10 Best Design Annotation Tools for Agencies in 2024 + Best Use Cases

Imagine this …

You’ve poured hours into designing a concept for a client. You send it off in excitement only to receive a flood of emails, Slack DMs, screenshots — or worse, confusing voice notes — each with scattered feedback about what should be changed. 

Where’s the feedback pointing at? Which edit should you prioritize — how do you go from here? 

This scenario is too common. 

It involves a lot of back-and-forth for designers, developers, and architectural agencies, which leads to miscommunication, project delays, and frayed nerves. You’re trying to decipher value from vague feedback while struggling to maintain an organized workflow. 

But you can achieve this by using a design annotation tool. An annotation tool 

• Brings a sense of order to the chaos, 
• Helps you avoid the confusion of feedback loops,
• Helps you and your client communicate clearly, and 
• Maintain a consistent workflow with clients and your team. 

In this article, we’ll show you how collaborative annotation tools like ManyRequests can help your clients make edit requests, track progress, and assign each edit to a team member, all while staying organized and efficient. 

The Top 10 Design Annotation Tools

Here are 10 design annotation software to collaborate with clients and team members. 

1. ManyRequests 

ManyRequests is an organized client portal to manage design edit requests, assign projects, and communicate with your clients and team members. 

Its all-in-one annotation tool has an in-built design feedback system that empowers you to collect revision requests, assign edits to different team members, and track the progress of all requests in one place. It looks like this: 

The first arrow is the title of the client request. The second arrow (blue) indicates the clients' first three comments. The right panel shows information about request status, who it's assigned to, and the deadline for the edit. 

If you click on the text "page load speed," our design annotation feature points you to the client comments and the specific area the client needs you to edit. For example: 

Here, your client has written their precise feedback on the specific area they need iterations on. Feedbacks are numbered one, two… to keep each edit request organized. Our design annotation software also allows clients to record a video to share more details on their editing needs, as you can see here: 

You can then reply to each input (through the right panel) and assign each edit to your team members, who can resolve them afterward. 

Our client, Prontto, uses the design annotation feature to collaborate with their clients, receive precise feedback, and create new requests to continue their projects.

Here are other things you can do with ManyRequests: 

Create Service Request Forms 

If you’re talking with prospects about your services, you can use ManyRequests to share detailed information on your specific service and include where they can pay. 

ManyRequests has a drag-and-drop form builder to customize your forms based on your services. You can choose from the field types (text boxes, dropdowns, and file uploads) to collect necessary information from clients. Here’s an example: 

This way, after learning about your services, prospects are led to the form where they can share detailed information about their project before paying for your services. 

You can also add your brand logo to the service form to customize its look and feel. You can then send the form to the client via email, send a branded link, or embed the code to the form on your website. See it here: 

Learn more about service request forms here. 

In-built CRM Tool

ManyRequests allows you to manage everything related to a client's lifecycle in one platform. You can send service forms, receive editing requests, track project progress, read feedback, send invoices, and receive payment & reviews in one organized platform. 

This way, you can see the progress of all active projects and communicate your needs with your team to improve overall workflow. 

You can also collect reviews from clients after a task. You can activate this feature on your dashboard. 

This way, every client is automatically encouraged to write a review. You can transfer these reviews to your website or use them as user-generated content to incite interest in your services. 

Time Tracking Feature

The embedded time-tracking feature allows you to monitor the hours spent on each project. This is helpful if you work with clients who pay by the hour or with freelancers who need to be paid hourly. 

Learn more about using the time-tracking feature here. You can also learn about creating time-based services here. 

Pros: 

• Real-time feedback through file annotations and comments
• The design annotation feature supports different file types, including images, GIFs, and PDFs
• The design helps you handle client requests efficiently by assigning tasks to team members and tracking progress
• Every edit request and comment is kept in a thread to keep the workflow organized 
• ManyRequests includes features for automatic billing and invoicing to save time and reduce errors. 
• It integrates with third-party tools like Zapier, Stripe, MailChimp, Live Chat, Loom, etc. 

