About Smartsheet: Teams & Projects
Smartsheet: Teams & Projects is basically what happens when someone decides Excel and project management software should get married and have a kid. I used Trello for years because it was simple, but my freelance projects started getting too complicated for just boards and cards. This app lets me track tasks, timelines, and actual data in a way that feels familiar if you’ve ever used a spreadsheet. It’s not trying to be flashy or fun—it’s trying to get work done. I downloaded it after seeing it had a 4.6 rating and honestly, I was skeptical because most productivity apps are either too simple or way overengineered.
Smartsheet lands somewhere in the middle. It’s built for teams but I use it solo for client work. The mobile app mirrors the web version pretty well, which is rare. I can check my Gantt charts while waiting for coffee at a Starbucks on a Thursday afternoon. That specific moment—sitting there with my Pixel 7, updating a project timeline because my client emailed me right before a meeting—that’s when I realized this app was actually useful. It’s not perfect, but it does what it promises.
Features & Highlights
The big draw here is the combo of spreadsheets and project views. You get sheets that look like a table but can turn into Gantt charts, calendars, or card views with a tap. I use the Gantt chart almost daily because I’m terrible at visualizing dependencies between tasks. The app also has automated workflows—like when I mark a task complete, it automatically notifies the next person or updates a status column. This saved me from manually emailing clients last week when I finished a deliverable.
Another feature I didn’t expect to like: the dashboards. You can build a simple report view that shows overdue tasks, upcoming deadlines, and who’s assigned what. For someone who hates digging through menus, this is gold. The file attachment feature works well too—I drop in PDFs and Google Drive links without issues. It also integrates with Microsoft Office 365 and Salesforce, though I don’t use those personally. The mobile notifications are decent—I get pinged when someone comments on a sheet or changes a date. No lag so far, which surprised me for a data-heavy app on the phone.
User Experience
First impression: the learning curve is real. I spent my first week clicking around confused, wondering why my rows weren’t behaving like Excel rows. Smartsheet has its own logic about cells, formulas, and hierarchies. It’s not hard once you get it, but don’t expect to be productive on day one. I nearly deleted it after a frustrating Tuesday night when I couldn’t figure out how to group tasks by priority. YouTube tutorials helped more than the in-app help, honestly.
But after about two weeks, things clicked. The mobile app layout is clean—your projects show up as a list, and tapping one opens a sheet. Scrolling is smooth on my Pixel 7, and I haven’t had crashes. The keyboard shortcuts on the web version are nice, but on mobile you’re tapping and swiping. It’s fine for quick updates, but I wouldn’t want to build a complex sheet on my phone. The dark mode option is there but doesn’t fully work in all views—that bugged me for a day. I’d say the experience is 80% there; it works, but sometimes feels like it was designed by people who love data more than they love users.
Pricing
So here’s the thing—Smartsheet is free to download but the free plan is limited. I’m on the free tier and I can have up to two sheets and one dashboard. For a solo freelancer like me, that’s tight. I hit the sheet limit after three weeks and had to decide: upgrade or delete old projects. The paid plans start around $7 per user per month (billed annually) for the Pro plan, which gives unlimited sheets and more automation. That’s not outrageous, but it’s more than Trello’s free tier.
For small teams or individuals, the pricing stings a bit. If you’re a big company with a budget, you won’t blink. But I nearly quit after realizing I couldn’t easily manage multiple clients without paying. The free version feels more like a trial than a genuine free tier. I get it—they need to make money—but compared to competitors like Asana or ClickUp, Smartsheet’s free plan is stingy. I’m still on the fence about upgrading because I’m cheap, but the app does work well enough that I might cave.
Updates & Support
I contacted support once because I couldn’t figure out how to make a formula sum only certain rows based on a condition. Their reply came after about three days—not hours, which was annoying because I needed the answer for a client deadline. But the response itself was helpful. The person explained it clearly and even linked a video. I appreciated that they didn’t just send a generic FAQ link. Updates come through the Play Store every few weeks, usually bug fixes. I’ve seen two updates since I installed it. No major changes, but the app hasn’t broken on me either. I wish support was faster, but at least they’re competent.
Security & Privacy
I’m that person who reads every permission request before tapping “Allow.” Smartsheet asks for access to your photos/media/files, which makes sense if you’re attaching things. But I checked their privacy policy and noticed they collect usage data and device identifiers. That gave me pause. They say they use it to improve the app, but I don’t love that it shares data with third-party analytics services. On the plus side, they support two-factor authentication and encrypt data in transit. For a project management app, that’s standard. I’m not thrilled about the tracking, but I also use Google products which are way worse, so I gave it a pass. For now, I trust it enough for client work, but I’m watching for any shady changes.
How do I turn a spreadsheet into a Gantt chart or calendar view in Smartsheet?
Open any sheet and tap the view switcher at the top of the screen to toggle between Gantt, calendar, card, or grid views. This lets you visualize your tasks as a timeline or calendar without recreating your data.
Can I set up automated notifications when a task is marked complete in Smartsheet?
Yes, you can create automated workflows by going to the Automation menu in a sheet and setting a rule—for example, when a checkbox is checked, send an email or update a status column. This saves you from manually notifying team members or clients.
Why is my Smartsheet not behaving like Excel, and how can I fix common issues with rows and formulas?
Smartsheet uses its own logic for cell hierarchies and formulas, so rows won't act exactly like Excel rows. If you're stuck, search for YouTube tutorials specific to Smartsheet—they're often more helpful than the in-app help for learning how to group tasks or use formulas correctly.
What should I do if I can't figure out how to group tasks by priority in Smartsheet?
Use the Group feature by tapping the filter/group icon in the sheet toolbar and selecting the priority column to group tasks. If you're still struggling, check Smartsheet's online community or a quick video tutorial—it's a common hurdle that resolves after a couple of tries.
How does Smartsheet compare to Trello for managing complex freelance projects?
Smartsheet is better than Trello if your projects involve timelines, dependencies, and data tracking, since it combines spreadsheets with Gantt charts and automated workflows. Trello is simpler for basic task boards, but Smartsheet handles the complexity of multiple deadlines and client deliverables more effectively.
