Work management October 10, 2024 15 MIN READ

7 Best Productive.io Alternatives for Agencies In 2024

Many agencies use Productive.io to manage operations. But that doesn’t mean it suits everyone’s needs. 

Whether you’re looking for more advanced project tracking, better integration with your existing tools, or a lower price point, the right alternative could save you hours—and dollars.

In this article, we break down the top Productive.io alternatives, comparing key features, pricing, and reviews to help you find the best fit.

Why do users consider alternatives to Productive.io?

With an average rating of 4.7 on G2 and 4.6 on Capterra, Productive is a very popular tool. But, as with any platform, some users may find that it doesn’t fully meet their specific needs or preferences.

For example, one Capterra user commented that, “Fatal bugs ruin an otherwise promising product.” Another pointed out that “Productive is expensive, especially as you add more users.”

Some other issues users have with Productive include:

  • “The mobile app is clunky.” (Capterra)
  • “Due to the complexity of the application, it is quite difficult to learn.” (Capterra)
  • “I wish it were a bit more flexible.” (Capterra)
  • “The CRM is a bit basic.” (Capterra)
  • “I wish there was a way to better implement email into the product.” (Capterra)
  • “Other platforms are more flexible.” (G2)

With that in mind, let’s dive into the best Productive.io alternatives on the market.

Our top 7 Productive.io alternatives

ToolBest forG2 RatingStarting price
ScoroProfessional services firms of all sizes, including marketing agencies and consultancies4.5$26 per user per month
ForecastProfessional services firms with 15+ employees4.2$29 per user per month
AcceloProfessional service businesses looking for an all-in-one platform4.4$20 per user per month
AvazaSmall to mid-sized businesses in professional services4.6$0 (Free plan available)
TeamworkProfessional services businesses managing client projects and seeking to improve profitability4.4$9.99 per user per month
Resource GuruTeams looking for simple, visual resource management and scheduling software4.7$5 per person per month
ClickUpTeams of all sizes looking for a customizable, all-in-one productivity platform4.7$0 (Free plan available)

1. Scoro

Founded in: 2013

Average customer ratings: G2: 4.5 (400 reviews); Capterra: 4.6 (237 reviews)

Best for: Professional services firms of all sizes, including marketing agencies and consultancies. Use Scoro to create quotes, manage projects, and automatically generate invoices.

Overview 

Scoro is an all-in-one business and agency management tool used by thousands of professional services firms from over 50 countries. 

Scoro streamlines every aspect of running a successful agency, from project management and time tracking to invoicing and reporting. And because everything is centralized and key processes are automated, it helps multiple departments and roles save time and do their best work.

See a quick Scoro demo here:

Key features you’ll love 

  • Visual work planning options like Gantt charts and availability heat maps to easily assign work and manage resources
  • Cost tracking data to compare your quoted vs. actual costs, helping you keep an eye on your bottom line
  • One-click reports to measure performance across every area of the business, including revenue and costs, profit margins, billable utilization, and availability
  • A customizable KPI dashboard that highlights your most relevant project and business insights
  • Time tracking (manual and automated) to learn how your team spends their time and how to optimize it
  • Pipeline tracking with a built-in CRM to easily send quotes and manage new business
  • Invoicing templates to create invoices in seconds
  • Payment integrations that help you get paid faster
  • Automated expense tracking through Expensify (Productive.io doesn’t have this!)

Top Tip

Need a hand deciding who should work on what—and why? Learn how to balance workloads, boost productivity, and hit deadlines consistently in our guide to resource planning.

Integrations 

From project management and communication to payments and accounting, Scoro integrates with over 45 popular tools, including:

  • Slack
  • Asana
  • Jira
  • Gmail & Google Calendar 
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Salesforce
  • QuickBooks
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier

Check out the Scoro Marketplace to see the full list.

What others say about Scoro

“We’ve been using Scoro for over a year now, and it’s had a significant impact on our operations. It’s helped us streamline our processes, stay organized, and make data-driven decisions.”
—Cheryl, G2

It’s nice that I can create projects, quotes, and bills in one place, as well as send them from the same place, and plan tasks and see the progress of the project.

