Productive is agency management software built around budgets, resource planning and profitability. Its entry plan, Essential, already includes time tracking, budgets, resource planning, expenses, invoices and a deals pipeline, and Professional adds Gantt charts, retainer management and accounting integrations.
Agencies usually look elsewhere when the seat minimum or per-user price does not fit a small team, when they want forecasting without a sales-priced plan, or when clients need a branded portal rather than a view of budgets. The seven tools below cover those cases.
Seat minimum and no free plan. Every Productive plan needs at least 3 seats. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
Key tools sit on higher plans. Gantt charts, task dependencies, retainer management and the Xero and QuickBooks Online integrations need Professional ($25 per user billed yearly). Revenue forecasting and overhead cost are on Ultimate, priced by quote.
Client access covers budgets. On Professional, clients can see approved tracked time in their budgets. Its pricing page does not list a branded client portal where clients submit requests, approve files and pay invoices.
How we compared: on published features and pricing from each vendor's own site, checked Oct 14, 2026. We did not run hands-on tests or use ratings. AgencyPro is our product, so it is listed first, with its limits. Agiled is made by ZTABS, the company behind AgencyPro.
A direct replacement covers the main job agencies use Productive.io for. A partial replacement covers part of it, so you keep or add another tool for the rest. Prices are US list prices from each vendor's pricing page; confirm before you buy.
1. AgencyPro: best for smaller agencies that want a branded client portal, requests and invoicing over forecasting
AgencyPro is a client portal, project and billing tool for agencies. Against Productive, it is stronger on the client-facing side: a branded portal where clients submit requests, approve files and pay invoices. It covers time tracking and capacity management on Pro and profitability reports on Plus, but its pricing page does not list budgets, revenue forecasting, overhead allocation or Gantt charts, so it is a partial replacement for an agency that runs on financial planning.
Key features
Branded client portal with custom domain, messaging, file storage and client onboarding (Basic)
Projects and client requests on Kanban and list views, with invoicing through Stripe or PayPal (Basic)
Time tracking, hourly and credit-based services, SLA tracking and capacity management (Pro)
Quotes, proposals and contracts with e-signatures, a leads pipeline and intake forms (Pro)
Design and video annotation with versioned proofing and approvals (Pro)
Team performance and profitability reports, API, webhooks and Zapier (Plus)
Pricing
Basic $39/mo, Pro $79/mo and Plus $149/mo billed monthly ($32.50, $65.83 and $124.17 per month billed annually). Each plan includes 1 seat; extra seats are $15 (Basic), $20 (Pro) or $30 (Plus) per month. Enterprise is priced by quote. AgencyPro pricing, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Pros
No seat minimum: every plan includes 1 seat
A branded portal for client requests, approvals and invoices from Basic ($39/mo)
Capacity management on Pro, alongside versioned proofing and tickets
Cons
Budgets, revenue forecasting, overhead allocation and Gantt charts are not listed on its pricing page
Profitability reports need Plus ($149/mo); time tracking and capacity management need Pro ($79/mo)
Each extra seat costs $15 (Basic), $20 (Pro) or $30 (Plus) per month, so a 10-person team on Pro pays $259/mo billed monthly
The CSV importer brings in clients and services only; projects, tasks and history are set up by hand
Choose it if clients need a branded place to request work, approve files and pay, and you can live without budget forecasting.
2. Teamwork.com: best for project-led agencies that want free client users and invoicing from logged time
Teamwork.com is a project management platform built for client work. Accelerate covers what most agencies use Productive for: invoicing from logged time, budgets, retainers, workload and capacity planning and intake forms. Client users are free on paid plans, and quotes and profitability insights are on Optimize.