Cons: 

• Top features like white-labeling and affiliate management are only available on higher plans.
• Discounts only apply if you’re paying annually 

Pricing: 

ManyRequests has a three-tiered pricing plan: 

• The Starter plan costs $99/mo. This is perfect for small-sized agencies with less than five teams. 
• The core plan costs $149/mo. It's ideal for medium-sized agencies managing multiple client accounts simultaneously. 
• The Pro plan costs $399/mo. It's the best option for enterprise agencies looking for a platform with custom branding opportunities. 

If you need more features with a dedicated account management option, book a call with Robin, the CEO. 

Tip: You can sign up for a 14-day free trial right now (no credit card required) to try all the features on the Starter Plan. 

2. Ziflow

Ziflow is an easy-to-use proofing platform to streamline review & approval for creative content and collaborate with clients & teams. 

Ziflow aims to improve turnaround times by reducing the time between the review and final approval stages. Its advanced version control capabilities minimize the risks of conflicting errors when multiple designers work on a project. 

For instance, if a teammate has made an edit on the project, other creatives can easily track these changes to ensure they're working on the project's latest version. A pop-up appears on the screen to notify users about the new version: 

On ManyRequests, other team members can see resolved edits in the “resolved” tab to avoid pop-ups like this. 

Ziflow lets users leave real-time comments directly on the projects ('Proofs'). They also provide color-coded markup tools, such as shapes, arrows, and lines, to help clients leave more detailed feedback, especially in areas needing specific adjustments. See how it works:

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Whenever clients leave comments on the proof, they appear on the dashboard at the right-hand side of the screen. Once the edits are complete, the team members can drop responses or 'resolve' the comment(s). Other features include: 

Get approvals faster from stakeholders: 

Once your team members are done making all the edits, clients on the projects can make decisions right on the page: 

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Access to performance data: 

Right on the dashboard, you can access rich insights collected from projects on your account. You’ll see the number of versions created, turnaround times, and completed proofs. You can see this on ManyRequests through our Requests & Reviews and invoice dashboards. 

Pros of Ziflow: 

• The design annotation tool supports over 1000 media formats, including PDFs, HTML5, static and live websites, etc. 
• Like ManyRequests, it integrates with third-party project management apps such as Monday, Asana, ClickUp, etc. 
• Has an intake form (Order Forms on ManyRequests) that allows clients to create and submit proofs to agencies for edits 
• Every edit made on each project can be tracked and downloaded for audit purposes  

Cons:

• The user interface can be improved
• Multi-paged proofs are harder to organize and review

Pricing: 

Ziflow offers three pricing plans: Free, Standard, and pro. The Standard plan costs $199/mo, and the pro plan costs $329/mo. 

3. Markup.io

A visual commenting platform that makes it easy for clients to give real-time, contextual feedback on a website. 

Markup allows web developers and designers to collect inline comments from stakeholders during website (or app) ideation, development, or pre-launch stages. Like our design annotation tool, clients can leave edits as comments directly on the markup, attach files in text, or record a video detailing what needs to be changed. 

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To annotate a live website, simply install the Markup Chrome extension on your browser and invite clients to add comments directly on the webpage. You can also paste the website URL directly on your MarkUp dashboard to leave annotations. It works the same: 

With Markup.io, teammates assigned to the project can respond to comments on each markup or resolve when they've addressed the concerns. Other features include: 

Organized folder/workspace system:

If you manage several clients or projects at once, MarkUp's Folder feature will help. Here, you can organize markup files into folders by department, client, or organization. This ensures that only the right people can access your client data. 

We also have this feature in ManyRequests and you can easily access it when you add a new client. 

Integrates with third-party design tools: 

Markup allows users to integrate several third-party apps, including Zapier, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Webflow, to improve collaboration on design projects. 

