| Progress | Smartsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Core metaphor | Visual kanban + connected workspace | Enhanced spreadsheet / grid |
| Communication | Native team chat | Comments on rows |
| Rich collaboration | Docs, recordings, whiteboard, e-sign built in | Add-ons for docs / proofing |
| Feel | Modern, opinionated, ready to use | Powerful but grid-bound |
| AI | Project-aware assistant | Smartsheet AI formulas / summaries |
| Pricing | Free during open beta | Per-seat; free plan is single-user |
What Smartsheet does well
Smartsheet is strong at structured, grid-based work management — rows, columns, formulas, and rollup reporting that suit large, process-heavy programs and teams comfortable in spreadsheets.
Where Progress is different
The spreadsheet metaphor can feel stiff, and collaboration is bolted on top with row comments. Progress is built collaboration-first: a drag-and-drop board beside real-time chat, notes, a Google-synced calendar, recordings, e-signatures, and a project-aware AI — nothing to wrangle in cells.
This is the real thing
Actual screenshots from a live Progress workspace — not mockups. Every project ships with all of it.
Looking for a Smartsheet alternative?
If Smartsheet's grid feels stiff for how your team actually collaborates, Progress is a collaboration-first alternative: a visual workspace per project with chat, docs, and meetings built in, free during open beta.
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