Kitsu
Kitsu is turning its studio pipeline tool into a client-facing review platform.
Comparison · PM
Plane vs SmartSuite
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Plane and SmartSuite — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Plane vs SmartSuite: at a glance
| Feature | Plane | SmartSuite |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | PM | PM |
| Velocity score | 5.0 | 7.5 |
| Sparks · 30d | 0 | 0 |
| Top themes | project-management, open-source, ai-authoring, pql | no-code, work-management, forms, governance |
| Last editorial update | 3d ago | 6d ago |
| Website | Visit → | — |
What is Plane?
Plane pushes AI into pages and turns itself into a platform you can publish MCP apps from.
Plane, the open-source project-management tool, is shipping a dense stream of features on two fronts: an in-product query language (PQL) that now runs across dashboards, widgets, and its AI chat, and AI authoring embedded directly into Pages. Underneath, it has been maturing the fundamentals — a redesigned roles-and-permissions system, Epics as a first-class work item type, and the ability to publish MCP applications from Plane itself.
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.
Plane vs SmartSuite: editorial side-by-side
Plane
5.0PM
Plane pushes AI into pages and turns itself into a platform you can publish MCP apps from.
◆ Current state
Plane, the open-source project-management tool, is shipping a dense stream of features on two fronts: an in-product query language (PQL) that now runs across dashboards, widgets, and its AI chat, and AI authoring embedded directly into Pages. Underneath, it has been maturing the fundamentals — a redesigned roles-and-permissions system, Epics as a first-class work item type, and the ability to publish MCP applications from Plane itself.
◆ Where it's heading
The arc is Plane becoming both an AI-native workspace and an extensible platform. PQL is turning it into a queryable data layer that the AI chat sits on top of, while MCP app publishing signals ambitions beyond a single tool toward being a substrate other agents and apps build on. Expect continued convergence of the AI, query, and pages surfaces, with enterprise-grade access control as the foundation.
◆ Prediction
The next moves likely deepen the AI-plus-PQL loop — more natural-language querying and AI actions across work items and dashboards — and expand the MCP app ecosystem now that publishing is live.
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 Plane 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 Plane 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 Plane alternatives → · See all SmartSuite alternatives →
Recent activity from Plane 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
- 9d agoPlaneMermaid JS diagrams, PQL filters, and more | Jun 30, 2026
- 14d agoSmartSuiteForms: Yes/No Default Value Support
- 14d agoSmartSuiteFilter Widget: Static Filters
- 14d agoSmartSuiteForms: Layout and Appearance
- 24d agoPlaneAI Block in Pages | Jun 15, 2026
- 1mo agoPlaneEpics become a work item type, publish MCP apps, and more | May 31, 2026 ⚡
- 1mo agoPlaneEmbed media in the editor, PQL in Dashboards, and more | May 15, 2026
- 2mo agoPlaneCustom roles, granular access control, and a redesigned permissions system | Apr 25, 2026
- 2mo agoPlaneCustom roles, granular access control, and a redesigned permissions system | Apr 25, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Plane and SmartSuite?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. SmartSuite is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Plane 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 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other PM products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Plane?
Top Plane alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Plane alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/plane 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.