Database structure, spreadsheet interface
Take a quick tour of the Grist interface, customizable widgets, and relational capabilities.
Lightweight CRM Example
Project management comparison for modern businesses
Grist vs Smartsheet
Modern tools for managing complex data workflows — side by side. Find out which is better for your needs. Whether you’re building a CRM, a reporting dashboard, or a custom workflow, Grist adapts to your vision without locking you into someone else’s structure.
The spreadsheet that doesn’t box you in.
Spreadsheets have powered business workflows for decades. Smartsheet helped bring project management into that familiar grid. Grist goes a step further, merging spreadsheet simplicity with the power of a database, suitable for all business functions.
If you’re evaluating which tool suits your team’s needs, here’s how the two platforms compare when it comes to data structure, collaboration, customization, and control.
Find your ideal solution
Where Smartsheet Shines
Project management with built-in tools like Gantt charts, critical paths, and resource tracking.
Combines a spreadsheet interface with layered project management features for operational teams.
PMOs managing complex portfolios with editable rollup reports, dashboards, and cross-project visibility.
Where Grist Shines
Relational database structure for clean and secure ingestion with higher row limits.
Fine-grained access permissions with full security and ownership of your data
Deep customization and integration into unique workflows. Best-in-class flexibility with custom widget support.
Smartsheet vs Grist for data management
| Smartsheet | Grist | |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet interface | ✔ | ✔ |
| Data visualizations | ✔ | ✔ |
| Reporting | ✔ | ✔ |
| Real-time collaboration | ✔ | ✔ |
| Automations | ✔ | ✔ |
| Excel formula support | ✔ | ✔ |
| API / webhooks | ✔ | ✔ |
| Forms | ✔ | ✔ |
| Integrations | ✔ | ✔ |
| Drag-and-drop layouts | ✔ | ✔ |
| Native Python support | X | ✔ |
| Relational data | X | ✔ |
| Free plan with no time limit | X | ✔ |
| Granular access controls | X | ✔ |
| Self-hostable | X | ✔ |
| AI assistant | Enterprise only. | ✔ |
| Row limits | 20,000 (All plans). | 5,000 (free plan), 150,000 (Paid). |
Who chooses Grist over Smartsheet?
Businesses with unique processes in need of highly customizable solutions.
Enterprises handling highly sensitive data who need to host on their own servers.
Data-intensive users (analysts, technical teams) needing robust relational databases.
Users looking to try out unlimited free solutions with no lock-in.
“I love Grist. It’s crazy powerful. I still can’t believe what we’ve been able to achieve in it. It’s the dream that low-code was sold as for years – we can do incredible things in each column with Python and we can build our own widgets to run on those! Wild!”
Elliot Lee
User Researcher
“The more I use Grist, the more I LOVE it. I have been surveying self-hosted database GUI tools, and I was consistently disappointed with their shortcomings or bugginess. Grist is the first to have tilted the balance the other way.”
Stephen S.
Publications, Personal City Guides
“Grist has given us incredible flexibility to solve data problems and find solutions, whether it is for a small team at the district, or at scale with the entire district staff. We’re really excited about the different ways we can use it going forward.”
Director of Product
EdTech Company
“What I like about Grist the most is its focus. It appears simple, but it’s very powerful in a focused way. Grist has really improved our workflow and communication.”
Chris Scott
Co-founder in Digital Marketing
“If people spend some time learning a new tool they’ll have more power to do their work and research. I said to one of my students, ‘You will be very very happy using Grist because you are miserable using Excel!'”
Eduardo Dalcin, Ph.D.
Biodiversity Informatics Expert
“Most CRMs don’t work the way Grist works. Grist’s layouts are simple and do exactly what we need.”
Jennifer Bledsoe
IT Tech at Law Firm
“I recently discovered Grist after becoming frustrated with the limitations of traditional spreadsheets like Excel and Google Sheets. Grist has been a breath of fresh air, especially with its ability to handle structured data in a way that feels familiar to anyone with experience in relational databases, but with the added flexibility of Python.”
Will Bailey
Small Business Manager
Build on your terms
Spreadsheet users can easily import their existing workflows from CSV files to start using Grist right away.
Grist’s incremental imports feature allows users to import new activity to existing data, and Grist intelligently combines it without creating duplicates or needing manual cleanup.
Pre-built templates
Jump right into Grist with these pre-built templates:
