TLDR (Summary)
The best project management software for designers is Plutio ($19/month).
Designers juggling 5-15 active projects need management software that tracks deadlines, organizes deliverables, and connects to proposals and invoicing. Plutio keeps projects linked to their original scope, tracks time against budgets, and lets clients check status through a branded portal.
Designers using Plutio typically recover 5-10 they used to spend on project coordination and status updates.
For additional strategies, read our freelance project management guide.
What is project management software for designers?
Project management software for designers is software that organizes design work from brief through delivery, tracking tasks, deadlines, deliverables, and client feedback in one place.
The distinction matters: task management tracks to-dos, generic project management tracks work across teams, and designer project management tracks creative workflows with revision rounds, approval stages, and scope documentation. Designer-focused tools connect projects to proposals, contracts, time tracking, and invoicing.
What designer project management actually does
Core functions include organizing projects by client and type, breaking work into phases and tasks, setting deadlines and milestones, tracking time against project budgets, documenting revision rounds and feedback, storing project files and deliverables, and connecting completed work to invoicing. Advanced platforms add client portals where clients check project status themselves.
Generic vs designer-specific tools
Tools like other tools, a project app.com, and productivity apps handle project management generally. They organize tasks and track progress but don't know about revision rounds, extra work without extra pay, or the connection between quoted scope and actual work. Designer-focused tools like Plutio connect projects to the proposal that defined the scope, track revisions against included rounds, and generate invoices from completed milestones.
What makes designer workflows different
Design projects have unique patterns: creative briefs that evolve, revision rounds that need documentation, scope boundaries that need enforcement, and deliverables that need organized handoff. Without project management that understands these patterns, designers spend time adapting generic tools to creative workflows instead of doing creative work.
When project management connects to proposals, contracts, and invoicing, scope stays documented, revisions stay tracked, and completed work flows into billing without manual data transfer.
Why designers need project management software
If you're managing multiple concurrent projects need tools that prevent balls from dropping, keep clients informed, and protect scope boundaries without consuming hours of admin time.
The cost of disorganized projects
You start with projects scattered across email threads, notes apps, and memory. When managing 5-10 active projects, details slip: deadlines get missed, revision feedback gets lost, and extra work without extra pay happens because there's no documented trail of what was agreed. Research shows 3-5 hours for knowledge workers.
What breaks without project management
- Missed deadlines: Without centralized tracking, deadline visibility depends on memory and scattered calendar entries
- Lost feedback: Client comments scattered across email threads get missed during revision rounds
- Scope disputes: Without documented revision history, extra work without extra pay discussions have no paper trail
- Status anxiety: Clients email "where are we?" because they can't check project status themselves
- Billing delays: Completed work sits unbilled because there's no tool connecting milestones to invoicing
The scaling tipping point
You hit a threshold around 5-8 concurrent projects where the mental approach breaks down. At this point, you're either spending significant time on coordination, or you're dropping balls. Status updates consume hours, revision tracking fails, and you start turning down work because you can't imagine adding more projects to an already overwhelming workload.
Organized project management absorbs the coordination overhead that would otherwise scale linearly with each new project. The tool handles status tracking, deadline reminders, and revision documentation automatically.
Project management features designers need
The essential project management features for designers connect task tracking with client communication, revision documentation, and billing while handling the unique workflow patterns that design work requires.
Core project management features
- Task and milestone tracking: Break projects into phases with tasks, deadlines, and dependencies. See what's due today, this week, and coming up
- Multiple views: Kanban boards for workflow stages, list views for detail, calendar views for deadlines. Different views for different thinking modes
- Time tracking: Log hours against projects and tasks. See actual time versus estimated, catch budget overruns before they become problems
- File organization: Store project files, briefs, references, and the work attached to projects. Find assets without hunting through folders
- Deadline reminders: Automatic notifications before deadlines approach. Never rely on memory for important dates
- Project templates: Save project structures for common work types. New brand identity projects start with proven phase and task structures
Designer-specific features
- Revision tracking: Document each feedback round with what was requested, what changed, and when. Creates audit trail for scope discussions
- Scope documentation: Projects link to their original proposals showing what was included. Reference terms during extra work without extra pay discussions
- Milestone billing: Trigger invoices when project phases complete. Deposit, first draft, final delivery each generates appropriate billing
- Client visibility: Give clients portal access to check status, review the work, and provide feedback without emailing you
Platform features that multiply value
- Proposal integration: Accepted proposals create projects automatically with scope, timeline, and payment schedule populated
- Invoice generation: Completed milestones generate invoices without re-entering project details and amounts
- White-label branding: Client-facing portals show your brand. Projects, status updates, and the work present under your domain and logo
- Automations: Trigger actions automatically: notify clients when milestones complete, remind yourself of approaching deadlines, create follow-up tasks
The deciding factor for designers is integration depth. Project management that connects with proposals, time tracking, and invoicing eliminates the duplicate data entry that consumes hours every week.
