10 Project Management Software With Client Portal

Paymo is a project management software with a client portal that simplifies client collaboration. This tool is perfect for businesses needing clear and efficient communication. Clients can access project updates, provide feedback, and share files securely, keeping them informed and involved without compromising internal communications or sensitive data.

The client portal can be tailored to grant different levels of access based on the client’s needs. For instance, clients can view tasks, leave comments, and check project statuses without seeing internal team discussions or sensitive information. This selective access helps maintain privacy and security while keeping clients informed and engaged.

To share work with clients, Paymo users can invite them as “guests” to specific projects. This straightforward process involves setting permissions to control what clients can see and do within the platform. Clients receive an invitation via email, granting them access to the project dashboard, where they can monitor progress and communicate with the team.

Adding guests in Paymo

Additionally, Paymo supports file sharing within the client portal, allowing teams to upload essential documents, designs, and other files directly to the project. Clients can download these files, provide feedback, and upload their own files if necessary. This centralizes all project-related information and simplifies the exchange of documents, ensuring that everything is organized and easily accessible.

The client portal also integrates with Paymo’s time tracking and invoicing features. Clients can review time logs to see how much time was spent on specific tasks and understand the detailed breakdown of work being billed. This transparency helps build trust and ensures that clients are fully aware of the efforts being put into their projects. 

Paymo stands out for its affordability and value, making it an attractive choice for small businesses with up to 20 team members. Paymo is currently running an extended Black Friday promotion: up to 60% off on any annual plan. Snag the discount here before the offer expires. At $3.9 per user per month, Paymo offers advanced time-tracking and invoicing features that are not commonly available at this price point in other project management software with client portal functionalities.

Its built-in timers, automated time tracking, and customizable invoicing system are crucial for accurately managing billable hours and client payments. These features make Paymo a cost-effective solution that combines advanced project management software features with customer portal features.

Despite its strengths, Paymo has some drawbacks. The mobile app has limited functionality and can be less intuitive than the web version. Users have also reported occasional performance issues, such as the desktop app getting stuck and minor bugs. Integration options are somewhat limited compared to competitors like Asana or Monday, which might hinder businesses that rely on various external tools. Additionally, some users find the workflow setup counterintuitive, requiring a project to be created before an estimate, which can be cumbersome for beginners.

Wrike‘s client management component of their project management software emphasizes efficient and customizable client interactions through several standout features, mainly focusing on custom intake forms and client engagement.

Wrike’s custom intake forms streamline the collection and management of client requests. These forms capture all necessary details at the onset, reducing the need for follow-up questions and ensuring no information is missed.

The forms can include various input types, such as checkboxes, dropdown menus, short answers, and date selections, making them adaptable to any request. This customization ensures that each form is tailored to the specific needs of the project or client​.

The forms automatically route requests to the correct team members, generate tasks and initiate workflows. They support various question types, such as checkboxes, dropdowns, and date selections. Additionally, the forms integrate with Blueprints for standardized everyday tasks and employ conditional logic to adapt based on responses, ensuring only relevant questions are asked. 

On top of the client management portal, Wrike has excellent task management features, advanced automation, and high customization options. However, some users find the steep learning curve and overwhelming number of features challenging. Time tracking is basic and limited to higher-end plans, which can be a drawback for smaller teams.

If you rely heavily on time tracking and invoicing, Paymo would be a better alternative. However, if an extended features pack is essential for you, then Wrike would be a better choice.

Jira is a project management tool ideal for software development teams working with multiple clients. Its client portal features include extensive branding customization, flexible request type management, and configurable form layouts tailored to specific development needs.

The portal allows organizing request types into groups and integrates with Confluence for a seamless knowledge base experience. Clients can easily track and update their requests, making it perfect for tech-savvy users.

Jira excels in bug tracking and automation, which is crucial for software development environments. It supports Agile methodologies with customizable workflows, Scrum and Kanban boards, and detailed reporting features. Clients can benefit from extensive integration capabilities, customized report generation, and automated workflows that reduce manual effort. 

One significant drawback is its steep learning curve, which can be daunting for new users, particularly those without a technical background. The platform’s extensive features, while powerful, can be overwhelming, making it challenging for non-technical users to navigate and utilize effectively. This complexity often requires a significant investment of time and effort to master, which might not be feasible for all teams.

