You manage five client accounts at a time, and each one has its own delivery schedule. In fact, the tasks of one client are mixed with those of another in the same WhatsApp chat. Therefore, choosing the right project management for marketing agencies is not a luxury. It is what prevents you from missing one client's delivery date while you are serving another. However, a simple dashboard for personal use is not enough when you manage multiple accounts in parallel.
You need to see at a glance which client is late and who on the team has too much on their plate. This guide on agency projects summarizes the criteria that should be reviewed before choosing. agency projects: this guide summarizes criteria, limits and steps for choosing with context.
Agency projects allow you to compare functions, limits and context before deciding. Agency projects allow you to compare functions, limits and context before deciding. Agency projects allow you to compare functions, limits and context before deciding. Agency projects allow you to compare functions, limits and context before deciding. Agency projects allow you to compare functions, limits and context before deciding.
proyectos agencias: esta guía reúne criterios, límites y pasos para elegir con contexto.
Agency projects require comparing functions, limits and context before deciding.
agency projects: criteria and guide
What does an agency need that a simple dashboard does not solve
An agency does not manage a single project.
Asana: the most complete option to manage multiple accounts
For agency project management, Asana is by far the most chosen tool. It helps not to lose control of each client. For example, its portfolio view allows you to see all active projects on a single screen. Additionally, the workload view shows who on the team has too many tasks assigned to them. This avoids overloading the same person with three different accounts. The free Personal plan only supports 2 users. Therefore, it is rarely enough for a real agency. The Starter plan costs $10.99 per user per month, billed annually. It also includes automations and forms to receive customer requests directly.
ClickUp: more features for the same budget
ClickUp is attractive for agencies that manage tight budgets. It is also chosen by teams that need advanced features from the start. In fact, their Free Forever plan already includes unlimited tasks and collaborative documents. Of course, free storage is limited to 60MB. To work with external clients, the Business plan is suitable. Add custom permissions and native time tracking. It costs $12 per user per month, billed annually. However, the learning curve is steeper than in Asana. Therefore, it is advisable to train the team before migrating live accounts.
Monday.com: visual boards to update customers
Monday.com stands out for its very visual boards. For example, that makes it easier to share progress directly with the client without explaining too much. The Standard plan costs $12 per user per month, billed annually. The Pro plan, with more advanced automations, costs $19 per user per month. However, there is an important limitation. Paid plans require a minimum of 10 seats. That may not suit an agency of 4 or 5 people. For a more in-depth analysis, you can review our article on If Monday.com is worth it for an SME.
When it is appropriate to add a fourth option to the comparison
If your agency is mainly dedicated to creative projects, the situation changes a little. In fact, it handles many rounds of parts review and approval. In that case, it's worth looking at more specialized tools, like Wrike or Teamwork. These prioritize visual approval of deliverables over the generic task view. Still, most marketing agencies manage campaigns, calendars, and content. For that, Asana, ClickUp or Monday.com already cover the essentials. Therefore, starting with one of the three and migrating later, if necessary, is usually the simplest. Deciding between six options from day one only delays the real work.
Teamwork.com: a specialized option for creative agencies
If your creative agency needs to separate clients, record billable hours, and control budgets, Teamwork.com deserves a specific comparison. Its official proposal for agencies combines collaboration with clients, approvals and time tracking; It's not just a task board.
| Plan | Data that should be checked | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Up to 5 users and up to 5 projects; 100 MB included storage. | A small agency that wants to validate the flow before hiring. |
| Basics | 9.99 USD per user/month with annual billing; minimum of 3 users. Includes Gantt, Table, List and Board views and billable time tracking. | Teams that need more capacity and collaboration with clients. |
| Accelerate | Add automations, budgets, capacity and billing from recorded time. | Agencies that already control profitability and operations at scale. |
The above data comes from Teamwork.com official pricing page and its agency page. Prices, limits and features may change; Check them before hiring.
Teamwork.com's advantage in a creative agency comes when you need to transform logged hours into margin decisions, share progress with clients, and standardize repeat projects. If you just want a simple visual board, Asana, ClickUp or Monday.com may be easier to adopt.
Comparative table: project management for agencies
| Tool | Price from | Minimum of positions | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asana | 10.99 USD/user/month (annual) | None | Agencies that manage multiple accounts and need a workload view |
| ClickUp | 12 USD/user/month (annual, Business plan) | None | Agencies on a tight budget that want more features |
| monday.com | 12 USD/user/month (annual, Standard plan) | 10 positions | 10+ person agencies prioritizing visual dashboards for clients |
So before migrating all your active accounts, test each tool with a single client for two weeks. This way you avoid moving all your work twice if the first option doesn't quite fit.
What to look for besides the price in a tool for agencies
When choosing project management for agencies, price is only part of the decision. Therefore, check if the tool allows you to create a specific portal or view for each external client. It is also worth checking if it includes tracking of billable hours. That's key if you charge for time worked. On the other hand, ask yourself how easy it is to duplicate a project template every time a new client arrives. That template saves you hours of setup on each new account.
How to choose according to the size of your agency
Correct agency project management depends above all on the size of your team. If your agency has fewer than 5 people, Asana or ClickUp are usually a better fit. In fact, neither of them requires a minimum number of positions. If you already exceed 10 seats, Monday.com becomes a more reasonable option in cost per person. When budget is the main limitation, ClickUp gives more features for the same money. On the other hand, if you prioritize getting the team to adopt it quickly, without lengthy training, Asana is usually the safest bet.
Project Management FAQ for Agencies
Asana or ClickUp usually fit when the agency needs to manage multiple accounts without a high minimum of positions. The decision depends on views, permissions, time and budget.
You must separate clients and projects, allow responsible parties and dates, record billable hours, facilitate reviews, and control permissions for external collaborators.
It is convenient when you need to separate clients, record billable hours and relate work to budgets or profitability. Their plans and limits should be checked on the official website before hiring.
What is the best project management tool for small agencies? Asana or ClickUp, because they do not require a minimum number of positions like Monday.com does.
Can I give my clients access within the tool? Yes. Asana, ClickUp, and Monday.com allow you to invite external users with limited permissions to your own project.
Do I need to pay from the first client? Not always. With 1 or 2 clients, Asana or ClickUp's free plan can be enough. The limit comes when the team grows.
Is it worth migrating all accounts at once? No. Start with a pilot client, adjust the workflow. Only later does it migrate to the rest.
Order your clients' work
Before choosing a platform, test our task and project tool for SMEs with a pilot client.
Project management for agencies: in summary
There is no single right tool for all agencies. It depends on how many clients you handle, how many people are on the team, and how tight the budget is. Therefore, test the option that best fits a real client before committing your entire operation. In the next article we compare Slack against Microsoft Teams. We help you choose the best communication tool for your SME.