Project management software pricing for designers
Project management software for designers typically costs $10-30 per user per month for standalone tools, with the actual cost depending on team size and whether you need additional tools for proposals and invoicing.
What designers typically pay for stacked tools
You piece together multiple subscriptions to cover their needs:
- Project management: General project management software ($10.99-24.99/user), a project app.com ($12-24/user), productivity apps ($7-19/user), Legacy collaboration tools ($15/user)
- Time tracking: time tracking software ($10-20/user), standalone timers ($12/user), a time tracker (Free-$11.99/user)
- Proposals/Contracts: management software ($29-79/month), Client-focused software ($28-48/month), Freelance business suites ($17-52/month)
- Invoicing: Standard billing software ($17-55/month), accounting software ($30-90/month), Legacy invoicing apps (Free)
Combined, this stack costs $60-200/month before counting the time lost switching between disconnected tools and manually copying project data.
Plutio pricing (January 2026)
- Core: $19/month - Complete project management with proposals, contracts, invoicing, time tracking, client portal, white-label branding, automations, and mobile apps
- Pro: $49/month - Unlimited clients, 30 team contributors, advanced permissions, priority support, API access
The ROI calculation for designers
If you currently spend $100/month on separate tools and 8 hours/week on project coordination:
- Tool savings: $100/month to $19/month = $81/month saved
- Time recovered: 8 hours/week at $75/hour = $600/week in potential billable time
- Monthly impact: $81 direct savings + up to $2,400 in recovered billable capacity
When comparing project management costs, add up all the tools you'd need for complete workflow coverage. If stacked subscriptions exceed $60/month and project data lives in multiple places, combined platforms typically save both money and coordination time.
Why Plutio is the best project management software for designers
Plutio handles project management as part of a complete platform where proposals, contracts, time tracking, invoicing, and client communication work together rather than as separate tools that fragment project data.
Proposals become projects automatically
When a client accepts your proposal in Plutio, the project creates itself. Scope, timeline, milestones, and payment schedule populate from what was agreed. The signed proposal stays attached so you can reference original terms during the project. No copying details between tools, no discrepancies between what was promised and what's being tracked.
Time tracks against project budgets
Log hours on specific tasks and projects. See total time against estimated budget in real-time. Get alerts when projects approach budget limits before they become surprises. At project end, it's easy to see exactly how long the work actually took versus what you quoted, informing future pricing.
Milestones trigger invoicing
Mark a milestone complete and generate the associated invoice with one click. The invoice knows the project, the deliverables, and the agreed amount. Send immediately or schedule for appropriate timing. Completed work doesn't sit unbilled because invoicing connects to project status.
Clients check their own status
Share a branded portal where clients see their project progress, upcoming milestones, and delivered work. They check status themselves instead of emailing you. Feedback goes into the project record where you can reference it during revisions. Status anxiety disappears because clients have visibility.
Everything in one place
One client record shows their projects, proposals, contracts, time tracked, invoices, and messages. One project view shows tasks, files, feedback, time logged, and connected documents. Context lives where you work instead of scattered across disconnected tools.
Every project runs from one app with your branding. Proposals create projects, time tracks against budgets, milestones trigger invoices, and clients see progress. The connections eliminate the coordination overhead that consumes hours in fragmented tool stacks.
How to set up project management in Plutio
Setting up project management in Plutio takes 2-4 hours for initial configuration, with most designers comfortable with Plutio within one week of regular use.
Step 1: Create project templates (1-2 hours)
Build templates for your common project types. For designers, recommended templates include:
- Brand Identity: Phases for discovery, concept development, refinement, and final delivery. Tasks for brief review, moodboard, logo concepts, color palette, typography, and guidelines document
- Website Design: Phases for discovery, wireframes, design, and handoff. Include content collection, page templates, and responsive breakpoints as tasks
- Logo Only: Simplified template with brief, concepts, refinement, and delivery. Faster timeline, simpler structure
- Monthly Retainer: Recurring structure with standard task categories and monthly hour allocation
Step 2: Configure views and workflows (30 minutes)
Set up your preferred board views: Kanban for workflow stages, list for detailed task management, calendar for deadline visibility. Create saved filters for active projects, this week's deadlines, and overdue items.
Step 3: Set up automations (30 minutes)
Create rules for common scenarios: notify when milestones approach, remind about overdue tasks, alert when time tracking exceeds budget thresholds. Start with 3-5 automations and expand based on actual needs.
Step 4: Import existing projects (30-60 minutes)
Create records for active projects. Add current status, upcoming milestones, and relevant files. For projects near completion, minimal setup may suffice. For long-running projects, build out fuller structure.
