Smartsheet vs. Aha! vs. SmartSuite: Which Tool to Pick? [2026]

In this buyer's guide, I’ll go over the key features, pricing, and customer feedback for each project management platform to help you make a more informed decision.

➡️ I’ll also introduce you to an alternative to both solutions that covers their weaknesses with its all-in-one project management capabilities: SmartSuite (that’s us).

TL;DR

• Smartsheet uses a grid-first, spreadsheet-style model that feels very familiar to teams coming from Excel or Google Sheets. It supports Gantt, card, and calendar views, which makes it effective for managing large datasets, structured workflows, and portfolio-level reporting.

➡️ I’d choose Smartsheet if I had to manage enterprise-scale projects that require strict data governance, advanced reporting, and structured planning across multiple initiatives.

• Aha! is a product strategy and roadmapping platform built to define what should be built and why. It focuses on connecting ideas, features, and releases to business goals, with strong prioritization and visual roadmap planning. Compared to Smartsheet, it feels far more strategic and product-centric, making it better suited for product managers who need clarity, alignment, and long-term planning rather than operational project execution.

➡️ I’d choose Aha! over Smartsheet if my priorities were product vision, roadmap ownership, and strategic alignment, rather than task-level delivery and cross-team execution.

• SmartSuite combines structured database-style records with task management, workflow automation, dashboards, and native collaboration in a single no-code platform.

Unlike Aha!, it is not limited to product strategy and roadmapping, and unlike Smartsheet, it is not constrained by spreadsheet-based grids, which makes it more adaptable for real project delivery across departments.

➡️ I’d choose SmartSuite if I wanted more execution power and collaboration than Aha!, and more structure and automation than Smartsheet, without being locked into either a strategy-only or spreadsheet-first workflow.

Smartsheet vs. Aha! vs. SmartSuite: Features

TL;DR

• Smartsheet delivers spreadsheet-driven project management with strong formulas, flexible views like Grid, Gantt, Calendar and Card, powerful dashboards, and no-code automation. The platform excels at structured planning, reporting, and scaling project operations across teams and departments. However, it can feel rigid, technical, and more focused on data management than on fluid collaboration and everyday task execution. 
• Aha! is built for product strategy and roadmapping, with deep focus on connecting ideas, features, and releases to your goals. It shines in visual roadmaps, idea management, prioritization frameworks, and requirements definition for product teams. The platform is less about task-level execution and more about strategic clarity and long-term planning. 
• SmartSuite sits between these two worlds by focusing on execution with structure and collaboration built in. It gives you database-level organization like Smartsheet without forcing a spreadsheet mindset, and it supports real project delivery, unlike Aha!’s strategy-centric approach. SmartSuite is about running projects end to end, where tasks, conversations, files, time, automation, and reporting live in one place. It feels less like a planning tool and more like an operating system for teamwork.

Let’s go over the 3 platform features, starting with Aha!: 👇

Aha!’s Features

Strategy-driven product planning

Aha! is not just a task execution platform in the traditional sense.

It is designed to define product direction, connect work to business goals, and justify investment decisions.

Where Smartsheet organizes tasks and data, Aha! organizes intent and priorities.

It manages what should be built before worrying about how it gets built.

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Idea to roadmap ownership

Aha! owns the front end of the product lifecycle.

Ideas, feedback, scoring, prioritization, and validation all happen before anything becomes a project.

For example, Aha!’s whiteboards can help you simplify complex early thoughts, map out process flows, and then document your system architecture.

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Smartsheet mostly assumes work already exists and needs to be managed.

Aha! helps you decide whether the work should exist at all.

AI-powered application builder for internal tools

Aha! Builder extends Aha! beyond planning and roadmapping into actual software creation. 

It lets product managers and business teams design and build internal applications with an AI assistant.

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Unlike Smartsheet, which manages work, and Aha! Roadmaps, which define product direction, Builder turns strategy into working software. 

This makes Aha! unique as a platform that connects planning, discovery, and application delivery in one ecosystem. 

Roadmaps as communication tools

Aha!’s roadmaps are built to communicate direction to executives, sales, marketing, and engineering.

