Microsoft Venture vs. Smartsheet : Which Device Is Higher?

Microsoft Venture and Smartsheet are two widespread undertaking administration software program platforms that supply a extra conventional person interface design. They could appear related at first look, however as soon as I began reviewing each options, the variations turned obvious.

• Microsoft Venture is a more sensible choice for energy customers who’re comfy with extremely superior options. It largely integrates with different Microsoft merchandise and depends on a few of them for key performance, so it’s finest utilized by groups which are already dedicated to the Microsoft ecosystem.
• Smartsheet is an efficient choice for groups which are managing their initiatives in spreadsheets and want an improve to devoted undertaking administration software program. It additionally gives greater than 100 integrations with third-party software program, making it a more sensible choice for groups with a extra various software program stack.

Although current Microsoft clients might really feel at residence with Microsoft Venture, your best option when it comes to pure undertaking administration software program capabilities is Smartsheet.

Microsoft Venture vs. Smartsheet: Comparability desk

After hands-on evaluations of one of the best undertaking administration software program, we’ve created a scoring rubric to make use of when evaluating options like Microsoft Venture and Smartsheet. Whereas shut, Smartsheet edges out Microsoft Venture for finest general choose in our eyes.

	Microsoft Venture	Smartsheet	Winner
Options	3.9	4.6	Smartsheet
Pricing	2.8	2.3	Smartsheet
Ease of use	1.8	3.5	Smartsheet
Service & assist	4.2	3.8	Microsoft Projec
General	3.4	3.8	Smartsheet

Microsoft Venture vs. Smartsheet: Which is healthier?

Microsoft Venture: Higher for Microsoft-aligned groups

Use Microsoft Tasks if

• you want extremely superior undertaking administration software program,
• your group includes energy customers who aren’t intimidated by the upper studying curve,
• your organization is already dedicated to the Microsoft ecosystem,
• you don’t want integrations with third-party software program, or
• you need or want an on-premises deployment choice.

Microsoft Venture execs and cons

Execs	Cons
Very detailed undertaking planning instruments Integrates nicely with different Microsoft merchandise Has many built-in useful resource administration instruments	Very lengthy studying curve attributable to all of the advanced options Lacks integrations for non-Microsoft software Lacks native communication instruments

Smartsheet: Higher for groups with various software program stacks

Use Smartsheet if

• you desire a cheaper software program platform,
• you’re searching for an improve from spreadsheets and desire a familiar-looking interface,
• you desire a decrease studying curve than Microsoft Venture,
• you want integrations with third-party software program, or
• you don’t want on-premises deployment.

Smartsheet execs and cons

Execs	Cons
Acquainted person interface because of the spreadsheet base Permits excessive degree of customization Presents plenty of documentation and coaching sources	Not as user-friendly and intuitive as different undertaking administration apps Lacks auto-save function and real-time undertaking replace Requires upgrading to Marketing strategy for time monitoring and analysis administration

Microsoft Venture vs. Smartsheet pricing

Microsoft gives extra plans and on-premises choices to select from than Smartsheet. Nevertheless, Smartsheet is extra reasonably priced than Microsoft Venture general. Each vendor options provide a 30-day free trial for sure plans.

Microsoft Venture pricing

Cloud-based subscriptions:

• Microsoft Planner: A part of Microsoft 365, which begins at $8.00 per person per thirty days
• Planner Plan 1: $10.00 per person per thirty days, billed yearly
• Planner and Venture Plan 3: $30.00 per person per thirty days, billed yearly
• Planner and Venture Plan 5: $55.00 per person per thirty days, billed yearly

Microsoft Venture is just obtainable as annual subscriptions, and the seller breaks down plans by per-user-per-month value. See the desk beneath for the month-to-month snapshot and the annual value you possibly can anticipate to pay for every subscription.

Plan	Month-to-month Worth*	Annual Worth
Planner	$8.00	$96.00
Planner Plan 1	$10.00	$120.00
Planner and Venture Plan 3	$30.00	$360.00
Planner and Venture Plan 4	$55.00	$660.00

*Whereas Microsoft lists plans with month-to-month costs, all plans are billed yearly.

On-premises options:

• Venture Customary 2024: $719.99 for a license for one PC
• Venture Skilled 2024: $1,409.99 for a license for one PC
• Venture Server Plan: Contact for customized pricing quote

For extra data, learn our full Microsoft Venture overview and think about our checklist of Microsoft Venture alternate options.

Smartsheet pricing

• Professional: $9.00 per person per thirty days billed yearly, or $12.00 per person per thirty days billed month-to-month
• Enterprise: $19.00 per person per thirty days billed yearly, or $24.00 per person per thirty days billed month-to-month
• Enterprise: Contact for customized pricing quote
• Superior Work Administration: Contact for customized pricing quote

Smartsheet plans embody month-to-month and annual choices for customers trying to keep away from vendor lock-in with a month-to-month plan or need to save extra with a yearly subscription. See the desk beneath for a have a look at the month-to-month plan charges and the financial savings included in deciding on an annual plan.

Plan	Month-to-month Plan	Annual Plan Per Month	Annual Plan Complete
Professional	$12.00	$9.00	$108.00
Enterprise	$24.00	$19.00	$228.00
Enterprise & Superior Work Administration	Quote	Quote	Quote

For extra data, learn our full Smartsheet overview and think about our checklist of Smartsheet alternate options.

