SoftwareGlimpse

Wrike vs Smartsheet

Wrike fits agency proofing/intake; Smartsheet fits excel-native pmo grids.

Independently recommendedLast updated Aug 17, 20264 evidence sources4 screenshotsHow we compare
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Stronger overall fit
Wrike logo

Wrike

8.1/10

Enterprise/agency work management with proofing, intake and resourcing — Team from $10/user/mo annual.

Best for

  • • Agency proofing/intake
  • • Work OS delivery control

Starting from $10.00/user/mo

Free plan available

VS

Our verdict

Our verdict

Wrike is the stronger overall fit

Wrike is the stronger overall fit. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.

Wrike is better for

  • ✓ Free plan
  • ✓ Collaboration
  • ✓ AI features

Tie

  • • Timeline / Gantt
  • • Automations
  • • Ease of use

Choose Wrike if: Agency proofing/intake

Choose Smartsheet if: Excel-native PMO grids

See detailed comparison ↓
Smartsheet logo

Smartsheet

7.9/10

Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/member/mo annual.

Best for

  • • Excel-native PMO grids
  • • Portfolio dashboards

Starting from $9.00/user/mo

No free plan

Quick verdict

Start here — then dig into the evidence below.

Choose Wrike if…

  • Agency proofing/intake
  • Work OS delivery control
  • You prioritize free plan
  • You prioritize collaboration

Choose Smartsheet if…

  • Excel-native PMO grids
  • Portfolio dashboards

Overall recommendation

Wrike is the stronger overall fit. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.

Key trade-off

Wrike's clearest edge is free plan.

Winner by category

Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.

DimensionWinnerWhy
Free planWrike winsBetter for free plan
Timeline / GanttTieWrike and Smartsheet have the same researched availability on timeline gantt (Wrike: supported; Smartsheet: supported).
AutomationsTieWrike and Smartsheet have the same researched availability on automations workflows (Wrike: supported; Smartsheet: supported).
Ease of useTieWrike and Smartsheet are close on ease of use (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved product scores grounded in vendor documentation.
Work planning depthTieWrike and Smartsheet are close on work planning depth (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved product scores grounded in vendor documentation.
Automation & workflowsTieWrike and Smartsheet are close on automation & workflows (8/10 vs 8/10) from approved product scores grounded in vendor documentation.
CollaborationWrike winsWrike leads on collaboration (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved product scores grounded in vendor documentation.
IntegrationsTieWrike and Smartsheet are close on integrations (8/10 vs 8/10) from vendor documentation as of the research date — not lab testing.
AI featuresWrike winsWrike leads on ai features (7/10 vs 6/10) from vendor documentation as of the research date — not lab testing.
ReportingTieWrike and Smartsheet are close on reporting (9/10 vs 9/10) from vendor documentation as of the research date — not lab testing.
Enterprise suitabilityTieWrike and Smartsheet are close on scalability (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved product scores grounded in vendor documentation.
ValueTieWrike and Smartsheet are close on value for money (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved product scores grounded in vendor documentation.

Side-by-side feature matrix

Normalized availability from product research — empty rows are not shown.

Work planning

FeatureWrikeSmartsheet
Task boards & work viewsStrongStrong
Timeline / GanttStrongStrong
Workload & resource managementStrongStrong
Time trackingModerateModerate

Execution

FeatureWrikeSmartsheet
Automations & workflowsStrongStrong
Docs & collaborationStrongStrong
AI assistanceModerateModerate

Platform

FeatureWrikeSmartsheet
Integrations ecosystemStrongStrong
Reporting & dashboardsStrongStrong

Adjacent productivity

FeatureWrikeSmartsheet
Document / PDF productivityLimitedLimited
Remote access / screen shareLimitedLimited
Desktop workspace organizerLimitedLimited

Pricing comparison

Pricing evidence last checked Sep 10, 2026.

Wrike logo

Wrike

From $10.00/user/mo

Free plan availableFree trial available
  • Free$0.00/user/mo
  • Team$10.00/user/mo
  • Business$25.00/user/mo
  • EnterpriseCustom
Smartsheet logo

Smartsheet

From $9.00/user/mo

No free planFree trial available
  • Pro$9.00/user/mo
  • Business$19.00/user/mo
  • EnterpriseCustom

Seat-count estimates

Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.

SeatsWrikeSmartsheet
5~$50.00/mo (5 × starting seat)~$45.00/mo (5 × starting seat)
10~$100.00/mo (10 × starting seat)~$90.00/mo (10 × starting seat)
25~$250.00/mo (25 × starting seat)~$225.00/mo (25 × starting seat)
50~$500.00/mo (50 × starting seat)~$450.00/mo (50 × starting seat)

Estimate from verified starting per-seat pricing — actual total depends on plan, annual discounts, and add-ons.

Wrike $10/$25 annual. Smartsheet Pro/Business $9/$19 annual. Research 2026-08-17.

Open cost calculator →

Best for

Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.

  • → Wrike

    Best for free plan

    Better for free plan

  • → Wrike

    Best for collaboration

    Wrike leads on collaboration (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved product scores grounded in vendor documentation.

