Smartsheet vs ConstructionOnline

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Our analysts compared Smartsheet vs ConstructionOnline based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Construction Scheduling Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Smartsheet is an enterprise-level SaaS management application that helps teams streamline processes through collaboration, project planning and task management. Users can set up tasks using a grid view, similar to a spreadsheet with automations, formulas, comments and mentions. 

It provides templates for projects and automations that can be modified and saved as a template to save time. Project views include a Kanban board, Gantt chart, timeline, calendar view, card view and a custom dashboard.

Its file and sheet sharing capabilities, comment feature and conversations remove team and data silos and give stakeholders insight into project details. A user-friendly interface helps managers and team members boost adoption rates, maintain consistency and increase efficiency. 

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Developed by UDA Technologies, ConstructionOnline offers scheduling, estimating and project management solutions to medium- and large-sized construction companies. It helps users perform inspections by creating punch lists. It allows clients to quickly respond to RFIs and helps speed up business processes.

Users can assign and monitor tasks using Gantt charts. It enables team members to share critical documents through the TeamLink portal.
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$9/User, Monthly
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$49/User, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
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Android
Chromebook
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Mac
Linux
Android
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Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
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FAQ
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24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Use Familiar Spreadsheet Formatting: Move from regular spreadsheets to spreadsheets with versatile views and much less formula knowledge required for formatting. Make adoption and training smoother because you’re not starting from scratch with processes. We especially liked the ability to enter data using a familiar cell view and then convert it to, say, a Kanban board.
  • Create No-Code Automations: Use templates or build from scratch with a trigger, condition and action automation format. Save time on admin tasks with automations for alerts, approvals, document creation and sheet changes. Choose from four starting cell-related triggers and build from there. We thought the automation building was intuitive and straightforward. Check out our test in the “See It In Action” section below.
  • Access Multiple Views: Add dynamic views to your projects and filter and customize views to meet task requirements. For example, we added a card view organized by status and a Kanban Board sorted by task assignee. Create a customizable dashboard to pull data like task progress, workload and duration using widgets.
  • Share Proofs and Additional Information: Collaborate on team documents, provide context and add proofs and files to individual tasks or the entire sheet. We set a piece of content as a task and added extra files like logos and docs along with comments for specific client requests.
  • Train As You Go: Kick your project off with a checklist outlining best practices and research material. Use pop-ups and explainer icons with video links as you work to get a better understanding of features and capabilities. We popped over to the help center to learn how to set up baselines for our Gantt chart (you need to edit the start date and end date columns).
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  • Cloud-Based: Access, modify and share project documents with team members securely. Grant document access permissions to selected employees. 
  • Dynamic Takeoff: Measure quantities accurately using RedLine Takeoff software. Automatically assign labor and material costs using customizable costbooks. 
  • Streamlined Accounting: Integrate with QuickBooks to help create accurate estimates and reduce costly errors. 
  • Simplified Scheduling: Organize and monitor activities using Gantt charts. Keep track of upcoming events to avoid missing important meetings. 
  • Environment Friendly: Reduce carbon emissions by smoothly transitioning to an online business environment. 
  • Customizable Interface: Design online workspaces by choosing color themes and backgrounds specific to business needs. 
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  • Dashboards and Reports: Customize your dashboard by adding widgets like reports, project-specific charts, shortcuts, images and text. Consolidate data from multiple sheets into a summary view using system reports. Track sheet changes using bi-directional functionality. Send reports via collaborative tools and change statuses to recur.
  • Multiple Views: View your tasks using the grid view, akin to a spreadsheet, a Gantt view as an add-on to your grid view, a Kanban board where you can drag and drop tasks and group them by assignee or status, a timeline view, a card view with customizable lanes and a calendar view that displays your tasks across its duration or by start dates only.
  • Task Management: Add your tasks and subtasks into each cell and use the indent and outdent buttons to divide tasks into groups that can be minimized to provide a project overview. Create or modify custom fields with your own text, dropdown lists and symbols to show status, assignees, priority, dates and latest comment. Attach files and proofs, write comments and mention users and set reminders for tasks.
  • Automations and Workflows: Save time with custom processes and workflows you can build by modifying templates for reminders and alerts, document generation, row changes, sheet changes and updates, and approval requests. Build your own workflow automations from scratch by choosing your trigger, setting conditions and adding actions. Manage automations by deactivating, deleting, duplicating or unsubscribing.
  • Templates: Use pre-built templates ranging from event management to HR workflows and marketing to streamline project creation. View complexity, task management and process before you apply a template. Build and save your own templates by customizing pre-built templates or creating them from scratch.
  • Integrations: Drive productivity with integrations like Office 365, Dropbox, DocuSign and Google Workspace and use iCal or Google Calendar to track project statuses.
  • Team Collaboration: Communicate with team members by commenting and mentioning users in individual tasks, adding files for additional information and chatting via the conversations tool where everyone with access to the sheet can see your comments. Integrate with Slack or Microsoft Teams to receive updates about your sheet and send messages to channels.
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  • Sales Management: Manage leads and monitor sales funnels to meet business goals. 
    • Lead Tracking: Filter leads by statuses, sources, sales representatives and more. Track activities such as meetings and outreach changes using a timeline viewer. Stay updated about potential revenue opportunities and sales workflows by creating lead pipelines. 
    • Call Logging: Document emails, text messages and conversations to keep track of communication activities. Filter call logs by projects, contacts and creators. Attach relevant documents and photos to call logs. 
    • ClientLink: Create client login pages to keep them in the loop about project statuses. Receive client inputs about change orders electronically. 
  • Financials: Monitor cash flows to keep projects on budget. 
    • Estimating: Track financial activities using dashboards. Integrate with Excel to accurately calculate job costs. Save and reuse estimates templates to help avoid workflow errors. 
    • Quantity Takeoff: Automatically overwrite existing costs to reduce expensive errors. Accurately measure volumes, counts and areas to help win bids. Generate estimates using existing takeoff templates to speed up estimating processes. 
    • Change Orders: Mitigate potential disputes to save projects from legal hassles. Allow clients to sign change orders electronically. Automatically send confirmation emails to subcontractors, suppliers and clients to keep them on the same page. 
    • Accounting Integration: Integrate with QuickBooks to eliminate redundant data entries. Import or export financial data with just a click. Securely store project files in AWS data centers. 
  • Communications: Share latest project updates using the Envoy Chat suite. Attach relevant documents and photos to chats to divulge critical information. Archive messages when jobs are completed. 
  • Schedule Management: Assign and monitor project activities to help complete projects on time. 
    • Calendar: View upcoming tasks, events and due dates to help plan ahead and keep projects on track. Integrate with Google and Outlook calendars to help keep team members updated about ongoing activities. 
    • Gantt Charts: Quickly modify schedules without manually adjusting each task using critical path functionality. Filter tasks by days, weeks or months. 
    • Time Tracking: View workers’ clock-in and -out time and location using geofencing technology. Analyze employee reports to help boost productivity levels. 
  • Project Tracking: Analyze project data to help make informed decisions. 
    • Daily Logs: Document work activities electronically to eliminate hassles of going through bundles of physical files. Automatically record weather conditions of job sites to understand reasons for delays. Record and attach photos to incidents using safety logs. 
    • Punch Lists: Organize lists by classifications, dates, phases and more. Perform inspections by creating punch lists to avoid missing out on important quality checks. 
    • Reporting: Share project reports with teams and clients to keep everyone on the same page. 
  • Planroom: Upload, markup and share project plans with team members. Automatically send notifications to workers about changes in plan sets. 
  • Document Management: Store project files securely for future references. 
    • RFI Tracking: Sort RFIs by due dates, statuses and recipients. Allow clients to respond to RFIs via email. 
    • Submittal Workflows: Opt for parallel or sequential workflows as per business requirements. Determine who’s responsible for advancing submittals by using a ball-in-court indicator. 
    • Transmittals: Send transmittals from the field or office using the mobile app. Create logs to automatically track sent items and quickly search for critical documents. 
  • Score Cards: Filter teams’ activities by employees or task types to view accurate breakdown of overall performances. View pending and overdue tasks to make sure projects are on track. 
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Product Ranking