Microsoft Venture vs. Smartsheet: Function comparability

Venture administration

Winner: Smartsheet

Microsoft Venture bought a 3.9/5 for options general on our scoring rubric. It gives three important undertaking views: grid, board, and timeline (Gantt) view. The design is just like different Microsoft merchandise, however I didn’t discover the interface significantly intuitive to make use of, and the sheer variety of options will be overwhelming and makes it troublesome to search out what you want.

However what’s spectacular about Microsoft Venture is that it provides you the choice to get very detailed with useful resource administration, corresponding to monitoring prices of supplies over the course of a undertaking or seeing how a lot time a person has spent on a process.

Smartsheet scored higher at 4.6/5 for options general. It gives 4 undertaking views: grid, card (kanban), calendar, and Gantt. It’s not essentially the most colourful or interesting interface, however it’s simpler to navigate than Microsoft Venture, in my view.

You possibly can both begin with a clean sheet or use a template to assist information the method. Conditional formatting guidelines velocity up the method even additional, and you may also create automation guidelines to chop down on handbook work. Smartsheet does provide a paid add-on for useful resource administration, however it’s not as sturdy as Microsoft Venture.

Gantt view in Smartsheet exhibits necessary particulars like process standing, period, and group member assigned, lowering the necessity for further clicks. With extra particulars displayed, this interface may be extra cluttered for extra advanced initiatives.

Doc administration

Winner: Smartsheet

You possibly can add paperwork to a website in Microsoft Venture, however modifying and updating capabilities are restricted as a result of the belief is that you’re already utilizing SharePoint or OneDrive for doc storage and administration. Microsoft Venture additionally doesn’t combine with different apps, so you possibly can’t use an outdoor platform like Google Docs both. This is without doubt one of the the explanation why Microsoft Venture is finest utilized by groups which are already dedicated to the Microsoft ecosystem.

Smartsheet additionally lets you add recordsdata to a undertaking, and it hyperlinks to a number of widespread doc administration options, together with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. The Enterprise and Enterprise plans provide a proofing function that permits groups to visually mark up content material, together with movies, throughout the Smartsheet software to maintain all the pieces centralized in a single place.

In case you’re not already utilizing SharePoint or OneDrive, then I’d advocate Smartsheet as the higher selection for doc administration.

Communication instruments

Winner: Smartsheet

Much like doc administration, Microsoft Venture doesn’t comprise any native options for communication or collaboration. As an alternative, customers can be prompted to attach with colleagues utilizing certainly one of Microsoft’s many different communication instruments like Groups, Outlook, or Skype. In case you aren’t already a part of the Microsoft ecosystem, then you’ll need to put money into different software program that may take over this perform — and it gained’t combine with Microsoft Venture.

Alternatively, Smartsheet permits groups to have conversations by way of feedback on sheets and rows. People can tag one another in feedback to ship a notification. Feedback may also be accessed by way of the cellular app so you possibly can learn and reply on the go.

Whereas it doesn’t provide a extra sturdy native chat perform, Smartsheet does combine with some messaging platforms, corresponding to Slack, to complement the built-in remark function. Except your group already makes use of Microsoft’s stack of purposes, Smartsheet is the higher selection for communication performance.

Ease of use

Winner: Smartsheet

Smartsheet ranked considerably higher than Microsoft Venture with regards to ease of use. Smartsheet bought a 3.5/5, whereas Microsoft is just at 1.8/5.

Smartsheet isn’t essentially the most intuitive undertaking administration software program I’ve examined, however it was far simpler to determine issues out in comparison with Microsoft Venture because the format is extra logical. It was additionally a lot sooner to create and cargo new initiatives in Smartsheet, and the bigger variety of template choices helped velocity up that course of additional.

Whereas veteran undertaking managers might respect the in-depth view of financials and useful resource planning in Microsoft Venture, much less skilled customers might battle with the steep studying curve.

Buyer assist

Winner: Microsoft Venture

Alternatively, Microsoft Venture scored a bit higher than Smartsheet on the customer support entrance: Microsoft Venture bought 4.2/5 and Smartsheet bought 3.8/5. The explanation for that is that Smartsheet paywalls sure assist options (corresponding to 24/7 telephone assist and a chat bot app) both to the dearer plans or to a assist add-on that prices a further charge.

Microsoft Venture doesn’t cost further for assist, although some customers do say that the customer support could possibly be improved.

Integrations

Winner: Smartsheet

Relating to integrations, Smartsheet beats Microsoft Venture by a landslide. Not solely does Smartsheet provide 100+ native integrations, it additionally connects to hundreds extra platforms by Zapier.

In distinction, Microsoft Venture’s native integrations are largely restricted to different Microsoft merchandise, and it doesn’t hook up with Zapier (not like another Microsoft merchandise), so there isn’t even a workaround.

Evaluation methodology

To match these undertaking administration instruments, I signed up without cost trials along with viewing demo movies, consulting undertaking documentation and studying person evaluations. I thought of options corresponding to process administration, portfolio administration, doc administration, and communication instruments. I additionally weighed different elements corresponding to ease of use, buyer assist, integrations, and pricing.

If neither Microsoft Venture nor Smartsheet sounds best for you, don’t fear. There are many different undertaking administration options on the market, together with some with forever-free plans. Try our picks for the highest undertaking administration software program of 2024 to see what your choices are.

Replace notes

• March 16, 2025: Sam Ingalls reviewed every answer, fact-checked any claims to make sure all particulars are up-to-date and correct, and expanded on the unique evaluation.
• Might 29, 2024: Kara Sherrer wrote the unique model of this text.