Best retainer management software in 2026: 8 tools compared
Retainer management software tracks what each client has paid for, how much is used, and what the retainer costs you to deliver. The right tool depends on whether you sell hour banks, fixed-fee scopes or prepaid credits. This guide compares 8 tools on those models.
Disclosure: AgencyPro is our product and is listed first because this is our site, not because of a score. Each entry says who should choose something else.
How we compared these tools
This is a criteria-based comparison, not a hands-on test or a scored ranking. We read each vendor's pricing and product pages on October 13, 2026 and recorded the same facts for each tool:
- Retainer model: hour budgets, fixed-fee subscriptions or prepaid credits.
- Usage tracking: how time or credits are deducted and whether rollover and expiration are supported.
- Billing: recurring invoices and payment collection.
- Client visibility: what the client can see about their own retainer.
- Profitability: whether margin reporting is included and on which plan.
- Team cost: the monthly price for 5 and 10 people.
Prices change. Confirm them on each vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Quick picks by retainer model
AgencyPro
Our product. Credit packs, recurring billing and a client portal (Pro).
Productive
Recurring budgets and automatic draft retainer invoices.
Accelo
Retainers, projects, forecasting and billing. Quote-based.
FunctionFox
Retainer tracking from $10.50 per user.
Harvest
Free for 1 seat and 2 projects.
Retainer management tools compared
| Tool | Starting price | Retainer model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
1AgencyPro Our Product | $79/mo (Pro) for credits, hourly services and time tracking | Subscriptions and credit packs | Fixed-fee and credit-based retainers run through a client portal |
2Productive | $9/user/mo billed yearly (Essential) | Recurring budgets (Professional) | Hour and fee budgets with profitability reporting |
3Accelo | Custom quote | Retainer management module | Professional services firms that want a full PSA with retainers |
4Scoro | From $17/user/mo, 5-user minimum | Work management with budgets | Agencies of 5+ people that want CRM, quoting and billing together |
5FunctionFox | $10.50/user/mo billed annually, 3-user minimum | Retainer tracking on every plan | Creative agencies that want simple timesheets with retainer tracking |
6Harvest | Free (1 seat); Teams $9/seat/mo billed annually | Project budgets and invoicing | Time-first agencies tracking hours against budgets |
7ManyRequests | $59/mo ($39/mo annual) | Subscriptions, retainers, hourly and credit billing | Request-based retainers and subscriptions |
8Function point | $53/user/mo billed annually | Agency operations suite | Traditional creative and advertising agencies |
What a 5- and 10-person agency pays per month
Every tool here charges by user or seat, so headcount decides the cost. Accelo is not included because its pricing is quote-based.
| Plan | 5 people | 10 people | How it is calculated |
|---|---|---|---|
| AgencyPro Pro | $159 | $259 | $79 + $20 per extra seat, monthly. Profitability reports need Plus ($149 + $30 per seat). |
| Productive Professional | $120 | $240 | $24 per user, billed yearly. Recurring budgets are on Professional. |
| Harvest Teams | $55 | $110 | $11 per seat, monthly ($9 billed annually). |
| FunctionFox Classic | $63.75 | $127.50 | $12.75 per user, monthly, 3-user minimum. |
| Scoro | From $85 | From $170 | From $17 per user, 5-user minimum. Packaged plans are $29 and $57 per user. |
| ManyRequests Core | $139 | $239 | $59 + $20 per extra seat, monthly. |
| Function Point Standardize | $290 | $580 | $58 per user, monthly ($53 billed annually). |
The 8 tools in detail
1. AgencyPro
Best for fixed-fee and credit-based retainers that clients use through a branded portal.
AgencyPro models retainers in two ways. Recurring services bill automatically each week, month, quarter or year, and clients can pause, resume or cancel when you allow it. Credit packs let clients prepay for credits that services then consume; you can set an expiration period, allow unused credits to roll over, and send low-balance notifications. Clients see their credit balance and history in the portal. Hourly (time-based) services can include a set number of hours per billing period, with an option to roll unused hours over.
Credit-based and hourly services, time tracking with timesheet reports, SLA tracking and capacity management are on Pro. Profitability and team performance reports are on Plus. Payments run through Stripe or PayPal.
Pros
- • Clients see their credit balance and request history in the portal
- • Credit expiration and optional rollover per package
- • Recurring billing with client-side pause and cancel
- • Requests, delivery and invoices in the same system
Cons
- • Retainer features (credits, hourly services, time tracking) need Pro
- • Profitability reports need Plus ($149/mo + $30 per seat)
- • Hour-bank retainers are supported through hourly services, but budget burn-down and margin reporting per retainer are thinner than in Productive or Accelo
- • Seats cost extra on every plan
Verdict: A good fit if you sell subscriptions or prepaid credits and want clients to submit work and check balances in one place. See AgencyPro recurring billing.
Pricing: Basic $39/mo, Pro $79/mo, Plus $149/mo, each with 1 seat. Extra seats $15, $20 or $30/mo.
2. Productive
Best for hour and fee budgets with profitability reporting.
