20 Best Resource Management Software For Agencies In 2025
10 Best Agency Resource Management Software Shortlist
Here’s my shortlist of the best agency resource management software that I’ll cover in this article. Find my detailed summaries below.
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Managing your agency resources is difficult without software—you'll struggle to manage staff and budgets effectively, which means more failed projects and lower profitability. There are tons of agency resource management software tools out there, and choosing the right option can be tricky.
I'll help make your choice easy by sharing my picks for the best agency resource management software, as well as my personal experiences using dozens of different resourcing tools with various agencies.
What is Agency Resource Management Software?
Agency resource management software is a tool that helps agencies efficiently manage their internal resources. This includes organizing staff assignments, tracking time and budgets, overseeing project progress, and facilitating better team collaboration.
Essentially, it's a comprehensive solution for agencies to optimize their operations, from resource allocation to project delivery, so every aspect of the agency's work is effectively managed and coordinated.
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Smartsheet
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.4 -
Wrike
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2 -
monday.com
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6
Overviews of the 10 Best Agency Resource Management Software
Here’s a brief description of each agency resource management software, its best use case, and noteworthy features. I’ve also included screenshots to give you a snapshot of the user interface.
Wrike is a cloud-based project management solution with advanced resource management features and has dozens of ready-to-go resource management templates to maximize your resources every day.
Why I picked Wrike: You can set priorities, optimize performance, and align team goals with organizational goals. Using Wrike, you can accelerate resource planning by quickly estimating the resources required for a particular project and requesting the necessary job role resources.
Additionally, it is possible to optimize a team’s workload and easily assign backlogs based on a team member’s availability and strengths, which helps boost team performance and prevent burnout. Wrike also allows you to track how long a team member works on their tasks, real-time expenses to stay ahead of runaway budget, keep projects profitable and maximize team performance using pre-built reports.
You can use also make use of templates to get quickly started, such as product roadmap, OKR, communication plan, incoming requests and approvals, complex project with phases, and Kanban templates.
Wrike Standout Features & Integrations
Features include budgeting tools with customization for everything from the preferred currency to hourly rates (which you can also customize for individual projects), as well as automatic calculations for planned vs actuals. You can also drag-and-drop work to assign it to team members directly from the resource workload view and make bulk changes to team workloads as a whole.
Integrations in Wrike include 400+ pre-built native integrations, like the most popular file management software from Microsoft, Google, and Dropbox, along with sales and marketing software from Salesforce and Marketo.
Kantata is an agency resource management software that blends project accounting, analysis, planning, and execution together in a single platform.
Why I picked Kantata: If you’re looking for a tool that can do it all, look no further than Kantata. The platform has modules for project management, business intelligence, team collaboration, accounting, and resource management, bringing them all together into a system of dashboards. Users can view real-time utilization at both the task and project levels, and can track time and expenses as well.
Kantata offers clients access to their BI consultants, who can provide further data by building custom reports and providing onboarding training to your team. The platform features resource forecasting, scenario planning, role-based planning, skills management, and capacity management.
Kantata Standout Features & Integrations
Features include advanced resource management capabilities like views for workload and allocation, a database for tracking which team members have which skills, and forecasting for project demand and profitability. These key features help see who work is assigned to and make sure team members aren't underworked or overwhelmed.
Integrations include Expensify, G Suite, Netsuite, Jira, HubSpot, Xero, Salesforce, Slack, Concur, Qualtrics, Dynamics 365, and Quickbooks. Custom integrations can be created via M-Bridge.
Scoro is an all-in-one work management software designed for professional services, offering a wide range of features to manage processes and improve productivity.
Why I picked Scoro: One of the key features that makes Scoro ideal for agencies is its all-in-one platform, which eliminates the need for multiple separate tools. This integration ensures that all aspects of agency operations, from project management and time tracking to financial reporting, are seamlessly connected. The software provides detailed insights into project progress, resource allocation, and financial health, all accessible from a single dashboard in real time.
I also like Scoro's robust project management capabilities, which are specifically tailored to the needs of agencies requiring precise control over their projects and resources. The software enables managers to assign tasks, track time, and monitor deadlines and budgets in real time, providing a comprehensive overview of ongoing projects.
