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10 Best Creative Agency Project Management Software in 2023

Best Creative Project Management Software List

Here’s a list of the best creative project management software.

  1. 1. monday.com — Best for annotating and versioning
  2. 2. ClickUp — Best free plan for creative project management software
  3. 3. Paymo — Best creative software for tracking time and invoicing clients
  4. 4. MeisterTask — Best Kanban-inspired collaboration for creative teams
  5. 5. Filestage — Best for its variety of ways to gather feedback
  6. 6. Freedcamp — Best for 3rd party integrations
  7. 7. Hive — Highly adaptable project management and collaboration software used by small teams of 10 up to Fortune 500s
  8. 8. FunctionFox — Best creative PM tool with time tracking
  9. 9. Admation — Creative project management and workflow management software designed specifically for marketing teams and ad agencies
  10. 10. Streamtime — Best job management software for creative businesses

The nature of creative project management is somewhat different from other types of projects, mainly for two reasons. The type of team running the creative projects, and the time challenges involved in them.

Type of team. Creative projects mostly live in two places, an in-house team or an external agency team. An in-house team handles multiple projects for the same client. Meanwhile, an agency team has to deal with multiple client projects from different companies simultaneously. Depending on your situation, access to the client and the dynamics within the client relationship will be different. However, one thing prevails, you need a high level of communication and involvement if you want good results.

Time challenges. The involvement of creative folks can make it a tad more difficult for you to deliver your projects on time. Creative projects specifically face a big timing challenge. I mean, how do you set time boundaries on creativity? Add to the creative process the back and forth with the client for approvals, and you got yourself a nice 5000-piece puzzle trying to keep everyone on track.

Therefore, the project management app you choose needs features that support the creative process and allow you to automate creative workflows from approvals to content creation. Collaboration tools within the app will be a great way to connect the team with the client, invite conversation over creative assets, and reach results faster.

How We Selected The Best Creative Project Management Software

To decide which tools to feature in this list, I evaluated and compared the details for a number of popular creative PM tools. I weighed a variety of key factors and functions that would be top of mind for businesses of all sizes.

This is the set of criteria I considered to determine the best and most useful software:

User Interface (UI)

I look at the overall interface design and see if this is a tool that is attractive to the eye. You will have to look at this tool every day, so it better be nice looking. A good user interface helps you quickly find information and access the features that you need in less time, making you more productive.

Usability

Is this easy to learn and use? Usability mostly comes from navigation and overall user experience. The ability to use a pre-made project template and create your own for recurring projects or a hierarchy that makes sense are contributing factors to this category.

Integrations

Pre-built integrations with Adobe’s Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, InDesign, Illustrator, etc.) is ideal for many teams. And if there aren’t pre-built integrations for popular tools that creatives use, I look at how easy and affordable it is to set them up.

Pricing

I look at the pricing and if they have it divided into different tier plans. Additionally, I search for information on trial periods and free versions of the software (if available).

10 Best Creative Project Management Software Overviews

Time to get to the juicy details! Read about each tool and relevant information regarding its use in creative projects.

1

monday.com

Best for annotating and versioning

monday.com is a work management platform that has dozens of use cases, including creative and design work.

Why I picked monday.com: Easy, visual and intuitive, monday.com is an award-winning software used by over 70,000 teams. In our evaluation criteria, I specify that we are looking for customizable workload management and collaborative feedback, which is something that this platform handles particularly well.

monday.com lets you create shareable forms to customize creative and design approvals. It also has a repository where you can store all files related to your projects and easily collaborate on them. Once a file is uploaded, you can annotate and comment on an asset, and keep a record of the different versions of it. Finally, the boards have the capacity to handle custom workflows where you can keep your team up to date on expectations.

monday.com Standout Features & Integrations

Features include monthly and annual expense tracking, a recruitment tracker for HR, easy editorial and blogging planning, competitor analysis, the management of marketing projects, onboarding processes, and creative requests.

Integrations include DropBox, Excel, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Integromat, Slack, Trello, Pipedrive, Jira, Mailchimp, and even more through Zapier.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7 6745

14-day free trial + freemium plan available

From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats)

2

ClickUp

Best free plan for creative project management software

ClickUp is a creative project management tool software that offers built-in creative features for every step in the design process.

Why I picked ClickUp: Users can collaborate with their teams on any design project with features for proofing, threaded comments, chat, and easy file sharing. Share files and deliverables with clients and control what they can access with permissions. Collect approval, feedback, or customer information with custom-branded forms. ClickUp also offers multiple views and templates for building and managing your creative workflow or getting projects started.

