Agencies don't choose proofing software like an in-house team does. Your reviewers are clients, they won't learn a new tool for you, and every extra round of revisions eats into your margin. For most creative and marketing agencies, Miriad is the best fit: clients review without a seat or a password, and your internal comments never reach them. Ziflow suits large network agencies with complex workflows, and Frame.io remains the choice for video production.
OUR PICK FOR AGENCIES
Miriad, because it was designed around the agency and client relationship rather than an internal review process.
Free, password-free access for clients, separate circles for your studio and your client, and every version in one place, from €15.83 per user per month.
What agencies need from proofing software
The core problem is feedback quality, and it hits agencies hardest. In a 2025 study of 1,034 agencies and marketers across 54 countries, 52% of marketers said they give clear, constructive feedback, but only 30% of agencies agreed, as Marketing Week reported. The same article cites IPA data showing that the average number of revision rounds before approval rose from 3 in 2007 to 5 today.
A proofing tool won't fix vague feedback on its own, but it removes the friction around it. Here is what matters for an agency:
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Zero-friction client access. If your client needs an account and a password, they'll reply by email instead.
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Separate spaces for your team and your client. Your art director's notes and your client's feedback shouldn't sit in the same thread.
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Strong PDF support. Brochures, catalogs and magazines are still a big part of agency work.
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A clear approval record. Agencies often sell a fixed number of revision rounds. Without a record of who approved which version, extra rounds are hard to bill.
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A pricing model that fits your size. Paying per seat or per package changes everything for a 5-person studio.
Before and after
What changes when approvals move out of your inbox
Over email
Four PDFs annotated separately, merged by hand
A WeTransfer link that expired before the client replied
brochure_V5_final_OK2.pdf- “Looks good to me” lost in a reply thread
With Miriad
One link, the client comments with no password
Client and internal comments stay in separate circles
- V1, V2 and V3 kept in one place
Approved by the client on October 14 at 4:32 pm
The 6 best proofing tools for agencies
Miriad
Best for creative and marketing agencies that send print, PDFs and campaign variations to clients. Miriad was built around the agency and client relationship. Clients get a link by email and sign in without a password, then annotate directly on the file. Your studio works in its own circle, so internal notes never reach the client, and every approval is recorded with the approver's name and the version.
A project manager at a large international agency told us her mental load dropped once every comment and approval sat in one place. Another agency director first looked at Frame.io, then chose Miriad because the price fit a small agency. Pricing: from €15.83 per user per month billed annually, with free guests. See Miriad pricing.
Ziflow
Best for large network agencies with complex, multi-stage workflows. Ziflow reads more than 1,200 formats, gives you unlimited reviewers through public links, and automates advanced approval paths. Pricing: free for 2 users, then $199 per month billed annually with 15 users. Its depth takes longer for clients to adopt.
Filestage
Best for agencies running staged reviews with several approvers. Reviewers comment for free with just their email address, and you can set different reviewers at each step. Pricing: free for one active project, then €199 per month with 10 members included, which is steep for a small studio.
ReviewStudio
Best for agencies that want per-seat pricing and broad format support. Guests are unlimited on every plan, need no account, and review links can be password-protected. Pricing: a free plan, then $15 per user per month on Pro, with caps of 10 active reviews and 25 GB per user.
Approval Studio
Best for small design and artwork teams that prefer a flat price. External reviewers are unlimited and don't register. Pricing: from $60 per month for 5 users on Lite, $160 for Pro and $300 for Pro XL. Video support is limited to MP4.
Frame.io
Best for video and post-production agencies. Frame.io, owned by Adobe, offers frame-accurate comments and integrates with Premiere Pro and After Effects. External reviewers comment for free through share links. Pricing: free for 2 members, then $15 per member per month on Pro, capped at 5 members. For print-heavy agencies, it's a video tool doing PDF on the side.
For a wider comparison including PageProof and GoVisually, see our guide to the best online proofing software.
Per-seat or flat pricing for an agency
The billing model matters more than the sticker price. Here is what each tool costs for a 5-person studio and a 15-person agency, based on the plans listed by each vendor.
| Tool | 5 people per month | 15 people per month | How it bills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miriad | €79 (Pro) | €237 (Pro) | Per user, billed annually, guests free |
| Frame.io | $75 (Pro) | $375 (Team) | Per member, Pro capped at 5 |
| ReviewStudio | $75 (Pro) | $225 (Pro) | Per user, monthly |
| Approval Studio | $60 (Lite) | $300 (Pro XL) | Package with users included |
| Ziflow | $199 (Standard) | $199 (Standard) | Package with 15 users, billed annually |
| Filestage | €199 (Starter) | €199 plus extra member bundles | Package with 10 members |
In short, per-seat tools win for small agencies, and packages start to pay off once you actually fill the included seats. In every case, make sure clients and freelancers you invite don't count as paid users.
How to roll out a proofing tool to your clients
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Start with one client and one long document, like a brochure or a catalog, where the pain of email feedback is obvious.
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Set up your circles first: one for your studio, one for the client, and one for legal or the printer if needed.
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Keep email as a safety net for the first weeks. Share the review link in your usual email so the client recognizes it.
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Ask for an explicit approval at the end of each round instead of "looks good" in a reply.
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Run the pilot over a full project cycle, then extend to other clients once your team has the habit.
Try Miriad free for 14 days with one of your clients, no card required. Create your workspace in 2 minutes.
Your questions about proofing software for agencies
Do our clients need a license to review?
Not with most modern proofing tools. On Miriad, you only pay for members of your agency. Clients join for free and sign in with a link sent by email, with no password.
Can clients see our internal comments?
Only if the tool mixes everyone in one thread. In Miriad, your studio's comments stay in an internal circle and the client only sees their own circle.
Is per-seat or flat pricing cheaper for an agency?
For a team of 5, per-seat tools are usually cheaper, around $60 to $80 per month. Flat packages make more sense from about 15 people, when the included seats are actually used.
How long does it take to get clients on board?
If clients don't need an account or a password, the first share is usually enough. The simplest start is one client and one project, then you extend once the team is comfortable.
Which tool works best for print and PDF-heavy agencies?
A tool that treats PDF as a core format, keeps every version and records the final sign-off. Miriad was built around that use case. Video-first tools handle PDFs too, but they are designed around the timeline.
Our sources
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Marketing Week, "Only a third of agencies believe they receive constructive feedback", March 4, 2025, with IPA and BetterIdeas Project data.
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Official pricing pages of Miriad, Ziflow, Filestage, ReviewStudio, Approval Studio and Frame.io, checked in October 2026.
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Interviews conducted by Miriad with client and prospect agencies in 2026.