Scoro Standout Features & Integrations
Features include reporting and analytics for agency operations as a whole (as well as on a per-project basis), so you'll get insights into progress, results, and future outlook in agency financials and performance. The tool also offers automatic invoicing for retainer clients so you get paid faster and stay profitable.
Integrations include Google Calendar, Microsoft Exchange, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Expensify, Stripe, Jira, Slack, Asana, Dropbox, PayPal, and more.
Parallax is a capacity and resource planning software designed for digital service organizations such as software development firms, digital marketing agencies, and technology consultancies.
Why I picked Parallax: I like its capacity planning tool, which lets your team assess both current and future workloads. This feature is invaluable for improving deal margins and ensuring that your service offerings align with available capacity.
Another feature that sets Parallax apart is its predictive operations intelligence. This tool provides alerts on potential project issues and forecasts your hiring needs, which can help you maximize revenue and enhance operational efficiency. By anticipating these needs, your agency can plan more strategically, reducing the likelihood of costly last-minute adjustments.
Parallax Standout Features & Integrations
Features include demand forecasting features for predicting future resource needs and addressing capacity gaps proactively, before they become critical. The platform also has a skills-matching engine with an advanced database search, which can pair team members with projects based on availability and expertise.
Integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot, Copper, Pipedrive, Zoho, Monday.com, Jira, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Teamwork, Harvest, and Toggl.
Resource Guru is an agency resource management software with a simple UI and powerful, customizable features.
Why I picked Resource Guru: It provides you with a lot of control over how you interact with the scheduling features. With resource availability, you can set default and normal availability patterns, and exceptions for special circumstances. When booking clashes arise, you can place a booking on a waitlist. Additionally, custom fields let you categorize users in any way you prefer.
In settings, you can choose custom filters to focus on the resources you’d like to see. Resource Guru also includes a leave management system, making it easy for managers to approve requests with an understanding of upcoming workloads.
Resource Guru Standout Features & Integrations
Features include team member wait lists (new work is added to this list when team members are overcapacity), to keep track of upcoming work that can't be started yet. The tool also includes features for managing equipment availability and capacity alongside human resources, which keeps all resourcing information in one place.
Integrations are available by connecting a paid Zapier account.
Productive is an agency resource management software that provides real-time capacity insights.
Why I picked Productive: Marketing agencies are accustomed to changes of scope. Sadly, trial by committee dilutes and diverts creative strategy, and changes often need to be made quickly, at the eleventh hour. Productive makes it easy to view available resources and create an environment of team collaboration to complete the project.
Filters enable you to zoom in on specific views by team member, teams, and budgets. Heat maps and capacity indicators help you see when anyone is overbooked. And Productive’s “insights library” gives you a micro and macro overview of current and future utilization for capacity planning.
Productive Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a built-in time tracker tool for logging hours per task or client project, which keeps billing and budgeting accurate. Productive's scheduling tool also lets you include placeholders as you're assigning work and setting due dates. This is useful for tentative work that you haven't officially won or when priorities aren't set in stone.
Integrations include Quickbooks, Jira, Xero, Exact, Slack, Harvest Import, Fortnox, and Personio. More integrations are available by connecting a paid Zapier account.
Screendragon is a comprehensive work management software designed to simplify project management for marketing and agency teams.
Why I picked Screendragon: Its workload and resource management capabilities automate scheduling and resource allocation. This feature provides real-time updates which allows agencies to optimize their resource utilization effectively.
The real-time resource calendar also offers visibility into resource allocation across projects, ensuring that managers can make informed decisions quickly. Additionally, the drag-and-drop scheduling feature simplifies adjustments to schedules, with notifications for conflicts, making it easier to manage dynamic project requirements.
Screendragon Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a capacity planning heat-map that allows you to see where the bulk of the work is allocated and zoom in on specific days or weeks and adjust as needed. The tool also offers a suite of AI features that can provide insights into agency operations and generate content for marketing activities.
Integrations include Google Drive, Slack, Trello, Microsoft 365, Jira, OneDrive, Zapier, Box, Oracle PeopleSoft, Egnyte, Dynamics 365 Business Central, SAP Sales Cloud, MS Power BI, and MS Teams.
