Flat-rate subscription, not per-user. Two plans give unlimited users access at a fixed monthly price, billed monthly or annually. · From $45 per month (Essential plan, unlimited users, billed annually)
Best for: Agencies and small-to-mid businesses that want flat-rate pricing for unlimited users plus built-in file proofing for client approvals.
subscription (per-user, tiered, plus enterprise) · From $9 per user per month (Pro plan, billed annually)
Best for: Teams comfortable with a spreadsheet interface that need workflow automation, dashboards, and enterprise-grade reliability.
At a Glance
Microsoft Project
ProofHub
Smartsheet
Primary category
Project Management
Project Management
Project Management
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Subscription
Flat-rate subscription, not per-user. Two plans give unlimited users access at a fixed monthly price, billed monthly or annually.
subscription (per-user, tiered, plus enterprise)
Starting price
$10/user/month (Project Plan 1)
$45 per month (Essential plan, unlimited users, billed annually)
$9 per user per month (Pro plan, billed annually)
Free plan
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Yes
Platforms
Web, Windows
Web, iOS, Android
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Yes
Public API
Yes
Not documented
Yes
Standout Differences
ProofHub is the only flat-rate option
ProofHub charges one fixed monthly price covering unlimited users, rather than the per-user pricing used by Microsoft Project and Smartsheet, which can make it cheaper for larger teams or those working with many external clients.
ProofHub
Microsoft Project goes deepest on formal scheduling
Only Microsoft Project offers dedicated critical-path scheduling, resource leveling, and portfolio-level demand management on its top Plan 5 tier, reflecting its roots as enterprise PMO software.
Microsoft Project
Smartsheet trades PM-specific depth for spreadsheet familiarity and scale
Smartsheet's grid interface lowers the learning curve for non-PM staff, and its Business plan adds workflow automation and no-code WorkApps, but it doesn't document dedicated resource-leveling and critical-path tools like Microsoft Project.
Smartsheet
ProofHub bundles proofing that neither competitor documents
ProofHub's built-in tool for reviewing, marking up, and approving creative files like images and PDFs is a differentiator for marketing and creative agencies that neither Microsoft Project nor Smartsheet offers.
ProofHub
Ownership status has shifted for two of the three
Microsoft Project remains part of publicly traded Microsoft, while Smartsheet went private again in January 2025 after Vista Equity Partners and Blackstone's 8.4 billion dollar acquisition; ProofHub has stayed an independent, bootstrapped company throughout.
Microsoft Project, Smartsheet
Feature-by-Feature
Scheduling and Views
Feature
Microsoft Project
ProofHub
Smartsheet
Gantt chart scheduling
Available
Available
Available
Dedicated critical-path / resource leveling
Available
Not documented
Not documented
Multiple views (board, calendar, table)
Available
Available
Available
Collaboration and Review
Feature
Microsoft Project
ProofHub
Smartsheet
Built-in time tracking
Available
Available
Not documented
Online proofing / creative file approval
Not documented
Available
Not documented
Built-in group chat / discussions
Not documented
Available
Not documented
Pricing and Automation
Feature
Microsoft Project
ProofHub
Smartsheet
Flat-rate pricing with unlimited users
Unavailable
Available
Unavailable
Workflow automation engine
Not documented
Not documented
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Microsoft Project
Project Plan 1 — $10/user/month Monthly or annual
Project Plan 3 — $30/user/month Monthly or annual
Project Plan 5 — $55/user/month Monthly or annual
ProofHub
Essential — $45/month Monthly or annual (flat rate)
Ultimate Control — From approximately $89/month (introductory), standard rate near $150/month Monthly or annual (flat rate)
Smartsheet
Pro — $9 per user per month annual (billed monthly at $12/user/month)
Business — $32 per user per month annual
Enterprise — Custom annual
Pros & Cons
Microsoft Project
Pros
Deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps teams already use
Powerful, industry-standard Gantt and critical-path scheduling
Scales from small team task tracking to enterprise portfolio management
Familiar to generations of project managers trained on the .mpp format
Strong reporting via native Power BI connectors
Cons
Steep learning curve for advanced scheduling features
Desktop client requires Windows; no native macOS desktop app
Pricing per user can get expensive for large teams needing Plan 3 or 5
Less intuitive than modern visual PM tools like Asana or monday.com for simple task tracking
Enterprise portfolio features require add-on licensing and setup complexity
ProofHub
Pros
Flat-rate pricing with unlimited users can be significantly cheaper than per-seat competitors for larger teams
Combines task management, time tracking, proofing, and chat in one platform, reducing tool sprawl
Built-in proofing tool is a genuine differentiator for agencies managing creative client approvals
