ToolStack

Jira vs Smartsheet

Side-by-side comparison · Updated 2026-03-08

Our VerdictSmartsheet wins overall

By G2 score and review volume, Smartsheet has the edge. 21,000 reviews at 4.4/5 puts it ahead of Jira (4.3/5). That said, the right pick depends on your methodology and team size.

Choose Jira if…

Choose Jira if your team focuses on issue tracking and sprint planning and fits a startup, scaleup profile. Starting at $7.91/user/mo/user/mo with a free tier. Industry standard for software development teams — most PMs will encounter Jira in their career

Choose Smartsheet if…

Choose Smartsheet if your team focuses on project tracking and resource management and fits a scaleup, enterprise profile. Starting at $9/user/mo/user/mo with a free tier. Spreadsheet-familiar interface makes adoption easy for teams transitioning from Excel — minimal training needed for basic use

Jira
by Atlassian
4.3
out of 5 · 8k+ G2 reviews
Visit Jira ↗
Smartsheet
by Smartsheet
4.4
out of 5 · 21k+ G2 reviews
Visit Smartsheet ↗

Feature Comparison

FeatureJiraSmartsheet
Category
project_management
work_management
G2 Score
4.3 / 5.0
4.4 / 5.0Better
G2 Reviews
7500
21000
Free Tier
Starting Price
$7.91/user/moBetter
$9/user/mo
Mobile App
AI Features
API Access
SSO / SAML
SOC 2
Learning Curve
steep
moderate
Platforms
web, mac, windows, ios, android
web, mac, windows, ios, android

Pros & Cons

Jira

Pros
✓ Industry standard for software development teams — most PMs will encounter Jira in their career
✓ Deepest configurability of any project management tool with custom fields, workflows, and screens
✓ 3,000+ marketplace integrations covering virtually every tool in the product stack
✓ Advanced Roadmaps for cross-team planning and dependency mapping (Premium tier)
Cons
✗ Steep learning curve — new users typically need 2-4 weeks to become productive
✗ Interface feels dated and cluttered compared to Linear and ClickUp
✗ Performance degrades noticeably on large instances with 10,000+ issues

Smartsheet

Pros
✓ Spreadsheet-familiar interface makes adoption easy for teams transitioning from Excel — minimal training needed for basic use
✓ Extremely powerful Gantt chart and dependency tracking capabilities, ideal for traditional project management and waterfall methodologies
✓ Robust automation engine with conditional logic, approval workflows, and automated notifications that scale across the organization
✓ Strong portfolio-level dashboards and reporting allow PMOs to aggregate data across dozens or hundreds of projects
Cons
✗ Not designed for agile/Scrum teams — lacks native sprint planning, backlog management, and velocity tracking
✗ Pricing can escalate quickly at scale since every collaborator who edits needs a licensed seat
✗ Sheet-based architecture creates data silos — cross-sheet references and formulas become complex and brittle at scale

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your needs. Jira scores 4.3/5 on G2, while Smartsheet scores 4.4/5. Jira is better for issue_tracking and sprint_planning, while Smartsheet excels at project_tracking and resource_management.
Jira starts at $7.91/user/mo per user/month with a free tier. Smartsheet starts at $9/user/mo per user/month with a free tier.
Jira supports 3,000 integrations, while Smartsheet supports 150.
Full Jira Review →Full Smartsheet Review →
Data verified 2026-03-08. Some links may be affiliate links — see disclosure.