Smartsheet Free Plan and 30-Day Business Trial: What You Get
Updated April 2026. Everything you need to know before signing up.
Free Plan Overview
Free Plan
$0What you get
- 1 user
- 2 sheets
- 500 rows per sheet
- Grid and calendar views
- Basic templates
- Mobile app access
What you do not get
- Sharing or collaboration
- Automations
- Forms
- Gantt or card views
- Integrations
- Dashboards or reports
Free Plan vs Free Trial: Key Differences
| Free Plan | 30-Day Trial | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | Permanent | 30 days |
| Plan level | Free tier | Full Business plan |
| Users | 1 | Unlimited (Business limits) |
| Sheets | 2 | Unlimited |
| Automations | None | Unlimited |
| Forms | None | Conditional logic |
| Viewers | None | Unlimited |
| Credit card required | No | No |
| After expiry | Stays on Free | Choose plan or stay Free |
30-Day Business Trial
30
days of full access
$0
no credit card needed
All
Business features unlocked
Week-by-Week Trial Checklist
Do not waste your trial on sample data. Follow this plan to test the features that matter for your purchasing decision.
Week 1: Setup and Core Features
- Import a real project (not sample data) from your current tool
- Set up Gantt chart with dependencies for your actual timeline
- Create a dashboard for your team lead or sponsor to review
- Invite 2-3 team members to test collaboration
Week 2: Automations and Forms
- Build 3-5 automations that reflect your real workflows
- Track automation action counts to predict monthly usage
- Create a conditional form for a real intake process
- Test email notifications and approval workflows
Week 3: Advanced Features
- Test Document Builder with a real template (contract, proposal)
- Build a WorkApp portal if you need external stakeholder views
- Test proofing workflows if you manage creative assets
- Set up integrations with your existing tools (Slack, Teams, Jira)
Week 4: Decision
- Review automation usage: did you hit 250 actions?
- Gather team feedback on usability and value
- Calculate total cost: plan + users + add-ons
- Compare pricing with alternatives if cost is a concern
What Happens When the Trial Ends
Subscribe to Business
All features continue. Your data, automations, and configurations stay intact. Pay from $19/user/month on annual billing.
Downgrade to Pro
Save money at $9/user/month. Automations above 250/month stop running. Conditional forms revert to basic. Viewers beyond 10 per item lose access.
Stay on Free
Your data stays. Collaboration, automations, forms, and advanced views lock. You keep access to view and edit your existing sheets (up to 2).
Common Trial Mistakes
Testing with sample data
Import a real project. You cannot evaluate fit without realistic complexity.
Testing alone
Invite real team members. Smartsheet's value is collaboration, not solo use.
Not tracking automation usage
Monitor your actions count weekly. This is the key metric for deciding Pro vs Business.
Waiting until the last day to decide
Make your decision by day 21. Use the final week for budget approval processes.
Not testing integrations
Check that Smartsheet connects to your existing tools (Slack, Teams, Jira, Salesforce) before committing.