No long-term contracts required, with cancel-anytime flexibility and a no-credit-card-required free trial
Cons
Interface and feature depth can feel less modern or polished compared to newer competitors like ClickUp or monday.com
Fewer native third-party integrations than larger project management platforms
Advanced workflow customization and higher storage limits require the pricier Ultimate Control plan
As a smaller, privately held company, release cadence and roadmap transparency are less publicly documented than larger competitors
Smartsheet
Pros
Low learning curve for teams already comfortable with spreadsheets
Used at scale by a large share of Fortune 500 companies, indicating strong enterprise reliability
Flexible enough to support project management, resource planning, and lightweight app-building on one platform
Strong automation and reporting capabilities reduce manual status updates
Cons
Business plan pricing at 32 dollars per user per month can get expensive for large teams compared to some competitors
Pro plan's user cap limits its usefulness for larger deployments without upgrading
Spreadsheet-based interface can feel limiting for teams that need more visual, board-based project views without add-ons
Now privately held after the 2025 Vista Equity Partners and Blackstone acquisition, which may affect long-term public roadmap transparency
Use Cases
Choose Microsoft Project: Mid-size to large organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365 that need formal critical-path scheduling and Power BI reporting.
Choose ProofHub: Agencies and small-to-mid businesses that want flat-rate pricing for unlimited users plus built-in file proofing for client approvals.
Choose Smartsheet: Teams comfortable with a spreadsheet interface that need workflow automation, dashboards, and enterprise-grade reliability.
Microsoft Project
Enterprise PMO portfolio management — Prioritize, sequence, and optimize a portfolio of competing projects with demand management and capacity tools.
Construction and engineering scheduling — Track detailed task dependencies, critical paths, and resource costs on large builds.
IT and software delivery scheduling — Coordinate cross-functional IT project timelines alongside Teams and SharePoint.
ProofHub
Agency client collaboration and approvals — Creative and marketing agencies use ProofHub's proofing tools and flat-rate unlimited-user pricing to collaborate with clients on file reviews and approvals without extra per-seat costs.
Small business all-in-one project management — Small and mid-size businesses consolidate task management, time tracking, chat, and file storage into ProofHub instead of paying for multiple separate tools.
Large teams needing predictable costs — Organizations with many team members, contractors, or external collaborators use ProofHub's flat pricing to avoid unpredictable per-seat cost growth as headcount increases.
Smartsheet
Enterprise project and portfolio tracking — Project management offices use Smartsheet to track multiple projects, dependencies, and resource allocation across departments.
Marketing campaign management — Marketing teams use sheets, forms, and dashboards to plan campaigns, collect creative requests, and report on status to leadership.
IT and operations workflow automation — IT teams build lightweight WorkApps and automated workflows on top of Smartsheet data to manage tickets, approvals, and asset tracking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Microsoft Project or Smartsheet charge per user, or can I get unlimited users like ProofHub?
Both Microsoft Project and Smartsheet use per-user subscription pricing that scales with headcount. ProofHub is the outlier, charging one flat monthly fee, Essential at $45 per month or Ultimate Control from about $89 to $150 per month, that covers unlimited users.
Which of these three is best for agencies managing client approvals?
ProofHub is the clearest fit, since it has a built-in proofing tool for reviewing, marking up, and approving creative files like images and PDFs directly in the platform, a feature neither Microsoft Project nor Smartsheet documents.
Can ProofHub or Smartsheet replace Microsoft Project for enterprise portfolio management?
Not fully. Microsoft Project's top Plan 5 tier adds portfolio selection, demand management, and enterprise resource planning that neither ProofHub nor Smartsheet's documented feature sets match, though Smartsheet's Business and Enterprise tiers add automation and governance features aimed at larger organizations.
Do any of these tools include native chat or team messaging?
ProofHub is the only one with built-in group chat and discussions. Microsoft Project relies on Microsoft Teams integration rather than native chat, and Smartsheet doesn't document a built-in messaging feature.
Is Smartsheet still a good choice for spreadsheet-style teams after its 2025 acquisition?
The product itself hasn't changed: Smartsheet still offers its familiar grid interface, automatic Gantt views, and dashboards. The main change is ownership, since Vista Equity Partners and Blackstone took the company private in January 2025 after it had traded publicly on the NYSE since 2018.