The best alternative to Smartsheet
Smartsheet keeps work in sheets of rows and columns. Tallyfy turns each process into tasks, and every person gets a list of the ones that are theirs.
- Sign-off - A step can need every person on it to complete their part
- Design - We invented Workflow Made Easy ®
- Support - Get expert 1:1 help free, for life
- AI - Your own ChatGPT or Claude can complete steps inside a process
People ❤️ Tallyfy
Simple for everyone. Powerful enough for pros.
"We can finally delegate work with confidence and focus on growing the business.
"A paper-based approval for critical purchases could take a couple of days before if someone was waiting for a director to be available for a signature. Now approvals are often completed in minutes.
"Tallyfy has been transformative for us. It's reduced manual errors, sped up processes like onboarding, and helped us document workflows that are critical as we grow. The ability to track tasks and aggregate them in one place saves us so much time and ensures that nothing falls through the cracks.
"Tallyfy is intuitive, fun and visually appealing. We can quickly gather every detail we need from our client in order to finish it on time. All the documents, specific details and comments are in one place.
"It has become a regular thing that people say 'put that in Tallyfy'. They know it by name. It has become the executive approval tool for our company. We have bi-weekly Tallyfy calls where we review what needs approval and what is pending - it keeps everyone aligned.
"It used to take us two days to run monthly client campaigns, now, with the help of Tallyfy, we complete them in just a few hours!
"Tallyfy is a very reliable way to delegate and track tasks with confidence. It has taken the guesswork out of the equation and has helped our team focus on delivering a service within deadlines. Thank you for making my life much easier!
"Our clients and team sail through the Tallyfy process - there is no need for clients to log in, there is one link for everything they need to do, everything saves in real-time - it all works incredibly well! I can't imagine scaling our agency without Tallyfy.
"Tallyfy has revolutionized how we manage our marketing projects at West Community Credit Union. It allows us to quickly launch tailored campaigns and track every moving part, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. The ease of creating flexible, repeatable processes has saved us significant time and improved team collaboration.
"Tallyfy transformed how we manage client onboarding and policy renewals. It eliminated inefficiencies, reduced meeting times from hours to minutes, and helped us avoid costly penalties by automating key processes. We now have full visibility over tasks, and I no longer need to chase down updates - it's all right there.
"With Tallyfy, we have seen clarity in our processes as well as any bottlenecks. Tallyfy would be a good fit for any company that has a design, approval and implementation process that needs to have a quick turn around and that is growing fast.
"When asked for an update on a pending request, I would have had to look through several email threads, make phone calls, and often have to wait for a reply to give an accurate update. I can now go into Tallyfy and view all of the information in one place. In two seconds, I am able to update the requestor on the status of their order.
"Tallyfy has helped our team streamline the efficiency of our processes. We now have smooth processes from beginning to end - without any steps being forgotten or skipped.
"If you want to be efficient and scale your business then Tallyfy is the way go. There is no question about it.
"Routing multiple documents is far quicker and there's immediate accountability and oversight. After switching to Tallyfy, routing documents and layouts went from taking over a week to taking just 2-3 days.
"We can finally delegate work with confidence and focus on growing the business.
"A paper-based approval for critical purchases could take a couple of days before if someone was waiting for a director to be available for a signature. Now approvals are often completed in minutes.
"Tallyfy has been transformative for us. It's reduced manual errors, sped up processes like onboarding, and helped us document workflows that are critical as we grow. The ability to track tasks and aggregate them in one place saves us so much time and ensures that nothing falls through the cracks.
"Tallyfy is intuitive, fun and visually appealing. We can quickly gather every detail we need from our client in order to finish it on time. All the documents, specific details and comments are in one place.
"It has become a regular thing that people say 'put that in Tallyfy'. They know it by name. It has become the executive approval tool for our company. We have bi-weekly Tallyfy calls where we review what needs approval and what is pending - it keeps everyone aligned.
"It used to take us two days to run monthly client campaigns, now, with the help of Tallyfy, we complete them in just a few hours!
"Tallyfy is a very reliable way to delegate and track tasks with confidence. It has taken the guesswork out of the equation and has helped our team focus on delivering a service within deadlines. Thank you for making my life much easier!
"Our clients and team sail through the Tallyfy process - there is no need for clients to log in, there is one link for everything they need to do, everything saves in real-time - it all works incredibly well! I can't imagine scaling our agency without Tallyfy.
"Tallyfy has revolutionized how we manage our marketing projects at West Community Credit Union. It allows us to quickly launch tailored campaigns and track every moving part, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. The ease of creating flexible, repeatable processes has saved us significant time and improved team collaboration.
"Tallyfy transformed how we manage client onboarding and policy renewals. It eliminated inefficiencies, reduced meeting times from hours to minutes, and helped us avoid costly penalties by automating key processes. We now have full visibility over tasks, and I no longer need to chase down updates - it's all right there.
