As creative workflows become more complex and timelines tighten, teams need project management tools that are flexible, intuitive, and built to support seamless collaboration and approvals.
While ShotGrid is a robust solution, it may not be the right fit for every team, especially those looking for a more modern interface, easier onboarding, or broader customization options.
In this blog, we’ve curated the top alternatives to ShotGrid—perfect for creative teams that want the same powerful features with a more adaptable user experience.
- Top ShotGrid Alternatives at a Glance
- Why Go for ShotGrid Alternatives?
- The Best ShotGrid Alternatives to Use
- Proofing video content
- 2. Prism Pipeline (Best for 3D and VFX production teams)
- 3. Frame.io (Best for video review and fast client feedback)
- 4. ftrack (Best for end-to-end creative production tracking)
- 5. Krock (Best for creative agencies and storyboard collaboration)
- 6. ReviewStudio (Best for creative reviews and client approvals)
- 7. Cage (Best for visual sales asset collaboration and client feedback)
- 8. Monday.com (Best for visual task planning with flexible templates)
- 9. Trello (Best for lightweight task tracking with visual boards)
- 10. Wrike (Best for managing complex sales projects and handoffs at scale)
- Design Better, Collaborate Smarter with ClickUp
Top ShotGrid Alternatives at a Glance
| Tool | Best features | Best for | *Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClickUp | • AI across tasks, docs, and updates • ClickUp Docs, Whiteboards, Dashboards in one place • Automations and templates for repeatable workflows | Cross-functional creative teams that want projects, assets, AI and automation tools, and knowkedge management in one place | Free forever plan; Customizations available for enterprises |
| Prism Pipeline | • Asset tracking and version control • Open-source flexibility and pipeline templates • Cross-OS support | VFX and 3D animation teams that need pipeline control inside DCCs | Free plan available; Paid plans start at $22/month per user |
| Frame.io | • Frame-accurate comments and on-screen annotations • Automatic versioning and comparisons • Secure sharing with permissions and watermarking | Video teams that need fast, frame-accurate client feedback | Free plan available; Paid plans start at $15/month per member |
| ftrack | • Production tracking with timelines and dependencies • Built-in review with real-time feedback • Gantt-style views and dashboards for studios | Studios that want end-to-end production tracking and reviews | Paid plans start at $10/month per user |
| Krock | • Visual pipelines and storyboard reviews • Frame-by-frame feedback on video, image, and PDF • Client portals with branded share links | Agencies and storyboard teams that want visual-first reviews | Free plan available; Paid plans start at $14/month per user |
| ReviewStudio | • Precise markups across video, images, PDFs, and web pages • Side-by-side version compare for faster approvals | Creative teams that need structured approvals across media | Free plan available; Paid plans start at $12/month per user |
| Cage | • Pixel-level comments on video, images, and PDFs • Turn feedback into assignable tasks • Approval and sign-off workflows with history | Design-heavy sales and creative teams needing client sign-offs | Free plan available; Paid plans start at $8/month per user |
| Monday.com | • Customizable boards and ready templates • Automations, forms, and real-time updates • Dashboards for high-level visibility | Teams that want flexible, visual planning without steep setup | Free plan available; Paid plans start at $9/month per seat |
| Trello | • Drag-and-drop Kanban boards • Card checklists, due dates, and attachments • Power-ups for calendars, views, and more | Small teams and freelancers who want simple task tracking | Free plan available; Paid plans start at $5/month per user |
| Wrike | • AI risk detection and prioritization • Request forms, approvals, and dependencies • Gantt charts, workload, and dashboards | Medium to large organizations coordinating complex cross-team work | Free plan available; Paid plans start at $10/month per user |
Why Go for ShotGrid Alternatives?
ShotGrid doesn’t always align with the changing needs of smaller teams or those looking for more flexibility. Here’s why many creative teams are seeking alternatives:
- Steep learning curve: ShotGrid’s complex interface and technical setup can slow down onboarding, especially for smaller or non-technical teams
- High cost: Its pricing often suits large studios but can be excessive for indie teams, freelancers, or agencies with tighter budgets
- Rigid workflows: Designed primarily for film, VFX, and animation pipelines, ShotGrid can feel inflexible for teams with more varied or hybrid processes
- Limited user experience: The interface can feel outdated and unintuitive, which impacts day-to-day efficiency and creative momentum
- Heavy reliance on customization: Many teams find they need technical experts or custom scripting just to make the platform fit their needs
- Better options now exist: Newer tools offer modern UI, built-in workplace collaboration, cloud-native features, and easy integrations, without the overhead of ShotGrid
How we review software at ClickUp
Our editorial team follows a transparent, research-backed, and vendor-neutral process, so you can trust that our recommendations are based on real product value.
Here’s a detailed rundown of how we review software at ClickUp.
The Best ShotGrid Alternatives to Use
Ready to get started? Explore these handpicked project management solutions that you can use instead of ShotGrid:
1. ClickUp (Best for project tracking and collaboration)

