project management tool · head to head
Airtable vs Smartsheet
Comparison Summary
Airtable scored 6.8 and Smartsheet scored 6.0 on our project management tool test script.
Airtable: Airtable is a database that makes a capable project tracker: our 40 tasks pasted in one go, CSV import and export kept every value, imports took seconds, automations fired quickly and its AI got everything right and asked before adding records. The trade-offs: no recurring tasks or real subtasks, dependencies that only flag conflicts, Gantt and timeline on paid plans, a free plan capped at 1,000 records per base, and a desktop app that greeted us with a firewall prompt and a bot check.
Smartsheet: Smartsheet is a spreadsheet that runs projects: pasting or importing our data was the easiest of any app we have tested, dependencies rescheduled tasks properly, and its AI was the only one to get everything right and create subtasks on request. But there is no free plan, recurring tasks are missing, the interface switches between a new and a classic look, and the Windows app we tested is being retired in January 2027.
Editor's Verdict
Choose Airtable if…
Best for: Teams who want a flexible database behind their projects, with automations and reliable CSV in and out.
- Paste a spreadsheet and the project is built, with select options created from the data
- CSV import and export kept all 200 rows identical, and 500 rows imported in about a second
- Automations fired in a few seconds, with schedules, conditions and many actions
Choose Smartsheet if…
Best for: Teams who already think in spreadsheets and want Gantt charts, dependencies and automation on top, and are happy to pay and use it in the browser.
- Paste a spreadsheet and the project is built: 40 rows with phases, dates and priorities in one go
- CSV import mapped all 7 columns itself; 200 of 200 rows came back identical in the export
- Dependencies reschedule tasks automatically and skip weekends
Head to Head
Task by task
The same prompts, pasted word for word into each app on a clean Windows 11 PC. On the 8 tasks both apps were graded on, Airtable completed 4 and Smartsheet completed 4.
| Task | Airtable | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| P1 · Build a project | Pass≈ 5 min | Pass≈ 5 min |
| P2 · Views | Partial≈ 8 min | Partial≈ 6 min |
| P3 · Rules | Partial≈ 15 min | Partial≈ 12 min |
| P4 · 200-row import | Pass≈ 2 min | Pass≈ 2 min |
| P5 · Scale | Pass≈ 2 min | Pass≈ 2 min |
| P6 · Permissions | Partial≈ 3 min | Partial≈ 3 min |
| P7 · AI | Pass≈ 4 min | Pass≈ 4 min |
| P8 · Leave | Partial≈ 4 min | Partial≈ 4 min |
Measured on the same PC
| Measurement | Airtable | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Installer | 151 MB | 91 MB |
| Admin rights | No | No |
| On disk | 552 MB | 379 MB |
| Starts with Windows | No | No |
| 40-task project | ≈ 5 min | ≈ 5 min |
| 200-row import | 200 / 200 | 200 / 200 |
| 500-row import | 500 / 500 | 500 / 500 |
| Cold start | ≈ 8 s | ≈ 14 s |
| Memory | 1.1 – 1.6 GB | 1.1 – 1.6 GB |
| Automation rule | ≈ 3–6 s | ≈ 5–10 s |
| AI answers | 3 / 3 | 3 / 3 |
| Left after uninstall | ≈ 63 MB | ≈ 87 MB |
Pros and cons
Airtable
+ What works
- Paste a spreadsheet and the project is built, with select options created from the data
- CSV import and export kept all 200 rows identical, and 500 rows imported in about a second
- Automations fired in a few seconds, with schedules, conditions and many actions
- Omni, the AI assistant, answered correctly and asked before creating records
- Per-user install with no prompts and no startup entries
− What falls short
- Gantt and timeline views need the paid Team plan
- No recurring tasks or subtasks; we used a scheduled automation and a link field instead
- Dependencies only flag conflicts; nothing moved when a predecessor slipped
- Free plan: 1,000 records per base and 100 automation runs a month
- New invites default to Creator, and an editor invite link is on by default
- First launch raised a Windows Firewall prompt and a bot check
Smartsheet
+ What works
- Paste a spreadsheet and the project is built: 40 rows with phases, dates and priorities in one go
- CSV import mapped all 7 columns itself; 200 of 200 rows came back identical in the export
- Dependencies reschedule tasks automatically and skip weekends
- Smart Assist got the summary and overdue answer right, and created subtasks after asking
- Per-user install with no admin rights; uninstall removes almost everything
− What falls short
- The Windows desktop app is being retired on or after January 6, 2027
- No free plan: Pro starts at $9 per member a month, billed yearly
- No recurring tasks; workflows can remind you but not create a task
- Two interfaces: Calendar, Gantt and settings open in the older classic view, which needs saving by hand
- Gantt needs a second date column, and Ctrl+V did not paste in the new table view
- No CSV export; Excel, Google Sheets or PDF, one sheet at a time
Privacy and security
What we saw on our own test PC. Each review also lists what the vendor states about data handling, training and certifications.
