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Comparison · PM
OpenProject vs SmartSuite
A side-by-side editorial comparison of OpenProject and SmartSuite — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
OpenProject vs SmartSuite: at a glance
| Feature | OpenProject | SmartSuite |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | PM | PM |
| Velocity score | 5.0 | 6.3 |
| Sparks · 30d | 0 | 1 |
| Top themes | project-management, open-source, security-fixes, backports | work management, document control, audit trails, automation |
| Last editorial update | 4d ago | 20h ago |
| Website | Visit → | — |
What is OpenProject?
OpenProject patches five release lines at once with undisclosed security fixes
On 9 November OpenProject shipped 17.9.7, 17.8.2, 17.7.3, 17.6.1 and 17.5.2 together. 17.9.7 carries 12 security fixes and the older lines four each; details will be published later, and the notes ask everyone to update immediately. Bug fixes ride along: a slow project overview members widget on 17.9, copied projects inheriting the original's sprints on 17.6. This follows two earlier 17.9 patches that fixed a PDF-export file read and a budget disclosure.
What is SmartSuite?
SmartSuite adds tracked changes to SmartDocs, so policy edits need an approver.
SmartSuite is a no-code work management platform adding governance and developer surfaces. SmartDoc fields can now turn on Change Tracking: every edit, including writes from forms, imports, the API and automations, becomes a suggestion that named approvers accept or reject, with inline redlining and a three-year decision trail. It follows linked-record defaults, Service Accounts, Azure gateway support, the Script Engine and Managed Secrets.
OpenProject vs SmartSuite: editorial side-by-side
OpenProject patches five release lines at once with undisclosed security fixes
◆ Current state
On 9 November OpenProject shipped 17.9.7, 17.8.2, 17.7.3, 17.6.1 and 17.5.2 together. 17.9.7 carries 12 security fixes and the older lines four each; details will be published later, and the notes ask everyone to update immediately. Bug fixes ride along: a slow project overview members widget on 17.9, copied projects inheriting the original's sprints on 17.6. This follows two earlier 17.9 patches that fixed a PDF-export file read and a budget disclosure.
◆ Where it's heading
Security work is now the main output of the 17.x branch, and OpenProject is backporting it to lines as old as 17.5 rather than telling self-hosters to jump to 17.9. Feature work since the 17.9.0 release in September has not shown up in this feed.
◆ Prediction
Security advisories describing the 9 November fixes are the next likely publication, followed by a 17.10 or 18.0 feature release; until then, more 17.9 patches.
SmartSuite adds tracked changes to SmartDocs, so policy edits need an approver.
◆ Current state
SmartSuite is a no-code work management platform adding governance and developer surfaces. SmartDoc fields can now turn on Change Tracking: every edit, including writes from forms, imports, the API and automations, becomes a suggestion that named approvers accept or reject, with inline redlining and a three-year decision trail. It follows linked-record defaults, Service Accounts, Azure gateway support, the Script Engine and Managed Secrets.
◆ Where it's heading
October built the developer stack (secrets, scripts, service accounts); November is about controlled data: records that arrive already linked, and documents that cannot change without review. Both point at regulated teams that need audit trails inside the tool they already use for workflows.
◆ Prediction
Expect approval and audit controls to spread from SmartDocs to other field types or record-level changes, given that tracked changes already capture API and automation writes.
Alternatives to OpenProject 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 OpenProject or SmartSuite.
Asana
Asana lets Division admins run their own custom roles, on top Enterprise plans only.
NocoBase
NocoBase's v3 beta lets apps ship their own CLI, separate from Agents.
Productboard
Productboard's v2 documents API now keeps plain web addresses and emoji as ordinary text.
Hive
Hive turns reporting into a planning tool: shared inputs, grouped values, per-person drill-downs.
Tracecat
Tracecat 1.5 alpha patches add sub-cases and lock down agent sandboxes.
See all OpenProject alternatives → · See all SmartSuite alternatives →
Recent activity from OpenProject and SmartSuite
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2d agoSmartSuiteSmartDoc: Track Changes
- 5d agoOpenProject17.7.3 backports four security fixes
- 5d agoOpenProject17.6.1 backports four security fixes and sprint bugs
- 5d agoOpenProject17.5.2 backports four security fixes
- 5d agoOpenProject17.9.7 fixes 12 security issues, details to follow
- 5d agoOpenProject17.8.2 backports four security fixes
- 9d agoSmartSuiteLinked Records: Dynamic Default Values
- 14d agoOpenProject17.9.6 fixes unsaved workflow changes
- 16d agoSmartSuiteAI Platform: Support for Azure API Gateway
- 16d agoSmartSuiteWorkspace: Service Accounts
- 22d agoSmartSuiteSmartSuite Script Engine ⚡
- 29d agoSmartSuiteFilter Widget: Multiple Operators in Dynamic Filters
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between OpenProject and SmartSuite?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. SmartSuite is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 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 OpenProject better than SmartSuite?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. SmartSuite is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 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 OpenProject?
Top OpenProject alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "OpenProject alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/openproject 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.