You don’t want to choose between ClickUp and Monday and end up with a project management tool that gives you more work, headaches, and regrets.
We’ve all been there. You get sold on a tool, convinced it can improve business operations, only to discover that its core feature doesn’t work exactly as it should.
Or maybe the sales pitch is accurate, but the project management tool doesn’t jive well with what you (or your team) need.
Either way, you’ve already spent more time than you’d like to admit narrowing down your choices. You’re not keen on wasting more hours–and you don’t have to.
To help you save time, we’ve reviewed both ClickUp and Monday–two virtually similar software–and condensed everything into one easy-to-read comparison guide.
Whether you’re investing in a project management tool for the first time or switching from ClickUp to Monday (or vice versa), this article will help you make the right decision that perfectly aligns with your agency’s needs.
Key Takeaways:
Comparing ClickUp and Monday is like comparing two similar-looking apples. If you want to arrive at the right decision, you need to look beyond the obvious and superficial features.
Below are some critical factors you may not have considered, but should weigh when making your decision. These have been handpicked with the freelancers’ and agencies’ need for direct client collaboration in mind.
From communication tools to invoicing, the list of considerations below will ensure you’ll end up with a software that perfectly aligns with your project management needs.
Let’s now compare ClickUp and Monday based on the factors listed above.
Having a system that organizes projects based on individual clients is essential for agencies. It ensures that tasks, files, and communication are structured efficiently around each client, simplifying the project management process.
ClickUp wins here for its client-centric project organization features.
Unlike Monday where this feature is reduced to giving clients login access to private boards, ClickUp takes it up a notch by offering client dashboards.
The dashboards are by no means robust enough to take the place of client portals, but they give clients better visibility into project progress and access to documents.
Client communication is key to project success, and having all interactions in one place helps prevent information from slipping through the cracks.
ClickUp provides more robust client communication tools with built-in options and key integrations. Monday lacks direct client communication features, making ClickUp the better choice if this is a priority.
Effective collaboration ensures that your team stays on the same page, with everyone contributing to tasks and projects seamlessly.
ClickUp excels with real-time collaboration tools and a variety of workflow views that promote teamwork. Monday's collaboration is more limited to task updates and visual boards, making it better suited for simpler team setups.
Detailed project reports give agencies the insight they need to evaluate progress, identify bottlenecks, and measure success.
ClickUp offers deeper and more customizable reporting options, making it better for agencies that need detailed project insights. Monday's reporting is simpler and more suitable for teams that prefer visual summaries over extensive data.
Automation can take repetitive tasks off your plate, freeing your team to focus on higher-value work.
ClickUp offers more advanced and customizable automation features, making it the better choice for agencies with complex workflows and high task volumes. Monday is ideal for those looking for simpler automation.
A project management tool should be easy for the team to adopt and use without a steep learning curve.
Monday is the winner for ease of use, with its simple and intuitive design making it easier for new users to get started. ClickUp’s extensive features make it more powerful but also more complex to master.
Budget is always a factor when choosing a tool. It’s important to ensure the software you choose is priced fairly for the features you get.
ClickUp offers more value with its free plan and affordable pricing tiers, making it better suited for agencies on a budget. Monday tends to be pricier, especially for larger teams looking for premium features.
Managing invoicing within the same platform can simplify billing processes and reduce the risk of errors.
While both platforms offer comprehensive invoicing solutions, Monday.com's native invoicing capabilities and integration with QuickBooks may provide a more seamless and efficient invoicing experience compared to ClickUp's template-based approach.
Agencies often need tools that can adapt to their unique workflows, and customizability is a crucial factor in making the software fit your needs.
ClickUp takes the lead in customizability, offering deeper control and flexibility, making it ideal for agencies that need tailored workflows. Monday’s customizability is more limited, catering to simpler project needs.
As your agency grows, your project management tool should grow with you, handling larger teams, more complex projects, and an increasing workload.
ClickUp excels in scalability, making it a better choice for agencies expecting significant growth. Monday is better suited for mid-sized teams or those with simpler, smaller-scale projects.
While ClickUp and Monday have their strengths, both platforms come with certain complexities and gaps that can hold agencies back. This is where ManyRequests shines, offering a more streamlined and intuitive approach to project management that focuses on simplicity without sacrificing functionality.
Let’s take a closer look at how ManyRequests stands out.
Neither ClickUp nor Monday offers an integrated client portal. Agencies often need to rely on external tools to handle client communication, which can lead to scattered conversations and delays.
ManyRequests solves this problem by providing an all-in-one client portal where you can communicate with clients, manage requests, and keep all interactions organized in one place. This feature ensures your team and clients are always on the same page, reducing miscommunication and keeping projects running smoothly.
Both ClickUp and Monday offer extensive project management features, but for many agencies, they can feel overwhelming and overly complicated.
ManyRequests takes a more focused approach with a centralized request system that allows your clients to submit project requests easily. This streamlined process reduces back-and-forth emails, automates task assignment, and ensures that each client request is tracked, prioritized, and delivered on time.
Unlike ClickUp with no native invoicing feature, ManyRequests integrates invoicing directly into your workflow, allowing you to seamlessly bill clients as soon as tasks or projects are completed. This integrated invoicing feature simplifies your financial processes and ensures you get paid faster, all while keeping everything under one roof.
ClickUp, while powerful, comes with a steep learning curve, and Monday, while simpler, may lack some of the customization options growing agencies need.
ManyRequests strikes the perfect balance between functionality and ease of use. Designed specifically for agencies, it provides an intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate from day one.
You won’t need to spend countless hours onboarding your team—ManyRequests makes managing client projects and requests straightforward from the get-go.
Many project management tools are built to handle every use case imaginable, but this often results in complex, bloated platforms.
ManyRequests is built with creative agencies in mind, providing only the tools that matter most—client requests, communication, task tracking, and invoicing.
See how it has helped agencies streamline their workflows without getting bogged down in features they don’t need. You can also sign up for a 14-day free trial to see how ManyRequests can benefit your business.
While ClickUp and Monday have their strengths, they might not be the perfect fit for every team. Let’s break down the key selling points of each software and why ManyRequests could be the best option for agencies looking for a streamlined, client-focused solution.
The choice between ClickUp and Monday comes down to how complex your workflows are and how much customization your team needs.
While each has strengths, both tools are more project-focused than most agencies would have preferred. They’re heavily invested in project management with fewer client-facing features that make for a more personalized, transparent, and professional client experience.
ManyRequests fills this gap with its all-in-one client portal where clients can make and track requests, leave feedback, monitor project progress, and pay invoices–all while your team focuses on delivering great work in the backend.
If you're ready to make project management easier and more client-friendly, ManyRequests is the ideal alternative to ClickUp and Monday.
Try ManyRequests free for 14 days and see how it can transform the way your agency works.