Step 5: Test with one new project
Run through the complete workflow with an actual project: create from template, track time, update status, complete milestone, generate invoice. Real use reveals friction that theoretical setup misses.
Start simple and refine based on actual use. Templates for the 80% cases cover most work. Handle the other 20% by customizing the closest template rather than building structures for every possible scenario.
Project management templates for designers
Different design project types require different management structures, and the most efficient method is building templates for each common scenario so you can apply proven approaches with one click.
Recommended project templates for designers
- Brand Identity - Full Package: For full-scope branding projects. Phases: Discovery (brief, research, moodboard), Concept (logo directions, initial presentations), Refinement (chosen direction, color, typography), Delivery (guidelines, file handoff). 6-12 week timeline typical. Include revision checkpoints at each phase transition
- Logo Only: Simplified for standalone logo projects. Phases: Brief, Concepts, Refinement, Delivery. 2-4 week timeline. Fewer tasks, faster turnaround, clear revision limits
- Website Design: For web projects with extended timelines. Phases: Discovery, Wireframes, Design, Revisions, Handoff. Include content collection checklist, page inventory, and approval milestones. 8-16 week timeline typical
- Packaging Design: For product packaging. Phases: Brief, Concepts, Refinement, Print-Ready. Include dieline specifications, print requirements, and mockup deliverables
- Monthly Retainer: For ongoing client relationships. Standard task categories that repeat monthly. Hour tracking against monthly allocation. Rolling deadline structure
Template components to standardize
- Phase structure: Standard phases with clear deliverables at each gate
- Task checklists: Common tasks for each project type with estimated durations
- Milestone triggers: Which phase completions trigger invoicing or client approval
- File organization: Folder structure for briefs, references, work-in-progress, and finals
Templates encode your proven processes. New projects start with structure that works instead of building from scratch. The specificity of each template determines how much setup happens per project.
Client portals for designer project management
A client portal gives your design clients one branded location to check project status, review the work, provide feedback, and communicate without emailing you for every update.
What clients see in their portal
The portal displays everything relevant to that client's projects: active projects with current phase and status, upcoming milestones and deadlines, shared the work for review, feedback and approval requests, project files and documents, and message history with your team. Clients log in with their email and see only their own projects.
Why portals matter for project management
Designers typically manage 5-15 active projects simultaneously. Without a portal, each client emails when they have questions: "What's the status?", "When is the next deliverable?", "Can you send that file again?". These questions interrupt design work and multiply across many clients.
With a portal, clients answer these questions themselves. They check status at 10pm without expecting you to be available. They download files, review the work, and leave feedback in one organized location. Self-service access typically reduces status-check emails by 70-80%.
White-label portal branding
The portal displays your brand, not the software vendor's. Use your own domain (projects.yourstudio.com), upload your logo, apply your brand colors. Clients experience a direct extension of your design practice rather than logging into third-party software.
Feedback and approvals
Clients leave feedback directly in the portal rather than in email threads. They approve the work with timestamped sign-off. Clear agreements create documentation that supports scope discussions when clients later question what was approved at each stage.
The portal transforms client communication from reactive (answering questions) to proactive (providing access). Clients get self-service visibility, and you reclaim the hours previously spent on status update emails.
How to migrate project management to Plutio
Migrating to new project management during active work is manageable with the right approach. The typical migration takes 3-5 hours of focused setup, with full comfort reached within 2-3 weeks of regular use.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
Most project management tools offer export options for project data:
- Asana: Export to CSV from project settings or use the API for complete data
- Trello: Export boards to Excel/CSV from board settings
- ClickUp: Export spaces or folders to CSV
- Monday: Export boards to JSON from board menu
Focus on active projects. Completed projects can remain in archives.
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (1-2 hours)
Create templates for your common project types using your exported data as reference. Focus on structures you'll actually reuse rather than recreating every historical project.
Step 3: Set up new projects in Plutio
Start all new projects in Plutio immediately. New clients never knew your old system, so there's no transition friction. New projects give you real experience without the pressure of migrating active work.
Step 4: Migrate active projects gradually
As existing projects reach natural transition points (phase completion, major milestone), recreate them in Plutio for the remaining work. A gradual approach to migration prevents overwhelming yourself and lets you learn the new system progressively.
Step 5: combine after 30-60 days
By 60 days, all active work should run through one system. Cancel old subscriptions. Keep read-only access for historical reference if needed.
Common migration pitfalls
- Trying to migrate everything: Focus on active projects. Historical data can stay in archives
- Switching mid-delivery: Finish in-progress phases on the old system. Start new phases in Plutio
- Over-configuring upfront: Start with basic templates and refine based on actual use
The best time to switch is between projects or at the start of a new project phase. Begin new work in the new system while keeping the old one accessible for reference on in-progress work.
