Smartsheet vs OpenProject: when each one fits
Smartsheet fits best when a project plan works as a spreadsheet: formulas, cross-sheet references, reports and dashboards maintained by a small group of power users, and when the organization has already accepted where Smartsheet hosts its data and how its accounts are managed. OpenProject fits best when the plan is a set of work packages with dates, dependencies and Gantt charts that must sit on servers the organization controls, and when the team is ready to run its own platform. Neither answer is automatic. The choice depends on four decision points that should be settled before anyone accepts a renewal quote or starts a migration.
The first decision point is data location. Ask where project content, comments, attachments and user records must reside, and whether a contract, a regulator or an internal policy names a country or a provider. OpenProject on your own servers answers that question directly. The second is identity requirements. OpenProject lists single sign-on through SAML, OIDC, CAS, Kerberos and Okta, along with LDAP group synchronization, among its Enterprise features, so check which of these your directory needs and confirm which plan includes them. The third is how much of the plan depends on Smartsheet formulas and reports. Smartsheet backups exclude reports, dashboards, formulas, workflows and cross-sheet references, so inventory every one of them early and plan to rebuild each item by hand.
The fourth decision point is who will run the platform. OpenProject's Community edition is free under GPL-3.0 and includes work packages, Gantt charts, agile boards, time tracking and dashboards, but its support is community-based. Enterprise on-premises is priced per named user per month, with minimums by tier, so model the user count and the plan together. Running it means someone owns the Docker-based installation or packages, PostgreSQL 16 or later with the pg_trgm, btree_gist and unaccent extensions, upgrades, backups and capacity as headcount grows, as set out in the OpenProject system requirements. If no internal team can own that work, request a fixed-scope quote that states who operates each component, and compare it with keeping Smartsheet for the plans that depend on its formulas.
Which option fits which planning scenario
This table matches common planning situations to the option that usually fits better, with one reason per row. Read it as a starting point for your own requirements, since both products handle many of these cases and the right choice depends on your team's workflow and data rules.
| Scenario | Better fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A single team with simple task lists and dates | Either, depending on team habits | Smartsheet's grid is quick for lightweight lists, while OpenProject's work packages and Gantt charts cover the same basics with a free Community edition. |
| A portfolio of projects with dependencies and baselines | OpenProject | Work packages, Gantt dependencies and baselines sit in the core product, and portfolio views are part of the Enterprise plans to confirm for your tier. |
| A regulated organization that must keep project data on its own servers | OpenProject | OpenProject runs entirely in your own infrastructure through Docker, packages or Kubernetes, so plan data stays under your control. |
| A team that relies heavily on Smartsheet reports and dashboards | Smartsheet for now, with a rebuild plan | Smartsheet's reports and dashboards are not in its backup, so you will need to rebuild them in OpenProject's dashboards or another reporting tool. |
| Teams that need SSO and directory sync across many users | OpenProject Enterprise | SSO, LDAP group synchronization and SCIM provisioning sit in paid Enterprise plans, so confirm the plan that matches your identity setup. |
| Teams that rely on cross-sheet formulas and automated workflows | Smartsheet, unless rebuilt | Formulas, cross-sheet references and workflows are not included in Smartsheet backups, so their logic must be redesigned before any move. |
| Teams with a mostly agile or software delivery workflow | Evaluate both against your process | Confirm whether your sprint and backlog needs match OpenProject's agile boards, or whether a dedicated tool such as Plane fits better. |
| Organizations that need a predictable self-hosted environment with an in-house admin team | OpenProject | Self-hosting requires someone to run upgrades and backups, which suits teams that already operate internal services. |
Where project data lives and who controls it
Smartsheet plans are run by the vendor, so customer content, usage data and account records follow the vendor's residency and access terms. OpenProject moves those decisions into your own cloud account, data center or air-gapped network, where you also decide who signs in and how access is provisioned.
Where Smartsheet keeps content
Smartsheet is a hosted service, so sheets, attachments and account records are stored in the vendor's environment under its terms. The EU hosting arrangement for customer content is only one part of the picture, since usage data and account information may go to other regions. Ask Smartsheet in writing where each data category is stored, which subprocessors touch it, and how deletion requests are handled before you plan a move.
Hosting in your own infrastructure
OpenProject can run as a Docker-based installation, as packaged installs on supported Linux distributions, or on Kubernetes with Helm charts. That lets you place it in your cloud account, your data center or an air-gapped network with no outside connectivity. Your team then owns patching, backups, database administration and the network controls around the service, which is the main trade for the control you gain.
Identity and SSO
SSO and LDAP group synchronization are Enterprise features, so a Community deployment would manage accounts locally. Plan your identity model before the first import: decide which directory is authoritative, how roles map to groups, and who approves access. Confirm with OpenProject that the Enterprise tier you choose covers each protocol your identity provider requires.
