Client Portal for Design Agencies
An approval trail on every brief and revision round: proposals, project visibility, client sign-off, and invoicing, working alongside Figma or a dedicated design-review tool for pixel-pinned feedback.
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4.8/5★★★★★rating on G2By Sharifur Rahman, Founder of Taskip · Last updated September 27, 2026
What Design Agencies Actually Need From a Client Portal
Taskip is best for design agencies that want briefs, proposals, client comms, projects and invoicing in one tool, flat from $12/mo, the same setup 1,600+ agencies in 40+ countries run on, including Panze Studio, which tripled project capacity from 5 to 15 concurrent projects after moving onto it. It works alongside Figma or a dedicated design-review tool for pixel-pinned feedback, not instead of them. Projects stall for reasons that have nothing to do with the design itself: a brief buried in an inbox, a revision round nobody agreed to, or an invoice sent weeks after delivery. Taskip keeps an approval trail on every brief and revision round, and runs the proposal, the project board, and the invoice in one place your client can actually log into, with a single magic link and no password to create or remember.
What is a client portal for design agencies?
A client portal for design agencies is a branded workspace where each client follows their project from brief to final delivery. They see project status, leave feedback tied to a revision round, approve the final design, and pay invoices, alongside Figma or a dedicated design-review tool for pixel-pinned annotation on the actual mockup. Taskip runs the relationship and the record, not the pinned comment, in one workspace instead of email threads, spreadsheets, and a separate invoicing tool.
Built Around How Design Projects Actually Run
Five stages, one workspace, and a client who can see exactly where their project stands without a status-update email.
- 01
Brief
The client brief lands with scope, references, and deadline, logged before design work starts.
- 02
Concept
Initial concepts and a proposal go out for direction sign-off before full production begins.
- 03
Design
The team builds the deliverable, brand identity, UI, or print, on a board the client can watch.
- 04
Client Review
Feedback goes out for review and approval, tied to the revision round it belongs to.
- 05
Delivered
Final files ship and the invoice goes out referencing exactly what was approved.
What to Look For in a Client Portal for Design Agencies
Most portal tools look identical on a feature list. These are the eight things that actually decide whether it survives contact with a real design project, whichever tool you end up choosing.
Clients comment in Figma, you approve the round in Taskip
That split works because each tool does the job it is actually good at. Figma handles the pixel-pinned comment on the mockup, using a free View seat so clients never need a paid account. Taskip closes the round, keeps the approval record, and ties the next invoice to what was actually approved.
Source: Figma, Guide to Collaborating With ClientsAccess without another password
Every extra login step costs you adoption. Look for magic-link or single-click access rather than forcing clients to create and remember an account.
Source: Baymard Institute, password requirements researchProposals and contracts before the brief starts
Agencies live or die on how fast a signed proposal turns into a kickoff date. A portal that cannot send a contract just adds a second tool to the process.
Invoicing tied to the project it belongs to
If billing lives in a separate tool from the approval record, disputes over what was delivered turn into disputes over what was paid for.
A CRM view across every client, not just one project
You need to see which clients are up for a new project, which are at risk, and what every open proposal promised, not just the status of the project in front of you.
Real white-label, not a logo slot
Check whether you get a custom domain, not just a logo upload. Clients noticing another company name on "your" portal undercuts the premium you are charging.
Pricing that does not punish growth
Per-seat pricing scales with your team. For a studio running design, production, and account staff through the same tool, a flat rate is usually cheaper by the third or fourth hire.
It stays current without manual updating
A portal you have to remember to update becomes a portal showing three-week-old status. It has to be where the project actually lives, not a mirror of it.
Do You Need a Full Client Portal, or Just a Design-Review Tool?
For a design agency the honest starting question is not build versus buy, it is whether Figma comments or a dedicated review tool already covers what you need. Here is the real range of options.
A shared Drive or Dropbox folder
- Best for
- One or two clients, and you are comfortable tracking approvals in a spreadsheet or by memory.