#1

among all
Construction Scheduling Software

#34

among all
Construction Scheduling Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

90
87
90
100
98
86
95
82
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Project Management
Construction Documents and Templates Management
Construction Schedule Management
Communication Management
Reports and Dashboards
Communication Management
Field Management
Mobile Capabilities
Reports and Dashboards
Integrations and Extensibility

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Smartsheet
ConstructionOnline
+ Add Product + Add Product
Communication Management Construction Documents And Templates Management Construction Schedule Management Field Management Mobile Capabilities Project Management Reports And Dashboards 90 98 95 67 80 100 86 100 86 82 100 100 83 90 0 25 50 75 100
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60%
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40%
100%
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80%
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84%
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16%
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

63%
0%
37%
88%
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12%

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 22301 reviews
Great User Sentiment 366 reviews
88%
of users recommend this product

Smartsheet has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 88% when considering 22301 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

88%
of users recommend this product

ConstructionOnline has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 88% when considering 366 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (20)
4.4 (5)
4.4 (17366)
4.5 (6)
4.5 (3333)
4.4 (355)
4.7 (728)
n/a
4.3 (854)
n/a

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Smartsheet and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Project Management.

Project Management Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated ConstructionOnline and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Communication Management, Reports and Dashboards and Integrations and Extensibility.

