Best Project Management Software in the UK for Agencies & Service Teams (2025 Guide)
Running projects in an agency is never simple. Tight client deadlines, distributed teams, and shifting priorities make delivery a constant challenge.
▶️ That’s why the right project management software isn’t optional “it’s integral for keeping projects on track, teams aligned, and clients satisfied”.
For UK businesses, though, it’s not just about task lists and Gantt charts. The right tool must reflect local priorities like GDPR compliance, UK/EU data storage, support in GMT hours, VAT-ready invoicing, and transparent pricing. Without these, agencies risk inefficiencies, compliance issues, or spiraling costs.
This 2025 guide breaks down what UK agencies, consultancies, and service teams should look for in project management software. Whether you’re managing creative campaigns or client projects, the right platform should help you:
💡 Quick Answer: What’s the Best Project Management Software for UK Agencies?
It depends on your needs, but all-in-one platforms like Avaza are emerging as top choices. By combining project tracking with time tracking, budgeting, invoicing, and UK-friendly support, Avaza helps agencies unify operations in one place.
In this guide, we’ll compare Avaza with other leading tools – including Monday, Asana, ClickUp, Teamwork, Wrike, Trello, and more – and highlight:
The key features UK teams should prioritise
A comparison table of the top tools
Practical tips for selecting the right solution
By the end, you’ll know which software best empowers UK agencies to deliver on client expectations – and why many are turning to Avaza as their all-in-one hub.
Let’s dive in.
Top Project Management Tools for UK Agencies & Service Teams
Here we review the leading project management software UK agencies are using in 2025, covering their best use cases, key features, pricing, and how well they meet UK-specific needs like GDPR compliance, VAT invoicing, and support.
Tool
Best For
Top 3 Features (for Agencies)
Starting Price
Avaza
All-in-one management of projects, time, and billing. Ideal for agencies needing tasks-to-invoice integration.
1. Avaza — Best All-in-One Solution for Projects, Time & Billing
Avaza, founded in Australia and now used globally (with a strong customer base across the UK and Europe), is designed as a unified work management platform that helps service-oriented teams stay agile while keeping financial performance in focus.
For UK-based teams, Avaza covers critical requirements: full GDPR readiness, multi-currency invoicing (including GBP), and VAT/GST configuration (tax setup).
Here are the top features of Avaza that make it a strong choice for UK agencies and service teams.
1. Strong Project Management
Avaza allows you to manage an unlimited number of projects, each containing detailed tasks, subtasks, and milestones. Multiple views (Kanban, Gantt & List views) give managers and teams flexibility to work in the style that best suits the project.
Task management is highly configurable e.g., tasks can be assigned to multiple people, include Gantt dependencies, and generate notifications upon updates or status changes.
A standout feature is the drag-and-drop Resource Scheduling module, which provides a clear visualization of team members’ workload and availability. Agencies managing multiple client projects can use this to balance resources proactively, preventing over-allocation and ensuring deadlines are met without burning out staff.
This is particularly valuable for UK agencies operating under tight client SLAs, where resource efficiency directly impacts profitability.
2. Time Tracking & Timesheets
Avaza integrates time tracking seamlessly into daily workflows. Team members can use built-in timers or manually log hours via web or mobile apps.
Every entry is categorized as billable or non-billable and linked to specific projects and tasks. Managers can then review and approve timesheets directly within Avaza.
What sets Avaza apart is the direct connection between timesheets and invoicing. Approved time entries flow automatically into invoices, which can be sent to clients in just a few clicks. This eliminates the need for third-party integrations or duplicate data entry, a common frustration with tools like Asana or Trello.
For UK consultancies billing by the hour, this feature alone streamlines operations significantly.
3. Expense Tracking & Billing
Avaza enables teams to record expenses by category, attach receipts, and tag them as billable or internal. When generating invoices, managers can pull in both billable hours and project expenses, consolidating everything into a single client invoice.