- Cost
- Free.
- Tradeoff
- No version history tied to feedback, no client login beyond a shared link, and no record of which round was actually approved. "Final_v3_REAL_FINAL" is not an approval trail.
A guest seat in your project tool
- Best for
- You already pay for ClickUp, Monday, or Airtable and just want the client to see project status alongside Figma comments.
- Cost
- Often free. Guest or viewer seats are usually included or a low-cost add-on to a plan you already have.
- Tradeoff
- The client sees your internal tool, not your brand, and there is no invoicing, proposals, or e-signature built in. One wrong permission turns a guest into someone who can edit your board.
A Notion project hub
- Best for
- A handful of clients, and you are comfortable updating a shared page by hand between review rounds.
- Cost
- Free if you build it yourself, or $19 to $49 for a one-time template.
- Tradeoff
- There is no real client login, no built-in invoicing or e-signature, and every status update is one you type in by hand, which drifts stale the same way a spreadsheet does.
A dedicated design-review tool alone
- Best for
- Agencies whose main client-facing deliverable genuinely is pixel-pinned feedback on a mockup, and everything else happens over email.
- Cost
- Roughly $9 to $215 a month depending on the tool and team size.
- Tradeoff
- It is built for one job. Proposals, contracts, client status, and invoicing all live somewhere else, which puts you back into the fragmented stack you were trying to avoid.
An off-the-shelf portal, paired with Figma or a review tool
- Best for
- A growing roster of clients where briefs, proposals, project visibility, and invoicing all need one home.
- Cost
- Roughly $12 to $200 a month depending on the tool and whether it charges per seat.
- Tradeoff
- A recurring cost and someone else's roadmap, plus you are still paying for a design-review tool separately for pixel-pinned feedback. In exchange, security patching, uptime, and everything around the project stop being your problem.
A custom-built portal
- Best for
- Larger studios with in-house developers and requirements no off-the-shelf tool covers.
- Cost
- Commonly quoted around $20,000 and up, with two to four months before first use.
- Tradeoff
- You now maintain an internal product forever, and every hour spent on it is an hour not billed to a client. Studios routinely underestimate the second year, not the build.
The short answer
Rough rule: if the only thing your client ever does is comment on a mockup, Figma or a dedicated review tool alone is enough, and a full portal is overhead. Once proposals, client visibility across projects, or invoicing become real friction, pair a dedicated portal with whichever tool already handles pixel-pinned feedback, rather than trying to make either tool do both jobs.
How the Main Options Compare
Taskip is not a design-review tool, and pretending otherwise wastes your time. Here is where each option genuinely fits, and what it is missing.
| Option | Best for | Pricing model | White-label | Invoicing built in | Pinned design annotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taskip | Design agencies that want briefs, proposals, client comms, projects and invoicing in one tool, flat from $12/mo | Flat, from $12/mo | Yes, custom domain | Yes | No, clients comment in Figma, you approve the round in Taskip |
| SuperOkay | Boutique studios wanting the portal itself to look designed, with embedded Figma | Flat tiers, from $9/mo | Yes, on paid tiers | No | Yes, via embedded Figma |
| Filestage | Agencies running standardized, multi-stage creative review at scale | Flat tiers, from roughly $215/mo | Not publicly confirmed | No | Yes, this is its core |
| HoneyBook | Solo designers and small studios wanting contracts, invoicing and scheduling bundled | Flat, from $36/mo | Limited | Yes | No |
| Assembly (formerly Copilot) | Productized services wanting a very polished client experience | Per user, per month | Yes | Yes | No |
| A shared Drive folder | One or two clients, comfortable tracking approvals by hand | Free | No | No | No, and no version history either |
Pricing models reflect what each vendor listed publicly at the time of writing, and tiers change, so check current pricing before deciding. Most agencies that need both a portal and pixel-pinned review end up running one of each rather than choosing between them.
