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Side-by-side comparison · Productivity & Notes

Smartsheet vs Todoist

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Smartsheet

3.7

From $9/member/mo

Best overall

Todoist

4.3

From $7/mo

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Pick it if: Operations, PMO and project teams who think in spreadsheets and need Gantt charts, reports and approvals.

Best overallBest valueEasiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who wants a dependable task list that is fast to use and stays out of the way.

Overview

AttributeSmartsheetTodoist
In one lineSpreadsheet-style project tracking with AI for formulas, summaries and dashboards.A simple to-do list that works everywhere and understands plain-English due dates.
Pricing modelPaidFreemium
Starting price$9/member/mo$7/mo
Free plan No Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeSmartsheetTodoist
Overall rating3.74.3Winner
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.5
5.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.5
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
3.0
4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.5

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeSmartsheetTodoist
Access & platform
Free plan No Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes
Desktop app Yes Yes
Browser extension– Yes
API access Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes No
Connects to other apps Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes
Understands images– No
Makes images No No
Makes video No No
Writes code– No
Runs agents or automations No No
Learns your brand or style– No
Works in many languages Yes Yes
Capabilities score8/ 179/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeSmartsheetTodoist
Plans

Pro

$9/member/mo billed yearly ($12 monthly)

Individuals and small teams of up to 10.

Beginner

Free

Anyone with a simple list.

BusinessOur pick

$19/member/mo billed yearly ($24 monthly)

Teams running several projects together.

ProOur pick

$7/mo, or $5/mo billed yearly

Anyone who wants more projects and the calendar view.

Enterprise

Custom

Larger organisations needing admin and security controls.

Business

$10/user/mo, or $8/user/mo billed yearly

Small teams sharing a workspace.

Advanced Work Management

Custom

PMOs managing large portfolios.

Which plan to pickBusiness is where Smartsheet's reporting and approvals pay off for a team. Pro suits one person or a very small team. Use the 30-day trial on a real project before you commit to a yearly plan.Beginner is fine until you hit the five-project wall. Pro on the yearly plan is the obvious move after that. Business is for teams who want a shared space; it is not a substitute for a real project tool.

Key features

AttributeSmartsheetTodoist
Standout features
  • Grid, Gantt, board and calendar
  • AI formulas and analysis
  • AI dashboards and summaries
  • Forms and automations
  • Reports across sheets
  • Connections to other AI tools
  • Natural language entry
  • Projects, labels and filters
  • Everywhere
  • Calendar layout
  • Shared projects
  • Claude connection

Pros and cons

AttributeSmartsheetTodoist
Pros
  • Familiar spreadsheet layout for Excel users
  • Strong Gantt charts, dependencies and cross-project reporting
  • AI makes formulas and dashboards much easier
  • Mature automations, forms and approvals
  • Fastest task capture of anything here
  • Works on every device you own and syncs instantly
  • Cheap, with a free plan that covers a lot
  • Natural language dates and repeats just work
  • Official Claude connection
Cons
  • No free plan, and customers report big cost jumps under newer pricing
  • Interface feels dated and has a learning curve for non-spreadsheet people
  • Large sheets can be slow
  • Paid features split across tiers and add-ons
  • Not a project management tool: no timelines, dependencies or dashboards
  • Prices went up at the end of 2025
  • Business plan lacks single sign-on
  • The AI features are light compared with the rest of the category

Who each one is for

AttributeSmartsheetTodoist
Best for
  • Replacing Excel project trackers
  • Gantt charts with dependencies
  • Portfolio and PMO reporting
  • Request intake and approvals
  • Personal task management
  • Recurring reminders
  • Quick capture from any device
  • Tasks Claude can add for you
You'll find it used by
  • Project managers
  • Operations teams
  • PMOs
  • Construction firms
  • IT teams
  • Solo founders
  • Freelancers
  • Managers
  • Students
  • Small teams

Questions people ask

Which is better, Smartsheet or Todoist?

Todoist scores highest overall in our ratings (Smartsheet 3.7/5 and Todoist 4.3/5). Smartsheet is best for Replacing Excel project trackers and gantt charts with dependencies. Todoist is best for personal task management and recurring reminders.

Which is cheaper, Smartsheet or Todoist?

Smartsheet: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $9/member/mo. Todoist: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $7/mo.

Which is easier to use, Smartsheet or Todoist?

Todoist rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants a dependable task list that is fast to use and stays out of the way.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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