Best Project Management Tools for Agencies 2026: Honest Reviews & Comparisons
Here's a truth most software roundups won't tell you: at least half the "top-rated" project management tools out there were built for internal product teams — not agencies. And that difference matters a lot when you're the one explaining to a client why their deliverable is late.
Running an agency means juggling multiple clients, shifting deadlines, rotating team members, and billing cycles that never quite sync up with project timelines. Generic project management tools built for internal teams often fall flat the moment you add client-facing complexity into the mix. You need something that handles retainers and one-off projects, gives clients visibility without overwhelming them, and keeps your team from drowning in Slack messages asking "wait, what's the status on this?"
This guide covers the best project management tools for agencies in 2026 — tools we've evaluated specifically through the lens of agency work, not just general task management. Whether you're a 5-person boutique or a 200-person digital agency, there's a right fit here for you.
What to Actually Look for in Agency Project Management Tools
Before diving into individual reviews, here's what separates a good agency PM tool from a great one:
- Client collaboration features — Can clients log in, leave feedback, or view progress without getting access to your internal discussions?
- Time tracking & billing — Agencies bill by the hour, by retainer, or by milestone. Your tool should reflect that.
- Resource management — Who's available? Who's overloaded? These answers need to be visible at a glance.
- Multi-project dashboards — You're managing 10+ projects simultaneously. Single-project views won't cut it.
- Integrations — Slack, Google Drive, Harvest, HubSpot, Adobe Creative Cloud — does the tool play well with your existing stack?
- Scalability — Can it grow from a startup agency to an enterprise without forcing a platform switch?
How We Evaluated These Tools
Each tool was assessed across five dimensions:
- Core Features — Task management, dependencies, automation, reporting
- Agency-Specific Functionality — Client portals, time tracking, resource planning, invoicing
- Ease of Use — Onboarding time, UI quality, mobile experience
- Pricing & Value — Cost per user at different team sizes, what's included at each tier
- Support & Community — Documentation quality, response times, user community
We factored in user reviews from G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot, alongside hands-on testing and real agency feedback collected over several months.
Quick Comparison: Best Project Management Tools for Agencies 2026
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price (per user/mo) | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teamwork | Client-facing agencies | $13.99 | ⭐ 4.7/5 |
| Monday.com | Visual workflow management | $12 | ⭐ 4.6/5 |
| ClickUp | All-in-one teams on a budget | $7 | ⭐ 4.6/5 |
| Asana | Mid-size agency teams | $13.49 | ⭐ 4.5/5 |
| Wrike | Enterprise agencies | $10 | ⭐ 4.4/5 |
| Hive | Collaborative, fast-moving teams | $12 | ⭐ 4.4/5 |
| Basecamp | Simple agency setups | $15 (flat) | ⭐ 4.3/5 |
| Smartsheet | Data-heavy project tracking | $12 | ⭐ 4.3/5 |
Detailed Reviews: Best Project Management Tools for Agencies
1. Teamwork — Best for Client-Facing Agencies
Look, if you're running a client services business — be it a marketing agency, web dev shop, or PR firm — Teamwork was practically built for you. It's one of the few tools that treats client collaboration as a first-class feature rather than a bolted-on afterthought. The platform lets you create client accounts with limited access, bill against project budgets, and track time without switching to a separate app.
Honestly, I think Teamwork is the most underrated tool on this entire list. It doesn't get the same buzz as Monday.com or ClickUp, but for pure agency utility it beats them both. The platform has been agency-focused since day one, and it shows in the details: built-in profitability reports, per-project billing rates, and retainer management that actually works.
Key Features
- Native time tracking with billable/non-billable hours
- Client portal with customizable permissions
- Retainer management and budget tracking
- Resource scheduling and workload views
- Milestone-based project templates
- Integration with HubSpot, Slack, Zapier, Xero, and QuickBooks
- Intake forms for new project requests
Pricing
- Free — Up to 5 users, limited projects
- Starter — $13.99/user/mo (billed annually)
- Deliver — $19.99/user/mo (billed annually)
- Grow — $54.99/user/mo (billed annually) — includes advanced resource management
- Enterprise — Custom pricing
Pros
- Best-in-class client management features
- Built-in time tracking and billing saves on third-party tools
- Strong financial reporting and profitability tracking
- Retainer management is a genuine differentiator
Cons
- Interface feels slightly dated compared to newer competitors
- Higher tiers get expensive for larger teams
- Mobile app could use improvement
Verdict: Teamwork is our top pick for agencies that bill clients and need financial visibility baked into their project management. The ROI becomes clear the moment you stop cobbling together Harvest + Basecamp + spreadsheets — and trust me, most agencies are still doing exactly that.
