Azure DevOps vs Smartsheet: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Azure DevOps and Smartsheet to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Azure DevOps
7.2/10
Microsoft's cloud suite for software teams, combining Azure Boards agile planning with Git repos, CI/CD pipelines, test plans, artifacts and wikis.
Smartsheet
6.8/10
Spreadsheet-based work management platform that teams and enterprises use to plan projects, automate workflows, and report on portfolios.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | A Azure DevOps | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.2/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 4/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Analytics | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $6/user/mo Basic | $12/user/mo Pro |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Stakeholder | $120/mo Pro |
| Features | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Collaboration tools | ||
| Dashboards | ||
| File sharing | ||
| Kanban boards | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Spreadsheet interface | ||
| Task management | ||
| Timeline view | ||
| Client collaboration | Not listed | |
| Docs | Not listed | |
| Gantt charts | Not listed | |
| Knowledge base | Not listed | |
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Workflow automation | Not listed | |
Azure DevOps vs Smartsheet cost by team size
Azure DevOps costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Azure DevOps | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeStakeholder | $12/moPro |
| 5 users | FreeStakeholder | $60/moPro |
| 10 users | FreeStakeholder | $120/moPro |
| 25 users | FreeStakeholder | $600/moBusiness |
| 50 users | FreeStakeholder | $1,200/moBusiness |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
AWhy choose Azure DevOps
- Has a free plan (Smartsheet does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $120/mo
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Integration score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for startups (7/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose Smartsheet
- Higher Ease of Use score (6/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Customization score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for marketing teams (6/10 vs 3/10)
Pros & Cons
AAzure DevOps
Pros
- Free for up to five Basic users plus unlimited stakeholders, so small development teams can start at no cost.
- Work items link to branches, pull requests, builds, and releases, giving traceability from requirement to production.
- Process settings let teams add custom fields, work item types, and portfolio backlog levels.
- Analytics views feed Power BI, and configurable dashboards show burndown and trend reporting.
- Integrates with GitHub, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Excel, and has a large extension marketplace.
Cons
- Reviewers describe a steep learning curve and an interface that is less intuitive than simpler project management tools.
- Users report weak roadmap and portfolio views and limited progress rollup at the portfolio level.
- It is built for software teams and does not suit non-technical business projects.
- Add-ons such as Test Plans at $52 per user and extra pipeline jobs raise the total cost.
Smartsheet
Pros
- The spreadsheet grid feels familiar to Excel users and supports strong formulas across sheets.
- One sheet can be viewed as a grid, Gantt chart, board or calendar.
- Its compliance record is strong, including SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, FedRAMP and HIPAA support under a BAA on Enterprise.
- Dashboards can be shared with stakeholders who cannot open the underlying sheets.
- Bi-directional Jira and Salesforce connectors plus a well-documented API suit larger IT estates.
Cons
- There is no free plan, and reviewers on Capterra repeatedly call pricing high and restrictive for small teams.
- The 2024 to 2025 move to paid Member licensing ended free collaborators and raised costs for many existing customers.
- Advanced automations are complex to set up, according to reviewers.
- Key capabilities such as Dynamic View, Data Shuttle and Resource Management are sold as extra-cost add-ons or held for top tiers.
- Some users report slow dashboards and performance problems on large sheets.
- Pro allows 250 automations per month and caps teams at 10 Members.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Azure DevOps scores higher on our Project Management criteria: 7.2/10 against 6.8/10 for Smartsheet. The largest gap is in Cost: 8/10 for Azure DevOps and 4/10 for Smartsheet.
Azure DevOps costs less for 10 users: free on its Stakeholder plan, against about $120/mo on its Pro plan for Smartsheet, billed monthly.
Azure DevOps has a free plan; Smartsheet does not list one.
Azure DevOps is the better fit for freelancers: we rate it 5/10 for them, against 2/10 for Smartsheet.
