Mural
Mural is a collaborative intelligence platform that provides teams with a digital whiteboard space to visually brainstorm, plan projects, and facilitate interactive workshops from any location.
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 | Mural | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Website | mural.co | smartsheet.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 30 days free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has 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 | 2011 | 2005 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | Bellevue, USA |
Overview
Mural
Mural gives you a digital canvas where your team can solve problems and brainstorm ideas visually. Instead of static documents or endless email chains, you can use sticky notes, diagrams, and drawings to map out complex workflows or run interactive workshops. It helps you bridge the gap between remote and in-person teammates by providing a shared space where everyone can contribute in real-time.
You can guide your team through structured sessions using built-in facilitation tools like timers and private voting. Whether you are mapping a customer journey, planning a product roadmap, or running an agile sprint, the platform provides the flexibility to organize information your way. It scales from individual creators to global enterprises, offering a free version to get you started immediately.
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
Mural Features
- Infinite Canvas Create expansive visual workspaces where you can add unlimited sticky notes, shapes, and connectors to map out your biggest ideas.
- Facilitation Superpowers Take control of your meetings with built-in timers, laser pointers, and the ability to summon all participants to your view.
- Template Library Jumpstart your projects with hundreds of pre-built frameworks for mind mapping, retrospective meetings, and strategic planning sessions.
- Private Mode Allow team members to type their thoughts anonymously and reveal them all at once to prevent groupthink during brainstorming.
- Interactive Voting Gather instant feedback and reach consensus quickly by letting your team vote on the best ideas directly on the canvas.
- Content Library Drag and drop images, icons, and GIFs into your workspace to make your visual communications more engaging and expressive.
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
Mural Pricing
- Unlimited members
- 3 active murals
- Infinite canvas
- Standard library of templates
- One-click visitor sharing
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited active murals
- Private murals for sensitive work
- Facilitation Superpowers
- Priority email support
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
Mural
Pros
- Excellent facilitation tools for managing large group workshops
- Generous free plan allows for unlimited team members
- Massive library of professionally designed templates
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for non-designers
Cons
- Performance can lag on very large, complex canvases
- Mobile app experience is limited compared to desktop
- Learning curve for advanced facilitation features
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