We're a creative agency. What's a good project management tool that has visual proofing and client approval features?

For a creative agency, I’d prioritize a tool where the proofing/approval experience is excellent, rather than a generic PM tool that happens to have comments.

My shortlist

🥇 Ziflow — my first choice

If your agency produces branding, design, campaigns, digital, print, video, PDFs, websites, etc., I'd start with Ziflow.

It is purpose-built around creative review: clients can comment/annotate directly on assets, compare versions, participate in multi-stage workflows, and formally approve work. It supports images, video, documents, websites and more.

The particularly useful agency features are:

• Precise visual annotations rather than comments floating in email.
• Version management so everyone knows which iteration they're reviewing.
• Multi-stage approvals — e.g. Internal Creative → Account Director → Client → Final Approval.
• Client access controls and audit trails, including a record of who commented and approved what.
• Integrations with monday.com, Asana, ClickUp, Trello, Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, etc., so you don't necessarily have to replace your existing PM system.
• It even has a free tier with unlimited proofs/reviewers, although more serious workflow capabilities are paid.

The model I'd recommend: keep your actual project management in something like Asana/monday/ClickUp, and use Ziflow as the creative review + approval layer.

🥈 Filestage — best if client simplicity matters most

Filestage is probably the one I'd demo alongside Ziflow. Its strength is making the client review experience extremely straightforward: clients comment directly on the relevant page/frame/pixel and can approve with a click, while the agency gets a documented approval trail.

I'd choose it if your workflow is essentially:

Brief → Creative → Client Review → Revisions → Client Approval → Done

rather than a highly complex production operation.

🥉 Frame.io — best for video

If you're primarily a video/content production agency, I'd lean toward Frame.io. Its review/approval experience is specifically designed around creative media, and its current V4 platform combines asset management, review/approval and workflow management.

For a general creative agency, though, I think Ziflow has the edge because of its breadth of proofing and approval workflows.

My recommendation

If I were setting up the stack for an agency today:

Asana/monday/ClickUp → project/task management Ziflow → creative proofing, client feedback & approvals Figma/Adobe → creation

That separation tends to work better than trying to force one generic PM platform to also be a great visual proofing system.

If you tell me what kind of creative work you do (branding, social, video, web, print, etc.) and roughly how many people/clients you have, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare pricing, client experience, integrations, and workflow automation.

For a creative agency, managing the loop between design drafts, internal reviews, and client sign-offs can quickly get messy if you rely on separate emails , Slack threads, and basic task boards.

The top-tier project management tools that shine specifically for visual proofing and client approval feature distinct strengths depending on your agency's size and workflow:

1. Wrike (Best for Mid-to-Large Agencies & Complex Review Chains)

Wrike is an industry favorite for creative ops because its native proofing and approval engine is built for heavy-duty asset management.

• Visual Proofing: Supports markup and commenting directly on images, PDFs, videos, and HTML files. You can leave precise pins on exact pixels.
• Client Approval: Features clear, formal status sign-offs (approved, changes requested) that lock versions and create an audit trail so clients can't claim they "never saw it."
• Check it out: Explore plans and features on the Wrike Official Website.

2. Monday.com (Best for Visual Tracking & Ease of Use)

Monday.com is exceptionally visual, highly customizable, and easy to get clients to adopt without a lengthy onboarding call.

• Visual Proofing: Lets you upload creative files directly to items/tasks, where team members and external guests can view and comment.
• Client Approval: You can use dedicated approval status columns, color-coded board views, and automated notifications that trigger the next step in the workflow the second a client clicks "Approve".
• Check it out: See templates and pricing on Monday.com.

3. ProofHub (Best for Straightforward, Flat-Rate Creative Work)

If you want something robust for creative assets without paying per-user pricing penalties as you scale or add guest clients, ProofHub is a strong contender.

