Best Resource Planning Software for Marketing Agencies in 2026
TBy the TaskReports Editorial Team Published 2 Nov 2026 · Updated 2 Nov 2026Last verified 2 Nov 2026How we score
TaskReports may earn a fee from some links on this page, and some placements are paid and labelled. Neither one decides the order. See our disclosure.
The short answer
The best pick for most marketing agencies is Float Starter. It gives you visual scheduling, capacity management and forecasting, and real-time reporting at $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026. That mix fits planning people across client work without paying for a full project suite. Price source: Float, checked 2 Nov 2026.
marketing agencies that want a dedicated visual scheduler for capacity
Resource scheduling with capacity and time-off management
$7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
No free plan.
Resource Guru
marketing agencies that want simple scheduling of people and rooms
Visual drag-and-drop scheduling of people
$4.16 per person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
No free plan.
Teamwork
marketing agencies that want resource planning inside client project work
Work organised by client
$9.99 per user per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
Free plan is $0, for up to 5 users and 5 projects.
Monday.com
marketing agencies that want boards, Gantt and dashboards for planning
Boards with Kanban, Timeline
$9 per seat per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
Free plan is $0 for up to 2 seats.
ClickUp
marketing agencies that want Gantt, workload and time tracking together
Unlimited Gantt charts, custom fields and task types on Core
$9 per user per month billed yearly, checked 2 Nov 2026
Free Forever is $0, with unlimited tasks and members and 60 MB of storage.
Harvest Forecast
marketing agencies that already use Harvest for time and billing
Visual scheduling that assigns people to several projects at once
$5 per person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
No free plan.
How we choose
We considered 10 tools and shortlisted 6. We compared pricing pages, feature docs and public guidance, and checked every price on 2 Nov 2026. We scored each tool, as set out in how we score, on fit, billing, price, ease of use and integrations.
Marketing agencies need to plan people across client work, see who is free or overloaded, and keep utilisation in view. A tool scored well only if it could schedule capacity, show utilisation, and link planned hours to project budgets.
We checked the vendor pages ourselves. Prices come from the vendor pricing page for each tool. If a vendor shows no price, we write Quote only and say so.
Best for marketing agencies that want a dedicated visual scheduler for capacity.
Resource scheduling with capacity and time-off management.
Project scoping with phases, milestones and tasks, plus project cost estimates.
Utilisation trends, billable against non-billable time, and estimates against actuals on Pro.
Skip it if skip Float if you need invoicing in the same tool as your schedule.
PriceThe entry plan is $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, or $8.50 per scheduled person per month billed monthly. Pro is $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually. See the [Float pricing page](https://www.float.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Float lists the entry paid plan at $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, or $8.50 per scheduled person per month billed monthly on its Float pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. No free plan. A 30-day free trial is offered, and no credit card is required. Trials default to Pro. Its key features are Resource scheduling with capacity and time-off management. Project scoping with phases, milestones and tasks, plus project cost estimates.
Price: The entry plan is $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, or $8.50 per scheduled person per month billed monthly. Pro is $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually. See the Float pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Float if you need invoicing in the same tool as your schedule.
Unique element: Float bills only for scheduled people, and guests who are not scheduled are free.
Starter at $7 has no time tracking, so a team that needs actual hours must pay Pro at $12.
No free plan, so you must use the 30-day trial to test it.
No native invoicing, so billing needs another tool.
2
RResource Guru
Best for marketing agencies that want simple scheduling of people and rooms.
The entry plan is $4.16 per person per month billed annually, or $5 per person per month billed monthly. Blackbelt is $6.65 per person per month billed annually. See the [Resource Guru pricing page](https://resourceguruapp.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Resource Guru lists the entry paid plan at $4.16 per person per month billed annually, or $5 per person per month billed monthly on its Resource Guru pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. No free plan. A 30-day free trial is offered. Its key features are Visual drag-and-drop scheduling of people, with clash management and waiting lists. Leave and time-off management, with calendar sync.
Price: The entry plan is $4.16 per person per month billed annually, or $5 per person per month billed monthly. Blackbelt is $6.65 per person per month billed annually. See the Resource Guru pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Resource Guru if you need reports and timesheets on the cheapest plan.
Unique element: Resource Guru includes 1 free placeholder on Grasshopper, 5 on Blackbelt and 10 on Master.
What we like
Visual drag-and-drop scheduling of people, with clash management and waiting lists.
Leave and time-off management, with calendar sync.
