- What Smartsheet's plans page shows
- The free part: Contributors
- How the free trial works
- What to test in 30 days
- The catch: plan for the end of the trial
- Free options if Smartsheet isn't for you
- Who Smartsheet suits
- Members, Contributors and Guests in plain English
- What Pro includes for a small team
- Frequently asked questions
No, Smartsheet doesn't list a free plan. Its plans page shows Pro, Business, Enterprise and Advanced Work Management, with a 30 day free trial that needs no credit card, and it says Contributors on its plans are free.
Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-style work management tool, used to track projects with Gantt charts, boards and calendars. Smartsheet's current plans page doesn't show a free tier. What it does show is a trial and a way for other people to work in your sheets without a seat of their own. Here's how that works and what to try during the trial.
What Smartsheet's plans page shows
| Pro | Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Members | 1 to 10 | 3 or more |
| Free Contributors | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Free Guests | No | Unlimited |
| Views | Gantt, table, board and calendar | Adds timeline view and workload tracking |
| Sheets, forms and reports | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| File and attachment storage | 20 GB | 1 TB |
| Largest single attachment | 30 MB | 250 MB |
| Publish sheets, reports and dashboards | No | Yes |
| Sheets per report | 1 | Unlimited |
There's no Free column in that table. Enterprise and Advanced Work Management sit above Business for larger organisations.
The free part: Contributors
Smartsheet's Pro plan says it includes unlimited free Contributors, and Business includes unlimited free Guests and Contributors. In other words, the person who builds the sheets needs a Member seat, while the people you share them with can join without one.
That's the realistic way to use Smartsheet for free. If a client or partner already runs their projects in Smartsheet and shares a sheet with you, you can work in it as a Contributor without starting a plan of your own. Smartsheet notes that what each user type can do depends on the plan, so ask the sheet owner what access they've given you.
How the free trial works
- Go to Smartsheet's plans page and choose Try for free.
- You get 30 days, and Smartsheet says no credit card is required.
- Build one real project rather than a demo, so you learn whether the tool fits.
- Invite at least one person, so you see how sharing and Contributors work.
- Before day 30, decide whether to choose a plan or export your data.
What to test in 30 days
- Gantt view, if you plan projects against dates and dependencies.
- Forms that drop answers straight into a sheet, which cut down email back and forth.
- Automations, such as reminders when a date is close.
- Dashboards, if you need to show clients progress at a glance.
- Conversations and comments, so the discussion lives on the task rather than in your inbox.
If your projects are simpler than that, a board might be all you need. My guide to a free kanban board covers tools you can use without a trial clock running.
The catch: plan for the end of the trial
A trial is a deadline, not a plan. Smartsheet doesn't show a free tier to drop back to, so the real question is whether you'll choose a plan when the 30 days end. Put a reminder in your calendar a few days before, and if you're not convinced, export your sheets so the work you've done isn't stuck.
Free options if Smartsheet isn't for you
If you want a project tool you can keep using with no trial at all, look at tools that do list a free plan. My roundup of Smartsheet alternatives compares the main options, including several with free tiers for small teams.
A shared spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets also does a surprising amount for a small team. You lose Gantt charts and automations, but you keep everything in one place with nothing to renew.
Who Smartsheet suits
Smartsheet suits teams who already think in spreadsheets and need Gantt charts, forms and dashboards on top. It's a weaker fit for a solo business owner looking for a free task list, because there's no free plan to stay on.
Members, Contributors and Guests in plain English
Smartsheet's plans page separates three kinds of people. Members are the seats on your plan: Pro allows 1 to 10, and Business needs at least 3. Contributors are listed as unlimited and free on Pro and Business. Guests are listed as unlimited and free on Business, and not on Pro.
For a small business, that structure means one or two Members can run the workspace while clients and freelancers join as Contributors. Before you share a sheet, decide who needs to build sheets, which takes a Member seat, and who only needs to work in what you've built.
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Smartsheet's comparison also shows Members capped at 10 on Pro. If your team is bigger than that, Business is the next step, and its larger storage of 1 TB and 250 MB attachments helps if you share big files.
What Pro includes for a small team
Smartsheet's Pro plan lists Gantt, table, board and calendar views, rich formulas, conversational AI features and unlimited sheets, forms and reports. For a team of up to 10 Members, that covers the core project views. The limits that tend to matter are publishing, which Pro doesn't include, and the single sheet per report, which Business lifts.
My verdict: Smartsheet isn't free, apart from the 30 day trial and the free Contributor access when someone shares a sheet with you. Use the trial on a real project, set a reminder before it ends, and pick a tool with a free plan if you need one long term.
Frequently asked questions
Does Smartsheet have a free plan?
Smartsheet's plans page doesn't list one. It shows Pro, Business, Enterprise and Advanced Work Management, plus a 30 day free trial.
How long is the Smartsheet free trial?
30 days. Smartsheet says no credit card is required.
Are Smartsheet Contributors free?
Yes. Smartsheet says its Pro plan includes unlimited free Contributors, and Business includes unlimited free Guests and Contributors.
How much storage does Smartsheet Pro include?
Smartsheet lists 20 GB of file and attachment storage on Pro, with a 30 MB limit per attachment. Business lists 1 TB and 250 MB.
Can Smartsheet Pro publish dashboards?
No. Smartsheet's comparison table shows publishing sheets, reports and dashboards on Business and above, not Pro.
How many Members does Smartsheet Pro allow?
Smartsheet's plans page shows 1 to 10 Members on Pro and at least 3 on Business, with unlimited free Contributors on both.
