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Best of · Client approval software

Best client approval software for agencies in 2026

Pick by the kind of approval. For comments and markup on a file, use a file proofing tool. For a contract or statement of work, use an e-signature tool. For a client sign-off between options, with a deadline and a record of the outcome, use a sign-off tool such as Settle for Teams. Most agencies need all three at different stages.

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Last updated: 3 November 2026

Disclosure: Settle publishes this page and makes Settle for Teams. Other products are described by category only; check each vendor’s site for its current features and pricing.

What is client approval software?

Client approval software gets a formal yes from a client on a deliverable, a decision or a contract, so the approval lives somewhere you can point to rather than in an email thread. Every agency knows the failure: you send a deliverable, the client says “let me check with the team”, two weeks pass, the milestone invoice waits and the next phase can’t start. “Approval” covers three different jobs, and picking a tool built for the wrong one is how the wait continues.

Three kinds of client approval

Decide which problem you're solving before you compare tools.

The three kinds of client approval and the tool category for each
KindWhat the client doesBest forNot built for
File proofingComments on and marks up the deliverable itself: a design, a video, a documentCollecting feedback on a file and approving a versionClosing a choice between several options by a deadline
E-signatureSigns a contract, proposal or statement of workAgreeing terms that are already negotiated, with a signed documentCreative review or a choice between options
Sign-off between optionsApproves one of a fixed set of options before a deadlineWhich concept, which scope, which vendor, approve or revise, with a record of the outcomeMarkup on a file or a legally binding signature

The common mistake is using one for another. Send a deck of three concepts through a proofing tool and you get comments on each slide, not a clear answer on which concept the client chose, by when, with a record you can reference later.

What to evaluate

Criteria for choosing client approval software
CriterionWhy it matters
Participation frictionWill the client actually use it? External stakeholders rarely create an account or install an app for one approval.
DeadlineDoes the request close at a fixed time, or does it just send a notification and wait?
Outcome ruleIs it clear in advance what counts as approved: one person, more than half, everyone?
RecordCan you point to what was approved and when, six months later, without searching an email thread?
Fit with your workflowDoes it sit alongside the tools you already use for files, contracts and project tracking?
Pricing modelPer-seat pricing grows with every client contact you add. Check whether the people you ask count as users.

The tools, by category

For sign-off between options: Settle for Teams

Best for: closing a client decision between options with a deadline and a record. You write one question, add 2 to 6 options, invite the stakeholders by email, choose a decision rule and set a deadline. Each stakeholder gets their own private link and responds in the browser. At the deadline the decision closes Settled or Escalated, with a shareable record.

Strengths

  • Low friction for clients: a private link each, in the browser, no account
  • A decision rule decides how the sign-off closes, so it is not just a poll
  • A Settled or Escalated record for every closed decision, to attach to the project or the invoice
  • A client or project label on each decision, and search by question or client
  • Flat pricing: $199 a month per workspace, no per-seat fees, and stakeholders are never charged or counted as seats

Limitations

  • Not a proofing tool: no comments on the file, no markup, no version comparison
  • Options can carry an image, but the client approves options, not pages of a file
  • Not an e-signature tool: use one for contracts and statements of work

For file proofing: Filestage, Ziflow, PageProof

Best for: file proofing and markup. Tools in this category let a client review a creative file, leave comments on it and approve a version, so the agency can resolve feedback comment by comment. Use one for the deliverable review stage. They are not designed to close a choice between several options under a rule and a deadline.

For contracts: PandaDoc, DocuSign

Best for: e-signature for contracts, proposals and statements of work. Tools in this category send a document for signature and keep the signed copy. Use one when the client is agreeing to terms. They are not designed for creative review or for a choice between options.

Where Settle for Teams fits

Settle for Teams runs the sign-off between options. File review stays in your proofing tool, and contracts stay in your e-signature tool.

How Settle for Teams handles a client sign-off
StepSettle for Teams
Question and optionsThe Client sign-off template asks “Do you sign off on [deliverable / phase]?” with three options: Approve as presented, Approve with the listed changes, and Revise and resend, under Majority with a 1-week deadline. Settle won't send it until you replace the bracketed text. Edit anything, or start from scratch (2 to 6 options).
Other agency templatesCreative direction and Concept selection (Majority, 24 hours), Campaign approval (Majority, 1 week) and Scope trade-off (Creator decides, 24 hours).
StakeholdersUp to 30 per decision, inside or outside your company. Each one gets their own private link by email and responds in their browser. No account, no app.
Decision ruleMajority (an option needs a yes from more than half of the invited stakeholders), Unanimity (every invited stakeholder approves the same option) or Creator decides (stakeholders advise, you make the call).
Deadline and reminders1 hour, Tonight, 24 hours, 1 week or a custom date up to 7 days out. Up to two automatic reminders go to anyone who hasn't responded, and you get a heads-up if fewer than half have responded 2 hours before the deadline.
RecordSettled if the rule was met, Escalated with the reason if the deadline passed without it. The shareable record shows the question, the outcome, the rule, how many approved each option and when it closed, without names or emails. Your dashboard shows who responded.

Settle for Teams costs $199 a month per workspace, with no per-seat fees, 25 managed decisions a month and a 7-day free trial.

When you need which tool

Which kind of client approval tool fits each request
The requestThe tool
“Which concept should we go with?”Sign-off between options. The client approves one option by a deadline and the decision closes with a record.
“Can you mark up the final design?”A file proofing tool. The client comments on the file and you resolve each comment.
“We need a signature on this contract.”An e-signature tool. The client signs the document.
“We need all three.”Most agencies do, at different stages of the same project: the choice (which concept, which scope), the deliverable review, then the contract or change order.

Client approval software questions

What is client approval software?

Any tool that gets a formal yes from a client on a deliverable, a decision or a contract, in place of an email chain or a verbal agreement. It falls into three categories: file proofing, e-signature, and sign-off between options.

What's the difference between proofing and sign-off?

Proofing is reviewing a specific file: comments, requested changes, then approval of the final version. Sign-off between options is closing a choice, such as which concept, which vendor or which scope, with a deadline and a record. Different problems, different tools.

Can I use a proofing tool for decision sign-off?

You can, but you'll usually get comments on a file that lists the options rather than a clear choice. If the question is which option, ask it as a question with fixed options, a rule and a deadline.

Do clients need an account to respond in Settle for Teams?

No. Each stakeholder gets their own private link by email and responds in their browser. No account, no app. You set the rule and the deadline when you create the decision.

How much does client approval software cost?

It depends on the category and the vendor: some price per user, some per workspace, so check each vendor's current pricing page. Settle for Teams costs $199 a month per workspace with no per-seat fees, 25 managed decisions a month and a 7-day free trial. The stakeholders you ask never pay.

Run your next client sign-off with a deadline

Every client contact gets a private link, Settle reminds the quiet ones and closes it at your deadline. 7-day free trial, then $199/month with no per-seat fees.

See Settle for Teams

25 managed decisions a month · Unlimited team members · Cancel anytime