ManyRequests is a client portal and client requests management software for creative services.
Since you're here, I suppose you're looking for ActiveCollab alternatives to overcome ActiveCollab's limitations.
Guess you're looking for...
A project management software that can track time and also process invoices.
A tool that can manage client communications all in one place and not across multiple channels.
One whose pricing is fair to all agencies and team sizes.
A project management platform you can customize by adding your own domain, fonts, colors, and logo.
In other words, a project management software with white-labeling capabilities. White-labeling boosts a brand's credibility and trust.
The lack of it can hurt a brand's perception.
If this is you, then rejoice because I have 12 ActiveCollab competitors with most (if not all) of these functionalities.
Okay, fasten your seat belt. Let's hit the road.
Top 12 ActiveCollab Alternatives
Here are 12 ActiveCollab alternatives for creative agencies and project managers.
Before we floor the gas pedal, let me point out that:
Although all the tools on the list can work for agencies, only three (ManyRequests, Trello, and Teamwork) were built with agencies in mind.
And at the time of writing, only two (ManyRequests and Teamwork) offer a brandable client portal (white-labeling).
Okay, let's go.
1. ManyRequests
An all-in-one solution for agencies with branded client portals.
If you're an agency owner or a project manager, ManyRequests could very well be all you need.
Why?
Because ManyRequests was built primarily for creative agencies and project managers.
Amongst many things, it offers both time tracking and project management for agencies and project managers.
So what can ManyRequests do for you?
It can manage clients, bills, and invoices.
With it, you get to automate processes and manage communication. This in turn saves you time that you can invest in other areas of your business.
You can also track time spent on client projects.
In your branded client portal, you'll be able to carry out all your project management duties seamlessly.
You can visualize time spent on specific projects, the team members who worked on them, and the bills involved.
You can also onboard clients, add team members, and assign them specific tasks. All of this happens in your own branded portal.
From then on, you just oversee project execution and manage workflows from start to finish.
So what are ManyRequests strengths?
Let's take an indepth look at some of the most important features of ManyRequests.
ManyRequests Core Features
Live Tracking in the Client Portal
Time tracking is an important aspect of project execution and delivery.
ManyRequests, therefore, takes this seriously.
Time is tracked as your team members (and other contractors) carry out clients' tasks.
You'll see when they clocked in to work on projects assigned to them.
You can easily calculate how long it took to complete a task. And if you will, you can go ahead and compare it with that of another task.
Since everything happens in one place—the client portal, you and your team will be able to start and stop timers without having to switch between apps.
Tracked time automatically reflects (in real time) in the system, where you'll be able to generate time-based and timely reports and download them as pdfs.
Design agency, DesignGuru, needed a platform where they could run all their operations in one place. A self-service portal where customers could make their own design requests.
With ManyRequests, DesignGuru was able to scale at a fast rate, achieving double digits monthly growth and completing 1500 projects.
James Alberts, DesignGuru Co-founder, had this to say:
“One of our differentiation factors was having a dedicated client portal. It makes it simple to manage all our clients' design jobs in one place. The ManyRequests team is constantly improving as well, we're big fans!”
Checkout Forms and Payment Gateway Integration
You can customize your own portal according to your needs.
What you can do is really up to you and your imagination.
For example, you can integrate a payment gateway such as Stripe and allow clients to purchase services (one-off or recurring) right from there.
Since Stripe hastens payments, you'll receive payments in minutes at no extra cost. No hidden fees or commissions. Just a tiny Stripe processing fee.
Instead of sending out payment links to clients, you can just embed a checkout form in the pricing page to make the process faster.
UK-based design subscription service Hatchly, used to spend a lot of time in calls and sending proposals, selling their services on a quote-based basis.
They were able to solve this problem by productizing their services using ManyRequests' Checkout Forms and Service builder features.
William Griffiths of Hatchly had this to say,
“We run a UK-based design subscription agency. ManyRequests has been the backbone of our business since day 1.”
ManyRequests Time-Based Feature
ManyRequests' time-based functionality helps you onboard clients on a one-off, project-by-project basis.
This makes sense because not all of your clients will be on a retainer.
Using this functionality, you can quickly put together details of the project and send your clients the link so they can check it out.
This makes the whole process transparent.
Graphic design service, DesignBuffs, wanted to offer both hourly-based services and subscriptions.
They were able to create both recurring and hourly-based packages using ManyRequests.
DesignBuffs' Carsten Pleiser says,
“Thanks to ManyRequests we can now offer hourly-based services to our clients. We get paid upfront and clients can control their exact design needs.”
Okay, every product has its pros and cons, right? So let's look at those of ManyRequests.
ManyRequests Pros
- Ease of use
It is very easy to set up projects, assign tasks to team members, and start monitoring progress in the ManyRequests portal.
Everything happens in one place
The live time tracking feature is built into the client portal area. This means you can monitor hours, update progress reports, and manage client communication without leaving the portal or using another tool.
