Illustration depicting project management and financial tools. Features icons for project planning, tasks, customer relationship management, sales, and financial analytics. Includes graphs, gear symbols, calendars, and list icons.

Smartsuite vs Flowlu: A Comparison of Business Management Platforms

By: Ryan Malaluan; Editor: Geram Lompon

It can feel quite daunting to choose the right business management platform. After spending years analyzing and testing various tools, I have gained extensive hands-on experience with Smartsuite and Flowlu. Evaluating business platforms is an ongoing process, especially as your company grows and new tools become available.

I’ve explored every key feature these platforms offer through numerous hours of testing, including real-world scenarios in project management, CRM, and automation. My goal is to help you cut through the noise by providing an honest, head-to-head comparison based on actual use so you can confidently make an informed decision.

This article breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Smartsuite and Flowlu in project management, task tracking, collaboration, and finance. By the end, you’ll know which platform suits your needs, whether you’re a small business or a medium-sized enterprise seeking robust automation.

Smartsuite vs Flowlu: Quick Product Overview

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Smartsuite

SmartSuite is a collaborative work management platform designed to streamline workflows and improve team collaboration. It allows businesses to manage projects, track tasks, and optimize operations, all while offering customizable templates to suit diverse business needs.

Key Selling Points:

  • Customizable workflows and templates

  • Task and project management with automation

  • Robust reporting and dashboard features

  • Supports team collaboration and productivity

  • Integration with various external tools


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Get started with SmartSuite today and get a 14-day free trial with access to all features! No credit card required.


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Flowlu

Flowlu is an all-in-one business management platform tailored for small and medium-sized businesses. It centralizes project management, CRM, accounting, and automation, helping teams streamline operations and focus on growth.

Key Selling Points:

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Get started with Flowlu today and enjoy a 14-day free trial of its premium features—no credit card required!

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Smartsuite vs Flowlu: Which Business Management Platform is Right for You?

When deciding between Smartsuite and Flowlu, your choice depends on your business size and operational needs.

SmartSuite is perfect for businesses needing a customizable platform with strong collaboration tools and workflow automation. Its intuitive design and templates streamline project management while offering flexibility, making it ideal for managing complex, productivity-focused projects.

Flowlu is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses needing an all-in-one solution that combines project management, CRM, accounting, and financial reporting. It centralizes operations, tracks finances, and visualizes projects with tools like mind mapping.

In addition to its project management capabilities, Flowlu excels in simplifying routine everyday tasks. It’s an affordable and comprehensive platform that covers everything from cash flow to client management.

Smartsuite shines with customizable task automation and reporting, ideal for project-focused teams. On the other hand, Flowlu integrates accounting, CRM, and project management, making it a top choice for small businesses seeking an all-in-one solution.

SmartSuite is best for project customization, while Flowlu offers a broader toolset for managing finances, CRM, and projects together.

Smartsuite vs Flowlu: Which Platform Best Fits Your Business Needs?

When comparing Smartsuite and Flowlu, neither platform is superior across all areas, but each excels depending on your business needs. Here’s a detailed breakdown of who each platform is best suited for.

Smartsuite: Best for Teams Needing Customization and Collaboration

SmartSuite is the go-to option for teams that need flexibility, particularly in project management, workflow automation, and strategic planning. With its customizable templates, intuitive interface, and collaboration features, it’s perfect for teams working on complex project portfolios that require detailed task management. It also allows teams to perform strategic planning, track project revenue, and optimize performance for better financial insights.

SmartSuite offers a dedicated space for day-to-day task management and long-term planning. It is a powerful solution for teams that want to align project execution with broader business goals.

Why I recommend SmartSuite for complex project management:

Smartsuite’s ability to offer tailored workflows and automation is a game-changer for teams needing to streamline tasks without being locked into rigid processes. With over 200 templates and powerful reporting tools, SmartSuite allows you to customize your workspace to match your needs. This makes it ideal for businesses where collaboration and adaptability are crucial.

Key Advantages:

  • Customizable workflows: Tailor tasks, fields, and filters to fit your project needs.

  • Collaboration tools : Seamless communication and task-sharing features ensure team productivity.

  • Automation: Advanced workflow automation minimizes repetitive tasks, saving time and reducing errors.

  • Robust reporting: Detailed, customizable dashboards provide insights for data-driven decisions.

Flowlu: Best for Small Businesses Needing an All-in-One Solution

Flowlu is the perfect choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a comprehensive business management solution. It combines project management, CRM, accounting, and financial tools in one platform, which enables teams to work seamlessly across multiple functions.