  • → Wrike

    Best for ai features

    Wrike leads on ai features (7/10 vs 6/10) from vendor documentation as of the research date — not lab testing.

The differences that actually matter

Pair-specific analysis for Wrike vs Smartsheet — not generic category copy.

  • Starting pricing

    Depends

    Starting pricing: Wrike — Wrike Team $10/user/mo annual; Smartsheet Pro $9/member/mo annual — similar entry floors.. Smartsheet — Wrike Team $10/user/mo annual; Smartsheet Pro $9/member/mo annual — similar entry floors.. Feature evidence also diverges on Time tracking (Wrike: Moderate; Smartsheet: Moderate).

  • Seat / licence minimum

    Depends

    Seat / licence minimum: Wrike — Smartsheet Pro often packaged for smaller member counts before Business; Wrike Free/Team for lighter starts.. Smartsheet — Smartsheet Pro often packaged for smaller member counts before Business; Wrike Free/Team for lighter starts..

  • Timeline / Gantt

    Tie

    Wrike and Smartsheet are close on timeline / gantt. Wrike and Smartsheet have the same researched availability on timeline gantt (Wrike: supported; Smartsheet: supported).

  • Work planning depth

    Tie

    Wrike and Smartsheet are close on work planning depth. Wrike and Smartsheet are close on work planning depth (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved product scores grounded in vendor documentation.

  • Automations

    Tie

    Wrike and Smartsheet are close on automations. Wrike and Smartsheet have the same researched availability on automations workflows (Wrike: supported; Smartsheet: supported).

  • Integrations

    Tie

    Wrike and Smartsheet are close on integrations. Wrike and Smartsheet are close on integrations (8/10 vs 8/10) from vendor documentation as of the research date — not lab testing.

Pros and cons

Product-specific for this pair — derived from researched outcomes and editorial notes.

Wrike logo

Wrike

Pros

  • Stronger on free plan
  • Stronger on collaboration
  • Stronger on ai features
Smartsheet logo

Smartsheet

Cons

  • Trails on free plan
  • Trails on collaboration
  • Trails on ai features

Implementation & learning curve

Based on researched setup / ease criteria for this pair.

Wrike

  • Comparable ease of use to Smartsheet

Smartsheet

  • Comparable ease of use to Wrike

Integrations

Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.

Wrike: Strong. Smartsheet: Strong.

Who should not choose each product

Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.

Don't choose Wrike if…

  • Your primary fit looks closer to: Excel-native PMO grids
  • Your primary fit looks closer to: Portfolio dashboards

Don't choose Smartsheet if…

  • You need Wrike's stronger free plan more than Smartsheet's strengths
  • You need Wrike's stronger collaboration more than Smartsheet's strengths
  • You need Wrike's stronger ai features more than Smartsheet's strengths
  • Your primary fit looks closer to: Agency proofing/intake

Alternatives worth considering

When neither product is the right fit.

  • Cross-functional work management with goals, workflows and AI Studio — Starter from $10.99/user/mo annual.

  • Work OS / work management platform with boards, timelines, automations and AI credits — Basic from $9/seat/mo annual (3-seat minimum).

  • All-in-one configurable Work OS (tasks, docs, dashboards, ClickUp Brain) — Unlimited from $7/user/mo annual.

  • Work management platform with free plan (≤10 members) and Teams from $12/user/mo annual — strong monday.com peer.

Final verdict

Scenario-level close — not a repeat of the intro.

Wrike wins when…

Agency proofing/intake

Smartsheet wins when…

Excel-native PMO grids

  • Best for free planWrike
  • Best for collaborationWrike
  • Best for ai featuresWrike

Which one should you choose?

Choose Wrike if:

  • Agency proofing/intake
  • Work OS delivery control

Choose Smartsheet if:

  • Excel-native PMO grids
  • Portfolio dashboards

Product screenshots

Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.

Wrike

  • Project management product frame from wrike.com.
  • Productivity features UI from the official Wrike homepage.

Smartsheet

  • Desktop workspace UI from the official Smartsheet platform page.
  • Project portfolio management frame from smartsheet.com.

FAQ

Is Wrike better than Smartsheet?
Wrike is the stronger overall fit. Wrike is the stronger overall fit. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.
Which project management fits which team?
Wrike: Agency proofing/intake Smartsheet: Excel-native PMO grids
Does Wrike or Smartsheet have a free plan?
Wrike: Free plan available. Smartsheet: No free plan.
How does Wrike vs Smartsheet pricing compare?
Wrike starts from $10.00/user/mo. Smartsheet starts from $9.00/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.

Still deciding between Wrike and Smartsheet?

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  • No invented scores or prices
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Methodology disclosure: scores and recommendations follow SoftwareGlimpse evaluation criteria (version 1.0.0). Affiliate relationships do not determine rankings.

How we recommend: product claims are tied to recorded research where available.

AI-assisted disclosure: drafts may be AI-assisted from approved facts and assessments. Humans approve publishable editorial judgments. AI does not invent live prices or claim hands-on testing.

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