10 best approval software for creatives

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Honestly, I just love working with clients. As a designer, your work comes down to making people’s dreams come true and implementing their craziest ideas to life. However, it can get bumpy, as clients usually have a specific vision of what they want. 

What does piss people off is the way said book is written. No matter how much you love literature, you will not appreciate “The spot in the top left corner looks weird, maybe we can change the color?” or “Something is off about the font” or “It’s more or less okay, let’s maybe discuss the issues in a call?” paired with pixelated screenshots. Sometimes what a designer needs is structured feedback. Luckily, there is a way to get it. 

And that specific vision results in so, so many edits… When you think that you’ve just created the best piece of media to ever exist, and then get a whole book about how it should be different. However, that’s a part of the work every designer is used to.

What is Proofing Software?

As you’ve guessed the best way to get quick and structured feedback is proofing software. But what is proofing software and how it works?

Proofing or approval software is any native, hybrid, or web app whose main functionality is to upload a file and have the ability to annotate it or add comments. Additionally, proofing software can have wider file annotation functionality and a number of project management tools. 

Depending on the team, approval tools now offer a variety of features for everyone. Features like task assignment, DAM, workflows for bigger companies; and a simple dashboard or Kanban with reference files for freelancers or small businesses. However, the core of any proofing tool is the file and a few shapes to point to the issues with the design, along with a comment text box and the ability to invite a client to review this asset with no need to sign up. 

Who and Why Need It?

Okay, you may think that sounds nice, but I don’t need it, because traditional approval methods (like email) work well for my team. Answer this then: how much time does your team usually spend on proofing? Usually, this number varies somewhere between 60-80%. You see, every asset can have from 3 to 8 cycles at best. Each of these has to be approved by let’s say three people, each having their own feedback. In the end, you have three emails with requested changes per version that have to be structured into the to-do list by the designer, or worse, by the manager. 

Do you have a headache by simply reading this? Because I do. The art director of the NV magazine once told us that they took this chaos for granted because they didn’t know that there was anything to do with it. Then, an online tool solved a problem they didn’t know they even had. 

And if you think that such tools are not really for you, as all of your team is in one office next to each other, you will be wrong! Online proofing tools are useful for online teams because they eliminate all the unnecessary chaos of asking a person to do the task, reaching out to them, disrupting everyone’s work to approve a thing, and collecting feedback from many sources, hoping you won’t forget anything. Ditto the offline teams, however, for them this chaos results in a noisy and messy office, where no one can focus on their work.

But what approval software to choose? Well, it all depends on your needs and budget, so let’s discuss some online proofing tools and how they can be useful for you. 

Top Approval Software

We are going to talk about 10 approval software tools (in no specific order)  that can help you and your team reach that serenity and order in a creative process that seems to be unreal. We are going to discuss the pros of each review tool here, however, if you wish to discover the downsides of each, I will add the link to another of our ongoing series of proofing tool comparisons that allow you to make a conscious decision about some of the tools.  

Approval Studio

An online review tool that helps you automate all the processes bordering on artwork approval.  It eliminates the chaos of scattered emails and lost versions by centralizing feedback, annotations, and external reviews into one platform. Approval Studio provides review tool and project management tools that easily streamline review workflows. The review tool has a sleek and intuitive design that is easily graspable for designers and clients, with an additional opportunity to customize it to the tools you really need. 

Ditto the project management part of Approval Studio that allows you to incorporate task assignments, customized workflows, and comprehensive reporting only if you need it Its integrations with popular applications like Shopify, Zapier, Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, and a work-of-art API allow teams to connect seamlessly with their existing processes. 

Approval Studio is a client-centered tool, with many features appearing in it by the request from the existing customers no matter the plan they are using. Embracing both simplicity and sophistication, Approval Studio is an essential solution for anyone looking to transform the chaotic review process into a streamlined, transparent, and efficient operation. 

• Feature-rich Review tool that supports 23+ file formats.
• Asset-centered customizable workflows
• API to seamlessly integrate with any tool

Pricing starts at $55/month

Ziflow

Ziflow is a comprehensive online proofing and review platform that helps creative teams transform how they collaborate on projects. It provides a centralized hub where feedback, annotations, and version tracking help streamline the approval process, eliminating the chaos of endless email threads and disorganized file sharing. 

Ziflow’s main features are design reviews, markup tools, and automated workflow routing. They help marketing professionals, in-house creatives, and agencies to work more efficiently while ensuring every piece of content meets high-quality standards. Ziflow offers reliable enterprise-grade security to make sure any confidential information is safe. 

Among other features, Ziflow offers integrations with popular applications like Adobe Creative Cloud, Monday.com, Asana, and Jira synchronize effortlessly with your existing processes. Ziflow claims to be the app that lets your content flow along with it. 

• Customizable workflows and automation
• Includes an AI-helper
• Easy video proofing

Pricing starts at $199/month but there is a free plan.

You can read how it compares with Approval Studio here.

Review Studio

Review Studio is essentially an online review tool that is truly a dinosaur of proofing services, making it one of the most sophisticated, feared, and revered of them all. In its history it has created a way to cater to almost all industries, making the review process easier with the range of available features for approval and project management.

Review Studio supports a wide array of file formats, making it versatile enough to handle everything from graphic designs and marketing materials to videos and interactive media. Additionally, its integrated project management features—such as task assignments, custom workflows, and progress tracking—further enhance productivity by streamlining the entire creative process. 

Additionally, it allows its users a range of integration tools like API, Zapier, Integromat, Wrike, Asana, Monday, and a few more. These make Review Studio a useful tool for any company no matter the scale or the purpose. 

