Referee comparison · 2026
We build PeakKR, so we're not selling either tool — which makes us a decent referee. Here's how Smartsheet and monday.com compare on the features agencies actually bill for, and where both leave a gap.
Spreadsheet-style work management
Best for: Teams that think in spreadsheets and need grids, Gantt and automation at scale.
Per-seat Pro/Business plans, billed per user/month.
The colourful work OS
Best for: Teams that want highly customisable boards and automations across departments.
Per-seat, billed in seat tiers; time tracking on Pro+.
Smartsheet and monday.com on the ten things agency teams end up paying for.
| Feature | Smartsheet | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Flat pricing — no per-seat fees | Per-seat pricing | Per-seat, in seat bands |
| Unlimited users included | Priced per user | Priced per seat |
| Built-in time tracking & timesheets | No native time tracking | Time tracking on Pro and above |
| Agency retainer / monthly hours tracking | No retainer tracking | No retainer tracking |
| Client-ready project overviews | Shareable sheets | Shareable boards / guests |
| Phased to-dos & task dependencies | Dependencies & Gantt | Dependencies & automations |
| Hill Charts (progress, not %) | No Hill Charts | No Hill Charts |
| SEO connectors (SEMrush & Moz) | No SEO connectors | No native SEO connectors |
| Built-in AI (recaps, briefs, analysis) | Smartsheet AI | monday AI add-on |
| Purpose-built for SEO & marketing agencies | General-purpose | General-purpose |
Reflects typical plans as we understand them. Tools change often — please verify current pricing and features on each vendor's website.
No rows where Smartsheet clearly beats monday.com in this matchup.
On the features agencies bill for, monday.com edges it. Teams that want highly customisable boards and automations across departments. But neither includes retainer tracking, client-ready overviews and SEO data in one flat-priced plan — which is the gap PeakKR was built for.
Both bill per seat. PeakKR is $100/mo flat for unlimited people, clients and projects.
Timesheets and monthly retainer budgets with alerts — no add-on tool to reconcile.
Every client gets a read-only progress link — no more "is it done yet?" emails.
SEMrush & Moz connectors, AI briefs and recaps — native, not bolted on.
PeakKR: the agency workspace both of these tools aren't. 14-day free trial, one flat price.
monday.com comes out ahead on the features agencies rely on day to day. That said, both bill per seat and neither covers retainers, client overviews and SEO reporting natively. PeakKR bundles all of that at a flat $100/month for unlimited users.
Yes — PeakKR is a flat $100/month for unlimited people, clients and projects, with timesheets, retainer tracking, client hubs and built-in SEO/AI. Both Smartsheet and monday.com price per user.
Yes. PeakKR has a 14-day free trial — spin up a workspace, import your projects and run it alongside your current tool before deciding.
Summit
Hi, I'm Summit — your AI guide inside PeakKR. I help agencies plan the day, draft client updates and keep every project on track. Come climb with me.