- Real-time updates
Time is updated in real time, and time entries can also be edited.
ManyRequests Cons
- Fewer integrations
Third-party integrations are few. This is because almost all client and administrative tasks happen in the client portal.
- Reports are only in PDF
Reports can only be exported in PDF format.
- No intrusive surveillance feature
Surveillance features that intrude into employees' privacy are missing.
This may not be a con after all since most employees don't like being monitored on the job.
So how much does ManyRequests cost?
ManyRequests Pricing
ManyRequests has 4 paid plans with a 14-day trial period.
1. A Starter plan ($99 per month)
Perfect for small agencies and freelancers.
2. The Core plan (149 per month)
Comes with 5 team accounts. Perfect for new or small-scale agencies.
3. The Pro plan ($399 per month)
Ten team accounts are on offer along with advanced features. Great for agencies that are scaling.
4. The Enterprise plan (custom price)
Many more features are available on this plan. For example, the option of a dedicated account management.
🎯 ManyRequests Use Case
ManyRequests gives you everything in one place. It's ideal for agencies that want to centralize client communication, simplify project tracking, and offer a self-service option for clients. This helps to boost client experience.
ManyRequests is perfect for small to medium-sized (5-50 team members) design agencies, marketing firms, and consultancies.
It also works for agencies that offer recurring services and subscription models.
That is, agencies that work with a steady flow of client requests.
ManyRequests Review
Luis Camacho of GetAds says,
"Before ManyRequests, what I was trying to build out was very complicated. ManyRequests simplified the workflow of our ad design service. Our customers can now easily request various ad creatives. We now have everything in one place: Request forms, communication, and it saves us and our clients a ton of time.”
2. Miro
Leader in visual collaboration and innovation.
Miro is known for its visual project management capabilities. Miro makes it easy for teams to plan and execute projects.
So what features make Miro shine? Let's look at three.
Miro Core Features
Asynchronous Interaction
With Miro's Talktrack feature, you can record interactive video or audio walkthroughs of your boards.
And viewers can access and interact with the boards, leave comments, and modify the content of the boards.
This is especially useful if members of your team are scattered across the globe working across different time zones.
Rich Diagramming Capabilities
Miro is known for its visual appeal.
Hence, it comes prepared, with a host of diagramming tools.
If you can't find what you need in Miro's large library, you can ask its AI-driven diagram creator to whip up something on the fly.
This feature is very useful when creating complex diagrams or when you need to communicate your ideas and workflows using detailed visuals.
Advanced Collaboration
Miro supports advanced collaborative functionalities to boost interaction.
For example, the posting of reactions and stickies during video meetings on Zoom and Teams. You can do this without having to switch between applications.
Miro Pros
- Workflow visualization
With Miro, you can build and display workflows, which can help teams understand processes and optimize their own work.
- Cross-team collaboration
Miro makes communication and collaboration seamless among team members possible. I mean communication and collaboration that are independent of location.
This makes work between team members fluid.
- Face-to-face whiteboard emulation
Remote collaboration in Miro feels more personal and interactive. This is because of Miro's whiteboard feature.
Miro Cons
- Too many features aren't for everybody
Some users (especially newbies) may find Miro's host of features and tools intimidating. Its interface doesn't help in this regard either. So if you're new to the platform, you may need to conquer Miro's learning curve before you can get meaningful work done.
- Free tier is quite limiting
Limited number of boards and reduced access to advanced features. That's what you get when you choose to go with Miro's free plan. You never get to have that tasty bite at Miro's feature-laden cherry.
Okay, how much?
Miro Pricing
Four plans are on offer: one free and three paid.
- Free Plan
If you just want to explore Miro’s capabilities, a Free plan happily awaits.
While you're at it, don't forget to add all your team members. Why not? It's free. Won't cost you a dime.
- Starter Plan
Good for individual users and small teams.
$8 per member/month billed annually ($10 billed monthly) will unlock unlimited private boards and other essential features.
- Business Plan
If your team needs advanced collaboration, a Business plan is the way to it.
At $16 per member/month billed annually ($20 monthly), you'll get a number of advanced features plus improved security.
- Enterprise Plan
If you run a large ship of over 50 team members, go for the Enterprise plan.
What will you get?
Enhanced support, security, and control are needed to run an organization as large as yours.
For how much exactly?
You'll have to strike a deal with Miro's salespeople. Your destiny is in your hands—literally.
🎯 Miro Use Case
Miro is especially useful to small to midsized agencies that need real-time collaboration and brainstorming and managing workflows.
As an agency owner, you can use Miro as a brainstorming tool to understand the needs and project scopes of your clients.
Then use Miro's templates (Kanban boards, Gantt charts) to manage tasks and projects and monitor timelines and milestones.