They are narrative-driven and designed for alignment, not for daily task management.

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Smartsheet’s Gantt charts show timelines, but Aha!’s roadmaps show intent.

That distinction is what separates project management from product leadership.

Aha! is ideal for you if you:

✅ Lead product strategy and need strong roadmapping, prioritization, and goal alignment.

✅ Want to manage ideas, features, and initiatives in a way that clearly connects work to business outcomes.

✅ Need a system of record for what should be built and why before development begins.

Aha! is not the best option if you:

❌ Need a tool to run day-to-day project execution, task tracking, and cross-functional delivery.

❌ Are managing operational projects rather than product roadmaps and feature planning.

❌ Want a general-purpose project management platform instead of a product-focused planning system.

Smartsheet’s Features

Advanced formulas and spreadsheet logic

Smartsheet is fundamentally spreadsheet-driven, which gives it a major advantage over Aha! when it comes to formulas, calculations, and structured data modeling.

Teams can build complex logic, pull data across multiple sheets, and dynamically update values in ways that feel much closer to Excel than to a product planning tool.

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While Aha! focuses on defining product strategy and organizing features, Smartsheet focuses on manipulating operational data to control how work is executed.

Smartsheet is better for managing numbers, dataset dependencies, and real-time operational metrics, whereas Aha! is better for managing priorities and direction.

Team collaboration and file sharing

Smartsheet’s collaboration is built directly into task execution, with row comments, file attachments, approval requests, and granular permissions.

This makes collaboration highly contextual around delivery work rather than around product discussions.

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Aha!’s collaboration is more focused on roadmap alignment, feature definition, and strategic conversations.

Smartsheet supports teams that need fast feedback on tasks, documents, and deadlines, while Aha! supports teams that need alignment on what to build and why.

Dashboards and visual reporting

Smartsheet dashboards are designed to show delivery performance, risks, workload, and progress across projects.

They help stakeholders understand what is happening right now without needing access to the underlying sheets.

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In contrast, Aha!’s roadmaps and views communicate future direction, product priorities, and strategic milestones.

Smartsheet answers execution questions, while Aha! answers strategy questions.

Workload tracking and resourcing

Smartsheet includes workload tracking through visual views that show assignments, availability, and potential overload.

This supports day-to-day delivery management and helps teams quickly rebalance tasks.

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Aha! does not aim to manage team capacity at an operational level, as its focus is product planning rather than resource utilization.

Smartsheet works better for delivery teams that need visibility into who is doing what and when, while Aha! works better for leaders deciding what to build next.

Smartsheet is ideal if you:

✅ Prefer working in a spreadsheet-style environment and want powerful formulas, references, and structured data control.

✅ Manage large-scale projects that require strong reporting, dashboards, and portfolio-level visibility.

✅ Need standardized processes, templates, and governance across multiple teams or departments.

Smartsheet isn't the best option if you:

❌ Want a collaboration first experience with built-in chat and communication at the core of your workflows, which is why some brands have been looking for Smartsheet alternatives.

❌ Find spreadsheet-based interfaces too technical or heavy for everyday task management.

❌ Are looking for a product strategy or roadmap-driven platform rather than an execution and reporting system.

➡️ Learn more about Smartsheet with our detailed Smartsheet review, where we cover the platform’s features, integrations, and pricing structure in more detail, including customer testimonials.

SmartSuite Features

SmartSuite bridges the gap between Smartsheet and Aha! by combining structured work management with native collaboration and execution focused workflows. 

Our platform delivers database-driven project management without Smartsheet’s spreadsheet-first complexity, while avoiding the strategy-heavy and product-specific orientation of Aha!. 

With built-in automation, communication, reporting, time tracking, file management, and flexible views, SmartSuite supports both planning and day-to-day execution in one unified platform.

Comprehensive Project Management

SmartSuite’s project management capabilities help you plan, track, and manage simple to complex projects.

To simplify the process, you’ll get built-in intuitive features to execute your tasks perfectly.

Here’s what SmartSuite offers your team:

• Smart task management: Any item field can become a task, checklist item, comment, or sub-item. This flexibility allows you to create a comprehensive task list, assign it to the right person, set due dates, and define priority status.