Adaptability features out-of-the-box: 

To know how a website adapts to screen sizes, users can switch between different screens and leave comments right on either of them.  

Pros: 

• It has a modern, minimalistic, and intuitive user interface 
• Users can enable notifications to know when changes are made to a markup
• Supports over 30 design assets, including images, videos, and PDFs

Cons: 

• Limited features on the free plan 
• It doesn't support .fig files—Export Figma files as PDFs to annotate them on the platform. 
• Enterprise websites with larger or more pages may take a while to load. 

Pricing: 

MarkUp starts at $0/mo for one workspace and five markups. The Pro plan costs $25/mo with unlimited markups and users. The enterprise plan is more value-packed, but you have to contact support for a custom package. 

4. FileStage 

Simplify correction phases, share content, get client timestamps, and hasten department decision-making. 

FileStage is an online proofing software built for agencies and creatives in regulated industries. It allows users to share content across all departments & teams, collect feedback, and get approvals from stakeholders before product launch. 

Here, you can create automated workflows with reviewer groups. Each group may represent the departments within your agency (or clients) that need to review the project and leave feedback before it is released to end users. For instance, a product management reviewer group may contain team members from the product management department. See how it looks: 

This design annotation tool lets reviewers leave corrections as comments at the exact points in the content where changes are needed. They can add files, assign comments to the team members, or approve the project if it's satisfactory. Once this happens, you can send an in-app email to notify the next review group of their edits. This way, you can keep track of projects and ensure the right people approve the final stage. 

Share files securely 

Data security is a necessity for regulated industries. FileStage's robust security system allows you to share files using AES 256-bit encryption, one of the most secure encryption algorithms available. You can also add passwords to files to ensure data is only accessible by the right people. 

Review workflow management: 

Whether you're trying to organize your workflow or build a product from start to finish, you can automate the entire review, feedback, and approval process from start to finish on FileStage. The best part is that you can replicate the same workflow for different projects. 

Keep track and compare versions: 

If your project has multiple versions, you can easily switch between them to see what has changed and the feedback(s) from reviewers. You can also compare the versions or overlay them to make decisions faster.   

Pros: 

• It allows you to annotate images, websites, videos, and PDFs
• Stakeholders can easily make decisions on the project page 
• Allows for easy collaboration on projects 
• Integrates with Dropbox, Google Drive, Slack, and Microsoft Teams 

Cons: 

• Premium features are only available on higher plans 
• It's only usable on a web browser 

Pricing:

Small teams and freelancers looking for a quick fix can use FileStage for free. The basic plan, which contains more storage space, costs $49/mo.  

5. Wipster

Wipster is a video content collaboration platform for sending and receiving in-context client feedback. 

In a sentence, Wipster’s annotation tool streamlines editing and post-production processes by enabling real-time feedback directly on your video timelines. You can invite clients (or team members) to check out your videos on the platform, add actionable comments using the markup tools, and track review status till final delivery. 

Unlike other design feedback tools listed here, you can only invite collaborators via email or create a shareable link for external users to add their comments. Every other annotation feature works the same. 

Clients can click anywhere on the video timeline, use markup tools to highlight specific areas that need an edit, and leave comments. The comments appear as a to-do list, which can be checked off once resolved. Other features include: 

Version control: 

If multiple departments review a project, you can easily see which version is most recent, the edits made, and who made them. Stakeholders can also compare versions to track changes and ensure all the edits have been addressed.  

Edit and collect feedback on the go: 

Wipster has a mobile app that lets you easily send and collect client feedback on your mobile device. 

Access to the right analytics: 

On the dashboard, you can see who's viewing (or has viewed) your videos, dropped comments, and approved projects. 

Pros: 

• Simple and easy-to-use user interface 
• Works on mobile, desktop, and apps 
• Supports other media types, including images, PDFs, and audio files 

Cons: 

• Folder option isn't available 
• There are better alternatives within the same price range 
• Premium features are available on higher plans 

Pricing: 

Wipster is accessible for beginners. But the paid plans start at $19.95/month.  

