Best client portal for design agencies in 2026: 6 tools compared
Updated 8 min read
Design agencies need a portal that turns vague feedback into clear direction and gets designs approved without endless back-and-forth. Dora is our top pick: clients send requests however they like, Dora writes a proper design brief and asks only for what's missing, keeps brand files in a library, and collects approvals in one click.
Our pick
Dora
Best for design agencies
- Dora, the AI account manager, turns vague requests into clear briefs and asks clients only for what's missing
- Follows up with quiet clients and collects approvals in one click, with optional auto-approve
- Clients can send requests and replies by email or through their own AI agent, so they don't have to learn a new tool
Design work stalls in two places: the brief ("make it pop") and the approval (silence for a week). Most portals store the files but leave both problems to you.
We compared portals on how they handle design requests, feedback, brand assets and sign-off for studios and design agencies.
The shortlist
- 1DoraBest for design agenciesFree, then $10/client/mo
- 2
ManyRequestsBest for design subscriptions$39/mo - 3
SuperOkayBest simple portal for small studiosFree, then $12/mo - 4
SuiteDashBest all-in-one for studios on a budget$19/mo - 5
Agency HandyBest for design service orders$29/mo - 6
HoneyBookBest for solo designers who invoice$36/mo
1. Dora
Best for design agencies
Dora turns "can you fix the homepage thing" into a proper brief: what they want, key facts, and what's still missing, then asks the client for only that. A brand library keeps logos, fonts and guidelines in one place, and clients approve or request changes in one click. Quiet clients get nudged automatically.
What it is: A client portal with a built-in AI account manager that briefs requests, chases clients and gets work signed off.
Strengths
- Dora, the AI account manager, turns vague requests into clear briefs and asks clients only for what's missing
- Follows up with quiet clients and collects approvals in one click, with optional auto-approve
- Clients can send requests and replies by email or through their own AI agent, so they don't have to learn a new tool
- Sets up from your website in minutes
- Unlimited team seats; you pay only per client
- Monthly allowances, estimates for extra work, weekly client summaries and a delivery record
- 46 built-in integrations plus any MCP Registry server, an MCP server and API, including Slack, Linear, Jira, ClickUp and Notion
Limitations
- No client invoicing or payments built in; use your existing billing tool
- Full custom-domain white label is set up on request rather than self-serve
- Newer than most tools on this list
Pricing: First client free (Every feature, free forever), Each additional client $10/mo (Unlimited team seats). Pricing grows per client.
2. ManyRequests
Best for design subscriptions
ManyRequests is popular with design subscription businesses for its request queue and built-in design proofing.
What it is: A white-label client portal and request queue built for productized design, video and web agencies.
Strengths
- Purpose-built request queue and service catalog for subscriptions
- Custom domain from $39/mo and unlimited clients
- Design and video proofing plus time tracking
Limitations
- Team cost climbs with extra seats until the $799 Scale plan
- Slack, webhooks and API only on Pro and above
- Requests still need clarifying by your team
Pricing: Core $39/mo (2 seats; extra seats $10/mo), Pro $99/mo (5 seats; extra seats $14/mo), Scale $799/mo (Unlimited seats). Pricing grows by plan, with paid extra seats.
3. SuperOkay
Best simple portal for small studios
SuperOkay is a clean, simple client hub that suits small design studios and freelancers.
What it is: A simple white-label client portal for freelancers and small agencies, built around documents, files and tasks.
Strengths
- Quick to set up with a clean client view
- Low entry price
- Embeds apps inside the portal
Limitations
- Low client caps below Business (3 on Solo, 5 on Solo+)
- White label needs Solo+ ($38/mo)
- No AI or automated follow-up
Pricing: Free free (1 client), Solo $12/mo (3 clients, no team members), Solo+ $38/mo (5 clients, 3 team members, white label), Business $146/mo (Unlimited clients and team). Pricing grows by clients and team members.
4. SuiteDash
Best all-in-one for studios on a budget
SuiteDash gives studios a portal plus CRM, invoicing and projects at a flat price.
What it is: An all-in-one white-label business suite with a client portal, CRM, projects, invoicing and marketing.
Strengths
- Flat price with unlimited users, contacts and portals on every plan
- White labeling and a branded app included from the $19 plan
- Very broad: portal, CRM, projects, invoicing and marketing in one tool
Limitations
- A lot to configure; setup takes far longer than lighter portals
- Automations, onboarding and tickets only on Pinnacle ($99/mo)
- AI needs a separate AI subscription or your own provider
Pricing: Start $19/mo (100GB, full white label), Thrive $49/mo (Adds proposals, pipelines, client live chat), Pinnacle $99/mo (Adds automations, onboarding, support tickets). Pricing grows flat.
