Grist vs SmartSuite Comparison
Compare Grist vs SmartSuite features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Grist
6.8/10
Grist is an open-source relational spreadsheet-database with Python formulas, available as a cloud service or self-hosted, for teams building custom trackers and lightweight apps.
SmartSuite
7.3/10
SmartSuite is a no-code work management platform that teams use to build project, process and operations solutions with views, automations and AI agents.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.8/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Scalability | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $10/user/mo Pro | $20/user/mo Team |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free | $200/mo Team |
| Features | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Client collaboration | ||
| Collaboration tools | ||
| Dashboards | ||
| Databases | ||
| File sharing | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Scheduling | ||
| Spreadsheet interface | ||
| Task lists | ||
| Timeline view | ||
| Workflow automation | ||
| Docs | Not listed | |
| Gantt charts | Not listed | |
| Kanban boards | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
| Team messaging | Not listed | |
| Time tracking | Not listed | |
| Whiteboards | Not listed | |
Grist vs SmartSuite cost by team size
Grist costs less from 5 users.
| Team size | Grist | SmartSuite |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | FreeFree | $100/moTeam |
| 10 users | FreeFree | $200/moTeam |
| 25 users | FreeSelf-hosted Community | $500/moTeam |
| 50 users | FreeSelf-hosted Community | $1,000/moTeam |
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?
Why choose Grist
- Has a free plan (SmartSuite does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $200/mo
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for freelancers (6/10 vs 3/10)
- Better fit for startups (7/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose SmartSuite
- Higher Scalability score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Security score (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for mid-market (8/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
Grist
Pros
- Python formulas and relational references give more modelling power than ordinary spreadsheets.
- The open-source core can be self-hosted for free, which is useful for privacy-sensitive organisations.
- The free tier allows unlimited documents and up to 10 members.
- Linked widgets (table, card, chart, calendar, form, custom) let teams build tailored project apps.
- Reviewers praise the responsive support team and active community.
Cons
- There are no built-in Kanban or Gantt views, so project workflows must be assembled by hand.
- Per-document record caps (5,000 on Free, 150,000 on Business) limit large datasets.
- The company has acknowledged performance concerns with large databases.
- Automations require the $30-per-user Business plan, which has a five-user minimum.
- Few public reviews exist, and no compliance certifications are listed.
SmartSuite
Pros
- The same records can be shown as grid, Kanban, Gantt, timeline, calendar, map and dashboard views without duplicating data.
- Its compliance coverage is unusually strong for the category, with ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA and GDPR audits plus a choice of US or EU data residency.
- Read-only users, commenters and form submitters are free, which lowers the cost of involving stakeholders.
- It ships more than 200 templates and an AI solution builder to speed up setup.
- Reviewers describe the support team as responsive.
Cons
- Team, Professional and Enterprise carry 3-, 5- and 25-seat minimums, and there is no free plan.
- The Team plan allows only 5,000 records per solution, and automation runs plus API calls are hard-capped each month.
- SAML SSO and SCIM are available only on Enterprise and Signature plans.
- There is no team chat or whiteboard, and external access is limited to read-only shared views.
- Reviewers say complex workflows and large data imports take real setup effort, and there are no native desktop apps.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
SmartSuite scores higher on our Project Management criteria: 7.3/10 against 6.8/10 for Grist. The largest gap is in Cost: 8/10 for Grist and 6/10 for SmartSuite.
Grist costs less for 10 users: free on its Free plan, against about $200/mo on its Team plan for SmartSuite, billed monthly.
Grist has a free plan; SmartSuite does not list one.
Grist is the better fit for freelancers: we rate it 6/10 for them, against 3/10 for SmartSuite.