—Veronika, G2

Pricing

Scoro offers four paid plans:

  • Essential: $26 per user per month
  • Standard: $37 per user per month
  • Pro: $63 per user per month
  • Ultimate: Contact sales for pricing

Try Scoro for free with a two-week free trial.

Run your entire agency within Scoro

Try for free

2. Forecast

Founded in: 2016

Average customer ratings: G2: 4.2 (130 reviews); Capterra: 4.5 (62 reviews)

Best for: Professional services firms with over 15 employees looking for an all-in-one project and resource management solution

Overview

Forecast is a project and resource management platform that brings project planning, resource allocation, time tracking, and financial management into one integrated system. 

As the name implies, Forecast helps you predict project outcomes using its AI model

With AI-powered insights and a user-friendly design, Forecast provides clear visibility into your team capacity and workloads. The AI analyzes your past projects and current data to forecast task completion times, project end dates, and budget burn rates

So, you can make informed decisions that help your projects (and profits) stay on track.

Here’s how it works:

Key features you’ll love

  • Utilization reports to better manage your team’s workload
  • High-level project plans for defining phases, tasks, and deadlines
  • A time tracking system with AI-powered timesheets for accurate reporting 
  • Invoicing tools to generate bills for projects and track payments
  • AI forecasts to predict deadlines and budgets based on your past projects

Integrations

Forecast integrates with 30 popular tools, including:

  • Slack
  • Asana
  • Jira
  • Google Calendar 
  • SAP
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Xero
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Zapier

View the full list to see all of Forecast’s integrations.

What others say about Forecast

“Forecast offers an intuitive interface that makes project planning and resource management seamless.”
—Verified User, G2

“I like the UI, it’s very easy to use. I also like the amount of integrations that are available for me. And the AI integration is a great thing to have.”
—Mohammed, G2

Pricing

Forecast’s pricing is based on your contract length and number of users. To subscribe, you need a minimum of 15 employees. 

While Forecast doesn’t list starting prices on its website, Capterra notes it starts at $29 per month, per user.

Book a demo with their sales team to learn more.

3. Accelo

Founded in: 2011

Average customer ratings: G2: 4.4 (514 reviews); Capterra: 4.5 (172 reviews)

Best for: Professional service firms looking for a complete solution to manage most business operations

Overview

Like Scoro, Accelo is a professional services automation (PSA) platform. It integrates sales, project management, time tracking, billing, and client relationship management into a single platform. This allows businesses to manage the entire client journey and drive efficiency. 

It offers useful features like retainer management, a real-time activity “stream” of client interactions, and a billing system that easily syncs with logged project work and time entries.

Here’s a quick walk-through:

Key features you’ll love

  • Quoting templates to manage and scale customer acquisition and new projects
  • Automated invoicing with invoice templates and automatic reminders to speed up billing
  • Industry-specific project management tools with resource allocation that let you easily staff projects
  • Integrated time tracking and billable hours reports
  • A client communication “stream” that captures all internal and external emails and activities related to a client in one place
  • A client portal for better collaboration and transparency
  • Automated quoting and invoicing directly tied to logged project work
  • Expense tracking and approvals to monitor costs and ensure accurate billing
  • A profitability dashboard with detailed, cross-functional reports
  • Customizable workflows and automations for service-based businesses

Integrations

Accelo integrates with 18 tools, including

  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Salesforce
  • Hubspot
  • Mailchimp
  • Jira
  • Stripe
  • PayPal

View the full list of Accelo integrations.

What others say about Accelo

“Accelo really shines with its project management and CRM integration. It’s awesome having everything I need in one place.”
—Sufi, G2

“Staying in touch and managing projects with my staff and clients has never been easier than with Accelo. Now, everything from client emails and files to appointments and notes can be automatically tracked and shared with my entire team.”
—Derek, G2

Pricing

Accelo offers four pricing tiers:

  • Professional
  • Business
  • Advanced
  • Elite

The exact pricing isn’t public, but according to Capterra, prices start at $20 per user per month. There’s no free trial available, but the company does offer a demo.

4. Avaza

Founded in: 2014

Average customer ratings: G2: 4.6 (337 reviews); Capterra: 4.6 (453 reviews)

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses looking for an integrated suite of project management, time tracking, and invoicing tools

Overview

Avaza is an integrated business management platform that combines project management, resource scheduling, time tracking, expense management, and invoicing in one system. 

