Synergist

Overview

Synergist is an agency operations platform for creative, marketing, digital, PR and design firms, as well as consultancies that bill for time and expertise. It is strongest for teams that want project delivery, staffing and financial workflows connected rather than handled in separate tools.

Key features

Project plans can be organized by phase and stage, with Gantt and list views, milestones, dependencies and templates. Budgets and profit tracking connect delivery planning to commercial performance, while resource scheduling, timesheets, purchasing, quoting, billing and reporting cover work beyond task coordination. That breadth suits agencies looking to manage operations in one system; it is more than a team needs if the requirement is only a project tracker.

The iOS and Android apps provide client and job details, task entry, time and expense logging, and receipt photography. These functions make it possible to capture work and costs away from a desk, though the mobile workflow is centered on those records rather than the platform’s full operational scope.

Accounting integrations include Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, MYOB, Access, KashFlow and Pegasus Opera 3. Microsoft and Google sign-in, Outlook and Google Calendar, OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox connect common office workflows; HubSpot and Salesforce integrations support CRM connections. An open API allows data sharing and record creation automation, with custom fields and views available through it, giving organizations a route to tailor connections beyond the named integrations.

Synergist says it is ISO 27001 certified and encrypts data in transit and at rest. Cloud accounts use separate instances hosted in the UK or EU on AWS, and the company commits to reasonable endeavours to maintain at least 99.5% availability. Telephone and email helpdesk support runs Monday to Thursday, 9am–5.30pm and Friday, 9am–5pm UK time.

Pricing

All three plans have a minimum monthly subscription and a one-time onboarding fee, and the pricing commitment is an initial 12 billing months with three months’ notice required to cancel. That makes the entry cost and exit terms important considerations, particularly for smaller teams.

• Foundation: £300 a month. Full users cost £33–£54/mo and timesheet users £13–£21/mo. It is the entry tier for agencies that can work within its minimum subscription; user charges and the onboarding fee add to the commitment.
• Professional: £650 a month, with full users at £33–£54/mo and timesheet users at £13–£21/mo, plus a one-time onboarding fee. It fits teams prepared for a higher minimum commitment, though the tier’s specific feature differences are not established.
• Enterprise: £1,600 a month, with the same stated user price ranges and one-time onboarding fee. It is aimed at organizations able to justify the largest minimum subscription; custom pricing is not needed for this published tier.

There is no free plan. The per-user starting point of £13/user/mo can be attractive for timesheet-only users, but it does not remove the minimum subscription or 12-month initial term. No trial is offered.

Platforms

Synergist supports Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, web, API and self-hosted deployments. It is available as a cloud service or on-premise; browser access and native server support for Windows or Mac are available for on-premise deployments. This choice can suit organizations with deployment preferences that differ from a cloud-only product.

Who it's for

Synergist is a good fit for agencies and professional-services consultancies that need to connect client work, resource allocation, time capture and financial oversight. The broad workflow, integrations and deployment options are most useful when several teams rely on the same operational system. Small teams seeking a low-commitment start, or users who need only basic project management, are less likely to benefit enough to offset the minimum subscription, onboarding fee and contract term.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Project planning, resource scheduling, timesheets, purchasing and billing sit alongside profitability reporting, supporting a connected agency workflow.
• Pro: A wide range of accounting, office and CRM integrations, plus an open API, offers several paths for connecting business data.
• Pro: Cloud and on-premise deployment options give organizations flexibility over how they run the system.
• Con: A £300 a month minimum on Foundation, one-time onboarding and a 12-month initial term make it a substantial commitment for smaller teams.
• Con: The mobile app focuses on client and job information, tasks, time, expenses and receipts, rather than mirroring the full platform scope.
• Con: The published plan details do not explain how the tiers differ in features, making it harder to judge which subscription level is appropriate.

Alternatives

Agency Project Management Software is the directory’s category guide for comparing agency project-management options.

• project-open is worth considering if a free plan and self-hosted or Linux support matter more than Synergist’s stated agency workflow. Its Standard plan includes five users and 1 GB of disk space.
• TideFlow is a lighter option for users seeking a free starting tier: Free Forever supports one user, three projects and profitability reports.
• Deltek Maconomy is another paid professional-services ERP, with pricing by demo request.
• Scoro is an alternative paid platform with a free trial and a Time-billing plan priced at $17 a month.
• TimeLog may suit teams looking for time and expense logging, project management and invoicing, with a Starter plan at €14 a month per user.
• Workamajig offers paid plans for in-house teams, including an In-house 10+ plan at $49 a month.
• Infor Learning Management System is another paid option.
• Productive offers paid plans starting at $10 a month, with a minimum of three seats.

Verdict

Choose Synergist if your agency or consultancy needs project planning, resource management, time capture and financial workflows in one system, with both cloud and on-premise deployment options. Its main advantage is operational breadth; its main drawback is the sizable subscription floor, onboarding fee and lengthy initial commitment. Teams that need a low-cost or free starting point should look elsewhere.