Why Client Portals Fail at Design Agencies
The common objection is "my client just comments on the Figma file, that is all they need," and it is usually half right. Four reasons portals actually fail here, and what fixes each.
It cannot show which round a comment belongs to
FixDo not try to force pixel-pinned annotation into a general portal. Keep pinned design feedback in Figma or a dedicated review tool and use the portal for the round-level approval record and everything around it.
It was designed for the team, not the client
FixThe client view should answer three questions: what stage is my project at, what do you need from me, and what am I being asked to approve. Keep production-level detail on your side of the wall.
The status is stale, so nobody trusts it
FixThe portal has to be where the project actually lives. If it is a mirror you update manually, it will drift within two weeks and clients will go back to emailing you.
There is no recurring reason to come back
FixGive it a repeating action: an invoice to pay, a proposal to approve, a new brief to review. Portals that are only file storage get opened once and abandoned.
How Taskip Works for Design Agencies
Turn Briefs Into Signed Projects
Control your entire sales process from first brief to signed contract.
- Custom pipeline stages from brief to signed project
- Drag-and-drop deal management with project value
- Proposals and contracts sent from the same workspace
- Automated follow-up tasks and reminders
Client Feedback in One Thread
Every conversation about a project lives on one project thread, not scattered across email and Slack.
- One thread per client project, not per channel
- Feedback and approvals timestamped and tied to the round
- Internal team discussion stays separate from client-facing threads
Projects Your Client Can Actually See
Client-visible progress in a fully white-labeled portal, without exposing your internal production board.
- Kanban board per client, built for their eyes, not your team's
- Brief, concept, design, and review stages the client can follow
- Files, brand assets, and deliverables filed against the right project
Invoicing Tied to the Work
The part of a studio that compounds: billing that runs on its own.
- Invoices tied to the project and the round that triggered them
- Automated reminders so payments never sit unanswered
- Clients pay by card or PayPal without leaving the portal
How Client Sign-Off Works in Taskip
Most disputes with a design client are about what was approved, not what was delivered. Taskip keeps the record of what was proposed, what was approved, and what it cost.
- Step 1
Propose
Scope and pricing go out as a signable proposal from the portal the client will use for the whole project.
- Step 2
Brief
Intake forms collect the brief, references, and brand assets before design work starts.
- Step 3
Review
Client feedback on deliverables lands on one project thread, timestamped, with your replies in the same place.
- Step 4
Approve
Each round is marked approved, which closes it and opens the next.
- Step 5
Invoice
The invoice goes out referencing the round or milestone it was triggered by.
To be clear about what this is: Taskip holds the proposal, the thread, the approvals, and the invoice tied to them. It does not render pixel-pinned annotation on a live design file the way Figma or a dedicated review tool does. Agencies pair Taskip with one of those for that, and keep the relationship, the approvals, and the billing here.
3×
project capacity at Panze Studio, from 5 to 15 concurrent projects
8+ hrs
saved weekly on admin, follow-ups, and invoicing at Panze Studio
5
tools Panze Studio replaced: Doplac, Forms, TidyCal, Discord, and manual invoicing
$12/mo
flat starting price, not billed per client
Real results
Panze Studio: 3× project capacity, 5 → 15 concurrent projects
Everything Design Agencies Need in One Platform
White-Label the Whole Experience
- Your logo, your colors, your custom domain
- No Taskip branding anywhere the client can see
- Clients log into your studio, not into someone else's software
Client Intake Without the Back and Forth
- Forms for briefs, references, and brand assets
- Collect everything before design work starts, not mid-project
- Everything filed against the right client automatically
Proposals and Contracts Before Kickoff
- Send a proposal, convert it to an invoice when accepted
- E-signature contracts and deposit invoices in one step
- Scope changes mid-project become a new quote with its own paper trail
One Workspace for the Whole Team
- Role-based permissions for designers, producers, and account managers
- Internal discussion separate from client-facing threads
- Time tracking per client when you bill hourly or against a retainer
Design Agencies Love Taskip
“I enjoy discovering different industries and understanding their users so I can design something that actually works, not just something that looks pretty.”
