The Best Productive.io Alternative Designed for Client Work
SmartTask is a powerful yet simple Productive.io alternative for agencies and client teams. Manage projects, time, budgets, and clients without the complexity or high costs.
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Why modern teams look for a Productive.io alternative
Reliability issues and bugs
Fatal bugs ruin an otherwise promising product. All of these I've brought to their attention but they have dragged their heels on fixing.
Expensive — Not Ideal for Everyone
It is certainly not cheap for a small and medium company. Productive is expensive, especially as you add more users.
Steep learning curve
Due to the complexity of the application It is quite difficult to learn using all the features available
Limited flexibility and basic CRM
I wish it were a bit more flexible. The CRM is a bit basic — I wish there was a way to send email and view communication within the client view.
Performance issues affect efficiency
It is sometimes slow, [and] after update a lot of things are not working
Clunky mobile app & integration gaps
The mobile app is clunky. The User Interface at times is not very intuitive and certain features are accessed in menus that do not feel logical.
Why Choose SmartTask?
SmartTask offers ease of use with powerful features specifically built for client work. Faster time to value
Affordable Business plan – $11 per user/month
Expensive – Professional plan costs $24 per user/month
Productive is geared towards large customers and its advanced features come at a premium
Affordable Business plan – $11 per user/month
SmartTask provides all features at a reasonable price. No mandatory large contracts or hidden fees
Intuitive and User-friendly
Complex and Steep learning curve
With so many modules and settings, Productive can feel overwhelming. Teams often require formal training to fully adopt it.
Intuitive and User-friendly
SmartTask is known for its clean, approachable interface that your team can pick up quickly.
Customizable Dashboards
Limited Dashboard Customization
Productive provides reports and dashboards, but they have limited flexibility for customization. Exporting data too is limited
Customizable Dashboards
SmartTask lets you slice and dice your data however you need. Create custom dashboard reports with flexible filters, chart types, and grouping options.
You can even embed external tools (e.g. Google Sheets, BI charts) for a single view of all metrics.
Robust Agile & Timeline Support
Limited Agile Features
Productive supports Kanban boards and task lists, but it lacks sprints.
Robust Agile & Timeline Support
Use Kanban boards with a sprint mode alongside Gantt/Timeline view in the same project. This flexibility supports both agile and traditional workflows in one tool.
Built for SMBs and Agencies
Built for Enterprise, Not SMBs
High costs, complexity makes it suitable for large organizations.
Additionally, every collaborator (including contractors) needs a paid seat – only clients are free
Built for SMBs and Agencies
SmartTask is built with small-medium teams in mind. It’s flexible and easy to use, without unnecessary complexity or rigid processes that hinder your workflow.
You get top-notch support and onboarding included – no extra fees.
Add unlimited clients or contractors for free
FEATURE BY FEATURE
Compare Productive.io and SmartTask
Features |  Productive.io | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Workflows | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Time and Billing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CRM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Don’t just take our word for it | | |
|---|---|---|
Platform | Productive.io | SmartTask |
Capterra | 4.1/5 | 4.5/5 |
G2 | 4.1/5 | 4.5/5 |
Trust Radius | 4.1/5 | 4.5/5 |
Make managing projects a breeze with SmartTask
Streamline processes with the best client delivery solution - SmartTask!
Try it Live - It's FREEPricing
Productive.io -
Steep learning curve and configuration overhead
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Overkill for SMBs
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Limited Views
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Collaboration: Contractors require paid seats
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Limited Onboarding & Support
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Simple Yet Powerful
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Unlimited free guest users (Clients & Contractors)
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Powerful features without the complexity
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Global Team chat and Discussions
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Powerful Project Views
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Customizable Dashboards
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Top-notch Onboarding and Support
Only one of these options was custom-built for client work
Productive is a powerful platform, but it’s complex, feature-heavy, and priced for large organizations. SmartTask, on the other hand, was designed from the ground up for client work. It combines project management, time tracking, billing, and collaboration in a way that’s seamless and intuitive for agencies and service teams
Does SmartTask offer a plan tailored for marketing and creative teams?
Yes! Unlike other tools that offer generic plans, SmartTask is built with client service and creative teams in mind. Our features are designed to support fast-paced collaboration, and campaign tracking—without the complexity or hidden pricing.
SmartTask is by far the best project management system I’ve used. It brings my entire team together, ensuring everyone stays in the loop. The connectivity is a game-changer.
Wait, can I really manage ALL my client work in SmartTask?
That’s exactly what SmartTask was designed for. From project management and time tracking to billing, and budget forecasting—it’s all seamlessly integrated. Need to handle complex scheduling and resource allocation? We’ve got you covered. And of course, you can add an unlimited number of clients with full visibility into their projects.
I like the fact that SmartTask is intuitive and offers various views and reporting functionality. I tried Trello before and felt too limited. SmartTask has changed that!
I’m interested, but have more questions
