Smartsheet vs Todoist
Thesis: General-purpose vs specialist — Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Frame: General-purpose vs specialist — Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist.. Choose Smartsheet only if your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape. Choose Todoist only if your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape. Workflow advantage: Smartsheet leans work-management, resource-planning; Todoist leans shared coverage. Trade-off: you gain focus on one product's motion at the cost of the other's adjacent coverage — no universal winner. Major differences: - Buyer thesis: General-purpose vs specialist — Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. - Positioning: Smartsheet is Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/member/mo annual.; Todoist is Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/mo annual; Business ~$10.. - Company-size focus: Smartsheet (small-business, mid-market, enterprise) vs Todoist (micro, small-business, mid-market). - Workflow coverage skew: Smartsheet-leaning work-management, resource-planning, timeline-reporting vs Todoist-leaning —. - Researched limits: Smartsheet — No free plan; Todoist — Not a Work OS or portfolio tool. Limitations — Smartsheet: No free plan; Business tier pricing jump; Todoist: Not a Work OS or portfolio tool; Team features mainly on Business. Poor-fit cases: Smartsheet is a poor fit when that limitation bites: No free plan · Todoist is a poor fit when that limitation bites: Not a Work OS or portfolio tool · Avoid Smartsheet if you actually need Todoist's motion (Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$) Neither product has a completed hands-on product test on SoftwareGlimpse — this comparison is research/data-based only.
Smartsheet
Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/member/mo annual.
Best for
- • your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape
- • use-case priority is work-management and Todoist is secondary for that motion
Starting from $9.00/user/mo
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
Frame: General-purpose vs specialist — Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist.. Choose Smartsheet only if your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape. Choose Todoist only if your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape. Workflow advantage: Smartsheet leans work-management, resource-planning; Todoist leans shared coverage. Trade-off: you gain focus on one product's motion at the cost of the other's adjacent coverage — no universal winner. Smartsheet is a poor fit when that limitation bites: No free plan Todoist is a poor fit when that limitation bites: Not a Work OS or portfolio tool Hard limitation for Smartsheet when it matters: No free plan. Hard limitation for Todoist when it matters: Not a Work OS or portfolio tool. Neither product has a completed hands-on product test on SoftwareGlimpse — this comparison is research/data-based only. Pricing threshold: estimate spend with the cost calculator before shortlisting.
Smartsheet is better for
- ✓ Timeline / Gantt
- ✓ Automations
- ✓ Collaboration
- ✓ AI features
Todoist is better for
- ✓ Free plan
- ✓ Ease of use
- ✓ Value for money
Tie
- • Integrations
Choose Smartsheet if: your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape
Choose Todoist if: your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape
Todoist
Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/mo annual; Business ~$10.
Best for
- • your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape
- • use-case priority is project-tracking and Smartsheet is secondary for that motion
Starting from $6.25/user/mo
Free plan available
Quick verdict
Start here — then dig into the evidence below.
Choose Smartsheet if…
- your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape
- use-case priority is work-management and Todoist is secondary for that motion
- You prioritize timeline / gantt
- You prioritize automations
Choose Todoist if…
- your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape
- use-case priority is project-tracking and Smartsheet is secondary for that motion
- You prioritize free plan
- You prioritize ease of use
Overall recommendation
Frame: General-purpose vs specialist — Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist.. Choose Smartsheet only if your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape. Choose Todoist only if your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape. Workflow advantage: Smartsheet leans work-management, resource-planning; Todoist leans shared coverage. Trade-off: you gain focus on one product's motion at the cost of the other's adjacent coverage — no universal winner. Smartsheet is a poor fit when that limitation bites: No free plan Todoist is a poor fit when that limitation bites: Not a Work OS or portfolio tool Hard limitation for Smartsheet when it matters: No free plan. Hard limitation for Todoist when it matters: Not a Work OS or portfolio tool. Neither product has a completed hands-on product test on SoftwareGlimpse — this comparison is research/data-based only. Pricing threshold: estimate spend with the cost calculator before shortlisting.