What makes Avaza stand out is its strong focus on communication and collaboration. The platform has a built-in team chat function with messaging and channels —a bit like Slack. Which makes internal communication easier. 

Additionally, Avaza offers robust client collaboration tools, making it easy for teams to share project details and communicate directly with clients. This helps everyone stay on the same page and streamline project workflows.

Here’s a quick video guide:

Key features you’ll love

  • Visual project management tools like an availability bar and color-coded projects
  • Team chat for easy internal communication
  • Client collaboration tools to streamline project feedback and approvals
  • One-click time tracking with mobile support for accurate billable hours
  • Receipt digitization for easy expense reimbursements
  • Customizable invoicing with different online payments to get paid faster
  • Comprehensive reports for data-driven business decisions

Integrations

Avaza integrates with 21 other tools, including

  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Stripe
  • Google Workspace and Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Google Calendar
  • Jira 
  • Zapier

View the full list of Avaza integrations.

What others say about Avaza

“Overall, it has been a good project and timesheet tracking app for the company.”
—Max, Capterra

“I like how easy it is to create tasks and keep all related screenshots, attachments, and notes all in one place. It is also great to be able to track time spent on tasks for billing and estimating.”
—Craig, G2

Pricing

Avaza offers four pricing tiers, including a free option:

  • Free: $0 for up to five users
  • Startup: $11.95 per month
  • Basic: $23.95 per month
  • Business: $47.95 per month

So, you can get started for free. And upgrade when you need to. 

5. Teamwork

Founded in: 2007

Average customer ratings: G2: 4.4 (1,132 reviews); Capterra: 4.5 (873 reviews)

Best for: Professional services businesses managing client projects and looking to boost their profits

Overview

Teamwork is a project management and client operations platform. It positions itself as an all-in-one solution for managing the entire client lifecycle, from winning new business to planning, resourcing, execution, and reporting. 

As the name suggests, what sets Teamwork apart is its focus on collaboration. Teamwork makes internal and client approval processes easier with streamlined review workflows. It also has a ChatGPT-powered AI assistant to help you come up with ideas and outlines. 

Key features you’ll love

  • Multiple project views (list, table, Kanban, Gantt) for flexible task visualization
  • Resource management tools for optimal team staffing and scheduling
  • Integrated time tracking and invoicing to streamline billing
  • Client collaboration tools, like a client view for projects and request templates for faster communication and transparency
  • Customizable workflows and automations to fit your unique processes
  • Built-in proofing and approval processes to speed up client feedback
  • Customizable intake forms to gather key project information

Integrations

With over 90 integrations, Teamwork plugs into almost every tool you can think of, including:

  • Google Workspace
  • Salesforce
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Slack
  • Trello
  • Microsoft Teams
  • MailChimp
  • Dropbox
  • Zapier

View the full list of Teamwork integrations.

What others say about Teamwork

“Using Teamwork.com for project management is easy and it offers plenty of features.”
—Melissa, Capterra

“The UI of Teamwork is clean and uncluttered, and the software comes with a fantastic collection of features that aren’t overly complicated.”
—Aleksanda, G2

Pricing

Teamwork offers five pricing tiers, including a free option:

  • Free: For teams of up to five users who are just starting out 
  • Deliver: $9.99 per user per month (billed annually)
  • Grow: $19.99 per user per month (billed annually)
  • Scale: Custom pricing
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing

A free trial is available. 

6. Resource Guru

Founded in: 2012 

Average customer ratings: G2: 4.7 (332 reviews); Capterra: 4.7 (516 reviews) 

Best for: Teams looking for simple, visual resource management and scheduling software

Overview

Resource Guru is a resource management and scheduling tool designed to help project managers better allocate their team’s time and material resources

It has a straightforward, visual interface for scheduling projects, managing team availability, and tracking time. And its “Availability Bar” feature quickly shows you different team members’ capacity and utilization rates, helping you set balanced workloads and avoid overbooking.

