Workload or Smartsheet for an IT department?
Choose Smartsheet to run cross-functional work (marketing, operations, IT) in sheets and dashboards that each team configures itself. Choose Workload if your need is IT team capacity: net workload, multi-project overallocation, timesheets, and executive reporting out of the box — 14-day trial, from €59/month.
Features by plan
Jira Tempo, Azure DevOps, and Toggl integrations from the Professional plan
The Starter plan includes the full trial and CSV import; native integrations start on Professional.
Compare plans →Workload vs Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a grid-based work management platform, like a collaborative spreadsheet, with a resource management module. Workload is the System of Record (SoR) for IT capacity planning — plan, allocate, timesheet, govern, report.
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Smartsheet and Workload at a glance
| Criterion | Smartsheet | Workload |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the tool | Generic grid-based work management | Purpose-built for IT capacity |
| Conflict detection | Overallocation views in the resource module; IT-specific rules to build | Native, multi-project, built for IT |
| IT capacity model | To model yourself | Ready-made (teams, skills, allocations) |
| Timesheet | Depends on configuration | Jira Tempo, Azure DevOps, Toggl, Clockify (Professional) |
| Time to value | Depends on modeling | ~30 min with CSV import |
Workload is for you if…
- You want conflicts and overload computed across the whole IT portfolio, without rebuilding them in sheets
- Your teams are IT: skills, run work, projects, Jira/Azure DevOps timesheets
- You want a ready-made capacity data model
- IT director reporting and committee packs without maintaining formulas
Smartsheet is a better fit if…
- Cross-functional work management across several departments, not only IT
- Teams that think in sheets and want to configure their own processes
- Need for generic automations and forms
- IT capacity is just one use case among many
Frequently asked questions
Does Smartsheet do IT capacity planning?
It can, using its resource module and configuration. It is not designed for IT capacity; Workload is, with native conflicts and planned vs actual.
Can you migrate from Smartsheet to Workload?
Yes via CSV export: teams, projects, allocations. Formulas and automations specific to your sheets are not carried over.
Does Workload replace Smartsheet?
No, only the IT capacity use case. Smartsheet remains relevant for non-IT cross-functional work.
Does Workload offer a free trial?
Yes — 14-day free trial with no credit card at simpleworkload.com/register. CSV import on Starter (~30 minutes for first setup).
Do you need Jira to use Workload?
No. Workload runs standalone with CSV/Excel import (Starter). Jira Tempo and Azure DevOps integrations are on the Professional plan.
What IT team size is Workload built for?
CIO and IT PMO teams from 20 to 500 people. Below 15 staff Excel may suffice; from 30–50 onward a dedicated tool typically pays off quickly.
Can you migrate from Excel or an existing PPM?
Yes. Workload offers CSV/Excel, Sciforma, and MS Project migration kits with guided wizards. Most IT departments migrate teams and projects in hours.
Does Workload replace full enterprise PPM?
Not at multi-BU PPM parity. Workload is the tactical IT capacity layer (teams, allocations, conflicts, timesheet) — often alongside Sciforma/Planview or replacing Excel.
Which timesheet integrations are available?
Jira Tempo, Azure DevOps, Toggl, and Clockify (Professional plan). Workload compares planned vs actual for CIO reporting and PvA variance.
How does Workload handle intelligent allocation?
Transparent 0–100 scoring (skills ~60%, availability ~40%) with conflict detection — no opaque ML on your data. Generative AI may enrich explanatory text only.