If your creative team’s work lives in chaotic Slack threads, scattered Google Docs, and “Where’s the latest file?” emails, ClickUp, the everything app for work, is the moment of clarity you’ve been waiting for.
It’s built not just for project managers but for designers, video editors, copywriters, and art directors who need a workspace that moves as fast as they do. In fact, organizations like Sequeent have centralized their work, increasing productivity by 50% with ClickUp.
ClickUp’s Design Project Management hub is tailored for creative teams juggling multiple clients, tight timelines, and endless feedback loops. It lets you build clean workflows, visualize projects from brief to delivery, and collaborate in real time—without constantly switching tabs or playing “find the latest version.”
Check out this video to learn how you can manage creative work and build an asset library in ClickUp 👇

And with the ClickUp Project Management suite, you get the flexibility to design your pipelines—be it animation project management, post-production, game asset reviews, or campaign rollouts.
You also get complete control over how projects move—from “Concept” to “Final Delivered” (or “Client Changed Their Mind Again”). You can customize task statuses, assign priorities, add dependencies, and even set ClickUp Automations to handle repetitive steps. Whether your video game development or production process is two steps or twenty, it fits.
⭐ A complete design work AI
Users gain the world’s most complete work AI with ClickUp AI. It completely eliminates AI sprawl by addressing the modern knowledge worker’s every AI need.
From AI agents to automations to access to premium external AI models right from the ClickUp Workspace, like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, you’ll never need to toggle between apps or hunt for context again. Here’s how AI features in ClickUp can help with creative projects:
- Analyze project requirements and automatically generate tasks, assign them to the right team members, and set deadlines based on workload and priorities using ClickUp Automations and AI Agents. Automate routine actions like moving tasks between stages, sending reminders, or updating statuses to free up creative teams for high-value work
- Generate ideas, outlines, and draft content for blogs, campaigns, or creative briefs to speed up the creative process using ClickUp Brain
- Transcribe discussions, summarize key points, and capture action items from meetings to keep everyone aligned using the ClickUp AI Notetaker
- Quickly find relevant assets, past projects, or reference materials to maintain consistency and reuse ideas using ClickUp Enterprise Search
- Use Talk to Text in ClickUp Brain MAX to speak naturally to assign tasks, capture your ideas, or draft docs, and keep full context because Brain MAX knows your projects, team, and files across ClickUp and other tools
Here’s a sample of ClickUp Brain at work👇

Create different ClickUp Views for your workflow—like a Kanban board for your design team, a Gantt chart for your producer, and a simple to-do list for freelancers—so everyone can work how they want to, without breaking the system.
ClickUp Docs lets you write, organize, and share creative briefs directly in your workspace—link them to tasks, assign team members, and comment in real-time. It’s ideal for everything from script outlines to brand guides, with rich text editing, checklists, and embedded media.