If your team is between 10 and 100 members and real-time collaboration is critical to your operations and your workflows aren't too complex, then Miro could be the tool for you.
Miro Review
Yana M. via G2 finds Miro to be very helpful.
3. Asana
Flexible and intuitive project management tool.
Asana is simple and powerful at the same time.
It has a wide range of project views—a general workload overview, a calendar, and Kanban-style cards.
Good news is you can easily switch between them. This means more flexibility for users.
Throw in some of Asana’s automation and integration, and you can easily see how Asana makes any team more efficient.
Moving on…
Asana has many unique features and functionalities that make it stand out.
Let's look at some of them.
Asana Core Features
Gantt Charts
Asana’s Gantt chart feature presents project timelines through very detailed visuals.
With them, it's easy to make informed decisions regarding current projects.
Role Assignment and Timelines
It's easy to assign tasks and responsibilities to team members in Asana and set deadlines.
You can even go one step further and break down those tasks into subtasks for better understanding and accountability among team members.
Use Asana’s timeline feature to visualize project deadlines in a clear, easy-to-grab manner.
Adjust deadlines and reset milestones to make sure projects remain on track.
Budgeting Feature
Asana’s budgeting feature allows you to set budgets per project and track project expenses.
You can make adjustments as you deem fit to stay within your predetermined budget.
Everything happens in real time.
Asana Pros
- A user interface to die for
Uncomplicated and easy to use, Asana clearly had users in mind while building their UI.
Users can navigate easily and find what they're looking for without much hassle.
- Enhances Collaboration
Your team members will find collaboration in Asana easy.
They can invite others (new and old) to their workspace to take part in a project.
Team members can see what tasks everyone is working on. This makes it easy to hold one another accountable.
They can contact each other in real-time through messages and exchange files.
And when revisions are made, team members will be notified.
- Tons of Integrations
If you need extra features that are currently not native in Asana, you can access them through Asana's many integrations.
Asana Cons
- Limiting One-Person-Per-Task Policy
Although Asana did it to make users accountable, Asana's one-task-per-person policy isn't without its shortcomings.
For example, a situation where several team members are to work together on a particular task and the person to whom the task was assigned isn't available.
This is a recipe for delays since the task can't be assigned to another person.
- Pricing can be expensive for Small Teams
Since we'll discuss pricing in detail in the next section, let me just hint that Asana's pricing structure doesn't favor small teams.
Asana Pricing
Whether you're an individual or a large enterprise, Asana has got something for you.
1. Personal Plan ($0.00)
The Personal plan is free.
It's for individuals or small teams just getting their feet wet in the project management space.
Therefore, you'll get just what you need to get started—essential features like task management features, calendar views, and project boards. When it's time to scale up, move to the next tier.
2. Starter Plan ($10.99 per user per month)
Made for teams that are growing, features such as advanced search, timelines, custom fields, and milestones are all standard in this tier.
3. Advanced Plan ($24.99 per user per month)
For teams that need advanced project management functionality and third-party integration into the booth.
You'll also get approval workflows, portfolio management and custom rules.
4. Enterprise Plan (Contact Sales for Pricing):
If your team is really large with specific needs, you might want to go for the Enterprise plan.
When I say specific needs, I mean security features, priority support, and a dedicated customer success manager.
This plan caters to large organizations with specific security, compliance, and support needs.
For the exact price, you'll have to call Asana's sales department.
🎯 Asana Use Case
Although agencies of all sizes will benefit from Asana's simplified task management and streamlined collaboration capabilities, it best suits small to medium teams.
Larger agencies (over 100 members) would need third-party integration with other software to get their complex workflows to work in Asana.
Asana Review
Shivam K. says Asana is really good for remote work.
4. Wrike
A solid project management tool covering several market segments.
Wrike, serves a wide range of audiences—marketing teams, service providers, and agencies.
No doubt, Wrike is a solid project management tool. It offers a lot of features. But could that be its own Achilles heel?
Read on to find out.
So what features make Wrike tick?
Since there are a lot of them, let's narrow our lens to just three.
Wrike Core Features
Real-time Analytics
They say you never step into the same river twice. Well, that's the case with the Wrike analytics feature.
It updates every 15 minutes—automatically.
This means you never get to view outdated dashboards, reports, charts, or infographics bearing outdated information.
Since everything happens in real time, you’ll get a real-time overview of everything—workload, approvals, pending tasks, project statuses, team performance—everything.
Workflows are Automated
Believe it or not, Wrike integrates with more than 400 third-party tools.
This means you can easily automate several processes across your entire company. I'm talking about analytics, task assignments, etc.
How far you go with this is really up to you.
AI Lives Right Here
Unlike many tools whose AI features don't really benefit the user, Wrike's is actually the opposite. It actually does things that are useful to the user.
Wrike Pros
- Easy Task management
Assigning tasks to team members is really easy in Wrike.
