. These tools are easy to use and have all the functionality youd expect. Milestones, subtasks and dependencies are supported, and you can create custom fields. Smartsheets tools arent the nicest looking, but are very functional.

Asanas tools are easy on the eye and easy to use.

Asana is known as an all-in-one project management tool, thanks to its numerous task management features. Asanas kanban boards are colorful and easy to use, as are the Gantt charts, lists and calendars. Like Smartsheet, Asana supports subtasks, dependencies and milestones. Users can also create custom fields that make the tools even more powerful.

No matter which platform you choose, Agile, Linear and Hybrid teams will find the necessary tools to support multiple project management methodologies. Whether you practice Kanban or Scrum, PRINCE2 or other working methods or work on simple or complex projects, youll have no issues with Asana or Smartsheet.

Chances are, your place of work or business uses numerous pieces of software to get work done. The good news is that both Smartsheet and Asana support integrations (and applications like Zapier for integrations) and have automation features that can help make your life easier.

Smartsheet simplifies the steps needed to integrate third-party software.

On the integration side of things, you can link Asana and Smartsheet to many of the best cloud storage services, communication platforms such as Slack (heres our Slack review) and Microsoft Teams, and many Google services like Calendar and Drive. You can also connect to timekeeping tools, reporting platforms and more.

Asana and Smartsheet also offer automation features to help you with repetitive tasks and mundane jobs like sending emails to team members when a status changes or a due date is approaching. Like integrations, custom automation rules are easy to implement, thanks to simple automation builders and automation templates.

There are many integrations available for Asana.

Whether you need to link third-party applications or create automated workflows to increase efficiency, Smartsheet and Asana have your back.

Smartsheet and Asana drop the ball when it comes to collaboration features and communication tools, which is a shame. After all, both platforms excel in so many other areas; why there are so few collaboration features is beyond us.

Unfortunately, Smartsheet (pictured) and Asana lack robust communication tools.

Regarding team communication, Asana and Smartsheet limit messages and chats to @messages in task cards. Neither offers robust chat applications like those found in ClickUp (heres our ClickUp review) or Zoho Projects (check out our Zoho Projects review).

You also wont find real-time document creation tools that are as good as those in Notion (heres our Notion review). However, you can work on sheets together and easily upload and share documents and files with team members, which is a plus. The lack of robust collaboration tools is less than ideal for remote teams, though you can always fall back on integrations if needed.

We have seen what Smartsheet and Asana have in common; its time to focus on what makes them different. Surprisingly, theres not much to cover here, but the differences could make you favor one over the other.

If you want to adopt a platform that will allow you and your team to hit the ground running, one of the choices in this guide will appeal to you over the other. Smartsheet has a functional but bland interface and a steep learning curve. Asana, on the other hand, has a simple, user-friendly interface with enough splashes of color to make it interesting and easy on the eye.

Asana is one of the easiest project management tools to learn.

Weve always liked how easy Asana is to use. The user interface is well designed, and all the tools are straightforward. The menus are logical, and even advanced options are simple to find and understand. You can zip around Asana and be where you need to be within a click or two.

If you become stuck or want to learn about the platform before you get started, you can dive into Asanas informative knowledgebase and forums. You can even attend the Asana Academy. Asanas articles and videos are well produced and explain complex features in a way anyone can grasp.

Smartsheet offers users high-quality training videos and well-written tutorials.

Off the bat, we want to say that Smartsheets knowledgebase and training materials are also fantastic. There are well-written articles, great videos, a lively forum and even a Smartsheet University you can attend virtually. We cant stress how important these training features are because Smartsheet can be hard to learn and master.

Smartsheets interface is clean and functional. Switching between views is easy, and well-placed icons let you jump between pages quickly. However, the tools themselves are not for the faint of heart, especially the spreadsheets. If youre a spreadsheet pro, chances are youll be fine; everyone else should be prepared to hit Smartsheet Universitys books.

Neither Smartsheet nor Asana are inexpensive. Before you rush into either, make sure youre prepared to pay their prices. The good news is that both options offer free versions.

However, Smartsheets free plan is unsuitable for anything but individual use or tiny teams. Asanas free plan is much better, thanks to its many features, and its ideal for small teams and startups. In fact, Asanas free plan is so good it sits atop our roundup of the best free project management software.

Smartsheet offers three paid plans; Pro, Business and Enterprise. Smartsheets Pro plan, which costs $7 per user per month when you pay yearly or $9 per paid monthly, only supports 10 users.

Smartsheet offers potential users four plans to choose from.

The Business plan, which requires a minimum of three users, costs $25 per user per month annually and $32 per user with monthly payments. Youll need to contact Smartsheet regarding pricing of the robust Enterprise plan.

Free

Pro

Business

Asana also offers three paid plans, none of which have minimum or maximum user requirements. Asanas Premium plan runs $10.99 per user per month if you pay annually and $13.49 per user if you pay monthly.

Asana keeps their pricing and feature progression simple.

The Business plan costs $24.99 per user per month if you pay a year up front and $30.49 per user monthly. You need to call Asana to get an Enterprise plan quote. You can learn more in our Asana pricing guide.

Premium

Business

Enterprise

Both Asana and Smartsheet are powerful project management suites. The platforms offer many of the same tools and features, which can make it hard to choose between them. Smartsheet is spreadsheet-forward, while Asana takes a broader approach to project management. Only you can decide which is the right tool for your team.

Smartsheet and Asana are both very capable project management suites with an arsenal of tools that will help project managers and their teams organize, plan, execute and complete tasks and projects. However, Asana takes the crown, thanks to its friendlier user interface, exceptional free plan, extensive knowledgebase and better value proposition.

What do you think about Smartsheet and Asana? Did you know that Smartsheet and Asana offer free 30-day trials? Are you going to see what each has to offer? Let us know in the comments and, as always, thanks for reading.

Both Asana and Smartsheet offer powerful project management features. However, only you can decide which platform better suits your preferences and line of work.

Even though Asana offers lists (spreadsheets), if you rely on spreadsheets and need advanced functionality, youll likely find that Smartsheet will be better for you.

Smartsheets advanced features and support for spreadsheet formulas make it stand out from other project management tools.

While Smartsheet might not be the easiest project management platform to use, its advanced spreadsheets that support images, documents, comments and formulas make it a unique platform.

Let us know if you liked the post. Thats the only way we can improve.

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Smartsheet vs Asana in 2023 [Integrations, Features, Price & More] - Cloudwards