Brainstorming a new campaign or mapping a character journey?
ClickUp Whiteboards give your team a visual playground to drag, drop, sketch, plan, and think out loud—without leaving the platform. You can instantly turn sticky notes into tasks, assign owners, and keep the flow from ideation to execution.
It’s especially useful for pitching concepts to clients or planning visuals during the pre-production phase.
With ClickUp Time Tracking, designers and editors can log hours natively for every task, and PMs can finally stop using three different apps to run a single project. You can set goals, track progress against milestones, and visualize how projects are pacing against deadlines or budgets.
Need to track billable vs non-billable time? That’s covered too.
Using ClickUp Integrations with Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud, InVision, and more, you can attach design files, drop live previews into tasks, and gather feedback in one place. Designers don’t need to interrupt their flow to update the team, and PMs don’t need to keep asking, “Is it ready yet?”
Use Case: Using ClickUp’s Proofing capabilities for design reviews
Add, assign, and resolve comments on any PNG, GIF, JPEG, WEBP, video, or PDF file without leaving ClickUp.
To use Proofing on a task attachment:
- Open the task and click the file.
- In the upper-right corner, click Add comment.
- Click anywhere on the file to add a comment.

The comment will be displayed on the file and posted in the task’s activity section.
Others can reply or react to Proofing comments, carrying on the conversation and review process. You can assign Proofing comments that require action so your team members can follow up.
Proofing video content
When using Proofing for video content, comments will display the timestamp of the video and appear in the playback bar so you can access them later.
ClickUp best features
- Limit access with advanced privacy controls and role-based permissions
- Share public or private links for tasks, docs, and dashboards
- Plan capacity with workload management and time estimates
- Sync your Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar to ClickUp Calendar to stay on top of your meetings and schedules
- Record screen walkthroughs with ClickUp Clips’ native screen recording in tasks
- Schedule recurring tasks with flexible repeat options
- Import data from tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, and Excel with ease
ClickUp limitations
- The platform can feel overwhelming at first, especially for teams focused on switching from more basic tools
ClickUp pricing
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (10,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,400+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about ClickUp?
A G2 reviewer says:
💡 Pro Tip: ClickUp Docs connects directly to tasks, so your design brief isn’t just a file—it’s a living document tied to actual work.
2. Prism Pipeline (Best for 3D and VFX production teams)

Prism Pipeline is a lightweight, artist-first solution that brings order to all your media projects. It quietly organizes assets, handles versioning, and plugs into your existing tools—delivering practical digital asset management alongside your project management software.
Purpose-built for CG pipelines in Maya, Blender, Houdini, Nuke, and Unreal, it adds structure to ideation, file management, version control, and renders without demanding a PhD in pipeline development. It’s open-source at its core and has grown into a production-ready tool trusted by indie teams and larger VFX shops, including those working on film and television productions.
For teams that need crisp visual communication, Prism supports review and approval workflows and integrated task management inside DCCs—so you can manage creative teams without constant tool-switching.
Prism Pipeline best features
- Organize media files and versions automatically using smart naming conventions and structured folders
- Assign and manage tasks directly inside DCCs (Maya, Blender, Houdini, Nuke, Unreal)
- Review work in a built-in media player with annotations and notes for internal feedback
- Collaborate across OS with support for Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Customize pipelines through open-source flexibility for in-house extensions and tooling
Prism Pipeline limitations
- Doesn’t offer traditional project management tools like timelines or workload reports
- Can feel developer-focused in parts, especially for teams without a tech lead
Prism Pipeline pricing
- Free
- Plus: $22/month per user
- Pro: $52/month per user
Prism Pipeline ratings and reviews
- G2: No reviews available
- Capterra: No reviews available
What are real-life users saying about Prism Pipeline?
A Reddit reviewer says:
👀 Did you know? The VFX in Avengers: Endgame involved over 2,500 visual effects shots, with multiple studios collaborating remotely across continents.
3. Frame.io (Best for video review and fast client feedback)