Key trade-off
Smartsheet trades toward timeline / gantt; Todoist trades toward free plan.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Todoist wins | Smartsheet vs Todoist on free plan: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Todoist on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above. |
| Ease of use | Todoist wins | Smartsheet vs Todoist on ease of use: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Todoist on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above. |
| Timeline / Gantt | Smartsheet wins | Smartsheet vs Todoist on timeline gantt: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above. |
| Automations | Smartsheet wins | Smartsheet vs Todoist on automations: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above. |
| Collaboration | Smartsheet wins | Smartsheet vs Todoist on collaboration: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above. |
| Integrations | Tie | Smartsheet vs Todoist on integrations: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to neither product on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above. |
| AI features | Smartsheet wins | Smartsheet vs Todoist on ai features: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above. |
| Reporting | Smartsheet wins | Smartsheet vs Todoist on reporting: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above. |
| Value | Todoist wins | Smartsheet vs Todoist on value for money: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Todoist on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above. |
Side-by-side feature matrix
Normalized availability from product research — empty rows are not shown.
Work planning
| Feature | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| Task boards & work views | Strong | Moderate |
| Timeline / Gantt | Strong | Limited |
| Workload & resource management | Strong | Limited |
| Time tracking | Moderate | Limited |
Execution
| Feature | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| Automations & workflows | Strong | Moderate |
| Docs & collaboration | Strong | Moderate |
| AI assistance | Moderate | Moderate |
Platform
| Feature | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations ecosystem | Strong | Strong |
| Reporting & dashboards | Strong | Moderate |
Adjacent productivity
| Feature | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| Document / PDF productivity | Limited | Limited |
| Remote access / screen share | Limited | Limited |
| Desktop workspace organizer | Limited | Limited |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Sep 10, 2026.
Smartsheet
From $9.00/user/mo
- Pro$9.00/user/mo
- Business$19.00/user/mo
- EnterpriseCustom
Todoist
From $6.25/user/mo
- Beginner$0.00/user/mo
- Pro$6.25/user/mo
- Business$10.00/user/mo
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | ~$45.00/mo (5 × starting seat) | ~$31.25/mo (5 × starting seat) |
| 10 | ~$90.00/mo (10 × starting seat) | ~$62.50/mo (10 × starting seat) |
| 25 | ~$225.00/mo (25 × starting seat) | ~$156.25/mo (25 × starting seat) |
| 50 | ~$450.00/mo (50 × starting seat) | ~$312.50/mo (50 × starting seat) |
Estimate from verified starting per-seat pricing — actual total depends on plan, annual discounts, and add-ons.
Starting prices not verified for either product Model team cost scenarios in the project-management cost calculator Cost calculator: /tools/project-management-cost-calculator/
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → Depends
Prefer Smartsheet when your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape
Prefer Smartsheet when your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape
- → Depends
Prefer Smartsheet when use-case priority is work-management and Todoist is secondary for that motion
Prefer Smartsheet when use-case priority is work-management and Todoist is secondary for that motion
- → Depends
Prefer Todoist when your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape
Prefer Todoist when your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape
- → Depends
Prefer Todoist when use-case priority is project-tracking and Smartsheet is secondary for that motion
Prefer Todoist when use-case priority is project-tracking and Smartsheet is secondary for that motion
- → Smartsheet
Best for timeline / gantt
Smartsheet vs Todoist on timeline gantt: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above.
- → Smartsheet
Best for automations
Smartsheet vs Todoist on automations: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above.
The differences that actually matter
Pair-specific analysis for Smartsheet vs Todoist — not generic category copy.
Timeline / Gantt
Smartsheet aheadOn timeline / gantt, Smartsheet is ahead. Smartsheet: Smartsheet vs Todoist on timeline gantt: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above.. Todoist: Trails Smartsheet on this criterion. Feature evidence also diverges on Task boards & work views (Smartsheet: Strong; Todoist: Moderate); Timeline / Gantt (Smartsheet: Strong; Todoist: Limited); Workload & resource management (Smartsheet: Strong; Todoist: Limited).
Automations
Smartsheet aheadOn automations, Smartsheet is ahead. Smartsheet: Smartsheet vs Todoist on automations: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above.. Todoist: Trails Smartsheet on this criterion.
Integrations
TieSmartsheet and Todoist are close on integrations. Smartsheet vs Todoist on integrations: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to neither product on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above.
Reporting
Smartsheet aheadOn reporting, Smartsheet is ahead. Smartsheet: Smartsheet vs Todoist on reporting: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Smartsheet on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above.. Todoist: Trails Smartsheet on this criterion.
Pros and cons
Product-specific for this pair — derived from researched outcomes and editorial notes.
Smartsheet
Pros
- Stronger on timeline / gantt
- Stronger on automations
- Stronger on collaboration
- Stronger on ai features
Cons
- Trails on free plan
- Trails on ease of use
- Trails on value for money
Todoist
Pros
- Stronger on free plan
- Stronger on ease of use
- Stronger on value for money
Cons
- Trails on timeline / gantt
- Trails on automations
- Trails on collaboration
Implementation & learning curve
Based on researched setup / ease criteria for this pair.