• Visual Proofing: Built-in online proofing tool designed explicitly for reviewing, marking up, and approving design files and documents collaboratively in one place.
• Client Approval: Clean review stages that minimize endless email chains.
• Check it out: Learn more on the ProofHub Website.

4. ClickUp (Best for Deep Customization on a Budget)

ClickUp is infinitely flexible, though it has a steeper learning curve.

• Visual Proofing: Offers native proofing capabilities on attachments (version control, assigning comments directly to a specific area of an image).
• Client Approval: You can set up custom dropdown statuses for client review and invite guests with restricted view/comment permissions.
• Check it out: Try it out via ClickUp.

To help narrow down the ideal match for your agency, tell me:

• What is your team size and average number of active clients/projects?
• Do you handle heavy video and rich media production, or mostly static design and copy?

I can give you a more tailored recommendation.

For a creative agency, I’d look at proofing-first tools rather than traditional PM tools. The big distinction is whether you want the tool to manage the whole project or be exceptionally good at getting creative reviewed and approved.

My top picks

1. ziflow.com — best overall for an agency

• Built specifically around creative review and approval.
• Clients can comment/markup directly on images, PDFs, video, audio, websites, etc.
• Strong version control and approval workflows.
• Supports multi-stage workflows such as Internal Review → Client Review → Final Approval.
• Integrates with PM systems including Asana and monday.com, so you don't necessarily have to replace your existing PM platform.
• Particularly good if you handle lots of client work and need a reliable audit trail of who approved what and when.

2. filestage.io — best for simple client collaboration

• Very client-friendly: send a link, client opens the proof, clicks directly on the creative, leaves comments, and approves.
• Handles images, video, PDFs, websites, prototypes, 3D content, HTML emails, etc.
• Particularly nice if your clients aren't especially technical and you want "here's the work → tell us what you think → approve" to be frictionless.
• Keeps versions, feedback, and approvals organized rather than buried in email.

3. Frame.io — best if you're heavily video-focused

• Excellent for video review, frame-specific comments, versioning and client feedback.
• I'd choose it over Ziflow/Filestage if most of your agency's output is video/post-production.
• If you're doing a broad mix of branding, campaigns, social, web, print and video, I'd lean toward Ziflow or Filestage instead.

What I'd choose for an agency

If you're replacing/augmenting your PM system: Asana/monday.com + Ziflow is a very strong combination. PM handles briefs, tasks, deadlines and resourcing; Ziflow handles the messy part that PM software isn't great at—visual feedback, versions and formal client sign-off. Ziflow explicitly integrates with major PM platforms.

If you want one simpler workflow primarily centered around creative approvals: Filestage is probably the first one I'd demo.

If you're a video/post-production shop: Frame.io deserves the first demo.

One interesting point: Ziflow currently has a free tier with unlimited proofs and unlimited reviewers, although it's limited to two proof-management users and one workflow stage. Its paid Standard tier is listed at $199/month when billed annually, while Pro is $329/month. Ziflow That makes it relatively easy to pilot with a real client project before committing.

If you tell me (a) your team size, (b) what PM tool you use now, and (c) whether your work is mostly branding/design, web, video, or mixed, I can narrow this down to the 2–3 best fits and compare them on client UX, proofing, approvals, integrations, and cost.

For a creative agency, managing projects alongside client feedback is notoriously messy when relying on generic tools and email chains.