Monday.com is an agency resource management software with a creative management tool built specifically for marketers.
Why I picked Monday.com: Monday.com is a flexible platform that makes it easy for marketing agencies to see projected timelines, outstanding projects, and available resources. The simple, well-designed interface is easy to learn, meaning that teams can get started planning and tracking right away. The handy workload view allows you to see team capacity and make any necessary adjustments to ownership or timeline.
Monday Marketer provides marketing-specific features built to suit industry needs. You can collect and manage creative requests, monitor projects, review briefs, and even upload digital assets. The tool also speeds up the approval process by allowing you to annotate images and videos.
Monday.com Standout Features & Integrations
Features include shareable forms for processes like project initiation, requirements gathering, and approvals, which helps speed them up and get input from everyone involved. The tool also includes features for expense tracking (via a customizable template) and content calendar creation, which is useful for marketing and social media projects.
Integrations include Slack, Jira, GitHub, Excel, Dropbox, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Typeform. Further integrations are available by connecting a paid Zapier account.
Bonsai is an all-in-one business management platform designed to streamline business workflows, with features especially useful for digital and creative agencies, consultancies, and professional service providers.
Why I picked Bonsai: As an agency resource management software, Bonsai's platform allows you to manage your projects and related operations from beginning to end. You can plan project tasks around your team's capacity using the platform's workload chart, which offers a real-time view of availability.
The software also has robust reporting and analytics capabilities that allow you to optimize your resources more effectively. For example, through its time tracking feature, Bonsai can provide insights into actual time spent on tasks compared to time planned, which provides a better overview of utilization and overall profitability. These reports are also useful for forecasting future resource needs.
Bonsai Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a client CRM, which removes the need for separate account management and project management tools, as well as a client portal. This allows clients to review progress, send approvals, and communicate with you and your team directly within the platform.
Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Calendly, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Zapier, Slack, Google Sheets, Xero, HubSpot, and more.
Synergist is an agency management software designed to assist agencies in their growth by providing a suite of features that includes CRM, project planning, and resource scheduling.
Why I picked Synergist: Synergist agency resource management software provides a comprehensive solution for agencies to effectively manage their teams' time, maximize schedule efficiency, and ensure projects are delivered within budget. The software offers features such as resource scheduling, timesheets, project planning, and capacity management, allowing users to easily track and manage their agency's resources and workload.
With real-time insights and integrated project management tools, Synergist helps agencies streamline their operations, improve business intelligence, and drive project profitability. It also offers support for remote working and integrates with other systems, making it a valuable tool for marketing, creative, PR, digital, and consulting agencies. Overall, Synergist provides a complete solution for agency resource management, helping agencies plan capacity accurately and maximize resource efficiency.
Synergist Standout Features & Integrations
Features include estimating tools for creating detailed breakdowns of project costs and setting realistic project budgets. The tool also has advanced analytics capabilities that can provide you with insights on everything from project profitability to resource utilization and client performance.
Integrations include Xero, QuickBooks Online Advanced, Epicor, Sage, MYOB, Microsoft Dynamics-GP, Google Calendar, Pegasus Opera, HubSpot CRM, and Salesforce CRM.