Flowlu’s CRM also includes a client portal, helping businesses manage client relationships, prioritize tasks, and identify sales opportunities by tracking leads and performance metrics in real time. This makes it an ideal choice for teams focused on maximizing their revenue potential. With built-in tools to calculate costs and manage expenses, its integrated approach further supports customer success initiatives, making it a versatile and cost-effective solution.

Why I recommend Flowlu for small businesses:

Flowlu is ideal for businesses that want an integrated platform to manage everything from client relationships to cash flow. The ability to visualize projects with mind mapping, track expenses, and automate invoicing sets Flowlu apart as a complete solution for businesses looking to centralize operations.

Key Advantages:

  • All-in-one functionality: Combines CRM, accounting, project management, and invoicing into one platform.

  • Cost-effective: Provides extensive features at a lower price point, making it great for budget-conscious businesses.

  • Mind mapping : Unique project visualization tools help teams plan and strategize.

  • Real-time financial insights: Cash flow forecasting and expense tracking give businesses a clear financial overview.

Which Platform is Right for You?

Smartsuite and Flowlu: Product Overview

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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SmartSuite is ideal for businesses requiring high customization levels and project management flexibility. Teams dealing with complex projects, workflow automation, and frequent collaboration will benefit most from Smartsuite’s features. It suits project managers, team leads, and organizations with dynamic workflows.

Smartsuite stands out for its extreme customizability and intuitive user interface. It allows users to create personalized workflows and automate tasks. Unlike many project management platforms, SmartSuite offers over 200 customizable templates to cater to different business needs. Its robust reporting and dashboard capabilities further differentiate it as a tool for teams needing deep insights into project progress.

SmartSuite provides customizable workflows with templates for every type of business process, task management with detailed tracking and progress monitoring, powerful collaboration tools for seamless team communication, workflow automation to eliminate repetitive tasks, advanced reporting and dashboards for data-driven insights, and mobile access for on-the-go task and project management.


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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Flowlu is perfect for small business owners and teams who want to centralize their operations without needing multiple tools. It’s ideal for companies that need a comprehensive solution to handle project management, CRM, invoicing, and accounting in one easy-to-use platform.

Flowlu’s unique selling point is its ability to integrate project management with CRM and financial tracking. Unlike traditional project management tools, Flowlu allows businesses to manage projects, track cash flow, automate invoicing, and maintain customer relationships in one platform. Including mind mapping for project visualization is a feature rarely found in competing products.

Flowlu offers project and task management with Gantt charts and timelines, CRM with sales pipeline automation and client portals, automated invoicing and accounting tools, real-time cash flow forecasting and financial reporting, mind mapping for visual project planning, and comprehensive team collaboration and document-sharing tools.

Head-to-Head Comparison: Smartsuite vs Flowlu

Comparison infographic of two software suites: SmartSuite and Flowlu. Both feature icons for project management, CRM, financial tools, dashboards, and analytics, with various symbols representing each category.

1. Project and Task Management: Smartsuite Wins

Why SmartSuite is superior:

While both platforms offer strong project and task management capabilities, SmartSuite takes the lead due to its greater customization and flexibility. Smartsuite provides a wide range of templates and customizable workflows that allow teams to tailor their task management to specific needs. Its ability to automate repetitive tasks and provide granular control over task assignments and tracking makes it a clear winner for teams managing complex projects.

In my experience using SmartSuite, I could fully customize project workflows, assign tasks with personalized fields, and create automation rules that significantly reduced manual work. This level of control isn’t matched by Flowlu, which, while effective, is more rigid in its project management setup.

For teams looking to customize their task and project management processes fully, SmartSuite provides the flexibility and automation to streamline workflows and improve overall efficiency.


2. Collaboration Tools: Smartsuite Wins

Why SmartSuite is superior:

When it comes to collaboration, SmartSuite offers a more robust set of tools. Features like Share View allow easy sharing of project data with external stakeholders, and its intuitive interface makes team communication smoother. Flowlu provides solid collaboration features but lacks the depth of customization and external sharing options that SmartSuite offers.

While using both platforms, Smartsuite’s collaboration tools proved far more intuitive for sharing updates with my team and clients. The ability to customize dashboards and reports for team members or clients simplified our communication, whereas Flowlu’s collaboration tools felt more basic and geared toward internal teams.

If your team relies heavily on communication with internal and external stakeholders, SmartSuite will offer a more seamless and flexible collaborative environment.


3. CRM and Client Management: Flowlu Wins

Why Flowlu is superior:

Flowlu outshines SmartSuite in CRM and client management. It integrates its CRM with project management, a knowledge base, and financial tools, making it easier for businesses to manage client relationships alongside projects and invoices. Flowlu offers a more comprehensive suite for client management, complete with automated sales pipelines and client portals.

