If you are shipping thirty videos per month to your clients – the main problem is not how quickly you can complete edits but rather how long it takes you to get through the review process. Three parties have to give their input and then go back-and-forth with you twice to finalize your video prior to submission to your client. Your client has a 48 hour Service Level Agreement (SLA), which means they want their video in less than 2 days. And now there is one Slack conversation which becomes an email thread which becomes a Loom recording created by an Account Director who cannot seem to locate the Comment Box. Approval software fixes this. The wrong approval software just becomes another tab nobody opens.
We are a post-production team. We cut video for agencies and deliver through whatever platform they choose, which means we have watched agency producers run client review on – Frame.io, Wipster, Vimeo, ReviewStudio, Filestage, Ziflow, Krock, and (two painful times) a Shared Google Drive. Below is our review of the seven tools that made the shortlist, graded on agency reality rather than vendor copy. All pricing information below is valid as of May 2026 – please check each vendors website prior to committing.
What is Video Review & Approval Software & what is it NOT
There are many places where you can upload your final cut, leave comments on specific areas (timestamped) for the client/stakeholders, keep all of the different cuts in order, and get an actual approval. This is ALL this type of software does.
Review Tools exist near (but not directly above or below) two types of tools that producers/production companies tend to confuse it with. Project Management Tools such as Asana, Monday.com, and ClickUp will allow users to organize their projects into “tasks” and provide a schedule/deadline for completing them. Storage Tools such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Iconik will store your video assets. Quality control is a third category again — see our roundup of video QC software if that is the gap you are actually filling. A review tool sits between these two levels of tools and answers only ONE question: which cut has been officially accepted/approved by which person and when?
A Producer using Asana to keep track of his/her 30 day production shoot will also need some sort of review tool to complete the process of getting the cut reviewed/commented upon. When there is confusion about whether this type of tool belongs under the category of either project management tools OR storage tools, this creates the worst possible situation for any agency producing content – feedback being distributed across three separate platforms and the editor trying to determine which is the most current/canonical version.
If a review solution works for a company producing 30 videos/month, then pair it with a project management system that manages the work around the work.
Why Video Review Software is Essential for Small Teams: Streamlining the Approval Process
All agencies have used the “Email & Link To Vimeo” process. That works well for one video. At five videos it begins to break down. At thirty videos it stops being workable at all.
The reasons are as follows and expressed in simple terms. A production company completes an 89-second product video. The producer emails a Vimeo link to the client. The client responds with four separate comments. One comes from the Brand Manager (an inline email) . Second from the Legal Reviewer (as a Word document with an attachment) , Third from the CMO (with a forwarded string of text including a one-sentence statement of approval/disapproval of the music) , Fourth from the Social Media Lead (via a Slack message sent to the Producer’s personal mobile number.) The Editor creating this composite does not know which version is being reviewed, where all feedback has been documented or how many stakeholders have signed off. Consolidating input through precise time coded feedback eliminates confusion when multiple stakeholders are involved. Modern approval tools also minimize the learning curve for non-technical team members, ensuring feedback is captured in a single location.
A functioning video review tool will correct four issues as follows:
- Approval: Button labeled “Approved” with the user’s name and date/time stamped.
- Version Control: Versions V1, V2, etc., stacked vertically on the same project page; All comments linked to the version upon which the comments were made.
- Review Comments on the Frame: User stops playback at 00:14 places their cursor on the bottom third area of the screen and writes “Incorrect Client Logo.” This comment exists at 00:14 NOT in a Word document that references “the 14 second mark.”
- Inbox: All comments exist within ONE inbox regardless of who created them.
Fastio’s guide to managing reviews puts most projects at two to three revision rounds, each taking two to three days. Strip one round of confused, rework-driven feedback out of a thirty-video month and you recover roughly a week of editor time.
Evaluating Video Review Tools and Approval Workflows Across top Platforms
In this section we will grade each review video software based on the following metrics: Comment Fidelity, Approval Flow, Version Control, Integrations, Guest Experience and Price for the average Agency Configuration (10 Users, 2TB).
Frame.io
The industry standard for video review tools. Especially popular among Agencies using Adobe Creative Cloud Products. Editors can send their cuts directly to Frame.io Reviews from within Premiere & After Effects. Frame.io‘s Camera-to-Cloud is very useful when reviewing footage on set; but has no value when all of your reviews occur after editing.