Booking of non-human resources, such as rooms, equipment and vehicles, in the same schedule.
Watch out for
Grasshopper has no reports, so reports and timesheets need Blackbelt at $6.65.
SSO, approval workflow, data import and phone support need Master at $10 per person per month.
You are charged for every person added, whether they log in or not, and for placeholders beyond the free allowance.
Skip it if skip Resource Guru if you need reports and timesheets on the cheapest plan.
Best for marketing agencies that want resource planning inside client project work.
The entry plan is $9.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.99 per user per month billed monthly. Accelerate is $24.99 per user per month billed annually. See the [Teamwork pricing page](https://www.teamwork.com/pricing/), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Teamwork lists the entry paid plan at $9.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.99 per user per month billed monthly on its Teamwork pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. Free plan is $0, for up to 5 users and 5 projects. Paid plans have a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required. Its key features are Work organised by client, with Gantt, table, list and board views. Billable time tracking and reporting from Basics.
Price: The entry plan is $9.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.99 per user per month billed monthly. Accelerate is $24.99 per user per month billed annually. See the Teamwork pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Teamwork if you need timesheet approvals and financial budgets at a published price.
Unique element: Teamwork includes free client users on paid plans, so a client can view progress without a paid seat.
What we like
Work organised by client, with Gantt, table, list and board views.
Billable time tracking and reporting from Basics.
Free client users, so clients can view a project without a paid seat.
Watch out for
Timesheet approvals, financial budgets and profitability need Optimize, which is quote only.
Accelerate has a 5-seat minimum, so a 3-person firm on Accelerate pays for 5 seats.
The free plan is capped at 5 users and 5 projects.
Skip it if skip Teamwork if you need timesheet approvals and financial budgets at a published price.
Best for marketing agencies that want boards, Gantt and dashboards for planning.
The entry plan is $9 per seat per month billed annually, or $12 per seat per month billed monthly. Standard is $12 per seat per month billed annually. See the [Monday.com pricing page](https://monday.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Monday.com lists the entry paid plan at $9 per seat per month billed annually, or $12 per seat per month billed monthly on its Monday.com pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. Free plan is $0 for up to 2 seats. Paid plans have a 14-day free trial of Pro. Its key features are Boards with Kanban, Timeline, Gantt and calendar views in one place. Dashboards that combine several boards for a whole portfolio view.
Price: The entry plan is $9 per seat per month billed annually, or $12 per seat per month billed monthly. Standard is $12 per seat per month billed annually. See the Monday.com pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Monday.com if you need time tracking and private boards without paying for Pro.
Unique element: Monday.com sells seats above 3 in blocks of 5, so a 4-person team pays for 5 seats.
What we like
Boards with Kanban, Timeline, Gantt and calendar views in one place.
Dashboards that combine several boards for a whole portfolio view.
Guest access from Standard, so clients can view work without a paid seat.
Watch out for
Basic has no automations and no integrations, so Standard at $12 is the realistic start.
Time tracking and private boards need Pro at $19 per seat per month.
Paid plans have a 3-seat minimum, and annual billing is paid in one upfront instalment.
Skip it if skip Monday.com if you need time tracking and private boards without paying for Pro.
Best for marketing agencies that want Gantt, workload and time tracking together.
The entry plan is $9 per user per month billed yearly. Business is $17 per user per month billed yearly. See the [ClickUp pricing page](https://clickup.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
ClickUp lists the entry paid plan at $9 per user per month billed yearly on its ClickUp pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. Free Forever is $0, with unlimited tasks and members and 60 MB of storage. Its key features are Unlimited Gantt charts, custom fields and task types on Core. Goals, Docs and Chat, with 1,000 automations a month on Core.
Price: The entry plan is $9 per user per month billed yearly. Business is $17 per user per month billed yearly. See the ClickUp pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip ClickUp if you need timesheets and resource management without paying for Business.
Unique element: ClickUp lists Core at $9 and Business at $17 on its current pricing page, which replaced the older Unlimited and Business prices.
What we like
Unlimited Gantt charts, custom fields and task types on Core.
Goals, Docs and Chat, with 1,000 automations a month on Core.
Time tracking is included even on the free plan.
Watch out for
Timesheets and Resource Management need Business at $17 per user per month.
Upgrading upgrades the whole Workspace, so you cannot put only some people on Business.
People from inside your organisation added as guests are billed as paid users.
Skip it if skip ClickUp if you need timesheets and resource management without paying for Business.