The best project management tools with robust, built-in visual proofing and client approval features tailored for creative work include:

1. Teamwork.com
   • Best for: Agencies that are purpose-built for client work.
   • Visual Proofing & Approval: It features native proofing tools that allow clients and internal teams to leave annotations and clear status approvals directly on files without needing an external app.
   • Why it fits: It handles billable hours, complex client scopes, and tiered approval milestones better than most generic platforms.
2. Wrike
   • Best for: Mid-to-large agencies scaling operations and managing heavy multimedia assets.
   • Visual Proofing & Approval: Offers advanced Wrike Proof , enabling frame-by-frame video markup, PDF/image annotations, and automated, multi-tiered approval chains that lock down versions cleanly.
   • Why it fits: Outstanding Adobe Creative Cloud integrations keep your designers in their flow state while tracking sign-offs.
3. ClickUp
   • Best for: Feature-heavy customization and all-in-one workspace flexibility.
   • Visual Proofing & Approval: ClickUp's native Proofing feature lets users draw, pin comments, and assign action items directly from image, video, and PDF proofs. Statuses update automatically as clients approve.
   • Why it fits: Highly affordable and deeply customizable, though it comes with a steeper learning curve.
4. Asana
   • Best for: User-friendly tracking and a balance of right- and left-brained workflow management.
   • Visual Proofing & Approval: Higher tiers include robust proofing features where reviewers can drop pinned, actionable comments directly on images and PDFs.
   • Why it fits: If your team and clients already love an intuitive interface that doesn't require extensive onboarding, Asana hits a sweet spot.
5. The Ecosystem Route: monday.com + GoProof or Ziflow
   • Best for: Ultimate proofing power if you prefer a modular setup.
   • Visual Proofing & Approval: While Monday.com handles visual project pipelines, pairing it with a dedicated online proofing extension like GoProof or Ziflow gives you elite, pixel- and frame-accurate review capabilities that sync seamlessly back to your project boards.

To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:

• What kind of media do you mostly produce (print, digital/web, video, or a mix)?
• Roughly how many clients/external approvers are reviewing work at once?

When running a creative agency, managing tasks is only half the battle; the real friction happens in the review-and-revision loop . Choosing the right tool depends on whether you want an all-in-one platform with built-in proofing or a specialized project manager paired with an elite proofing integration.

Top-tier tools featuring visual proofing and client approval workflows are organized below by how they fit an agency:

1. Teamwork.com — Best for Client-Facing Agencies

• Why it fits: Built specifically for client services and creative agencies. It handles task management, time tracking, and budgeting alongside robust client collaboration.
• Proofing/Approval features: Includes native "Proofs". Clients can review, pin comments to exact elements on images/videos, and give formal approvals directly in the platform without needing an internal account.

1. Wrike — Best for Heavyweight Asset & Enterprise Proofing

• Why it fits: Ideal if your agency handles massive volumes of complex multi-format digital, print, and video assets.
• Proofing/Approval features: Features top-tier native visual proofing with side-by-side version comparison, frame-accurate video markup, and automated approval routings. It also hooks directly into Adobe Creative Cloud. (Note: Advanced proofing requires their Business tier or higher).

1. ClickUp — Best All-in-One Value & Customization

• Why it fits: Highly customizable dashboard that lets you shape your creative pipeline, time tracking, and docs however you like.
• Proofing/Approval features: Built-in proofing tools allow team members and guests to annotate images, PDFs, and video directly, turning feedback into trackable threaded comments and status changes.

1. Asana — Best for Campaign Coordination (with an Add-on)

• Why it fits: An industry favorite for its clean UI and cross-team workflow orchestration.
• Proofing/Approval features: Asana has basic built-in proofing and approval workflows for higher tiers, but many creative agencies supercharge it by integrating a dedicated extension like PageProof or Ziflow for pixel- and frame-perfect client sign-offs.

To help narrow down which of these fits your shop best, tell me:

• How large is your active creative and PM team?
• What file types make up the bulk of your deliverables (e.g., heavy video/motion, web design/UI, or static graphic assets)?
• Do you also need the tool to handle time tracking and billing/profitability?

Yes. For a creative agency, I’d prioritize a tool built around visual proofing + structured client sign-off, rather than a generic PM tool that happens to have comments.

My top picks

My recommendation: Ziflow. It is unusually well matched to an agency environment: clients can review and annotate images, PDFs, video, audio, websites and other assets, while you can run multi-stage approval workflows and maintain version history.

