What is the difference between Trello and Smartsheet?

Trello is best for Small teams and individuals who want simple visual task management, while Smartsheet is best for Enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management. Trello starts at $5/user/mo and Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo.

Is Trello or Smartsheet cheaper?

Trello starts at $5/user/mo with a free tier. Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo.

Is there a free alternative to Smartsheet?

Yes, Trello offers a free tier (Free with up to 10 boards).

Trello vs Smartsheet

Trello is simple, visual Kanban board for organizing tasks and projects, while Smartsheet is enterprise work management platform with spreadsheet interface, automations, and dashboards. Trello comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Trello is built for small teams and individuals who want simple visual task management, whereas Smartsheet targets enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management.

At a glance

	Trello	Smartsheet
Best for	Small teams and individuals who want simple visual task management	Enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management
Starting price	$5/user/mo	$7/user/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Automations	✓	✓
Checklists	✓	—
Dashboards	—	✓
Kanban Boards	✓	—
Power-Ups	✓	—
Resource Mgmt	—	✓
Spreadsheet UI	—	✓
Templates	✓	—

Trello

Strengths

Dead simple to use — minimal learning curve
Visual Kanban boards are intuitive
Generous free tier
Power-Ups add functionality when needed

Weaknesses

Too simple for complex projects
Limited reporting and analytics
Boards don't scale well past ~50 cards
Fewer views than competitors (mainly boards)

Try Trello → 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: Trello starts at $5/user/mo. Smartsheet starts at $7/user/mo. Trello is the more affordable option.

Feature gaps: Trello offers Checklists, Kanban Boards and Power-Ups that Smartsheet lacks. Smartsheet brings Dashboards, Resource Mgmt and Spreadsheet UI that Trello does not have. Both share Automations.

Team fit: Trello is geared toward small 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: Trello's biggest strengths are: dead simple to use — minimal learning curve. visual kanban boards are intuitive. 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 Trello, users commonly note that too simple for complex projects. With Smartsheet, the main complaint is that no free plan — you need to pay $7/user/mo from day one to use it.

Choose Trello if...

You need a tool built for small teams and individuals who want simple visual task management
You want to save on per-user costs — Trello is $2.00/user/mo cheaper
You specifically need Checklists and Kanban Boards
You care about visual kanban boards are intuitive
Your team size fits the small teams profile Trello is designed for

Choose Smartsheet if...

You need a tool built for enterprise teams wanting spreadsheet-style project management
You specifically need Dashboards and Resource Mgmt
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