Best for marketing agencies that already use Harvest for time and billing.
The entry plan is $5 per person per month billed annually, or $6.25 per person per month billed monthly. There is no higher tier, as Forecast is a single plan. See the [Harvest Forecast pricing page](https://www.getharvest.com/forecast/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Harvest Forecast lists the entry paid plan at $5 per person per month billed annually, or $6.25 per person per month billed monthly on its Harvest Forecast pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. No free plan. A 30-day free trial is offered, and no credit card is required. Its key features are Visual scheduling that assigns people to several projects at once. Capacity graphs that show who is overbooked.
Price: The entry plan is $5 per person per month billed annually, or $6.25 per person per month billed monthly. There is no higher tier, as Forecast is a single plan. See the Harvest Forecast pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Harvest Forecast if you need time tracking and invoicing in the same paid plan.
Unique element: Harvest Forecast costs $5 per person per month billed annually, and Harvest itself is billed separately.
What we like
Visual scheduling that assigns people to several projects at once.
Capacity graphs that show who is overbooked.
Links to Harvest for estimates against actuals and budget use.
Watch out for
Forecast is a separate product with no time tracking or invoicing of its own.
Everyone scheduled needs a paid seat, including people without a login.
There is no free tier and no higher tier to step to.
Skip it if skip Harvest Forecast if you need time tracking and invoicing in the same paid plan.
Which resource planning software is cheapest for marketing agencies?
Resource Guru is the cheapest paid start, at $4.16 per person per month billed annually. Float costs $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, which is more, but it includes the features most marketing agencies need on the working tier. If you need the cheapest useful plan, check what is gated to a higher tier first, because a low entry price can hide approvals, reports or time tracking that you will need in the first month.
Which resource planning software is best for a small team?
Float is the best fit for most small teams, because it covers the core work at a clear price and has a free trial to test. Resource Guru is the budget choice, at $4.16 per person per month billed annually, and its free plan can carry a very small team. Count seats carefully, because seat minimums and guest rules change the real cost for a team of three or five.
Which tool shows capacity and utilisation best?
Float shows capacity best in this guide, because its schedule makes free, booked and overloaded people visible at a glance. Other tools in this guide are simpler and cheaper, while all-in-one tools link capacity to client work and billing. Pick the tool that matches how you plan, and check that utilisation reports sit on the plan you buy, not on a higher tier.
Which resource planning software is easiest to start with?
Resource Guru is the easiest to start with, because it has the lowest entry price in this guide. Float is also quick to start, with a free trial and a clear schedule view. Set up one real team, add current projects, and plan a week of work before you decide. That test shows whether capacity, leave and placeholders fit your daily work.
What to check before you buy
Capacity: confirm you can see who is free, booked or overloaded at a glance.
Utilisation: confirm utilisation is reported, and whether reports need a higher tier.
Scheduling: confirm you can schedule by hours or by percentage of capacity.
Time off: confirm leave and holidays are factored into capacity.
Budgets: confirm project budgets and estimates against actuals sit on the plan you buy.
Trial terms: confirm the trial length, whether it needs a card, and whether it covers the plan you want.
Which resource planning software is best for marketing agencies?
Float is the best fit for most marketing agencies because it is a dedicated visual resource scheduler at a focused price, with capacity management and forecasting, unlimited projects and real-time reporting on the entry tier, and you pay only for people actually scheduled. The price is $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026.
How much does resource planning software cost for marketing agencies?
Entry paid plans in this guide start at $4.16 per person per month billed annually for Resource Guru. Mid plans run higher, and the top pick costs $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually. A team of ten on Float would pay about $840 per year before tax at that rate.
Can a small team start on the cheapest plan and move up later?
Yes, in most cases. The tools in this guide let you start on an entry plan and move up when you need reports, capacity views or approvals. Check the upgrade rule first, because some tools upgrade the whole workspace at once.
What should marketing agencies check before they buy resource planning software?
Check capacity: confirm you can see who is free, booked or overloaded at a glance. Also check utilisation: confirm utilisation is reported, and whether reports need a higher tier. Confirm the price on the vendor pricing page, the trial length, and whether everyone scheduled needs a paid seat.
Do marketing agencies need billing in the resource planning tool?
Not always. Small teams can plan in one tool and bill in another. Larger teams that bill by the hour save time when planned hours, tracked time and invoices sit close together. If you bill by the hour, pick a tool with billing on the plan you buy, and check the price first.