Best Monday.com Alternative for Client Work
SmartTask is a modern Monday.com alternative for agencies and service teams. Manage client projects, time, billing, reports, and portfolios without complexity or hidden costs.
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Why modern teams look for a Monday.com alternative
⚠️ Too many features hidden behind paywalls
Not all key features are in the standard plan - not ideal for smaller organisations
🧩 Requires third-party apps for basic automation
The number of apps you need to do BASIC things is mind blowing. If you want a "timeline" to work properly with start/end dates, you need an app. Then you have to pay for more apps separately.
💸 Expensive and doesn’t scale well for startups
Monday.com's paid plans are expensive for startups
😵💫 Complex setup, not intuitive
It takes a long time to set up exactly how you want it, truly you need a dedicated person to be able to get it going perfectly. Otherwise, you will be tweaking constantly to get it fully operational and customized.
📄 Poor document organization
Creating docs and organizing them is a mess, I needed it to build a knowledgebase for my team
Why Choose SmartTask?
SmartTask offers ease of use with powerful features specifically built for client work. Faster time to value
Clean, Calm, and Clear Interface
Loud, Cluttered Interface
Widgets are heavy and scroll-heavy. Colors can be overwhelming and task status doesn't visually reduce clutter.
Clean, Calm, and Clear Interface
Minimalist design with intuitive task handling. Task visibility reduces as status changes.
Fully Built-In Automations
Heavily Dependent on Third-Party Apps
Basic features like recurring tasks or notifications need external apps and have usage limits.
Fully Built-In Automations
SmartTask offers powerful native automations — from recurring tasks to smart notifications — without limits or integrations.
Agile Built Right In!
Separate Projects for Sprint Management
Agile sprints live in separate boards (or Monday Dev), not inside actual projects.
Agile Built Right In
Run sprints inside your ongoing projects with built-in views like Kanban and Timeline.
Time Tracking + Billing Included
No Native Time Tracking or Billing
Requires formula and time tracking columns; billable hours are manual.
Time Tracking + Billing Included
Track time, calculate billable hours, and generate invoices — all in one tool.
Portfolio Included
Portfolio View Only in Enterprise Tier
Cannot view multiple projects or teams together without costly upgrades.
Portfolio Included
Track multiple projects and team health by default, even in lower plans.
Unlimited Guest Access
Charges for Guest Users
Collaboration with external stakeholders adds to monthly cost.
Unlimited Guest Access
Add clients, vendors, or freelancers without paying extra.
Built-in Reports and Workload Insights
No Built-in Reporting or Workload Views on Starter Plans
Requires higher tiers or integrations for basic charts or team load insights.
Built-in Reports and Workload Insights
Custom dashboards, analytics, and workload planning built into core product.
Docs + Notes Embedded in Tasks
No Document Collaboration in Tasks
Creating knowledge bases or notes per task is not smooth or central.
Docs + Notes Embedded in Tasks
Add detailed notes, docs, and updates directly into each task or project.
FEATURE BY FEATURE
Compare Monday.com and SmartTask
Features |  Monday.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Work Management and Essentials | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Views | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Workflows | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Time and Billing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CRM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Don’t just take our word for it | | |
|---|---|---|
Platform | Monday.com | SmartTask |
Capterra | 4.2/5 | 4.5/5 |
G2 | 4.2/5 | 4.5/5 |
Trust Radius | 4.2/5 | 4.5/5 |
Make managing projects a breeze with SmartTask
Streamline processes with the best client delivery solution - SmartTask!
Try it Live - It's FREEPricing
Monday.com -
No Work Performance Insights
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Paid Guests
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No Portfolio View
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No Time tracking (based on Formula column)
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No Billable Hours (requires priced automations)
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No job-roles and budgeting
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Unlimited guests
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Unlimited storage
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Global chat channels
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Portfolio View
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Universal Reporting
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Time Tracking
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Project budgeting and job-roles
Only one of these options was custom-built for client work
Monday.com, on the other hand, was built for small to medium businesses and enterprises, meaning anything you need you would have to buy a separate add-on for the same.
Wait, can I really manage ALL my client work in SmartTask?
That’s exactly what SmartTask was designed for. From project management and time tracking to billing, and budget forecasting—it’s all seamlessly integrated. Need to handle complex scheduling and resource allocation? We’ve got you covered. And of course, you can add an unlimited number of clients with full visibility into their projects.
I like the fact that SmartTask is intuitive and offers various views and reporting functionality. I tried Trello before and felt too limited. SmartTask has changed that!
Does SmartTask offer a plan tailored for marketing and creative teams?
Yes! Unlike other tools that offer generic plans, SmartTask is built with client service and creative teams in mind. Our features are designed to support fast-paced collaboration, and campaign tracking—without the complexity or hidden pricing.
SmartTask is by far the best project management system I’ve used. It brings my entire team together, ensuring everyone stays in the loop. The connectivity is a game-changer.
I’m interested, but have more questions