Current Pricing – May 2026: There is a free tier. Pro pricing is currently $15 per member per month. One correction was made by Adobe’s Kellan to the r/editors comparison thread about pricing. “With our Teams Plan, you will now receive 3TB of Storage initially; plus an additional 2TB of Storage for each additional User. Based on your example above, with 21 Members you would receive 21TB of Storage for $250/Month. Not just 3TB.”
Winning factors: Deepest Adobe Integration, Fastest File Transfer Acceleration, Cleanest Mobile Client Review Experience for Clients viewing on Phone.
Losing factors: Cost increases rapidly as Team Size exceeds 10 Members. Reliability issues have increased following Adobe’s Acquisition of Frame.io. Quoted from u/Oldsodacan: “I have intentionally avoided V4 of Frame.io due to hearing it takes a step back from V3. I am also fed up with how often Frame.io goes down since Adobe purchased it.” If Frame.io is on your shortlist, weigh it against Krock and Filestage on the pricing table above.
Wipster
Simpler, yet older feeling Alternative priced at $25/User/Month. A great option for FCP-only Shops with deep FCP integration. In the r/editors testing, Wipster received two stars out of five for its Annotate Toolset. This was due to the lack of Drawing Tools and outdated UI. Great Option for FCP Shops requiring simple comments/approvals. Do NOT use Wipster if you are an Adobe Shop or require Rich Annotation capabilities.
Ziflow
Designed specifically for cross departmental workflow approvals. While it does support Videos, Images, PDFs and Documents, Ziflow provides the largest Project Management Integration List in this group (Monday.com, Asana, ClickUp, Trello, Jira, Dropbox, Google Drive, Slack, Teams etc.) according to Ziflow’s Feature Page. Pricing for business configurations start at approximately $249/month/team; the configuration used in the r/editors test (10 users / 2tb) resulted in pricing of $399/month. Excellent option for Regulated Industries (Pharma, Financial Services, Consumer Goods Packaged Goods) that require Multi-Level Approvals and Audit Trails as part of compliance. Absolutely Overkill for a Four Person Agency.
ReviewStudio
ReviewStudio is the best reviewed in terms of file formats: video; images; audio; documents; GLB 3D files; HTML. ReviewStudio’s Pro plan begins at $79+ per user/month with a five-user minimum, so the real floor is roughly $395/month before you add anyone. It appears that this would be the best choice for design-and-video studios who need to review multiple types of content (e.g., a pitch deck and a finished commercial).
Filestage
Filestage is an asset-based review tool designed for use by marketing departments. There are three plans available including free; basic ($49/month); and professional (starting at $249+/month). In the r/editors comparison, Filestage received 5 stars for UI/UX and 1 star for features related to sharing. Filestage may be suitable for in-house marketing departments that need to review a variety of assets including social videos; banner ads; and long-form documents.
Vimeo Review
If you’re looking for a very affordable way to get started with reviews, consider using the review features within Vimeo. Vimeo offers several plans starting at $12 per month. For example, in the r/editors test, a 10-user / 2TB / 7TB configuration cost $750/month. One reviewer noted: “Wow Vimeo. What a champ. $750? I never knew I could reach new lows. I look forward to canceling my account.” If you have a small group of people or even work alone as a producer, and you’re currently paying for Vimeo, then it seems like an ideal solution.
Krock
Krock is another relatively new tool that provides many similar features as the other high-end options in the market today but at significantly lower prices. In the r/editors test, a 10-user / 2TB configuration was priced at $140/month which made it the most cost-effective option among the production grade tools. Another feature that makes Krock unique is its ability to perform project-level reviews instead of file level reviews which allows users to include their storyboard; animatic; final cut etc. as part of the same project review. Krock is definitely worth trying out if you were previously considering Frame.io but found it too expensive for your needs.