• Project phases and milestones: Milestones help keep your project on track and aligned with objectives. SmartSuite lets you create, monitor, and track milestones through your reporting dashboard while flagging potential issues.

• Files and project deliverables: SmartSuite helps you organize and manage all project documents in context. 

You can attach files, share feedback, track version history, and collaborate seamlessly. 

Supported formats include PDF, GIF, CSV, PNG, and MP4, with integrations for Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and Microsoft OneDrive. 

You can also add images directly from social media or Unsplash.

• Native time tracking: Track and evaluate task and project completion times easily. 

Built-in time tracking lets you group entries, view estimates, and differentiate billable from non-billable hours.

💡 Curious how other teams use SmartSuite? Watch the video walkthrough:

Native Team Collaboration

SmartSuite outperforms Smartsheet even further with its built-in communication and collaboration features. 

You can connect with peers in group chats or 1:1 conversations for quick feedback and keep stakeholders updated.

SmartSuite’s members’ directory provides a holistic view of the project team by detailing each teammate’s availability status, job profile, and other relevant information.

Similar to Smartsheet, you can use comments and @mentions to share updates, nudge teammates, or add new people to the conversation.

Comprehensive Project Reporting

SmartSuite offers a dynamic project analytics tool with configurable charts and graphs.

Our reporting dashboards gives you clear visibility into project performance, resource allocation, and potential bottlenecks.

Using these insights, you can quickly take action to address delays and keep projects on track.

Reports can be visualized in Grid, Card, Kanban, Timeline, Map, Calendar, or Dashboard views, and you can add multiple views to create a complete visual storyboard of your project’s progress.

Sharing with external teams or clients is simple: just make the report public and control access as needed. SmartSuite also allows exporting or printing reports in PDF, Excel, Google Sheets, or CSV formats.

Advanced Workflow Automation

SmartSuite's no-code automation builder is one of the most intuitive, giving neck-to-neck competition in automation.

You can assemble automation at the task and project levels and automate repetitive tasks based on triggers such as date changes, sending notification emails, or updating statuses. 

There are six predefined triggers and 15+ actions, with the option to build custom ones.

SmartSuite is the right choice if you:

✅ Need quick deployment with minimal configuration, templates for many use cases, and a unified workspace for varied workflows.

✅ Want all-in-one: project tracking + docs + resource management + automation + collaboration in one place with minimal integration overhead.

✅ Have mixed teams, not only engineering, such as operations, marketing and HR, and you need more than bug tracking and sprints.

SmartSuite isn’t the best option if you:

❌ Are looking for a well-established platform with a long track record.

❌ Need extensive third-party integrations.

Integrations: Smartsheet vs. Aha! vs. SmartSuite

Smartsheet Integrations

Smartsheet supports a broad ecosystem of integrations that connect your work management data with many tools across communication, analytics, automation, and enterprise systems. 

It offers both native connectors and automation platforms that extend its reach to 1,000+ apps, including options like Zapier, Workato, Tray, and Bridge for low-code workflows.

Some of the notable integrations include:

• Jira Software.
• Salesforce.
• Microsoft Teams & Slack.
• Power BI & Tableau.
• DocuSign.

Smartsheet also includes integrations with enterprise systems (SAP, Workday), cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive), and security tools (Okta, Microsoft Entra), as well as options to build custom connections using the Smartsheet API.

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Aha! Integrations

Aha! offers a suite of over 65 integrations designed to connect product planning with the rest of your tech stack, from engineering to communication and CRM systems.

Popular native integrations include:

• Jira.
• Azure DevOps.
• Salesforce.
• Slack.
• GitHub.

Aha! also integrates with ticketing tools (Zendesk, ServiceNow) and messaging platforms (Microsoft Teams, Google Chat), and supports API‑based custom integrations to fit unique workflows.

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SmartSuite Integrations

SmartSuite integrates with major platforms, including five connectors, such as Zapier, Ply, Integrately, Relay, and Make, to connect with 1,000s of apps to transfer data.

