Smartsheet excels in spreadsheet-based project management with advanced automation and reporting for enterprise teams, while Asana offers a more intuitive, visual interface with better timeline visualization and superior mobile experience for mid-market and distributed teams.
Smartsheet vs Asana — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise project management platform with spreadsheet-based grid interface and advanced automation.
Enterprise-grade work management platform for multi-team collaboration and project oversight.
Primary Interface Paradigm. Automation Rules (No-Code). Learning Curve (Days to Proficiency). Starting Price (Per User/Month). Mobile App Rating (iOS/Android Avg). API Rate Limits (Calls/Minute). Portfolio/Program Management Capabilities
Choose Smartsheet if you manage large, complex, multi-phase projects with heavy automation needs, resource constraints, and require enterprise-grade reporting and governance for 50+ team members. Choose Asana if you prioritize ease of adoption, intuitive visual workflows, strong team collaboration features, and prefer a faster implementation timeline for mid-sized teams (10-50 people).
Starting Monthly Cost (per user, annual)
Smartsheet: 2-3 weeks | Asana: 0.5-1 week
Smartsheet: Unlimited | Asana: Unlimited
Smartsheet: Yes, advanced | Asana: Yes, basic timeline
Smartsheet: 1000+ automations | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: Yes, core feature | Asana: Full native support with dependencies
Smartsheet: Advanced allocation, leveling, forecasting | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: Read-heavy, limited editing | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 5 (sheet, Gantt, card, calendar, dashboard) | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: Advanced (dependencies, resource allocation, critical path) | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 500 GB per workspace | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 5 (easier - familiar PM interface) | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: Native Gantt with dependencies, critical path, resource leveling | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: Built-in workload and capacity management tools | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 1000+ via Zapier | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 50,000+ rows (tested) | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: Multi-project dashboards and roll-ups | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 500+ (Enterprise) | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: $55/month (Business plan, billed annually) | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 400+ endpoints (REST + Webhooks) | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 85+ native integrations | Asana: N/A
Average Onboarding Time (Non-Technical User)
Smartsheet: ~24-30 hours to advanced features | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: No free tier (14-day trial only) | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 400+ functions (Excel-compatible) | Asana: N/A
Smartsheet: 4.2 stars | Asana: 4.6 stars
Smartsheet: 37K reviews | Asana: 89K reviews
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Native with timeline view, dependencies, and milestones
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Small to Medium
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: AI Teammates, AI Studio
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Yes (2026 upgrade)
Base Monthly Price (Individual/Starter Plan)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Included (no add-on)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 4 stars (AI Studio, smart projects, rules, summaries)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Zapier integrations (third-party dependent)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Gentle (intuitive, optimized for ease)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: No (requires separate tool or integration)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Yes (enhanced Jan 2026 update)
Annual Cost for Full Stack (Single User with AI)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: $131.88 (base only, AI included)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Dedicated Project Management
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Intuitive & Clean
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Basic workflows
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Basic task tracking
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Limited native integrations
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: $10.99/user/month
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: $24.99/user/month (Advanced)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: $14,994 (Advanced plan)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Yes, native Goals feature
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Standard views (limited color coding)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Project management platform
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Limited, requires integration
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: AI Teammates, AI Studio, native automation (2026)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Optimal for 50+ users
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 4+ (List, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Kanban)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Via Everhour (#3 marketplace app)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Advanced role-based controls (2026 upgrade)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: $10.99 (Teams plan minimum)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Advanced (blocks, predecessors, critical path)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Limited (basic notes, no wiki)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Yes (automatic scheduling, drag-and-drop)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Moderate (template-based, limited customization)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 15 (free tier limit)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Built-in (shows team utilization and resource allocation)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Basic URL linking
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 2.5-3.5 seconds
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Unlimited custom fields and automations
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 40+ multi-functional team
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 70-75% in tech teams
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Advanced Gantt, dependencies, critical path
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: $10.99 (annual billing)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Unlimited tasks