2. Monday.com — Best for Visual Workflow Management
Monday.com has matured significantly since its early days as a colorful spreadsheet replacement. The platform now offers genuinely powerful automation, a polished UI, and enough flexibility to handle everything from sprint planning to client deliverable tracking. For agencies that live and die by their workflows — and need to show clients exactly where things stand — Monday's visual boards are hard to beat.
Fun fact: Monday.com reportedly has over 225,000 customers across 200 countries. That kind of scale means the integration ecosystem and third-party support is enormous, which matters when you're trying to connect it to your existing agency stack. It's particularly strong for creative agencies where status visibility matters as much as task completion.
Key Features
- Highly customizable board views (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar, Timeline)
- 200+ automation recipes (no-code)
- Dashboards that aggregate data across multiple boards/projects
- Guest access for clients (with permission controls)
- Workload management with capacity planning
- Native time tracking (on higher tiers)
- Integrations with 200+ tools including Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, and Salesforce
Pricing
- Free — Up to 2 seats
- Basic — $12/seat/mo (billed annually)
- Standard — $14/seat/mo (billed annually) — includes timeline and guest access
- Pro — $24/seat/mo (billed annually) — includes time tracking and private boards
- Enterprise — Custom pricing
Note: Monday.com charges based on seat bundles (minimum 3 seats), so small teams may pay more than the per-seat price implies.
Pros
- Excellent visual interface — genuinely enjoyable to use
- Powerful automation without needing developer help
- Strong cross-project reporting dashboards
- Scales well from small teams to enterprise
Cons
- Guest seats still cost money at most tiers
- Time tracking only available on Pro and above
- Pricing can spike quickly for larger teams
- Can feel "too open" without structure — requires initial setup investment
Verdict: Monday.com is ideal for agencies that prioritize visual clarity and workflow automation. If client presentations and status reporting are a constant pain point, Monday's dashboards are a genuine relief. That said, I'd argue the pricing gets punishing faster than most people expect — especially once you need guest seats for clients.
3. ClickUp — Best All-in-One Tool for Budget-Conscious Agencies
ClickUp is the Swiss Army knife of project management. It tries to do everything — and honestly, it pulls it off better than most multi-tool stacks. For agencies that want to consolidate their tools (goodbye separate docs, time trackers, and whiteboards), ClickUp offers an impressive feature set at a price point that doesn't make finance flinch.
The trade-off is a steeper learning curve. ClickUp's sheer customizability can overwhelm new users, and I'll be honest — the first two weeks with ClickUp can feel genuinely chaotic. But agencies willing to invest in proper setup will find it almost impossible to outgrow. A 20-person agency I spoke with while researching this piece had replaced no fewer than six separate tools with ClickUp. Six.
Key Features
- Tasks, Docs, Whiteboards, Goals, and Chat — all in one platform
- 15+ view types including Gantt, Mind Map, and Workload
- Built-in time tracking and time estimates
- Custom fields for almost anything
- AI-powered features (ClickUp Brain) for task summaries and automation
- Guest access included on paid plans
- 1,000+ integrations via native connectors and Zapier
Pricing
- Free Forever — Generous free tier for small teams
- Unlimited — $7/user/mo (billed annually)
- Business — $12/user/mo (billed annually)
- Enterprise — Custom pricing
Pros
- Exceptional value — most features available at lower price tiers
- Replaces multiple tools (docs, chat, time tracking, goals)
- Highly customizable for different agency workflows
- Regular feature updates and active development
Cons
- Feature overload can overwhelm new users
- Performance can lag with very large workspaces
- Some features still feel half-baked (the Chat feature, in particular, has a long way to go)
- Customer support response times have been inconsistent
Verdict: ClickUp is the go-to choice for growing agencies watching their software budget. The Unlimited plan at $7/user/mo delivers more raw functionality than tools costing three times as much. Just budget some time for setup — it won't run itself.