While testing Flowlu, I found integrating its CRM and invoicing features incredibly helpful. I could track the entire customer journey from lead generation to project completion and invoicing without needing external tools. Smartsuite, though strong in project management, does not offer this kind of seamless CRM experience.

For businesses looking to manage client relationships and sales processes alongside project management, Flowlu provides an all-in-one solution that reduces the need for multiple platforms.


4. Financial Management and Invoicing: Flowlu Wins

Why Flowlu is superior:

Flowlu takes the lead in financial management with its comprehensive invoicing, cash flow forecasting, and expense tracking tools. While SmartSuite integrates with accounting software, Flowlu’s built-in invoicing and financial tools make it easier for small businesses to manage their finances without needing third-party apps.

I found Flowlu’s invoicing feature to be extremely user-friendly. I could generate professional invoices in minutes, automate follow-ups, and track payments directly within the platform. Smartsuite lacks this integrated financial management functionality, making Flowlu the better choice for small businesses with more complex financial needs.

If you need a platform to manage projects and financial operations, Flowlu integrates these critical functions to simplify your tech stack.


5. User Experience and Customization: Smartsuite Wins

Why SmartSuite is superior:

Smartsuite offers a more user-friendly interface and a higher degree of customization. Its low-code/no-code environment makes it easy to tailor workflows and dashboards to specific team needs. At the same time, Flowlu, though effective, has a steeper learning curve and offers fewer customization options.

In my experience, Smartsuite’s interface felt much more intuitive, and the ability to customize workflows without technical skills was a significant advantage. Flowlu’s UI, while functional, required more time to set up and navigate, particularly for new users.

If ease of use and customization are top priorities, SmartSuite provides a more intuitive and flexible user experience, reducing setup time and enhancing productivity.


6. Pricing: Flowlu Wins

Why Flowlu is superior:

Flowlu’s pricing structure is more affordable, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. With its lower pricing tiers, Flowlu offers access to a wide range of features—project management, CRM, invoicing, and financial management—at a competitive rate, making it a cost-effective solution.

Comparing the pricing plans, Flowlu offers a more budget-friendly approach. Starting at $39 per month for a team of eight users, Flowlu is significantly cheaper than SmartSuite, which begins at $10 per user per month. This makes Flowlu a more attractive option for small businesses with limited budgets.

If you’re a small business owner looking for a feature-packed platform without breaking the bank, Flowlu offers a cost-effective solution with comprehensive tools at a lower price point.

A comparison chart of SmartSuite and Flowlu features. SmartSuite highlights include project management and task tracking. Flowlu highlights include financial tracking and CRM integration. Both sides show icons and graphics representing their features.

Final Thoughts

After testing both platforms, it’s clear that SmartSuite is ideal for teams needing customization, collaboration, and advanced project management. Flowlu is better suited for small to medium-sized businesses seeking an affordable, all-in-one solution with CRM and financial tools. If you need powerful customization, choose SmartSuite; for a cost-effective, integrated platform, choose Flowlu. Evaluate your needs and choose with confidence!

Top-rated Work Management Platform for Teams
Streamlined, Intuitive, and Built for You
Description & Features:

Deadlines are looming, emails are piling up, and you’re switching between multiple tools just to stay afloat (We feel you!)

SmartSuite simplifies it all with 200+ workflow templates, tailored dashboards that show It stands out by offering a versatile, all-in-one platform tailored to fit any team’s workflow. 

Description & Features:

Juggling projects, clients, and finances across different tools can quickly become overwhelming.

Manage sales funnels, customer interactions, and team communication effortlessly while keeping an eye on costs, visualizing financial data, and sending invoices—all from a single platform: Flowlu

Provides a 14-day free trial with access to all features.
Provides a 14-day free trial on all plans without requiring a credit card
Top-rated Work Management Platform for Teams
Description & Features:

Deadlines are looming, emails are piling up, and you’re switching between multiple tools just to stay afloat (We feel you!)

SmartSuite simplifies it all with 200+ workflow templates, tailored dashboards that show It stands out by offering a versatile, all-in-one platform tailored to fit any team’s workflow. 

Provides a 14-day free trial with access to all features.
Streamlined, Intuitive, and Built for You
Description & Features:

Juggling projects, clients, and finances across different tools can quickly become overwhelming.

Manage sales funnels, customer interactions, and team communication effortlessly while keeping an eye on costs, visualizing financial data, and sending invoices—all from a single platform: Flowlu

Provides a 14-day free trial on all plans without requiring a credit card
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