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Shortlist

Best client review and
approval software for
agencies in 2026

Seven tools for agencies whose clients approve work before it is billed. We ranked them on five published criteria, and checked every fact at its source between 19 August and 16 September 2026.

EditWise publishes this list, and EditWise is on it. We ranked ourselves on the same criteria as every other tool, and every fact links its source, the tool’s own page or a named review site for scores, with the date we checked it. We come first on these criteria because they describe the job we built EditWise for. If your job is different, so is your list.

Last verified: between 19 August and 16 September 2026, dated tool by tool below. The year in the title changes only when we re-check the facts.

Five criteria, in the order
an agency meets them.

  1. 1

    Chain steps covered. Client work runs in nine steps: Request, Brief, Deliverable, Version, Review, Revision round, Approval, Invoice, Profit. We count the steps each tool holds, using only what we verified on its own pages.

  2. 2

    File types reviewed. Video, images, PDFs, text documents.

  3. 3

    A money layer. Invoices, budgets and client profit, or none.

  4. 4

    Who sets it up, and when. You alone, the vendor after you buy, or the vendor before you decide.

  5. 5

    Published prices. A price you can check on the tool’s own page.

The order follows criterion 1. Where tools tie, the one with a money layer goes first, then the one with fully published prices, then alphabetical order. “Not verified” means we could not confirm a fact on the tool’s own pages, so we count nothing for it.

The list, ranked

Every rival fact below links its source and carries its check date. Sources are the tool’s own pages, and Capterra for review scores.

  1. 1. EditWise, the publisher of this list

    Chain steps
    all nine, from the client’s request to the profit on that client.
    File types
    video, images, PDFs and text documents, in one review room. Clients review from a link, with no account and no password.
    Money layer
    yes. Invoices built from delivered work, priced off the client’s agreement and exported as a PDF; budgets; profit per client; delivered work with no invoice flagged in amber. EditWise produces the commercial invoice that carries the line-item record of what was delivered and what was approved, and you file it through your own compliant system. It does not collect payment.
    Revision rounds
    the client sees the round count before commenting. An extra round shows its price before they submit and, with their yes, becomes an invoice line.
    Who sets it up
    we do, by hand, from your website and a 10-minute call, before you decide.
    Published price
    $49 per seat per month billed yearly; $59 month to month; five-seat minimum; setup $1,500 once, included on annual ($0); extra storage $60 a month per 2 TB. Prices exclude applicable tax.
    Best for
    video and creative agencies of 5 to 49 people whose clients approve work before it is billed.
    Not for
    teams under five; anyone who needs a public API, SSO, two-factor sign-in or payment collection today; teams who want a free trial; teams who need the product in a language other than English.
    Read next
    How it works

  2. 2. Timeliner

    Chain steps
    seven, from Request to Approval (checked 19 August 2026).
    File types
    client review of video; other file types not verified.
    Money layer
    payment tracking only. No invoicing, which is on its roadmap, and no client profit view (checked 19 August 2026).
    Revision rounds
    round budgets with automatic caps, seen by the agency; no client-facing round counter.
    Who sets it up
    you start alone, with a 14-day free trial. On the Agency plan, a one-to-one onboarding call and migration help after purchase.
    Published price
    Studio 89 USD a month (5 seats, up to 10); Agency 199 USD (10 seats, up to 20, listed as Early Access pricing); Scale 499 USD (20 seats, up to 40); Enterprise custom; extra seats 10 USD each; client seats free (checked 16 September 2026).
    Best for
    video teams that want to start alone today, at a lower price, with capacity planning, automations and white-label portals.
    Not for
    firms that need the invoice or client profit in the same tool.
    Source
    timeliner.io/pricing
    Checked
    prices on 16 September 2026; plan contents on 19 August 2026.
    Read next
    EditWise vs Timeliner

  3. 3. Frame.io

    Chain steps
    four: Deliverable, Version, Review, Approval (checked 19 August 2026).
    File types
    video and images; other file types not verified.
    Money layer
    none. No budgets, invoicing, priced rounds or client profit.
    Who sets it up
    you do; it is self-serve.
    Published price
    Free (2 members); Pro 15 USD per member (up to 5); Team 25 USD per member per month (up to 15); Enterprise custom. External reviewers comment free through share links (checked 16 September 2026).
    Best for
    teams under 15 that only need review and work in Premiere and After Effects. Frame.io is owned by Adobe and connected to both.
    Not for
    agencies that need requests, rounds, invoices and profit around the review, or teams past 15 members who do not want Enterprise pricing.
    Source
    frame.io/pricing
    Checked
    prices and reviewer terms on 16 September 2026; features on 19 August 2026.
    Read next
    EditWise vs Frame.io