6. Annotate 

Annotate is a document collaboration tool that allows users to mark up documents, add notes, and collaborate with team members in real time. 

This is a one-stop platform for communicating, collaborating, and receiving feedback on design drafts, wireframes, or other visual content. It’s best for agencies looking for a simple tool for marking PDFs and images. Users can create new documents, leave notes (think sticky notes), annotate tests, and assign tasks to teams on the page. 

Annotate has different annotation styles – highlight, strikethroughs, arrows, text box, broken lines, and freehand scribbler for more detailed feedback. Here’s what that looks like: 

After markup, client comments appear as threads on the right-hand side of the page. You can edit it to show comments directly on the text, like this: 

 Other features include: 

Assign feedback to the right team. 

If you have multiple departments within your agency, you can create color-coded tags and assign comments (or tasks) to the entire department rather than individual team members. 

Collaborators assigned to the project can review the comments to find feedback relevant to their department. This way, teams can address concerns related to them and speed up work delivery. See how it works:

Integrate with your existing workflow: 

You can also use API to integrate Annotate into your existing tech stack. For example, it integrates with MS Office, allowing you to open and edit your MS files within Annotate without switching between platforms.   

Centralized and secured document storage: 

The design annotation tool allows you to save all your documents in their cloud servers, which makes it easier for teams and clients to access them from anywhere and anytime. You can also control who can access or edit your documents within the platform by granting restricted access to the right parties. 

Pros: 

• It allows users to switch between versions and track changes made 
• Create user workflows within the document 
• Communicate, collaborate, and receive feedback directly in-document 

Cons: 

• You have to contact the support team for a pricing plan 
• No free trial to try out the tool's features

7. PDF Annotator

PDF Annotator is a virtual whiteboard for adding notes to docs, dropping edits for teams, and getting client stamp approvals. 

This online annotation tool is designed to improve the review and approval process by allowing users to annotate PDF files. Think of it as an annotation tool without the inline communication feature. It's strictly for PDF files, and users on this platform have access to a myriad of annotation tools for marking documents. 

Clients can leave comments as text in a box or use a pen tool to write their comments directly into the document. Here's what it looks like: 

You can save the annotations on the file and share them with internal or external stakeholders via email. Other features include: 

Get stamp approvals from clients: 

Do you need documents with stamp approvals or client signatures? Clients can use this tool to sign documents and add dates, signatures, or custom stamps. 

Digital Ink-enabled screen: 

Its digital ink feature (high resolution and pressure sensitive) enables users to draw or write directly on PDF documents. Clients can leave feedback by making freehand annotations, sketches, or signing documents for approval. 

Pros: 

• It has a simple user interface 
• Compatible with laptops, PCs, tablets, and mobile devices 
• It can only be used to annotate PDFs and images.

Cons: 

• Lacks real-time annotation features

Pricing: 

PDF annotator license costs $79.95/year. 

8. ProofHub

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A project management software with built-in online proofing features to annotate, share in-context feedback, collaborate, and approve projects. 

ProofHub is a central hub where clients, teams, and stakeholders can collaborate on visual projects, such as images, PDFs, and videos, without switching between tools. 

Using markup tools, clients can add comments, highlight sections, and draw annotations directly on files. The markup tools are enclosed in the rectangular box below: 

Through the collaborative annotation tool, you can assign comments to teammate(s) to get instant feedback, and they can resolve the comment once it's addressed. 

Once all the comments are resolved, clients can approve the project right on the page by clicking the “Approved” button: 

ProofHub also supports file versioning, so teams can easily track changes made on files, revert to previous versions, or add edits to the most recent one. Clients can also track version history to see the changes made on the file over: 

Other features include: 

Multilingual interface: 

The multilingual interface makes collaborating with teams and stakeholders from other countries easier. You can choose your preferred language, such as French, English, Spanish, Polish, or Portuguese. 

