Approval Studio
Approval Studio is a visual review and collaboration platform designed to help creative teams and clients streamline the proofing process for designs, documents, and video content efficiently.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a flexible work management platform that combines the familiar interface of a spreadsheet with powerful project management features to help you automate workflows and track complex projects.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Approval Studio | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Website | approval.studio | smartsheet.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $45/month | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 14 days free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2019 | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Tallinn, Estonia | Bellevue, USA |
Overview
Approval Studio
Approval Studio is a dedicated visual review tool that simplifies how you get feedback on creative assets. Instead of chasing approvals through messy email threads, you can invite clients and team members to annotate designs, PDFs, and videos directly in their browser. It eliminates communication gaps by providing four distinct comparison modes to track changes between versions, ensuring no detail is missed during the revision process.
You can manage your entire creative workflow from a centralized dashboard that tracks the status of every project in real-time. Whether you are an independent designer or part of a high-volume creative agency, the platform helps you reduce the number of revision rounds and get final sign-off faster. It focuses on making the review experience professional for your clients while keeping your internal team organized and accountable.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet gives you a dynamic workspace where you can manage projects, automate workflows, and build new solutions without writing code. You can switch between grid, card, Gantt, and calendar views to visualize your work exactly how you want. It bridges the gap between simple spreadsheets and complex project tools, allowing you to track individual tasks or manage massive enterprise portfolios in one centralized location.
You can eliminate manual data entry by setting up automated alerts, status updates, and approval requests. The platform scales with your needs, whether you are a small team organizing a launch or a large corporation managing global operations. It helps you increase transparency across your organization by sharing real-time dashboards and reports with stakeholders, ensuring everyone stays aligned on key goals and deadlines.
Overview
Approval Studio Features
- On-Screen Annotations Point and click anywhere on a design to leave precise comments so your team knows exactly what to fix.
- Four Comparison Modes Compare two versions side-by-side or use the toggle, overlay, and difference modes to spot every pixel-perfect change.
- Video Proofing Review video content with frame-accurate commenting and time-stamped feedback to streamline your motion graphics and film projects.
- Automated Reports Generate full audit trails of all comments and approval actions to keep a professional record for your clients.
- Multi-Language Support Switch the interface between several languages to provide a localized and comfortable review experience for your international clients.
- Guest Reviewers Invite your clients to review projects via a secure link without requiring them to create an account or log in.
Smartsheet Features
- Flexible Work Views. Switch instantly between Grid, Gantt, Card, and Calendar views to manage your tasks from any perspective you prefer.
- Automated Workflows. Create visual automated actions to send alerts, request approvals, and update sheet rows without manual intervention.
- Real-time Dashboards. Build custom widgets and charts to give your team and executives a live look at project health and performance.
- Dynamic Reports. Consolidate information from multiple sheets into a single report to identify trends and risks across different departments.
- Proofing and Approvals. Streamline content reviews by uploading files directly to rows and collecting feedback through dedicated proofing workflows.
- Resource Management. Track team availability and allocate hours effectively to ensure your projects stay on schedule and under budget.
Pricing Comparison
Approval Studio Pricing
- 5 user seats included
- Unlimited projects and reviewers
- All 4 comparison modes
- Basic proofing tools
- Standard support
- 5GB storage
- Everything in Lite, plus:
- 15 user seats included
- Video proofing capabilities
- Custom branding and colors
- 20GB storage
- API access
Smartsheet Pricing
- 1 user and 2 editors
- Up to 2 sheets
- Gantt, Grid, Card views
- 500MB attachment storage
- 100 automations per month
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited viewers
- Up to 10 sheets
- Unlimited reports and dashboards
- 20GB attachment storage
- Forms and branding
Pros & Cons
Approval Studio
Pros
- Intuitive interface requires almost no learning curve
- Comparison tool makes tracking revisions incredibly simple
- Clients can leave feedback without creating accounts
- Excellent customer support with fast response times
Cons
- No forever-free plan for solo freelancers
- Mobile browser experience can be slightly limited
- Storage limits on lower tiers may feel restrictive
Smartsheet
Pros
- Familiar spreadsheet interface reduces the initial learning curve
- Highly customizable views for different project management styles
- Powerful automation engine saves hours of manual work
- Excellent reporting capabilities across multiple different sheets
- Strong mobile app for managing tasks while traveling
Cons
- Advanced features require a significant time investment
- Real-time collaboration lacks the speed of Google Sheets
- Pricing can become expensive as you add more members