Kitsu
Kitsu is turning its studio pipeline tool into a client-facing review platform.
Comparison · PM
ClickUp vs SmartSuite
A side-by-side editorial comparison of ClickUp and SmartSuite — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:automation
ClickUp vs SmartSuite: at a glance
| Feature | ClickUp | SmartSuite |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | PM | PM |
| Velocity score | 6.3 | 7.5 |
| Sparks · 30d | 1 | 0 |
| Top themes | project-management, ai-agents, ai-coworker, model-routing | no-code, work-management, forms, governance |
| Last editorial update | 7d ago | 6d ago |
| Website | — | — |
What is ClickUp?
ClickUp bets its future on Brain², a ground-up AI coworker rebuilt to complete work
ClickUp's changelog has shifted almost entirely onto AI. After launching Super Agents in early 2026, it has now rebuilt ClickUp Brain from the ground up as Brain², positioned not as a chatbot but as a context-aware AI coworker that self-improves, routes across models, and completes work: building sites, slides, and managing projects, all under one price. Conventional release notes (Gantt Baselines, Google Drive automations, task-type management) still ship underneath, but they've become the supporting cast to the AI narrative.
What is SmartSuite?
SmartSuite grinds through Forms 2.0, governance, and an AI Center refresh — no-code aimed at GRC and PMO.
SmartSuite is a no-code work-management platform positioning hard at regulated operations — GRC, ITSM, PMO, and service desk. The current release stream is dominated by three arcs: a year-long Forms 2.0 buildout, a Default Values framework spanning field types, and governance features like Dynamic Record Permissions. Its AI Center keeps a multi-provider, bring-your-own-model catalog (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini) current.
ClickUp vs SmartSuite: editorial side-by-side
ClickUp
6.3PM
ClickUp bets its future on Brain², a ground-up AI coworker rebuilt to complete work
◆ Current state
ClickUp's changelog has shifted almost entirely onto AI. After launching Super Agents in early 2026, it has now rebuilt ClickUp Brain from the ground up as Brain², positioned not as a chatbot but as a context-aware AI coworker that self-improves, routes across models, and completes work: building sites, slides, and managing projects, all under one price. Conventional release notes (Gantt Baselines, Google Drive automations, task-type management) still ship underneath, but they've become the supporting cast to the AI narrative.
◆ Where it's heading
ClickUp is repositioning from a work-management app into an AI work-execution platform, with Brain² as the flagship and Super Agents as the autonomous layer beneath it. The messaging (multiplayer AI, every model, one price) targets the model-router and AI-coworker category directly. Expect the roadmap to keep folding traditional PM features into the Brain² surface rather than shipping them standalone.
◆ Prediction
Expect Brain² to expand across ClickUp's surface area (docs, chat, mobile, and third-party assistants like ChatGPT) and a continued push to make autonomous task completion, not just chat, the headline capability.
SmartSuite grinds through Forms 2.0, governance, and an AI Center refresh — no-code aimed at GRC and PMO.
◆ Current state
SmartSuite is a no-code work-management platform positioning hard at regulated operations — GRC, ITSM, PMO, and service desk. The current release stream is dominated by three arcs: a year-long Forms 2.0 buildout, a Default Values framework spanning field types, and governance features like Dynamic Record Permissions. Its AI Center keeps a multi-provider, bring-your-own-model catalog (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini) current.
◆ Where it's heading
The roadmap reads as methodical breadth rather than big bets: forms are becoming a first-class internal submission surface, record- and field-level permissions are getting granular for auditors, and automation runs are gaining end-to-end traceability. The AI Center is maintained as a cost-tiered model layer rather than a differentiated capability, tracking new flagship releases as they ship.
◆ Prediction
Expect the Forms 2.0 and Default Values rollouts to keep shipping incrementally, and the AI Center to track new flagship models with tier reclassifications rather than net-new AI features.
Alternatives to ClickUp and SmartSuite
Other PM products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either ClickUp or SmartSuite.
Celoxis
Celoxis publishes buyer's-guide SEO, not release notes — its product moves stay off this feed.
Leantime
Leantime is stabilizing its big 3.9 rewrite while extending cross-project planning and a mobile API
Hostaway
After launching AI CoHost, Hostaway pours effort into channel, statement, and direct-booking tooling
Notion
Notion is turning itself into the place teams and their AI agents share one board.
Atlassian
Atlassian's feed is AI thought-leadership, but agent visibility just shipped in Jira.
See all ClickUp alternatives → · See all SmartSuite alternatives →
Recent activity from ClickUp and SmartSuite
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 7d agoSmartSuiteAutomations: Run Links in Activity History
- 7d agoSmartSuiteLinked Record: Default Value Support
- 7d agoSmartSuiteAI Center: Support for new models
- 7d agoClickUpBrain²: Release Notes Takeover ⚡
- 9d agoClickUpð Ask ClickUp's Head of AI anything about Brain² (Reddit AMA)
- 14d agoSmartSuiteForms: Yes/No Default Value Support
- 14d agoSmartSuiteFilter Widget: Static Filters
- 14d agoSmartSuiteForms: Layout and Appearance
- 16d agoClickUpThe best AI is your AI. Brain² is here.
- 2mo agoClickUpRelease Notes 4.04
- 3mo agoClickUpRelease Notes 4.03
- 4mo agoClickUpRelease Notes 4.02
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ClickUp and SmartSuite?
Both compete on the same themes — automation — within PM. SmartSuite is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 6.3), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 1. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is ClickUp better than SmartSuite?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. SmartSuite is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 6.3), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 1. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other PM products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to ClickUp?
Top ClickUp alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ClickUp alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/clickup for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to SmartSuite?
Top SmartSuite alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "SmartSuite alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/smartsuite for the full list with editorial commentary on each.