Here’s a quick look at the Resource Guru dashboard:

Key features you’ll love

  • Drag-and-drop scheduling to easily assign (and reassign) work
  • A visual team availability calendar to optimize capacity planning
  • A leave management system to track and manage time off
  • Customizable reporting tools for insights on utilization and billable hours
  • Material resource planning tools to book equipment and meeting rooms
  • A built-in “Waiting List” that flags potential overscheduling and offers alternate options
  • Automated email reports and personal dashboards for an overview of  upcoming bookings 
  • Integrated time tracking and timesheet tools to monitor project hours

Integrations

Resource Guru integrates with six tools, including

  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook Calendar
  • Apple Calendar
  • Calendly
  • Fantastical
  • Zapier

And with Zapier, you can connect Resource Guru to over 1,500 additional apps. 

Learn more about how it works on their integrations page.

What others say about Resource Guru

“It’s great for what it is, just for managing resources and bookings. We integrate with our larger project management system through the well documented API. Through this, we add the more comprehensive project management features we need.”
—Deven, G2

“The best aspect of Resource Guru is how easy it is to see where your resources are allocated at any time, and instantly see resource availability.”
—Keith, G2

Pricing

Resource Guru offers three pricing options, with a discount available for annual billing:

  • Grasshopper: Starting at $5 per person/month
  • Blackbelt: Starting at $8 per person/month
  • Master: Starting at $12 per person/month

A 30-day free trial is available.

7. ClickUp

Founded in: 2017

Average customer ratings: G2: 4.7 (9,774 reviews); Capterra: 4.6 (4,238 reviews)

Best for: Teams of all sizes looking for a customizable, all-in-one productivity platform

Overview

ClickUp is a highly flexible, all-in-one productivity platform designed to streamline team collaboration. Its adaptability stems from ClickApps—over 35 built-in tools and automations that each user can turn on or off according to their needs. So, everyone can set up their workspace how they want.

While ClickUp’s extensive customization options can make it seem tricky to use, the ClickUp University walks users through all of its different features. Like a specific course to help you learn how to navigate the Automations Library. 

This helpful learning resource gets teams up to speed and offers instant guidance when you need it.

Key features you’ll love

  • Customizable project management views (List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, etc.) for comprehensive visibility
  • ClickApps for customizing your workspace with over 35 native tools
  • A built-in screen recording tool for easy video communication and tutorials
  • Collaborative docs for real-time team editing and information sharing
  • Multi-assignee tasks to improve team accountability (Productive.io doesn’t offer this!)
  • The “Pulse” ClickApp to track each team member’s real-time activity and availability
  • A library of pre-built automations to streamline workflows
  • An AI assistant that generates tasks, summarizes meetings, and provides project management support 

Integrations 

ClickUp integrates with over 85 tools, including

  • Slack
  • GitHub
  • Google Drive
  • Trello
  • Zoom
  • Microsoft Teams
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce
  • Asana
  • Zapier

View the full ClickUp integrations list.

What others say about ClickUp

“It’s very customizable! You can turn it into anything you want it to be. Project management? Check. CRM? Check. Help desk? Done!”
—Madalina, Capterra

“The ability to customize everything—from task views to priority levels—lets me organize my work exactly how I want.”
—Karl, Capterra

Pricing 

ClickUp offers several pricing options, including a free plan:

  • Free: $0 (limited features)
  • Unlimited: $7 per user/month (billed annually)
  • Business: $12 per user/month (billed annually)
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing

Why Scoro is the Best Productive.io Alternative

While all the tools we’ve discussed offer unique features and benefits, we believe Scoro is the top Productive.io Alternative.

Why?

Because Scoro covers everything you’re likely to need—in one place. 

You can manage quoting projects, invoicing, and reporting, without hopping between tools.

Scoro helps everyone to be more productive, find the information they need, and cut out manual busywork —from the PM to the CEO to individual team members.

Unlike with Productive.io, with Scoro, you can:

  • Create detailed reports to measure your resource utilization, revenue, and pipeline 
  • Assign tasks to multiple users 
  • Integrate with Expensify to automate your expense tracking
  • Forecast your revenue 
  • Set up recurring invoices
  • And more

But don’t just take our word for it—explore our customer success stories and experience the benefits firsthand by signing up for a free trial. 

Manage your entire agency with Scoro

Try for free

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