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 100 requests/second (enterprise)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Free plan; Paid from $10.99
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Unlimited for up to 15 team members
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Limited custom field options
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 100 requests per minute
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Native rules engine with 50+ trigger/action combinations
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 200+ official templates
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Dedicated portfolio module with budget tracking
Starting Monthly Price (Per User/Workspace)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Business+ plan ($24.99/user/month)
iOS & Android App Quality Rating (App Store/Google Play)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 100+ integrations
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Yes, with dependencies
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Yes, with custom reports
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Yes, dedicated workload view
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: All plans included
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Add-on cost: $10+/user/month
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: $13.49 (Asana Essentials, annual)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: $36.49 (Asana Premium, annual)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 70+ advanced automation rules
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 8 hours for core features
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Advanced Gantt with dependencies, critical path, resource leveling
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Predefined field types; limited relational database functionality
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 1,000+ total, 100+ native (Slack, Teams, GitHub, Jira)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Unlimited for tasks; attachment limits per file type
Base Monthly Cost Per User (Annual Billing)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Built-in workload view shows team capacity and allocations
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Not available - limited to predefined structures
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Advanced rules: auto-assignments, status changes, notifications
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Unlimited custom fields
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 8 main shortcuts
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 5-500+ employees
Time to First Productivity (Learning Curve)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: $10.99 (Starter Plan)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 95% - Native, dependency mapping, milestones
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 30% - Basic custom fields, limited relations
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 3-5 days for core features
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 5 views (List, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Dashboard)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: 4.7 stars (87,000+ reviews)
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Up to 15 team members, limited views
Smartsheet: N/A | Asana: Native automation + 500+ integrations
How to choose between Smartsheet and Asana
Smartsheet vs Asana — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Smartsheet vs Asana. Contains 193 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Smartsheet vs Asana — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Smartsheet vs Asana.
Which is better for small teams under 20 people?
Asana is the better choice for small teams. Its lower $10.99 starting price, faster 2-3 day adoption curve, and superior mobile app (4.6 stars) make it ideal for bootstrapped startups and small businesses. Smartsheet's advanced features and $14 per user cost are overkill for teams without complex resource constraints or 100+ task portfolios.
Can Smartsheet and Asana both integrate with Salesforce and Slack?
Yes, both integrate with Salesforce and Slack. However, Smartsheet's superior API (300 vs 100 calls/minute) and 200+ pre-built automations make it better for heavy integration scenarios. If you need deep Salesforce sync with conditional workflows, Smartsheet is stronger. Asana's integrations are solid for standard use cases like Slack notifications and basic sync.
Which handles complex project dependencies and resource allocation better?
Smartsheet excels here with advanced Gantt charts, resource leveling algorithms, critical path analysis, and dependency tracking across 100+ tasks. Asana offers basic cross-project dependencies and timeline views but lacks resource leveling. For construction, manufacturing, or PMO teams managing 50+ person allocations, Smartsheet is the clear winner.
What's the real difference in automation capabilities?
Smartsheet offers 200+ pre-built automations with custom conditional logic, approval workflows, and field mappings—enabling complex multi-step automations without code. Asana has 50+ automations focused on basic triggers (when status changes, notify team). For automation-heavy environments, Smartsheet reduces manual work by 40-60% more than Asana according to user testimonials.
Which platform has the best mobile experience for field teams?
Asana's mobile app significantly outperforms Smartsheet (4.6 vs 4.2 stars, 89K vs 37K reviews). Asana's mobile interface lets field teams update tasks, add attachments, and communicate in real-time with minimal friction. Smartsheet's mobile app is functional but feels cramped with spreadsheet grids, making it less suitable for distributed/remote-first teams.
How to Choose Between Smartsheet and Asana
Primary Interface Paradigm: Smartsheet has Spreadsheet-grid with cards/gantt views, while Asana has Card-based kanban with timeline focus.
Automation Rules (No-Code): Smartsheet has 200+ pre-built automations + custom workflows, while Asana has 50+ pre-built automations + rules.
Consider: Learning Curve (Days to Proficiency)
Learning Curve (Days to Proficiency): Smartsheet has 7-10 days for complex spreadsheet users, while Asana has 2-3 days for most users.
Consider: Starting Price (Per User/Month)
Starting Price (Per User/Month): Smartsheet has $14 business plan, while Asana has $10.99 basic plan.
Consider: Mobile App Rating (iOS/Android Avg)
Mobile App Rating (iOS/Android Avg): Smartsheet has 4.2 stars (37K reviews), while Asana has 4.6 stars (89K reviews).
Consider: API Rate Limits (Calls/Minute)
API Rate Limits (Calls/Minute): Smartsheet has 300 calls/minute, while Asana has 100 calls/minute.
Consider: Portfolio/Program Management Capabilities
Portfolio/Program Management Capabilities: Smartsheet has Advanced resource leveling & dependency tracking, while Asana has Basic cross-project dependencies.