Using my experience of +2 years of testing productivity apps, I want to put SmartSuite into perspective, so you guys can get an unfiltered opinion about this project management app.

In this SmartSuite review, I will cover the key features I tried, pricing, pros and cons, and, ultimately, my experience with this project management software.

Let’s dive in!

Verdict

Here’s the quick verdict if you don’t want to read the full review:

Tested with our review & scoring methodology Real-world testing Unbiased evaluation

How We Test Project Management Tools

To keep our reviews & final score for each project management app fair and consistent, we evaluate every tool using the same testing framework based on real-world usage, feature depth, and overall value.

Our scoring breakdown after testing 20+ project management apps:

Want a detailed breakdown of how we test each category?

Learn exactly how we test tools → Review methodology

Short on time? Here’s a quick overview of SmartSuite

What is SmartSuite?

SmartSuite is a collaborative work management platform that helps teams deliver projects, run more efficient processes, and streamline workflows. It has a fresh design compared to the typical project management software.

SmartSuite has a mobile version for iOS and Android devices as well, so you can track your projects anywhere.

My experience with SmartSuite

What I realized first during my testing was SmartSuite’s performance. It is super fast and has almost zero loading time. I loved how they implemented this Excel-like approach when working with tables.

SmartSuite integrates project and data management into a single software solution. It combines aspects of databases, spreadsheets, and project visualization to manage your workflows. For this, it offers many options to control who can access your data and projects.

Overall, SmartSuite was a huge surprise for me, and I think it is definitely among the top project management tools for work management.

Why SmartSuite got a 4.4 / 5 score

SmartSuite received one of the highest scores we gave to project management apps. It has an outstanding feature set that includes project management and reporting tools.

Where it lost points is in pricing (3/5), due to the relatively expensive paid plans. Also, we gave 4 out of 5 for the user interface as it has a steep learning curve.

Who SmartSuite is a good fit for

Who SmartSuite is not ideal for

Now, let’s take a closer look at SmartSuite’s key features!

SmartSuite’s key features

Here I collected the tools I tried during my SmartSuite review.

Workspace

SmartSuite allows users to create and manage multiple workspaces. To select a different workspace, you only need to use the company name dropdown menu on the home page and select another one.

Once you enter your workspace, you can easily select the projects (solutions) you want to work on.

This project management software uses a different structure than others. In your workspaces, you will find your solutions. So, the workspaces are the collections of different solutions. A solution can be anything from a table, records, or projects.

Under the solutions, you can access the tables. The tables include different records, which are individual entries. In the records, you have fields that store specific data about your project.

Let’s see the project management tools of SmartSuite!

Project management tools

SmartSuite implemented a drag-and-drop function, which works smoothly. During my SmartSuite review, I had a feeling that it was an upgraded and user-friendly Excel when I used its tables or sort options.

This work management tool offers numerous view options for your projects and workflows. If you click on the “Create New View” tab, you will access many view types.

It has Gantt charts, Kanban boards, a timeline, and a dashboard view, so you can easily track progress and identify bottlenecks. The dashboard view is especially efficient for proper resource management within your team, as you can get a look at your team members’ capacity.

What I particularly enjoyed is the tools you can use to display, sort, filter, and group information. They really went into the details to manage your databases with the highest efficiency. Such capabilities make SmartSuite an ideal solution to not only manage your projects, but also company-wide databases.

On the left-hand side, you can access the view options. You can easily customize it with SmartSuite’s drag-and-drop function.

Overall, SmartSuite’s key features are great for teams to manage their projects and data in an organized way. People who love Excel will definitely enjoy SmartSuite’s solutions.

Let’s see the task management features!

Task management features

If you remember the structure of SmartSuite, records are basically the tasks. With SmartSuite, you can add due dates, assignees, status, and many other parameters for your tasks. However, there are way more options when it comes to task management.

You can add custom fields to your tasks, so you can customize them in-depth. For example, you can insert time tracking logs, formulas, addresses, and many others for each task.

An additional tool that I found useful during my SmartSuite review is the color codes. Using SmartSuite’s color codes, you can get a quick look at how the projects are going.

Ultimately, SmartSuite offers a wide range of customization options for your task management. After reviewing +15 project management software, I think there is no other tool that has the same level of personalization options for tasks.

Templates

If you click on the “Add solutions”, you can select the templates. SmartSuite offers many templates for teams and workflows. I tried a couple of templates, and I was quite satisfied-not only with their numbers, but also their quality.