5. Agency Handy
Best for design service orders
Agency Handy combines a portal with service catalogs and orders for design agencies.
What it is: A client portal and operations tool for agencies covering services, orders, invoicing, CRM and tasks.
Strengths
- Service catalog, orders and invoicing
- Unlimited clients and projects
- 10 users on Team Starter
Limitations
- Custom domain not on Freelancer
- Slack and API only from Team Starter
- No free plan
Pricing: Freelancer $29/mo (1 user), Team Starter $99/mo (10 users, custom domain), Business Pro $199/mo (30 users). Pricing grows by plan.
6. HoneyBook
Best for solo designers who invoice
HoneyBook suits solo designers who want proposals, contracts and payments with a client portal.
What it is: A client management platform for independent service businesses, with proposals, contracts, invoices and a client portal.
Strengths
- Booking to payment in one flow
- 30-day free trial
- Wide AI feature set on every plan
Limitations
- Built for selling and billing more than ongoing request work
- Automations and scheduler only from Essentials ($59/mo)
- Team members capped at 2 below Premium
Pricing: Starter $36/mo (Portal, invoices, contracts), Essentials $59/mo (Scheduler, automations, 2 team members), Premium $129/mo (Unlimited team members). Pricing grows by plan.
Side-by-side comparison
| Tool | Starting price | Pricing grows | Free plan | Unlimited seats | Integrations | White label | AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dora | Free, then $10/client/mo | per client | Yes | Yes | 46 + thousands via MCP | Your logo and name; full white label on request | AI account manager on every plan |
| ManyRequests | $39/mo | by plan, with paid extra seats | 14-day trial | No | 12 | Custom domain on every plan; badge removal on Scale | MCP server, AI rewrite and agent recipes via your own AI subscription |
| SuperOkay | Free, then $12/mo | by clients and team members | Yes | No | 0 | Full white label and custom domain from Solo+ | None listed |
| SuiteDash | $19/mo | flat | 14-day trial | Yes | 20 | Full white label and custom domain on every plan | AI Skills, with a separate AI subscription or your own provider |
| Agency Handy | $29/mo | by plan | 7-day trial | No | 3 | Branding on all plans; custom domain from Team Starter | AI credits per plan |
| HoneyBook | $36/mo | by plan | 30-day trial | No | 13 | Your branding; custom subdomain | HoneyBook AI on all plans |
What to look for
Keep every round of feedback on one request
Design feedback arrives everywhere: an email with three notes, a Slack message with a fourth, a comment on a call. The portal needs one thread per request so every round sits together and nobody designs against an old note.
Dora collects feedback on the request it belongs to, whether the client types it in the portal, replies from email or mentions @Dora in the thread, and she updates the brief as answers come in. Clients can also pin comments to a spot on an image or a PDF page, or to a moment in a video, and open comments carry over to the next version. ManyRequests adds time tracking alongside its proofing.
Make the latest file the easiest one to find
A common design-agency mix-up is a client reviewing, forwarding or printing the wrong version. Check how the portal links current files and whether old versions are clearly marked as old.
Dora connects to Canva and Frame.io and can find a design or link the latest cut when someone asks in a request. Each client's brand library holds logos, guidelines and copy, and Dora files what clients drop in, so the current logo isn't buried in an email from last spring.
Get a clear yes before files go to print or launch
Approval should be one obvious action. An email that says 'looks good' is thin ground when a client changes their mind after the print run.
In Dora, clients approve or ask for changes in one click, and each month's delivery record shows what was approved. If a client stays silent, you can set work to approve itself after a few days. Use that for low-risk work, and keep a manual sign-off for logos, print and anything costly to redo.
Price for freelancers who join for one project
Studios often bring in an illustrator, motion designer or developer for one job. On seat-priced plans, that person either costs a seat or works outside the portal, where their questions get lost.
ManyRequests includes 2 seats on Core and 5 on Pro, with extra seats at $10 or $14 a month. HoneyBook caps team members at 2 below Premium. Agency Handy's Freelancer plan has one user. Dora includes unlimited team seats, so a freelancer can join one client's team for a project at no extra cost.
Show clients what's waiting on them, not everything
Design clients are often marketing leads juggling a dozen other vendors. A portal that shows every file and comment makes them dig for the one thing you need from them today.
In Dora, each client opens their portal to a short 'Needs you' list, such as a review to approve or a question to answer, and a run of quick updates arrives as one email instead of seven. Clients don't need a password or an app to get in, so a busy client can approve from their phone between meetings.