Compliance evidence and audit scope
Moving project data does not by itself satisfy any framework. You will need to document where data resides, who administers the platform, how access is reviewed and how backups are restored. DeployOpen can prepare those controls and evidence for your assessment, but independent auditors and certification bodies issue any audit report or attestation. Ask your auditor which records they expect before the migration starts.
How the core capabilities compare
This table sets Smartsheet's grid, Gantt, reporting, automation and data features against what OpenProject provides in work packages, Gantt charts, baselines and Enterprise portfolio tools. Read each row as a trial checklist: where the answer is marked to confirm, test it with your own sheets before you commit to a migration.
| Capability | Smartsheet | OpenProject | Gap or item to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid planning | Spreadsheet-style sheets with rows, columns and column types | Work packages in list and table views with configurable columns and attributes | Grid editing feel differs from a spreadsheet; confirm bulk editing and keyboard workflows in a trial |
| Gantt charts and dependencies | Gantt view with predecessor links and dependency-driven date shifts | Gantt charts with work package relations and dependencies | Confirm how far dates cascade through relations and how lag is modeled for your plans |
| Baselines | Baselines for comparing planned and actual dates | Baselines for comparing planned and current schedules | Confirm baseline granularity and whether baselines carry over during a migration |
| Reports and dashboards | Reports and dashboards aggregating rows across sheets | Dashboards and work package queries with filters and grouping | Cross-project summaries and custom report layouts may need a second tool; confirm in a trial |
| Automations and workflows | Automation rules that send alerts, update cells and trigger approvals | Workflow and status transitions with notifications; rule engine scope to confirm | Smartsheet automation rules are not in the backup; rebuild them and confirm each trigger in OpenProject |
| Formulas and calculated columns | Formulas across rows and cross-sheet references | No spreadsheet formula engine; calculations use fields, queries or reports | Formula-driven totals, rollups and status logic need redesign or an external reporting layer |
| Attachments and comments | Attachments and comments on rows, with backup export as Excel files with attachments | Attachments and comments on work packages, with history | Confirm attachment size limits and storage location on your server configuration |
| Permissions and access | Sheet, workspace and row-level sharing with user roles | Project roles and permissions; SSO, LDAP group sync and custom branding in Enterprise plans | Confirm role granularity for your sharing model; SSO and LDAP sync require an Enterprise plan |
| Portfolio and resource views | Portfolio dashboards and capacity planning sheets | Enterprise portfolio and resource management features | Portfolio and resource management sit in paid Enterprise plans; confirm they match your capacity views |
| API access and data export | Smartsheet API with backup export as a zip of Excel files, excluding reports, dashboards and formulas | OpenProject API on your own server, with full control of the database and backups | Confirm API coverage for your integrations and set your own backup schedule for the database and attachments |
What drives the cost of each option
The license line is the easiest cost to compare, but it covers only part of the bill. Smartsheet is billed per member on a plan tier, so start by pulling your member count, plan tier and renewal date from your current order form and confirming them with your account team. OpenProject Community has no license fee, but SSO, LDAP synchronization and SCIM provisioning sit in paid Enterprise plans. Enterprise on-premises is priced per named user per month: Basic at 5.95 euros, Professional at 10.95 euros with a 25-user minimum, Premium at 15.95 euros with a 100-user minimum, and Corporate on request for 250 or more users. As an illustrative calculation, 40 named users on Professional would be 438 euros per month before tax. Confirm current list prices and whether VAT applies on the OpenProject pricing page.
Recurring costs sit mainly in hosting and administration. Server size follows user count. OpenProject's sizing guide suggests 4 cores and 4 GB RAM for up to 200 users, 8 cores and 8 GB for about 500 users, and 16 cores and 16 GB for about 1,500 users. Add a PostgreSQL 16 or later database with the pg_trgm, btree_gist and unaccent extensions, a supported Linux distribution, storage and monitoring. Someone must patch the operating system, the database and OpenProject itself. The project shipped 17.7.0, 17.8.0 and 17.9.0 between August and September 2026, so plan for a regular upgrade cycle. Backups recur as well. Smartsheet's own export leaves out reports, dashboards and formulas, so your backup scope must cover the OpenProject database, attachments and configuration. Ask the provider who carries each of these tasks and how much time each one takes.
What running OpenProject involves day to day
The first operating decision is how OpenProject gets installed. The Docker-based installation is the recommended path, and it suits teams that already run containers and want upgrades to follow a repeatable image change. Packaged installs for 64-bit Linux are the alternative, with .deb and .rpm packages and supported distributions including Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, CentOS or RHEL 9.x and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15. Kubernetes with Helm charts is the option for horizontal scaling. Confirm the current installation options and supported platforms against the OpenProject system requirements before you pick one, because your platform team's standards will usually decide this more than the product does.
