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WorkflowMax by Xero is Retiring. Here Are 12 Alternatives to Switch to

Maggie Tully
|
November 9, 2023
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If you haven’t already heard, WorkflowMax by Xero recently announced that its platform is retiring in June 2024 and changing to WorkflowMax by BlueRock. This means thousands of users have been left scrambling to find a WorkflowMax alternative that both meets their needs and can be seamlessly integrated into their workflows, should they not want to stick around for WorkflowMax's transition. 

While WorkflowMax will continue to exist as a new tool, current users are still awaiting updates on what the new version of the platform will look like. But regardless of the features it will offer, your team will still have to learn the ins and outs of a new software tool. Plus, what if its features don’t meet your team’s needs or expectations? 

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the top 12 best WorkflowMax alternatives you should consider switching to. Let’s take a look.

Common challenges with WorkflowMax

No project management tool is perfect, and even those who love using WorkflowMax surely have things they would’ve liked to change about the platform. When looking for a new platform, why not find one that makes up for WorkflowMax’s pitfalls? 

Before we get into the list of 12 alternatives, here’s a look at the main challenges WorkflowMax users experience when working with the tool: 

#1 Not enough reporting customization options

WorkflowMax offers reports, although narrow filtering abilities tend to limit the amount of use some teams can get out of them. You can’t create custom reports, and changing the parameters of your reports can often result in resetting the entire report. 

#2 Tricky onboarding process

A common complaint among users is that WorkflowMax’s dashboard and interface are not very beginner-friendly. This tends to cause a difficult onboarding process for new users since the help articles aren’t super in-depth and onboarding videos are often unhelpful.

#3 Difficulties with invoicing and expense tracking 

Although you might expect a project management tool created by Xero — an accounting software — to offer robust invoicing and expense tracking features, this isn’t the case, according to many former users. 

Instead, setting up invoicing is often a pain. Although there are many options for project expense tracking, such as creating bulk purchase orders, the feature is not so easy to use.

Top 12 WorkflowMax alternatives you should consider before committing 

If WorkflowMax is requiring you to migrate your data to their new platform anyway, why not switch to a platform that’s better suited to your team’s needs while you’re at it?

Here’s a breakdown of the top dozen tools we recommend considering, their features, and pricing.

1. Rodeo Drive 

Rodeo is a comprehensive project management platform that offers all of the features you need to manage projects in just a single tool. This means you won’t need any third-party integrations that can disrupt your workflows and leave you with a patchwork solution. 

Plus, Rodeo Drive is built with the needs of creative agencies and marketing teams in mind, making it a great fit for a variety of teams that engage in project-based work. 

Here’s what makes Rodeo Drive the best WorkflowMax alternative on the market: 

Robust reports with a variety of filtering options

All of Rodeo Drive’s features are interconnected, which is what allows the tool to bring you in-depth reporting insights on your team and project performance. 

Rodeo Drive offers three reports: projects, productivity, and time. Each report will showcase different insights, ranging from the number of billable hours your team is recording all the way to how profitable your project is. 

Rodeo Drive's projects report

Rodeo Drive’s Projects report, which provides an overview of the project status

Low learning curve with onboarding assistance and live chat support

If your team is currently using WorkflowMax, you can expect to encounter a learning curve as your team will have to acclimate to all of the platform’s upcoming changes. 

But, with Rodeo Drive, your team can hit the ground running immediately. No need to wait for WorkflowMax to give you a timeline for migrating to their new tool. Plus, priority support is included in Rodeo Drive’s Achiever plan to make your transition to our software as seamless as possible.

So, should you have any questions after you begin using the platform, our experts are just a few clicks away through the live chat support feature.

Screenshot of Rodeo Drive's live chat support feature

Contact a Rodeo Drive expert at any time via our live chat support

Easy-to-use invoicing and expense tracking, all in one place

You’ll find that Rodeo Drive helps you take some of the administrative burden out of projects by making your financial management processes easier. The platform does this by allowing you to send customizable estimates and invoices straight from Rodeo Drive via Quickbooks (US) and Xero (UK). 

Example of an invoice in Rodeo Drive

Creating an invoice in Rodeo Drive

Besides, Rodeo Drive will help you keep your expenses organized and centralized in a single tab, which you can navigate to via the menu bar at any time. Under this tab, you’ll have the ability to upload receipts, purchase orders, or any other documentation. 

Easy-to-understand pricing

While WorkflowMax has said that its pricing will remain the same through the upcoming year, the company has said that it will most likely “revisit pricing” after 2024. This means that users who stick around will likely be faced with an uptick in pricing not long from now. 

This is especially frustrating for current WorkflowMax users, who are already facing uncertainty regarding what the platform will look like and the features it’ll offer. 