4. Asana — Best for Mid-Size Agency Teams
Asana occupies a sweet spot between simplicity and power. It's polished, stable, and trusted by agencies that need reliable task management without needing a PhD in project methodology. The platform has improved significantly with its Timeline view, Workload feature, and portfolio management — making it genuinely useful for agencies juggling multiple concurrent client accounts.
Where Asana really shines is team adoption. Here's the deal: the best project management tool is the one people actually use after rollout, and Asana wins that battle more consistently than almost any other platform on this list.
Key Features
- Timeline (Gantt) view with dependency mapping
- Portfolio view for multi-project oversight
- Workload management across team members
- Rules-based automation (available on Business tier)
- Forms for client intake and internal requests
- Goals and milestones tracking
- 300+ integrations including Salesforce, Slack, and Adobe Creative Cloud
Pricing
- Personal — Free for up to 10 users
- Starter — $13.49/user/mo (billed annually)
- Advanced — $30.49/user/mo (billed annually) — includes portfolios and workload
- Enterprise / Enterprise+ — Custom pricing
Pros
- Clean, intuitive interface — high team adoption rates
- Strong portfolio management for multi-client agencies
- Excellent automation on Advanced tier
- Reliable performance and stability
Cons
- No native time tracking (you'll need Harvest or Toggl)
- Advanced tier is expensive
- Client portal functionality is limited compared to Teamwork
- Free plan limits collaboration to 10 users
Verdict: Asana is the smart choice for agencies where user adoption is the biggest challenge. If your team resists new tools, Asana's UX tends to win them over faster than most alternatives. My one gripe — the lack of native time tracking in 2026 is starting to feel like a real oversight.
5. Wrike — Best for Enterprise Agencies
Wrike targets larger, more complex agency environments where cross-departmental collaboration, advanced permissions, and compliance actually matter. It's particularly popular with in-house agency teams at large corporations and full-service agencies with 50+ employees. The feature depth is impressive — custom item types, advanced analytics, and robust API access make it configurable for almost any workflow.
The trade-off is that Wrike can feel genuinely heavy for smaller teams. But for enterprise agencies, that depth is exactly the point.
Key Features
- Custom item types and workflow statuses
- Advanced analytics and reporting dashboards
- Resource management with workload charts
- Proofing and approval workflows (great for creative agencies)
- AI-powered risk prediction and task automation
- Granular permission controls and user roles
- Blueprints (project templates with dynamic scheduling)
- SOC 2 compliance and enterprise-grade security
Pricing
- Free — Up to 5 users
- Team — $10/user/mo (billed annually) — up to 25 users
- Business — $24.80/user/mo (billed annually)
- Enterprise — Custom pricing
- Pinnacle — Custom pricing (advanced analytics and BI tools)
Pros
- Exceptional for complex, large-scale agency operations
- Best-in-class proofing and approval workflows
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance options
- Highly configurable without custom development
Cons
- Steeper learning curve than most competitors
- Mid-tier pricing is relatively expensive
- Can feel over-engineered for small teams
- Mobile app is functional but not great
Verdict: Wrike is the right call for agencies with 50+ people, complex approval workflows, or enterprise clients with strict security requirements. Smaller agencies will likely find it more tool than they need — and honestly, they'd be right.
6. Hive — Best for Collaborative, Fast-Moving Teams
Hive is a refreshingly practical project management tool that leans heavily into flexibility and team collaboration. It's particularly popular with media, marketing, and PR agencies where workflows shift frequently and team members need to pivot quickly. Hive's "Action Cards" system and native messaging (Hive Chat) reduce the need to constantly jump between tools — which, if you've ever watched someone alt-tab between five different apps during a standup, you know is worth a lot.
It's not as widely known as Monday or Asana, but agencies that adopt Hive tend to be genuinely loyal to it. That's a signal worth paying attention to.
Key Features
- Multiple project views: Gantt, Kanban, Calendar, Portfolio
- Native team chat (Hive Chat) built into the platform
- Email integration — manage emails as tasks from within Hive
- AI features for task summarization and auto-scheduling
- Proofing and file review workflows
- Time tracking and timesheets
- Analytics and team productivity reporting
Pricing
- Free — Up to 10 users with limited features
- Starter — $12/user/mo (billed annually)
- Teams — $18/user/mo (billed annually)
- Enterprise — Custom pricing
Pros
- Built-in messaging reduces reliance on Slack
- Flexible views work well for different agency team types
- Good time tracking and reporting
- Strong AI feature integration
Cons
- Smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations than top-tier competitors
- Less name recognition can sometimes create hesitancy with clients
- Some advanced features require add-on purchases
- Community and third-party resources are limited
Verdict: Hive is worth serious consideration for agencies tired of tool-switching. If consolidating communication and task management into one place is a priority, Hive's all-in-one approach genuinely delivers.
