Smartsheet vs. Jira

Smartsheet and Jira are two of the most popular project management solutions used by numerous organizations and businesses all over the world. If you’re looking for a project management software, one of these options might be ideal for your needs.

Smartsheet is an award winning software with features that go beyond plain project planning. Jira is a powerful solution that can be connected with countless useful applications to meet the demands of your business.

We’ll compare the features of Smartsheet and Jira in this article to help you determine what each software is capable of.

If you want to further your research, use our Software Selection Tool to quickly get a free list of recommended project management solutions tailored to your needs.

An overview of Smartsheet vs. Jira

Smartsheet is an end-to-end work execution platform. It has features that can help teams collaborate, manage, and report on work in real time. Other features include activity log, multiple views, resource management, budget tracking, strategic planning, and mobile access. This software solution can automate workflows and deploy new processes. Smartsheet has mid-range priced plans. It is a great choice for small teams to large corporations.

While Jira is more commonly known as a bug and issue tracking software, it’s much more than that. Jira is  a project management software with features for task management, calendar, automation, roadmaps, reporting, dashboards, and mobile access. Jira has affordable priced plans and offers a free version for teams with up to 10 users. This software is ideal for any size: freelancer to enterprise.

Read also: 8 Kanban Tools for Project Managers and Developers 

Features comparison

Both Smartsheet and Jira have features for task management, reporting, and mobile access:

Task management

Smartsheet’s task management feature lets you assign and monitor tasks in a number of different ways. Choose how you want to see tasks by switching between grid, card, Gantt, or calendar views. To adjust start or end dates or build dependencies between tasks, simply drag and drop. Communicate important information with the right individuals using comments and @mentions. You can attach files from Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox to your tasks.

Jira lets you manage tasks using Kanban boards, Scrum boards, and Roadmaps. You can designate assignees to each task on the Kanban boards. Both Kanban boards and Scrum boards can be viewed by all team members, so everyone is aware of what others are working on. Files may be attached to tasks, too. With the Scrum board, teams are assigned a timeframe of usually two weeks — teams should be able to complete the task assigned within the given timeframe. With Jira, projects or tasks may be sliced into stages for better monitoring and transparency.

Reporting

With Smartsheet, users can compile information from multiple sheets and select the data they want to display through reports. You can create and manage reports in the system and, depending on your permission level, view or edit reports created by others. There are two types of reports available in Smartsheet: Row Reports and Sheet Summary Reports. Row Reports collect row information from multiple sheets while Sheet Summary Reports displays the overview data from multiple sheets. Reports in Smartsheet may be shared with others as email attachments and published on the web.

Jira lets you view important project management data as a whole through reports. There are numerous types of reports Jira has, including burn down charts, time tracking reports, and user workload reports. Burn down charts are used for tracking the total amount of work that is yet to be completed. Time tracking reports are for monitoring the time estimates for issues in the current project. User workload reports are for tracking the workload assigned to each user. Jira reports can be shared via links that will let the recipient view the report using a web browser or by embedding them in a page.

Mobile access

Smartsheet’s mobile app is downloadable from the App Store and Google Play Store. This app lets you update information in the system and track real-time progress on the Smartsheet dashboard on the go. You can collaborate with your team on projects, automate workflows, and plan projects. Capture and upload images, scan barcodes, and stay updated with the through your mobile device.

The Jira mobile app is available on the App Store and Google Play Store as well. It lets you search and browse your projects and boards, along with all issues or tasks your team is working on. You can create tasks and add them to your projects. Add comments on tasks and tag other team members using @mentions. Filter the tasks to find specific issues and projects and stay up to date with real-time push notifications sent straight to your mobile.

Integrations

Smarsheet has integrations with applications for customer support, chat, business intelligence, payroll, and mobile app creation:

• Zendesk
• Microsoft Teams
• Tableau
• AppSheet
• Rippling

Jira has a broader integration possibility. It integrates with more than 3,000 business platforms and tools. Some of these tools are for team communication, visual collaboration, remote support, video conferencing, and time tracking:

• Zoom
• Trello
• Hubstaff
• Slack
• TeamViewer

The better project management software for your business

It’s undeniable that Smartsheet and Jira both have valuable features that can facilitate smoother project management for your business. To find the better choice, you might want to consider the software that better fits your project management processes.

Smartsheet is easy to use and has an activity log feature that’s useful if you want to be informed on the details of everything that happens in your project. This feature lets you track tasks and see who made which changes and when on sheets, reports, and dashboards. Jira has more to offer when it comes to reports and integrations, though. So, if you’re looking for the choice you can connect more applications into, Jira might be the better choice for you.

If you would like to see more project management solutions, use our Project Management Selection Tool and get a free list of five recommended software vendors for you.