Resource Management by Smartsheet vs Slack: Complete Comparison (2026)

Why choose Resource Management by Smartsheet

• Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 3/10)
• Better fit for consultancies (9/10 vs 7/10)
• Includes Time tracking, which Slack lacks

Why choose Slack

• Has a free plan (Resource Management by Smartsheet does not)
• Higher Integration score (10/10 vs 6/10)
• Higher Customization score (7/10 vs 4/10)
• Better fit for startups (8/10 vs 2/10)
• Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 3/10)

Resource Management by Smartsheet

Pros

• Heatmaps and a visual schedule show availability and percentage allocation across every project in one place.
• Comes with Time + Fees, Expense, Budget, and Utilization reports, so services firms do not have to build them.
• Placeholders and role-based planning let managers staff a project before naming people, and help forecast hiring.
• Reviewers say time logging and adding projects are easy, and that teams need little training.
• Connects to Smartsheet projects through Control Center and Advanced Reporting.

Cons

• Prices are not published, and it costs extra on top of a Smartsheet Business or Enterprise plan.
• Smartsheet's documentation says it has no task-level tracking, subtasks, dependencies, or Gantt views.
• Its dashboards cannot be customized, and permissions are set only at the project or account level.
• Reviewers report that exported data lands in the wrong fields and that work items cannot be tied to subphases.
• One reviewer reports a minimum purchase of 15 licences.

Slack

Pros

• The app ecosystem is very large, and tools such as ClickUp, Notion, HubSpot and Clockify can post updates into channels.
• Slack Connect lets teams work in shared channels with up to 250 outside organizations on paid plans.
• Compliance coverage is broad, including ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP Moderate and HIPAA configurability.
• Lists add table and board layouts with assignees, due dates and subtasks, without leaving chat.
• Workflow Builder automates routine requests and approvals without code.

Cons

• There are no native Gantt charts, dependencies, time tracking or portfolio reporting, so Slack doesn't replace a dedicated PM tool.
• Frequent notifications and busy channels can interrupt focus, a common complaint in reviews.
• The free plan keeps only 90 days of message history and allows 10 apps.
• Advanced AI features require Business+ or above, and per-user costs add up as teams grow.
• Reviewers report that finding older messages through search can be difficult.