Deadlines don’t wait for email threads. And Frame.io exists precisely to help sort that issue.
It’s built for creatives who work with video and can’t afford to lose time chasing approvals, digging through Slack messages, or explaining for the fifth time which version is “final_final3.mp4.” (Yes, we’ve all been there.)
Frame.io is used by editors, producers, motion designers, and clients alike—and it plugs directly into your editing and entertainment software, so accelerated feedback stays right where the work happens.
Frame.io best features
- Upload and organize footage instantly with cloud-based storage optimized for high-res video
- Collect precise feedback on the online proofing software with frame-accurate comments and on-screen annotations (no more guessing “which part?”)
- Convert media automatically for smooth playback in-browser, while keeping source files intact for final delivery
- Integrate directly with Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, After Effects, and DaVinci Resolve for seamless in-timeline reviews
- Manage versions automatically, keeping a clean history of revisions for quick reference
- Control access with permissions, watermarking, and password protection for client-facing content
- Collaborate in real time with stakeholders from anywhere—on desktop, mobile, or even iPad
Frame.io limitations
- Best suited for video teams; less useful for broader creative project planning
- The free plan can feel restrictive for teams with large media files or heavy review cycles
Frame.io pricing
- Free
- Pro: $15/member + tax
- Team: $25/member + tax
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Frame.io ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (70+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (80+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Frame.io?
A Capterra reviewer says:
👀 Did you know: Mad Max: Fury Road shot over 480 hours of raw footage—for a two-hour film. That’s about 240:1 in shooting ratio, one of the highest in modern film history. Editors were buried in dailies for months.
4. ftrack (Best for end-to-end creative production tracking)

Designed with VFX, animation, and post-production teams in mind, ftrack combines production tracking, review, and team collaboration in one structured platform. It’s built to understand how creatives work.
Already used by big-name studios, including Netflix vendors, ftrack brings clarity to complex pipelines. It allows producers and artists to see who’s doing what, when it’s due, and how it fits into the bigger picture, without the typical chaos of creative scheduling.
And it scales—from small internal teams to full-blown remote studios.
ftrack best features
- Track different tasks and assets across the production pipeline focused on detailed timelines and dependencies
- Review media in-browser with real-time feedback and version comparisons
- Collaborate across teams with notes, status updates, and notifications tied to project stages
- Visualize project progress using Gantt-style timelines and dashboards tailored for creative workflow management
- Integrate with DCC tools like Maya, Nuke, and After Effects to keep artists in their flow
- Automate workflows with Python API and integrations for advanced customization
ftrack limitations
- May feel overwhelming for smaller teams who don’t need deep production-level tracking
- Pricing may be steep for indie studios or freelancers just starting out
ftrack pricing
- Review: $10/month per user
- Studio: $25/month per user
ftrack ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (30+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about ftrack?
A Capterra reviewer says:
👀 Did you know: 20% of product managers cite disorganization as the biggest productivity killer—a challenge creative teams in post-production and VFX often face when managing complex workflows.
5. Krock (Best for creative agencies and storyboard collaboration)

Built with agencies, video producers, illustrators, and storyboard artists in mind, Krock simplifies creative reviews without overwhelming users with too many knobs and dials.
It shines when visuals and client approval workflows are at the heart of your processes. Think of it as a visual-first platform where timelines, feedback threads, and task assignments live together, without chaos.
You can build custom pipelines, share assets, get frame-by-frame feedback, and keep clients involved without endless email loops.
Krock best features
- Create visual pipelines tailored to creative project stages, from drafts to delivery in a user-friendly interface
- Gather frame-accurate, contextual feedback on videos, images, PDFs, and storyboard templates
- Assign tasks and manage to-dos right next to visual assets
- Share with clients easily using branded portals and password-protected links
- Track versions automatically with side-by-side comparisons
- Collaborate in real-time with clients, teammates, and freelancers
Krock limitations
- Not ideal for large production pipelines or technical integrations
- Mobile functionality is limited—best experienced on desktop
Krock pricing
- Free
- Pro: $14/month per user
- Unlimited: $400/month
Krock ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
What are real-life users saying about Krock?
A Reddit reviewer says:
📮ClickUp Insight: 11% of our respondents leverage AI primarily for brainstorming and ideation. But what happens to these brilliant ideas afterward? This is where you need an AI-powered whiteboard, like ClickUp Whiteboards, which helps you instantly turn ideas from the brainstorming session into tasks.
And if you can’t quite explain a concept, simply ask the AI image generator to create a visual based on your prompt. It’s the everything app for work that enables you to ideate, visualize, and execute faster!
6. ReviewStudio (Best for creative reviews and client approvals)

