Smartsheet Alternative: 6X Savings, Project Visibility, Accurate Data

Comparing Tools on Project Dashboard

Workstatus 

Workstatus gives you clean, easy-to-read project dashboards that show everything you need at a glance. The dashboards update in real-time so you always see the latest project status.

• Shows project progress with simple charts and graphs
• Highlights tasks that are late or at risk
• Check employee productivity score
• Lets you see time spent on different project parts
• Shows project costs compared to budget

Workstatus also lets each team member see their own personal dashboard with just their tasks and deadlines, making it easier to stay focused.

Microsoft Planner 

Microsoft Planner provides simple visual dashboards with basic charts. 

• Shows tasks by status categories
• Displays basic charts for completion rates
• Offers limited customization options

It focuses on task status and basic progress tracking.

Hive 

Hive includes project dashboards with multiple view options.

• Offers kanban, gantt, and calendar views
• Shows basic metrics on project health
• Provides team activity summaries

 It provides different ways to see project progress and status.

ClickUp 

ClickUp features colorful dashboards with various data widgets. 

• Includes multiple chart types and widgets
• Shows task status across projects
• Offers sprint and workload views

It allows different visual representations of project metrics.

Comparing Tools on Customization

Choosing the right tool depends on finding a balance between flexibility and ease of setup. Here’s how each tool compares on customization.

Workstatus 

Workstatus lets you make the tool work exactly how your team needs it to work. You can change almost everything to match your specific business needs.

• Lets you create custom fields to track what matters to you
• Allows different settings for different teams or departments
• Gives each user the ability to set up their own views
• Offers custom report templates that you can save and reuse
• Lets you add your company logo and brand colors

Workstatus also learns from how you use it, suggesting customizations that might help your team work better over time.

Microsoft Planner 

Microsoft Planner includes basic customization with limited options. 

• Allows custom bucket creation
• Provides basic label and category options
• Has limited visual customization choices

It offers simple changes to how tasks and plans are organized.

Hive 

Hive offers moderate customization options for workflows and project templates. 

• Supports custom action templates
• Allows workflow customization
• Offers form and field customization

It focuses on adapting to different work styles.

ClickUp 

ClickUp provides extensive customization with many view options. 

• Includes multiple view types for different preferences
• Allows custom fields and statuses
• Offers custom automation creation

It lets you change how you see and organize work.

Comparing Tools on Project & Client Budgeting

Choosing the right tool depends on finding a balance between simple budgeting and detailed financial tracking. Here’s how each tool compares on client and project budgeting.

Workstatus 

Workstatus helps you keep projects profitable with simple budget tracking that anyone can understand. The tool shows where money is being spent and warns you before projects go over budget.

• Tracks hours spent and converts them to costs automatically
• Shows budget used versus budget remaining clearly
• Warns you when projects are at risk of going over budget
• Links expenses directly to specific projects and clients
• Creates simple budget reports for client meetings

Workstatus also helps you see which clients and projects are most profitable, so you can make better business decisions.

Microsoft Planner 

Microsoft Planner has minimal budget tracking features with very basic options. 

• Allows custom fields for basic budget amounts
• Provides no built-in budget calculations
• Lacks comprehensive financial reporting

It lacks dedicated financial management tools.

Hive 

Hive includes project budget tracking with time and expense monitoring. 

• Tracks time against budgeted hours
• Monitors expenses against planned budgets
• Provides basic project financial health indicators

It offers moderate financial management for client projects.

ClickUp 

ClickUp offers custom fields for budget tracking and simple calculations. 

• Allows custom budget fields and calculations
• Provides time tracking against budgets
• Offers basic financial dashboards and reports

It provides basic financial monitoring without advanced features.

Comparing Tools on Pricing

Choosing the right tool depends on finding a balance between cost and value for money. Here’s how each tool compares on pricing.

Workstatus
At just $1.60 per user/month, Workstatus is the most budget-friendly tool that comes packed with essential features like time tracking, project budgeting, automated reports, and task management — perfect for growing teams looking to save costs without missing out on important functions.

Microsoft Planner
Microsoft Planner costs $10 per user/month. It’s simple and good for basic task tracking, but it lacks advanced features like screenshots, detailed productivity reports, and custom workflows.

Hive
Hive is priced at $3 per user/month and is an affordable tool for basic task and project management, but it doesn’t offer in-depth reporting or tracking features that growing businesses often need.

ClickUp
ClickUp costs $7 per user/month and has a wide range of features. However, its complex setup and additional costs for advanced features might not suit smaller teams or those wanting simplicity.

Summary

Workstatus is the best Smartsheet alternative, offering simple tools for time tracking, project and employee monitoring, and team management — all at a much lower price. It’s perfect for businesses that want to stay organized, track team efforts, and control project costs without spending too much.

Why Workstatus is Better

• Easy Team Tracking: Track who’s working on what in real time.
• Set Clear Budgets: Stay on top of project spending with simple budget controls.
• Task Progress Visibility: See project updates and task completion in one place.
• Smart Alerts: Get alerts on project delays or cost overruns early.
• Screenshots & Reports: Know how your team is performing with screen monitoring and detailed reports.
• Affordable for All Teams: Starts at just $1.60 with all features included—significantly lower than Smartsheet pricing starts at $9.
• Simple to Use: Clean, user-friendly dashboard without complicated setups.

Workstatus makes managing teams and projects easier, faster, and more affordable than Smartsheet.