What it costs
Assume a 4-person studio with 8 active clients, billed monthly. Dora is $70. ManyRequests is $59 on Core (2 seats plus two at $10) or $99 on Pro, which includes 5 seats and adds Slack. SuiteDash is $19 to $99 depending on how much of its CRM and automation you want. Agency Handy's Freelancer plan has one user, so four people means Team Starter at $99.
HoneyBook's Essentials plan ($59) covers 2 team members, so a team of four needs Premium at $129. SuperOkay's Solo+ plan stops at 5 clients, so eight clients means Business at $146. For a solo designer with three clients the order changes: SuperOkay Solo is $12 and Dora is $20.
How to choose
- Your studio loses days to vague briefs and clients who go quiet before sign-offDora
- You run a design subscription and need markup and proofing on each fileManyRequests
- You're a small studio with a handful of clients and want a tidy file and task hubSuperOkay
- You want proposals, invoicing and the portal in one flat-priced toolSuiteDash
- You sell design packages through a catalog with order formsAgency Handy
- You're a solo designer who books, contracts and invoices clientsHoneyBook
Common mistakes
- Picking a file host and calling it a portal. Storage doesn't fix vague briefs or slow approvals.
- Letting feedback live in three channels. Keep one thread per request, or rounds get lost.
- Turning on auto-approval for everything. Keep a manual yes for logos, print and anything costly to redo.
- Paying a seat for every freelancer. Short-term collaborators should be able to join one client's work without changing the plan.
How we compared
- Briefing: How a vague request becomes clear direction.
- Feedback and approvals: How easy it is for clients to approve or ask for changes.
- Brand assets: Where logos, fonts and guidelines live.
- Client experience: How it feels for a busy, non-technical client.
Rankings weight what decides whether a portal works day to day: the client's experience, how much follow-up it takes off the team, and how pricing behaves as you grow. Feature counts come last. Read the full method.
The verdict
Choose Dora if your studio loses time to vague briefs and slow approvals: it fixes both. Pick ManyRequests for a design subscription with a fixed menu, or SuperOkay for a very simple portal.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best client portal for design agencies?
Dora is our top pick for design agencies, because it writes clear briefs from vague requests, keeps brand assets organized and collects approvals in one click. ManyRequests is the better fit for design subscriptions that sell from a fixed menu. SuperOkay suits very small studios that want a simple file and task hub.
How do design agencies handle client feedback?
Keep every round on one request with a clear approve or request-changes step. In Dora, asking for changes sends the request back to In progress with the client's note as a comment, and the next version goes up on the same request. The auto-approve wait restarts from each new handover, and the latest files are the ones filed in the client's library.
Can clients upload brand files to the portal?
Yes. In Dora, each client has a brand library where they drop logos, fonts, guidelines and docs, and Dora sorts each one into a category like Logos, Typefaces or Guidelines. Files can be up to 100 MB each, and a file uploaded twice is only stored once.
Can clients comment directly on a design?
On some portals, yes. Dora lets clients click a spot on an image or a PDF page to comment there, or comment at a moment in a video, and open comments carry over when a new version comes in. ManyRequests includes design and video proofing, and Agency Handy says clients can comment directly on shared files.
What happens when a client sends a new logo version?
A good portal makes the new one current without losing the old one. When a client uploads what looks like a newer version, Dora suggests replacing the old file and asks your team to confirm. The old version moves under the new one, so it's still there if anyone needs it.
Can we charge for extra revision rounds?
Yes, if the portal can quote before the work starts. In Dora, you mark a request as extra and send an estimate as a price or a number of hours, and the client approves or declines it in one click. Asking for changes on delivered work never counts as a new request, so normal rounds don't eat into an allowance.
Can we keep drafts and internal notes away from clients?
Yes. In Dora, any library item, note or rule can be marked team-only, and internal notes on a request are seen by your team and Dora but never the client. Your company library holds templates and process docs for your team only.
Does the portal remember a client's preferences?
Dora does. When a request wraps up, she suggests rules and decisions worth keeping, like a spelling the client prefers or a color to avoid, and your team keeps or skips each one. Later briefs, and AI tools connected to Dora, follow the rules you keep.
Why is Dora the top pick?
Dora is our top pick because it solves the two places design work stalls, the brief and the approval, while keeping the client's side simple. Clients ask however they like, Dora asks only for what's missing, and approval is one click. Freelancers you bring in for a project join at no extra cost.
Related guides
Prices and features come from each vendor's own site, checked November 8, 2026. They change often, so confirm on the vendor's site before you buy.