Independently tested ranking
Best Project Management Tools for Agencies in 2026
9 tools compared on client access, time tracking, budgets and retainers, resource planning and real cost per seat, to find the best project management tools for agencies.
- Tools compared
- 9
- With a free plan
- 8 of 9
- Median entry price
- $10/user/mo
- Average rating
- 4.5
On this page
- Quick answer
- Our top picks
- Key takeaways
- What is a project management tool?
- Comparison table
- The 9 best project management tools
- Best project management tool by need
- What to look for
- How much project management tools cost
- How we ranked them
- How to choose a project management tool
- FAQ
- About the reviewer
- Related rankings
Which project management tool is best for agencies?
The best project management tools for agencies in 2026 are Teamwork.com for client work with time, budgets and retainers, Productive for profitability and resource planning, ClickUp for an all-in-one workspace on a budget, monday.com for visual client boards and Asana for creative review with free client guests. Teamwork.com starts at $9.99 per user a month billed annually, and its Accelerate plan with retainers and invoicing costs $24.99.
Our top picks
Best overall
Teamwork.com
Client projects, billable time, budgets, retainers and invoicing in one agency tool, with a free plan for 5 users.
Paid plans from $9.99/user/mo annual (3-user min)
See why we picked itBest for profitability
Productive
Budgets, rate cards, resource planning and margin reporting that agency owners actually use, from $10 a user.
Paid plans from $10/user/mo annual (3-seat min)
See why we picked itBest all-in-one value
ClickUp
Tasks, docs, chat and native time tracking for $9 a user billed annually.
Paid plans from $9/user/mo annual
See why we picked itKey takeaways
- Agencies need what internal teams do not: billable time, budgets and retainers, client access and resource planning. Decide which of those you need before comparing tools.
- Teamwork.com and Productive are the only picks here with retainer budgets and agency finance built in. General tools like Asana and monday.com need a separate time and billing tool.
- Client access costs vary a lot: Productive and Asana (from Starter) let clients in free, monday.com needs Standard for guests, and Basecamp now counts clients toward user caps.
- Watch seat minimums: Teamwork.com Basics needs 3 users and Accelerate 5, Productive needs 3 seats and monday.com 3.
- Basecamp switched to flat pricing in late 2026: $29, $79 or $99 a month by users and projects, or $199 a month (annual) for unlimited.
What is a project management tool?
The best project management tools for agencies are apps that plan and deliver client work while tracking the time, budgets and capacity that decide whether that work is profitable. They hold client projects and tasks, give clients a way to review and approve, and show account managers how much of a retainer or budget has been used.
Agency project management software differs from tools built for internal teams. An agency has many clients at once, shares designers, writers and developers across them, and bills by the hour, by retainer or by fixed fee. A good agency tool connects delivery to that money: time logged against budgets, resource planning before you sign new work, and reports that show which clients are over-serviced.
Best project management tools compared
| # | Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid plans from | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teamwork.com | Client work, time and billing | Yes (up to 5 users) | $9.99/user/mo annual (3-user min) | Not yet reviewed |
| 2 | Productive | Margins and resource planning | No (14-day trial) | $10/user/mo annual (3-seat min) | Not yet reviewed |
| 3 | ClickUp |
All-in-one agency workspace | Yes (Free Forever) | $9/user/mo annual | ★4.5 |
| 4 |  monday.com |
Visual boards for client work | Yes (up to 2 seats) | $9/seat/mo annual (3-seat min) | ★4.6 |
| 5 |  Asana |
Creative approvals and guests | Yes (up to 2 users) | $10.99/user/mo annual | ★4.4 |
| 6 | Wrike | Structured production at scale | Yes (small teams) | $10/user/mo annual | Not yet reviewed |
| 7 | Basecamp | Client communication hub | Yes (1 project, 3 users) | $29/mo flat | Not yet reviewed |
| 8 |  Notion |
Client docs and wikis | Yes (individuals) | $10/seat/mo annual | ★4.5 |
| 9 | Trello | Cheap Kanban for studios | Yes (up to 10 collaborators) | $5/user/mo annual | Not yet reviewed |
Ratings are MakeSuccessOnline's. Prices are the cheapest paid plan, billed monthly unless marked annual, checked November 2026. Most tools charge per user, so multiply by everyone who logs time or edits work.