After you insert the template you want to use, you can easily personalize its parameters and build up your projects and databases.

Let’s take a look at the team collaboration features!

Team collaboration features

Real-time collaboration tools are the heart of every project management tool. SmartSuite did not let me down in this.

Using SmartSuite, multiple team members can view and edit the projects at the same time. Also, you can see other team members where they work exactly at the table or records. I appreciated the option to send a link to any page, record, or report as an email attachment.

If you open the member directory, you can invite team members and add teams. This team collaboration feature gives you an overview of who is online, some basic data about their role, interest, skill, location, and skills, and you can reach out no matter where they are working.

Essentially, team members can create profiles, and SmartSuite allows them to share the information they want about themself using the member directory.

If you click on the notifications, you can access the unread comments, mentions, and tasks assigned to you. It is a useful tool for getting real-time updates about the tasks and projects you are involved in.

Permissions and roles

Let’s talk about permission and roles. These help you make your data secure and accessible to the people who want to work with it. SmartSuite has two levels of permissions.

Role-based access determines the maximum permission level that can be assigned to you or your team members. You can find this in the settings menu under your workspace information.

However, you can also provide people with guest access, so they can view the records that you assigned to them. The number of guest accesses depends on the subscription.

Furthermore, you can add solution permissions for your team members. With this type of permission, you can control who can view, create, modify, or delete records in your solutions (i.e., projects).

During my SmartSuite review, I also checked the workflow automation features, which are key aspects for many of you. Let’s see what I found!

Automation

With SmartSuite, you can create workflow automation to accelerate your work by eliminating manual steps and repetitive tasks. To access the workflow automation, just click on the top of the solution you entered and select this option.

It is very smooth to set up automated workflows. It follows the “when and then” logic, and you can add further conditions. You can create automation for events like creating or updating records, submitting forms, and more.

Thanks to SmartSuite’s email integration with Outlook and Gmail, you can set up workflow automation for events when you receive an email.

SmartSuite’s integrations

SmartSuite offers some native integrations, so you can connect this work management tool with Google Drive, Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Hubspot, and more.

In addition, you can connect SmartSuite with Zapier, which allows you to access an additional +7,000 third-party apps.

SmartSuite’s user interface

SmartSuite has an intuitive interface and follows a structure different from most project management software. But once you understand its logic, it will be easy to find the tools you need.

That said, SmartSuite has a learning curve. It took time for me to understand what I could and could not do with SmartSuite.

SmartSuite’s mobile app

SmartSuite offers a mobile version for iOS and Android users. During my SmartSuite review, I used the iOS version. Similar to many other project management tools, I also encountered a few bugs here. For instance, it does not save the fields or records.

Nevertheless, the SmartSuite team constantly improves it and adds new features, so it definitely has great potential.

SmartSuite’s pricing

Let’s see what I found during my SmartSuite review when it comes to pricing.

Free plan

Using the Free plan, a maximum of three users and one guest user can utilize SmartSuite. With the free version, you can create five solutions and have 1,000 records per solution. Also, you will access 100MB of file storage, a 14-day recycle bin, and activity history.

When I looked at the features included in the Free Plan, I was surprised. SmartSuite’s free version has numerous tools you can use for free.

You can access all the real-time collaboration tools, many project view options, basic permissions, workflow automation, and all the task management features. However, you can use SmartSuite’s email integration, and some of the features have limits.

Overall, SmartSuite has an outstanding Free plan compared to other project management tools.

Team Plan

The Team plan is $12 per user per month if you choose the yearly billing. If you want to have monthly billing, it is $15 per user per month.

Using SmartSuite’s Team plan, you can have unlimited users, one quest user per paid user, unlimited solutions, 5,000 records per solution and table. You will access a 1-year activity history and a 30-day recycle bin.

This plan covers almost all the view options, except the resource management view and the folders. You can utilize all the collaboration features and get more extensive workflow automations.

Based on my experience, the Teams plan is ideal for small businesses.

No matter which paid plans you want to try, you will get a 14-day free trial, so you can make sure that SmartSuite is the best software for you.

Professional plan

If you opt for the Professional plan, it will cost you $30 per user per month when choosing the annual billing. In the case of monthly billing, it is $34 per user per month.

The Professional plan has all the features included in the Team plan, plus 100,000 records per solution, 100GB of file storage, and a 45-day recycle bin. With this plan, you will access all the view options, email integration, and more advanced permissions.

