ClickUp vs SmartSuite Comparison
Compare ClickUp vs SmartSuite features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
ClickUp
7.1/10
ClickUp is a work management platform with tasks, docs, chat, automations, AI agents and a CRM layer for contacts, companies and deals, aimed at business teams.
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 | 7.1/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Cost | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $12/user/mo Core | $20/user/mo Team |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free Forever | $200/mo Team |
| Features | ||
| App integrations | Not listed | |
| Client collaboration | Not listed | |
| Collaboration tools | Not listed | |
| Dashboards | Not listed | |
| Databases | Not listed | |
| Docs | Not listed | |
| File sharing | Not listed | |
| Gantt charts | Not listed | |
| Kanban boards | Not listed | |
| Reporting | Not listed | |
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Spreadsheet interface | Not listed | |
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
| Team messaging | Not listed | |
| Time tracking | Not listed | |
| Timeline view | Not listed | |
| Whiteboards | Not listed | |
| Workflow automation | Not listed | |
| More features | ||
| Collaboration | Not listed | |
| Lead Management | Not listed | |
| Integrations | Not listed | |
| Sales Automation | Not listed | |
| Opportunity Management | Not listed | |
| Contact Management | Not listed | |
| Reporting & Analytics | Not listed | |
| Mobile Access | Not listed | |
ClickUp vs SmartSuite cost by team size
ClickUp costs less from 5 users.
| Team size | ClickUp | SmartSuite |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree Forever | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | FreeFree Forever | $100/moTeam |
| 10 users | FreeFree Forever | $200/moTeam |
| 25 users | FreeFree Forever | $500/moTeam |
| 50 users | FreeFree Forever | $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 ClickUp
- Has a free plan (SmartSuite does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $200/mo
- Higher Cost score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Integration score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for startups (8/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose SmartSuite
- Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for healthcare (7/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
ClickUp
Pros
- Deals can become delivery projects in the same workspace, which suits agencies and consultancies that sell and deliver client work.
- The free plan allows unlimited members and unlimited tasks, so small teams can try the platform before paying.
- Custom fields, task types, many views and automations let teams model most pipelines and processes without code.
- Enterprise security options include SAML, SCIM, audit logs, data residency and HIPAA support with a BAA.
Cons
- It is not a dedicated CRM. Reviewers report needing Zapier automations for CRM workflows, and the CRM page does not confirm email sync or native calling.
- Reviewers report a steep learning curve and say new users need hours of training to become proficient.
- G2 and Capterra reviewers report bugs, slow performance and support replies that do not resolve problems.
- The late-2026 pricing change raised per-user list prices for new workspaces, and heavy AI use requires buying extra credits.
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 7.1/10 for ClickUp. The largest gap is in Ease of Use: 5/10 for ClickUp and 7/10 for SmartSuite.
ClickUp costs less for 10 users: free on its Free Forever plan, against about $200/mo on its Team plan for SmartSuite, billed monthly.
ClickUp has a free plan; SmartSuite does not list one.
ClickUp is the better fit for startups: we rate it 8/10 for them, against 4/10 for SmartSuite.