If your project is drowning in feedback scattered across emails, Slack threads, and sticky notes on your monitor, ReviewStudio can help. It’s built for teams that need structured, version-controlled creative reviews for all their media projects without the clutter of unnecessary project management extras.
ReviewStudio focuses entirely on helping creatives, agencies, and video teams gather, organize, and act on feedback. It works across media types—upload videos, images, PDFs, even websites—and turns chaotic back-and-forth into clean, contextual conversations.
Instead of guessing what a client meant by “make it pop,” you get time-stamped, visual comments and markup tools that leave zero room for confusion. And since it doesn’t try to be everything, it’s lightweight and fast, easy for clients to use, even if they’re tech-averse.
ReviewStudio best features
- Collect visual feedback on videos, PDFs, images, and web pages with precise markup tools
- Compare versions side-by-side for faster approvals and context
- Track review stages with status updates and reviewer assignments
- Customize workflows with roles, permissions, and branding
- Share effortlessly with clients via secure links—no login needed
- Get real-time notifications so no one misses a review cycle
ReviewStudio limitations
- Focuses solely on the review/approval process—no built-in task or project management tools
- The interface could feel a bit dated for teams used to modern dashboards
ReviewStudio pricing
- Starter: Free
- Pro: $12/month per user
- Advanced: $20/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
ReviewStudio ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (130+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (90+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about ReviewStudio?
A G2 reviewer says:
7. Cage (Best for visual sales asset collaboration and client feedback)

For sales teams working with design-heavy materials—like pitch decks, branded proposals, or video demos—having a tool simplifying visual feedback is essential. That’s where Cage helps.
It acts as a central hub where internal teams and clients can review, comment on, and approve visual content without any confusion. Unlike traditional CRMs or task managers, Cage thrives in a visual-first workflow where clarity and quick iteration drive the deal forward.
Cage best features
- Comment directly on videos, PDFs, and images with pixel-precise annotations
- Assign tasks from feedback comments to designers or sales reps
- Track changes and approvals with version history and sign-off workflows
- Invite clients or stakeholders without requiring an account
- Centralize visual discussions and updates in a single, trackable thread
- Integrate with Slack, Google Drive, Adobe Creative Cloud, and more
Cage limitations
- Less effective for text-heavy or call-centric sales teams
- Limited automation and pipeline tools, best used alongside a sales platform
Cage pricing
- Free
- Standard: $8/month per user
- Professional: $14/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Cage ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
What are real-life users saying about Cage?
A G2 reviewer says:
🧠 Fun fact: AI is expected to handle up to 80% of project management tasks—making tools that support automation and creative workflows more essential than ever.
8. Monday.com (Best for visual task planning with flexible templates)

