LiquidPlanner and Smartsheet are challenge administration instruments that may preserve your software program growth staff organized and on high of duties whereas boosting collaboration and effectivity.
Which is the higher PM software to your challenge supervisor or developer wants? Hold studying to search out out, as we are going to dissect LiquidPlanner and Smartsheet by way of their options, professionals, cons, and pricing.
- LiquidPlanner: is right for software program growth groups searching for exact planning with options able to managing complicated tasks.
- Smartsheet: is right for software program growth groups that favor working with spreadsheets which are searching for customizable and scalable PM software program.
Bounce to:
LiquidPlanner
LiquidPlanner is challenge administration software program that was made to assist clear up one big, widespread drawback: Serving to software program growth groups meet their challenge deadlines. In keeping with LiquidPlanner’s web site, solely 16 p.c of groups obtain that purpose. By providing superior options like predictive scheduling and forecasting, the challenge administration software hopes to extend that quantity. Supplied you may have a bigger staff or group with a while to put money into onboarding to study LiquidPlanner’s options, it’s possible you’ll discover it the perfect PM software for you.
Options of LiquidPlanner
LiquidPlanner has a number of fundamental and superior options to maintain growth groups on observe. Listed below are a few of its challenge administration highlights:
- A number of views
- Predictive scheduling
- Collaboration
- Useful resource administration
- Time monitoring
LiquidPlanner lets challenge managers visualize work by way of a number of views, together with baseline, board, workload, standing, and Gantt charts. Predictive scheduling is probably LiquidPlanner’s high spotlight. It calculates begin and finish dates for duties, takes danger under consideration, and generates real-time forecasts that supply an correct glimpse into what to anticipate with tasks. As adjustments happen, LiquidPlanner will run Monte Carlo simulations to attenuate surprises.
Collaboration in LiquidPlanner comes by way of a change monitoring characteristic. You may also combine with Slack for messaging. Useful resource administration is one other providing of the PM software. It has computerized useful resource leveling that ensures no builders are over or underworked, plus workload views to see what’s on everybody’s plate. Lastly, LiquidPlanner has guide and automatic time monitoring.
Execs of LiquidPlanner
LiquidPlanner has a number of professionals as a challenge administration software, together with:
- Exact planning by means of predictive scheduling
- A strong Free plan
- Varied views
- Onboarding service
LiquidPlanner takes quite a lot of the guesswork and uncertainty out of challenge administration by means of its predictive scheduling characteristic that makes challenge managers’ jobs simpler. The Free plan is fairly sturdy, and there are many views to work with. LiquidPlanner’s onboarding service is one other plus that helps growth groups get acclimated with the challenge administration software program.
Cons of LiquidPlanner
LiquidPlanner does have some weak spots, akin to:
- Advanced to study
- Integrations are restricted
- Few collaborative options
LiquidPlanner’s extra superior options, akin to predictive scheduling, can take a little bit of time to get used to. As such, some newcomers could discover the developer software complicated. Whereas some challenge administration software program provides a whole bunch and even hundreds of integrations with third-party instruments, LiquidPlanner is principally highlighted by its Slack integration. And, in case your growth staff wants many collaborative choices, you’ll not discover them right here past Slack integration and the change monitoring characteristic.
Pricing of LiquidPlanner
Venture managers and builders have 4 pricing plans to select from with LiquidPlanner. The PM software program additionally has a free 14-day trial that allows you to take its Final plan for a check drive with all of the bells and whistles, and you’ll request a demo of what the developer software has to supply. Listed below are LiquidPlanner’s 4 pricing choices:
- Free: No price with restricted options. Will be upgraded later to a paid plan.
- Necessities: $15 per consumer, monthly by way of annual billing.
- Skilled: $25 per consumer, monthly.
- Final: $35 per consumer, monthly. Quantity pricing can be obtainable by contacting LiquidPlanner’s gross sales staff.
The Free plan works for as much as three customers and has a lot of the Important plan’s options. Go for the Free providing, and you should use it for 10 tasks, six sources, and 300 duties. The Necessities plan was constructed for medium-sized software program growth groups. It options a number of views, workload administration, dashboards, predictive scheduling, priority-based planning, computerized useful resource leveling, built-in time monitoring, and extra.
Bounce to LiquidPlanner’s hottest Skilled plan, and you’re going to get added options for highly effective planning like customized fields, 50,000 duties, and many others. And, for those who select the Final plan, you’ll unlock LiquidPlanner’s high options, akin to single sign-on, challenge entry controls, open API, and limitless customers, duties, and tasks.
You’ll be able to study much more about LiquidPlanner and its options in our LiquidPlanner Venture Administration Instrument Assessment.
Smartsheet
In case your software program growth staff is most snug working with spreadsheets, then Smartsheet could also be a superb PM answer, because it provides collaboration and PM options in a well-known, spreadsheet-style format for groups of all sizes.