On the other hand, Rodeo Drive’s pricing is simple. No surprises here. The platform offers two subscription plans:

  • Free: Comes with the essential features to get you started.
  • Achiever: Access to all features for just $14.99 per user/month.

Check out Rodeo Drive for yourself and sign up for free today.

2. Basecamp

Basecamp's dashboard

Source: Basecamp

Basecamp is known for its ability to keep teams connected via its group chats and automatic check-ins. While primarily intended for use by larger teams, Basecamp has recently pivoted to offer an individual plan that smaller teams and freelancers can make use of. 

Basecamp is great for collaboration, although its limited project management features aren’t really a good fit for complex projects. You’ll only have access to a single project view, for instance. 

Also read: Top Basecamp Alternatives [Free & Paid]

Basecamp’s popular features 

  • File sharing 
  • To-do lists 
  • Direct messaging

Basecamp’s pricing

  • Individual plan: $15 per user/month
  • Pro unlimited plan: $349 per month for unlimited users

3. Productive 

Productive's project's page

Source: Productive

If you’re looking for a tool that can handle sales pipeline management and robust project resource allocation in addition to project management, then Productive might be worth looking into. 

This project management tool is known for its emphasis on project financials and project profitability, as it allows project managers to easily monitor overhead costs and predicted revenues. Be warned that online reviews say that Productive’s task management isn’t as robust as many teams might need. 

Related: Searching For Productive.io Alternatives? Check Out Our List

Productive’s popular features 

  • Time tracking
  • Sales 
  • Documents and collaboration 
  • Resource management

Productive’s pricing

  • Essential plan: $20 per user/month 
  • Professional plan: $28 per user/month 
  • Ultimate plan: $39 per user/month 
  • Enterprise plan: Pricing upon request

4. Kantata 

Kantata's resource center

Source: Kantata

You might’ve heard of Mavenlink or Kimble before — the two tools actually merged to form Kantata in 2022, making it a relatively new platform. The merger brought new business intelligence capabilities to the tool, enabling it to also offer features like capacity planning and forecasting.

Several users have found Kantata’s user interface to be a bit cumbersome, resulting in a rather clunky user experience. It also may require more administrative set-up compared to other platforms, which is another potential downside to be aware of. 

Also read: Best Kantata Alternatives for Project Management

Kantata’s popular features 

  • Capacity planning
  • Forecasting
  • Budgeting 
  • Talent management

Kantata’s pricing

Kantata doesn’t publicize its pricing — you’ll need to request it from their website after providing a few details about your organization. 

5. Workamajig

Workamajig's dashboard

Source: Workamajig

Workamajig is a software solution made for in-house teams and agencies alike. The platform helps your team manage resources, track time, assign tasks, and more. Workamajig also includes team-specific training as part of its pricing plans. 

However, be aware that Workamajig says teams usually experience a 2-3 month implementation time when introducing the software. So, if you’re looking to switch to a new tool quickly, this might not be the one. Not to mention, the tool isn’t cheap.

Also read: Looking for Workamajig Alternatives? These Are Worth Checking Out

Workamajig’s popular features

Workamajig’s pricing

  • In-house plan ($41 per user/month): Task management, digital proofing, invoicing
  • Agency plan ($41 per user/month): Time tracking, resource scheduling, sales CRM
  • Enterprise plan (Contact for pricing): Global financial reporting, customized training
  • Note: Prices slightly differ by team size and type. The above prices are for a team of 10+

6. Adobe Workfront 

Adobe Workfront's objectives page

Source: Adobe Workfront

For those looking to manage projects and tasks within the Adobe ecosystem, Workfront may be a tool to consider. It comes with time tracking in addition to features like portfolio management. 

That said, Workfront’s complicated and buggy interface can be a problem for some teams. It also lacks a timeline view, which might be a feature your team needs when working on complicated projects. 

Also read: Best Adobe Workfront Alternatives

Workfront’s popular features 

  • Reporting
  • Document sharing
  • Task tracking 

Workfront’s pricing

Adobe Workfront offers four different plans, but you’ll need to contact Adobe’s sales team for pricing. 

7. Teamwork

Teamwork's tasks board

Source: Teamwork

Teamwork is good at what its name suggests — helping your team work together more efficiently using project milestones, tasks, and messaging. 

In addition to helping your team manage project budget and time spent on each task, the platform also makes communication with clients easy by offering unlimited client users so they can sign-off on project items directly in the platform. However, you might find that comprehensive reporting is difficult using Teamwork.

Related: Best Teamwork Alternatives To Try [In Depth Review]

Teamwork’s popular features 

  • Resource planning
  • Billing
  • Budgeting
  • Time tracking
  • Templates

Teamwork’s pricing

  • Free plan: $0 for up to 5 users
  • Starter plan: $8.99 per user/month 
  • Deliver plan: $13.99 per user/month 
  • Grow plan: $25.99 per user/month 
  • Note: All plans have a 5-user minimum. 