Smartsheet
- Trails on ease of use relative to Todoist
Todoist
- Stronger on ease of use: Smartsheet vs Todoist on ease of use: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Todoist on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above.
Integrations
Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.
Smartsheet: Strong. Todoist: Strong.
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose Smartsheet if…
- You need Todoist's stronger free plan more than Smartsheet's strengths
- You need Todoist's stronger ease of use more than Smartsheet's strengths
- You need Todoist's stronger value for money more than Smartsheet's strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape
Don't choose Todoist if…
- You need Smartsheet's stronger timeline / gantt more than Todoist's strengths
- You need Smartsheet's stronger automations more than Todoist's strengths
- You need Smartsheet's stronger collaboration more than Todoist's strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape
Alternatives worth considering
When neither product is the right fit.
Work OS / work management platform with boards, timelines, automations and AI credits — Basic from $9/seat/mo annual (3-seat minimum).
Enterprise/agency work management with proofing, intake and resourcing — Team from $10/user/mo annual.
Cross-functional work management with goals, workflows and AI Studio — Starter from $10.99/user/mo annual.
Lightweight Kanban boards (Atlassian) — Free; Standard from $5/user/mo annual.
Final verdict
Scenario-level close — not a repeat of the intro.
Smartsheet wins when…
your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape
Todoist wins when…
your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape
- Prefer Smartsheet when your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shapeDepends
- Prefer Smartsheet when use-case priority is work-management and Todoist is secondary for that motionDepends
- Prefer Todoist when your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shapeDepends
- Prefer Todoist when use-case priority is project-tracking and Smartsheet is secondary for that motionDepends
Which one should you choose?
Choose Smartsheet if:
- your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape
- use-case priority is work-management and Todoist is secondary for that motion
Choose Todoist if:
- your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape
- use-case priority is project-tracking and Smartsheet is secondary for that motion
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
Smartsheet
Todoist
FAQ
- Is Smartsheet better than Todoist?
- Frame: General-purpose vs specialist — Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist.. Choose Smartsheet only if your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape. Choose Todoist only if your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape. Workflow advantage: Smartsheet leans work-management, resource-planning; Todoist leans shared coverage. Trade-off: you gain focus on one product's motion at the cost of the other's adjacent coverage — no universal winner. Smartsheet is a poor fit when that limitation bites: No free plan Todoist is a poor fit when that limitation bites: Not a Work OS or portfolio tool Hard limitation for Smartsheet when it matters: No free plan. Hard limitation for Todoist when it matters: Not a Work OS or portfolio tool. Neither product has a completed hands-on product test on SoftwareGlimpse — this comparison is research/data-based only. Pricing threshold: estimate spend with the cost calculator before shortlisting.
- Which is easier to use?
- Smartsheet vs Todoist on ease of use: Smartsheet documents a broader use-case set; Todoist is narrower/specialist. Decision edge to Todoist on this criterion for this pair — unlike a generic feature matrix, the hinge is the buyer job above.
- Which project management fits which team?
- Smartsheet: your buying job matches “Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/memb” rather than Todoist's shape Todoist: your buying job matches “Personal and team task manager with natural-language capture — Free; Pro from ~$6.25/user/” rather than Smartsheet's shape
- Does Smartsheet or Todoist have a free plan?
- Smartsheet: No free plan. Todoist: Free plan available.
- How does Smartsheet vs Todoist pricing compare?
- Smartsheet starts from $9.00/user/mo. Todoist starts from $6.25/user/mo. Confirm live vendor pricing before purchasing.
- How did SoftwareGlimpse compare these products?
- We map both products to the same category criteria, then evaluate trade-offs using verified product, pricing and feature evidence. Affiliate relationships never change outcomes.
- reviewSmartsheet review
- reviewTodoist review
- pricingSmartsheet pricing
- pricingTodoist pricing
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Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
monday.com
Work OS / work management platform with boards, timelines, automations and AI credits — Basic from $9/seat/mo annual (3-seat minimum).
Wrike
Enterprise/agency work management with proofing, intake and resourcing — Team from $10/user/mo annual.
Asana
Cross-functional work management with goals, workflows and AI Studio — Starter from $10.99/user/mo annual.
Trello
Lightweight Kanban boards (Atlassian) — Free; Standard from $5/user/mo annual.
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