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Microsoft Project Server vs Smartsheet comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Project Server's ROI varies, influenced by existing processes and Microsoft's market dominance, affecting project visibility and efficiency benefits.
Sentiment score
7.3
Users find Smartsheet crucial for efficient operations, praising its automation, collaboration, simplicity, and noting productivity and time savings.
Microsoft Project provides significant return on investment through time savings, enhanced visibility, real-time reporting, and risk mitigation for projects.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.3
Microsoft Project Server support varies; quick resolutions exist, but efficiency and service quality depend on plans and local assistance.
Sentiment score
7.4
Smartsheet's responsive email support and knowledge library are praised, though improvements in ticket management and additional support channels are suggested.
Their support tends to decline when not supporting cloud solutions.
It's challenging to navigate, often making it necessary to search for solutions externally.
Help forums and online resources like YouTube are helpful.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Project Server is praised for scalability, especially in cloud versions, though some face challenges with older versions.
Sentiment score
7.5
Smartsheet excels in scalability, integration, flexibility, and licensing, garnering high user satisfaction, especially in growing organizations.
The desktop version does not have scalability.
Microsoft Project Server is fully scalable and is widely used in many industries.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Microsoft Project Server's stability varies, affected by integration and configuration, with 2019 cloud versions offering improved performance and reliability.
Sentiment score
8.1
Smartsheet is highly stable with rare minor issues, appreciated for reliability, cloud accessibility, and consistent high-performance ratings.
I have never had to reach out to their support because the product works as expected.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Project Server struggles with usability, integration, and performance, needing enhancements in flexibility, interface, and training resources.
Smartsheet needs UI improvements, faster internet speed, better integrations, enhanced features, automation, and improved training for usability.
Exporting data from Microsoft Project, especially Gantt charts, is overly complex and not user-friendly.
The lack of collaboration capabilities on the desktop version, unlike the cloud version, is a limitation.
Microsoft has become increasingly expensive, and there seems to be a push towards cloud solutions which can be challenging for some.
I have a novice understanding of Smartsheet, so I sought a solution more suited to repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Project Server prices vary by model, with additional costs, and may be cost-prohibitive for small businesses.
Smartsheet offers scalable pricing with essential and full features, appealing to various needs, starting from free to enterprise plans.
Microsoft Project Server is on the expensive side due to high licensing costs.
Microsoft's products are expensive for individuals.
Considering the infrastructure commitments to SharePoint and SQL, the implementation costs are low if already set up.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Project Server excels in resource management, scheduling, and integration, offering seamless collaboration and customizable dashboards for effective planning.
Smartsheet offers real-time sharing, easy collaboration, customizable interface, automation, Gantt charts, dashboards, and tool integration for efficient project management.
This setup allows for comprehensive reporting and management across multiple projects and portfolios.
The Gantt chart is also a very powerful tool for a visual presentation of sequences, critical paths, and execution processes, which simplifies comprehension for users.
The dashboards are amazing for data crunching and provide a project focus with upcoming predictions, including burn-up and burn-down charts.
We were looking for a tool that allowed for repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Project Server
Ranking in Project Portfolio Management
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Smartsheet
Ranking in Project Portfolio Management
3rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
Project Management Software (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Project Portfolio Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project Server is 6.3%, down from 9.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Smartsheet is 8.4%, up from 7.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Portfolio Management
 

Featured Reviews

Sean Achim - PeerSpot reviewer
Unlock comprehensive reporting and management with robust data extraction
The major advantage for me in using Microsoft Project Server is the SQL Server component. Using Power BI and SQL Server, I can extract a lot more data. The combination of Microsoft Project with Project Server and SharePoint provides a perfect solution for me. This setup allows for comprehensive reporting and management across multiple projects and portfolios.
PaulDiaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Needs to improve baselines and changing dates can be frustrating
I like the dashboarding feature best, as it lets me assemble a workspace with source sheets, dashboards, and reports simultaneously. The standard reports and worksheets are most useful for team collaboration. People look at dashboards during presentations, but they go to the sheets to update projects, add comments, or make notifications. It's automated, so changes come to me or whoever needs to see them. I can send notifications from specific line items. The worksheet is key for tracking project progress, though we track it at a higher level rather than detailed work breakdown structures. Subject matter experts say when they'll deliver things, and that's what we track.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Project Portfolio Management solutions are best for your needs.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
12%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Educational Organization
44%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Healthcare Company
6%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Project Server?
The ability to track a project's progress using Microsoft Project Server is the most valuable aspect. It depends, especially when managing multiple projects.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project Server?
The pricing model is currently a challenge since it seems aligned to push users cloud-based. Considering the infrastructure commitments to SharePoint and SQL, the implementation costs are low if al...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Project Server?
I am not convinced that the pricing model is the right one. Microsoft has become increasingly expensive, and there seems to be a push towards cloud solutions which can be challenging for some. Addi...
Has anyone moved from Microsoft Project to Smartsheet? How has your experience been with Smartsheet?
Hi @Eire Zimmermann, I helped an organization evaluate both MS-Project and Smartsheet when they were conducting their PM tool RFP. The short of it is this, MS Project is not caught up with the mo...
What do you like most about Smartsheet?
The tool creates shareable dashboards. These dashboards allow us to display project deliverables' status, their position in the queue, expected delivery timelines, and more. The best part is that t...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Smartsheet?
The pricing is great and reasonable enough that I maintained my copy and bought it for my team independently.
 

Also Known As

MS Project Server
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Magnachip, Gwinnett County Schools, CLEAResult, Medbit Oy, Intelbras S.A., ETS, CORE Construction, Keller Foundations
Sony Music, ESPN, Hilton, Unisource, Colliers, Extreme Networks, Groupon, Netflix
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Project Server vs. Smartsheet and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.