"With Tallyfy, we have seen clarity in our processes as well as any bottlenecks. Tallyfy would be a good fit for any company that has a design, approval and implementation process that needs to have a quick turn around and that is growing fast.
"When asked for an update on a pending request, I would have had to look through several email threads, make phone calls, and often have to wait for a reply to give an accurate update. I can now go into Tallyfy and view all of the information in one place. In two seconds, I am able to update the requestor on the status of their order.
"Tallyfy has helped our team streamline the efficiency of our processes. We now have smooth processes from beginning to end - without any steps being forgotten or skipped.
"If you want to be efficient and scale your business then Tallyfy is the way go. There is no question about it.
"Routing multiple documents is far quicker and there's immediate accountability and oversight. After switching to Tallyfy, routing documents and layouts went from taking over a week to taking just 2-3 days.
What switching from Smartsheet saves
What busywork costs your company
per week
per year
over 5 years
A board rebuilt by hand can come out different
Every run you launch from a Tallyfy template starts with the same steps.
Tallyfy vs. Smartsheet
Tallyfy runs recurring processes, such as onboarding and approvals.
The alternatives
Project and task management tools
When you edit a Tallyfy template, every process launched after that follows the new version.
AI readiness comparison
How Smartsheet and Tallyfy compare on AI-native capabilities
A run can start by hand, from a form, or when a task in another process is completed. Tallyfy has a live MCP server with 100+ tools that connects to ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot Studio.
Which tool is right for you?
Tallyfy is best for
- Processes you repeat, with clear steps
- Teams tired of keeping status in spreadsheets
- Organizations that want people to run each procedure step by step
- Teams that need a record of who completed each step and when
- Companies that want simple pricing
Consider Smartsheet for
- Teams who like working in a spreadsheet
- Complex projects with Gantt dependencies
- Managing people and resources across many projects
- Project offices that already run on sheets
Write it once, run it every time
Each run follows the same steps, and every change you make improves the next one.
Here's why people don't like Smartsheet
This is third party content sourced from the public web. You can verify this content if you wish. See our disclaimer and citations section below.
" The dashboard portions of the application took some getting used to.[1] "
" Some of the features can get complex and overwhelming for new users to navigate effectively.[2] "
" It is frustrating to contribute to the poorly designed Smartsheet because of the lead's limited knowledge.[3] "
" There is a lot to Smartsheet which can be intimidating to new users, and it's not the easiest to pick up with so many options.[4] "
" Users express frustration with various aspects of the service, particularly around pricing and customer support.[5] "
" I wish that reports weren't limited to 500 rows per page...I waste a lot of time saving and resaving documents.[6] "
" The interface feels outdated and clunky compared to modern project management tools. Integration setup is unnecessarily complicated.[7] "
" The new licensing model requires everyone within your organization to have a paid licence. We went from $600 per year to $4000 after their subscription redesign.[8] "
" A great tool, totally let down by zero support. 10+ year customer going nearly 2 weeks with no resolution. Would not recommend if you ever need support.[9] "
" When working as a team, the updates aren't always immediate, and sometimes you need to reload the whole tab. If several people work on the same file, some updates tend to get lost.[10] "
- 1 to 10 Members
- 250 automations per month
- 3+ Members
- Unlimited automations
- 10+ Members
- SAML-based SSO
- Control Center
- Premium Support
Tallyfy might not be right for you if...
- Tallyfy isn't a spreadsheet. There's no grid for entering data and no Excel-style formulas
- No Gantt chart dependencies for scheduling complex projects
- It doesn't do resource capacity planning or workload management
- No pivot tables
From rows in a sheet to steps people run
Each process is written once and run many times
| Status | Step | Assignee | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status: Completed Status: Active Status: Waiting Status: Conditional Status: Up next | 1. Document | TM Team member | |
| Status: Completed Status: Active Status: Waiting Status: Conditional Status: Up next | 2. Track why this works | AI AI agent | |
| Status: Completed Status: Active Status: Waiting Status: Conditional Status: Up next | 3. Improve | TM Team member |
Why Tallyfy is the AI control layer
Set up
Define the recipeLay out your steps, deadlines, and who does each: a person, AI, or a rule.
Run
People + AI togetherLaunch in one click. AI does the routine steps; people approve. No glue code.
Track and improve
Audit and learnWatch every step live, then refine - a gradual shift, never a total redo.
Tallyfy does not charge for basic services
Need help? Onboarding and 1:1 support are free for life, and you can book as many 25-minute screen-sharing calls with our experts as you need.
Book a call
Tallyfy is secure, proven and enterprise-grade
API & Webhooks
Free SSO
Legal & Procurement
Integration hubs
AI & Automation
BI & Data export
Triggers & Forms
Plus Google Drive, Dropbox, SharePoint, Box, and many more via integrations.
