Best Project Management Software for Agencies (2026)

monday.com offers a highly visual and customizable work management platform that appeals to agencies wanting flexibility in how they organize projects. The platform uses boards, columns, and automations to create custom workflows for any type of project. Agencies can build project templates, track multiple clients, manage resources, and visualize work in Kanban, Gantt, timeline, or calendar views. The visual nature makes it easy to see project status at a glance and identify bottlenecks.

The platform excels in customization—agencies can create custom columns, automations, integrations, and dashboards tailored to their specific workflows. Client collaboration is possible through guest access, though it's less sophisticated than dedicated client portal solutions. monday.com includes time tracking (via integrations or built-in), file sharing, and communication features. However, it lacks integrated billing and invoicing, so agencies need separate tools for financial management. The learning curve can be steep due to the extensive customization options, but once configured, it's powerful for complex project structures.

Pricing starts at $8/user/month (billed annually) for the Standard plan, which includes most project management features. The Pro plan at $12/user/month adds time tracking, chart views, and more automations. For agencies, costs can add up quickly with per-user pricing, especially for larger teams. The platform offers excellent integrations with tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Zapier. Setup requires configuration time to build workflows, but monday.com provides templates and good documentation. Customer support is available, and the platform has a large user community. monday.com is best for agencies that want maximum flexibility and don't mind managing billing separately.

Asana is one of the most popular project management tools, known for its clean interface and excellent task management capabilities. The platform excels at breaking down projects into tasks, subtasks, and dependencies, making it easy to see who's doing what and when. Agencies appreciate the multiple project views (list, board, timeline, calendar), team collaboration features, and the ability to organize work by client, project type, or team. Asana's strength is in task-level management and team communication, with features like comments, file attachments, and @mentions.

The platform includes project templates, custom fields, rules and automations, and portfolio views for managing multiple projects. Client collaboration is possible through guest access, allowing clients to view specific projects and provide feedback. However, Asana lacks integrated time tracking (requires third-party integration), billing, and invoicing features. The platform is excellent for project execution but doesn't handle the financial aspects of agency work. Resource management is limited compared to dedicated agency tools, and there's no built-in client portal functionality.

Pricing starts at $10.99/user/month (billed annually) for the Premium plan, which includes timeline views, custom fields, and advanced search. The Business plan at $24.99/user/month adds portfolios, workload, and advanced integrations. Asana offers a free plan for up to 15 users, but it's limited for agency use. The platform integrates well with tools like Slack, Google Drive, and time tracking apps. Setup is straightforward, and Asana provides good onboarding resources. Customer support is available on paid plans. Asana is best for agencies that prioritize task management and team collaboration and are willing to use separate tools for billing and time tracking.

ClickUp positions itself as an all-in-one productivity platform, combining project management, docs, chat, goals, and more in a single workspace. For agencies, this means managing projects, client communication, documentation, and team collaboration all in one place. The platform offers extensive customization with custom fields, statuses, views, and automations. ClickUp includes multiple views (list, board, Gantt, calendar, timeline), time tracking (built-in), docs and wikis, and goal tracking.

The platform is feature-rich, which can be both a strength and weakness. Agencies get a lot of functionality, but the interface can feel overwhelming, especially for new users. ClickUp includes client collaboration through guest access and client portals (on higher plans), though it's not as polished as dedicated client portal solutions. The built-in time tracking is useful, but there's no integrated billing or invoicing. The platform offers good value with comprehensive features, but the learning curve is significant due to the extensive customization options.

Pricing starts at $7/user/month (billed annually) for the Unlimited plan, which includes most features. The Business plan at $12/user/month adds advanced automations, time tracking, and client portals. ClickUp offers a free plan, but it's limited for agency use. The platform includes excellent integrations and a robust API. Setup requires time to configure views and workflows, but ClickUp provides templates and good documentation. Customer support is available, and there's an active community. ClickUp is best for agencies that want comprehensive functionality in one platform and don't mind a learning curve.