  4. 4. Filestage

    Chain steps
    four: Deliverable, Version, Review, Approval (checked 19 August 2026).
    File types
    many file types.
    Money layer
    none. No time tracking, billing or project money.
    Who sets it up
    not verified; it does not build the workspace before you buy.
    Published price
    on its pricing page; which plan and price fit a 10-person agency is not verified (checked 20 August 2026).
    Best for
    teams whose only problem is review and approval, and who want data residency options.
    Not for
    firms that want billing or project money in the same tool.
    Source
    filestage.io/pricing and help.filestage.io, data residency
    Checked
    features and setup on 19 August 2026; pricing and data residency on 20 August 2026.
    Read next
    EditWise vs Filestage

  5. 5. Ziflow

    Chain steps
    four: Deliverable, Version, Review, Approval (checked 19 August 2026).
    File types
    many file types.
    Money layer
    none. No time tracking, billing or project money (checked 20 August 2026).
    Approvals and sign-in
    multi-stage approval workflows, electronic signatures, SCIM user provisioning and two-factor sign-in (checked 20 August 2026).
    Who sets it up
    not verified; it does not build the workspace before you buy.
    Published price
    on its pricing page, with 15, then 20, free users across its plans; which plan and price fit a 10-person agency is not verified (checked 20 August 2026).
    Best for
    marketing and in-house teams with complex approval chains who need SCIM user provisioning or two-factor sign-in.
    Not for
    firms that need invoicing or project money.
    Source
    ziflow.com/pricing and help.ziflow.com, electronic signatures
    Checked
    chain steps and setup on 19 August 2026; everything else on 20 August 2026.
    Read next
    EditWise vs Ziflow

  6. 6. Workamajig

    Chain steps
    three verified: Brief, Invoice, Profit. It includes review, but we could not verify on its own pages which steps its review covers, so we count none of them (checked 19 August 2026). A fuller check could move it up this list.
    File types
    not verified.
    Money layer
    yes: invoicing and client profitability. No client round price.
    Who sets it up
    Workamajig does. Implementation, training and support are included, over two to three months after purchase (checked 20 August 2026).
    Published price
    49 USD per user per month from 10 users, 47 USD from 25, 45 USD from 50; ten-user minimum, 490 USD a month (checked 19 August 2026).
    Review scores
    Capterra 3.8 of 5 from 351 reviews; ease of use 3.3 against a 4.6 category average (checked 19 August 2026).
    Best for
    larger agencies that want one full platform, unlimited client logins and enterprise options, and can run a two to three month implementation.
    Not for
    teams under ten users, or firms that do not want a two to three month implementation.
    Source
    workamajig.com/pricing; scores: capterra.com, Workamajig reviews
    Checked
    price, features and scores on 19 August 2026; implementation on 20 August 2026.
    Read next
    EditWise vs Workamajig

  7. 7. MyStdio

    Chain steps
    two verified: Review and Invoice (checked 19 August 2026).
    File types
    timestamped video review; other file types not verified.
    Money layer
    quotes, invoices, Stripe payments, and a payment lock that holds the work until the invoice is paid. No time tracking or profitability.
    Revision rounds
    no round caps.
    Who sets it up
    you start on the free tier; setup help not verified.
    Published price
    a free tier (5 GB, 20 clients, 10 team members); Pro 25 USD a month (checked 19 August 2026).
    Best for
    video studios under five people that want review, quotes, invoices and Stripe payments at a free or low price.
    Not for
    firms that need time tracking, round caps, capacity planning or profitability.
    Source
    mystdio.com/pricing
    Checked
    19 August 2026. MyStdio has no comparison page; it is outside the team size EditWise serves.

The seven tools side by side

Same criteria, same order. Every rival cell traces to the tool’s own page on the date shown.