Task management features include task checklists, subtasks, and task templates, as well as the ability to filter, sort, search for, easily reorder, and view tasks in the manner most convenient for the team. Users can also create Gantt charts, calendars, and timelines to visualize tasks.

ClickUp Standout Features & Integrations

Features include the creation, sharing, and editing of documents and files. Also, users can comment on documents and tasks, assign comments, and chat with other team members for increased communication and collaboration. Reporting features include the ability to create custom dashboards, as well as six built-in report types for team reporting.

Integrations include Slack, G Suite, Dropbox, and many more tools, as well as 1,000+ integrations through Zapier.

ClickUp's free plan is robust and includes all primary features so you can properly test it and discover if it suits your needs.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7 4135

Freemium plan available

From $9/user/month

3

Paymo

Best creative software for tracking time and invoicing clients

Paymo is a project management, time tracking, and invoicing software that helps creative agencies streamline the process of managing their projects from start to finish while offering a frictionless experience.

Why I picked Paymo: Paymo’s features cover the whole process, from creating the initial project estimate to adding and assigning tasks, setting up budgets, tracking work time, and generating reports and invoices for clients.

To keep everyone informed and on the same page, Paymo allows real-time commenting at the task and project level along with in-app and email notifications. The interface is modern and easy to navigate through. It looks pretty crowded but you can hide the modules you don’t plan to use.

Lastly, a dedicated account manager will make sure the onboarding process is smooth for everyone. Therefore, it makes learning the tool easier.

Paymo Standout Features & Integrations

Features include time tracking, team scheduling, several ways to view your tasks, file upload to tasks, file proofing, professional estimates, and leave planning.

Integrations include apps like Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Drive, QuickBooks Online, Xero, JotForm, Shift, to name a few. Other integrations are available through Zapier or by syncing with their fully-documented API.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6 561

Free plan available

From $5.95/user/month

4

MeisterTask

Best Kanban-inspired collaboration for creative teams

MeisterTask is a Kanban-inspired software that enables effective, creative project management through stunning design and intuitive user experience.

Why I picked MeisterTask: You can organize and manage tasks in a beautifully designed, customizable environment that perfectly adapts to your needs. MeisterTask also helps you bring all your task-related documents into a centralized location. You can attach files and images up to 250MB directly to tasks and browse through them using the integrated attachment viewer.

With MeisterTask, you can also automate recurring steps in your team’s workflow, ensuring team members work more consistently and get more done together. You can automatically assign tasks, move tasks between projects/sprints when they are moved to a new section, track time, or create recurring tasks that are due weekly or monthly.

MeisterTask Standout Features & Integrations

Features include comments and mentions, assignable checklist items, task and project watch, and advanced permissions settings—to provide teams with a robust platform on which to work together.

Integrations include popular tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, GitHub, Zendesk, Harvest, and various email apps. In addition to these native integrations, you can use Zapier or IFTTT to connect your projects with hundreds of other tools.

MeisterTask offers a free plan that you can test to see if you're comfortable with the user interface and its task management features.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6 169

Free trial available

From $8.25/month (billed annually)

5

Filestage

Best for its variety of ways to gather feedback

Filestage is a review and approval platform used by agencies and in-house creative teams around the world. From sharing files to collecting feedback, it speeds up every step of your creative review process.

Why I picked Filestage: Filestage centralizes your approval workflow into a single dashboard. From there, you can see every review step, file format, version, and reviewer in your project, with status indicators to show who’s approved what. So at any stage in your creative review process, you can see exactly where things are at a glance.

However, feedback management is where Filestage really shines. You can invite reviewers to add comments and discuss ideas right alongside your content and create review steps to group feedback from different types of stakeholders, like Creative, Account management, and Client. Add in automated timecodes, version comparisons, annotations, and attachments, and Filestage is a great feedback platform.

Filestage Standout Features & Integrations

Features include one-click approvals, unlimited reviewers for your files, annotations on any comment, file attachments, file versioning, and a folder structure so you can organize your different projects.

Integrations include native connections to Slack, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Asana – plus thousands more apps through their integration partners, like Pabbly.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7 85

7-day free trial

From $24/user/month

6

Freedcamp

Best for 3rd party integrations

Freedcamp is a free project management tool that helps streamline projects, processes, workflows, track time and issues.