- Impressive Gantt chart
Wrike shines with its interactive Gantt chart.
- Customizable project templates
You don't have to start your projects from scratch every time. You can save time by customizing ready-made templates.
Wrike Cons
- Expensive for individuals and small teams
While Wrike offers a free plan, only basic features are included. The more valuable features are only available in higher premium plans that may be too costly for individuals or small teams.
Wrike Pricing
Wrike offers 4 price plans.
1. Free plan ($0 per user per month)
Limited number of users and projects.
2. Team ($9.80 per user per month)
2-25 users with unlimited projects.
3. Business ($24.80 per user per month) 5-200 users with unlimited projects.
4. Enterprise (Contact for pricing)
5 to unlimited users with unlimited projects.
🎯 Wrike Use Case
A tool for the big boys—large agencies. So if you're a big multi-teamed agency with complex workflows and collaboration needs, Wrike is good for you.
Wrike has a lot of advanced features and doesn't fall apart when it comes to customization and scaling.
So if your agency handles large-scale projects for multiple clients that require advanced reporting and analytics to execute, Wrike is right—for you.
Wrike Review
Wrike has been a game changer for Paige T
5. Productive.io
Project and financial management for small to medium-sized businesses.
Productive.io offers project management, financial tracking, and resource planning all in one place. This makes it an attractive option for businesses that prioritize efficiency and are looking for a versatile tool.
What are Productive.io's main features? As usual, let's highlight three.
Productive.io Core Features
Robust Client Portal
Productive.io's client portal is quite impressive. In there, clients can see how their projects are coming along, thus guaranteeing transparency.
Popular Integrations
Productive.io integrates with popular tools such as Google Workspace, Jira, Slack, Quickbooks, Xero, BambooHR, ADP Workforce Now, Jira, and QuickBooks.
Users can also extend the platform's capabilities through API access and add-ons.
Financial Management
Like I mentioned above, Productive.io marries project management to financial tracking.
This means you can track budgets, expenses, and profitability in the same place.
Productive.io Pros
- Financial Tracking
The fact that Productive.io has financial management built into project management makes keeping an eye on budgets and expenses a breeze.
- Task Automation
Automating repetitive tasks in Productive.io is easy. This boosts efficiency and keeps manual effort to the barest minimum.
- Permits Mobile Access
You can access Productive.io on the go via your mobile.
Managing on-going projects on the go is suddenly easy and flexible.
Productive.io Cons
1. Takes Some Getting Used to
If you're new, you'll need enough time to figure this tool out to get the most out of all its features.
Productive.io Pricing
Four tiers are on offer.
1. Essential Tier: $9.00/month (billed annually)
This entry-level tier serves small teams that need just the essential features to get by—project management and time tracking features.
2. Professional Tier: $24/month (billed annually)
This tier will work for growing businesses. You get a little bit more—advanced task management, advanced reports, invoicing integrations, and billable time approvals.
3. Ultimate Tier: Pricing upon request
This only makes sense for larger teams in need of comprehensive features. This tier gets you revenue forecasting, overhead calculation, and expense approvals.
4. Enterprise Tier: Pricing upon request
Go for this only if you're a large organization that needs extensive support and customization.
What do you get?
Exclusive perks such as dedicated account manager and
volume-based discount.
🎯 Productive.io Use Case
Productive.io is great for agencies working on multiple projects that need a tool that can manage budgets, track resources, and streamline workflows across all of them.
So if you run a small or midsized ship (10–100 people) that needs a solid tool that can handle both the project management and finance sides of the equation, but if you don't have the resources to splurge on a shiny, custom-built solution, Productive.io will work for you.
Productive.io Review
Torin S. says Productive.io keeps getting better.
6. Teamwork
A tool for service-based businesses
Teamwork is known for its detailed project tracking and management features.
It combines strong project management functionalities with solid time tracking and financing capabilities, the kind an accounting software would normally have.
Teamwork is a good fit for service-based businesses.
Okay, let's look at some of Teamwork's main features.
Teamwork Core Features
Role Assigning Feature
You can add different teams and subteams (depending on your price plan) to your workspace.
Then give each team a name, a handle, and a logo, and tie them to a company. That way, only people belonging to a specific company can be added to it.
Budgeting
Teamwork's budgeting feature is quite powerful. It lets you set an hourly or a fixed fee on a project.
Choose the budget amount and set the start and end dates.
Set whether it will be on billable, non-billable, or both.
Do you want the budget to repeat at intervals and email stakeholders automatically when it's close to the set amount? You can do that too.
This is just scratching the surface. You can go even further and be more detailed than this.
Software Integrations
Teamwork.com integrates with some of the most popular tools.
Over 80 of them, actually. Quickbooks Xero, Google Drive, G-Suite, Zapier, Microsoft Office. The list goes on.
Teamwork Pros
- Robust project management and Segmentation
You can break projects into categories and segments. This makes them easier to manage.