7. Basecamp — Best for Simple, Straightforward Agency Setups
Basecamp is the antidote to tool complexity. Honestly, in a world where every PM platform is racing to add more AI features and nested sub-task hierarchies, Basecamp's refusal to play that game is kind of admirable. If your team is constantly lost in feature-bloated platforms, Basecamp's deliberately minimal approach might be exactly what you need.
It organizes work into projects, each with a message board, to-do lists, file storage, a group chat, and a schedule — and that's basically it. For small agencies or those managing a handful of clients with clear deliverables, that simplicity is a genuine strength, not a limitation.
Key Features
- Per-project structure with Message Boards, To-Dos, Campfire chat, and Docs
- Client access included — each project can have client-facing and internal areas
- Automatic check-ins to replace status meetings
- Flat pricing model (not per-user)
- Basecamp AI (Hey! AI) for meeting notes and summaries
- Hill Charts for tracking project momentum over time
Pricing
- Basecamp — $15/user/mo (billed monthly) or $299/year for the whole company (unlimited users)
- Basecamp Pro Unlimited — $349/mo (flat fee, unlimited users and clients)
The flat-fee model is one of Basecamp's best features for growing agencies — do the math for a 15-person team and it becomes an obvious choice.
Pros
- Flat-rate pricing becomes excellent value as your team grows
- Zero learning curve — teams are productive within hours, not days
- Client access is well-handled and professional
- Refreshingly distraction-free interface
Cons
- No native Gantt charts or timeline views
- No built-in time tracking
- Limited automation and reporting
- Not suitable for complex, dependency-heavy projects
Verdict: Basecamp is perfect for agencies that have been burned by over-complicated tools. If you need something your whole team will actually use from day one — including clients — Basecamp delivers with minimal friction.
8. Smartsheet — Best for Data-Heavy Project Tracking
Smartsheet looks like a spreadsheet, works like a project management platform, and bridges the gap for agencies where clients or stakeholders insist on working in Excel-like formats. It's a strong choice for agencies doing complex capacity planning, budget tracking, or large-scale campaign management with lots of moving data.
Here's the deal: Smartsheet is probably overkill for a 6-person creative agency, but for a 50-person agency managing $2M+ in campaign budgets across multiple clients? It starts making a lot of sense. If your project manager has strong spreadsheet instincts, Smartsheet will feel like a genuine superpower.
Key Features
- Grid, Gantt, Card, and Calendar views built on a spreadsheet foundation
- Powerful formula support (similar to Excel functions)
- Automated workflows and approval processes
- Dashboards and reporting for executive-level visibility
- Proofing and content collaboration
- Resource management and capacity planning
- Salesforce, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace integrations
Pricing
- Free — 1 user, 2 sheets
- Pro — $12/user/mo (billed annually) — up to 10 users
- Business — $24/user/mo (billed annually)
- Enterprise — Custom pricing
Pros
- Familiar spreadsheet interface lowers adoption resistance
- Powerful formulas and data manipulation
- Strong reporting and executive dashboards
- Excellent for agencies managing large budgets or complex resources
Cons
- Less intuitive for non-spreadsheet users
- Collaboration features lag behind competitors
- Can feel rigid compared to modern PM tools
- Mobile experience is limited
Verdict: Smartsheet is the right tool when your agency deals with complex data, large budgets, or clients who demand spreadsheet-style reporting. It's not the most flexible PM tool out there, but for data-heavy agencies, it's genuinely hard to beat.
Detailed Feature Comparison Matrix
| Feature | Teamwork | Monday.com | ClickUp | Asana | Wrike | Hive | Basecamp | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native Time Tracking | ✅ | ✅ (Pro+) | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Client Portal | ✅ | Partial | Partial | ❌ | Partial | Partial | ✅ | Partial |
| Gantt/Timeline | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Resource Management | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Adv.) | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Budget Tracking | ✅ | Partial | Partial | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Retainer Management | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Built-in Chat | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Automation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| AI Features | Partial | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Partial |
| Free Plan | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Flat-rate Pricing | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
How to Choose the Right Tool for Your Agency
If you bill clients by the hour or by retainer:
→ Go with Teamwork. No other tool on this list handles retainer billing, profitability tracking, and client-facing project management as cohesively. It's not even close.