Configuration Table
The table below prices every tool at the same agency configuration — 10 users, 2TB of storage — using the r/editors comparison from May 2026 as the baseline. Vendor pricing moves, so confirm it on each vendor’s own page before you commit.
| Tool | 10 users / 2TB | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krock | $140/mo | Best value in the production-grade tier; project-level review | Newer, smaller ecosystem |
| Frame.io | $250/mo (Teams) | Adobe shops; cleanest mobile guest experience | Cost climbs past 10 seats |
| Wipster | ~$25/user/mo (~$250) | Final Cut shops wanting simple comments and approvals | Dated UI, weak annotation tools |
| Filestage | $249+/mo (Professional) | In-house marketing teams reviewing mixed assets | Weaker sharing features |
| ReviewStudio | $79+/user/mo, 5-user minimum (~$395+) | Studios reviewing video, images, 3D and HTML together | Per-seat cost adds up fast |
| Ziflow | $399/mo | Regulated industries needing multi-step approvals and audit trails | Overkill for a small agency |
| Vimeo Review | $750/mo at this config | Solo producers already paying for Vimeo | Poor version stacking; steep at scale |
Key Features of Approval Software: From Frame Accurate Comments to Guest Access
Every video review platform has a list of “key features” – but most are just marketing fluff. What really matters in a high-volume review process? The answer is surprisingly small.
When you’re reviewing 30+ videos a month, there are only 6 features that truly matter. Here’s what they are:
1. Commenting on frames. When you want reviewers to comment on specific frames of video – as in, at exactly 00:08:14 – then you need commenting that locks to frames. All higher-end review tools allow for this level of precision. Where they vary, however, is how difficult it is to add marks, label areas, etc., once the comment is locked to that frame. Frame.io and ReviewStudio offer the easiest-to-use experience here.
2. Stacking versions. This means that if an editor makes changes and submits them (V3), he/she needs to be able to view both V2 and V3 side by side. He/She also needs to be able to collapse previous comments so he/she isn’t overwhelmed. This is something that ALL the top-tier review tools do well. Unfortunately, it’s something that Vimeo does poorly.
3. Routing approvals. Most teams have multiple approvers for each project – e.g.: Brand Manager reviews first; Legal team reviews next; CMO finalizes last, sending out notifications after each step. Only three tools support multi-step approval workflows: Ziflow, Filestage and Frame.io. Lower-cost alternatives tend to simplify this into a single “approver” layer.
4. Access for guests without requiring a login. Non-technical clients will avoid creating new accounts whenever possible. The CloudCampaign Client-Tech-Comfort guide recommends choosing solutions with the least amount of required login friction – which means Frame.io, Vimeo Review and others are likely your best bets here. Before you make any commitments, test that the guest commenter workflow works properly during your free trial period.
5. Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud. For those using Premiere and/or AfterEffects within Adobe CC, the ability to automatically push files from their creative apps directly into review tools such as Frame.io or Wipster saves time – 10-15 minutes per file. While Ziflow offers this same capability, ReviewStudio and Vimeo currently do not.
6. Single-Sign-On (SSO) and Audit Trail capabilities. Organizations operating under regulatory requirements (healthcare/pharmaceuticals/banking/etc.) or large public companies/agencies require BOTH Single Sign On AND an audit trail for compliance purposes. These capabilities exist in Ziflow, Frame.io Enterprise Edition and Filestage Pro; lower cost options typically do not include either one.
How Client Review Workflows Function When Managing External Stakeholders
This is how an actual agency-client review process works as part of the normal operations at a functioning commercial production house.
The Five Stages for Agency Client Reviews map to Fastio’s Practical Workflow Guide, but include specifics about agencies.
- Editor loads V1, and lets Producer know that they have loaded V1. First load is an internal load; there is no external load. Producer watches, makes comments, and returns internal comments to Editor before the Client will even see the Edit.
- Producer initiates Round 1 Client Review. Clean Version is uploaded into the Tool with 48 hour review SLA. Producer assigns Brand Manager (Primary Reviewer) Legal (Secondary) CMO (Final Approval) to receive notifications when the Version is ready for review.
- All reviewers add time-stamped comments. All reviewers are required to enter all their comments through the Tool (anyone that emails their comment will be bcc’d to bounce them back to “please add your comments on the Review Link so the Editor can view them in Context”) This one Rule is the Single Largest Determinant of whether or not the Workflow will remain intact.
- Editor compiles and edits based on comments received from Reviewers. Comments are sorted by Producer (comments which need to be made as opposed to preferences). Editor creates V2.