Monday.com gives teams real clarity—not the kind buried in tabs and charts, but the kind that shows what’s happening and who’s doing what.
It’s especially useful for creative teams who juggle movie production schedules, content calendars, and campaign launches simultaneously. With customizable boards, you can set up a post-production stage pipeline, a video editing tracker, or a content review flow—without starting from scratch.
The best part? It’s approachable for both planners and creatives.
While it’s not built specifically for creative feedback or version control, it plays well with other tools. Add in timelines, automation, forms, and dashboards, and it turns into a solid operational hub for teams that like structure without strict rules.
Monday.com best features
- Build visual boards to manage projects, tasks, timelines, and statuses
- Customize templates for graphic design, marketing, video, or production teams
- Track progress using status columns, automations, and real-time updates
- Collaborate in context with file attachments, comments, and checklists
- Integrate easily with tools like Slack, Adobe CC, Google Drive, and Dropbox
- Create dashboards for high-level views across multiple projects
Monday.com limitations
- Lacks built-in creative proofing or frame-accurate feedback tools
- Can feel overwhelming if too many automations or columns are added
Monday.com pricing
- Free
- Basic: $9/month per seat
- Standard: $12/month per seat
- Pro: $19/month per seat
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Monday.com ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (13,500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (5,400+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Monday.com?
A G2 reviewer says:
🧠 Fun fact: More than 85% of businesses today rely on proprietary software to run their project management and operations.
9. Trello (Best for lightweight task tracking with visual boards)

Trello keeps things simple. If your team is looking for a tool that doesn’t take hours to learn or configure, Trello’s Kanban-style boards are straightforward and make sense from day one.
It’s perfect for small creative teams, freelancers, or studios that just need to track who’s doing what and when. Each card can hold checklists, due dates, attachments (like design mockups or video drafts), and conversations, so feedback stays where the work is. It’s visual, drag-and-drop easy, and not overloaded with features you’ll never touch.
Trello best features
- Organize projects using intuitive drag-and-drop boards and lists
- Attach assets and keep feedback right on task cards
- Collaborate in real time with comments, mentions, and checklists
- Automate tasks with built-in Butler automation
- Use templates tailored for design projects, media content calendars, and creative reviews
- Deploy Power-Ups to customize your modern video workflow
Trello limitations
- Limited structure for teams needing detailed digital experience management, workflows or approval steps
- Power-Ups can feel essential, but many require paid plans to access fully
Trello pricing
- Free
- Standard: $5/month per user
- Premium: $10/month per user
- Enterprise: $17.50/month per user
Trello ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (13,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (23,000+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Trello?
A G2 reviewer says:
10. Wrike (Best for managing complex sales projects and handoffs at scale)

Managing a high-volume or multi-step sales process often involves marketing, legal, delivery, and onboarding teams—and that’s where Wrike delivers the most value.
It lets sales ops teams design and oversee everything from RFP workflows to onboarding sequences. With built-in AI and automation, Wrike identifies potential delays before they snowball and helps large teams keep deals moving efficiently across every department.
Wrike best features
- Automate task prioritization with AI and risk detection
- Customize sales workflows with request forms, approvals, and dependencies
- Track sales materials and proposal timelines across distributed teams
- Visualize timelines with interactive Gantt charts and workload views
- Set granular permissions to secure sensitive client or deal data
- Generate reports and dashboards to monitor sales ops efficiency
- Connect with your tech stack via integrations with Salesforce, Google Workspace, Outlook, and more
Wrike limitations
- Better suited for back-end sales ops than direct selling
- Best paired with a CRM or outbound engagement tool for full visibility
Wrike pricing
- Free
- Team: $10/month per user
- Business: $25/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
- Pinnacle: Custom pricing
Wrike ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (4,300+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (2,800 reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Wrike?
A Reddit reviewer says:
Design Better, Collaborate Smarter with ClickUp
You don’t have to stick with a tool that slows things down or makes collaborating on all your media assets harder than it needs to be. Whether you’re a lean video crew, a full-scale whiteboard animation studio, or an internal marketing team, the tools in this list offer flexibility, visibility, and creative breathing room.
If you’re looking for one platform that does more than just keep things organized—something that brings briefs, timelines, storing project assets, feedback, and team communication into one place—ClickUp is a solid standout. It offers structure without rigidity, customization without chaos, and best of all, it grows with your creative team (not against it).