Teamwork is designed specifically for client-facing businesses, making it a strong choice for agencies. The platform combines project management with client collaboration features, time tracking, and billing integration. Agencies can create client portals, share project updates, collect client feedback, and manage multiple client projects from a single dashboard. Teamwork includes task management, Gantt charts, time tracking, file sharing, and messaging—all with a focus on client visibility and collaboration.

What sets Teamwork apart is its client collaboration features. Clients can access their portal, view project progress, provide feedback, and approve deliverables without seeing internal project details. The platform includes time tracking with billable rates, and integrates with billing tools like QuickBooks and Xero. Resource management helps prevent overbooking, and project templates make it easy to replicate successful project structures. However, Teamwork doesn't include built-in invoicing—it integrates with accounting software instead. The platform is more agency-focused than generic PM tools but less comprehensive than all-in-one agency platforms.

Pricing starts at $5.99/user/month (billed annually) for the Starter plan, which includes basic project management and client collaboration. The Deliver plan at $9.99/user/month adds time tracking, Gantt charts, and more features. The platform offers good value for client-focused agencies, though per-user pricing can add up for larger teams. Setup is straightforward, and Teamwork provides good templates and documentation. Customer support is available, and the platform has a solid reputation among agencies. Teamwork is best for agencies that prioritize client collaboration and need time tracking but are okay using separate billing tools.

Basecamp takes a minimalist approach to project management, focusing on communication and organization rather than complex project tracking. The platform organizes work into projects, each containing message boards, to-do lists, schedules, file storage, and group chat. This simplicity appeals to agencies that want straightforward project communication without the complexity of Gantt charts, dependencies, and extensive customization. Basecamp excels at keeping everyone informed and organized without overwhelming users with features.

Client collaboration is built-in—clients can be added to projects as "clients" and see only what you share with them. The platform includes automatic check-ins, file sharing, and message boards for project communication. However, Basecamp lacks time tracking, billing, invoicing, and advanced project management features like dependencies or resource planning. The platform is intentionally simple, which means it won't work for agencies needing detailed project tracking or financial management. Basecamp is best for agencies that prioritize communication and simple task management over complex project planning.

Pricing is straightforward at $15/user/month (or $299/month flat for unlimited users), which is unique in the industry. The flat-rate option makes Basecamp cost-effective for larger teams. The platform includes unlimited projects and clients, making it scalable. Setup is quick and easy—Basecamp is designed to be usable immediately without configuration. Customer support is available, and Basecamp has a loyal user base. However, the simplicity means agencies needing time tracking, billing, or advanced project features will need additional tools. Basecamp is best for agencies that want simple, effective project communication without complexity.

Wrike is an enterprise-focused project management platform with advanced features for complex project tracking and analytics. The platform offers robust project management capabilities including Gantt charts, dependencies, resource management, workload balancing, and advanced reporting. Agencies appreciate the ability to track projects at a granular level, manage resources across multiple projects, and generate detailed analytics on project performance, team utilization, and profitability.

The platform includes time tracking, custom fields, workflows, and automations. Wrike offers client collaboration through guest access and client portals (on higher plans), though it's less polished than dedicated client portal solutions. The advanced analytics and reporting capabilities help agencies understand project performance, identify bottlenecks, and optimize resource allocation. However, Wrike lacks integrated billing and invoicing, so agencies need separate financial management tools. The platform can feel complex due to its extensive features, and the learning curve is significant.

Pricing starts at $9.80/user/month (billed annually) for the Professional plan, which includes most project management features. The Business plan at $24.80/user/month adds advanced analytics, custom fields, and more automations. Enterprise plans are available for larger organizations. The platform offers good value for enterprise agencies needing advanced features, though per-user pricing can be expensive. Setup requires configuration time, but Wrike provides templates and good documentation. Customer support is available, and the platform has strong enterprise features. Wrike is best for larger agencies that need advanced project analytics and don't mind complexity.