Key features
Time logging and Gantt, board and table views on every plan, including Free
Free client users and collaborators on Basics and above
Accelerate adds invoicing from logged time, budgets, retainers, workload and capacity planning and intake forms
Free for up to 5 users and 5 projects. Basics $9.99 and Accelerate $24.99 per user per month billed annually, with 3- and 5-user minimums; annual billing saves about 29% compared with monthly. Optimize and Enterprise are priced by quote. Teamwork.com pricing, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Pros
Free plan for up to 5 users and 5 projects
Clients join projects as free client users
Gantt charts on every plan, where Productive needs Professional
Cons
Invoicing, budgets and retainers need Accelerate ($24.99 per user billed annually, 5-user minimum)
Quotes and profitability insights are on Optimize, priced by quote
Each client user can join at most five active projects
Choose it if you run client projects more than financial models and want clients inside your projects.
3. Scoro: best for mid-sized firms that want quotes, resourcing and financials in one PSA
Scoro is a professional services platform that ties quotes, budgets, time, resourcing and invoicing to the same project record. It is the closest match to Productive's financial depth, sized for mid-sized firms, with a 5-user minimum and a per-user price that depends on the apps you combine.
Key features
Projects, tasks and resource planning
Quotes, budgets, time tracking and invoicing on the same project record
Core, Growth, Performance and Enterprise tiers
Pricing
Per user per month, from about €15 (about $17) depending on the apps you combine, with Core, Growth, Performance and Enterprise tiers. Every combination needs at least 5 users. Scoro pricing, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Pros
Quotes, resourcing and invoicing in one system
Built for the financial side of a services business
14-day trial
Cons
Every combination needs at least 5 user seats, more than Productive's 3
The per-user price depends on which apps you combine, so get a quote at your headcount
Scoro positions its enterprise offer for firms of 50 to 500+ employees
Choose it if you want a broader PSA with quoting built in and have at least 5 people.
4. Accelo: best for firms that want projects, retainers and profitability on one client record
Accelo is a professional services platform covering client management, projects, a client workspace, project financials and resourcing. It reports profitability across retainer, fixed-fee and hourly work, which matches how agencies use Productive. Pricing is by quote, and Accelo says most teams are up and running in a matter of weeks.
Key features
Client management, project management and a client workspace (portal)
Project financials with profitability across retainer, fixed-fee and hourly work
Resourcing and capacity planning, plus business intelligence reporting
QuickBooks Online and Xero integrations
Pricing
No public pricing. Accelo prices by team size and growth goals, and says the starting price includes implementation guidance, onboarding support and the full platform. Accelo pricing, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Pros
A client workspace alongside projects and financials
Profitability by client and project across billing types
Implementation guidance and onboarding are part of the starting price
Cons
No public pricing; you request a quote
No free trial is listed on the pricing page
Set-up takes weeks rather than days, by Accelo's own description
Choose it if you want a guided implementation and a client workspace next to retainer and project financials.
5. Kantata: best for mid-market and enterprise professional services firms
Kantata is a professional services platform for mid-market and enterprise services firms, including agencies. It covers resource management and forecasting, financial management and project management, so it replaces Productive for firms that have outgrown it. Pricing is set with a sales advisor.
Key features
Resource management and forecasting, matching skills to work
Financial management with forecasts from live project and pipeline data
Project management
1,200+ prebuilt connectors, APIs and MCP support
Pricing
No public pricing. Kantata tailors plans to company size, goals and how the team works, and a sales advisor follows up on a quote request. Kantata pricing, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Pros
Forecasting from live project and pipeline data
Large connector library for firms with many systems
Built for firms that plan utilization and margins across many projects
Cons
No public pricing; plans are tailored after a quote request
No free trial is listed on the pricing page
Aimed at mid-market and enterprise firms rather than small agencies
Choose it if you are a larger services firm that needs enterprise resource and financial planning.
6. Agiled: best for small teams that want CRM, projects and invoicing with seats included
Disclosure: Agiled is made by ZTABS, the same company that makes AgencyPro. The facts here come from Agiled's own pricing and features pages, the same standard as every other tool.