Productive is an agency management platform built around budgets. Its pricing page lists retainer management through recurring budgets, automatic draft invoices on retainer budgets, and client access to approved tracked time. Recurring budgets are on Professional; budgeting, invoicing and profitability reports are on every plan.
Time tracking, resource planning and project management are included, so hours flow into the budget without a second tool.
Pros
- • Recurring budgets designed for retainers
- • Draft retainer invoices created automatically
- • Clients can see approved tracked time
- • Profitability reports on every plan
Cons
- • Per-user pricing on every plan
- • Recurring budgets need Professional
- • Not built around a client request portal
Verdict: The stronger choice if you sell hour-based retainers and margin is the number you watch. AgencyPro vs Productive.
Pricing: Essential $9/user/mo and Professional $24/user/mo, billed yearly. Ultimate is custom. 14-day free trial.
3. Accelo
Best for professional services firms that want a full PSA with retainers built in.
Accelo is a professional services automation (PSA) platform. Its feature list includes retainer management, automated invoicing and payment processing, budget, margin and profitability tracking, time tracking, capacity forecasting, and client approvals and request management.
Because pricing is quote-based, plan for a sales conversation and an implementation project.
Pros
- • Retainers connected to time, invoicing and profitability
- • Capacity forecasting and resource scheduling
- • Client approvals and request management
Cons
- • No published pricing
- • Broad platform that takes time to configure
Verdict: Worth a demo for a services firm that wants retainers, projects and forecasting in one system and has time to implement it. AgencyPro vs Accelo.
Pricing: Custom quote. No prices published on the pricing page.
4. Scoro
Best for agencies of five or more that want CRM, quoting, projects and billing together.
Scoro combines CRM, quoting, project and work management, time tracking and invoicing. Pricing is per user with a 5-user minimum, and you can build a plan from the apps you need starting at $17 per user.
Check which plan includes the budgeting and billing features your retainers need before you compare prices.
Pros
- • Quote-to-invoice flow in one product
- • Build-your-own plan from individual apps
- • Free trial without a credit card
Cons
- • 5-user minimum
- • Per-user pricing grows with headcount
Verdict: A fit for a growing agency that wants sales, delivery and billing in one place. AgencyPro vs Scoro.
Pricing: From $17/user/mo for a custom combination of apps; packaged plans at $29 and $57/user/mo. 5-user minimum. 14-day free trial.
5. FunctionFox
Best for creative agencies that want simple timesheets with retainer tracking.
FunctionFox is timesheet and project tracking software for creative agencies. Retainer tracking is listed on its entry Classic plan. Premier adds advanced project management, and the top tier adds advanced reports and a request portal.
It is a straightforward option if your main need is logging time against retainers and projects.
Pros
- • Retainer tracking on the entry plan
- • Low per-user price
- • Request portal on the top tier
Cons
- • 3-user minimum on every plan
- • Advanced reports only on the top tier
Verdict: Good value for a small creative team that tracks retainers through timesheets. AgencyPro vs FunctionFox.
Pricing: Classic $10.50, Premier $16 and the top tier $36.75 per user/mo billed annually ($12.75, $19.25 and $44 monthly). 3-user minimum.
6. Harvest
Best for time-first agencies tracking hours against budgets.
Harvest is time tracking with invoicing and expenses. Agencies often run hour-based retainers on it by setting a budget per client project, logging time and invoicing from the tracked hours.
Retainer-specific rules such as rollover are not listed on its pricing page, so expect to handle them yourself.
Pros
- • Free plan for one person
- • Time tracking and invoicing in one tool
- • Low per-seat price
Cons
- • Retainer rollover not listed as a feature
- • No client request portal
Verdict: A practical choice if time tracking is the core of how you bill retainers and you keep the rules simple. AgencyPro vs Harvest.
Pricing: Free for 1 seat and 2 projects. Teams $9/seat/mo billed annually ($11 monthly). Enterprise $14 ($17.50 monthly). 30-day free trial.
7. ManyRequests
Best for request-based retainers and subscriptions.
ManyRequests lists subscriptions and retainers, hourly and credit-based billing, time tracking and reporting on its pricing page. Clients submit requests in a branded portal and invited clients do not count as seats.
It overlaps closely with AgencyPro on the request and portal side, so compare the two on how each handles your retainer structure.
Pros
- • Retainer, hourly and credit billing
- • Time tracking included
- • Clients do not count as seats
Cons
- • Per-seat pricing
- • Removing "Powered by" needs Pro
Verdict: A close alternative for request-based retainers. AgencyPro vs ManyRequests.
Pricing: Core $59/mo ($39 annual), Pro $99/mo ($79 annual), 1 seat included. Extra seats $20 or $30/mo.
8. Function point
Best for traditional creative and advertising agencies.
Function Point is agency management software for creative and advertising agencies, covering projects, time and financials. At $53 to $62 per user billed annually, it sits at the top of the per-user prices in this guide alongside Scoro's $57 packaged plan.
Ask for a demo of how it handles your retainer structure before committing.
Pros
- • Built for creative and advertising agencies
- • Projects, time and financials in one system
Cons
- • Among the highest per-user prices in this guide
- • Free trial not listed on the pricing page
Verdict: Consider it if you run a traditional creative agency and want a dedicated operations suite. Retainer agreements guide.
