The best agency software, compared honestly.
No sponsored rankings, no “every tool is the best” vibes. Each roundup compares the real tools agencies use, with fair strengths and trade-offs, then explains where Forge fits at the end.
The best client portal software
Client portals are how small agencies stop the 'where's the latest file?' Slack threads. The market splits into three camps: SaaS portals you operate (SuiteDash, Copilot), all-in-one suites (HoneyBook…
Tools covered: SuiteDash · Copilot (formerly Portal) · ManyRequests · HoneyBook / Bonsai / Dubsado · Softr / Notion / Airtable
read the roundup →RoundupThe best client reporting software
Client reporting splits into two genuinely different jobs: performance dashboards (showing marketing/ad metrics) and project status pages (showing what's done, next, blocked). The big SaaS in this spa…
Tools covered: Looker Studio (Google) · AgencyAnalytics · Whatagraph · Swydo · DashThis
read the roundup →RoundupThe best client onboarding software
Client onboarding software has two camps: solo-creative all-in-one suites (HoneyBook, Dubsado, Bonsai) that bundle onboarding into contracts/invoicing, and intake-focused tools (Content Snare, ManyReq…
Tools covered: HoneyBook · Dubsado · Bonsai · Content Snare · ManyRequests
read the roundup →RoundupThe best agency operations software
Agency operations software is a broad category that hides three different products: full agency-management platforms (Productive, FunctionPoint, Teamwork), general-purpose PM tools (ClickUp, Notion) d…
Tools covered: Productive · FunctionPoint · Teamwork · Notion + ClickUp combo · ClickUp alone
read the roundup →Done comparing? Let us build it for you.
Forge builds custom software for people businesses - agencies, accountants, lawyers, consultants, recruiters - and rolls it out, training your team so people actually use it, then looks after it on a monthly plan. It starts with a 2-week ops audit.