The 10 Best Agency Resource Management Software Summary
| Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrike Wrike’s resource view allows you to monitor the progress of each team member as they work on projects and associated tasks. | Best for robust project management features | Freemium version available | From $10/user/month (min of 2 seats) | Website |
| 2 | Kantata Kantata allows you to view projects by status along a calendar timeline. | Best for all-in-one coverage | Not available | Pricing upon request | Website |
| 3 | Scoro Scoro allows for proactive workload planning with its utilization tools. | Best for real-time operations management | 14-day free trial + free demo available | From $26/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 4 | Parallax Parallax provides a comprehensive view of resource allocations, helping you assign tasks and balance workloads across teams. | Best for predictive resource intelligence | Free demo | Pricing upon request | Website |
| 5 | Resource Guru Resource Guru’s custom fields feature allows you to group resources according to any criteria you define. | Best for complex scheduling needs | 30-day free trial | From $4.16/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 6 | Productive Productive allows you to view billable utilization by person, department, or through time. | Best for managing changes of scope | 14-day free trial | From $9/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 7 | Screendragon Screendragon's resource management capabilities include a drag and drop interface and automation. | Best for real-time automation | 7-day free trial | From $20/user/month | Website |
| 8 | monday.com Monday.com users can track metrics like task status, team member capacity, and booked hours. | Best for simple capacity planning needs | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 9 | Bonsai Agency Software Bonsai offers an easy way to manage your team's capacity with its workload chart. | Best for utilization and profitability | Free trial available | From $9/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 10 | Synergist With Synergist, agencies can generate and send invoices to clients, keep track of payment statuses, and manage billing cycles. | Best for agency growth insights | Free bespoke demo | From $17/month | Website |
Other Options
Here are a few more worthwhile options that didn’t make my list of the best agency resource management software:
- Hub Planner
For resource budgeting
- ActiveCollab
For small teams
- Ganttic
For remote teams
- Function Point
For design studios
- Mosaic
For visualizing team workload
- Celoxis
Resourcing for inter-connected projects
- ProjectManager
For IT agencies
- Float
For tiered permissions
- Runn
For drag-and-drop resource allocation
- eResource Scheduler
For cross-department resourcing
How I Selected the Best Agency Resource Management Software
I compared a wide range of agency resource management software tools with positive user ratings. I asked myself how they stacked up against one another, and what stood out about each individual platform. After choosing my long list, I narrowed it down using the selection criteria below.
- User interface: I selected software that had simple, intuitive interfaces. These tools shouldn’t require specialized knowledge to get set up, or be overly fussy or complicated in any way. The onboarding process needs to be straightforward and relatively quick so you can begin planning as soon as possible.
- Depth of data: When I compiled this list, I tried to include tools that covered the spectrum, from more straightforward options to in-depth platforms. Some go a step beyond to also offer industry-specific functionality, extra reporting capabilities, or additional project management features.
- Integrations: I chose agency resource management software platforms that integrate with a variety of other tools. These include those that assist with accounting, communication, project management, and client relations. Many of the tools offer integrations that are native within the platform, while some offer integrations through a third party account like Zapier or a custom API.
- Pricing: I picked tools that achieve a balance between cost effectiveness and value. Many of them also offer freemium plans, free demos, and trial periods.
Agency Resource Management Software FAQs
Let’s take a look at a few of the most frequently asked questions about resource management software.
Why do agencies need resource management software?
Having an understanding of how resources like people, money, and technology are currently and prospectively being utilized within your organization allows you to accurately forecast future opportunities. When you land a new account or project, resource management software can help you understand your resource capacity and work within project budgets and the project schedule to deliver the work in a manner that maximizes profitability.
What are the key features of resource management software for agencies?
The most common features of resource management software include:
- Time tracking and timesheets
- Workflow creation
- Custom dashboards
- Drag-and-drop scheduling
- Integrations with other communication, accounting, and project management tools
- Automated approvals
- Custom Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and other visual elements
- Milestone tracking
- Notifications at key points in the project life cycle
What are the benefits of using resource management in agencies?
Within an agency, effective resource planning can contribute to so many positive outcomes:
- Mitigates the risk of team burnout (and keeps employees happy!)
- Keeps an eye on expenses to ensure you stay on budget
- Helps manage scope creep and maintain profitability in the face of change
- Equips your team to take on new opportunities for growth without sacrificing work/life balance
How do you humanize project resourcing to boost an agency’s culture?
Resource allocation isn’t just about the numbers. When we interviewed Morgan Megannety for The Digital Project Manager Podcast, she told us:
“For me, the most interesting part of it is keeping people from burning out. Pairing skills to tasks. Understanding what people… need to do to… keep themselves interested in their career.”
To hear more about how to humanize the resource scheduling process, listen to the full episode here.
How do I select resource management software?
You can select resource management software by asking yourself certain questions, like:
- Do I need a dedicated software?
- Do I want it to be a cloud-based or on-premise solution?
- Does it have the integrations I need to make the most out of the software I currently use?
- Is the price worth the features that I will get for it?
We have all the answers to those questions in our resource management buyer’s guide.
Learn More About Agency Resource Management
To learn more about agency resource management, you can start by learning the elements that go into a resource management plan.
Or, check out these related tools: