LiquidPlanner
Smartsheet
| Feature | LiquidPlanner | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $15/mo | Free / from $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | enterprise, engineering-teams, it-departments, product-teams | enterprise, project-managers, operations-teams, it-teams |
| Founded | 2006 | 2005 |
| Predictive Scheduling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Resource Management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Priority Based Planning | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Time Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Risk Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sheets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Gantt Charts | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dashboards | ✗ | ✓ |
| Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ LiquidPlanner Pros
- Predictive scheduling
- Automatic resource leveling
- Risk assessment
- Great for complex projects
✗ LiquidPlanner Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Expensive
- Overkill for simple projects
✓ Smartsheet Pros
- Familiar spreadsheet interface
- Powerful automation
- Enterprise-grade
- Good dashboards
✗ Smartsheet Cons
- Can be confusing
- Expensive for small teams
- Learning curve
The Verdict
LiquidPlanner is built for enterprise and engineering teams, with a focus on predictive-scheduling and resource-management. Smartsheet targets enterprise and project managers and leads with sheets and gantt-charts.
On pricing, Smartsheet is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $9/mo compared to $15/mo for LiquidPlanner. That $6/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Smartsheet has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. LiquidPlanner requires a paid subscription from day one.
Both tools are a solid fit for enterprise — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.