12 Best Project Management Tools for Agencies in 2026
We evaluated 30+ project management tools to find the best for agencies. These platforms handle multi-client work, time tracking, profitability analysis, and client-facing portals that agencies need.
Monday.com offers the flexibility agencies need with beautiful client-facing dashboards. Time tracking, workload management, and automations handle agency workflows while the UI keeps clients engaged.
Starting price$12/user/mo
Strengths
Client dashboards
Time tracking
Workload view
Great automations
Scalable
Limitations
Per-seat pricing
No native invoicing
Can get expensive
Learning curve
Who it's for: Best for agencies wanting flexible, visual project management with client access.
Teamwork is purpose-built for agencies with time tracking, invoicing, and profitability analysis. Client portals, retainer tracking, and billing workflows are native, not add-ons.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Agency-focused
Built-in invoicing
Profitability tracking
Client portals
Retainer management
Limitations
Less flexible
Interface dated
Limited customization
Reporting learning curve
Who it's for: Best for agencies wanting purpose-built tools with billing included.
ClickUp offers the most features for any price tier. Agencies get time tracking, docs, goals, and customization without paying enterprise prices. The free tier is genuinely usable.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Best free tier
Time tracking included
Docs and goals
Highly customizable
Active development
Limitations
Can be overwhelming
Performance issues
Too many features
Limited client portals
Who it's for: Best for agencies wanting maximum features without maximum pricing.
Productive uniquely focuses on agency profitability. Track project margins in real-time, forecast utilization, and understand which clients and projects make money.
Starting price$17/user/mo
Strengths
Profitability focus
Utilization tracking
Resource forecasting
Budget management
Financial reports
Limitations
Higher price point
Less flexible workflow
Focused use case
Learning curve
Who it's for: Best for agencies serious about tracking and improving profitability.
Wrike excels for marketing and creative agencies with built-in proofing, approval workflows, and workload management. Handle creative briefs to final delivery.
Starting price$10/user/mo
Strengths
Built-in proofing
Creative workflows
Workload management
Custom request forms
Enterprise ready
Limitations
Complex interface
Expensive at scale
Learning curve
Mobile app limited
Who it's for: Best for creative and marketing agencies with proofing needs.
Asana provides clean campaign management for agencies. Portfolios track all client work, goals connect to deliverables, and request forms standardize intake.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Clean interface
Portfolio view
Goal tracking
Request forms
Timeline view
Limitations
No native time tracking
Limited client portal
No invoicing
Premium for best features
Who it's for: Best for agencies wanting clean, intuitive project management.
Scoro is all-in-one business management for agencies: CRM, quoting, project management, time tracking, and invoicing in one platform. Reduce tool sprawl.
Starting price$26/user/mo
Strengths
True all-in-one
CRM included
Quoting and invoicing
Financial dashboards
Reduces tools
Limitations
Higher price
Complex setup
Less specialized
European focused
Who it's for: Best for agencies wanting everything in one system.
Kantata is enterprise-grade professional services automation. Resource management, project accounting, and business intelligence for larger agencies and consultancies.
Strengths
Enterprise PSA
Resource optimization
Project accounting
BI and reporting
Scalable
Limitations
Enterprise pricing
Complex implementation
Overkill for small agencies
Long sales cycle
Who it's for: Best for larger agencies and professional services firms.
Harvest offers the cleanest time tracking experience with simple invoicing. Add Forecast for visual scheduling. Together they handle agency basics without complexity.
Strengths
Best time tracking UX
Simple invoicing
Forecast add-on
Clean and focused
Good integrations
Limitations
Limited project management
Forecast costs extra
Basic features
No profitability
Who it's for: Best for agencies prioritizing time tracking simplicity.
Notion lets agencies build exactly the system they need. Create custom client databases, project trackers, and wikis. Ultimate flexibility for those willing to build.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Ultimate flexibility
Custom databases
Docs and wikis
Good free tier
Growing templates
Limitations
Must build yourself
No native time tracking
Limited reporting
Performance at scale
Who it's for: Best for agencies wanting to build custom systems.
Basecamp offers the simplest client collaboration with flat per-company pricing. Unlimited users and clients for one price. Simple but effective for many agencies.
Starting price$99/mo
Strengths
Flat pricing
Unlimited users
Simple client access
Focused features
No feature bloat
Limitations
No time tracking
Limited reporting
Basic features
Opinionated design
Who it's for: Best for agencies wanting simple collaboration at predictable cost.
We tested each platform for agency-specific workflows and needs.
Client Management (25%) — Client portals, access controls, and communication.
Time & Billing (25%) — Time tracking, invoicing, and billing workflows.
Profitability (20%) — Project profitability and utilization tracking.
Scalability (20%) — Growth from small agency to larger team.
Pricing Model (10%) — Value for agencies with mixed team sizes.
How to Choose
Choose Monday.com if you need all-around flexibility.
Choose Teamwork if you need agency-focused with billing.
Choose ClickUp if you need maximum features free.
Choose Productive if you need profitability focus.
Choose Basecamp if you need flat pricing simplicity.
Common Questions
Agencies have unique needs: multi-client work, time tracking for billing, profitability analysis, and client-facing portals. While generic PM tools can work, agency-focused tools like Teamwork or Productive include these features natively.
Critical if you bill by the hour or need to track profitability. Separate time tracking tools create friction and reduce accuracy. Native time tracking in your PM tool significantly improves data quality.
Usually yes, but with controlled access. Client portals let clients see progress, provide feedback, and approve work without seeing internal discussions. Most agency PM tools offer granular permissions for this.