The database is a fixed requirement you cannot skip. OpenProject officially supports PostgreSQL 16 or later, and it requires the pg_trgm, btree_gist and unaccent extensions. Your database administrators should confirm that the managed or self-run PostgreSQL service allows these extensions before installation, not during it. The sizing guide suggests 4 cores and 4 GB RAM for up to 200 users, 8 cores and 8 GB for about 500 users, and 16 cores and 16 GB for about 1,500 users. Use these as starting points and test against your own peak usage, especially if many people open large Gantt views at the same time. Backups must cover both the database and the attachment storage, and you should run a restore test on a separate host at least once before go-live.
Upgrades follow OpenProject's release cadence, which has recently produced several releases a month, so the team needs a standing change process rather than an occasional project. Read the release notes before each upgrade, test on a staging copy, and plan the database migration window. Your team owns the server, patching, certificates, backups, monitoring, user provisioning and the Enterprise license if you use single sign-on or LDAP group synchronization. A support retainer or implementation partner can take over parts of this work, such as upgrade testing, backup verification, hardening or documentation, but the scope and response expectations should be written into the agreement, and you should ask for them explicitly rather than assume them.
How a move from Smartsheet to OpenProject unfolds
The sequence turns sheet-based plans into OpenProject work packages, Gantt charts and rebuilt reports, proven on one project before the Smartsheet workspace is retired. Each phase ends with a check your team can sign off.
Inventory sheets, reports and automations
List every sheet, report, dashboard, automation, sheet-to-sheet reference and sharing setting in the Smartsheet workspace, with its owner and the people who depend on it. Your project owners do most of this work, since they know which sheets drive decisions. Smartsheet's backup does not capture reports, dashboards, formulas, workflows, cross-sheet references or formatting, so this list becomes the rebuild checklist. The step is done when every item has an owner and a decision: migrate, rebuild or retire.
Export sheets and attachments from Smartsheet
Run a backup from Smartsheet on a plan that includes it, then confirm the zip contains the Excel files, comments and attachments for each sheet you plan to move. Your administrator should check that the export is complete for each project and store a copy on your own servers. Because the backup omits reports, dashboards, formulas and workflows, record those manually from the inventory. The step is done when the export opens and row counts match what the sheets show.
Map rows, dates and dependencies to work packages
Decide how each sheet's rows become work packages, parent-child hierarchies and phases, and how the Smartsheet predecessor links become OpenProject relations. Assignees, start and finish dates, and status values need an explicit mapping to OpenProject users, statuses and types. Specialist help is most useful here, because dependency logic and calendar differences cause the most rework. The step is done when a mapping document is approved and a test sheet imports with dates and relations intact.
Rebuild reports, dashboards and automations
Recreate the views and rules your teams used in Smartsheet, such as status summaries, portfolio roll-ups and notifications, using OpenProject's work package filters, Gantt views, dashboards and notifications. Some formulas and cross-sheet logic will not transfer directly, so decide which numbers are still needed and which can be calculated in a report or a separate tool. Your team can rebuild simple views itself, while more involved automation logic often benefits from an implementation partner. The step is done when each report in the inventory has a documented OpenProject equivalent or an approved replacement.
Pilot with one project
Move a single active project end to end, then run its team through a normal planning cycle in OpenProject while Smartsheet remains available for reference. Collect feedback on the Gantt view, notifications, permissions and reports, and log every gap between the two tools. Confirm that access rules match what the project owners expect before widening the audience. The step is done when the pilot team signs off that the plan, reports and permissions work for their daily use.
Migrate remaining projects in controlled batches
Apply the mapping and rebuild lessons from the pilot to the rest of the sheets, grouped by owner or portfolio so each batch has a clear sponsor. Keep a register of who approved each batch and which items were deliberately left behind. Your team handles most of the repeatable imports, while edge cases and data quality issues are the usual point for specialist support. The step is done when every project in the inventory is either migrated, rebuilt or formally retired.
Cut over and retire the Smartsheet sheets
Announce a cutover date, switch day-to-day planning to OpenProject, and set Smartsheet sheets to read-only or remove sharing once owners confirm the migrated data. Keep a final archive of the export, the mapping document and the inventory on your own storage so audit questions can be answered later. Check with Smartsheet and your contract terms before deleting data, and confirm retention requirements with your compliance team. The step is done when access to the sheets is closed, the archive is verified and the cutover is recorded.
Questions buyers ask before switching from Smartsheet
What drives the cost of switching from Smartsheet to OpenProject?
The cost depends mostly on the work you put in, not the software. OpenProject Community is free to download and run, so the spend falls into three areas: hosting (servers, backups, storage and monitoring), migration work (extracting sheets, rebuilding reports and dashboards, and re-creating automations), and administration after go-live. OpenProject Enterprise on-premises is a separate, recurring per-user line item if you need SSO, LDAP group synchronization or portfolio features, and its pricing is published per named user per month. Ask any quote to separate one-time migration work from recurring hosting, support and licensing, and to state which Smartsheet features are in scope.