Airtable
Signed installer
Signed by Formagrid, Inc.; the certificate had expired but the signature was timestamped.
Firewall prompt
First launch asked to accept connections on public and private networks; declining did not affect the app.
Generous sharing defaults
Invites default to Creator and an editor invite link is on until you turn it off.
AI asks first
Omni showed new records and waited for Approve before creating them.
Smartsheet
Signed installer
The installer is signed by Smartsheet Inc with a valid certificate.
No background services
The app added no startup entry, services or listening ports.
Clear sharing roles
Admin, two kinds of Editor, Commenter and Viewer, per sheet or per workspace.
EU data region
Sign-up offered a European Union data region (app.smartsheet.eu), which our account used.
Features & Pricing
| Airtable | Smartsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | — | — |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free plan | ✓ | — |
| Paid from | $20/mo | $9/mo |
Airtable plans
- Free$0
- Team$20/seat/mo
- Business$45/seat/mo
- Enterprise ScaleContact sales
From Airtable's pricing page, checked Oct 31, 2026.
Smartsheet plans
- Pro$9/member/mo
- Business$19/member/mo
- EnterpriseContact sales
- Advanced Work ManagementContact sales
From Smartsheet's pricing page, checked Oct 30, 2026.
Cost for your team
- Smartsheet$540per year
- Airtable$1,200per year
Cheapest paid plan × seats × 12, at list price. Annual discounts and volume deals not included. Airtable also has a free plan.
Who makes them
- Company
- Airtable:Formagrid, Inc. (Airtable)
- Smartsheet:Smartsheet Inc.
- Headquarters
- Airtable:San Francisco, California, USA
- Smartsheet:Bellevue, Washington, USA
- Founded
- Airtable:2012
- Smartsheet:2005
- Funding
- Airtable:Venture-backed private company.
- Smartsheet:Listed on the NYSE in 2018; taken private by Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners in 2025.
Timelines, official links and sources are in each review: Airtable · Smartsheet.
Read the full reviews
This page compares the two side by side. Each full review has the complete test log, every screenshot, the scoring notes, pricing, security and company details.
Airtable reviewSituational 6.8 Airtable is a database that makes a capable project tracker: our 40 tasks pasted in one go, CSV import and export kept every value, imports took seconds, automations fired quickly and its AI got everything right and asked before adding records. The trade-offs: no recurring tasks or real subtasks, dependencies that only flag conflicts, Gantt and timeline on paid plans, a free plan capped at 1,000 records per base, and a desktop app that greeted us with a firewall prompt and a bot check. Read the full review → Smartsheet reviewSituational 6.0 Smartsheet is a spreadsheet that runs projects: pasting or importing our data was the easiest of any app we have tested, dependencies rescheduled tasks properly, and its AI was the only one to get everything right and create subtasks on request. But there is no free plan, recurring tasks are missing, the interface switches between a new and a classic look, and the Windows app we tested is being retired in January 2027. Read the full review → Project Management Alternatives
ClickUp Recommended Small teams that want lists, boards, Gantt charts, automations and AI in one free workspace and do not mind a busy, heavy app 7.4 Read reviewReview 
Notion Situational Individuals and small teams who want tasks living next to their docs and wiki, and who are happy to build their own setup 6.9 Read reviewReview 
Asana Situational Teams ready to pay for Starter or Advanced who want a polished, fast-to-learn project tool with strong import and export 6.7 Read reviewReview 