The agency-specific features are particularly compelling: client access controls, audit trails showing who commented/approved, version management, and integrations with PM systems such as Asana and monday.com.

It also has a free tier with unlimited proofs and reviewers, though only two users, 2 GB storage, and one workflow stage. Paid plans currently start at $199/month billed annually, with the $329/month Pro tier adding more sophisticated workflows and PM integrations.

When I'd choose the others

Frame.io — choose this if your agency is primarily video, photography, animation, or other media production. Its current platform emphasizes review/approval of video, images and documents, with workflow management layered around media assets.

Filestage — worth looking at if your priority is making client approvals extremely simple rather than building elaborate production workflows. It's one of the main alternatives in the creative-approval category.

One important distinction

I wouldn't necessarily replace your PM system with a proofing system. A good agency stack can be:

Asana / monday.com → project/task management
Ziflow → creative review, markup, versioning & client sign-off

Ziflow itself supports integrations with Asana and monday.com, which makes that combination particularly practical.

If you tell me what kind of creative work you do (branding/design, video, web, social, advertising, etc.) and roughly how many people are on the team, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and compare pricing, client experience, integrations, and approval workflows.

Yes. For a creative agency, I’d prioritize proofing/approval as a first-class feature, rather than choosing a generic PM tool and bolting proofing on later.

My shortlist

My first choice would be Wrike. It has native proofing for creative assets, markup/annotation, versioning, approval workflows, request forms, and broader project/resource management. Its agency offering is specifically built around creative requests, reviews and approvals.

If your workflow is more approval-centric

I'd look seriously at Filestage. It's less of a full agency operating system and more of an excellent review/approval layer. That's particularly attractive if your biggest headache is:

Designer uploads → client comments directly on artwork/video → revisions → client approves → everyone knows exactly which version is final.

Recent comparisons specifically put Filestage among the strongest options for straightforward creative approval workflows.

If you also care about agency profitability

Teamwork.com or Productive become more interesting. They put more emphasis on project financials, time/budget management, resources and client-service operations alongside project management. Productive is frequently positioned specifically for agency task/project profitability management.

What I'd choose by agency type

• 10–100+ people, lots of simultaneous clients: Wrike
• Small/midsize agency, want straightforward PM + proofing: ProofHub
• Client-service agency where budgets/time/profitability matter: Teamwork.com or Productive
• Design/video agency where approval is the biggest pain: Filestage
• Already love highly customizable boards/workflows: Monday.com or ClickUp

One important distinction: don't evaluate these based on whether they merely let clients "comment." For an agency, I'd test whether the tool handles visual annotations, version comparison, formal approve/request-changes actions, multiple approval stages, client access, and a clear audit trail. Those are the features that actually eliminate the "which PDF did the client approve?" problem.

If you tell me your agency size, what you produce (branding/web/video/social/etc.), and what you're using today (Asana, Monday, ClickUp, etc.), I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and compare pricing + client experience + proofing workflow.

For a creative agency, ClickUp and Wrike are top-tier project management tools featuring robust, built-in visual proofing and structured client approval workflows . These platforms let clients leave pinpointed feedback directly on images, videos, and PDFs, eliminating messy email threads and disorganized revision loops.

Top options vary based on your team size and exact workflow needs:

• ClickUp : Best all-in-one choice for customization, offering native proofing, inline comments that turn into actionable tasks, and collaborative ClickUp Whiteboards starting at $7 per user/month.
• Wrike : Best enterprise-grade platform for heavy client collaboration, featuring advanced markup tools, side-by-side version comparison, and direct integrations with the Adobe Creative Cloud starting at $10 per user/month.
• ProofHub : Best for straightforward simplicity, allowing online proofing with dedicated client roles that keep your internal operations hidden behind an easy-to-use review interface.
• Workzone : Best traditional agency tool for end-to-end visibility, combining robust project tracking with customized client spaces and structured approval milestones.