Switching from Smartsheet to Tallyfy
In our experience, teams move their main processes over in 1-2 weeks
Export the steps of each process from Smartsheet
Decide which sheets track work you repeat and which track one-off projects
Save each repeat process as a Word or PDF file and upload it. Tallyfy's AI turns it into a template
Add rules that show, hide or assign steps
Show your team how to complete their tasks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Smartsheet used for?
Smartsheet is work management software built on sheets. Teams use it to plan projects on Gantt charts and build dashboards. It also runs approvals, and its automations take care of repetitive tasks.
What is Tallyfy?
In Tallyfy, you write each process once as a template and launch it each time the work comes in. Every launch is tracked on its own.
How do I tell whether work should be a project or a process?
Ask whether it repeats. Onboarding each new hire follows the same steps every time, which makes it a process. A project with a fixed end, like an office move, suits a project tool.
Does Tallyfy price differently by country?
It does, for organizations in eligible countries. Our Fair Price Guarantee gives them a discount on an annual plan, worked out from regional GDP per capita, as long as most of their users are in that country. Each discount is at Tallyfy's discretion.
How does Tallyfy handle process improvement?
Someone running a task can report a problem on it, and the task stays open until the problem is resolved. Others suggest changes in comments. When a person updates the template, processes launched after that use the new version, and the ones already running keep their steps.
What can AI do in Tallyfy?
It does the steps you hand it, one at a time. Once you connect your own AI, like ChatGPT or Claude, it can complete a step, and a person can check its work in the next one. Computer AI agents you connect can also do steps on screen.
Who needs a paid seat in Smartsheet?
Only Members. Smartsheet's pricing page lists unlimited free Contributors on every plan, and unlimited free Guests from the Business plan up.
How can I see real customer reviews of Tallyfy?
Our customers page collects them. The people quoted there are named along with their companies, and most of the quotes link to a case study.
Does Tallyfy offer a free trial?
Yes. The trial is free for 14 days and needs no credit card, and our support team can extend it if you need more time.
How can I get started with Tallyfy?
Book a demo and our team will show you around. If you'd rather try it yourself first, start with our guide to building your first template.
Can I see who's working on each step?
Yes. Each task shows who it's assigned to and when it's due, and the tracker shows which step every running process is on.
Can people outside my company work in the same process?
They can. Invite them as guests, at no cost on any paid plan. A guest opens their task from an email link without logging in, and can't see the rest of your processes.
References and Citations
- [1] Smartsheet Review on Capterra - https://www.capterra.com/p/152537/Smartsheet/reviews/ (accessed February 2025)
- [2] Smartsheet Reviews on G2 - https://www.g2.com/products/smartsheet/reviews (accessed February 2025)
- [3] Smartsheet Reviews on Software Advice - https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/smartsheet-profile/reviews/ (accessed February 2025)
- [4] Smartsheet User Reviews on G2 - https://www.g2.com/products/smartsheet/reviews (accessed February 2025)
- [5] Smartsheet Reviews on TrustPilot - https://www.trustpilot.com/review/smartsheet.com (accessed February 2025)
- [6] Smartsheet Reviews on GetApp - https://www.getapp.com/project-management-planning-software/a/smartsheet/reviews/ (accessed February 2025)
- [7] Smartsheet Reviews on Product Hunt - https://www.producthunt.com/products/smartsheet/reviews (accessed February 2025)
- [8] Smartsheet Pricing Model Reviews on G2 - https://www.g2.com/products/smartsheet/reviews (January 2025)
- [9] Smartsheet Customer Support Reviews on TrustPilot - https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.smartsheet.com (January 2025)
- [10] Smartsheet Collaboration Issues on G2 - https://www.g2.com/products/smartsheet/reviews?page=8&qs=pros-and-cons (January 2025)
7 alternatives to Smartsheet
Explore other alternatives to Smartsheet
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Teamwork
Professional services automation (PSA) software for client work
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Wrike
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Pick one process. Run it this week.
Start with the one your team repeats most, and stop chasing it.
DISCLAIMER OF AFFILIATION, ACCURACY & LIABILITY
This page is an independent, good-faith comparative review prepared by Tallyfy, Inc. ("Tallyfy") and is based on publicly available information, third-party reviews, and vendor materials current as of November 2026. The content is offered "AS IS" for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional, technical, or legal advice.
- • No Affiliation. Tallyfy is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Smartsheet Inc.. "Smartsheet" and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Smartsheet Inc.; all such marks appear solely for nominative, comparative reference permitted under the Lanham Act and the doctrine of nominative fair use.
- • Dynamic Information. Features, service levels, and pricing change frequently and may have changed since the compilation date. Users should verify current offerings directly with each vendor before making purchasing decisions.
- • Opinion & First-Amendment Protection. All statements constitute Tallyfy's opinion or commentary, which is protected speech when truthful and non-misleading.
- • No Warranties; Limitation of Liability. Tallyfy disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including accuracy, completeness, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose, and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from reliance on this content.
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