SeaTable vs SmartSuite Comparison

Why choose SeaTable

• Has a free plan (SmartSuite does not)
• Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 6/10)
• Better fit for startups (7/10 vs 4/10)
• Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 6/10)

Why choose SmartSuite

• Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 5/10)
• Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 6/10)

SeaTable

Pros

• Can be self-hosted with Docker, with a free edition for 3 users, so organisations keep full control of their data.
• The cloud runs in German data centres and the company is EU-based, which reviewers say makes GDPR compliance easier.
• The free plan allows up to 25 users and 10,000 rows, which is generous compared with many spreadsheet-database tools.
• Kanban, Gantt, calendar and timeline plugins plus Python and JavaScript scripting allow flexible project workflows.
• Nonprofits and educational institutions get 50% off.

Cons

• Reviewers report a steep learning curve for new users.
• Reviewers say the API lacks features needed to use SeaTable as a backend for low-code apps.
• Many plan limits are metered per user, including API calls, automations and AI credits.
• A reviewer called the price jump from 25 to 50 self-hosted users steep, and individual views cannot be shared on the free cloud plan.
• It is a database builder, so there is no built-in time tracking, chat or docs for project management.

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.