Another notable weakness is the overwhelming setup process. Customizing Jira to meet specific project needs can be time-consuming and often requires technical expertise. This can be a hurdle for teams that lack dedicated IT support or those looking for a more straightforward implementation. Many users report that the initial configuration can be daunting, leading to frustration and delays in getting the system up and running.

Scoro stands out as a premier project management software with a client portal for corporate use due to its sophisticated client portal features and advanced security options. This portal facilitates seamless collaboration by providing access to projects, sales documents, and essential company information.

Users can personalize their settings, such as profile photos, job titles, passwords, site language, currency, and date-time formats, enhancing the user experience.

Customizable menu settings allow users to tailor the portal’s header features to their preferences. Efficient project management is supported by the ability to filter, bookmark, and view detailed project information, including tasks, timelines, financial documents, and comments.

Additionally, real-time notifications keep users updated on any changes, ensuring smooth and effective communication.

From the client portal perspective, Scoro is designed for large businesses and corporations, providing comprehensive project management and financial tracking features. The platform excels in managing complex projects with its integrated tools for tasks, budgets, and timelines.

Its financial dashboards offer detailed insights, making it especially valuable for large construction firms, global marketing agencies, and big consulting companies. Scoro’s advanced security measures include Two-Factor Authentication, granular permissions, and encryption for all data interactions, ensuring robust data protection.

Despite its higher pricing and occasional technical issues, Scoro’s feature set justifies the cost for larger enterprises. However, it’s available only in English, and its steep learning curve can be challenging for new users.

Compared to more straightforward tools like Paymo or Basecamp, Scoro stands out with its corporate orientation, advanced financial management capabilities, and robust security measures, making it a top choice for large companies needing detailed project and budget oversight.

Kantata is tailored for the professional services industry, offering project management software with a robust client portal. Its standout feature is the ability to handle both private and public project posts, ensuring secure and transparent communication. Customizable team names and detailed permission settings provide controlled data access. Clients can propose schedule changes and view budget details as allowed.

The platform also simplifies invoicing and payments through the activity feed. It offers limited task tracking and Gantt chart visibility, making it ideal for enhancing client interactions and efficiently managing projects.

Kantata, formed from the merger of Mavenlink and Kimble, shines in resource management with user-friendly tools for precise capacity planning and resource allocation. Advanced calendar views offer a high-level overview of resource distribution, which is crucial for professional services firms.

Despite a steep learning curve and high pricing, users appreciate the platform’s excellent customer support, customizable workflow templates, and regular updates.

Combined with robust compliance tracking and extensive reporting capabilities, these features make Kantata a powerful solution for consulting firms, marketing agencies, and other service-oriented businesses looking for an integrated project management tool.

Teamwork‘s client portal stands out with its ability to calculate project metrics automatically, providing real-time insights into project progress and client activities. The platform offers a high-level project management overview with customizable views and client-level tags, ensuring that crucial information is easily accessible.

Additionally, it enhances accountability through teammate assignments and supports detailed trend spotting and ad-hoc notes for better project tracking. These features, combined with a focus on saving time and improving project visibility, make Teamwork’s client portal particularly special.

The Teamwork pm software offers a comprehensive feature set, including task management, customizable project templates, and strong time-tracking and invoicing capabilities, making it a preferred choice for businesses handling multiple client projects.

Users also benefit from responsive customer support and effective communication tools. However, the platform has a steep learning curve, can experience performance issues, and sometimes has overwhelming notifications.

Zoho is renowned for its comprehensive business application suite that streamlines various processes, particularly excelling in customer relationship management (CRM). Zoho Creator, a low-code platform for building custom applications, can work as an excellent client portal solution, especially for those already utilizing Zoho CRM, ensuring seamless data flow and enhanced project visibility across different business functions.

These customizable portals provide a secure gateway for clients to interact with business applications and data. Users can access various services, from tracking project statuses to managing invoices and making payments. Features include granular access control, customizable widgets, and integration capabilities with third-party applications.

Zoho CRM integrates sales, marketing, customer support, and inventory management, while Zoho Projects and Zoho Sprints offer robust project planning and collaboration tools. Zoho Analytics provides powerful data visualization and reporting capabilities. 

Zoho Creator integrates seamlessly with Zoho Projects, offering enhanced project management capabilities through custom applications. Users can build tailored client portals that efficiently automate task assignments and track project progress.

The integration allows for the creation of custom forms, reports, and dashboards that pull real-time data from Zoho Projects, ensuring comprehensive project oversight and reducing manual data entry. 

