ClickUp vs Smartsheet: Which Is Better in 2026?
ClickUp tries to replace every other work app: tasks, docs, whiteboards, goals, chat, time tracking and dashboards live in one workspace. Smartsheet is project management for people who think in spreadsheets. ClickUp’s strength is fitting many tools’ worth of features into one subscription, with a free plan generous enough to run a small team; Smartsheet’s is portfolio-level planning and reporting in a format finance and operations already understand.
01Pricing
ClickUp: the Unlimited plan costs $7/user/mo, about $70 a month for a team of ten. Smartsheet: the Pro plan costs $9/member/mo, about $90 a month for a team of ten. At ten people ClickUp is cheaper by about $20 a month, or $240 a year. ClickUp has a free plan (unlimited users with 60MB of storage). Smartsheet has no free plan; the trial runs 30 days.
| Team size | ClickUp | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| 5 users | $35 | $45 |
| 10 users | $70 | $90 |
| 25 users | $175 | $475 (Business) |
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 60MB storage; Unlimited users; 5 active automation rules; 100 automation executions per month | |
| Unlimited | $7/user | $10/user | 500 active automation rules; 1,000 automation executions per month | Unlimited storage; Unlimited Spaces, Folders, and Forms; Unlimited Gantt charts; Native time tracking |
| Business | $12/user | $19/user | 5,000 automation executions per month | Unlimited dashboards with advanced cards; Unlimited message history; Mind maps; Private whiteboards |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | 250,000 automation executions per month | Enterprise permissions and governance; Unlimited custom roles; SAML SSO; Audit log |
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $9/member | $12/member | 1-10 Members; 250 automations per month; 20 GB attachment storage | Unlimited free Contributors; Gantt, table, board, and calendar views; Unlimited sheets, forms, and reports; Conversational AI features |
| Business | $19/member | $24/member | 3-seat minimum; 3+ Members; 1 TB attachment storage | Unlimited free Guests; Timeline view; Unlimited automations; Admin capabilities |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | 10-seat minimum; 10+ Members; Unlimited attachment storage | Scenario Planning; Portfolios; SAML-based SSO; Enterprise Plan Manager |
| Advanced Work Management | Custom | Custom | Control Center; Dynamic View; Data Shuttle; Connectors |
Prices are per month on annual billing. † marks prices taken from the vendor’s documentation or page data instead of its visible pricing page. ClickUp pricing and Smartsheet pricing have the full detail.
02The Two Tools
ClickUp
ClickUp tries to replace every other work app: tasks, docs, whiteboards, goals, chat, time tracking and dashboards live in one workspace. Almost everything is configurable, from custom fields and statuses to the hierarchy of spaces, folders and lists. That breadth is the selling point, and it is also why new teams often need a few weeks to settle in.
- Best at
- Fitting many tools’ worth of features into one subscription, with a free plan generous enough to run a small team.
- Falls short
- The number of options makes setup a project of its own, and the interface changes often.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet is project management for people who think in spreadsheets. Sheets gain Gantt charts, forms, automated workflows and dashboards, and reports roll data up across many projects. Large organizations use it for portfolio tracking where a familiar grid matters more than a modern interface.
- Best at
- Portfolio-level planning and reporting in a format finance and operations already understand.
- Falls short
- It still feels like a spreadsheet, collaboration is less fluid than in newer tools, and capabilities such as resource management cost extra.
03Which Fits Your Situation
| If you are | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | ClickUp | One subscription can cover tasks, docs and time tracking, if someone is willing to set it up. |
| Enterprise | Smartsheet | Portfolio roll-ups and reports in a grid that finance and operations already trust. |
| Freelancers | ClickUp | The free plan is generous, though the feature set is more than one person needs. |
| Startups | ClickUp | Covers tasks, docs and goals on one bill, which suits a team that cannot afford five subscriptions. |
| Remote Teams | ClickUp | Docs, chat and tasks in one app cut down on tool switching across time zones. |
04Verdict
Choose ClickUp if you want one app for tasks, docs and reporting and are willing to spend time configuring it. Choose Smartsheet if you run a project office that lives in spreadsheets and needs roll-up reporting.
05FAQ
Is ClickUp or Smartsheet cheaper?
For a team of ten, ClickUp comes to about $70 a month and Smartsheet to about $90. Prices are per month on annual billing.
Do ClickUp and Smartsheet have free plans?
ClickUp has a free plan (unlimited users with 60MB of storage). Smartsheet has no free plan; the trial runs 30 days.
Which is easier to learn, ClickUp or Smartsheet?
Smartsheet is moderately involved to set up; ClickUp is demanding to set up. The number of options makes setup a project of its own, and the interface changes often.
Which is better for startups, ClickUp or Smartsheet?
ClickUp. Covers tasks, docs and goals on one bill, which suits a team that cannot afford five subscriptions.