What is the difference between Jira and Smartsheet?

Jira is best for Large engineering teams that need customizable workflows and reporting, while Smartsheet is best for Enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management. Jira starts at $7.75/user/mo and Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo.

Is Jira or Smartsheet cheaper?

Jira starts at $7.75/user/mo with a free tier. Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo.

Is there a free alternative to Smartsheet?

Yes, Jira offers a free tier (Free for up to 10 users).

Jira vs Smartsheet

Jira is enterprise project management and issue tracking for software development teams, while Smartsheet is enterprise work management platform with spreadsheet interface, automations, and dashboards. Smartsheet comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Jira is built for large engineering teams that need customizable workflows and reporting, whereas Smartsheet targets enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management.

At a glance

	Jira	Smartsheet
Best for	Large engineering teams that need customizable workflows and reporting	Enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management
Starting price	$7.75/user/mo	$7/user/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Automations	—	✓
Custom Workflows	✓	—
Dashboards	✓	✓
Marketplace	✓	—
Resource Mgmt	—	✓
Roadmaps	✓	—
Spreadsheet UI	—	✓
Sprints	✓	—

Jira

Strengths

Extremely customizable workflows and fields
Advanced reporting and dashboards
Massive marketplace of add-ons
Handles complex enterprise requirements

Weaknesses

Slow and bloated interface
Overwhelming complexity for small teams
Configuration often requires a dedicated admin
Simple tasks take too many clicks

Try Jira → Full review

Smartsheet

Strengths

Spreadsheet-style interface is familiar to anyone who has used Excel
Built-in automations handle repetitive tasks like status changes and assignments
Affordable at $7/user/mo — one of the lower-priced options in the project management category
Established product with 20+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

No free plan — you need to pay $7/user/mo from day one to use it
Enterprise-focused design means the interface can feel heavy for smaller teams
Migrating existing projects from another tool can be time-consuming
Overkill for freelancers or small teams who need something lightweight

Try Smartsheet → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Jira starts at $7.75/user/mo. Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo. Smartsheet is the more affordable option.

Feature gaps: Jira offers Custom Workflows, Marketplace and Roadmaps that Smartsheet lacks. Smartsheet brings Automations, Resource Mgmt and Spreadsheet UI that Jira does not have. Both share Dashboards.

Team fit: Both tools target enterprise teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Where each tool shines: Jira's biggest strengths are: extremely customizable workflows and fields. advanced reporting and dashboards. Smartsheet's biggest strengths are: spreadsheet-style interface is familiar to anyone who has used excel. built-in automations handle repetitive tasks like status changes and assignments.

Watch out for: With Jira, users commonly note that slow and bloated interface. With Smartsheet, the main complaint is that no free plan — you need to pay $7/user/mo from day one to use it.

Choose Jira if...

You need a tool built for large engineering teams that need customizable workflows and reporting
You specifically need Custom Workflows and Marketplace
You care about advanced reporting and dashboards
The free tier works for you: free for up to 10 users

Choose Smartsheet if...

You need a tool built for enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management
You want to save on per-user costs — Smartsheet is $0.75/user/mo cheaper
You specifically need Automations and Resource Mgmt
You care about built-in automations handle repetitive tasks like status changes and assignments