The Professional plan was designed for small and mid-sized businesses that need more advanced permissions and higher limits on the features.

Enterprise plan

Furthermore, SmartSuite offers an Enterprise plan for organizations that need advanced features, security, and support. It is $45 per user per month in the case of annual billing. If you want to choose the monthly billing, the Enterprise plan is $50 per user per month.

Compared to the Professional plan, it has more advanced security features, and you will get a dedicated customer success manager.

Signature plan

Finally, SmartSuite has a Signature plan that offers full flexibility to customize features, usage limits, and more. You need to contact their sales team for this.

Pros and cons I discovered during my SmartSuite review

Let’s summarize the pros and cons I found during my SmartSuite review!

Pros of SmartSuite

First, SmartSuite has a generous free plan that includes numerous advanced features. I think it has one of the most extensive free versions I’ve tried.

Secondly, SmartSuite is not only a project management software but a data management tool as well, and it fantastically combines spreadsheets with other project management tools.

Moreover, I loved the level of detail of the permissions and roles. You can fully customize who can access your projects with this feature.

Lastly, SmartSuite has many pre-built templates for marketing campaigns, product development, etc., that you can use to create projects faster.

Cons of SmartSuite

My only con was SmartSuite’s mobile app. It was quite slow, and it still has some bugs. However, the good news is that SmartSuite’s team regularly launches new updates to improve the experience and broaden its features.

SmartSuite alternatives

Here are some alternatives to SmartSuite if you think it is not right for you.

Compare SmartSuite vs alternatives

SmartSuite VS ClickUp

Compare SmartSuite vs ClickUp

SmartSuite VS Monday.com

Compare SmartSuite vs Monday

Wrap-up: SmartSuite review

To wrap it all up, I think SmartSuite is one of the best software when it comes to project and work management. I had a great experience during testing, and I can highly recommend this software for teams.

Related posts:

• 8 Best Project Management Software in 2026 | My Honest List
• SmartSuite vs Monday 2026 | No Wrong Choice
• SmartSuite vs ClickUp 2026 | A Honest Comparison
• 35+ Mind-Blowing Project Management Statistics for 2026

Hope I was able to help you find the best project management app for you. As always, I will update this SmartSuite review over time so you guys have up-to-date information about this project management software.

Why you can trust our reviews

At thebusinessdive.com, our team tests, reviews, and compares hundreds of productivity apps every year — from project management tools to note-taking apps. We dive deep into real-world use cases to help you find the right tools that actually improve your workflow, not just add noise.

Our mission? No fluff, no shortcuts—just honest, hands-on insights from productivity pros.

Discover how we stay transparent, read our review methodology, and let us know about any tools we missed.

Frequently asked questions

Is SmartSuite good?

SmartSuite is a solid work, project, and data management platform for teams. It has a generous free version, which includes numerous advanced features.

Is SmartSuite better than Asana?

If you read my review (rage) about Asana, you probably know what I think about that project management tool. However, staying objective, I think both tools have completely different feature sets for managing projects.

While Asana has a shorter learning curve and offers some cool features to manage projects, SmartSuite is more focused on the data and spreadsheet-driven approach. My pick would be SmartSuite, but it totally depends on your preferences.

How much is SmartSuite?

SmartSuite has a free version and four paid plans. No matter which paid plan you choose, you will get a 14-day free trial.

The Team plan is $12 per user per month if the yearly billing is chosen. If you want to have monthly billing, it is $15 per user per month. If you opt for the Professional plan, it will cost you $30 per user per month when choosing the annual billing. In the case of monthly billing, it is $34 per user per month.

Furthermore, SmartSuite offers an Enterprise plan for organizations that need advanced features, security, and support. It is $45 per user per month for annual billing. If you want to choose the monthly billing, the Enterprise plan is $ 50 per user per month.

Lastly, SmartSuite has a Signature plan that offers full flexibility to customize features, usage limits, and more. You will get custom pricing here.

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that, at no additional cost to you, may earn a small commission. Read the full privacy policy here.

Aron Kantor

Hey there! I am Aron, the founder of Thebusinessdive. I have been testing productivity apps for almost three years now. I reach 25.000 -50.000 people monthly with the mission to help you find the perfect productivity apps. Subscribe to my YouTube channel, newsletter, and social media to hear more about the best productivity tools. Let’s dive in!

thebusinessdive.com

The post SmartSuite Review 2026: A Hidden Gem appeared first on .