Zoho Projects has a user-friendly interface and affordable pricing. It provides excellent value for small to medium-sized businesses. The tool is particularly strong in project tracking, task management, and collaboration.

However, it does have some limitations, such as restricted customization options and challenges with handling complex projects, which may require supplementary tools or integrations. The reliance on Zoho’s ecosystem can also be a downside for those using a mix of different software solutions.

Overall, Zoho Creator and Zoho Projects offer an excellent solution for businesses looking to enhance their project management capabilities with a custom client portal, ensuring seamless data flow and improved operational efficiency.

Basecamp is a project management software specifically designed for clients who do not want to use any new client portal. They can still fully participate in the project if they are available only by email. Clients can respond to messages directly from their inbox without logging into Basecamp.

Any new emails they send you can be forwarded to Basecamp, where your entire team can view them. This ensures all communication stays organized in one place.

Additionally, Basecamp keeps all feedback and approvals centralized, so nothing gets lost. Projects remain private until you decide to share them, allowing controlled transparency. Clients receive real-time updates on project progress, making it easier to keep everyone informed and satisfied. This combination of features helps improve efficiency and client interactions, making project management smoother for everyone involved.

Basecamp excels with its user-friendly interface, making it ideal for quick adoption without extensive training. It centralizes all feedback and approvals, and its real-time group chat, Campfire, facilitates immediate, casual conversations. The message boards keep discussions organized, reducing the chaos of email threads.

From a project management perspective, Basecamp’s client portal is invaluable for smooth client interactions. Rather than sending repeated follow-up emails, project managers can assign tasks with due dates directly within Basecamp.

Clients receive notifications and automatic reminders as deadlines approach or if tasks become overdue, ensuring timely responses. This setup reduces the burden on project managers to chase updates constantly.

Additionally, Basecamp’s automatic check-ins keep everyone on the same page without manual follow-ups, fostering a transparent and efficient workflow. This combination of features makes Basecamp particularly effective for maintaining organized and efficient client communications.

Basecamp’s flat pricing model also offers predictable costs, making it economical for growing companies. While it lacks advanced features like Gantt charts and agile tools, its simplicity and integrated communication features make it a strong choice for teams prioritizing ease of use and efficient client interactions.

With Podio, you can create a fully customized project management software with a client portal tailored to your business needs. The platform allows you to design your workspace to fit your business’s and clients’ unique requirements, integrating various modules to streamline operations. 

For example, as an accountant, you can utilize Podio and WAU Portal to create a branded portal where clients can securely log in to access their accounts, upload and download documents, and communicate directly. The client portal can be customized with your firm’s logo and domain, and you can set specific permissions and roles for different users.

This setup not only enhances professionalism but also improves organization and efficiency, making it easier to manage client interactions and support, especially during busy tax seasons.

WAU Portal further simplifies this process by allowing the integration of web forms for support requests, filtering content for specific users, and dynamically displaying related items such as invoices, providing a seamless and comprehensive client management experience.

The platform shines with its extensive customization and flexibility, enabling users to tailor workspaces precisely to their needs. It has an intuitive interface, good collaboration tools, and an extensive app ecosystem. However, Podio’s simple interface design, occasional performance hiccups, and potentially lengthy setup time can be downsides.

Additionally, less frequent updates compared to competitors might deter users from seeking continuous enhancements and cutting-edge features.

Flowlu‘s client portal software includes several atypical features that distinguish it from competitors. It offers the ability to build a knowledge base directly within the portal, allowing clients and contractors to access comprehensive guidelines, videos, and files without contacting support.

The platform provides granular permissions, letting businesses control precisely what information clients see and enhancing security and customization. Additionally, Flowlu supports white-labeling with custom domains and personalized onboarding checklists, offering a professional and tailored client experience.

Users appreciate Flowlu’s diverse features, affordability, user-friendly interface, and responsive support team. However, CRM is considered good but not exceptional, and there are some missing essential features, such as recurring payments, and there is a need for more customization options and integrations with storage services like Dropbox.

Task management features could also be improved​. Flowlu’s pricing structure is notably competitive, making it an attractive option for small businesses. The entry-level package starts at $29 per month for up to 8 users, offering significant value compared to many competitors’ standard per-user pricing models. The next tier costs $59 per month for 16 users, maintaining affordability as the user base grows.

Even the unlimited user package remains reasonably priced. However, you should be aware of storage limitations, which could necessitate additional costs for external storage solutions like Dropbox.