The 9 best project management tools in 2026
Agencies split into two camps: those that need agency finance (time, budgets, retainers, margins) and those that mainly need clear client delivery. The first two picks lead on finance; the rest lead on delivery and client experience.
#1Best overall project management tool for agencies
Teamwork.com
Project management built for client services teams, with time tracking, budgets, retainers, invoicing and capacity planning.
- Paid plans from
- $9.99/user/mo annual (3-user min)
- Free plan
- Yes (up to 5 users)
- Best for
- Agencies and client services teams that bill for their time
- Works on
- Web, desktop and mobile apps
Teamwork.com is the best all-round pick for agencies because it is built around client work, not internal projects. Every project can track billable time, burn against an hour budget and roll into a retainer, so account managers see over-servicing before the month ends. Gantt and board views cover delivery, and one-click imports from Asana, monday.com, ClickUp, Trello, Basecamp and Wrike make switching easier.
Basics costs $9.99 a user a month billed annually with a 3-user minimum and adds billable time tracking and reporting. Accelerate at $24.99 a user (5-user minimum) is the real agency plan: time budgets, retainers, invoicing from logged time, smart intake forms, workload and capacity planning, plus HubSpot and QuickBooks. Profitability insights and role-based scheduling need the custom-priced Optimize plan.
Key features
- Billable time trackingLog time against tasks, mark it billable and report by client and project, so every billable hour reaches an invoice.
- Time budgets and retainersOn Accelerate, set hour budgets and recurring retainers per client and watch burn so you can raise scope before you over-service.
- Invoicing from logged timeTurn billable time into client invoices on Accelerate, which shortens the gap between doing work and getting paid.
- Workload and capacity planningSee who is over or under capacity across client projects and rebalance before deadlines slip.
- Smart intake formsCollect client requests through forms that create projects or tasks with the right details (Accelerate).
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 5 users and 5 projects; time logging, task, board and Gantt views |
| Basics | $9.99/user/mo annual | 3-user minimum; billable time tracking and reporting, unlimited templates, AI assistants |
| Accelerate | $24.99/user/mo annual | 5-user minimum; time budgets, retainers, invoicing, intake forms, workload planning, HubSpot and QuickBooks |
| Optimize | Custom | Financial budgets, profitability insights, quotes, scheduling by role or skill, Salesforce and NetSuite |
| Enterprise | Custom | Optimize plus SSO, advanced security and a dedicated success manager |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. 14-day free trial, no credit card needed. Monthly billing costs about 29% more than annual.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Built specifically for agencies and client work
- Time, budgets, retainers and invoicing in one tool
- Free plan for up to 5 users
- One-click imports from other project tools
Cons
- Profitability and role-based scheduling need custom-priced Optimize
- Seat minimums of 3 on Basics and 5 on Accelerate
- Overkill for teams that never track time
Is it right for you?
Choose Teamwork.com ifYou run billable or retainer client work and want time, budgets and delivery in one agency tool.
Look elsewhere ifYour team works on fixed-fee projects and never tracks time.
#2Best for agency profitability and resource planning
Productive
An agency management platform that ties projects, time, budgets, resource planning and profitability together.
- Paid plans from
- $10/user/mo annual (3-seat min)
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Best for
- Agencies and professional services firms focused on margins and utilization
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android
Productive is the pick for agency owners who care most about margin. Budgets can be fixed fee, time and materials or recurring retainers, and as people log time you see burn and profit per client, project and person. Resource planning shows who is booked across the agency, so you can say yes to new work with real availability, not guesses.
Essential costs $10 a user a month billed annually ($12 monthly) with a 3-seat minimum and already includes budgeting, resource planning, time tracking, expenses and an AI Assistant. Professional at $25 adds rate cards, recurring budgets, billable time approvals and invoicing integrations. Clients can be invited free, but contractors pay the same as employees, and revenue forecasting needs Ultimate.