The invoicing engine is feature-rich and compliance-ready: create branded invoices and quotes, configure VAT or GST per client/item, schedule recurring invoices for retainers, and accept online payments.
For UK teams, VAT compliance is baked in – invoices can display VAT numbers and line items clearly, reducing the risk of non-compliance during audits.
Many generic PM tools lack this level of financial detail, forcing agencies to manage spreadsheets or external accounting software.
4. Team Collaboration & Communication
Avaza’s built-in communication tools eliminate the need for endless email threads or third-party chat apps. Each project includes a task discussion feed where updates, files, and decisions can be documented.
Tasks come with threaded comment sections (with @mentions) and file attachments, ensuring context is never lost.
In addition, Avaza features an integrated Team Chat with channels and direct messaging – a Slack-style environment built directly into the platform.
Notifications can be configured to reach team members via mobile or email, ensuring remote or hybrid teams never miss critical updates.
5. Reporting & Insights
Avaza offers a broad suite of reporting capabilities like project progress, team utilization, timesheet summaries, expense analysis, and financial overviews such as invoice aging and revenue by client.
Managers can view profitability reports that compare budgets against billable time and expenses, giving real-time insight into whether projects are on track financially.
Project dashboards highlight critical issues like overdue tasks, late timesheets, or budget overruns, helping leaders make proactive decisions.
This integrated reporting is particularly impactful for UK agencies, where understanding margins and cash flow is crucial for sustainable growth.
Avaza is outstanding, giving it a 5-star rating. He rated it 5 out of 5 for ease of use, customer service, features, and value for money, and said he would definitely recommend it. According to him, it's the best app he's used for his business in the last 20 years. He liked how easy it was to set up and integrate into his business processes. Andre L. switched to Avaza from Zoho Projects because he found Zoho too complicated and Avaza was a perfect fit for his needs.
They gave it a top score of 5.0 out of 5.0 and praised its simplicity, customer service, features, and value for money. They also said they would definitely recommend it. According to Tristan B., they liked how easy it is to use and how it combines time-tracking, invoicing, and project management smoothly. Tristan B. suggested adding a few more integrations to make it even better.
Avaza deserves a shout out for their customer service. You can reach them via chat, and you usually get a reply within a few minutes. They have the best service of any vendor I've ever worked with.The task management system is robust and easy to learn, so onboarding new people is simple. And for us, a big benefit was going straight from project to invoice. No more importing or exporting information and doubling up on data entry tasks.
Try Avaza For Free
If you feel that Avaza might be the right project management software for your UK-based business, sign up to start using Avaza for free. If you need any help with your Avaza subscription or want to better understand our pricing, please contact chat support or email support@avaza.com.
2. Monday.com — Best for Visual Project Workflows
Monday positions itself as a “Work OS”, a versatile platform for building custom workflows that go far beyond task management.
At its core, it operates on a system of boards (tables), which can be configured to track projects, tasks, sales pipelines, content calendars, and more.
Each board contains items (rows) and columns (status, owner, dates, priorities), all of which can be heavily formatted and colour-coded.
The interface is highly visual, drag-and-drop friendly, and feels more like an interactive dashboard than a traditional spreadsheet.
▶️ For UK agencies, especially in creative, digital, and marketing sectors, Monday is a popular choice. Its colourful statuses and ease of use lower the barrier for non-technical teams to adopt.
Many use cases include campaign planning, content production pipelines, and general client project tracking. Importantly, Monday offers EU-based data hosting options, helping agencies address GDPR compliance requirements.
Key Features:
Customisable Boards & Views
Collaboration & Updates
Integrations & Apps
Visual Dashboards
Multiple Use Cases
Drawbacks for Agencies:
No Built-In Billing/Invoicing
Limited Time Tracking
Potential Overwhelm from Flexibility
Complex Workflow Customisation
Support Limitations
💡 Interested in a detailed comparison? See our in-depth 👉 Avaza vs Monday analysis to understand how an all-in-one platform like Avaza differs from Monday’s Work OS approach.
