Teamwork vs Smartsheet: Quick Guide for Project Managers and Teams

If you’re deciding between Teamwork and Smartsheet for managing projects, this guide is for project managers, team leads, or operations professionals evaluating tools beyond surface level. Both platforms are robust, but your choice hinges on your team's size, workflow complexity, and collaboration style. In brief: Teamwork excels in client-facing project management with strong task & time tracking, while Smartsheet offers unparalleled spreadsheet-style flexibility suited for process-heavy projects and enterprise environments.

The Decision at Hand: Choosing the Right Project Management Software

Teams today juggle numerous projects, deadlines, and cross-functional workflows. Your decision is less about picking a “good” tool and more about aligning software features with how your team actually works. Are you managing creative client projects with frequent communication? Do you need granular resource allocation? Or is your priority rigorous data tracking and layered approvals on tasks?

This choice influences operational efficiency, team morale, and even billing accuracy. Making a hasty decision could lead to tool underutilization or workflow mismatches down the line.

How to Decide: Key Criteria for Comparing Teamwork and Smartsheet

Before diving into feature specs, evaluate these critical aspects:

  • Workflow Style: Does your team work better with task-centric project boards or grid/spreadsheet views?
  • Collaboration Needs: Are in-depth client communication and document sharing crucial, or do you prioritize internal process automation?
  • Complexity of Projects: Do your projects require simple task management or multiple layers of dependencies and reporting?
  • Budget & Scale: What size and budget bracket does your team fall into (small teams, growing mid-market, or enterprise)?

Answering these questions gives you a mini decision framework to return to when assessing each tool’s strengths and limitations.

Teamwork and Smartsheet: Feature-By-Feature Breakdown

Teamwork

Best For: Agencies, client services, and small-to-mid teams who need seamless client communication and integrated time tracking.

Key Strengths:

  • Comprehensive task lists and Kanban boards with easy drag-and-drop.
  • Built-in time tracking tied to tasks, which simplifies billing and reporting.
  • Strong client collaboration features including message boards, notes, and file sharing inside projects.
  • Automated workflows and recurring tasks supported but less complex than Smartsheet.
  • Clean, user-friendly interface reducing onboarding time.

Limitations:

  • Less flexible in representing complex workflows visually; limited spreadsheet or grid views.
  • Reporting is solid but not as customizable or data-centric as Smartsheet.
  • Scaling into enterprise-level portfolio management features can be cumbersome.

When NOT to Use: If your projects demand deep data manipulation, heavy spreadsheet integration, or complex dependency maps across many initiatives, Teamwork might feel restrictive.

Smartsheet

Best For: Operations teams, larger organizations, or businesses that require granular control over workflow automation, data reporting, and cross-department collaboration.

Key Strengths:

  • Highly customizable, grid/spreadsheet-native project views offering nearly unlimited flexibility.
  • Robust automation and workflow rules (alerts, approvals, reminders) that integrate tightly with enterprise apps.
  • Advanced Gantt charts, dependencies, and critical path features are industry-leading.
  • Extensive reporting and dashboard capabilities for data-driven decision making.
  • Supports large-scale resource management with workload views and allocation.

Limitations:

  • Steeper learning curve due to flexible but complex interface.
  • Client-facing communication features are minimal; primarily built for internal teams.
  • Setup and maintaining sheets across projects requires strict governance to avoid chaos.
  • Can feel spreadsheet-heavy and less intuitive for teams not versed in Excel or Google Sheets.

When NOT to Use: For small teams or projects where client collaboration and ease of use are paramount, Smartsheet can overcomplicate workflows and slow adoption.

Scenario-Based Recommendations

  • If You’re a Small Remote Agency Handling Creative Client Work: Teamwork is likely your best fit. Its integrated time tracking and client messaging keep projects transparent and billing straightforward without heavy admin overhead.

  • If You’re an Enterprise Operations Team Managing Cross-Department Projects: Smartsheet’s flexibility and extensive automation features will handle complex reporting, approval chains, and resource planning more effectively.

  • If Your Team Needs Both: Some companies adopt Teamwork for client-facing project management and Smartsheet for internal process workflows. While integration isn’t native, using each for its strengths can optimize overall productivity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I track time in Smartsheet like in Teamwork?
A: Smartsheet doesn’t have native time tracking focused on billing. You’d need third-party integrations to achieve similar functionality.

Q: How do reporting capabilities compare?
A: Smartsheet offers more advanced and customizable reports. Teamwork provides straightforward reports focused on project progress, task status, and time logged.

Q: Which tool is better for collaboration with external clients?
A: Teamwork’s built-in client collaboration features are far superior, allowing clients to comment, review tasks, and share files seamlessly.

Q: Can Smartsheet handle agile workflows?
A: Yes, but it requires custom configuration. Teamwork has more out-of-the-box Kanban and task board views tailored to agile teams.

Q: What are common pitfalls to watch out for?
A: For Teamwork, underutilizing automation leads to inefficiencies. For Smartsheet, lack of governance often results in bloated, disorganized sheets.

Bottom Line Recommendation and Next Steps

Both Teamwork and Smartsheet are strong contenders, but the key to satisfaction lies in matching your team’s operational style and scale to the right tool.

  • Choose Teamwork if your priorities are client collaboration, straightforward task & time management, and quick team adoption on a mid-tier budget.
  • Opt for Smartsheet if your workflow demands complex dependency management, high customization, and enterprise-grade reporting.

Next Steps: Trial both platforms with your actual projects. Test Teamwork’s client communication and time tracking flows, then build sample workflows in Smartsheet to evaluate automation and reporting capabilities. Involve your team early in testing to reveal real-life usability and adoption barriers before committing.

This analytical approach prevents costly tool misalignment and empowers your team for long-term project success.

Where to try these tools

  • Teamwork – [Start a free trial]({{ AFFILIATE_LINK_TEAMWORK }})
  • Smartsheet – [Start a free trial]({{ AFFILIATE_LINK_SMARTSHEET }})

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