Why I picked Freedcamp: Freedcamp has invoicing tools, project templates, CRM tools, widget and task boards, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, white-label capabilities to use your own URL and logo, file storage, file editing, a social hub (“Wall”), issue tracker, and more. They have iOS, Android, and Desktop applications available.

As far as my evaluation criteria that chart value for cost, Freedcamp is a standout. That makes it perfect for smaller creative teams that do not have the resources for an expensive suite of PM software on top of everything they already use.

Freedcamp Standout Features & Integrations

Features include FileEdit for automatic upload of document changes, tags, mentions, smart quotes, templates, flexible permissions, and email notifications.

Integrations include Google Calendar, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more through Zapier.

While the UX is a bit clunky, you’ll find it perfectly usable. The clutter of items on-screen at any given time can be a distraction but is not a deal-breaker by any means.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.5 136

14-day free trial

Free version + pro starts at $1.49/user/month

7

Hive

Highly adaptable project management and collaboration software used by small teams of 10 up to Fortune 500s

Hive is a creative project management and collaboration platform that powers companies like Starbucks, Uber, WeWork and IBM. With AI-based analytics, thousands of integrations, flexible project views, and more, Hive streamlines your work in one centralized platform. Used by teams of varying sizes, from 10 people to 1,000, Hive is a great option for a diverse range of companies and work styles including creative teams.

Hive’s time-tracking, analytics and flexible view capabilities allow for transparent understanding of other team members work and upcoming projects. You can organize your projects in a Gantt chart, Kanban board, calendar and easily switch between each layout. Custom designed automated workflows are also possible, along with resource tracking and team communication and collaboration.

Hive has a proofing and approval feature which simplifies feedback loops and approval cycles with the ability to assign approvals, share proofs and provide feedback. Forms can also be sent outside your organization to gather information about clients and customers.

Hive also has one of the first full email integrations in any project management tool, which allows you to send and receive Gmail and Outlook messages from the app.

Hive costs $12 per user per month when billed annually.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6 417

14-day free trial

From $16/user/month

8

FunctionFox

Best creative PM tool with time tracking

FunctionFox is a timesheet and project management software that is ideal for creative professionals.

Why I picked FunctionFox: It helps streamline time and expense tracking, estimates and budgeting, running reports, schedules and calendars, task and action assignments, and internal communication. as well as other administrative busywork that can bog down your creative team. They also offer a dedicated account rep with paid plans so it is a good option for those unfamiliar with PM software.

The comparably low cost is complemented by a generous feature set, making it a great option for small teams. FunctionFox offers add-ons that allow for mobile app access (Android and iPhone), Flink (file exchange), and invoicing. Reports can be saved as Excel, CSV, PDF, and HTML.

FunctionFox Standout Features & Integrations

Features include time tracking, retainer tracking, editable rates, project templates, to-do lists with email alerts, freelancer access, and email alerts on comments.

Integrations are not available at the moment.

Affordable and easy to use, FunctionFox speaks to our evaluation component that digs into usability and value for your money.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.4 53

Free demo available

From $35/month + $3.75/user/month

9

Admation

Creative project management and workflow management software designed specifically for marketing teams and ad agencies

Admation is a project management software made for marketing teams and agencies that want the benefit of multiple features rolled into one comprehensive tool. Combining project, resource and approval workflow management, Admation enables users to manage the full creative production cycle of their campaigns, from project briefs to resourcing to managing the entire approval workflow.

With a user-friendly interface, Admation offers an exceptional range of creative project management software features and tools. A central dashboard enables you to have complete visibility over your projects and resources while offering an intuitive framework from which to manage all facets of your work.

Creative project management features include briefing templates, project resource templates, project timelines, scheduling and assigning tasks, document approval, capacity planning, department dashboard & calendar, resource allocation, timesheets and time tracking, a complete brand archive, permissions & access levels, tags & keywords, a secure digital storage system for your finalized ads, and more.

Integrations include email systems and Mediaocean, formally BCC, which is ad agency finance software.

Admation costs from $30 per user per month and offers a free demo and free trial upon request.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.5 1

Demo available

From $30/user/month

10

Streamtime

Best job management software for creative businesses

Streamtime is a creative project management tool that allows users to create, plan, and manage projects. The tool’s interactive To Do screen replaces traditional timesheets and allows users to monitor progress and complete work.

Project managers can view and manage team member workloads from the To Do screen and the schedule view. Users can reschedule tasks and jobs using the drag-and-drop functionality, as well as plan tasks and jobs from the schedule view.