Some of the notable integrations include:

• Salesforce: Create and update records within your workflow.
• Slack: Get notified when something is happening in SmartSuite.
• Twilio: Send SMS messages from Twilio to keep mobile users informed.
• Open AI: Use AI to generate or improve text inside our SmartDoc field.
• Jira Cloud: Use SmartSuite automations to create or update Jira Cloud issues.
• HubSpot: Sync contacts and activities with HubSpot contacts and more.
• Intercom: Sync Intercom contacts with your SmartSuite projects and workflow.

Pricing: Smartsheet vs. Aha! vs. SmartSuite

Smartsheet Pricing

Similar to both Aha! and SmartSuite, Smartsheet doesn’t have a freemium plan.

For pricing plans, Smartsheet charges based on the number of users and offers four paid plans:

• Pro: Starts at $9/seat/month when billed annually, including private sheet creation and unlimited form access with a 10-user limit.
• Business: Starts at $19/seat/month with a minimum of 3 user seats when billed annually, which adds unlimited automated workflows, Power BI, Tableau, and Adobe Creative Cloud integration.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing, which adds unlimited storage, enterprise plan manager, and AI tools.
• Advanced work management: Custom pricing, which adds portfolio management and a premium support package.

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Aha!’s Pricing

Aha! doesn’t have a free plan, and has split its software into 7 products so that you can only pay for what you use:

• Aha! Roadmaps: Start at $59/month/seat and include link strategy for all product work, the ability to capture feedback via ideas portals, brainstorming with virtual whiteboards, and more.
• Aha! Discovery: Starts at $39/month/seat and includes creating unlimited studies, conducting unlimited interviews, and building a research participant database.
• Aha! Ideas: Starts at $39/month/seat and includes capturing feedback via ideas portals, streamlining your idea review process, and integrating with Salesforce and Zendesk.
• Aha! Whiteboards: Starts at $9/month/seat and includes brainstorming concepts and refining early plans, collaborating with guests at no cost, and choosing from 100 expert templates.
• Aha! Develop: Starts at $9/month/seat and includes aligning technical work to the product roadmap, choosing a Scrum, Kanban, or SAFe approach, and defining user stories with the AI assistant.
• Aha! Teamwork: Starts at $9/month/seat and includes aligning daily tasks with strategic plans, choosing an agile way to work, defining and prioritizing tasks, and managing team capacity.
• Aha! Knowledge: Starts at $18/month/seat and includes centralized product documentation, publishing multiple knowledge bases, and drafting documents with the AI assistant.

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SmartSuite Pricing

Like Smartsheet and Aha!, SmartSuite doesn’t offer a free plan for its project management platform.

We do, however, offer a 14-day free trial of our Professional plan, during which you can invite teammates and collaborate.

There are four paid plans that you can choose from:

• Team: Starts at $12/user/month when billed annually, including SmartSuite AI, 8+ dashboard views, 5,000 automation runs, time tracking, and collaborative SmartDocs.
• Professional: Starts at $30/user/month when billed annually, including two-factor authentication, Gmail & Outlook integrations, and unlimited editors.
• Enterprise: Starts at $45/user/month when billed annually, including audit logs, data loss prevention, and 50,000 API calls monthly.
• Signature: Customized plan tailored to your organization’s needs and team size.

What are Customers Saying about Smartsheet, Aha! and SmartSuite?

TL;DR:

• Smartsheet users are happy with its customizability and collaborative features, but are not satisfied with its complicated automation setup, group-based pricing, and user interface that can feel cluttered.
• Aha!’s customers are generally satisfied with its visual roadmaps, idea management portals, and strong customer support, but note that the platform has a steep learning curve and some workflow limitations for day-to-day tasks.
• SmartSuite customers are happy with its intuitive interface, built-in communication features, customization options, and overall value-for-money. However, some users are not happy with SmartSuite’s rather limited range of integrations.

Smartsheet Reviews

G2 Rating: 4.4/5.

What users love:

• Customizability and adaptation to the customer’s business processes.
• Ease of collaboration across the organization.
• Ease of use due to its spreadsheet-like interface.

‘’I like using Smartsheet to keep track of hundreds of individual projects that my team is working on at any given time. I like that everything is customizable, and I like using automations to move completed projects to a different spreadsheet. I also frequently use the filtering feature to see which projects are assigned to me specifically.’’ – G2 Review.

‘’Collaboration features are great for teamwork and managing workloads. There are loads of features and options to work with many different types of teams.’’ – G2 Review.

Common complaints:

• Complicated automation setup with no version history to track changes.
• Performance issues when working on dashboards.
• Limited native integrations.

‘’One major issue is that Smartsheet can break often, especially when using metrics on dashboards. The data sometimes fails to display correctly, making it look like the dashboard is broken. I even had a sheet become completely inaccessible, which really slowed down productivity for my team. This can be very frustrating.’’ – G2 Review.

‘’Smartsheet has a very limited format for export dashboards. Facing slowness issues when there are many users logging in at the same time. Limited functionality and integration.’’ – Gartner Review.

Aha! Reviews

G2 rating: 4.4/5.

What users love:

• Highly customizable with flexibility to match complex workflows and organizational needs.
• Visual roadmaps and integrated idea management tools that keep teams aligned.
• Excellent customer support and onboarding, including documentation and responsive help.

‘’I find Aha! to be a great tool that fits our enterprise roadmap needs well with strong features and customization. I like how flexible it is, letting us tailor information for different interest holders. The data model is something I do like because it allows me to group work effectively and link it to goals and initiatives.’’ – G2 Review.

Common complaints:

• Steep learning curve and overwhelming number of features for new users.
• Automation and reporting limitations, including some field types not usable in rules and slow dashboard performance with large datasets.
• Complex navigation and integration setup, requiring careful attention and time to configure correctly.

‘’There are many configurable templates and settings, which allows a high degree of customizability, but that complexity also leads to much clicking around to find all of the settings and configurations, especially when first learning the tool.’’ – G2 Review.

SmartSuite Reviews

G2 Rating: 4.9/5.

What users love:

• Intuitive interface and quick setup when compared to other tools on the market.
• Built-in communication features.
• Flexible customization options.
• Good value for money with its built-in features compared to competitors.

‘’I love how intuitive SmartSuite is from the moment you log in. It's easy to navigate, and the templates really made it simple to quickly realize all the potential ways to utilize the software. I love how easy it is to see progress on a project at any point, and how all files, communication and calendar are tied in within the task. So insanely simple, but there is so much you can do.’’ –Capterra Review.

‘’I love how integrated my team can be when we work on projects together. It's really easy to delegate tasks, collaborate in real time, and work across time zones without missing notes from each other.’’ – G2 Review.

Common complaints:

• Limited integration options compared to established competitors.
• Some advanced features are still in development.
• There’s a lack of a mid-tier between the Team and the Professional plans.

‘’The lack of a mid-tier between the Team and the Professional plan. Also, although it has an amazing customer support, for European customers like myself, a bigger team of support for the European Market would be really appreciated.’’ – G2 Review.

Smartsheet, Aha! or SmartSuite: Summary

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Get Started with SmartSuite For Free Today

Smartsheet and Aha! take very different approaches to work management: spreadsheet-style tracking versus structured, roadmap-driven planning.

The reality is most teams don’t operate exclusively in either mode.

That’s where SmartSuite comes in.

SmartSuite combines projects, processes, data, automation, collaboration, and AI into a single, adaptable workspace that grows with your team, without forcing spreadsheet logic or long, complex implementations.

Our platform is advanced enough to manage sophisticated workflows, yet intuitive enough for teams to start delivering results quickly.

Here’s what's in it for your team when you try SmartSuite:

• Access to features including multi-board views (Kanban, Chart, Map, Timeline, Card, and Calendar), 100 automation/month, and 40+ field types, including formula and linked record fields.
• No-code automation builder to set up to 500,000 trigger/action workflows.
• Built-in productivity tools, including time tracking, status tracking, and checklists.
• Team collaboration and planning tools such as whiteboards and SmartSuite docs.
• Resource management across projects and teams.
• 40+ field types, including the option to add your custom fields.

Get a 14-day free trial to explore all its amazing features.

Or, if you’d like to talk to our team of experts, schedule a demo.

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