Communication Management Award
Reports and Dashboards Award
Integrations and Extensibility Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Automation: Reviewers appreciated the no-code automation and said that it helps to eliminate productivity killers and saves time.
Collaboration: Users liked the sharing option with level-based permissions that allow collaboration with non-users and help coworkers and external stakeholders stay up-to-date on projects and processes.
Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface and templates make it easy to set up, customize and access multiple views, according to reviewers.
What Users Like
Customization: “We can customize it to fit various projects, whether we’re tracking client cases, managing document revisions, or planning team tasks. For instance, I created a project tracker for a major client contract negotiation. The ability to set deadlines, assign tasks, and update statuses in real time has streamlined our communication and kept everyone on the same page.” - Russ Johnson, Founder of Linx Legal
Collaboration: “We had this one job in a high-rise condo that put Smartsheet to the test. The sliding door system was an older model with custom-sized panels that aren’t easy to source, and it needed specific adjustments due to the unique structure of the frame. Typically, coordinating the right parts, tools, and technician experience for something like this would require several phone calls and a lot of back-and-forth. With Smartsheet, we were able to set up the job details to track not only the special parts needed but also assign a technician who was experienced with that model. When the parts came in, the technician was notified directly through Smartsheet, so he knew the moment everything was ready. It saved us from potential delays and kept the customer fully updated on when the work could be done.” - Gal Cohen, Business Development Leader and Field Area Manager JDM Sliding Doors
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Centralized Communication: Streamlines communication among project stakeholders through features like instant messaging, email integration, and file sharing, reducing miscommunication and keeping everyone informed.
Improved Collaboration: Facilitates collaboration with tools for task management, scheduling, and document control, enabling teams to work together efficiently and avoid duplication of effort.
Enhanced Project Visibility: Provides real-time insights into project progress, budgets, and potential issues through dashboards and reporting tools, allowing for proactive decision-making and improved project outcomes.
Increased Efficiency: Automates routine tasks such as generating reports, sending notifications, and tracking time, freeing up team members to focus on more strategic activities.
Reduced Risk: Offers features for risk management, including change order tracking, issue management, and document version control, helping to mitigate potential problems and ensure project success.
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System Integration: Limited integrations and complex configurations were an issue for reviewers.
Premium Add-Ons: Reviewers noted that advanced features come with a price tag that can be prohibitive for some businesses.
Slow Loading Time: Users reported it takes time to display screens export formats occasionally.
What Users Dislike
Integration: “Despite its many benefits, integrating Smartsheet with other systems posed some challenges. Initially, we experienced issues with data syncing between Smartsheet and our CRM software, leading to discrepancies in our financial reporting. Recognizing this, I allocated specific time for thorough testing before our full implementation, allowing us to identify and resolve any integration issues early on.” - Austin Rulfs, Founder of Zanda Wealth Mortgage Brokers
Learning Curve: “While Smartsheet is powerful, it can feel a bit overwhelming at first. I found that investing time in training sessions helped bridge that gap, making it easier for everyone to adapt and use the tool effectively.” - Russ Johnson, Founder of Linx Legal
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Limited Customization: Users have expressed frustration with the lack of flexibility in customizing certain features, such as invoices and reports, to align with specific workflows or branding requirements.
Mobile App Functionality: The mobile app has received feedback regarding its limitations compared to the full desktop version. Some users find it challenging to access and manage information effectively while on the go.
Learning Curve: Due to its comprehensive feature set, ConstructionOnline can have a steeper learning curve for new users. Navigating the platform and understanding its full capabilities may require additional time and training.
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Smartsheet is a cloud-based work management platform that helps users streamline and organize processes with a spreadsheet-esque interface, flexible templates, multiple views and team collaboration. Apart from the grid view, you can visualize projects using a Gantt chart, Kanban board, calendar view, card view or timeline view. No-code automations are another note-worthy feature, where you can build from templates or scratch.It streamlines project creation with templates suited to different industries and end goals, so you have a jumping-off point instead of going in blind. Team collaboration is another area where Smartsheet shines, with comments, conversations and file and sheet sharing (even with people outside your organization). It also offers a customizable dashboard view, although I did find some of the chart widgets a little tricky to work, without training.Highlights for me were definitely the familiarity of spreadsheet formatting (but with more views and automations), robust collaboration capabilities and guided explainers throughout the setup. However, user reviews noted limited filters and integrations, lags and expensive add-ons as downsides.Overall, Smartsheet is a great option for teams familiar with spreadsheets but are on the lookout for more visualization and collaboration, along with the budget to spend on advanced features.

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ConstructionOnline receives praise for its comprehensive features, particularly its scheduling tools, which allow for efficient project management and collaboration. Users appreciate the ability to create detailed schedules, assign tasks, and track progress, ensuring projects stay on track and within budget. The software's document management capabilities are also highlighted as a strength, enabling users to store, organize, and share project documents securely. ConstructionOnline's financial management tools, including budgeting, invoicing, and expense tracking, are commended for their accuracy and ease of use. However, some users note that ConstructionOnline's interface can be overwhelming for new users due to its extensive features. The learning curve associated with the software is a common concern, as it may require additional time and effort to fully utilize its capabilities. Additionally, some users mention that the mobile app's functionality is limited compared to the desktop version, which can hinder accessibility and convenience for users on the go. ConstructionOnline distinguishes itself from competitors by offering a wide range of features within a single platform, eliminating the need for multiple software solutions. Its robust scheduling, document management, and financial tools provide a comprehensive solution for construction professionals. The software's focus on collaboration and communication is also a key differentiator, as it facilitates seamless interaction among team members, clients, and subcontractors. ConstructionOnline is most suitable for established construction companies and professionals who require a comprehensive project management solution with advanced features. Its extensive capabilities cater to the needs of larger projects and teams, providing the tools necessary for efficient project execution and collaboration.

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