Agiled is a business management app that combines CRM and deal pipelines, projects and tasks, time tracking, invoices, estimates and expenses, proposals and contracts. Seats come bundled by plan (3 on Pro, 7 on Business), which suits teams below Productive's comfort zone. Its pricing page does not list resource planning or utilization reports.
Key features
CRM with deal pipelines, projects and tasks, time tracking, invoices, estimates and expenses
Proposals and contracts with e-signing, scheduling pages, forms and tickets
Branded client portal, custom domain and custom SMTP included from Business
Seats included by plan: 1, 3, 7 or 15
Pricing
Starter $24, Pro $59, Business $99 and Scale $199 per month billed annually, with 1, 3, 7 and 15 seats. Extra seats are $20/mo on Pro and up. On Starter and Pro the branded portal is a $15/mo add-on (billed annually). Agiled pricing, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Pros
Pro ($59/mo billed annually) includes 3 seats; Business ($99/mo) includes 7
CRM, proposals, invoices and expenses in one app
Business adds the branded client portal, custom domain and QuickBooks and Xero sync
Cons
Resource planning and utilization reports are not listed on its pricing page
Starter caps you at 500 contacts, 10 projects and 100 invoices
On Starter and Pro the branded portal is a $15/mo add-on (billed annually)
Choose it if you are a team of 3 to 7 and need CRM, projects and invoicing more than utilization planning.
Partial replacement
7. ClickUp: best for projects and time tracking at a low per-user price
ClickUp is a general work management tool with tasks, docs, forms, Gantt charts, dependencies and native time tracking on paid plans. It covers Productive's project and time side for less per user, but it does not invoice clients and is not built around budgets.
Key features
Tasks, docs, whiteboards, forms and many views, including Gantt charts and dependencies
Native time tracking on paid plans; timesheets on Business
Unlimited read-only guests on paid plans
Pricing
Free Forever plan. The main price table showed Unlimited at $7 and Business at $12 per user per month billed yearly ($10 and $19 monthly); a newer table on the same page lists Core at $9 and Business at $17 billed yearly. Enterprise is priced by quote. ClickUp pricing, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Pros
Free Forever plan with unlimited members
Lower per-user price than Productive Professional
Gantt charts and dependencies without a top plan
Cons
No client invoicing on any plan
Budgets, rate cards and profitability are not part of its plans
The pricing page showed two different price tables when we checked, so confirm the current plan names and prices
Choose it if you want a cheaper project and time tool and keep financials in accounting software.
Example for a 10-person agency, at list prices checked Oct 14, 2026. Productive Essential: 10 x $10 = $100/mo billed yearly; Professional: 10 x $25 = $250/mo billed yearly. Teamwork.com Accelerate: 10 x $24.99 = $249.90/mo billed annually. AgencyPro Pro: $79 + 9 x $20 = $259/mo billed monthly. Agiled Business with 3 extra seats: $99 + 3 x $20 = $159/mo billed annually. Scoro, Accelo and Kantata depend on a quote or the apps you combine. Productive Essential is the lowest per-person price here for budgets and resource planning; AgencyPro costs more and focuses on the client-facing side.
How to choose a Productive.io alternative
Financial depth you will use
Budgets, forecasting and utilization reports pay off when you run many projects with a team of 15 or more. Smaller teams often use a fraction of them, so price the plan that has what you use.
Client portal or client reports
Decide whether clients need their own branded space to request work, approve files and pay, or only a view of budgets and hours.
Minimums and published prices
Productive needs 3 seats, Teamwork.com Accelerate 5 users and Scoro 5 users. Kantata and Accelo quote. Get a total at your headcount before demos.
Implementation time
PSA tools take longer to set up. Accelo describes onboarding in weeks. Ask each vendor for a realistic timeline before you commit.
When to stay with Productive.io
You use budgets, utilization and profitability reports to run the business every week.
You have 10 or more people, so the 3-seat minimum does not matter.