• Sticky notes, highlighter, freehand pen, and shapes for annotation
• Comments can be turned into tasks
• Custom workflow and automation templates

Pricing starts at $12/user/month but there is a free plan.

You can read how it compares with Approval Studio here.

Quickreviewer

Quickreviewer is a cloud-based collaborative proofing and review tool offering a centralized platform where users can upload, organize, and share creative assets with controlled access. It allows users to drag and drop assets for review, which makes it super comfortable for the team. 

Despite not having many project management tools, Quickreviewer hugely focuses on its review tool. It adds new features and simplifies it for a more efficient user experience. They claim to be for both brands and creative agencies helping enhance productivity and making it easier to connect. 

What is great about Quickreviewer is that it allows integrations with Adobe Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop), as well as Dropbox, Zapier, and Box, creating an essential designer toolkit. 

• Plugin for live Wordpess website proofing
• YouTube integration for video proofing
• Team workspace tool

Pricing starts at $35/month but there is a free plan.

You can read how it compares with Approval Studio here.

GoVisually

GoVisually is another powerful online proofing and collaboration tool. It allows you to focus on simplicity and efficiency. The tool allows users to upload designs, PDFs, and videos for real-time review. GoVisually has a set of intuitive annotation tools that enable precise comments and markup directly on files.

It provides full control of the assets with a clear distinction between private and public sections of all the company’s content. GoVisually claims to be for multiple industries working with design approval, including packaging, marketing, retail, and more. 

GoVisually also allows a set of integrations like Adobe Creative Cloud, and Zapier being the common ones. However, also adds Trello, ClickUp, Asana, and AirTable to the list. 

• A bird’s eye dashboard for tracking
• Password protection for proofs
• Custom checklists for asset approval

Pricing starts at $16/user/month.

You can read how it compares with Approval Studio here.

Ashore

One of the features Ashore takes pride in is its automated approval workflows, which allow teams to set up multi-stage approvals. It has built-in reminders and auto-tracking to keep the process moving efficiently. Additionally, Ashore offers what they call a white-labeled experience. It allows to fully customize the app according to the company’s standards. 

Ashore allows a wide range of files to be proofed: from PDFs to HTML files to audio and video files. Besides that, there is a whole suite of proofing and project management tools to streamline the creative process for creative agencies. 

As for the integration option, Ashore is focused on its API and Zapier, creating a bridge between the proofing tool and any other software needed for the company. 

• Multiple proofing types for any team
• Pre-made workflow templates
• Customizable reviewer permissions

Pricing starts at $14/user/month but there is a free plan

Pageproof

PageProof is a large online proofing software centered around design project management and review. It is designed to handle a wide range of file types—including PDFs, images, videos, live websites, and HTML emails.

PageProof ensures that feedback is collected efficiently using automated workflows, smart annotation tools, version comparison features, and a comprehensive audit trail. Furthermore, one of its standout features is its enterprise-grade securing and triple-layer encryption. 

The app’s biggest pride is its integration choice: more than 25 different apps like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Canva, Asana, Monday, Teams, and others. There is everything you need to customize the review process. 

• Proof templates 
• Multiple proofing tools for a “pixel-perfect” design
• Smart compare tool

Pricing starts at $249/month.

Aproove

Aproove is a more advanced online proofing software centered around larger companies and enterprises. It enables teams to centralize project tracking, feedback collection, and approvals within a single platform.

Teams can customize workflows to fit their specific business processes, ensuring that tasks are assigned to the right people at the right time. The platform’s proofing capabilities support multi-stage reviews with built-in audit trails. In addition, Aproove offers a range of automation features, including triggers and actions-driven workflows. 

Its integrations include: API for enterprise-level, and in-house iPaaS called “Aproove Concoord”. It allows integration of any app that has API capabilities with Aproove fast and easily. 

• Digital Asset Management
• Extensive reporting tools
• E-signature support

Pricing starts at $750/month.

GoProof

GoProof introduces automation features like workflow tracking, audit trails, and version control, to help teams manage projects more effectively. It claims to be suitable for both small design teams and large enterprises and marketing and creative teams alike.

The extensive toolkit offered by GoProof also includes features like a text editor and more than 10 different annotation tools for effective asset review. As for project management, GoProof allows for workflows, multiple dashboard views, and data protection for its users. 

GoProof offers a couple of integrations, including, but not limited to Adobe Creative Cloud, Monday, Asana, Teams, and Slack. All of these help users build a workflow that enhances their collaboration. 

• Different user roles
• Website and video proofing
• Mobile app for Android and iOS

Pricing starts at $129/month.

You can read how it compares with Approval Studio here.

Krock.io

Krock.io is a review tool specializing in video production. It is designed to streamline creative workflows for video production companies, advertising agencies, animation studios, and content creators.

The platform provides a centralized workspace with automated tracking, extensive storage, and secure access. Additionally, it includes features like annotation tools,  two compare modes for version tracking, creative brief and reference document support, and workflows for the video production and approval process. 

Krock.io’s integrations include Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, Zoom, Google Meet, Google Calendar, Jitsi, and Link Step

• AI storyboard generation
• Storyboard management and editing
• Built-in moodboards

Pricing starts at $24/month.

Final Thoughts

Whatever proofing tool you end up using, I want you to remember that this is a step forward for you and your team. Efficiency will flow before you even start noticing. You will get rid of the lengthy approval process, collect all the feedback and documents for the project in one place, and finally be free of the email approval monster that was creeping around the corner. But, if you ask me I would recommend Approval Stduio for all of these purposes!