What is the difference between Teamwork and Smartsheet?

Teamwork is best for Client-facing teams needing project + time tracking, while Smartsheet is best for Enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management. Teamwork starts at $5.99/user/mo and Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo.

Is Teamwork or Smartsheet cheaper?

Teamwork starts at $5.99/user/mo with a free tier. Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo.

Is there a free alternative to Smartsheet?

Yes, Teamwork offers a free tier (Free for 5 users).

Teamwork vs Smartsheet

Teamwork is project management with time tracking, resource management, and client-facing features, while Smartsheet is enterprise work management platform with spreadsheet interface, automations, and dashboards. Teamwork comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Teamwork is built for client-facing teams needing project + time tracking, whereas Smartsheet targets enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management.

At a glance

	Teamwork	Smartsheet
Best for	Client-facing teams needing project + time tracking	Enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management
Starting price	$5.99/user/mo	$7/user/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Automations	—	✓
Budgets	✓	—
Client Access	✓	—
Dashboards	—	✓
Resource Mgmt	—	✓
Spreadsheet UI	—	✓
Templates	✓	—
Time Tracking	✓	—

Teamwork

Strengths

Native time tracking eliminates the need for a separate time-logging tool
Includes Budgets as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows
Free for 5 users — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 19+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

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
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Teamwork → 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: Teamwork starts at $5.99/user/mo. Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo. Teamwork is the more affordable option.

Feature gaps: Teamwork offers Budgets, Client Access and Templates that Smartsheet lacks. Smartsheet brings Automations, Dashboards and Resource Mgmt that Teamwork does not have.

Team fit: Teamwork is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Smartsheet is aimed at enterprise 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: Teamwork's biggest strengths are: native time tracking eliminates the need for a separate time-logging tool. includes budgets as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows. 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 Teamwork, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Smartsheet, the main complaint is that no free plan — you need to pay $7/user/mo from day one to use it.

Choose Teamwork if...

You need a tool built for client-facing teams needing project + time tracking
You want to save on per-user costs — Teamwork is $1.01/user/mo cheaper
You specifically need Budgets and Client Access
You care about includes budgets as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Teamwork is designed for

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