Pick a replacement by scope, not by brand. Firms that sell their people's time need either a full professional services automation platform, an agency-specific suite, or a lighter tool for projects, time and invoicing. Decide which scope matches your firm, then trial your shortlist on one live client project from time entry through to invoice.
Here's something to know before you compare anything: Accelo's own website now says Forecast.app is Accelo.com. A tool some agencies knew as a separate product has been folded into the same company. If you're weighing up your PSA options, or looking for something lighter, here are nine alternatives in no particular order.
Two product lines, one company
When two products end up under one name, quotes and demos can get confusing. Check which product line a quote covers before you put it next to anyone else's, so you're comparing like with like rather than a full platform against a single module.
Then ask every vendor on your shortlist the same question about its roadmap: what's changing over the coming releases, and what's being retired? The answer tells you how settled each product is, and asking all of them the same thing makes the replies easy to line up.
None of this means the merged product is a bad choice. It means you should know exactly what you're being offered, and that applies to every name on this page.
Full PSA, agency suite or something lighter
Full PSA platforms. Kantata connects scoping, resourcing and forecasting. Scoro manages projects, resources and finances across teams and offices. Birdview PSA links resources, projects, time, billing and financials. Teamwork.com covers projects, resources and capacity forecasting. These are built for firms where resourcing across many people is the hard part.
Agency and consultancy suites. Workamajig is built for advertising and marketing agencies and brings in accounting and CRM. Productive runs resources, projects and finances for agencies and consultancies. Projectworks takes consulting firms from deals and proposals through time tracking to invoicing.
Lighter project, time and invoice tools. Paymo tracks time and tasks and sends invoices. Teamleader links sales, projects, invoices and customers. If your firm is small and a full PSA felt like too much software, start here.
Five of the nine come from smaller, independent vendors, so expect smaller teams behind them. Ask how support and onboarding work as part of any demo.
The nine tools, one line each
In no particular order, sorted A to Z.
Birdview PSA
Best for: Firms that want resources, projects, time, billing and financials connected, with the vendor saying it shows who is billable, who is available and where projects stand.
Kantata
Best for: Professional services firms connecting scoping, resourcing and forecasting; the vendor describes AI-driven PSA that learns how your firm delivers its best work.
Paymo
Best for: Small teams who mainly need time and task tracking, project delivery and invoicing in one connected system, as the vendor describes it.
Productive
Best for: Agencies and consultancies running resources, projects and finances together, with AI Reporting that the vendor says shows when projects perform well and why not.
Projectworks
Best for: Consulting firms wanting deals, proposals, time tracking, resourcing, invoicing and forecasting in one place, which the vendor calls an AI-powered platform.
Scoro
Best for: Consultancies, agencies, IT, architecture and engineering firms, the groups the vendor says it's purpose-built for, managing projects, resources and finances across teams and offices.
Teamleader
Best for: Businesses that want sales, projects, invoices and customers linked, pitched by the vendor as one platform to run your whole business.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Teamwork.com
Best for: Client-work teams managing projects, resources and capacity forecasting; the vendor says it helps you win, plan and deliver projects with live margin at every step.
Workamajig
Best for: Advertising and marketing agencies wanting projects, accounting, CRM and resourcing in one system, which the vendor calls complete agency management.
How the nine line up
| Tool | Category | Built for |
|---|---|---|
| Birdview PSA | Services automation software | Resources, projects, time, billing and financials |
| Kantata | PSA platform | Connecting scoping, resourcing and forecasting |
| Paymo | Time, tasks and invoices | Tracking time and tasks, then sending invoices |
| Productive | Agency PSA | Resources, projects and finances for agencies |
| Projectworks | Consultancy PSA | Deals through to invoicing for consulting firms |
| Scoro | PSA platform | Projects, resources and finances across offices |
| Teamleader | CRM, projects and invoices | Sales, projects, invoices and customers linked |
| Teamwork.com | PSA platform | Projects, resources and capacity forecasting |
| Workamajig | Agency management | Running an ad or marketing agency end to end |
My advice on choosing a services platform
Match the tool to the size of the problem. Where project work matters more than billing, here are some Teamwork.com alternatives. If you're a firm of a few people tracking hours and sending invoices, a full PSA platform is more than you'll use, and a lighter time-and-invoice tool will be quicker to get running. If you're juggling resourcing across many people and clients, the lighter tools will run out of road, and a full PSA earns its set-up time.
Agency suites sit in between. They're worth a look if your work is campaigns and creative jobs rather than consulting hours, because they're shaped around how agencies run. For the broader field, see my list of PSA software and the project management tools for consultants.
In short, don't buy for the firm you hope to be in five years. Buy for the next stage, and check that your data can leave cleanly if you outgrow it.
Trial it on a live client project
A demo with sample data hides the awkward parts. Instead, run a trial on one live client project, all the way from time entry through to invoice.
- Set up one current client project with the people who work on it.
- Have everyone log a week of time against it.
- Raise a draft invoice from that time and check it matches what you'd normally send.
- Open the reports a director would read on Monday and see if they answer the right questions.
If the invoice at the end is right without manual fixing, you've found a tool that deserves a closer look.
Do you make PSA or agency management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What is PSA software?
Professional services automation software brings projects, resourcing, time tracking, billing and reporting together for firms that sell their people's time, such as agencies and consultancies.
What happened to Forecast?
Accelo's own site says Forecast.app is now Accelo.com, so it sits with the same company. If you're comparing quotes, check which product line each one covers.
Do I need a full PSA or just a time tracking tool?
If your main jobs are logging hours and sending invoices, a lighter tool is usually enough. If resourcing many people across many clients is the headache, a full PSA is built for that.
What should I ask about a vendor's roadmap?
Ask what's changing over the coming releases, what's being retired and how changes are announced. Ask every vendor the same questions so the answers are easy to compare.
Are agency suites different from general PSA tools?
Agency suites are shaped around campaign and creative work, often with accounting and CRM built in. General PSA tools tend to suit consultancies and services firms more broadly.
How should I trial a PSA tool?
Use one live client project rather than sample data. Log a week of real time, raise a draft invoice and check the reports before you decide.