3. Asana — Best for Streamlined Task Management & Team Coordination
Asana is one of the most widely adopted project management platforms, valued for its clean interface and structured task organization.
Teams can create projects, break them into tasks and subtasks, assign owners with deadlines, attach files, and keep discussions centralized.
👉 It offers List and Kanban Board views by default, with Calendar and Timeline (Gantt) available in higher tiers.
With robust mobile apps and a plain-English interface, Asana is easy for teams to adopt quickly which is ideal for growing agencies and new hires.
On compliance, it’s US-based but GDPR-compliant, provides a Data Processing Addendum, and offers EU data region hosting for premium users, which satisfies UK GDPR adequacy.
Enterprise tiers also bring ISO certifications and advanced security updates.
Key Features:
Advanced Task & Subtask Management
Custom Workflows and Templates
Timeline & Portfolio Views for structured project planning
Built-in Communication via task comments
Wide Integrations (Slack, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, etc.)
Strong Mobile App Support
Drawbacks (for Agencies & Service Teams):
No native time tracking
No invoicing or budgeting tools
Limited resource scheduling
Pricing scales quickly
💡 For a direct comparison, see 👉 Avaza vs Asana to explore how Avaza’s all-in-one capabilities compare, especially if you need invoicing and resource planning that Asana lacks.
4. Teamwork — Best for Client-Focused Agencies with Built-In Time & Billing
Teamwork (formerly Teamwork Projects) is an Ireland-based platform purpose-built for agencies and client work.
Unlike generic PM tools, it combines traditional project management (tasks, milestones, Gantt charts) with built-in time tracking, timers, and invoicing, giving agencies full visibility into effort, billing, and profitability.
Over time, Teamwork has expanded into a broader suite (Desk, CRM), but the Projects tool remains its flagship for client delivery.
Integrations with Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and more
Drawbacks:
Slightly cluttered interface
Learning curve for new users
Advanced features locked to higher plans
Per-user pricing can scale up
Smaller integration ecosystem
Limited portfolio analytics
5. ClickUp — Most Flexible All-in-One Work OS (Highly Customizable)
ClickUp has positioned itself as the “one app to replace them all,” gaining massive popularity for its breadth of features.
It combines elements of Asana, Notion, Trello, and even parts of Jira into a single platform.
The hierarchy system (Workspaces → Spaces → Folders → Lists → Tasks → Subtasks → Checklists) allows agencies to structure projects with precision, whether by client, department, or project type.
ClickUp has built a reputation for rapid feature releases, making it one of the most feature-packed PM platforms by 2025.
For UK agencies, its appeal lies in the ability to consolidate multiple tools “task trackers, docs, time trackers, even some communication tools” into one system.
Key Features
Multiple Views & Customization
Docs & Wiki
Integrations & Automations
Time Tracking & Goals
Team Collaboration
GDPR-Compliant Hosting
Drawbacks
Overwhelming complexity
Steep learning curve
Performance issues
No built-in invoicing
Constant updates
Not ideal for stability-first teams
6. Wrike — Best for Complex Projects & Larger Teams (Enterprise-Ready)
Wrike is a veteran in the project management space, well-suited for agencies managing complex projects or working with larger corporate clients.
It offers comprehensive project planning capabilities, ranging from detailed Gantt charts to advanced resource management.
Its interface feels more traditional (similar to MS Project at times), but it’s fully cloud-based and collaborative.
One of Wrike’s biggest strengths lies in its adaptability – it allows different departments to custom workflows to their needs.
For example, a creative team can integrate directly with Adobe Creative Cloud, while IT teams can adopt Agile templates.
For UK agencies working with enterprise or government clients, Wrike’s audit logs, advanced reporting, and strong compliance credentials make it a credible, enterprise-ready choice.
