What is the difference between Smartsheet and Taskade?

Smartsheet is best for Enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management, while Taskade is best for Teams wanting AI-powered task management with mind maps. Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo and Taskade starts at Free.

Is Smartsheet or Taskade cheaper?

Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo. Taskade starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Smartsheet?

Yes, Taskade offers a free tier (Free for 3 projects).

Smartsheet vs Taskade

Smartsheet is enterprise work management platform with spreadsheet interface, automations, and dashboards, while Taskade is AI-enhanced workspace for tasks, notes, mind maps, and real-time collaboration. The biggest difference up front: Taskade is free, while Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo. Smartsheet is built for enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management, whereas Taskade targets teams wanting ai-powered task management with mind maps.

At a glance

	Smartsheet	Taskade
Best for	Enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management	Teams wanting AI-powered task management with mind maps
Starting price	$7/user/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
AI Agent	—	✓
Automations	✓	—
Dashboards	✓	—
Mind Maps	—	✓
Resource Mgmt	✓	—
Spreadsheet UI	✓	—
Templates	—	✓
Video Chat	—	✓

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

Taskade

Strengths

Built-in AI agent can draft responses, summarize threads, and surface action items
Includes Mind Maps as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows
Free for 3 projects — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes video chat alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Migrating existing projects from another tool can be time-consuming
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Taskade → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Taskade is completely free (Free for 3 projects), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Smartsheet offers Automations, Dashboards and Resource Mgmt that Taskade lacks. Taskade brings AI Agent, Mind Maps and Templates that Smartsheet does not have.

Team fit: Smartsheet is geared toward enterprise teams, while Taskade is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: 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. Taskade's biggest strengths are: built-in ai agent can draft responses, summarize threads, and surface action items. includes mind maps as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows.

Watch out for: With Smartsheet, users commonly note that no free plan — you need to pay $7/user/mo from day one to use it. With Taskade, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Smartsheet if...

You need a tool built for enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management
You specifically need Automations and Dashboards
You care about built-in automations handle repetitive tasks like status changes and assignments
Your team size fits the enterprise profile Smartsheet is designed for

Choose Taskade if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting ai-powered task management with mind maps
Budget is a hard constraint — Taskade is free, Smartsheet is not
You specifically need AI Agent and Mind Maps
You care about includes mind maps as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Taskade is designed for