Smartsheet vs Optimizely

Side-by-side comparison · Updated 2026-03-30

Our VerdictSmartsheet wins overall

Smartsheet outranks Optimizely on our weighted score — heavier on review volume, lighter on raw rating. If your team is squarely in scaleup territory, Smartsheet is likely the stronger fit.

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

Choose Optimizely if…

Choose Optimizely if your team focuses on ab testing and feature flagging and fits a scaleup, enterprise profile. Usage-based pricing — contact for a quote. Industry-leading experimentation platform with both client-side and server-side testing — supports the full experimentation lifecycle from hypothesis to results

Smartsheet

by Smartsheet

4.4

out of 5 · 21k+ G2 reviews

Visit Smartsheet ↗

Optimizely

by Optimizely

4.2

out of 5 · 700 G2 reviews

Visit Optimizely ↗

Feature Comparison

Feature	Smartsheet	Optimizely
Category	work_management	ab_testing
G2 Score	4.4 / 5.0Better	4.2 / 5.0
G2 Reviews	21000	700
Free Tier
Starting Price	$9/user/mo	—
Mobile App
AI Features
API Access
SSO / SAML
SOC 2
Learning Curve	moderate	moderate
Platforms	web, mac, windows, ios, android	web, ios, android

Pros & Cons

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

Optimizely

Pros

✓ Industry-leading experimentation platform with both client-side and server-side testing — supports the full experimentation lifecycle from hypothesis to results

✓ Powerful Stats Engine uses sequential testing methodology that allows peeking at results without inflating false positive rates — a significant advantage over traditional frequentist approaches

✓ Robust feature flagging and progressive rollout capabilities allow engineering teams to decouple deployment from release, with fine-grained audience targeting

✓ Visual editor enables non-technical marketers and PMs to create and launch A/B tests without developer involvement for front-end experiments

Cons

✗ Pricing is entirely custom and opaque — typically very expensive, starting in the tens of thousands annually, making it prohibitive for startups and small teams

✗ No free tier for experimentation products — only a limited free Rollouts plan for basic feature flags, unlike competitors such as LaunchDarkly or PostHog

✗ Client-side snippet can introduce page flicker and latency if not carefully implemented, potentially impacting user experience and Core Web Vitals

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your needs. Smartsheet scores 4.4/5 on G2, while Optimizely scores 4.2/5. Smartsheet is better for project_tracking and resource_management, while Optimizely excels at ab_testing and feature_flagging.

Smartsheet starts at $9/user/mo per user/month with a free tier. Optimizely starts at N/A per user/month.

Smartsheet supports 150 integrations, while Optimizely supports 100.

Full Smartsheet Review →Full Optimizely Review →

Data verified 2026-03-30. Some links may be affiliate links — see disclosure.