Key Features
Gantt charts & dependencies
Resource & workload management
Custom workflows & fields
Forms & request management
Reports & dashboards
Kanban board option
Adobe Creative Cloud extension
GDPR compliance, EU data centres
24/7 global support
Drawbacks
Steep learning curve
Traditional, dated interface
Higher cost than competitors
7. Trello — Best for Simple Kanban Task Management (Easy & Friendly)
Trello is integrally the digital version of a bulletin board with sticky notes and one of the pioneers in popularising the Kanban method.
A Trello board is structured into columns (lists) such as To Do, Doing, Done (or custom names), and tasks are represented as cards.
Cards can hold detailed information like descriptions, checklists, attachments, due dates, labels, and comments. Teams move cards across lists as tasks progress, giving a clear, visual overview of work.
👉 Trello’s biggest strength is its simplicity. You can set up a board in seconds, invite teammates, and start working without lengthy onboarding.
It’s highly user-friendly, even for non-technical staff or clients. Many agencies even share boards with clients for transparency on progress.
With GDPR compliance through Atlassian’s European presence, UK teams can trust Trello to meet data privacy standards.
Key Features:
Kanban Boards
Checklists & Attachments
Collaboration Tools
Power-Ups (Extensions)
Butler Automation
Customisation
Drawbacks / Limitations:
Scalability Issues
Lack of Advanced Features
Subtask Limitations
Dependency Management
Minimal Reporting
Upgrade Path Needed
What UK Agencies Should Look For in Project Management Software (and Why UK-Focused Tools Matter)
Not all project management tools are created equal – and UK businesses face some unique considerations. Here are some key factors agencies, consultancies, and service teams in the UK should prioritise when assessing project management software.
1. Data Compliance & Security (GDPR)
Regulatory compliance isn’t optional “it’s foundational”. Any platform must be fully UK GDPR-compliant, with robust data privacy safeguards and secure hosting (ideally within the UK or EU).
For agencies handling sensitive client information, this is non-negotiable. A tool that isn’t built with GDPR in mind exposes your business to fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover.
Beyond legal risk, being able to assure clients their data is encrypted and hosted locally instantly builds trust.
2. Local Support, Timezone Alignment & Community
Support response time can make or break project continuity. UK teams need access to help during GMT business hours, not half a day later.
Localised support keeps projects on track and deadlines intact. Strong communities and resources also help, for example, Avaza’s Help Centre centralises how-to’s and troubleshooting for quick answers.
3. Agency-Focused Features (All-in-One Functionality)
Agencies have unique workflows that extend far beyond task lists. The right tool should integrate project delivery with client billing, offering features like time tracking, expense management, budgeting, and invoicing.
Automated VAT compliance and GBP invoicing are particularly critical.
High-performing agencies increasingly favour all-in-one platforms that eliminate the inefficiency of juggling multiple apps, streamlining both execution and financial operations in one place.
4. Pricing Transparency, Currency & Value
Cost matters and clarity matters even more. UK firms need transparent pricing (ideally visible in GBP) to avoid currency surprises.
Efficiency thrives on seamless integrations. Look for PM tools that connect natively with UK-popular systems like Xero or QuickBooks for accounting, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for productivity, and Slack for team communication.
Smooth integrations prevent duplicate work and align project, financial, and client data. Localised templates or UK-specific case studies further demonstrate that a platform understands the market.
Even the most technically advanced tool fails if adoption is low.
Agencies should seek intuitive interfaces with minimal learning curves – drag-and-drop scheduling, visual task boards, and flexible dashboards are particularly effective.
Strong onboarding resources, pre-built templates, and detailed documentation accelerate adoption across diverse roles, from operations managers to creatives.
7. Scalability & Flexibility
Agencies rarely stay static. Whether you’re five people today or fifty tomorrow, your PM tool should grow with you.
Scalability means handling more projects, clients, and users without performance issues or steep price jumps.
“Flexibility matters too” the ability to adapt to different methodologies (Agile, Scrum, traditional) ensures the platform supports your processes as they evolve.