Mahmudul Hasan
Founder & Lead Designer, Panze Studio
“Unlike many apps that "ship and forget," this team possesses a relentless improvement mindset. Responses are fast, and they turn user suggestions into reality.”
Karlo R.
WordPress Developer & Marketing Consultant
“Moving under one roof from managing multiple tools is life-saving for me. I am using this for my agency and my team can also contribute and help me to manage business and clients.”
Abdur Rahman
Founder, QuomodoSoft
Taskip Features for Design Agencies
FAQs: Taskip for Design Agencies
What is a client portal for a design agency?
A client portal for design agencies is a branded workspace where each client follows their project from brief to final delivery. They see project status, review and approve revision rounds, sign proposals, and pay invoices, alongside Figma or a dedicated design-review tool for pixel-pinned annotation. For the agency, it replaces the mix of email, spreadsheets, chat apps, and a separate invoicing tool most projects get managed with.
Is a client portal the same as a design-review tool?
No, and a tool that claims to be both is usually thin on one of them. A design-review tool like Figma comments or Filestage shows pixel-pinned annotation directly on the mockup. A client portal is the workspace for everything around the design: proposals, briefs, project status, and invoicing. Most agencies that need both run one of each rather than one tool trying to do both jobs.
What should a design agency client portal include?
Six things, at minimum: a proposal and contract flow before the brief starts, intake forms for the brief and brand assets, client-visible project status, a record of approved revision rounds, invoicing tied to the project, and support requests for ad-hoc work. Taskip covers all six, and pairs with Figma or a dedicated review tool for pixel-pinned feedback.
Can I white-label the portal with my own domain?
Yes. The client portal runs on your custom domain with your logo and colors, and no Taskip branding is visible to clients. From your client's point of view they are logging into your studio.
How does invoicing work across multiple projects?
Each invoice ties back to the project and the round that triggered it, so a client asking "what is this charge for" gets an answer instead of a guess. Ad-hoc requests come in as support tickets instead of a separate email thread, and recurring retainer work bills automatically on schedule.
How much does a client portal for design agencies cost?
From $12/mo, flat, not priced per client. A client portal for design agencies generally runs from around $12 to $200 a month, separate from whatever you already pay for design review. The bigger variable is the pricing model: flat-rate tools charge the same whether you have three clients or thirty, while per-seat tools multiply as your team grows. Taskip covers the portal, projects, CRM, quotes, invoicing, forms, e-signatures, and support tickets, which is work that otherwise needs 8+ tools.
Should I just use Figma comments instead of a full portal?
If the only thing your client ever does is comment on a mockup, yes, Figma or a dedicated review tool alone is enough, and a full portal is overhead. Once proposals, client visibility across projects, or invoicing start creating real friction, that is the point to add a dedicated portal alongside the review tool, not instead of it.
Will my clients actually log in and use it?
Only if you remove the friction. Portals fail for four predictable reasons: they try to duplicate what Figma comments already do, they expose your internal production board instead of client decisions, the status goes stale because someone has to update it by hand, and there is no recurring reason to return. Fix those and adoption follows.
Does this work alongside Figma or SuperOkay?
Yes. Taskip does not render pixel-pinned annotation on a live design file, so agencies pair it with Figma or a dedicated review tool for that and use Taskip for the proposal, the brief, the client relationship, and the invoice around it.
Is there a free client portal for design agencies?
There are free tiers and free design-review tools for one or two clients, and they can be enough at that scale. The usual limits on the portal side are no white-labeling, no invoicing, caps on clients, and no approval record, which is the piece that matters most when a project scope gets disputed. If you are running several concurrent projects, the cost of a paid portal is typically less than one unbilled hour a month spent chasing approvals across email.