The seven tools side by side, in rank order
RankToolChain steps verified (of 9)File typesMoney layerWho sets it upPublished priceSource, checked
1 EditWise (publisher of this list) 9 Video, images, PDFs, text documents Invoices, budgets, client profit; no payment collection EditWise, by hand, before you decide $49 per seat per month billed yearly; five-seat minimum; prices exclude applicable tax EditWise pricing
2 Timeliner 7 Video; others not verified Payment tracking only; no invoicing; no client profit You, from a 14-day free trial; onboarding call after purchase on Agency From 89 USD a month (Studio, 5 seats); extra seats 10 USD timeliner.io/pricing, 16 September 2026 (prices), 19 August 2026 (contents)
3 Frame.io 4 Video and images; others not verified None You: self-serve Team 25 USD per member per month, up to 15 members frame.io/pricing, 16 September 2026 (prices), 19 August 2026 (features)
4 Filestage 4 Many file types None Not verified; not built before you buy On its pricing page; plan fit not verified filestage.io/pricing, 20 August 2026 (pricing), 19 August 2026 (features and setup)
5 Ziflow 4 Many file types None Not verified; not built before you buy On its pricing page; plan fit not verified ziflow.com/pricing, 20 August 2026 (pricing and features), 19 August 2026 (chain steps and setup)
6 Workamajig 3; review included, steps not verified Not verified Invoicing and client profitability Workamajig, over two to three months after purchase 49 USD per user per month; ten-user minimum (490 USD a month) workamajig.com/pricing, 19 August 2026 (price and features), 20 August 2026 (implementation)
7 MyStdio 2 Video; others not verified Quotes, invoices, Stripe payments; no profitability You, from a free tier Free tier; Pro 25 USD a month mystdio.com/pricing, 19 August 2026
Compare

Of the seven, only EditWise shows the
client the round count and builds
the workspace before you decide.

On this list, only EditWise shows the client a contracted round count, turns an exceeded round into an invoice line, and builds the workspace before the buyer decides. In our wider check of more than 45 vendors on 19 August 2026, none showed the client a contracted round count, turned an exceeded round into an invoice line, or built the workspace before the buyer logged in.

Other things on this list cut the other way. Two other tools also join review and money: Workamajig, with invoicing and client profit, and MyStdio, with invoices and Stripe payments. And several cost less than EditWise: Timeliner is 139 USD a month for 10 people and Frame.io Team is 250 USD a month for 10 members (both checked 16 September 2026), and MyStdio starts free (checked 19 August 2026). EditWise is $490 a month for 10 seats. Prices exclude applicable tax.

Frequently asked questions

Why is EditWise first on its own list?

Because the criteria describe the job EditWise was built for: client review joined to the money, set up for the agency before it decides. We published the criteria so you can re-rank the list on yours. If review is all you need, one of the review tools further down may suit you better.

Which tools on this list produce invoices?

EditWise, Workamajig and MyStdio. Timeliner tracks payments but does not produce invoices; invoicing is on its roadmap (checked 19 August 2026). Frame.io, Filestage and Ziflow have no billing (checked 19 and 20 August 2026). EditWise produces the commercial invoice that carries the line-item record of what was delivered and what was approved, and you file it through your own compliant system.

Which tools show the client how many revision rounds are left?

Of the seven, only EditWise. The client sees “Round 2 of 3” before commenting, and an extra round shows its price before they submit. Timeliner caps rounds inside the agency, with no client-facing counter (checked 19 August 2026).

What should a team under five people use?

Not EditWise: it is built for five or more. MyStdio’s free tier covers review, quotes and invoices for small video studios (checked 19 August 2026). Frame.io’s Free plan covers review for 2 members, and Pro covers up to 5 at 15 USD per member (checked 16 September 2026).

Why is a tool I use not on this list?

We list a tool only when we hold dated facts from its own pages, and only if it reviews client work. Productive, for example, has invoicing and client profit but no review or proofing of any kind (checked 19 August 2026 on productive.io/pricing), so it is not on a list of review software.

How often does this list change?

When we re-check the facts on each tool’s own page. The year in the title and the dates on this page change only then, never as a cosmetic refresh.

What is the best client
review and approval
software for agencies
in 2026?

It depends on how much of the job you need in one place. For an agency whose clients approve work before it is billed, EditWise, the publisher of this list, covers all nine steps from the client’s request to per-client profit, and the EditWise team builds the workspace before the buyer decides. Timeliner covers request to approval for video teams at a lower price, without invoices. Frame.io, Filestage and Ziflow cover review and approval without a money layer. Workamajig bundles review with invoicing and implements over two to three months after purchase. MyStdio suits video studios under five people. Facts checked 19 August to 16 September 2026.

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