- Task and milestone tracking
Track the progress of tasks and milestones with real-time updates and alerts.
This eliminates the need to manually keep tabs on team members' progress.
- Budgeting for projects
Teamwork makes it easy to track expenses and control your team’s spending to keep your project within budget.
Teamwork Cons
- Limited chart graphs
If you need a lot of different visuals to relay information, you may find Teamwork's limited chart graph functionality frustrating.
- Expensive for small teams
Large organizations may be able to justify the cost. But small businesses? I'm not very sure.
It just might not make enough sense for them.
Teamwork Pricing
Teamwork offers 5 plans, one free and four paid. There's a free trial on paid plans too.
1. Teamwork Free Forever
For individuals or small teams just starting out.
2. Teamwork Starter ($5.99 per user, per month)
For small teams needing more customization and integration to automate their workflows.
3. Teamwork Deliver ($9.99 per user, per month)
For larger teams requiring enhanced collaboration and advanced project management features.
4. Teamwork Grow ($19.99 per user, per month)
For large organizations with more complex client needs.
5. Teamwork Scale (Available on request)
For very large enterprises needing advanced customization and scalability.
🎯 Teamwork Use Case
Teamwork is one of the few tools on this list built with agencies in mind. ManyRequests and Trello are the others.
Task management, time-tracking, billing, and profitability are all features agencies need to work well.
Teamwork will work especially well for your agency (small or large) if it needs advanced project management capabilities.
This is because Teamwork has advanced features for project, resource, and budget management and is also highly scalable.
It is ideal for small to large agencies (10-500+ employees).
Teamwork’s intuitive interface and core project management tools will satisfy the needs of small businesses, while larger agencies with complex workflows will find its billing, profitability tracking, and client collaboration features extremely useful.
You don't need any third-party integration to access these features
Teamwork Review
Jacki B. says TeamWork is cost-effective and customizable.
7. ClickUp
A project management tool for freelancers and businesses alike.
No one will accuse ClickUp of being scant with features because it's got them in spades.
From goal management to time tracking to automations and now, AI, which makes it even smarter.
However, it's in customization that the wheels begin to come off. More on this later.
So what are ClickUp's biggest strengths?
ClickUp's Core Features
Team Collaboration
ClickUp, armed with a truckload of advanced features, makes collaboration easy. And the good thing is that it happens in real time.
No matter your location or the time zone you're in. Whether you're in the office or on the beach, one thing is certain: you'll never lose touch with your team members or be out of date.
Wherever you are, you'll still be able to pull your own weight—stay in touch with team members (via chat and email) and do the tasks assigned to you.
Easy Time Tracking
Clickup's time tracking feature keeps you focused and boosts productivity.
You can track how you spend time, view reports and add notes to them, set estimates, and calculate billable hours.
Real-time Reporting
Creating reports on ClickUp to gain more insight into your team's performance is easy.
It makes even more sense when you consider the fact that it happens in real time.
You get to see what other team members are doing. The projects they are currently working on and the ones they've completed.
ClickUp Pros
- Many collaboration tools are available
ClickUp offers several collaboration tools. It's easy to work with other team members as a result.
- User-friendly interface
ClickUp's intuitive interface is well-designed. This makes the software easy to use.
- Important integrations are available
ClickUp integrates with many important third-party tools—Zapier, Trello, Slack, Google Drive, to name a few.
ClickUp Cons
- Relatively steep learning curve
ClickUp isn't the easiest tool to learn. It will take some getting used to, especially for those new to project management tools.
- Can be overwhelming
Although ClickUp's many features are a good thing, it clearly doesn't feel that way when you're just starting out with the tool.
Stay with it for a while, and it gets easier.
- Too many features are locked into a “free trial.”
You can only fully access ClickUp's many features when you buy one of the higher plans.
Remain in the lower tiers and get bombarded with limitations and restrictions.
- ClickUp charges for its AI feature
ClickUp's AI functionality isn't free. You must pay $5 per user per month to use it.
Similar project management tools offer theirs for free.
So how much is ClickUp?
ClickUp pricing
Four plans are available. One is free; the rest you'll have to pay for.
1. Free plan
If you're just starting out and your needs aren't many yet, start on the Free plan.
Unlimited projects and users await on the Free plan. Be ready to deal with those limitations, though.
2. Unlimited plan ($7 per month)
The cheapest paid plan (at $7 per month) offers just a little bit more than the free plan.
I'd say skip it if you can because it's only when you upgrade to Business ($12) that the limitations really begin to lift.
3. Business plan ($12 per month)
The business tier offers email, SMS, advanced automations, and useful integrations, all of which can really boost your productivity.
4. Enterprise plan (price on request)
Finally, the Enterprise plan, which offers enterprise-level features—administrative controls, custom roles and permissions, custom branding, conditional logic on forms, and a host of other security features.