8. Remote Collaboration & Hybrid Work Readiness
With hybrid and distributed work now a staple of UK business, collaboration features are integral.
Cloud-based platforms with real-time updates, task notifications, in-app chat, and multiple project views (Kanban, Gantt, calendar) keep distributed teams in sync.
Mobile apps and reliable syncing ensure no one misses an update – whether they’re in London, Manchester, or working from home. The right tool replicates the feel of in-office collaboration across remote settings.
9. Reporting, Analytics & Compliance Alignment
Project success isn’t measured only by deadlines – profitability and performance matter just as much.
Strong reporting capabilities let you monitor KPIs such as budget vs actuals, project margins, client profitability, and resource utilisation.
Customisable dashboards and portfolio-level views give leaders the insights needed to shape strategy.
For agencies working with public sector or regulated industries, compliance with additional UK/EU standards (like ISO or accessibility rules) further strengthens client confidence and speeds procurement processes.
How to Choose the Right Project Management Software for Your Team
Now that we’ve looked at a lot of options and considerations, let’s turn that into a clear decision-making process.
Choosing the right project management (PM) software isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about aligning the tool with how your team actually works today and how you’ll scale tomorrow.
Here’s a structured way to approach it:
1. Identify Your Must-Have Features
Start by outlining the non-negotiables for your business. Think beyond task lists:
Do you require integrated time tracking or client-facing portals?
Are Gantt charts, multi-language support, or regional office functionality essential?
Does your sector demand compliance-specific needs, such as UK data residency or VAT invoicing?
These requirements instantly narrow your shortlist. For example:
If invoicing is core, tools like Avaza, Teamwork, or Scoro stand out.
For extreme simplicity and quick adoption, Trello or Asana might suffice.
For distributed or multi-language teams, Wrike could be a better fit.
2. Consider Team Size and Growth
Think about where your team is now “and where it will be in 1–2 years”. Many Project management tools have “sweet spots”:
Trello/Asana can support large teams but may need more structure as you grow.
Wrike or other enterprise-grade platforms can be overkill for a small 3–5 person team.
Pricing models also matter: Avaza’s flat pricing may scale more cost-effectively than per-user plans if you’re anticipating headcount growth.
3. Evaluate the Learning Curve
The best tool isn’t the one with the most features “it’s the one your team will actually use”. Ask:
Are your people tech-savvy and eager to customize? Tools like ClickUp or Monday will let them configure everything to the last detail.
Are they time-poor and need something intuitive? Options like Asana or Teamwork may be better, offering an “out-of-the-box” experience.
⚠️ Remember: An unused sophisticated tool is more expensive (and risky) than a simple one that’s consistently adopted.
4. Test with Real Data
Trials aren’t just for clicking around menus. Put the software to the test:
Set up a real upcoming project.
Assign tasks, track a mock hour, create a sample invoice or report.
Invite a teammate to test collaboration.
This will quickly reveal whether the interface feels natural, whether critical fields are present, and whether the workflow genuinely fits. Most platforms offer at least 14-day trials — use them wisely.
Support responsiveness: Submit a ticket during trial and see how quickly and effectively they respond.
Roadmap and release notes: Active tools continually improve — whether by adding AI-powered features, new integrations, or performance upgrades.
Recent reviews (G2, Capterra, etc., especially 2024/2025) to spot fresh issues or improvements.
Conclusion: The Winning Choice for UK Agencies
UK agencies have plenty of project management tools, but the best one is the tool that fits their workflow and removes friction. For many, that’s Avaza – an all-in-one platform combining projects, time tracking, expenses, invoicing, and collaboration, all with GDPR compliance, VAT-ready billing, and UK-friendly support.
Other tools have their place – Trello/Asana for simple task management, Monday/ClickUp for custom setups, Wrike for complex portfolios – but Avaza stands out by unifying everything in one system with transparent flat pricing.
For UK service teams managing multiple clients, it often proves the clear winner: fewer apps, smoother operations, and better client outcomes.
