Smartsheet vs Adobe Workfront

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Our analysts compared Smartsheet vs Adobe Workfront based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Project Management Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Adobe Workfront Software Tool

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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Adobe Workfront is an enterprise-level project management solution that facilitates centralized planning, execution, and monitoring of projects across various teams within an organization. It is most apt for large businesses that require robust workflow automation, resource allocation, standardized business processes, and comprehensive reporting. Among its key benefits, Adobe Workfront enhances collaboration, ensures organizational alignment with strategic goals, and improves productivity through its intuitive interface and powerful integration capabilities. Popular features include task management, scenario planning, demand management, and time tracking. Users often praise its versatility and scalability, although it can come with a steep learning curve for new users. When considering pricing, Adobe Workfront operates on a quote-based cost structure, meaning organizations need to engage with sales to get a tailored pricing plan, which typically depends on the number of users and the required feature set. Payment frequencies commonly align with industry standards, offering annual or monthly billing cycles. In comparison to its peers, while the investment might be substantial, users report a fair value exchange for the software's comprehensive suite of capabilities. Adobe Workfront offers a variety of subscription plans with different pricing tiers based on the number of users and features needed. The price range is typically between $49 and $99 per user per month, billed annually.

Pros
  • Easy to use
  • Powerful features
  • Scalable
  • Adobe product integration
  • Good customer support
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Complex interface
  • Limited customization
  • Basic reporting
  • Occasional bugs
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$9/User, Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
$49/User, Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small
Medium
Large
Small
Medium
Large
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
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
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
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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  • Improved project visibility: Gain real-time insights into project progress, resource allocation, and potential roadblocks, with clear and intuitive dashboards.
  • Enhanced team collaboration: Facilitate seamless communication and coordination between team members, regardless of location, through shared calendars, task lists, and file storage.
  • Reduced administrative overhead: Automate routine tasks like email notifications, approvals, and status updates, freeing up time for more strategic work.
  • Improved project outcomes: Deliver projects on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards, with improved visibility and communication.
  • Increased agility and responsiveness: Adapt quickly to changing priorities and market demands, with flexible and customizable workflows.
  • Enhanced decision-making: Make data-driven decisions based on accurate and up-to-date information readily available within the platform.
  • Improved resource utilization: Optimize resource allocation and ensure that the right people are working on the right tasks, through real-time resource management tools.
  • Reduced risk: Identify and mitigate potential risks early in the project lifecycle, through proactive risk management capabilities.
  • Improved customer satisfaction: Deliver projects that meet or exceed customer expectations, with clear communication and transparent project timelines.
  • Increased profitability: Improve project efficiency and effectiveness, leading to increased profitability and resource utilization.
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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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  • Project Management: Create and manage projects with ease, using Gantt charts, task dependencies, and real-time reporting.
  • Resource Management: Visualize resource availability, track time spent on tasks, and optimize workforce allocation.
  • Collaboration Tools: Facilitate seamless communication and collaboration between team members through discussions, comments, and file sharing.
  • Proofing & Approvals: Streamline the review and approval process with online proofing tools and version control.
  • Workflow Automation: Automate routine tasks such as email notifications, approvals, and status updates.
  • Reporting & Analytics: Gain valuable insights into project performance with comprehensive reports and dashboards.
  • Integrations: Integrate with a variety of other Adobe and third-party applications to streamline your workflow.
  • Mobile Apps: Access Workfront on the go with native mobile apps for iOS and Android.
  • Enterprise-Grade Security: Securely store sensitive data and control user access with robust security features.
  • Scalability: Workfront scales to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, from small teams to large enterprises.
  • Customizable Interface: Tailor Workfront to your specific needs with a customizable interface and workflows.
  • AI-Powered Insights: Leverage AI-powered insights to predict potential risks, optimize resource allocation, and improve decision-making.
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Product Ranking

#5

among all
Project Management Software

#73

among all
Project Management Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

81
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88
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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Smartsheet
Adobe Workfront
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Customizations Dashboards And Reporting Mobile Capabilities Platform Features Project Planning And Scheduling Project Tracking Task Management Team Collaboration Time Tracking And Management 83 80 88 92 78 96 85 77 56 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 22301 reviews
Great User Sentiment 1100 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.

86%
of users recommend this product

Adobe Workfront has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 1100 user reviews from 1 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (20)
n/a
4.4 (17366)
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4.5 (3333)
4.3 (1100)
4.7 (728)
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4.3 (854)
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Awards

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

Mobile Capabilities Award
Project Tracking Award

No awards.

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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Improved Project Visibility: Gain real-time insights into project progress, resource allocation, and potential roadblocks with clear and intuitive dashboards.
Enhanced Team Collaboration: Facilitate seamless communication and coordination between team members, regardless of location, through shared calendars, task lists, and file storage.
Reduced Administrative Overhead: Automate routine tasks such as email notifications, approvals, and status updates, freeing up time for more strategic work.
Improved Project Outcomes: Deliver projects on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards, with improved visibility and communication.
Increased Agility and Responsiveness: Adapt quickly to changing priorities and market demands with flexible and customizable workflows.
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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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Expensive: The annual subscription fee can be costly for small businesses or individual users.
Complex Interface: The interface can be overwhelming for new users and require significant training.
Limited Customization: While customizable, Workfront might not be able to accommodate highly complex or unique workflows without considerable configuration and development effort.
Basic Reporting: While offering reports and insights, Workfront's reporting capabilities might not provide the level of detail and granularity needed for all users and specific needs.
Occasional Bugs: Users have reported occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt workflow.
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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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User reviews paint a mixed picture of Adobe Workfront, highlighting its strengths in project visibility, collaboration, and automation, but also noting its complexity, cost, and limited customization options. One user praised its ability to "streamline communication and keep everyone on the same page," while another found it "too complex and overwhelming for smaller teams." In terms of cost, some users felt Workfront was "worth the investment" due to its "increased efficiency and ROI," while others found it "expensive compared to similar products." A recurring theme was Workfront's differentiation from competitors through its "tight integration with Adobe Creative Cloud," particularly beneficial for creative teams. While some users found Workfront's "reporting capabilities basic" compared to competitors like Microsoft Project, others appreciated its "intuitive dashboards and real-time insights." Overall, user reviews suggest Workfront is a powerful tool for teams seeking improved project management, but its complexity and cost may deter smaller businesses or those with simpler workflows. The decision ultimately comes down to individual needs and priorities, but Workfront's strengths in collaboration, visibility, and Adobe integration are undeniable for users seeking a comprehensive solution.

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