🎯 ClickUp Use Case
ClickUp works best for medium- to large agencies whose teams are cross-functional and workflows are quite complex.
ClickUp's wide range of features and custom workflows really benefit large agencies with multiple departments.
Smaller agencies can still use it, although it might feel like an overkill. You don't bring a nuke to a gunfight.
ClickUp Review
Dharmesh K. says ClickUp is very intuitive.
8. Monday.com
For teams that need a visually appealing project management tool.
Monday.com is popular for its highly visual interface.
Through this interface, you can add team members, assign them tasks, create workflows, and monitor progress.
But what other features make Monday.com stand out?
Monday.com Core Features
Integrations and Automation
Integrations and automation save time and boost productivity.
It's easy to connect Monday.com to other apps your team uses. More than 50 of them actually.
Think Dropbox, Google Calendar, Stripe, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Zendesk, Outlook, Gmail, Slack, BitBucket, etc.
Automation saves you time by eliminating the need to do repetitive tasks manually.
Monday.com has a list of ready-made automations.
You just have to enable the ones you want, then customize them.
Time Tracking
Monday.com's time tracking feature helps you to monitor how much time team members spend on tasks and projects. This helps team members to maintain a high level of productivity.
Visual Project Boards and Templates
There are drag-and-drop boards so your team can easily visualize their work and track progress.
With Monday.com's pre-built templates, you can set your projects up quickly since you won't have to begin every one of them from scratch.
Monday.com Pros
- Seamless project organization and management
There's an easy-to-use workspace, which makes organizing tasks and schedules smooth. Automation means you don't have to manually repeat tasks. Notifications keep team members up to date.
- Nice tracking features
You can track task progress with ease. The well-designed user interface makes it possible to see important information at a glance.
Monday.com Cons
- Not enough integration
Although Monday integrates with more than 50 other softwares, some users still want more as they can't find some of their favorite apps (Salesforce, for example) on the list at the moment.
- Per-user pricing is terrible.
Monday uses tiered, per-user pricing. This means adding an extra user with full access will cost more money.
Monday.com Pricing
Monday.com offers 5 pricing plans, including a free plan.
1. Free Individual
It accommodates up to 2 users and 3 boards at no cost to you.
2. Basic Plan
For $8 per user per month (billed annually).
You get unlimited boards, 5GB storage, and basic integrations.
3. Standard Plan
For $10 per user per month (billed annually).
Basic features plus advanced integrations, automation, and 50GB storage.
4. Pro Plan
For $16 per user per month (billed annually).
All the features in the Standard plan plus time tracking, API access and 100GB storage,
5. Enterprise Plan
You'll get all the Pro features plus advanced security, dedicated support, etc. specifically for your business needs.
🎯 Monday.com Use Case
Monday.com's customizable workflows and automation features make it flexible and adaptable for various agency needs.
Monday.com is good for small to medium-sized agencies that don't run on highly complex features or workflows.
If all you want to do is manage and deliver client projects and keep up with your team members—that is no complex stuff—Monday.com will be good.
Monday.com Review
Petteri J. says Monday.com is easy to learn but gets cluttered easily.
9. Basecamp
Simple to use with a focus on collaboration.
Basecamp as a project management software and online collaboration tool, helps you organize your projects and simplify project tracking.
It also takes team communication seriously, as it offers several ways team members can do so — Message Boards, Automatic Check-ins, Campfire and Pings.
But what are Basecamp's core features?
Basecamp Core Features
Role Assignment and Timelines
Project managers can create projects and assign roles and responsibilities for each project.
This way, everyone knows what their responsibilities are and who they report to.
Basecamp’s timeline feature allows team members to visualize project milestones and deadlines.
This helps to keep them on their toes so that they complete the project on the stated time.
Seamless Communication
Your team members can communicate in several ways in Basecamp.
They can Ping (direct message) one another or more people, exchange informal chats in Campfire and comment on tasks.
Then there's the Message Board, a centralized place where team members can post a question, comment, and discuss. This makes it easy for everyone to be up to date and on the same page.
Software Integrations
Basecamp integrates with about 72 other software.
Depending on the functionality you need—time tracking, invoicing, payment processing—just add a third-party app.
Basecamp Pros
- Several Communication Features Available
When it comes to staying in touch with team members, Basecamp does it best.
For general discussions, use message boards where each topic is given a separate space.
Got an urgent message for a colleague? Shoot them a direct message. Basecamp calls it a Ping.
Then there are Campfires, which take care of informal discussions.
2. Easy to Learn and Use
Basecamp is popular for its simplicity. Its goal is to help you focus on your work rather than get distracted and bogged down by the complexity of a tool.
Therefore, it offers a clean and easy-to-understand user interface. The features are intuitive and easy to use. Plus, you'll be given a guided tour after installing the tool.
Basecamp Cons
- Lack of Advanced Features
Basecamp's biggest con is its lack of advanced features.
