The best project management software with a client portal depends on how clients are counted and where the branding lives: Teamwork and SuiteDash are built around client work, Zoho Projects is the lowest-priced paid option at US$4 per user per month billed annually, and Basecamp sells flat packages from $29/mo. This guide compares seven tools on portal depth, how each prices client access and what the entry plan really includes. Every price below was read from the vendor page on 2 November 2026 and is cited at the point of use.
What a client portal needs to do
A portal that survives a paying client needs five things: scoped guest access, your own branding, approvals, file sharing and messaging in context, and permission control over what a client can edit or see. Weak implementations add guests to the same view your team uses; strong ones separate the internal and client layers by design. Use that test when you read the tiers below, and run a real external account through any trial.
Price and portal limits at a glance
| Tool | Entry paid price (billing) | Free tier | Client-access signal on the vendor page | SoftwareSift verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teamwork | Basics: price digits not readable in the saved page | Free: up to 5 projects, maximum 5 users | Plan grid lists 'Invite client users into projects'; 14 day free trial | Agencies billing client hours |
| ClickUp | Core: $9 per user per month shown (regular price $12), billed yearly | Free Forever, unlimited free members | Guest Permissions listed under Core | Teams that will configure their own client views |
| Zoho Projects | Premium: US$4 per user per month billed annually | Free: up to 5 users, 3 projects | Read-only users: 10 on Enterprise, 100 on Ultimate; Custom Domain on Enterprise | Lowest paid price; Zoho-native firms |
| Basecamp | Freelancer: $29/mo for up to 5 users | Personal: one project, up to 3 people | Pricing FAQ asks if clients, contractors or guests count as users | Simple client view, flat pricing |
| SuiteDash | Start: $19 a month shown on the price card | 14-day free trial | Unlimited clients and staff on all plans; unlimited portals | Portal-first, not per-user |
| Accelo | No plan price stated (based on team size and growth goals) | Not stated | Pricing page redirects to a how-to-buy page | Established service firms; request a quote |
| Moxie | Not read (page timed out) | Not read | Not read | Check the vendor page |
Sources: vendor pricing pages fetched 2 November 2026 06:00 to 06:01 UTC. Billing basis is stated per row where the page shows it.
Entry paid price, per user per month where billed that way, USD (billed annually or yearly)
Basecamp ($29/mo to $199/mo billed annually for Pro Unlimited) and SuiteDash ($19 to $99 a month) are flat per account, so they are not charted per user.
Teamwork: built around client work
Teamwork lists client collaboration as a design goal: its plan grid includes "Organize work by client", "Invite client users into projects" and "Approve files faster with Proofs", and its invoicing lines build client invoices from logged time. The Free plan allows up to 5 projects and a maximum of 5 users; paid plans bill per user per month, billed yearly, with a 14 day free trial and "Save 29%" on annual billing. The paid-plan prices were not legible in the saved page text, so confirm them with Teamwork before budgeting. Choose Teamwork when billable hours and retainers are the business model.
ClickUp: flexible, but you build the portal
ClickUp Core is shown at $9 per user per month billed yearly (regular price $12) and adds Guest Permissions; Business is shown at $17 (regular price $25) and adds Advanced Dashboards, Private Views and Timesheets. The Free Forever plan lists unlimited free members and 60 MB of storage. The tradeoff is configuration: the permission model is powerful and not self-explanatory, so allow setup time and assign one owner.
Zoho Projects: lowest paid entry price
Zoho Projects lists Premium at US$4, Enterprise at US$9 and Ultimate at US$14 per user per month billed annually, plus a 15-day free trial. Enterprise adds 10 read-only users, a Custom Domain, SSO and two-factor authentication; Ultimate raises read-only users to 100. Local taxes are charged in addition. This is the pick for price-sensitive firms, especially those already on other Zoho apps.
Basecamp: flat packages and a quiet client view
Basecamp Business packages are Freelancer at $29/mo (3 projects, up to 5 users), Pro at $79/mo (8 projects, up to 10 users), Pro Plus at $99/mo (12 projects, up to 15 users, adds time tracking) and Pro Unlimited at $199/mo billed annually (unlimited projects and users). Basecamp Personal is one free project for up to 3 people, and the Business trial runs 30 days. There is no per-user fee, which helps firms with many small clients, but Freelancer does not include templates or multiple tools per project.
SuiteDash: a portal-first platform priced per account
SuiteDash prices by account, not user: "one price per month/year/century ... NOT per user". The cards show Start at $19, Thrive at $49 and Pinnacle at $99 a month, each with unlimited CRM contacts or clients and staff, a 14-day free trial, and white labeling from Start. Higher tiers add proposals, automation and onboarding flows. It suits firms whose client portal, CRM and billing should live in one place rather than inside a project tool.
Accelo and Moxie
Accelo positions itself on professional-services automation: its page says pricing "is based on your team size and growth goals" and states no price, so treat it as a quote-led option for established service firms. Moxie targets independent operators; its pricing page could not be read for this guide, so confirm current terms with the vendor.
How the real cost adds up
- Count client users first. Per-user tools multiply cost with each paid client seat; flat-account tools (Basecamp, SuiteDash) do not.
- Check the tier. Custom domain, branding and read-only users often sit above the entry plan, as on Zoho Projects Enterprise.
- Price add-ons. Time tracking, proofing and storage can sit in higher packages, as time tracking does from Basecamp Pro Plus.
Which should you choose?
- Agency billing client hours: Teamwork.
- Firm with a configuration owner: ClickUp.
- Budget-first or Zoho users: Zoho Projects.
- Simple client view, many external users: Basecamp.
- Portal, CRM and billing in one account price: SuiteDash.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest project management software with a client portal?
On the pages read for this guide, Zoho Projects Premium lists the lowest paid price at US$4 per user per month billed annually, and Basecamp lists a flat $29/mo Freelancer package. Neither number includes every portal feature, so check which tier carries the client access you need.
Do clients count as paid users?
It depends on the vendor. Teamwork lists an 'Invite client users into projects' feature in its plan grid, and SuiteDash states unlimited clients and staff on every plan. Zoho Projects sells read-only users per plan (10 on Enterprise, 100 on Ultimate). Basecamp has a pricing FAQ on whether clients, contractors or guests count toward the user limit; read that answer before you invite clients.
Is there a free project management tool with client access?
Free tiers exist but are narrow. Teamwork Free allows up to 5 projects and a maximum of 5 users, Zoho Projects Free allows up to 5 users and 3 projects, ClickUp Free Forever lists unlimited free members, and Basecamp Personal gives one free project with up to 3 people.
Can I put my own domain on a client portal?
Zoho Projects lists a Custom Domain from its Enterprise plan (US$9 per user per month billed annually). SuiteDash lists extreme white labeling on its entry plan. Check the vendor grid for the tier that includes the branding you need.
Which tool suits a solo freelancer?
Moxie is positioned for independents, but its pricing page timed out when the pack was built, so no Moxie price is quoted here. Check hellomoxie.com for current terms. Of the priced options, Basecamp Freelancer ($29/mo) and Zoho Projects Premium are the lowest entry points.
SoftwareSift Team. Prices are list figures from vendor pages on 2 November 2026 and change; verify before buying.