If you're a small agency (under 10 people) watching every dollar:
→ Start with ClickUp's Unlimited plan ($7/user/mo) or Basecamp's flat-rate annual plan ($299/year for the whole company). Both offer enormous value at the low end of the market.
If team adoption is your biggest obstacle:
→ Choose Asana or Basecamp. Both have interfaces that non-technical team members and clients actually engage with without needing a training session.
If you manage large, data-heavy projects with complex budgets:
→ Smartsheet or Wrike will give you the reporting depth and formula power you need.
If your agency is 50+ people with enterprise clients:
→ Wrike's enterprise tier offers the security, compliance, and configurability that large-scale agencies require.
If you want to consolidate your tool stack:
→ ClickUp or Hive come closest to replacing multiple tools (chat, docs, time tracking) in a single subscription. ClickUp especially — it's almost aggressive about how much it tries to replace.
If visual clarity and workflow presentation to clients matter most:
→ Monday.com produces the most polished, client-friendly dashboards and board views on this list.
Our Verdict: Top Picks by Agency Type
| Agency Type | Top Pick | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Client services / billing-focused | Teamwork | Wrike |
| Creative / marketing agency | Monday.com | Hive |
| Small agency / budget-conscious | ClickUp | Basecamp |
| Mid-size agency | Asana | Monday.com |
| Enterprise agency | Wrike | Smartsheet |
| Spreadsheet-native teams | Smartsheet | Monday.com |
| Simplicity-first agency | Basecamp | Asana |
Our overall #1 pick for agencies in 2026 is Teamwork — because it's the only tool on this list built specifically around the agency business model from the ground up. The combination of client management, time tracking, retainer billing, and profitability reporting in one platform is genuinely hard to replicate with any alternative.
That said, ClickUp remains the best value play for growing agencies, and Monday.com is still the easiest tool to sell to skeptical clients and stakeholders who need beautiful, easy-to-read reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best project management tool for small agencies?
For small agencies (under 10 people), ClickUp's Unlimited plan at $7/user/month is hard to beat on value. If simplicity matters more than features, Basecamp's $299/year flat fee becomes a no-brainer the moment you have 5+ users — do the per-seat math on any competitor and it falls apart fast.
Do any of these tools offer client portals?
Yes — Teamwork has the most robust client portal of the group, with granular permissions that let clients view tasks, leave comments, and approve deliverables without ever seeing your internal communications. Basecamp also handles client access cleanly with its "Clientside" vs. "Teamside" separation. The others offer partial solutions at best.
Which project management tools include time tracking?
Teamwork, ClickUp, Wrike, and Hive all include native time tracking. Monday.com includes it on the Pro tier and above. Asana and Basecamp require third-party integrations like Harvest or Toggl — which adds cost and one more thing to manage.
Can I migrate my data from one tool to another?
Most tools offer CSV import/export, and some (like ClickUp and Asana) have direct migration tools for moving from specific platforms. Full migrations involving dependencies, attachments, and custom fields can get messy fast — factor in real migration time and potential consulting costs if you're switching from a well-established platform with years of data in it.
Is there a free project management tool good enough for agencies?
ClickUp's Free Forever plan is genuinely capable for very small agencies just getting started. Asana's Personal plan supports up to 10 users for free. That said, agency-critical features like time tracking, client portals, and resource management are almost always locked behind paid tiers — plan to upgrade once you're actively billing clients.
How many tools should an agency use for project management?
Ideally, one. Tool sprawl is a real and underrated problem in agencies — work gets lost across Notion, Slack, Asana, and Google Docs simultaneously, and nobody has the full picture. The platforms that best prevent this are ClickUp (which genuinely replaces several tools) and Teamwork (which consolidates project and billing workflows). Pick something you can standardize on company-wide, then only add a new tool when there's a genuine, specific gap — not just because something looks shiny.
Pricing information is current as of February 2026. SaaS pricing changes frequently — always verify on the tool's official pricing page before purchasing.