If you need advanced features and analytics, for example, Basecamp isn't for you.
- No Time Tracking Either
A very important aspect of project management is time tracking.
How else will you know your team is on track to finish a project?
Since Basecamp lacks this feature, you'll have to get another product if you need to track time.
- Limited Customization
Basecamp isn't big on customization either. If you're fond of tweaking things, Basecamp has very little room for that.
Okay, let's go to pricing.
Basecamp Pricing
You can enjoy all of Basecamp's features for free for 30 days; no credit card is needed.
However, when the party's over, you'll have to choose one of the three paid plans available.
1. Team (Up to 10 users): $99/month
2. Business (Up to 10 users + unlimited clients): $199/month
3. Unlimited (Unlimited users and clients): $299/month
🎯 Basecamp Use Case
Basecamp is for small to medium-sized agencies (less than 50 employees) that need a simple, easy-to-use platform to get the job done.
If you value simplicity and seamless client communication over advanced features, Basecamp could be a good fit.
Basecamp Review
Özgür K. calls Basecamp the best project management tool for remote work.
10. Trello
A simple and flexible project management tool.
Known for simplicity and flexibility, Trello makes managing projects and tasks, collaborating on projects, and staying organized pretty straightforward. It uses highly visual cards and boards that are easy to understand.
What features make Trello stand out?
Trello Core Features
Workflow Automation
With automation, you get more done and save time in the process.
It's quite easy to set up automation tools in Trello. To set up rule-based triggers, Trello’s automation bot, Butler, comes in handy, making the process seamless.
Just answer a few questions to inform Butler of your preferences, and it takes care of the rest.
Team Collaboration
Collaboration is an important part of project management, and Trello delivers nicely in this department.
Team members can collaborate through comments, the use of cards, notifications, @mentions of teammates, and document sharing.
Integration
You can extend Trello’s capabilities through Trello’s Power-Up, a fancy word for good ol’ integration.
While you can connect the tools you're already using, such as the usual suspects—Google Drive, Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams—many more other integrations are possible.
They all work to boost Trello’s capabilities in a wide range of areas, such as file management, collaboration, marketing, and sales.
Trello Pros
1. Easy to use
Trello is so easy to use that even non-technical people can find their way around without getting lost.
2. Adding members is a breeze
You can add new members by simply putting in their email address.
3. Superb notification system.
An email notification is sent for virtually every event—updates, comments, task removals.
Trello Cons
1. Limited advanced features
Trello lacks some advanced features, such as time tracking, built-in reporting tools, and Gantt charts.
2. Limited customization options
Individuals and teams that require more customization options will find Trello limiting.
Trello Pricing
Trello offers four pricing plans.
1. Trello Free
A great option if you're just starting out.
2. Trello Standard ($5 per user, per month)
For small businesses in need of a bit more features than the free plan but are operating on a tight budget.
3. Trello Premium ($10 per user, per month)
For growing businesses.
You'll get most of the essential project management features you need here.
4. Trello Enterprise ($17.50 per user, per month)
If your team is above 100 members, choose this plan.
🎯 Trello Use Case
Trello has a highly visual layout, which will be great for creative and design agencies.
Trello is particularly suited for small to medium-sized (10–50 people) creative and design agencies.
Trello is great for brainstorming (using cards), client onboarding (with Trello boards), and managing team availability.
Trello Review
Trello is Çağrı’s favorite tool for content management and team collaboration.
11. Smartsheet
Spreadsheet meets project management.
No doubt, Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-style project management tool. Let me also add that it's great for large businesses managing multiple projects.
If you're already used to working with spreadsheets, you'll quickly get comfortable working with Smartsheet.
Smartsheet Core Features
Advanced Analytics and Reporting
Smartsheet’s reporting capabilities are popular among users.
You can pool data from multiple sheets into one comprehensive report and identify trends. The good news is it takes just a few clicks.
You can then publish and share your reports with team members and stakeholders.
And when someone updates the individual sheets, the report also updates in real-time.
Potent Automation Tools
For most project management tools, automation is just an afterthought. So they pay lip service to it.
Smartsheet, though, does things differently.
It blows competitors out of the water with a solid set of automation tools, integrations, and workflows.
Smartsheet’s drag-and-drop automation builder makes it easy to build automations.
With basic logic, conditional paths, and triggers, you can create even advanced workflows.
Highly Flexible and Customizable
Sheets are highly flexible and customizable. There's no limit to how you can use them — project management, inventory management, budget tracking, campaign tracking, etc.
Smartsheet Pros
1. Intuitive User Interface
Smartsheet’s interface makes it easy to start and complete tasks.
2. Customizable
You can easily customize Smartsheet to your preferences using ready-made templates and forms.
3. Integration Options
Smartsheet integrates with several third-party tools and services,
Smartsheet Cons
1. Confusing for beginners
Beginners may have a hard time getting started with the tool.
