Best HR software for agencies
PeopleMuster ranks first for agencies that want people and projects in one database at a published price. Attendance, leave, timesheets, capacity, project health and client records share one record, and meeting transcripts file against the right project. It costs $3 per person a month. Keka ranks second, with payroll included but priced by region.
How this was judged
Ranked on how much of an agency's week one product covers: the people record, the plan, the hours and the health of each client project.
Eight products were compared in September 2026 on three agency jobs: holding the employee record, planning who works on what, and tracking the health of each client project. Every price was re-read from the vendor's own pricing page on 24 September 2026. Scoro publishes per-user plans; prices are on scoro.com.
The ranking
PeopleMuster
$3 per person a month, every module included, no tiers. No seat minimum, 14 days free.- Who it suits
- Agencies that want the people and delivery halves in one database.
- Where it wins
- Client records carry each client's local time, projects carry health and setup scores, and Fireflies meeting transcripts file themselves against the right project.
Keka
Priced by region, with plan tabs and a minimum headcount. Checked September 2026.- Who it suits
- Agencies of thirty or more that want one login for people and projects.
- Where it wins
- Sells HRMS, payroll, hiring and project timesheets as tabs of one product, aimed at service firms.
- Where it falls short
- No single published price, a headcount floor, and strongest in its home region.
Productive.io
Essential $10 per user a month billed yearly, $12 monthly; Professional $25 yearly, $29 monthly; 3-seat minimum. Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- Agencies whose first question every month is which projects made money.
- Where it wins
- Budgets, rates, margin and profitability per project.
- Where it falls short
- Not an HR system. It ships time off and capacity, then integrates out for employee records.
Teamwork.com
Free for 5 users; Basics $9.99 and Accelerate $24.99 per user a month billed yearly; Optimize and Enterprise by quote. 14-day trial. Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- Agencies that want a project tool priced per user, with a free start.
- Where it wins
- Free for five users and a 14-day trial of the paid plans.
- Where it falls short
- The top two plans are priced by quote.
BambooHR
Core $10, Pro $17, Elite $25 per employee a month. Flat from $250 a month at 25 or fewer. Verified September 2026.- Who it suits
- Agencies that will run two systems and want a dedicated HR half.
- Where it wins
- A strong employee record, and a natural partner beside a PSA.
- Where it falls short
- No client project delivery. Two systems means two bills.
HiBob
Quote-gated. The pricing page leads into a demo request. Checked September 2026.- Who it suits
- Mid-market agencies that care about culture tooling and engagement.
- Where it wins
- Strong on the people side of mid-market HR.
- Where it falls short
- No client project delivery, and no published price.
Float
Starter $7, Pro $12 per scheduled person a month. Verified September 2026.- Who it suits
- Agencies whose acute pain is scheduling rather than reporting.
- Where it wins
- Scheduling craft.
- Where it falls short
- A scheduling tool rather than an HR system, so the employee record lives elsewhere.
Monday.com
Basic $9, Standard $12, Pro $19 per seat a month, minimum three seats. Verified September 2026.- Who it suits
- Agencies running client work on boards and HR on goodwill.
- Where it wins
- Flexible, familiar and open about its price.
- Where it falls short
- Neither an HR system nor a PSA. Every agency number is built by hand.
Questions people ask
What HR software do digital agencies use to manage people and client projects together?
Most agencies either pair an HR system with a PSA or buy one product that holds both. Keka sells HR, payroll and project timesheets together, and Zoho People covers similar ground across sibling apps. PeopleMuster puts HR and delivery on one record at a published $3 per person.
What does PeopleMuster track on a client project?
Health, setup and task scores, billable and fixed-price or hourly flags, milestones, a Kanban board, logged hours and meeting transcripts from Fireflies.
What does an agency usually end up buying?
Often two products: an HR system for the employee record and a PSA for delivery. That means two bills and two logins. PeopleMuster and Keka are the two here that hold people and projects in one product.
How does an agency move its people into PeopleMuster?
We load your people, leave types and projects with you during setup, and there's no setup fee. A CSV importer covers people, leave balances and projects if you'd rather do it yourself.