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The Approval System Software That Will Make You Money

Last updated on by Cody Miles

The Approval System Software That Will Make You Money
Cody Miles

Cody Miles

Cody is a creative operations expert and founder of Ashore, helping teams streamline their design workflows. He's passionate about building tools that make creative collaboration more efficient and enjoyable.

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For marketing agencies and the creatives that inhabit them, getting deliverables approved by clients is usually a major pain point.

Whether it’s proofing a website, video, or blog article, it can often take days—or even weeks—to receive a proper response. And when the client is a company with several levels of approval, the process becomes even more egregious.

To relieve this pain point, approval system software is a necessity. The challenge is finding the right system—one that improves your current methods without disrupting your workflow or adding extra steps for you and your clients.

What Makes the Best Approval System?

The best approval system software should do the work for you. It should be straightforward, especially for your clients, and fit the size and scope of your team’s deliverables.

We’ve analyzed the top five approval systems using these five key metrics:

  1. File Types – Variety and number of supported file types.
  2. Approval Automation – Ability to automate repetitive tasks like routing deliverables and sending reminders.
  3. Review & Collaboration Tools – Ease of use for annotations, comments, and direct collaboration.
  4. Analytics – Insights on reviewer performance, delays, and bottlenecks.
  5. Integrations – Compatibility with project management, cloud storage, and other tools.

1. ProofHQ

proofhq.com

  • File Types: 150+ supported (print, web, interactive, video, email).
  • Approval Automation: Customizable workflows, automates notifications and status updates.
  • Review & Collaboration: Real-time comments and annotations, version tracking.
  • Analytics: Logs all activity but no review performance analytics.
  • Integrations: Basecamp, Workfront, NetSuite, Xinet, SharePoint, Box, Adobe Creative Suite.

Verdict: Robust automation and collaboration, but expensive (~$4,000/year) and lacks integration with Google Drive or Dropbox.

2. ClientFlow

clientflow.io

  • File Types: Attach files from Google Drive, Dropbox, Box.
  • Approval Automation: Basic tracking of approval requests; no multi-stage automation.
  • Review & Collaboration: Thread-based conversations, internal notes, no direct file annotation.
  • Analytics: Tracks email opens and link clicks.
  • Integrations: Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, Asana, Trello.

Verdict: Great for keeping clients in email, but lacks direct, on-deliverable collaboration tools.

3. PageProof

pageproof.com

  • File Types: Video, audio, images, PDFs, Office, Adobe formats.
  • Approval Automation: Sequential review workflows; all approvers require accounts.
  • Review & Collaboration: On-deliverable comments and internal to-dos, but no side-by-side version comparison.
  • Analytics: Searchable log of deliverables; no performance analytics.
  • Integrations: Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive.

Verdict: Workflow-focused but complex for agencies and clients; limited analytics and mandatory account creation slow adoption.

4. Conjure

conjure.io

  • File Types: Images, vector, presentations, documents; no video or audio.
  • Approval Automation: None; all reviewers collaborate at once.
  • Review & Collaboration: On-deliverable comments; all users require accounts.
  • Analytics: Version and comment logs; no performance data.
  • Integrations: None.

Verdict: Centralized feedback but lacks workflow automation, varied file support, and integrations.

5. ProofMe

proofme.com

  • File Types: 120+ formats; upload from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, URLs.
  • Approval Automation: No true automation; optional deadline reminders in paid plans.
  • Review & Collaboration: Annotation tools, chronological comments, frame-by-frame video commenting.
  • Analytics: Saves versions and comments; better reporting promised in Enterprise version.
  • Integrations: YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, InDesign, OneDrive, Box, Dropbox, Photoshop, Slack.

Verdict: Strong integration options and no account required for reviewers, but lacks automation and advanced analytics.

What Makes Ashore Special?

At Ashore, we’re building a solution to address these shortcomings and make approvals faster, collaboration easier, and deliverable status more transparent.

Key Features:

  • Custom Workflows – Route deliverables automatically, set reminder frequency, and move to the next approver upon approval.
  • Annotation Tools – On-deliverable commenting for all file types, including Google Drive and Dropbox assets.
  • Integrations – Turn client comments into tasks in Asana, Basecamp, and more.
  • No Client Accounts Needed – Clients approve via email link; no extra logins.
  • Audit Logs – Every status change documented; track revisions and approvals.
  • Analytics – Measure who misses deadlines, approval times, and overall performance.
  • Branding – White-label Ashore with your own logo and identity.
  • Affordability – Scales for freelancers to large agencies.

Bottom line: Automating your approval process with Ashore saves time, reduces manual management, and helps you get to payday faster.

Try Ashore for free and streamline your approval process today.

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