2. May be pricier than competitors
Package for package, Smartsheet may be a bit more expensive compared to other project management tools.
Smartsheet Pricing
Smartsheet offers 3 price tiers.
1. Free, No Cost
For 1 user and up to 2 editors
2. Pro $7 Per user/month, billed yearly
Maximum of 10 users, unlimited viewers
3. Business $25 Per user/month, billed yearly
Minimum of 3 users, unlimited editors.
🎯 Smartsheet Use Case
Agencies use Smartsheet for more complex project management needs.
They find its spreadsheets, project management, and collaboration tools useful when handling larger projects or complex workflows.
Advanced features such as project management, resource tracking, and advanced automation are all native to Smartsheet.
This makes it best suited for medium to large agencies (50+ team members) who work across multiple teams with advanced workflows handling complex projects.
Will Smartsheet work for small teams? Of course, but they may find Smartsheet’s robust features either too complicated or simply more than they need.
Smartsheet Review
Haydee H.sees real value in Smartsheet.
12. Nifty
An all-in-one project management tool.
Collaboration, document sharing, reporting capabilities, and discussion features. You'll find them all here.
Nifty Core Features
Time Tracking and Reporting
With Nifty’s time tracking feature, you can track costs and balance team workloads.
You can study projects’ time logs to gain insights. Nifty’s automated insights will help you decide where and how to allocate and balance workloads.
You can also track billable hours and make decisions based on the insights you gleaned from the data.
Nifty's reporting feature pulls your project tasks into a visual report.
With one click, you can export and share the report with stakeholders.
Project Portfolios
You can arrange projects in folders based on operations, account ownership, and client delivery. Then set them to public or private.
This way, you won't be overwhelmed by the amount of tasks that are yet to be done.
You can also view all your projects at once from a single dashboard.
Project Milestones Feature
Nifty’s project milestones feature helps to automate status reporting and simplify project visualization.
All the tasks and goals required to complete a project are broken down.
This makes it easy to keep track of things.
Nifty Pros
1. User-friendly interface
Nifty's intuitive user interface makes for a smooth user experience no matter the technical level of users.
2. Simplified onboarding
The onboarding process isn't complicated.
It won't take long before new team members get the hang of the platform.
3. Easy task breakdown
It's easy to break projects down into small, manageable groups. This makes tracking or assigning them to team members more streamlined.
Nifty Cons
1. Limited templates
Since Nifty caters to users from different industries, its range of templates may not be enough to cater to the specific needs of users.
2. Incomplete integrations
Nifty lacks specific integrations that certain businesses need.
Nifty Pricing
Nifty offers five plans with a 14-day free trial.
1. Free Plan ($0 forever).
Great for starters. You get unlimited members, 100 MB storage, and up to 2 projects.
2. Starter plan ($39 per month, billed annually)
You get all of Nifty's core features: 10 members, 100 GB of storage, 40 projects, and unlimited guests.
3. Pro plan ($79 per month, billed annually)
Great for growing teams.
This plan accommodates 20 members, 500 GB of storage, unlimited projects, and guests.
4. Business plan ($124 per month, billed annually)
For advanced teams.
There's room for 50 members, 1 TB of storage, unlimited projects, and guests.
5. Unlimited plan ($399 per month billed annually)
The best of Nifty. For large enterprises.
Unlimited members, storage, projects, and guests.
🎯 Nifty Use Case
If collaborative workflows are important to your agency along with a central hub to handle client projects, communication, and deadlines, Nifty could be a good fit.
Nifty works well for small to mid-sized agencies (roughly 5–50 team members) that need a streamlined, all-in-one solution for project management without the complexity of enterprise-grade software.
Nifty Review
Yelmaly R. says Nifty is the best collaboration tool he has used so far.
We've had our foot on that gas pedal all day. It's time to pull the brakes and call it a day.
Conclusion
First of all, my heartfelt gratitude to you for embarking on this ride with me as we journeyed from software to software and feature to feature.
But as we wrap things up, one question lingers on my mind...
If I were to recommend 3 tools from this list of 12, what would they be?
Well, I'd say it depends—on your needs.
That said, here's my honest take...
If you need a one-size-fits-all solution, that is, a tool that can serve everyone and do virtually everything well—Wrike is the man. Real-time analytics, automation, AI. It's got them all.
If you're a big business already used to the good old spreadsheet, Smartsheet is one of a kind. It loves big business too.
Now...
If you're in the creative agency space, ManyRequests is the ideal tool for you. It's got everything you need to run your agency smoothly.
Need more convincing? Click here to hear from fellow agency owners like you.
But if you at least want to take it for a drive, you can do so for 14 complete days at zero cost to you. Not even a credit is needed. Click here.
All right, I'd better run along now before these cramps catch up with me.
Thank you once again, and see you on the next one.
Bye for now.