Best Project Management Software for Design Agencies

Website: https://www.teamwork.com

Best for: Client work with time tracking

Starting price: $9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Built for client work with time and invoicing; clear project templates

Cons: Timesheets, workload planning and retainers need Accelerate at $24.99 per user per month

Teamwork was built for agencies, and it shows in the way it handles clients, projects and billable time together. The Basics plan at $9.99 per user per month covers tasks, milestones, templates and a free plan for up to 5 users and 5 projects, which is enough for a small studio to start. Client users can be added to projects, and the interface keeps each client separate, which reduces the risk of showing one client another client work.

The limit is that timesheets, workload planning, invoicing from logged time and retainers are locked to Accelerate at $24.99 per user per month, so the billing features an agency needs most sit on the higher tier. Basics also has a 3 seat minimum. Teamwork is still a strong fit when your main need is structured client delivery with time attached to every task.

Website: https://asana.com

Best for: Structured design projects

Starting price: $10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Clean task structure and timelines; strong templates for creative work

Cons: Proofing, approvals and workload views need Advanced at $24.99 per user per month

Asana suits design agencies that run projects as a clear sequence of tasks with owners and due dates. The Starter plan at $10.99 per user per month includes timeline and calendar views, project templates and unlimited guests, so you can bring clients into a project without paying for their seats in most cases. Portfolios help you watch several client engagements at once, and the rules engine can move work forward without manual chasing.

The free Personal plan is limited to 2 users, so it works for a solo designer but not for a studio. Goals, unlimited portfolios, workload and resource management, approvals and proofing, and native time tracking are locked to Advanced at $24.99 per user per month, which more than doubles the cost if you need capacity planning and proofing. Asana is a strong pick when your work is task driven and your clients want a clear view of progress.

Website: https://monday.com

Best for: Visual project boards

Starting price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Visual boards clients understand at a glance; wide template library

Cons: Basic has no automations, integrations or timeline view

Monday.com presents design work as colourful boards that non technical clients can read without training. An agency can track each project on a board, with columns for status, owner, budget and due date, and share a read only view with the client. The Basic plan at $9 per seat per month is cheap, but it has no automations and no integrations and no timeline or Gantt view, so most agencies will need Standard at $12 per seat per month.

All subscription plans require a minimum of 3 seats, and seats are sold in fixed buckets above that, so a small studio pays for three seats at minimum. The free plan covers up to 2 seats. Time tracking needs the Pro plan at $19 per seat per month. Monday.com works best for agencies who want client facing boards and are happy to pay for the Standard tier.

Website: https://clickup.com

Best for: All round agency work

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Free Forever plan with wide features; deep customisation for agency workflows

Cons: Timesheets and resource management need Business at $17 per user per month

ClickUp gives a design agency one place for tasks, docs, goals and time, and the Free Forever plan covers a surprising amount of that. You can build a separate space per client, set custom fields for project type or billing status, and keep templates for repeatable work such as brand projects, website builds or monthly retainers. The Core plan at $9 per user per month adds unlimited storage, more integrations and advanced permissions, which suits an agency that shares boards with clients.

The catch is that time tracking and resource planning sit on the Business plan at $17 per user per month, so the headline price is not the price of a full agency setup. Storage on the free plan is capped at 60 MB, which fills fast if you attach design files. Still, for a small studio that wants one flexible tool, ClickUp covers more ground than most rivals at the same price.

Website: https://www.wrike.com

Best for: Formal approval workflows

Starting price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Strong request forms, proofing and approvals; handles complex project structures

Cons: Time tracking, proofing and resource management need Business at $25 per user per month

Wrike fits design agencies that run formal projects with intake, review and sign off steps. Request forms let clients submit briefs in a structured way, and proofing and approval workflows keep designs moving without long email threads. The Team plan at $10 per user per month covers the core task and project features, and the free plan allows unlimited users, which helps when several clients need access.

The trade off is that Team has no time tracking, and proofing, approvals, request forms and resource management need Business at $25 per user per month. Seats are sold in bundles of 5, 10 or 25, and the free plan caps at 200 active tasks. Wrike is the right choice when your agency work follows a repeatable process and you need clients to follow it.

Website: https://www.notion.com

Best for: Flexible docs and tasks

Starting price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Docs, wikis and tasks in one flexible workspace; cheap to start

Cons: No native time tracking, proofing or invoicing; blocks limited on the free plan once a second member joins

Notion is the most flexible tool in this guide, and that is both its strength and its weakness for a design agency. You can build a client hub with pages for each engagement, linked databases for tasks and deliverables, and a shared wiki for each client. The Plus plan at $10 per user per month adds unlimited file uploads, longer page history and more guests, and the free plan works for a solo designer who mostly needs notes and task lists.

There is no native time tracking, no proofing and no invoicing, so you will need another tool or an integration to review designs and bill hours. The free plan limits blocks once a second member joins, and full Notion AI is only on the Business plan at $20 per user per month. Notion suits agencies who think in documents first and want a single workspace for notes, plans and client portals.

Website: https://www.smartsheet.com

Best for: Spreadsheet style planning

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (30 days)

Pros: Familiar spreadsheet grid with Gantt and automation; strong reporting

Cons: Pro caps at 10 members; no free plan for new signups

Smartsheet will feel familiar to any agency that has planned projects in spreadsheets, because it keeps the grid and adds Gantt charts, automations and dashboards on top. The Pro plan at $9 per user per month covers the core sheets, reports and automations, and a 30 day free trial lets you test it with real client data before you commit. It is a good fit for agencies who manage budgets, timelines and resource lists in tables.

The Pro plan caps at 10 members, so a growing studio must move to Business at $19 per member per month, more than double the per seat price. The free plan has been closed to new signups since August 2024, so there is no free tier to fall back on. Smartsheet is best for agencies who want spreadsheet control with proper project structure behind it.

Website: https://basecamp.com

Best for: Simple flat rate studios

Starting price: $29 per month (flat rate, up to 5 users)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Flat monthly price with no per seat charges; simple and easy to learn

Cons: Free plan allows only 1 project; templates and time tracking excluded from Freelancer

Basecamp takes the opposite approach to per seat pricing, which makes it attractive for small design studios. The Freelancer package costs $29 per month flat for up to 5 users, and Pro costs $79 per month, so the price does not rise as you add people. The tool keeps everything simple: message boards, to do lists, schedules, docs and file storage in one place per project, with no complex setup.

The free plan allows only 1 project with 3 users and 1 GB of storage, so it is a trial rather than a working tier. The Freelancer package excludes templates, time tracking and multiple tools per project, so agencies who bill by the hour will need the Pro package or a separate time tool. Basecamp is the right pick when simplicity and a flat price matter more than advanced features.

Website: https://productive.io

Best for: Agency budgets and billing

Starting price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Built for agencies with budgets, time and invoicing joined together

Cons: No free plan; billable time approvals and rate cards need Professional at $25 per user per month

Productive is built for agencies, and it joins project management with budgets, time tracking and invoicing in one system. The Essential plan at $10 per user per month covers projects, tasks, time and basic budgets, and a 14 day free trial with no credit card lets a studio test it with real work. For an agency that bills by the hour and needs to know whether each project is profitable, that joined up view is the main reason to choose it.

There is no free plan, and every plan has a 3 seat minimum. Billable time approvals, expense approvals, rate cards and invoicing integrations are locked to Professional at $25 per user per month, while single sign on, revenue forecasting and the HubSpot integration need Ultimate on quote. Productive suits a studio that is ready to pay for an agency specific system rather than adapt a general tool.