Smartsheet vs Google Sheets: Which One Should Your Team Use in 2026?

A side-by-side comparison of Smartsheet and Google Sheets covering pricing, project management features, automation, and collaboration to help you pick the right tool.

Updated 2026-09 · 2026

Smartsheet

Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt charts and automation

9user/month (Pro, billed annually)

Strengths

+Built-in Gantt charts, critical path, and dependency tracking
+No-code automated workflows (alerts, approvals, reminders)
+Dashboards and portfolio-level reporting across sheets

Weaknesses

-Per-user pricing gets expensive fast for larger teams
-Steeper learning curve than a plain spreadsheet
-Free plan is extremely limited (1 user, 2 sheets)

Best for

Teams running projects, workflows, or approvals that need PM features layered on top of a spreadsheet

Google Sheets

Free, familiar, real-time collaborative spreadsheets

0user/month (free with Google account)

Strengths

+Completely free for personal or small team use
+Real-time multi-user editing with comments and version history
+Massive ecosystem: Apps Script, Zapier, Make, thousands of templates

Weaknesses

-No native Gantt charts, dependencies, or resource management
-Automation requires Apps Script or third-party tools, not built-in
-10 million cell limit per spreadsheet can be restrictive for big datasets

Best for

Teams that need a free, flexible spreadsheet for collaboration without dedicated project management overhead

Feature Comparison

Feature	Smartsheet	Google Sheets
Free tier	1 user, 2 sheets max	Fully free with Google account
Gantt charts	Native, built-in	Not native (manual or template-based)
Automated workflows	No-code automation builder	Requires Apps Script or Zapier
Real-time collaboration	Yes, with cell-level locking	Yes, best-in-class real-time editing
Forms	Native forms tied to sheets	Google Forms integrates but is separate app
Dashboards/reporting	Built-in dashboards across sheets	Manual charts/pivot tables only
Resource management	Yes (Business/Enterprise plans)	No
API/integrations	REST API, Salesforce, Jira, Slack, etc.	Apps Script, Zapier, Make, huge ecosystem
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Row/cell limits	20,000 rows per sheet (varies by plan)	10 million cells per spreadsheet
Pricing model	Per-user, tiered plans	Free, or bundled in Google Workspace ($7+/user/month)
Learning curve	Moderate to steep	Low (spreadsheet-familiar)

The Verdict

Smartsheet earns its price if your team actually needs Gantt charts, dependencies, and automated approval workflows — it's a project management tool wearing a spreadsheet skin. Google Sheets wins for everything else: it's free, collaborative, and flexible enough for 90% of small teams that just need to track data together. Don't pay for Smartsheet unless you're actively using its PM features; otherwise you're paying for a spreadsheet.

How to switch from Smartsheet to Google Sheets

1Export every Smartsheet sheet you need using File > Export > Export to Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or Export to CSV — do this one sheet at a time since there's no bulk export to Google format.
2Upload the exported files to Google Drive; Drive will let you open them directly as Google Sheets, or you can use File > Import to convert them within an existing spreadsheet.
3Rebuild Gantt-style views manually using date columns and conditional formatting, or install a Gantt chart add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace.
4Recreate Smartsheet's automated alerts and approvals using Google Apps Script triggers, or connect the sheet to Zapier/Make for no-code automation equivalents.
5Migrate any Smartsheet forms to Google Forms and link them to the new sheet as the response destination.
6Set sharing permissions in Google Drive to match your old Smartsheet access levels, then notify the team to switch over and archive (don't delete) the original Smartsheet sheets for a few weeks as backup.

Smartsheet vs Google Sheets: common questions

How do I export my data from Smartsheet to Google Sheets?+

Open each Smartsheet sheet and go to File > Export > Export to Microsoft Excel or Export to CSV. Upload the resulting file to Google Drive and open it — Google automatically converts it to a Google Sheets file. You'll need to repeat this per sheet since Smartsheet doesn't offer a bulk export for Google Sheets format.

What features do I lose moving from Smartsheet to Google Sheets?+

You lose native Gantt charts, dependency tracking, automated workflows/alerts, and portfolio dashboards. You can partially replicate some of this with add-ons, conditional formatting, or Apps Script, but it takes manual setup instead of Smartsheet's built-in tools.

Is the free version of Google Sheets enough for a small team?+

Yes, for most small teams doing basic data tracking, budgeting, or shared lists, the free tier (tied to a Google account) is enough. If you need centralized admin controls, storage, or a business email domain, you'll want Google Workspace starting around $7/user/month, which still costs less than Smartsheet's paid tiers.

Can I replicate Smartsheet automations in Google Sheets?+

Partially. You can use Google Apps Script to write custom triggers (e.g., send an email when a cell changes) or connect Sheets to Zapier/Make for no-code automations. It requires more setup than Smartsheet's point-and-click automation builder, but it's free and flexible.

Will switching from Smartsheet to Google Sheets actually save money long-term?+

Yes, in almost all cases. Smartsheet Pro starts at $9/user/month billed annually, and Business jumps to $19/user/month — for a 10-person team that's $2,280/year at minimum. Google Sheets is free, or bundled into Google Workspace at a fraction of that cost.