Migrating from Smartsheet to GitLab
GitLab scores 4.5/5 on G2 — 0.1 points ahead of Smartsheet (4.4/5). If you're making the switch, here's how to migrate your team from Smartsheet to GitLab step by step.
At a Glance
- 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
- Single platform covering the entire DevSecOps lifecycle — source code, CI/CD, security scanning, monitoring, and project management in one tool, eliminating toolchain complexity
- Best-in-class CI/CD with Auto DevOps, merge trains, multi-project pipelines, and native Kubernetes integration for seamless deployment workflows
- Strong self-managed option with full feature parity — ideal for enterprises with strict data sovereignty, air-gapped environments, or compliance requirements
You gain with GitLab
- +roadmapping
- +sprint planning
- +backlog management
- +time tracking
You leave behind
- −Gantt charts
- −mobile app
Migration Steps
Audit and export your current workspace
Before touching GitLab, document what lives in Smartsheet: projects and tasks, custom fields, automations, integrations, and team permissions. Export a full CSV backup — most tools support this from Settings → Export. Pay particular attention to any custom fields and workflow automations that your team relies on daily.
Set up your GitLab workspace
Create your GitLab workspace and replicate your project structure using epics, stories, and sprints. GitLab starts at $29/user/mo/user/mo with a free tier available — budget $20/user/mo more per user. Run with a single pilot team before migrating everyone.
Map your workflow equivalents
Find the closest GitLab equivalent for each Smartsheet feature your team relies on. projects and tasks in Smartsheet maps to epics, stories, and sprints in GitLab. GitLab supports custom fields — recreate your Smartsheet field schema here first. Prioritise the critical path: task creation, status tracking, and assignment.
Import your data
GitLab supports CSV import for tasks and projects and has 20+ native integrations. After importing, rebuild your key automations — GitLab's automation engine can replicate most rules you had in Smartsheet. Start with your most active project rather than importing everything at once.
Onboard your team
Run a 30-minute walkthrough covering the daily workflow: how to create epics, stories, and sprints, update status, and find your board. GitLab has a steeper learning curve. Budget 2–3 weeks for full adoption and schedule follow-up sessions after week one.
Run Smartsheet in parallel for two weeks
Keep Smartsheet read-only while your team works primarily in GitLab. This reduces risk and lets people reference historical context — old decisions, archived tickets, past sprint data — without slowing the migration. After two weeks with no new work going into Smartsheet, archive the workspace and make GitLab the official home.
Ready to switch?
Read the full GitLab review for pricing, integrations, and team fit details.