Manage teams more effectively:

As a project management tool, you can build custom workflows based on your current work process, create tasks, assign roles to teams, define their access, and track time spent by each teammate. The only downside is that it doesn’t have an in-built invoicing and billing system, like ManyRequests. 

Pros: 

• Simple, modern interface with a steep learning curve 
• Versioning feature to keep track of changes 
• Integrates with popular tools such as Dropbox, Google Drive

Cons: 

• Beginners might find it challenging to navigate the tool 
• App integrations are limited 

Pricing: 

ProofHub charges a flat rate of $79/month for 10 users, $139/month for 100 users, and $279/month for unlimited users. 

9. Marker.io 

Marker.io is a developer-friendly tool for collecting feedback & bug reports on websites, annotating web pages and applications, and solving technical issues. 

This feedback annotation tool with a widget can be installed on your client's website. It helps you collect real-time client feedback on web-based projects, file bug reports precisely where you find bugs, and speed up the process of building and delivering client websites. 

It’s also built to simplify QA (quality assurance) and UAT (user acceptance testing) during web development. 

Marker.io works differently from other design annotation tools listed in this guide. To use this tool, you need to embed a few lines of code on your website or use the Chrome extension. Then, you can invite clients to submit feedback, which pops up as a notification on the project management tool linked to your account. 

Other features include: 

Session replay: 

This tool allows you to see what clients did, the icons they clicked, and their interactions on the website before submitting feedback. It shows the last 30 seconds of the client's actions before submission.  

Get feedback from clients using feedback forms: 

You can also create customizable, detailed feedback forms to collect data from clients, internal & external teams, or end-users. 

Pros: 

• Easy to report bugs 
• Works on Chrome or any browser that bypasses JavaScript limitations 
• Easy to install and use
• Integrates with major project management tools such as Asana, Trello, Jira, etc.

Cons: 

• Discounts are only available on higher plans
• You'll only get the best value for your money when you opt for higher plans 
• Limited to web-based projects 

Pricing: 

It starts at $39/month (if you're paying for a year) for three members. 

10. GoVisually

A virtual dashboard for streamlining internal approval workflows, collaboration with clients & remote teams, and getting direct feedback on design files through comments and markups. 

GoVisually is an online proofing and collaboration tool designed for remote teams. You can invite team members to the platform to collaborate on proofs and share feedback before final approvals from your clients. 

Also, you can send proofs to clients to annotate and give detailed comments on the design files using markup tools (they’re enclosed within the red box at the top of the page): 

Other features: 

Integrate with your existing workflow: 

GoVisually integrates with Trello, ClickUp, Zapier, Slack, and Asana. You can upload files directly from Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign and proof them on the platform: 

Version control: 

It also allows you to track changes to your design project and compare versions. 

Pros: 

• Supports videos, images, PDFs, and audio files
• Compatible with all mobile browsers, including Chrome, Safari and Firefox
• Get the client's approval in one click 

Cons: 

• Notifications are sent as emails and can flood your inbox
• Limited free plan
• There are other tools with better functionalities 
• The customization option isn't available 

Pricing: 

GoVisually costs $20/mo for the Lite plan and $40/mo for the Pro plan. 

Conclusion

We’ve been building ManyRequests since 2019, and many of our clients, including $1M ARR agencies, say they love how it helps them “handle client requests, track time, and manage client subscriptions.” Another client said, “There is no other software that allows us to operate a graphic design service at scale like ManyRequests.” 

Our client portal and design annotation tool lets you invite clients and teams to annotate creative assets, collect and share feedback in one place, track project progress and track invoice and payments easily. However, you can consider Wipster to annotate videos or Marker.io to annotate live websites. To start managing your clients and team members in one platform, sign up for a free trial here. You can also see this demo to learn how to use ManyRequests.