Options of Smartsheet
Smartsheet has a number of challenge administration options to maintain growth groups productive, together with:
- Collaboration instruments built-in
- A number of views
- Automations for workflows
- Superior reporting
- Baselines
- Time monitoring
- Third-party integrations
Groups needing a developer software that promotes communication will take pleasure in Smartsheet’s quite a few collaborative options. The challenge administration software program has kinds for suggestions, shareable sheets, studies, and workspaces, file attachments, conversations, reminders, and e-signatures. All of those options may also help promote collaboration inside groups and with outsiders to make sure everybody stays on the identical web page.
Smartsheet has a number of views (Gantt, calendar, grid, and card) for visualizing work, and workflow automation to save lots of time on recurring duties. You’ll be able to publish and share studies with ease too. Smartsheet’s baselines preserve groups on observe and groups accountable, and its built-in time monitoring offers perception into how lengthy it takes to finish duties. The PM software program additionally integrates with over 100 third-party apps for added extensibility.
Execs of Smartsheet
Smartsheet has a number of professionals in its favor, akin to:
- Flexibility with views
- Drag-and-drop automations
- Strong collaboration
- Actual-time reporting
A number of views are a should for many challenge managers, and Smartsheet has them. The time-saving automations are a plus, however the truth that they’re drag-and-drop makes them much more handy. You might have numerous methods to collaborate with growth staff members and stakeholders in Smartsheet, and its real-time reporting provides precious insights into efficiency whereas being surprisingly easy to generate.
Cons of Smartsheet
Smartsheet does fall quick in a couple of areas, akin to:
- Spreadsheet format
- Restricted flexibility
- Excessive price
Though Smartsheet’s spreadsheet format could entice some challenge managers and builders, others could discover it outdated or limiting. If you happen to handle an Agile staff, for instance, Smartsheet will not be an excellent match, and its lack of Kanban boards may very well be a no-go. Smartsheet may also get dear as you get into its higher-tiered plans like Enterprise.
Pricing of Smartsheet
Like LiquidPlanner, Smartsheet additionally has 4 pricing plans that challenge managers and builders can select from, plus a free trial on its Professional and Enterprise plans. Listed below are the PM software’s completely different pricing tiers:
- Free: No price with restricted options.
- Professional: $7 per consumer, monthly when billed yearly. Most of 10 customers and limitless viewers.
- Enterprise: $25 per consumer, monthly. Minimal of three customers and limitless editors.
- Enterprise: Contact Smartsheet’s gross sales staff for customized pricing.
If you’re new to activity and challenge administration or are on a good funds, Smartsheet’s Free plan could suffice. It really works for one consumer and two editors and provides challenge administration options like a number of views, dashboards, studies, automations, two sheets, and 500MB of attachment storage.
Software program growth groups needing capability for limitless viewers and superior challenge monitoring and administration can select the Professional plan. It provides limitless sheets, dashboards, studies, and kinds, plus consumer administration, elevated automations and storage, and e-mail help.
Smartsheet’s Enterprise plan is advisable for software program growth groups that must handle tasks with limitless editors. It provides limitless automations and 1TB of attachment storage, sheets, dashboards, and studies that may be revealed, baselines, consumer, group, and license administration, proofing, a doc builder, exercise logs, and extra. And, for those who want PM software program with enterprise-grade controls and safety, select Smartsheet’s Enterprise plan. It provides single sign-on, limitless attachment storage, enhanced help, work insights, and extra.
You’ll be able to study much more by studying our Smartsheet Venture Administration Software program Assessment.
What to Search for In Venture Administration Software program
With so many challenge administration instruments available on the market, it’s possible you’ll surprise what particular options it’s best to search for in such software program. A few of the commonest options you need to be included on the minimal are:
- A number of views (Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and many others.)
- Time monitoring
- Varied collaboration choices (chat, conversations, file sharing, and many others.)
- Useful resource administration
- Invoicing
- Automation
- Reporting
- Third-party integrations
You’ll be able to study extra about the very best challenge administration software program options in our tutorial: Venture Administration Options to Look For.
Options to Smartsheet and LiquidPlanner
Not satisfied both choice is the fitting selection to your staff? We have now a couple of product round-ups that may enable you discover different PM options. Our article Smartsheet versus Monday.com compares Smartsheet in opposition to one of the vital widespread PM instruments available on the market. Moreover, now we have an excellent piece that covers the very best Smartsheet Options.
In the meantime, our Finest Venture Administration Software program for Builders lists a number of PM choices that can actually enable you discover an excellent software to your staff.
Last Ideas on LiquidPlanner vs. Smartsheet</h2
Does your growth staff include largely superior, technical customers with time for onboarding? Then LiquidPlanner often is the proper choose with its superior options like predictive scheduling and forecasting that make planning additional exact. And in case your staff prefers one thing extra user-friendly, enjoys spreadsheets, and seeks loads of flexibility when collaborating, Smartsheet often is the better option.