Can we migrate from Smartsheet without outside help?
Yes, a team with Linux and PostgreSQL administration skills can install and configure OpenProject alone, and the Community edition needs no license purchase. The harder part is the data. Smartsheet's backup on Business and Enterprise plans gives you Excel files with comments and attachments, but it leaves out reports, dashboards, formulas, workflows, cross-sheet references and formatting. Someone has to map rows, dates and dependencies into work packages and Gantt charts, and rebuild what the backup omits. An internal team can do this if it has time and clear ownership. Otherwise, a fixed-scope engagement with written deliverables is a common way to keep the work bounded.
What does our team need to provide before a migration starts?
Four inputs decide how smooth the project is. First, name an owner for each sheet or portfolio who can confirm which rows, dates and dependencies are current. Second, provide administrator access to the Smartsheet account and the target OpenProject instance, including the ability to export backups. Third, supply representative sample sheets, including the ones with the most dependencies, conditional formatting and attachments, so the plan is tested against real structures. Fourth, decide who can see and edit which projects, because OpenProject roles and project permissions should be designed before data is loaded, not after.
How long does a Smartsheet to OpenProject migration take?
Duration depends on scope, and no fixed timeline applies to every organization. The main variables are the number of sheets, how many rows and dependencies each one contains, how many reports, dashboards and automations must be rebuilt, the number of users who need access rules, and whether OpenProject needs Enterprise features such as SSO. A pilot with two or three representative projects is a sensible way to measure effort before committing to the full estate. Ask any proposal to state its scope, deliverables and assumptions in writing before work begins.
Do Smartsheet formulas and reports carry over to OpenProject automatically?
No. The Smartsheet backup does not include reports, dashboards, formulas, workflows, cross-sheet references or formatting, so none of these move with the data files. Row values, dates, assignees and attachments can be mapped, but calculated columns and summary views must be redesigned using OpenProject's work packages, Gantt charts, queries and dashboards, or in a spreadsheet or reporting tool if you need that style of output. Build an inventory of every formula and report before migration so each one is either rebuilt, replaced or retired by a named decision.
Is OpenProject's Jira Migrator relevant if we use Smartsheet?
Usually not. OpenProject's Jira Migrator imports from Jira Data Center 10.x and 11.x only, does not support Jira Cloud, and is in beta, with its documentation advising use only in test setups. It also does not read Smartsheet files. It matters only if your organization is moving Jira Data Center data into OpenProject alongside a Smartsheet project. If that applies, confirm the supported versions and beta status against the current documentation and test it in a non-production environment first.
What security and access controls should we plan for in the new setup?
Plan identity and access before go-live. OpenProject's Community edition supports user accounts and project roles, but single sign-on (SAML, OIDC, CAS, Kerberos and Okta), LDAP group synchronization and custom branding are listed among the Enterprise features on its pricing page. Confirm with OpenProject which of these your identity provider needs. On the infrastructure side, decide where the instance runs, how backups are encrypted and retained, how TLS is handled, and who holds the PostgreSQL database credentials. Ask your security team to review these decisions against your own policy and any framework your auditors use.
How DeployOpen helps you decide and move
DeployOpen plans, implements, integrates, hardens, backs up and documents self-hosted open-source platforms inside your own cloud accounts, data centers or air-gapped networks. For Smartsheet teams, we start by mapping which sheets, reports, dashboards and automations your projects depend on before recommending OpenProject or any other platform.
How we scope
- Inventory the sheets, dependencies, reports and automations your project plans rely on today
- Agree which Smartsheet features map to OpenProject work packages and which need a different approach
- Confirm whether Community or Enterprise on-premises features such as SSO and LDAP sync are required
- Receive a written, fixed-scope proposal with deliverables and timelines agreed before work starts
How we build
- Deploy OpenProject in your environment using Docker or packaged installs on your chosen Linux distribution
- Configure PostgreSQL with the required extensions and size the servers against your user count
- Rebuild Gantt plans, baselines, dependencies and status views as work packages and reports
- Test permissions, notifications and exports against the way your teams actually plan projects
How we hand over
- Document the architecture, configuration, backup procedures and administration tasks for your staff
- Provide a migration record showing what moved from Excel backups, what was rebuilt and what was left out
- Run knowledge transfer sessions with project managers, administrators and platform engineers
- Deliver runbooks for upgrades so your team can apply new OpenProject releases on its own schedule
How we support
- Offer ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing as a retainer after handover
- Review each OpenProject release for configuration changes before your team applies it
- Prepare access control and audit evidence for your compliance assessments, which independent auditors then assess
- Agree response expectations and scope changes in writing so support stays predictable