8. Scoro 

Scoro's dashboard

Source: Scoro

Just like WorkflowMax, Scoro combines sales and lead management with your typical project management features. You might find that WorkflowMax’s lead manager, quoting, and client manager tools are similar to Scoro’s 360 client views and real-time deal velocity tracking. 

But Scoro offers far more than just sales features. It also offers time tracking, capacity planning, task automations, and more. In fact, you might actually find that Scoro offers too many features that are far beyond the scope of what your team needs. And because the tool already comes with a high price tag, its added complexity might not be worth it. 

Related: Best Scoro Alternatives to Consider

Scoro’s popular features 

  • CRM and sales
  • Resource planning
  • Reporting
  • Team utilization 
  • Gantt charts 

Scoro’s pricing

  • Essential plan: $28 per user/month
  • Standard plan: $42 per user/month
  • Pro plan: $71 per user/month
  • Ultimate plan: Pricing upon request

9. Paymo

Paymo's account page

Source: Paymo

Paymo is an all-in-one project management tool for teams looking to track time, send invoices, and collaborate on projects. Plus, the tool also offers HR and CRM features for teams looking for a solution that extends beyond just project management. 

However, it’s worth noting that some former users say that the tool’s reporting options aren’t too extensive, which might be a dealbreaker for some teams.

Also read: Paymo Alternatives to Try [Free & Paid]

Paymo’s popular features 

  • Scheduling 
  • Task management 
  • Online payments
  • Time tracking

Paymo’s pricing

  • Free plan
  • Starter plan: $5.95 per user/month (maximum 1 user)
  • Small office plan: $11.95 per user/month 
  • Business plan: $24.95 per user/month

10. ProofHub 

ProofHub's dashboard

Source: ProofHub

ProofHub excels in task management, reporting, and collaboration to help your team manage projects. If you’re looking for a solution with more basic functionality, it might be worth looking into. 

The platform’s flat-fee pricing structure helps it stand out compared to other platforms, as you’re able to add unlimited users with either of its plans. This makes it a good fit for teams that work with a lot of freelancers or for projects where the client needs access as a user.  

However, you may need to rely on additional tools for budgeting and invoicing since ProofHub isn’t all in one.

Related: Best ProofHub Alternatives to Consider [Free & Paid]

ProofHub popular features 

  • Templates
  • File proofing
  • Table, board, and calendar views
  • Messaging

ProofHub pricing

  • Essential plan ($50 monthly): 40 projects and unlimited users
  • Ultimate control plan ($99 monthly): Unlimited users and projects

11. Avaza 

Avaza's projects page

Source: Avaza

Like many of the other WorkflowMax alternatives on this list, Avaza claims to be an all-in-one work management solution. 

And with project management, resource scheduling, and team chats available within the platform, Avaza does seem to live up to this promise. On the other hand, online reviewers critique its lengthy setup process, limited reporting capabilities, and not-so-customizable invoicing feature. 

Related: Need an Avaza Alternative? Check Out These Top Tools

Avaza’s popular features 

  • Team chat
  • Online timesheets
  • Expense management
  • Recurring invoices

Avaza’s pricing

  • Free plan: 5 active projects, 10 customers, 5 invoices per month 
  • Startup plan ($11.95 per month): 20 active projects, unlimited customers, 50 monthly invoices 
  • Basic plan ($23.95 per month): 50 active projects, 100 monthly invoices, 20GB storage
  • Business plan ($47.95 per month): Unlimited projects and invoices, 30GB storage

12. Smartsheet 

Smartsheet's schedule page

Source: Smartsheet

So long as you don’t mind a project management platform with a spreadsheet interface, Smartsheet could be for you. The tool offers time and budget management abilities alongside more unique features like content management. 

However, some users have said that the visual representations of project data are rather limited, which makes it difficult to extract insights from your project performance data. 

Related: Best Smartsheet Alternatives [Free & Paid]

Smartsheet’s popular features 

  • Collaboration
  • Task planning
  • Resource allocation
  • Content management

Smartsheet’s pricing

  • Free plan ($0 for 1 user): dashboards and reports
  • Pro plan ($9 per user/month): unlimited sheets, free email support
  • Business plan ($32 per user/month): document builder, activity log
  • Enterprise plan (contact sales): integrations, custom domains

Takeaway 

If you’re looking for a WorkflowMax alternative that’s easy to implement before the platform goes out of business, we hope this list of 12 alternatives has provided you with a few options. 

At the end of the day, the easiest WorkflowMax alternative to implement is Rodeo Drive. With free onboarding assistance, clear pricing, and all of the features your team needs for project success, we’ll help you say goodbye to the uncertainty of WorkflowMax.

What are you waiting for? Start your FREE Rodeo Drive account today or schedule a demo to learn more about it.