Start by deciding how much of the business one tool should run. Full professional services automation suites cover projects, resourcing and finance together, agency suites add agency workflows, and single-layer tools handle one job, such as resource scheduling or time and invoicing, alongside software you already use.
Agencies and consultancies tend to leave Scoro for one of two reasons: they want a different all-in-one suite, or they've realised they only use one part of it and want something lighter. This list covers both, in no particular order, with every description taken from the vendor's own website.
Nine options by scope
| Tool | Scope | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Accelo | PSA platform | Projects, resources and financials connected |
| Avaza | Projects, time and invoices | Projects, scheduling, time and invoicing together |
| Birdview PSA | Services automation software | Moving a services business off spreadsheets |
| Float | Resource scheduling | Seeing who's working on what |
| Kantata | PSA platform | Scoping, resourcing and forecasting linked |
| Paymo | Time, tasks and invoices | Time tracking through to invoices |
| Teamleader | CRM, projects and invoices | Sales, projects and invoices linked |
| Teamwork.com | Agentic PSA | Projects, resources and capacity forecasting |
| Workamajig | Agency management | Advertising and marketing agencies |
One platform, or two joined together?
The tool you're leaving puts projects, resourcing and finance in one place. Several alternatives here cover a single layer, and that's the first thing to settle before you book any demos.
Float handles resource scheduling and shows who's working on what, with AI-assisted staffing that the vendor says finds the best-fit person for a project. Paymo leans towards time and invoicing: tracking time and tasks, delivering projects and sending invoices, with the vendor promising a bird's-eye view of your business. Avaza covers more ground, from projects and chat to resource scheduling, time tracking, expenses and invoicing, but its centre of gravity is still time and billing.
None of that is a weakness if your accounts already live somewhere you're happy with. It does mean two systems, two logins and a join between them. So decide whether you want finance in the same tool as delivery, or whether you're happy to connect two tools, then trial your shortlist with one live project from brief to invoice.
Full PSA suites
These aim to replace the whole stack. Accelo connects projects, resources, financials and forecasting for professional services firms. Kantata links scoping, resourcing and forecasting, and its pitch is consistent projects that make money.
Birdview PSA connects resources, projects, time, billing and financials, and the vendor's line is that you can run your services business without spreadsheets. Teamwork.com manages projects, resources and capacity forecasting; its own framing is that most tools track work while it aims to make work profitable. My guide to PSA software covers this group in more depth.
Suites built around the agency
Workamajig is agency management software for advertising and marketing agencies, with projects and finance in one platform. Teamleader links sales, projects, invoices and customers, and the vendor says its Focus AI sets up invoices and projects and tracks customers and deals. If the sales side matters as much as delivery, see my list of CRMs for agencies too.
My advice for agency and consultancy owners
Map where your money is made before you compare screens. If profit lives or dies on how well you schedule people, a resourcing tool joined to your accounts may serve you better than a suite you'll only half use. If quotes, timesheets and invoices keep drifting apart, that's when one platform earns its place.
Whichever way you go, involve the person who sends invoices and the person who plans the week. They'll find the gaps a director won't. Consultancies can also compare my roundup of project management software for consultants.
Every option, A to Z
Listed alphabetically, one line each.
Accelo
Best for: Professional services firms wanting projects, resources, financials and forecasting connected, with the vendor's stated aim of protecting margins and planning ahead.
Avaza
Best for: Growing teams that want projects, chat, resource scheduling, time tracking, expenses and invoicing in one place rather than several apps.
Birdview PSA
Best for: Services businesses ready to move resources, projects, time, billing and financials out of spreadsheets and into one PSA.
Float
Best for: Teams whose main question is who's working on what, with resource scheduling and AI-assisted staffing suggestions.
Kantata
Best for: Consultancies that want scoping, resourcing and forecasting connected in one professional services automation platform.
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.
Paymo
Best for: Small teams tracking time and tasks, delivering projects and issuing invoices from the same tool.
Teamleader
Best for: Firms that want sales, projects, invoices and customer records linked, with the vendor's Focus AI setting up invoices and projects.
Teamwork.com
Best for: Client-work teams wanting projects, resources and capacity forecasting managed together, from a vendor focused on making work profitable.
Workamajig
Best for: Advertising and marketing agencies looking for agency management software that keeps projects and finance in one platform.
Questions to put to each vendor on the demo call
- Can you take one of our real projects from brief to invoice in front of us, without switching to slides?
- Where do timesheets end up, and who has to touch them before an invoice goes out?
- Which parts of our current setup would still need another tool, and how do the two connect?
- What comes across from our old system on day one, and what do we re-enter by hand?
- Who on your side helps us set it up, and for how long?
Ask every vendor the same five, write the answers down side by side, and the shortlist usually sorts itself.
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 the work of a services firm into one system: projects, resourcing, time tracking and often billing and forecasting. It's built for businesses that sell people's time and expertise.
Do I need a full PSA suite, or would a lighter tool do?
If your main pain is scheduling people or tracking time, a lighter tool joined to your accounting software can be enough. A full suite earns its place when quotes, delivery and invoicing keep drifting apart.
What's the difference between a PSA and agency management software?
There's plenty of overlap. Agency management tools tend to be shaped around agency work such as campaigns and creative jobs, while PSA platforms are pitched more widely at consultancies and other professional services firms.
How long does it take to switch PSA tools?
It depends on how much history you bring across and how many teams use it. Plan for a pilot with one team or one project before moving everyone.
Are these tools ranked?
No. They're in no particular order and grouped by scope, because the right one depends on how much of your business you want in a single tool.
Should finance live in the same tool as projects?
It helps when the same people quote, deliver and invoice. If finance is handled by a separate team in its own system, a clean connection between two tools can work just as well.
