Microsoft Excel vs Smartsheet
Microsoft Excel and Smartsheet are both databases & spreadsheets tools. Microsoft Excel is aimed at small businesses and enterprise, while Smartsheet is aimed at enterprise and small businesses. Microsoft Excel costs less, from $9.99/mo versus $12/mo for Smartsheet. Only Microsoft Excel has a free plan.
The standard spreadsheet for analysis, modeling and reporting
Spreadsheet-style work management for enterprises
| Pricing | Freemium · $10 | Paid · $12 |
| Starting price | $9.99/mo | $12/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Enterprise, Freelancers | Enterprise, Small businesses |
| Platforms | web, macos, windows, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 1985 | US · 2005 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Microsoft Excel if
Finance, accounting and analyst teams that need the deepest spreadsheet features and the industry standard file format.
- Industry standard skills and file format
- Unmatched depth for financial modeling and analysis
- Handles large datasets on the desktop
Look elsewhere if: Teams that mostly collaborate live in the browser on simple sheets (Google Sheets) or need a relational database with views (Airtable).
Choose Smartsheet if
Enterprises and PMOs.
- Familiar spreadsheet feel
- Enterprise features
- Strong Gantt
Look elsewhere if: Startups wanting modern tools (Airtable, Notion).
Microsoft Excel vs Smartsheet pricing
Microsoft Excel
- Excel for the web$0Free with a Microsoft account, reduced feature set
- Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99/mo$99.99/yr; 1 person, desktop apps, Copilot, 1 TB
- Microsoft 365 Family$12.99/mo$129.99/yr; up to 6 people, 1 TB each
- Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99/mo$199.99/yr; higher Copilot limits and advanced AI
- Office Home 2024$179.99/one-timePerpetual Excel, Word, PowerPoint for 1 PC or Mac
Smartsheet
- Pro$12/member/mo$9 billed yearly; 1-10 members, unlimited contributors
- Business$24/member/mo$19 billed yearly; 3+ members, 1 TB storage
- EnterpriseCustom10+ members, SAML SSO, portfolios
- Advanced Work ManagementCustomControl Center, Dynamic View, Data Shuttle
Microsoft Excel · Key features
- Dynamic array formulas including XLOOKUP, FILTER and LAMBDA
- PivotTables, PivotCharts and a wide range of chart types
- Power Query to import, clean and reshape data from many sources
- Power Pivot data models for large multi-table analysis
- Python in Excel for analysis and visualization in the grid
- Copilot to generate formulas, analyses and summaries from prompts
Cons
- Advanced features have a steep learning curve
- Web version lacks some desktop features
- Emailed copies lead to version chaos
Smartsheet · Key features
- Grid, Gantt, card, calendar views
- Automated workflows and approvals
- Forms and dashboards
- Resource management
- Portfolio management
- Enterprise governance
Cons
- Dated UI
- Costs rise at enterprise
- Less flexible than Airtable
Microsoft Excel vs Smartsheet: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Excel or Smartsheet?
Microsoft Excel starts at $9.99/mo and Smartsheet at $12/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Microsoft Excel and Smartsheet have a free plan?
Microsoft Excel has a free plan. Smartsheet has no free plan.