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
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).
Enterprise project management platform with spreadsheet-based grid interface and advanced automation.
Work management platform with intuitive card-based interface and visual timeline focus for team collaboration.
Portfolio/Program Management Capabilities
Structured comparison data for Smartsheet vs Asana with 186 attributes.
Starting Monthly Cost (per user, annual)
Average Onboarding Time (Non-Technical User)
Base Monthly Price (Individual/Starter Plan)
Annual Cost for Full Stack (Single User with AI)
Starting Monthly Price (Per User/Workspace)
iOS & Android App Quality Rating (App Store/Google Play)
Base Monthly Cost Per User (Annual Billing)
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.