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Software Comparison
January 15, 202512 min read

Best Agency Management Software in 2025

Managing an agency in 2025 is more complex than ever. Between client demands, team coordination, project profitability, and resource planning, you need software that actually understands agency workflows—not just generic project management tools.

The Real Challenges of Agency Management

Before diving into software comparisons, let's acknowledge what makes agency management uniquely difficult:

Multiple revenue models: Retainers, project-based work, hourly billing—often all at once.

Creative + operational balance: You need tools that don't kill creativity with bureaucracy.

Real-time visibility: Knowing project profitability before it's too late to course-correct.

Resource optimization: Avoiding both burnout and underutilization.

Client relationships: Managing expectations while maintaining margins.

Top Agency Management Software Compared

We've analyzed the leading tools across three critical categories: project management, profitability tracking, and resource planning.

Bonsai

Originally built for freelancers, Bonsai has evolved into a small agency solution. It excels at proposals, contracts, and invoicing but lacks deep project management and resource planning features.

Pros
  • Excellent contract templates
  • Clean, simple interface
  • All-in-one for freelancers
  • Good for client-facing documents
Cons
  • Limited resource planning
  • Basic project management
  • Not ideal for teams over 10
  • Weak profitability analytics

Best for: Solo practitioners and micro-agencies (1-5 people)

COR

COR is specifically designed for creative agencies with a focus on profitability and resource management. It offers strong financial visibility but can feel complex for smaller teams.

Pros
  • Deep profitability analytics
  • Built for agencies specifically
  • Good resource visualization
  • Strong reporting capabilities
Cons
  • Steep learning curve
  • Higher price point
  • Can feel overwhelming
  • Mobile experience needs work

Best for: Mid-size agencies (20-100 people) with dedicated ops teams

Productive

Productive offers a comprehensive suite covering project management, resourcing, and financials. It's powerful but requires significant setup and training investment.

Pros
  • Comprehensive feature set
  • Good integrations
  • Solid resource scheduling
  • Detailed financial reports
Cons
  • Complex implementation
  • Expensive for small teams
  • UI can feel cluttered
  • Requires training investment

Best for: Established agencies (30+ people) ready to invest in comprehensive tooling

Scoro

Scoro is an end-to-end business management solution that includes CRM, project management, and billing. It's feature-rich but can be overkill for pure agency workflows.

Pros
  • All-in-one solution
  • Strong CRM integration
  • Good for service businesses
  • Comprehensive dashboards
Cons
  • Not agency-specific
  • Feature bloat for some
  • Higher learning curve
  • Premium pricing

Best for: Professional service firms with complex sales cycles

Monday.com (Agency Use Case)

Monday.com is a flexible work OS that agencies can customize for their needs. While highly adaptable, it lacks native agency-specific features like profitability tracking.

Pros
  • Extremely flexible
  • Great UI/UX
  • Strong automation
  • Large integration ecosystem
Cons
  • Requires heavy customization
  • No native profitability tracking
  • Can get expensive at scale
  • Generic, not agency-focused

Best for: Agencies that prioritize flexibility over specialized features

Recommended

Monton

Monton is purpose-built for creative and digital agencies. It combines intuitive project management with real-time profitability tracking, smart staffing, and time tracking—all in a beautifully designed interface.

Pros
  • Built specifically for agencies
  • Real-time profitability insights
  • Intuitive, beautiful UI
  • Smart resource planning
  • Free tier available
  • Fast implementation
Cons
  • Newer to market
  • Growing feature set
  • Fewer integrations (currently)

Best for: Agencies of all sizes who want specialized tools without complexity

When is Monton the Best Choice?

Monton shines when your agency needs:

Immediate visibility: Real-time profitability tracking at project and team member level.

Ease of adoption: A tool your team will actually use, not fight against.

Affordability: Start free with up to 5 team members, scale as you grow.

Agency-specific workflows: Features designed for how agencies actually work.

Beautiful experience: Because your team deserves better than clunky enterprise software.

Making Your Decision

The best agency management software isn't necessarily the one with the most features—it's the one your team will adopt and that addresses your specific pain points.

Consider starting with Monton's free tier to experience how agency-focused software should feel. With no credit card required and full functionality for small teams, you can validate the approach before committing.

Free Forever

Ready to Transform Your Agency?

Join thousands of agencies using Monton to boost profitability and streamline operations. Free forever for teams up to 5.

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