There are dozens of project tracking platforms out there that help teams monitor deadlines and streamline project planning. But if you’re running an ad agency, you already know “the basics” won’t cut it.
Ad agencies need creative project management software that actually fits the way you work: tools that support real-time team collaboration, integrate with your creative ecosystem, and don’t require a computer science degree to figure out. Most importantly, you need agency workflow tools that connect seamlessly with the proofing and approval platforms your team already relies on.
In this guide, we’ll cover what to look for in ad agency project management software, review 7 top tools including Asana and Teamwork.com, and explain why integrating PM software with collaborative proofing transforms creative workflows. Let’s get into it.
What we'll cover
Table of contents
- How to choose the best ad agency project management software
- At-a-glance comparison of the 7 best PM tools for ad agencies
- The 7 best project management software for ad agencies
- How much do these tools cost?
- Why integrating PM and collaborative proofing software matters
- Find the right PM tool for your agency
How to choose the best ad agency project management software
Not all project management solutions are built for the same work. Some are designed for software development, others for manufacturing. As you evaluate your options, prioritize tools that actually support creative work. Here’s what to look for.
Integration with collaborative proofing software
Ad agencies invest serious time perfecting assets for clients, and the review and approval process can get complicated fast. When selecting a PM solution, make sure it integrates with your proofing tool so approvals flow automatically between systems. No more manually updating task statuses after a proof gets the green light.
Ease of use
In creative project management, your team is a mix of designers, copywriters, and strategists who want to focus on their craft. They don’t want to spend their afternoons wrestling with software that has a learning curve steeper than a Peloton hill climb. Look for intuitive creative team collaboration tools that include the features you need without the complexity.
Collaboration and communication
The work your agency produces requires constant collaboration on visual media, copy, and strategy. You need a client work management tool that supports communication about the intangibles (quality, feel, effectiveness) and keeps teams aligned and clients informed throughout the project lifecycle.
Resource management
Your creatives juggle multiple projects and clients at any given time. Effective resource allocation software features help you distribute time, skills, and availability across projects. With more visibility into workloads and bottlenecks, you can avoid burnout and hit deadlines without sacrificing quality.
Reporting and analytics
Creative deliverables still need to be tracked. Choose project management software with comprehensive reporting and analytics to monitor team productivity, project forecasting accuracy, and ROI.
At-a-glance comparison of the 7 best PM tools for ad agencies
The 7 best project management software for ad agencies
1. Asana
Best for: Fast-moving projects with external collaborators.
Asana is known for its clean interface and ease of use. Team members can view tasks across list, board, calendar, and Gantt-style timeline formats, while managers get solid workflow automation options to cut down on manual work.
Asana shines for teams collaborating with freelancers or external vendors. Its 2025 updates include native timesheets with billing rate cards, utilization reporting, and AI Teammates that can be assigned tasks and provide autonomous updates. That said, Asana can struggle with complex projects involving multiple dependencies, and its newer time tracking features are locked behind the Advanced tier.
Pricing: Free for up to 10 users. Paid plans start at $10.99/user/month (Starter) and $24.99/user/month (Advanced).
2. Teamwork.com
Best for: Full agency operations with built-in client billing.
Teamwork.com was built by a creative agency that couldn’t find PM software that fit their workflows, and that origin story shows. It supports everything from simple Kanban boards to complex interdependent projects with Gantt charts.
What sets it apart is the integrated time tracking on every plan (including free), which ties directly into native client billing, invoicing, profitability reporting, and retainer management. In 2025, Teamwork added an AI Profitability Forecaster, SmartAssign for optimal team allocation, and a Quotes feature for client proposals. If your agency bills clients for time, this is the most complete package without needing add-ons.
Pricing: Free for up to 5 users. Paid plans start at $10.99/user/month (Deliver) and $19.99/user/month (Grow).
3. Trello
Best for: Simple task management and visual Kanban workflows.
Trello brought the digital Kanban board to the masses, and for straightforward task management it’s still a favorite. Create tasks on cards, organize them into phases, drag and drop. Its simplicity makes it a go-to for nontechnical users.
Recent additions include Mirror Cards that sync across multiple boards and Atlassian Intelligence on Premium for AI-assisted brainstorming. However, Trello lacks native time tracking and Gantt charts, which are deal-breakers for some agencies. For simplicity and ease of use on straightforward projects? Clear winner.
Pricing: Free for up to 10 users. Paid plans start at $5/user/month (Standard) and $10/user/month (Premium).
4. ClickUp
Best for: Maximum feature density at the lowest price.
ClickUp is loved by technical project managers.
Its biggest advantage is near-infinite configurability. You can build almost anything, but that can sometimes frustrate busy PMs because it means you have to build it. Agencies will appreciate threaded comments, in-platform chat, and the ability to invite clients into workflows. ClickUp packs in Gantt charts, Kanban boards, time tracking, and document collaboration across all plans. In 2025, it rolled out Autopilot Agents: no-code AI bots that auto-update statuses and create tasks from meeting notes.
