ToolStack

Smartsheet vs Linear

Side-by-side comparison · Updated 2026-03-30

Our VerdictSmartsheet wins overall

On G2 data, Smartsheet comes out ahead (4.4 vs Linear's 4.8). But Linear wins on price — so read the breakdown before deciding.

Choose Smartsheet if…

Choose Smartsheet if your team focuses on project tracking and resource management and fits a scaleup, enterprise profile. Starting at $9/user/mo/user/mo with a free tier. Spreadsheet-familiar interface makes adoption easy for teams transitioning from Excel — minimal training needed for basic use

Choose Linear if…

Choose Linear if your team focuses on issue tracking and sprint planning and fits a startup, scaleup profile. Starting at $8/user/mo/user/mo with a free tier. Exceptionally fast and responsive UI — keyboard-first design makes it the fastest issue tracker to use day-to-day, widely praised for buttery-smooth performance

Smartsheet
by Smartsheet
4.4
out of 5 · 21k+ G2 reviews
Visit Smartsheet ↗
Linear
by Linear
4.8
out of 5 · 800 G2 reviews
Visit Linear ↗

Feature Comparison

FeatureSmartsheetLinear
Category
work_management
issue_tracking
G2 Score
4.4 / 5.0
4.8 / 5.0Better
G2 Reviews
21000
800
Free Tier
Starting Price
$9/user/mo
$8/user/moBetter
Mobile App
AI Features
API Access
SSO / SAML
SOC 2
Learning Curve
moderate
easy
Platforms
web, mac, windows, ios, android
web, mac, windows, ios, android

Pros & Cons

Smartsheet

Pros
✓ Spreadsheet-familiar interface makes adoption easy for teams transitioning from Excel — minimal training needed for basic use
✓ Extremely powerful Gantt chart and dependency tracking capabilities, ideal for traditional project management and waterfall methodologies
✓ Robust automation engine with conditional logic, approval workflows, and automated notifications that scale across the organization
✓ Strong portfolio-level dashboards and reporting allow PMOs to aggregate data across dozens or hundreds of projects
Cons
✗ Not designed for agile/Scrum teams — lacks native sprint planning, backlog management, and velocity tracking
✗ Pricing can escalate quickly at scale since every collaborator who edits needs a licensed seat
✗ Sheet-based architecture creates data silos — cross-sheet references and formulas become complex and brittle at scale

Linear

Pros
✓ Exceptionally fast and responsive UI — keyboard-first design makes it the fastest issue tracker to use day-to-day, widely praised for buttery-smooth performance
✓ Opinionated, clean design reduces configuration overhead — teams can get productive within hours, not weeks
✓ Cycles (sprints) and Projects provide well-structured planning workflows with automatic progress tracking and burndown insights
✓ Excellent GitHub and GitLab integration with automatic issue state updates based on PR activity and branch naming
Cons
✗ Smaller integration ecosystem (~75 integrations) compared to Jira's 3,000+ — may require Zapier workarounds for niche tools
✗ Limited customization compared to Jira — opinionated workflows are great for speed but can feel restrictive for complex enterprise processes
✗ No native time tracking, resource management, or Gantt chart views — teams needing these must use external tools

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your needs. Smartsheet scores 4.4/5 on G2, while Linear scores 4.8/5. Smartsheet is better for project_tracking and resource_management, while Linear excels at issue_tracking and sprint_planning.
Smartsheet starts at $9/user/mo per user/month with a free tier. Linear starts at $8/user/mo per user/month with a free tier.
Smartsheet supports 150 integrations, while Linear supports 75.
Full Smartsheet Review →Full Linear Review →
Data verified 2026-03-30. Some links may be affiliate links — see disclosure.