If you can share your team size and whether you rely more heavily on video, print, or web design deliverables , I can help you pick the ideal platform for your budget.

Finding a tool that actually handles visual proofing and client approvals well—without forcing your clients to create an account or dig through chaotic email threads—is the holy grail for a creative agency.

The top-tier options that strike the right balance between robust project management and clean, client-facing visual reviews include:

• Wrike stands out as an enterprise-grade powerhouse for creative operations. It features native visual proofing that lets clients and teams markup images, videos, PDFs, and HTML with clear annotations. Feedback converts directly into actionable subtasks, creating a seamless bridge from critique to execution.
• ClickUp functions as an all-in-one customizable workspace. Its built-in proofing feature allows precise pinned comments on assets, and you can build dedicated approval workflows and custom dashboard views tailored to how your creative team reviews work.
• monday.com offers brilliant visual workflow tracking. While it started as a general work management tool, its modern iterations feature robust file management, version tracking, and color-coded status columns that make client handoffs and review stages transparent and visually intuitive.
• Teamwork.com is purpose-built for client-service and billable-hours agencies. It includes built-in visual feedback tools (Proofs) alongside stellar client collaboration portals, retainer tracking, and time management.
• Ziflow serves as a specialized, heavy-duty alternative if your agency handles massive volumes of complex multimedia assets and strict multi-stage reviews. It offers incredible version control and direct Adobe Creative Cloud integrations, though it usually works best paired with a core PM tool or used on its own for review-heavy pipelines.

To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:

• What is the average size of your active creative team?
• Are you reviewing mostly static design/print files, web pages, or video/multimedia?
• Do you need the tool to handle time tracking and billing natively?

For a creative agency, I’d shortlist tools that combine real project management with visual proofing, version control, and explicit client sign-off. My top pick is Ziflow if approvals are the heart of your workflow.

My shortlist

1. Ziflow — best overall for an agency

Ziflow is purpose-built around creative review and approval. It handles images, PDFs, video, websites, and other creative formats, with annotations, version management, multi-stage workflows, client access controls, and approval tracking.

The big advantage for an agency is that you can create workflows like:

Internal creative review → Account review → Client review → Client approval → Production

It also keeps an audit trail of comments and approvals, which is useful when you need to establish exactly what a client signed off on.

2. Filestage — best if client simplicity matters most

Filestage is particularly attractive if you don't want clients having to learn a complicated PM system. It focuses heavily on the review/approval experience, with reviewer permissions and explicit review decisions.

I'd choose it over Ziflow if your agency already has a good PM system and primarily needs a beautiful, frictionless approval layer.

3. Frame.io — best for video

If you're predominantly a video/content agency, Frame.io remains a very strong choice. Reviewers can annotate media and collaborate around the work, and stakeholders can review through the web or mobile apps.

It's less compelling as your entire agency project-management system, though. Many creative teams pair it with something like Monday or Asana rather than asking Frame.io to manage the whole project.

4. ProofHub — worth looking at if you really want one system

This is the direction I'd investigate if you want tasks + timelines + files + discussions + proofing + client collaboration in one application, rather than combining a PM tool with Ziflow/Frame.io.

What I'd pick

• Brand/design/web agency: Ziflow
• Video production agency: Frame.io
• Lots of non-technical clients: Filestage
• Want one system for everything: ProofHub

One important distinction: Asana/ClickUp/Monday are excellent project-management systems, but I'd be cautious about choosing one purely because it can "attach files and collect comments." For an agency, true visual proofing—comments pinned to a specific area of a design, video timestamp, version comparison, formal approval, and an approval history—is much more valuable.

If you tell me your agency size, the types of work you produce (branding/web/video/social/etc.), and whether you need CRM/time tracking/budgeting, I can narrow this to the 2–3 best options and compare their current pricing and client workflow.