Pricing: Standardize $53/user/mo and Optimize $62/user/mo billed annually ($58 and $68 monthly).
Which tool fits your retainers
You sell hour banks and watch margin closely
Productive (recurring budgets) or Accelo. Both connect time, budgets and invoices.
You sell prepaid credits or a fixed monthly scope
AgencyPro or ManyRequests. Clients submit requests and see what they have used in a portal.
You mainly need timesheets against retainers
FunctionFox or Harvest keep it simple and cheap.
You run one to three retainers
A shared spreadsheet or Harvest's free plan is enough until reconciliation takes real time each month.
You want CRM, quotes and retainers in one system
Scoro or Accelo, if you have the team size for a 5-user minimum or an implementation project.
When AgencyPro is not the right fit
- • Hour-bank retainers with detailed burn-down. AgencyPro hourly services can include hours per period with optional rollover (Pro), but it does not publish burn-down alerts or a per-retainer margin view below Plus. Productive and Accelo track logged time against recurring budgets in more depth.
- • Margin reporting on a budget. Profitability reports are on Plus ($149/mo plus $30 per extra seat). Productive includes profitability reports on every plan.
- • Native accounting sync. QuickBooks, Xero and FreshBooks connect through Zapier on Plus only.
- • Timesheet-only needs. If you only log hours against retainers, Harvest or FunctionFox cost less.
How to choose your retainer tool
1. Which retainer model do you sell?
Hour banks: Productive, Accelo, Harvest, FunctionFox. Credits or fixed scope with requests: AgencyPro, ManyRequests.
2. What is your rollover rule?
Write it into the agreement first, then confirm the tool can apply it. AgencyPro supports credit expiration and optional rollover; Harvest does not list rollover.
3. What should clients see?
Productive shares approved tracked time. AgencyPro shows the credit balance and request history in the portal.
4. Where does profitability come from?
You need time tracking and cost rates. Check which plan includes margin reports: every plan on Productive, Plus on AgencyPro.
5. What will your team cost in a year?
Use the 5- and 10-person table above and add the people you expect to hire.
Sources and date checked
Vendor prices, plan limits and features on this page come from each vendor's own pricing or product page, checked October 13, 2026. AgencyPro plans and features come from our pricing page. If a vendor has changed its pricing since then, its own page is the current source.
Frequently asked questions
What is retainer management software?
Retainer management software tracks what a client has paid for on an ongoing basis and how much of it has been used. Depending on the tool, that means hours logged against a monthly budget, credits spent from a prepaid pack, or requests delivered under a subscription. It also handles the recurring invoice and shows whether each retainer is profitable.
What is a monthly retainer?
A monthly retainer is a recurring fee a client pays for ongoing access to your agency. The three common structures are an hour bank (for example, 20 hours a month), a fixed fee for a defined scope (for example, four blog posts and one report a month), and a prepaid credit pack that the client spends on services. The software you need depends on which structure you sell.
What features should retainer software have?
Match features to your retainer model. Hour banks need time tracking against a recurring budget, rollover rules and alerts before the budget runs out. Credit retainers need credit packs, a balance the client can see and low-balance notifications. Fixed-fee retainers need recurring invoices and a way to see the cost of delivering them. Every model benefits from a client-visible record of what was delivered.
How much does retainer management software cost?
For a 5-person team, expect roughly $55 to $160 a month on the tools in this guide: Harvest Teams is $55, FunctionFox Classic $63.75, Productive Professional $120 (billed yearly), ManyRequests Core $139 and AgencyPro Pro $159. Function Point is $290 at the same size, and Accelo is quote-based. Every tool here charges more as you add people.
What is hour rollover?
Rollover lets unused retainer hours or credits carry into the next period. If a client pays for 20 hours and uses 15, a rollover policy decides whether the other 5 carry forward, for how long, and whether they expire. Put the rule in the retainer agreement, then pick software that can apply it. In AgencyPro, credit packs can have an expiration period and unused credits can roll over when you enable it.
How do I track retainer profitability?
Compare the retainer fee with the cost of the time spent delivering it: hours logged by each person multiplied by their cost rate. That requires time tracking linked to the client and a cost rate per person. Productive includes profitability reports on every plan. In AgencyPro, time tracking is on Pro and profitability reports are on Plus.
Can I manage retainers in a spreadsheet or Notion?
Yes, for one to three retainers. A shared sheet with hours or credits used, the balance and the invoice date works at that size. It breaks down when you have to reconcile time entries, invoices and rollover by hand every month for many clients.
Is AgencyPro the best retainer tool?
It depends on how you structure retainers. AgencyPro fits fixed-fee subscriptions and prepaid credit retainers that clients use through a portal, where they see their balance and submit requests. If you sell hour banks and need time to draw down a recurring budget automatically with margin reporting, Productive or Accelo are built more directly for that.
Let clients see what their retainer covers
Set up a credit pack or a recurring service in AgencyPro, invite a test client and check what they see in the portal. The 14-day trial includes Pro features.
14-day free trial · No credit card required