Key features
- BudgetsBuild fixed-fee, time-and-materials or retainer budgets and watch burn and margin as time is logged.
- Resource planningSchedule people across client projects and see utilization before you commit to new work.
- Rate cardsOn Professional, set billing rates by role or person so budgets reflect what you actually charge.
- Profitability reportingSee margin by client, project and person and spot unprofitable retainers early.
- Free client accessInvite clients to projects at no cost so they follow progress in real time.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $10/user/mo annual ($12 monthly) | 3-seat minimum; budgeting, resource planning, projects, time tracking, expenses, reporting, AI Assistant |
| Professional | $25/user/mo annual ($29 monthly) | Recurring budgets, rate cards, billable time and expense approvals, advanced reports, invoicing integrations |
| Ultimate | Custom | Revenue forecasting, Scenario Builder, multiple subsidiaries, HubSpot integration, SSO |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. 14-day free trial, no credit card needed. 50% off for nonprofits.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Budgets, resourcing and profitability in one place
- Free client access
- Retainers and rate cards fit agency billing
- Resource planning on the entry plan
Cons
- No free plan
- Contractors cost the same as employees
- Forecasting and HubSpot need custom-priced Ultimate
Is it right for you?
Choose Productive ifYou run an agency of 10 or more people and want to manage utilization and margin, not just tasks.
Look elsewhere ifYou are a solo freelancer or a tiny studio that only needs a task board.
#3Best all-in-one value for agencies
ClickUp
An all-in-one work app that combines tasks, docs, whiteboards, chat and goals with heavy customization and built-in AI.
- Paid plans from
- $9/user/mo annual
- Free plan
- Yes (Free Forever)
- Best for
- Agencies and startups that want one configurable tool for projects and docs
- Works on
- Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
ClickUp gives agencies a lot for the price: tasks, docs, whiteboards, chat, dashboards and native time tracking in one workspace. A common setup is one Space per client with its own statuses and custom fields, client-facing docs for briefs and reports, and dashboards that combine time and task data. Guests can be added for client review.
New workspaces start on Core at $9 a user a month billed annually ($12 monthly), which includes time tracking, unlimited forms and Gantt, 1,000 automations and guest seats (5, plus 2 per extra paid user). Business at $17 adds workload, resource management and more guests. White labeling is on Enterprise. It takes setup work, and busy client workspaces can feel cluttered.
Key features
- Time trackingTrack time against tasks natively from Core and report on it, useful for agencies billing hours.
- Spaces and custom statusesGive each client its own Space with workflow stages and fields, so delivery is consistent but tailored.
- Guest seatsInvite client reviewers as guests; Core includes 5 plus 2 per extra paid user, Business 10 plus 5.
- DashboardsCombine charts, task lists and time data into reporting views for account reviews.
- White labelingOn Enterprise, brand the workspace for client-facing use.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free Forever | $0 | Unlimited members, 60MB storage, 1 form, 100 automation actions/mo |
| Core | $9/user/mo annual ($12 monthly) | Time tracking, unlimited forms and Gantt, 1,000 automations/mo, guest seats |
| Business | $17/user/mo annual ($25 monthly) | Workload and resource management, advanced dashboards, 10,000 automations/mo, more guests |
| Enterprise | Custom | White labeling, conditional forms, SSO, audit trails |
| Max | $100/user/mo annual ($120 monthly) | Enterprise plus the Max AI engine and unlimited AI fields and notetaker |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Existing workspaces on older plans keep their prices until ClickUp moves them.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Low per-seat price for the feature set
- Native time tracking from Core
- Docs and chat built in
- Guest seats for client review
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- No built-in invoicing or retainer budgets
- Workload view needs Business
Is it right for you?
Choose ClickUp ifYou want one low-cost workspace for client delivery, docs and time tracking and are willing to configure it.
Look elsewhere ifYou need retainer budgets, invoicing or profitability reports built in.
