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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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Best Project Management Software for Agencies (2027)
The best project management software for most agencies is ClickUp: it combines tasks, time tracking, workload views, client docs and dashboards for $9 per user per month on annual billing (Business $17). monday.com is best for visual client boards and dashboards ($12 per seat on Standard, 3-seat minimum), Asana for deadline-driven campaigns ($10.99), Trello for small studios on a budget ($5) and Notion for agencies that run on briefs and wikis ($10).
- Best overall: ClickUp (Core $9/user, Business $17)
- Best for client dashboards: monday.com (Standard $12/seat)
- Best for deadline-driven campaigns: Asana (Starter $10.99/user)
- Cheapest for small studios: Trello (Standard $5/user)
- Best for briefs and wikis: Notion (Plus $10/seat)
What agencies need from project management software
Agencies juggle many clients at once, so they need a way to separate client work, see who's overloaded, track time against budgets, share progress with clients, keep briefs and approvals next to tasks, and report on deadlines. A tool that does three or four of these well is usually better than one that does everything badly.
Agency project tools compared
| Tool | Free plan | Entry paid plan (annual) | Time tracking | Client sharing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClickUp | Free Forever: 60 MB, 100 automations | Core $9/user | Built in | Guests and docs | All-in-one agencies |
| monday.com | 2 seats, 3 boards | Basic $9, Standard $12 (3-seat minimum) | Pro plan | Guests and dashboards | Visual client boards |
| Asana | Up to 2 users | Starter $10.99/user | Via integrations | Unlimited free guests | Campaign deadlines |
| Trello | 10 boards, 10 collaborators | Standard $5/user | Via Power-Ups | Shared boards | Small studios |
| Notion | Free for individuals | Plus $10/seat (monthly price) | No | Shared pages, 10 guests on Free | Briefs and wikis |
What a 10-person agency pays per month
| Tool | Plan | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trello | Standard | $50 | $600 |
| ClickUp | Core | $90 | $1,080 |
| Notion | Plus (monthly price) | $100 | $1,200 |
| Asana | Starter | $109.90 | $1,318.80 |
| monday.com | Standard | $120 | $1,440 |
| ClickUp | Business | $170 | $2,040 |
1. ClickUp: best overall for agencies
ClickUp separates clients into Spaces, tracks time on tasks, shows workload by person, and keeps briefs and meeting notes in Docs next to the work. Dashboards report progress across clients. Core costs $9 per user on annual billing ($12 regular) and Business $17 ($25 regular).
Choose it if you want one tool for projects, time and client docs. See ClickUp pricing.
2. monday.com: best for client dashboards
monday.com's colorful boards are easy for clients to read, and dashboards combine many boards for account managers. Standard costs $12 per seat on annual billing with 250 automations a month; Pro ($19) adds time tracking and 25,000 automations. There's a 3-seat minimum.
Choose it if you want polished client-facing boards. See monday.com pricing.
3. Asana: best for deadline-driven campaigns
Asana's timelines, dependencies and unlimited automations on Starter ($10.99 per user) keep campaigns on schedule, and unlimited free guests let clients approve work without paid seats.
Choose it if launches and deadlines define your work. See Asana pricing.
4. Trello: cheapest for small studios
Trello is free for up to 10 collaborators and Standard costs $5 per user. Clients understand boards instantly.
Choose it if you're a small studio with simple workflows. See Trello pricing.
5. Notion: best for briefs and wikis
Notion keeps briefs, processes, client wikis and lightweight trackers in one workspace for $10 per seat (monthly price).
Choose it if your agency runs on documents more than on task boards. See Notion pricing.
Try ClickUp Free Forever → Time tracking, docs and workload in one tool · Affiliate link
Three real-world scenarios
A 4-person design studio
Trello's free plan or Standard ($20 a month) covers client boards.
A 12-person marketing agency
ClickUp Business ($204 a month) adds time tracking, workload and dashboards across clients.