Productive is an agency operations platform that combines project management with resource planning, time tracking, and profitability analytics. Unlike generic PM tools, Productive is built specifically for agencies, focusing on operational efficiency and financial performance. The platform includes project management, resource allocation, capacity planning, time tracking with billable rates, and detailed profitability reporting. Agencies can see project margins in real-time, balance team workloads, and optimize resource allocation.

The platform excels in resource planning, helping agencies prevent overbooking and optimize team utilization. Project profitability tracking shows margins, burn rates, and financial performance at both project and client levels. Time tracking integrates seamlessly with projects, and the platform includes invoicing capabilities (though less comprehensive than dedicated billing tools). Client collaboration is possible but less sophisticated than dedicated client portal solutions. Productive is more focused on internal operations than client-facing features.

Pricing starts at $9/user/month (billed annually) for the Essential plan, which includes core project management and resource planning. The Professional plan at $19/user/month adds advanced reporting, budgeting, and more features. The platform offers good value for agencies focused on operations and profitability. Setup requires configuration, but Productive provides good templates and documentation. Customer support is available, and the platform has a strong reputation among agencies. Productive is best for agencies that prioritize operational efficiency and profitability tracking over client collaboration features.

Trello is a simple, visual project management tool based on Kanban boards. The platform uses boards, lists, and cards to organize work, making it easy to see project status at a glance. Agencies appreciate Trello's simplicity, ease of use, and visual approach to task management. The platform is excellent for managing workflows, tracking tasks, and collaborating on projects without complexity. Trello includes features like checklists, due dates, attachments, comments, and automations (via Power-Ups).

Client collaboration is possible through board sharing, though it's basic compared to dedicated client portal solutions. Trello lacks integrated time tracking, billing, invoicing, and advanced project management features like dependencies or resource planning. The platform is intentionally simple, which means it won't work for agencies needing detailed project tracking or financial management. Trello is best for small agencies or teams that want simple, visual task management without complexity. Power-Ups (integrations) can extend functionality, but they add complexity and cost.

Pricing starts at $5/user/month (billed annually) for the Standard plan, which includes unlimited boards and Power-Ups. The Premium plan at $10/user/month adds advanced features and views. Trello offers a free plan, but it's limited for agency use. The platform integrates well with other tools via Power-Ups, though some require additional subscriptions. Setup is quick and easy—Trello is designed to be usable immediately. Customer support is available on paid plans. Trello is best for small agencies that want simple, visual task management and don't need advanced project features or integrated billing.

Notion is an all-in-one workspace that combines documentation, project management, databases, and collaboration. The platform is highly flexible, allowing agencies to build custom workflows, databases, and documentation systems. Notion excels at knowledge management, creating wikis, documenting processes, and organizing information. Agencies can create project databases, task lists, client portals, and team wikis all in one place. The platform's flexibility is both its strength and weakness—it can be configured for almost any use case, but requires setup time.

Project management in Notion is database-driven, allowing agencies to create custom project views, filters, and automations. The platform includes collaboration features, file sharing, and client sharing (on higher plans). However, Notion lacks integrated time tracking, billing, invoicing, and advanced project management features like dependencies or Gantt charts. The platform is better suited for documentation and knowledge management than complex project tracking. Notion requires significant setup time to configure for agency use, and the learning curve can be steep.

Pricing starts at $8/user/month (billed annually) for the Plus plan, which includes most features. The Business plan at $15/user/month adds advanced permissions and client sharing. Notion offers a free plan, but it's limited for team use. The platform's flexibility means agencies can build custom solutions, but this requires time and expertise. Setup requires significant configuration, though Notion provides templates and good documentation. Customer support is available, and there's an active community. Notion is best for agencies that want flexible documentation and knowledge management alongside basic project tracking, and are willing to invest in setup.