True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
Smartsheet saves you 10%
Best for Smartsheet
All-in-one project management with docs, whiteboards, and goals. Free plan is generous but paid plan
Best for ClickUp
Enterprise work management platform with spreadsheet-style UI. Per-user pricing from $9-$32/user/mo,
Enterprise work management platform with spreadsheet-style UI. Per-user pricing ...
Advertised
$9
/month
True Cost
$482
/month (typical)
Automation Action Limits
Pro: 250 automations/mo. Business: 10,000/mo. Enterprise: unlimited. Complex workflows with multiple...
Premium Connectors Add-On
Connectors for Jira, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Microsoft Dynamics cost $4,200/year per connector. ...
Dynamic View Add-On
Sharing filtered views with external stakeholders requires Dynamic View add-on, priced separately fr...
$9/mo annual
$19/mo annual
All-in-one project management with docs, whiteboards, and goals. Free plan is ge...
Advertised
$10
/month
True Cost
$37
/month (typical)
Per-Seat Multiplication
10 users × $7/mo = $70/mo, not $7/mo. Per-seat pricing makes team growth expensive. The headline '$7...
AI Brain Add-on
ClickUp Brain AI is a SEPARATE add-on: $9/user/mo (1,500 credits) or $28/user/mo (5,000 credits). NO...
60MB Storage on Free
Free plan has only 60MB total storage — the most restrictive of any PM tool. A few file attachments ...
Automation Cap on Business
Business plan caps at 5,000 automations/month. No published overage rate — automations stop. Enterpr...
$7/mo annual
$12/mo annual
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ClickUp advertises $10/mo. Smartsheet advertises $9/mo.
ClickUp has 4 documented hidden fees. Smartsheet has 3.
ClickUp confidence: 76%. Smartsheet confidence: 74%.
| Metric | Smartsheet | ClickUp | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $9/mo | $10/mo | Smartsheet |
| True Monthly Cost | $482/mo | $37/mo | ClickUp |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$473/mo | +$27/mo | ClickUp |
| # Hidden Fees | 3 | 4 | Smartsheet |
| Confidence Score | 74% | 76% | ClickUp |
| Pricing Tiers | 3 | 4 | — |
| Affiliate Program | None | 20% recurring | — |
Try the tool that fits your needs. Both offer free trials or free tiers.
Smartsheet advertises $9/mo and ClickUp advertises $10/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, Smartsheet has 3 documented hidden fees adding +$473/mo, while ClickUp has 4 hidden fees adding +$27/mo. Based on true cost, Smartsheet is typically 10% cheaper.
Smartsheet has 3 documented hidden fees: Automation Action Limits, Premium Connectors Add-On, Dynamic View Add-On. These add approximately +$473/mo on top of the $9/mo advertised price.
ClickUp has 4 documented hidden fees: Per-Seat Multiplication, AI Brain Add-on, 60MB Storage on Free, Automation Cap on Business. These add approximately +$27/mo on top of the $10/mo advertised price.
Choose Smartsheet if: All-in-one project management with docs, whiteboards, and goals. Free plan is generous but paid plan. Choose ClickUp if: Enterprise work management platform with spreadsheet-style UI. Per-user pricing from $9-$32/user/mo,. The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.
This comparison is based on manual research of official pricing pages, terms of service, and user reports. Smartsheet data has a 74% confidence score and ClickUp has 76%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
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