What is Smartsheet?

What Is Smartsheet?

Smartsheet is a work management platform that combines a spreadsheet-style interface with project management, collaboration, and automation capabilities. Founded in 2005 by Brent Frei and Mark Mader in Bellevue, Washington, the company went public on NYSE (SMAR) in April 2018. In 2024, Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners completed an acquisition of Smartsheet, taking it private. As of April 2026, Smartsheet reports over 100,000 customers.

Key Features

• Grid view: Spreadsheet-style rows and columns with project management column types (predecessors, duration, % complete)
• Gantt chart: Built-in Gantt view with dependency tracking and critical path
• Card view: Kanban-style board view for visual task management
• Calendar view: Date-based visualization of tasks and milestones
• Automations: Rule-based automation with triggers (date reached, row changed, approval request) and actions (send notification, move row, update field)
• Reports: Cross-sheet reporting that aggregates data from multiple sheets
• Dashboards: Visual dashboards with charts, metrics, and embedded sheets
• Proofing: Document and image review with markup and approval workflows

Smartsheet Automation

Smartsheet's automation engine uses condition-action rules:

• Triggers: When rows are added, changed, or reach a date; when a form is submitted; on a schedule
• Conditions: Filter which rows are affected based on column values
• Actions: Send alerts, request approvals, lock/unlock rows, move or copy rows, change cell values
• Bridge: Advanced workflow automation for cross-system integration (separate module)

Pricing (April 2026)

• Pro: $9/user/month (billed annually) — sheets, reports, dashboards, basic automations
• Business: $19/user/month — unlimited automations, document builder, calendaring, proofing
• Enterprise: Custom pricing — Advance features (resource management, portfolio management), SAML SSO, admin controls

Competitive Position

Smartsheet competes with Asana, Monday.com, Wrike, and Microsoft Project for project management. Its distinguishing characteristic is the spreadsheet-first interface, which appeals to users comfortable with Excel or Google Sheets who need project management features layered on top. Organizations that prefer visual task boards may find Asana or Monday.com more intuitive.