Clients only need to see budgets and hours, not a branded workspace.
Notes by agency type
What to weigh first when you replace Productive.io, by the kind of work you do.
For marketing agencies
Weigh recurring billing, a place for clients to submit requests and approve content, and a clear view of how much retainer work is left each month. Campaign reporting usually stays in a dedicated analytics tool.
For retainers, compare Productive's retainer management on Professional with Teamwork.com's retainers on Accelerate and AgencyPro's credit-based services and recurring auto-requests on Pro.
Test how clients leave feedback on files. Pinned comments on images and versioned approvals save more time than any task view. Check whether proofing is on the plan you can afford.
Look for recurring tasks that recreate each month, subscription billing, and a portal where clients see what was delivered. Rank tracking and audits stay in your SEO tools.
Prioritize milestone billing, change-request tracking and time tracking against estimates. If your developers live in GitHub or Jira, check the integration before anything else.
Multi-discipline teams need capacity planning across people and a review flow that handles images, video and documents. Budget tracking per project matters once you run fixed-fee work.
Productive handles capacity and budgets across disciplines. If the bottleneck is client review of files, compare AgencyPro's versioned proofing on Pro.
Proposals, contracts with e-signature, hourly or retainer billing and a secure place to share documents carry more weight than detailed task boards.
Consultancies billing hourly against budgets are Productive's home ground. Move only if you need a client portal for documents and proposals (AgencyPro Pro) or a broader PSA (Scoro, Accelo).
Fast client approvals on press releases and a shared record of what was sent and when. Media databases and monitoring are separate tools in almost every stack.
Monthly content approvals and subscription billing come first. Scheduling and publishing usually stay in a social media tool, so check that the two can live side by side.
A mix of build projects and ongoing retainers means you need both milestone and recurring billing, plus a ticket or request queue for store fixes after launch.
Start with your client list: export it from Productive if it offers a CSV export, or build the CSV by hand. AgencyPro's CSV importer accepts clients and services. Projects, tasks, files and comment history are not imported automatically, so recreate active projects and leave closed ones archived in Productive. On the Plus plan, AgencyPro's migration service helps with setup. Run both tools side by side until your active projects close.
What is the best Productive.io alternative for agencies?
It depends on what you need to keep. For projects with invoicing and free client users, Teamwork.com. For a broader PSA with quoting, Scoro. For larger firms, Kantata or Accelo. For a branded client portal with requests and invoicing and no seat minimum, AgencyPro, which is our product.
How much does Productive cost?
Essential is $10 per user per month billed yearly ($12 monthly) and Professional is $25 billed yearly ($29 monthly). Every plan needs at least 3 seats. Ultimate is priced on a call, and there is a 14-day trial with no card.
Does Productive have a client portal?
Professional and Ultimate give clients access to budgets, where they can see approved tracked time. Its pricing page does not list a branded portal for requests, file approvals and invoice payments.
Is Scoro better than Productive?
Scoro is a broader professional services platform with quoting built in, a 5-user minimum and a price that depends on the apps you combine. Productive focuses on agencies, publishes its per-user prices and needs 3 seats.
Is AgencyPro a PSA tool like Productive?
No. AgencyPro focuses on client delivery: portal, projects, requests, approvals and invoicing. Capacity management is on Pro and profitability reports are on Plus, but its pricing page does not list budgets or revenue forecasting.
Can I import my data into AgencyPro?
Partly. AgencyPro's CSV importer accepts clients and services. Projects, tasks, files and comment history are recreated by hand, and the Plus plan includes a migration service to help with setup.
Sources and date checked
Every price, plan limit and feature on this page comes from the vendor's own website, checked Oct 14, 2026. AgencyPro facts come from the AgencyPro pricing page. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
For social media agencies
Monthly content approvals and subscription billing come first. Scheduling and publishing usually stay in a social media tool, so check that the two can live side by side.
How social media agencies use AgencyPro