Pricing: Free with unlimited users. Paid plans start at $7/user/month (Unlimited) and $12/user/month (Business).
5. Wrike
Best for: Enterprise agencies needing creative production workflows.
If you’re a small agency, feel free to keep scrolling. Wrike likely isn’t for you.
But for larger agencies, Wrike includes customizable briefs and request forms, visual workload management, project portfolio management, and extensive proofing tools. Its digital asset management integration means designers can work within Adobe Creative Cloud and stay connected to project workflows. Wrike acquired Klaxoon in late 2024, adding whiteboards and brainstorming templates, and its creative proofing now supports side-by-side version comparison with automated approval workflows.
Pricing: Free with unlimited users. Paid plans start at $9.80/user/month (Team) and $24.80/user/month (Business).
6. Basecamp
Best for: Small teams that prioritize simplicity and communication.
Basecamp acts as a central hub for project management, messaging, and cloud storage with a straightforward, one-page dashboard. No endless configuration menus. No 47 different view types.
In 2025, Basecamp added the Hilltop View for agency-wide visibility across Hill Charts and improved client access controls. However, it lacks Gantt charts, detailed Kanban boards, and many of the automations found in other platforms. Time tracking is only available as a paid add-on or in the Pro Unlimited tier.
Pricing: Free for 1 project (up to 20 users). Plus at $15/user/month. Pro Unlimited at $299/month flat for unlimited users.
7. monday.com
Best for: Visual project management with built-in CRM capabilities
monday.com combines project management and customer relationship management (CRM), making it ideal for agencies with active sales teams who need to visualize pipelines alongside creative work.
The platform got significant upgrades in 2024-2025: mondayDB 2.0/3.0 (10x more items per board), an AI Sidekick, a Proofing screen for creative asset reviews, and a File Gallery View for visual asset thumbnails. Time tracking is available but locked behind the Pro plan at $19/seat/month, and native client billing isn’t available.
Pricing: Free for up to 2 seats. Paid plans start at $9/seat/month (Basic), $12/seat/month (Standard), and $19/seat/month (Pro). Minimum 3 seats required.
How much do these tools cost?
Pricing can make or break your decision, especially when you’re scaling a team. Here’s the quick breakdown:
Free options: Every tool offers a free plan, though they vary wildly. ClickUp and Wrike are most generous with unlimited users. Trello and Asana cap at 10, monday.com limits you to 2 seats.
Budget-friendly ($5-10/user/month): Trello Standard ($5) and ClickUp Unlimited ($7) deliver the most value here. Monday.com Basic ($9/seat) and Wrike Team ($9.80) also fall in this range, though both limit advanced features.
Mid-range ($10-20/user/month): This is where most agencies land. Asana Starter ($10.99), Teamwork.com Deliver ($10.99), ClickUp Business ($12), and monday.com Standard ($12) all live here.
Enterprise ($20+/user/month or flat rate): Asana Advanced ($24.99), Wrike Business ($24.80), and monday.com Pro ($19) offer the most robust feature sets. Basecamp Pro Unlimited ($299/month flat) is a standout for teams larger than 20, where the per-user math makes it the cheapest option.
The big takeaway: don’t just compare sticker prices. A cheaper tool that lacks native time tracking means you’re paying for a separate integration anyway. Factor in what you’d need to bolt on versus what comes built in.
Why integrating project management and collaborative proofing software is essential for ad agencies
Project management software is key for creative teams, but it’s only part of the equation. Equally important is client proofing software, which creates a collaborative space for stakeholders to review and approve creative deliverables.
The real unlock happens when you integrate the two. Think about it: your project manager updates a task in Asana, your designer uploads the latest version to a shared drive, your client sends feedback via email, and your account manager relays revision notes in Slack. That’s four systems for one feedback loop.
By choosing a PM solution that integrates with Ziflow, you collapse that chaos into a connected workflow. When a proof is approved in Ziflow, your PM tool automatically updates the task status. Stakeholders leave feedback directly on creative assets with precision annotations and frame-accurate video comments, so you get “move the CTA button up 50px” instead of “make it pop.” Automated routing ensures the right stakeholders see work in the right order, and project managers can see exactly where a proof sits without chasing people down.
Find the right PM tool for your agency
Each tool on this list excels in different areas. Start by identifying your biggest pain point: client billing and profitability tracking (Teamwork.com), simplicity for a small team (Trello or Basecamp), maximum features at the lowest cost (ClickUp), visual workflow management with CRM (monday.com), or enterprise features with creative production tools (Wrike or Asana).
Whichever tool you select, integrating it with Ziflow’s collaborative proofing unlocks the full potential of your creative workflow. Every tool on this list offers a native Ziflow integration, so you can centralize feedback, automate approvals, and get your team focused on what they do best: creating exceptional work.
Ready to see how it all connects? Start your free Ziflow trial today and experience what happens when your project management and proofing workflows actually talk to each other.
With a track record that spans media giants like WarnerMedia, Viacom, and Google, Aaron's expertise shines through in multi-million dollar projects across various mediums, from traditional television to the dynamic realm of YouTube.
