Knack vs SmartSuite Comparison
Compare Knack vs SmartSuite features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Knack
6.6/10
Knack is a no-code platform for building database-driven web apps, portals and project trackers, priced per plan rather than per user.
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 | 6.6/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $59/mo Starter | $20/user/mo Team |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $59/mo Starter | $200/mo Team |
| Features | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Client collaboration | ||
| Dashboards | ||
| Databases | ||
| File sharing | ||
| Kanban boards | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Scheduling | ||
| Spreadsheet interface | ||
| Timeline view | ||
| Workflow automation | ||
| Collaboration tools | Not listed | |
| Docs | Not listed | |
| Gantt charts | Not listed | |
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
| Team messaging | Not listed | |
| Time tracking | Not listed | |
| Whiteboards | Not listed | |
Knack vs SmartSuite cost by team size
Knack costs less from 5 users.
| Team size | Knack | SmartSuite |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $59/moStarter | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | $59/moStarter | $100/moTeam |
| 10 users | $59/moStarter | $200/moTeam |
| 25 users | $59/moStarter | $500/moTeam |
| 50 users | $59/moStarter | $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 Knack
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: $59/mo vs $200/mo
- Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for startups (6/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose SmartSuite
- Higher Security score (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (7/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
Knack
Pros
- Pricing is by plan, not per user, so apps can be shared with many users or external clients at no extra seat cost.
- Reviewers say non-coders can build relational, feature-rich apps without writing code.
- Front ends include calendars, maps, Kanban boards, charts and dashboards for tracking projects.
- Knack's site lists SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA and GDPR compliance, plus SSO.
- Client and vendor portals with role-based logins are a core use case.
Cons
- It is a general app builder, so project management features such as Gantt charts and time tracking are not ready out of the box.
- Reviewers report slower performance and limited customization on larger, complex apps.
- Users have complained that there is no change log for edits made in the builder.
- A competitor's comparison rates its workflow automation as basic and says it relies on Zapier for many integrations.
- The Starter plan is capped at 3 apps and 20,000 records, and promotional prices rise after 3 months.
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 6.6/10 for Knack. The largest gap is in Security: 7/10 for Knack and 9/10 for SmartSuite.
Knack costs less for 10 users: about $59/mo on its Starter plan, against about $200/mo on its Team plan for SmartSuite, billed monthly.
No, neither Knack nor SmartSuite lists a free plan.
SmartSuite is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 7/10 for them, against 5/10 for Knack.