Streamtime’s reporting tools include preset segments that allow users to see work in progress, time spent by week or month, items over budget, or expenses for the month. Filters also allow users to create custom reports and export to .csv for further manipulation if needed.

Users can also measure how projects are tracking in terms of budget, manage expenses, keep track of invoicing, and more.

Streamtime includes integrations with Xero and QuickBooks, as well as many more through Zapier.

Pricing starts at $40 per month.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.4 4

30 days free trial

From $40/month, fixed price available

Need expert help selecting the right Creative Project Management Software?

We’ve joined up with Crozdesk.com to give all our readers (yes, you!) access to Crozdesk’s software advisors. Just use the form below to share your needs, and they will contact you at no cost or commitment. You will then be matched and connected to a shortlist of vendors that best fit your company, and you can access exclusive software discounts!

The Best Creative Project Management Software Comparison Chart

Now that you’ve had a chance to read the overviews, use this table to compare the tools side by side.

Tool Free Option Price
1
monday.com

Best for annotating and versioning

14-day free trial + freemium plan available

From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats) Visit Website
2
ClickUp

Best free plan for creative project management software

Freemium plan available

From $9/user/month Visit Website
3
Paymo

Best creative software for tracking time and invoicing clients

Free plan available

From $5.95/user/month Visit Website
4
MeisterTask

Best Kanban-inspired collaboration for creative teams

Free trial available

From $8.25/month (billed annually) Visit Website
5
Filestage

Best for its variety of ways to gather feedback

7-day free trial

From $24/user/month Visit Website
6
Freedcamp

Best for 3rd party integrations

14-day free trial

Free version + pro starts at $1.49/user/month Visit Website
7
Hive

Highly adaptable project management and collaboration software used by small teams of 10 up to Fortune 500s

14-day free trial

From $16/user/month Visit Website
8
FunctionFox

Best creative PM tool with time tracking

Free demo available

From $35/month + $3.75/user/month Visit Website
9
Admation

Creative project management and workflow management software designed specifically for marketing teams and ad agencies

Demo available

From $30/user/month Visit Website
10
Streamtime

Best job management software for creative businesses

30 days free trial

From $40/month, fixed price available Visit Website

Other Creative Project Management Software

Need more creative software app ideas? After all, creative projects sometimes require thinking outside the box. Here are a few more suggestions to get you going.

  1. Workgroups DaVinci

    Best creative project management software for workflow automation

  2. Workzone

    A well-rounded project management software that is both powerful and easy to use for creative teams

  3. flow

    Flexible and visually pleasing PM software geared towards marketing, creative, product, and finance teams

  4. COR

    Best All-In-One Management Solution For Creative Agencies

  5. ClientFlow

    Software for small creative teams with features for client communication, team collaboration, and project tracking

  6. Robohead

    Best project management solution for in-house marketing teams

  7. Nuvro

    Clean, efficient software for project collaboration, planning, and monitoring, with features geared towards distributed teams

  8. GanttPRO

    Best for planning and controlling tasks of any complexity using a Gantt chart

  9. Nifty

    Best for cross-organizational reporting

  10. Ziflow

    Deliver exceptional creative work with the leading creative collaboration platform for agencies and brands

Creative PM software FAQs

Find answers to common questions around this topic.

Related Reviews

These other reviews for creative teams and PM-related topics.

  1. List of software for advertising agencies
  2. General agency management systems
  3. Digital asset management systems to organize your creative assets and metadata
  4. PM software with excellent visual tracking and planning features
  5. Project Scheduling Software For PMs
  6. Project Management Software
creative project management software logos list

What's Next?

As mentioned, creative projects need excellent communication. Therefore, I suggest you read about communication plans and how they work. You'll even have access to a template you can use.

If you want to stay up to date with project management tips, tricks, and new ideas surrounding our profession, subscribe to our Insider Membership newsletter.

By Ben Aston

I’m Ben Aston, a digital project manager and founder of thedpm.com. I've been in the industry for more than 15 years working in the UK at London’s top digital agencies including Dare, Wunderman, Lowe and DDB. I’ve delivered everything from film to CMS', games to advertising and eCRM to eCommerce sites. I’ve been fortunate enough to work across a wide range of great clients; automotive brands including Land Rover, Volkswagen and Honda; Utility brands including BT, British Gas and Exxon, FMCG brands such as Unilever, and consumer electronics brands including Sony.

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