#4Best visual client boards
monday.com
A customizable work management platform for planning projects, tracking tasks and automating workflows on visual boards.
- Paid plans from
- $9/seat/mo annual (3-seat min)
- Free plan
- Yes (up to 2 seats)
- Best for
- Agencies and teams of all sizes managing client projects and repeatable workflows
- Works on
- Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, API
monday.com works well for agencies that want a clear, visual board per client and a dashboard across all of them. Columns can track deliverable, owner, status, client approval and due date, and forms take in client requests directly. Clients and freelancers can be invited as guests on Standard, and automations notify the account lead when a deliverable is ready for review.
Basic at $9 a seat (annual, 3-seat minimum) covers boards and unlimited free viewers. Standard at $12 adds timeline, Gantt and calendar views plus guest access. Pro at $19 adds private boards, which matter when one workspace holds several clients, and time tracking. Portfolio and resource management are Enterprise only, so it is lighter on agency finance than Teamwork.com or Productive.
Key features
- Custom boards per clientTrack deliverables with your own columns and statuses so each client board matches your process.
- Guest accessFrom Standard, invite clients or freelancers to specific boards to review work.
- Private boardsOn Pro, keep each client's board visible only to the right people.
- Time trackingA time tracking column on Pro records time per item for reporting.
- DashboardsRoll up progress and workload from many client boards into one view.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 2 seats, 3 boards |
| Basic | $9/seat/mo annual ($12 monthly) | Unlimited boards, unlimited free viewers; 3-seat minimum |
| Standard | $12/seat/mo annual ($14 monthly) | Timeline, Gantt and calendar views, guest access, 250 automation actions/mo |
| Pro | $19/seat/mo annual ($24 monthly) | Private boards, time tracking, 25,000 automation actions/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Portfolio and resource management, multi-level permissions |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. 14-day free trial of Pro, no credit card needed.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very visual and easy for clients to understand
- Guest access from Standard
- Strong automations and templates
- Integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack and Gmail
Cons
- Private boards and time tracking need Pro
- No budgets, retainers or invoicing
- 3-seat minimum
Is it right for you?
Choose monday.com ifYou want polished client boards that clients and account managers both find easy to read.
Look elsewhere ifYou need agency finance features like retainers, rate cards or profitability.
#5Best for creative agencies with review rounds
Asana
A work management platform for planning projects, assigning tasks and tracking goals in lists, boards, timelines and calendars.
- Paid plans from
- $10.99/user/mo annual
- Free plan
- Yes (up to 2 users)
- Best for
- Cross-functional and creative teams, from small teams to large enterprises
- Works on
- Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Asana suits creative and content agencies that run many deliverables through rounds of feedback. Client projects can use templates for repeat work such as a monthly content package, intake forms turn client requests into tasks, and timelines show how a late approval moves the delivery date. From Starter, clients and freelancers join as unlimited free guests.
Starter at $10.99 a user a month billed annually adds timelines, dashboards, forms and unlimited automations. Advanced at $24.99 adds approvals and proofing on images and PDFs, portfolios to see every client at once, and time tracking with estimated versus actual hours. There is no invoicing or budgeting, so most agencies pair it with a separate time and billing tool.
Key features
- Unlimited free guestsFrom Starter, invite clients and freelancers as guests without paying for extra seats.
- Approvals and proofingOn Advanced, clients and leads approve work and mark up images and PDFs on the task.
- Project templatesSave repeat deliverables such as a monthly social package as templates and spin them up per client.
- PortfoliosSee the status of every client project in one view on Advanced.
- Time trackingAdvanced compares estimated and actual time per task, a start on spotting over-servicing.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $0 | Up to 2 users; list, board and calendar views |
| Starter | $10.99/user/mo annual ($13.49 monthly) | Timeline, dashboards, forms, unlimited automations, unlimited free guests |
| Advanced | $24.99/user/mo annual ($30.49 monthly) | Approvals and proofing, portfolios, goals, time tracking, resource management |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO, capacity planning, admin controls |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Unlimited free guests for clients from Starter
- Clean interface clients can follow
- Approvals and proofing on Advanced
- Large integration library
Cons
- No budgets, retainers or invoicing
- Proofing and portfolios need Advanced
- Free plan covers only 2 users
Is it right for you?
Choose Asana ifYou run creative deliverables with client review rounds and want clients inside the tool at no extra cost.
Look elsewhere ifYou bill by the hour and need time, budgets and invoices in one system.
#6Best for larger agencies with structured production
Wrike
A work management platform with Gantt charts, request forms, proofing and resource tools for cross-functional and creative teams.
- Paid plans from
- $10/user/mo annual
- Free plan
- Yes (small teams)
- Best for
- Mid-size and enterprise agencies, creative teams and PMOs
- Works on
- Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Wrike fits larger agencies and in-house creative studios that run structured production for many clients. Request forms route client briefs to the right team, custom item types let you model a deliverable or campaign with its own fields, and proofing lets clients and creative directors mark up images, video and documents with formal approvals.
Team at $10 a user a month billed annually covers 2 to 15 users with Gantt charts and dashboards. Business at $25 a user, annual only, covers 5 to 200 users. Budgeting, advanced resource and capacity planning with time tracking, and BI reporting are on the custom-priced Pinnacle and Apex tiers, which is where agency finance lives in Wrike.
Key features
- Proofing and approvalsClients and creative leads mark up assets and approve them inside the project.
- Request formsClient briefs come in through forms that create work and route it to the right team.
- Custom item typesModel deliverables and campaigns as their own item types with tailored fields.
- Gantt chartsPlan client timelines with dependencies from the Team plan.
- Budgeting and capacity planningOn Pinnacle and Apex, plan capacity with time tracking and track project budgets.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Board and table views for small teams |
| Team | $10/user/mo annual | 2 to 15 users; Gantt, dashboards, AI Essentials |
| Business | $25/user/mo annual | 5 to 200 users, annual only; workspace templates, integrations |
| Pinnacle | Custom | Resource and capacity planning with time tracking, budgeting, advanced reporting |
| Apex | Custom | Pinnacle plus Wrike Integrate, Wrike Sync and more AI |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. 14-day free trial, no credit card needed.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Proofing built for creative production
- Structured intake and custom item types
- Scales to 200 users on Business
- Integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud, Salesforce and Slack
Cons
- Agency finance features need custom-priced tiers
- Business is annual only
- Steeper learning curve
Is it right for you?
Choose Wrike ifYou are a larger agency or studio with formal production and review steps across many clients.
Look elsewhere ifYou are a small agency that wants time and billing on an affordable plan.
#7Best for client communication in small agencies
Basecamp
A project tool that puts to-dos, message boards, chat, schedules and files in one place per project.
- Paid plans from
- $29/mo flat
- Free plan
- Yes (1 project, 3 users)
- Best for
- Small agencies and studios that value simple client communication
- Works on
- Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Basecamp is a calm place to run client projects when communication is the hard part. Each client gets a project with a message board, to-dos, a schedule, files and chat, and you control what clients can see. Automatic check-ins collect updates without status calls, and Hill Charts show where work really stands.
Pricing changed to flat tiers in late 2026. Freelancer is $29 a month for 5 users and 3 projects, Pro is $79 for 10 users and 8 projects, Pro Plus is $99 for 15 users and 12 projects, and Pro Unlimited is $199 a month billed annually ($329 monthly). Clients now count toward user caps, so agencies with many client contacts usually need Pro Unlimited.
Key features
- Client accessInvite clients into projects and control what they see; on capped plans each client counts as a user.
- Message BoardThreaded client updates and feedback in one place instead of email.
- Automatic Check-insRecurring questions collect team updates without a status meeting.
- Hill ChartsShow clients where work stands between figuring it out and getting it done.
- Docs and FilesStore briefs, assets and final deliverables with each client project.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 project, 1GB, up to 3 users |
| Freelancer | $29/mo | Up to 5 users, 3 active projects |
| Pro | $79/mo | Up to 10 users, 8 active projects |
| Pro Plus | $99/mo | Up to 15 users, 12 active projects, 100GB |
| Pro Unlimited | $199/mo annual ($329 monthly) | Unlimited users and projects, 1TB |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. 30-day free trial, no credit card needed.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very easy for clients to use
- Communication and tasks together
- Flat pricing with no per-user fees
- Pro Unlimited covers unlimited users and projects
Cons
- Clients count toward user caps below Pro Unlimited
- Active-project caps on cheaper plans
- Light reporting and no budgets
Is it right for you?
Choose Basecamp ifYou run a small agency where clear client communication matters more than detailed planning.
Look elsewhere ifYou need time budgets, resourcing or profitability tracking.
#8Best for client wikis and lightweight delivery
Notion
A connected workspace for docs, wikis and databases that doubles as a lightweight project tool.
- Paid plans from
- $10/seat/mo annual
- Free plan
- Yes (individuals)
- Best for
- Small agencies and studios that document heavily
- Works on
- Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Notion works for small agencies that want client docs, SOPs and simple delivery tracking in one place. A projects and tasks database tracks deliverables by client with board and timeline views, and each client can have a hub page with briefs, meeting notes and reports that you share with them as guests.
Plus costs $10 a seat a month billed annually and covers team use with charts and custom forms. Business at $20 adds Notion Agent, AI meeting notes, private teamspaces and database permissions that limit row access by assignee, which helps when several clients share a workspace. It has no time tracking, budgets or proofing, so agencies that bill hours will outgrow it.
Key features
- Projects and tasks databasesTrack deliverables by client with board, timeline and calendar views.
- Client hub pagesShare briefs, notes and reports with clients from one page.
- Docs and wikisKeep SOPs and agency playbooks linked to the work.
- AI meeting notesOn Business, transcribe client calls and write summaries with action items.
- Granular database permissionsOn Business, limit which rows each person can see.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | For individuals: AI trial, 10 guests, 7-day history |
| Plus | $10/seat/mo annual ($12 monthly) | Team workspace, charts, custom forms, larger uploads |
| Business | $20/seat/mo annual ($24 monthly) | Notion Agent, AI meeting notes, private teamspaces, database permissions, SSO |
| Enterprise | Custom | Advanced permissions, audit log, SCIM |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Client docs and delivery in one place
- Flexible databases and templates
- AI meeting notes on Business
- Affordable Plus plan
Cons
- No time tracking or budgets
- No proofing
- Full AI needs Business
Is it right for you?
Choose Notion ifYou are a small agency that documents everything and wants polished client pages.
Look elsewhere ifYou bill by the hour or need resourcing.
#9Best low-cost Kanban for small studios
Trello
Kanban boards, lists and cards for tracking work, with built-in automation and Power-Ups.
- Paid plans from
- $5/user/mo annual
- Free plan
- Yes (up to 10 collaborators)
- Best for
- Freelancers and small studios that want simple boards
- Works on
- Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Trello is the cheapest way for a small studio to give each client a board. Lists such as Brief, In progress, Client review and Done make status obvious, and cards hold files, checklists and due dates. Clients can be invited to a board to comment, and Butler automation can move cards or assign owners when status changes.
Standard at $5 a user a month billed annually gives unlimited boards and custom fields. Premium at $10 adds calendar, timeline, table and dashboard views across boards. There is no time tracking, budgeting or resource planning, so treat Trello as a starting point that small studios outgrow as client volume grows.
Key features
- Boards per clientOne board per client with lists for each delivery stage.
- Butler automationMove or assign cards automatically; 1,000 runs a month on Standard.
- Custom fieldsAdd client, priority or budget fields to cards from Standard.
- Workspace viewsOn Premium, see cards from many client boards in one table or calendar.
- Power-UpsAdd-ons connect boards to Slack, Google Drive and other tools.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace |
| Standard | $5/user/mo annual ($6 monthly) | Unlimited boards, custom fields, 1,000 automation runs/mo |
| Premium | $10/user/mo annual ($12.50 monthly) | Calendar, timeline, table and dashboard views, unlimited automation |
| Enterprise | $17.50/user/mo annual | Organization-wide permissions, Atlassian Guard |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Free trial of Premium.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very easy for clients
- Low entry price
- Free plan for 10 collaborators
- Built-in automation
Cons
- No time tracking or budgets
- Cross-board views need Premium
- Weak reporting
Is it right for you?
Choose Trello ifYou are a freelancer or small studio that wants a simple board per client for almost nothing.
Look elsewhere ifYou need time, budgets or capacity planning.
Best project management tool by need
- Billable client work and retainersTeamwork.com
- Margins and resource planningProductive
- Low-cost all-in-one workspaceClickUp
- Visual boards clients understandmonday.com
- Creative review with free client guestsAsana
- Large agencies with structured productionWrike
- Simple client communicationBasecamp
- Client wikis and documentationNotion
- Freelancers and tiny studiosTrello
What to look for in a project management tool
- Billable time trackingProject management with time tracking lets people log hours against tasks and mark them billable. Teamwork.com, Productive and ClickUp have it built in.
- Budgets and retainersRetainer management software tracks hours or money against a monthly allowance, so you raise scope before you lose margin. Teamwork.com Accelerate and Productive do this.
- Client access and approvalsClients need to see progress and approve work. Check whether client users are free and whether proofing is included.
- Resource planningResource planning software for agencies shows who is booked across clients, so you can quote timelines that hold.
- Invoicing and accounting linksProject management with invoicing, or a clean link to QuickBooks or Xero, closes the loop from time logged to cash collected.
- Real cost per seatAdd seat minimums, contractor seats, guest limits and annual billing. Agencies with many part-timers feel these costs fast.
How much do project management tools for agencies cost in 2026?
Most project management tools for agencies cost $9 to $25 per user per month billed annually. Agency-specific plans with retainers, budgets and invoicing sit at $24.99 to $25 per user, and profitability forecasting is usually custom priced.
| Tier | Typical price | Tools at this level | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Teamwork.com (5 users), ClickUp, Trello (10 collaborators), Asana and monday.com (2 users), Basecamp (1 project, 3 users), Notion, Wrike | Freelancers testing a tool or very small studios |
| Entry paid | $5 to $12/user/mo | Trello, monday.com Basic and Standard, ClickUp Core, Teamwork.com Basics, Productive Essential, Notion Plus, Wrike Team, Asana Starter | Small agencies tracking delivery and basic time |
| Agency finance | $17 to $25/user/mo | ClickUp Business, monday.com Pro, Teamwork.com Accelerate, Productive Professional, Asana Advanced, Wrike Business | Agencies needing retainers, rate cards, workload and approvals |
| Flat or custom | $29 to $329/mo flat, or custom | Basecamp flat plans; Teamwork.com Optimize, Productive Ultimate, Wrike Pinnacle | Small teams wanting flat pricing, or larger agencies needing forecasting and profitability |
Entry prices from vendor pricing pages, November 2026. Per-user prices are multiplied by your team size, and some plans need annual billing or seat minimums.
Price agency project management software for everyone who logs time, including contractors. A 12-person agency on Teamwork.com Accelerate pays about $300 a month billed annually; the same team on Productive Professional pays $300 too, while ClickUp Core costs $108 but has no retainers or invoicing. If you bill by the hour, a few recovered billable hours a month usually cover the gap.
How we chose the best project management tools
We started with the project management tools in the MakeSuccessOnline directory and added well-known agency tools we have not reviewed yet, such as Teamwork.com, Productive, Wrike, Basecamp and Trello. We scored each one with agency work in mind: setting up a new client, logging billable time, tracking a retainer, getting client approval and planning who works on what next week. We used our hands-on reviews, vendor documentation and pricing pages checked in November 2026.
- Agency workflow fitClient projects, templates for repeat deliverables and how well the tool matches agency delivery.20%
- Time, budgets and retainersBillable time, budget burn, retainers, rate cards and invoicing.25%
- Client accessHow clients review, approve and follow progress, and whether client seats cost extra.15%
- Resource planningWorkload and capacity views across clients.15%
- Pricing and valueFree plans, per-seat cost, seat minimums and contractor pricing.15%
- Ease of useHow quickly account managers, creatives and clients get comfortable.10%
How to choose a project management tool
- Decide how you billHourly, retainer and fixed-fee agencies need different tools. If you bill time, put Teamwork.com and Productive on the shortlist.
- Map the client journeyWrite down intake, kickoff, delivery, review and reporting for a typical client. Pick a tool where each step has a home.
- Test client accessInvite a friendly client to a trial project. Check what they can see, how they approve work and whether they count as a paid seat.
- Check resource planningPlan next week's work for your real team in the tool. If you cannot see who is overbooked, keep looking.
- Price it for the whole agencyMultiply by every employee and contractor who logs time, add seat minimums and compare annual and monthly billing.
- Migrate one client firstMove one active client onto a free plan or trial, run a full month, then roll out with templates for repeat work.
Check during the free trial
- Can we track a monthly retainer and see burn before the month ends?
- Do clients count as paid seats, and what can they see?
- How does logged time turn into an invoice or flow into QuickBooks or Xero?
- Can we see who is overbooked across all clients next week?
- What will it cost for all employees and contractors after minimums and annual billing?
Red flags
- Clients counted as paid users when you have many client contacts
- Retainer or budget tracking only on a custom-priced tier
- No way to export time entries for billing
- Resource planning that needs a separate add-on
- Contractors priced like full employees when you rely on freelancers
Project management tools for agencies FAQ
What are the best project management tools for agencies?
Teamwork.com is the best project management tool for most agencies because it connects client projects to billable time, budgets, retainers and invoicing. Productive is best for profitability and resource planning, ClickUp for an all-in-one workspace on a budget, monday.com for visual client boards and Asana for creative review with free client guests.
Is there free project management software for agencies?
Yes. Teamwork.com is free for up to 5 users and 5 projects, ClickUp has a free plan with unlimited members, and Trello is free for 10 collaborators. Basecamp is free for one project and 3 users. Free plans rarely include retainers, budgets or resource planning.
How much does agency project management software cost?
Entry plans cost about $5 to $12 per user per month billed annually. Plans with retainers, budgets and invoicing, such as Teamwork.com Accelerate at $24.99 and Productive Professional at $25, cost more. Basecamp uses flat pricing from $29 a month.
Teamwork.com vs Productive: which is better for agencies?
Teamwork.com is better if you want strong project delivery plus time, retainers and invoicing, with a free plan to start. Productive is better if margin and utilization are your main focus, with budgets, rate cards and resource planning from the entry plan. Productive has no free plan.
Is ClickUp good for agencies?
Yes, for agencies that want tasks, docs and time tracking in one low-cost tool. ClickUp Core costs $9 per user billed annually and includes time tracking and guest seats. It has no retainer budgets or invoicing, and setup takes effort.
Which project management tool lets clients in for free?
Productive lets you add clients free, and Asana gives unlimited free guests from its Starter plan. monday.com allows guests on Standard and up, and ClickUp includes a set number of guest seats per plan. Basecamp now counts clients toward user caps unless you are on Pro Unlimited.
What project management software do marketing agencies use?
Marketing agencies commonly use Teamwork.com or Productive when they bill by time or retainer, and ClickUp, monday.com or Asana when they mainly need delivery and client review. Small studios often start with Trello or Basecamp and move up as client volume grows.
How do I choose project management software for an agency?
Start with how you bill, then map the client journey from intake to reporting. Test client access, try planning next week's resourcing, and price the tool for every employee and contractor. Move one client onto a trial before rolling it out.
About the reviewer
Editor & Reviewer, MakeSuccessOnline
William Harrison is an editor and reviewer at MakeSuccessOnline. He reviews each tools ranking before it goes live, checking plans, prices, free tiers and features against the tool's own documentation, and keeps rankings current as tools change.