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Smartsheet vs Trello comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 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
6.9
Smartsheet enhances productivity and collaboration, automates processes, manages timelines, and is cost-effective compared to Microsoft Project alternatives.
Sentiment score
4.2
Trello's free version saves time, enhances workflows, and organizes tasks, providing value despite users' challenges in quantifying ROI.
Compared to Microsoft Project, which is more expensive, we save costs using Smartsheet.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Sometimes we can have a back-and-forth conversation in the comments, which helps minimize some meetings.
VP Product at PeerSpot
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
Smartsheet's customer service feedback is mixed, with praise for responsiveness and resources but concerns over response delays and ticket management.
Sentiment score
2.1
Trello is intuitive with mixed technical support satisfaction; users appreciate online resources but note occasional support delays from time zones.
I tried to reach out to get answers before or even look on the web community support for things, such as the out-of-office notifications, without finding answers.
Senior Content Strategist at PeerSpot
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Smartsheet is praised for scalability, integration features, and cost-effectiveness, with some concerns over task tracking in larger projects.
Sentiment score
6.1
Trello is effective for small teams but faces scalability limitations for larger organizations, needing better management and integration features.
Smartsheet is pretty flexible and scalable.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Users find Smartsheet stable, with minor issues, high reliability ratings, and minimal disruptions enhancing overall satisfaction.
Sentiment score
6.8
Trello is stable and reliable, highly rated by users, with minor issues in flexibility and performance under extensive data.
 

Room For Improvement

Users want better data management, UI, integration, security, support, and Excel-like features in Smartsheet.
Trello users seek enhanced time tracking, integration, customization, notifications, and improved mobile experience for better task and team management.
I have a novice understanding of Smartsheet, so I sought a solution more suited to repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
Strategic Programs Vice President, Project Management Office at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
More control over email notifications would also be helpful.
VP Product at PeerSpot
It would be beneficial to have a search system that can pull up topics using keywords or AI-driven capabilities, making it easier to find relevant cards.
Customer Success Manager at PeerSpot
A way to manage an overall project with all the specifications, and then managing all the sub-cards related to that project.
Frontend Web Developer at PeerSpot
 

Setup Cost

Smartsheet pricing is user-based, varies by plan, and advanced features can increase costs compared to competitors like Microsoft Project.
Trello's pricing is versatile, with a free version and scalable paid options, though some feel costs are high.
Licensing might be cheaper per user.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Smartsheet offers real-time collaboration, customizable dashboards, automation, and integration, making it ideal for efficient project management.
Trello offers intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, Kanban-style visualization, easy collaboration, and flexibility across devices with customizable organization options.
Automation helps by simplifying some manual work, saving time and facilitating communication.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
We were looking for a tool that allowed for repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
Strategic Programs Vice President, Project Management Office at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
What I appreciate best about Smartsheet is the straight Gantt chart and its flexibility.
Solution Architect at Think People
It replaces ping-ponging emails back and forth with a board where people can follow a task from start to finish and see when it's done.
CSM at PeerSpot
Trello's interface is aesthetically pleasing for project management, and it enhances collaboration with other team members.
Customer Success Manager at PeerSpot
The best feature Trello offers is that it keeps things better organized, so it makes things easier to collaborate with people.
Senior Content Strategist at PeerSpot
 

Categories and Ranking

Smartsheet
Ranking in Project Management Software
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
43
Ranking in other categories
Project Portfolio Management (3rd)
Trello
Ranking in Project Management Software
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
46
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Smartsheet is 2.2%, down from 4.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Trello is 2.1%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Management Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Trello2.1%
Smartsheet2.2%
Other95.7%
Project Management Software
 

Featured Reviews

DS
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Automation simplifies manual tasks and facilitates team communication
There are many useful features in Smartsheet. One can easily share plans with the entire team, and it functions similarly to Microsoft Project. Creating dependencies across all tasks is smooth, and team members can make adjustments if necessary. Automation helps by simplifying some manual work, saving time and facilitating communication.
Davina Becker - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Content Strategist at PeerSpot
Keeps requests better organized
The best feature Trello offers is that it keeps things better organized, so it makes things easier to collaborate with people. I can say that I really enjoyed using Trello for a lot of things, and it has some really good features, such as helping people write out descriptions and the comment section being absolutely one of the best parts of it.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
15%
Healthcare Company
10%
Government
10%
University
7%
Educational Organization
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Media Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business35
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise11
 

Questions from the Community

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?
Licensing might be cheaper per user. I rate it as seven or eight due to its demanding nature. For personal use, I have a monthly subscription, while the company uses an annual basis.
What do you like most about Trello?
The solution is very user-friendly, where you have everything you need.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Trello?
I do not know about the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Trello because this part was handled by another coworker, and I never worked with that part.
What needs improvement with Trello?
It is hard to track completed requests and show performance based on closed cards.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Sony Music, ESPN, Hilton, Unisource, Colliers, Extreme Networks, Groupon, Netflix
Pixar, Google, PayPal, Kickstarter, National Geographic, Viewbox Holdings
Find out what your peers are saying about Smartsheet vs. Trello and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
880,255 professionals have used our research since 2012.