A 25-person agency with account managers
monday.com Pro (about $475 a month) for dashboards and automations, or Asana Advanced for portfolios.
How to choose project management software for an agency
- List how many clients and projects run at the same time.
- Decide whether you need time tracking inside the tool.
- Check how clients will see progress: guests, shared boards or reports.
- Run one real client project in two tools for two weeks.
- Count seats, including monday.com's minimum.
Mistakes to avoid
- Giving clients full access to internal boards.
- Choosing a tool your designers or developers won't update.
- Tracking time in a separate tool nobody checks against the project.
Terms explained
- Workload view: a view of how much work each person has.
- Guest: an outside collaborator, such as a client, with limited access.
- Dashboard: a summary of progress across projects.
- Seat minimum: the smallest number of paid users a plan requires.
Who each pick suits
A small creative studio with a handful of clients works well on Trello's free plan or Notion. A growing marketing or development agency that bills by the hour gets the most from ClickUp's time tracking and workload views. An agency with account managers who report to clients every week often prefers monday.com dashboards. A campaign-driven agency with strict launch dates fits Asana's timelines and approvals.
Setting up a new agency workspace
- Create one space or board per client.
- Build a project template for your most common service.
- Set up time tracking if you bill by the hour.
- Invite clients as guests only to the views they need.
- Create a weekly dashboard of deadlines and workload.
3-year cost for a growing agency
An agency that grows from 5 to 10 to 15 people (annual billing):
| Year (people) | Trello Standard | ClickUp Core | Asana Starter | monday.com Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (5) | $300 | $540 | $659.40 | $720 |
| Year 2 (10) | $600 | $1,080 | $1,318.80 | $1,440 |
| Year 3 (15) | $900 | $1,620 | $1,978.20 | $2,160 |
| Total | $1,800 | $3,240 | $3,956.40 | $4,320 |
Time tracking and profitability
Agencies that bill by the hour or work to fixed budgets need time logged against each client project. ClickUp includes time tracking on every paid plan, monday.com adds it on Pro, and Asana, Trello and Notion rely on integrations with time-tracking apps. Whichever tool you choose, review time against budget every week so overruns surface early.
Our verdict
ClickUp is the best project management software for most agencies, with time tracking, workload, docs and dashboards from $9 per user. monday.com is best for client-facing boards, Asana for deadline-driven campaigns, Trello for small studios on a budget and Notion for document-heavy agencies.
How we compiled this ranking
We compared official pricing pages on October 29, 2026, using annual billing unless noted, and ranked tools on agency needs: client separation, time tracking, workload, client sharing and cost. See also best project management software for small teams and best free project management software.
FAQ
What is the best project management software for agencies?
ClickUp for most agencies; monday.com for client dashboards; Asana for deadline-driven work.
Which tool lets clients see progress for free?
Asana Starter includes unlimited free guests; ClickUp, monday.com and Trello also support guests or shared boards.
Do agencies need time tracking in their project tool?
If you bill by the hour or track budgets, it helps; ClickUp includes it, monday.com Pro too.
What is the cheapest option for a small agency?
Trello: free for 10 collaborators, $5 per user on Standard.
Is Notion good for agencies?
Yes, for briefs, processes and client wikis; pair it with a task tool if you need workload views.
Can I switch tools later?
Yes. Most tools import from each other or from CSV; switch between client projects, not in the middle of one.
How should agencies organize clients?
Use one space, folder or board per client, with a shared template for each service.
Which tool works best with Slack?
All five integrate with Slack for notifications and updates.
Which tool has the best client portal?
monday.com dashboards and ClickUp shared views are popular for client-facing updates.
Is there a free option?
Trello, ClickUp and Asana have free plans.
Which tool is best for creative approvals?
Asana's approvals and proofing on Advanced, or monday.com boards with status columns for review stages.
Sources
clickup.com/pricing, monday.com/pricing, asana.com/pricing, trello.com/pricing and notion.com/pricing, checked October 29, 2026.