- Minor revisions only. Producer enforces scope creep. Primary reviewer’s name is used for Final Approval. Version remains Locked within the Tool.
Determine Roles prior to starting Production. Name One Primary Reviewer that has Final Say. Determine Number of Rounds of Revisions prior to Kickoff (2-3 rounds is typical). Clearly define what “Approved” means (Approval of this Version or Approval for Delivery). Track Progress in one location. Biggest Failure Mode for Agencies conducting reviews is having one Stakeholder on Email while others are using the Tool.
Three examples of how to use video review software as a guide to mapping your team to it.
Client-agency. A six person agency creating content for brands, such as brand films, social media cutdowns, and product videos for four to eight active clients. The video review platform will sit in between the editor that created the content and the client’s account team. The producer of the agency will be responsible for sending the reviewer an email with the review link, and the reviewers will be the names of people working with the client, so the editor will never have to talk to the client while reviewing the video. Depending on budget sensitivity, either Frame.io or Krock would typically be selected from this option.
Marketing Team Internal. In-house marketing team of a mid-size SaaS company making weekly product videos and weekly event recaps. This team will have different stakeholders including marketing leaders, product marketers, lawyers and brand people looking at their assets. Often because of the type of content being reviewed, most of these teams find themselves using a file-based review system like Filestage or Ziflow instead of a video based review system.
Editor to Post Supervisor. Film/TV post production house with 10-30 episodic projects currently in development. Reviewing director versions, producer versions, followed by versions for networks. ShotGrid (Flow) and Frame.io are the top choices. SyncSketch has found its way into some of the VFX heavy pipelines.
Note on Solo Freelancers. Per u/Iktsuarpoq in his thread about building a Frame.io alternative, “I tested out other options (Blackmagic Cloud among others), however all were either overkill (a full project management suite) or cost prohibitive to me due to low volume (mostly short form). Additionally none allowed clients to simply click a link without requiring them to register or login”. As such if you are a solo freelancer, Vimeo Review or Krock’s user pricing model will probably fit best.
Obtaining Approval From Stakeholders Using an Approval Tool (And Training Videos for Non-Tech Users)
Getting a group of stakeholders to agree to approve an approval tool is the easy part. Getting them all to actually use it, as opposed to simply replying-all their input is the difficult task. Three strategies have worked for us.
Firstly, show the cost of broken approvals in time spent by the editor. If you can clearly articulate to the producer and/or her manager how much money she is wasting on non-productive, fragmented feedback, then she will likely want to find a way to reduce or eliminate the waste. Broken approvals result in wasted time, which results in wasted money. To illustrate this point, let’s say that each video requires two extra hours of time spent on re-cuts and producer triage, and that there are thirty videos produced every month. That would be sixty hours. With a $90/hour blended production rate, that represents $5,400/month. The highest-priced tool in this article roundup costs significantly less than that amount.
Secondly, include the email-bounce rule in the kickoff document. For example; “Any feedback must be entered into the review link provided. Any email feedback will be referenced back to the original author requesting that they post the feedback onto the review link again.” That rule looked trivial until the third project we used it on. It stopped looking trivial after a full day spent reconciling Word documents against Slack messages.
Lastly, create the initial set of comments (i.e., the first-round of comments) to be ridiculously simple for the senior reviewer who has limited technical skills. Include pre-populated guest links for senior reviewers that do not require an account creation process and provide very basic instructions. The producers aren’t the problem. Senior reviewers who lack a clear pathway to providing feedback are. Once the senior reviewers develop a habit of using the review tool because it is easier/faster, they will continue to use it after the first three projects.
How agencies integrate an approval tool with an editing capacity
As previously stated, most articles fail to explain the critical missing piece. An approval tool is merely a comment collector. It does not perform the actual edits needed to produce the next version. The capability to transform forty timestamped notes into a clean version 2 on a twenty-four hour service level agreement resides within your editorial staff.
This is where Vidpros comes in. We are the editing team that ships through whatever approval tool your agency selects. Your producers submit the brief along with the raw footage, we edit the content, deliver version 1 into your Frame.io/Krock/Filestage project, your clients enter their comments into the review tool, our editors incorporate those comments into version 2 and the producer signs off. (The detailed read on how review fits into a thirty video a month workflow will address how we operate.)
For a thirty video a month agency: a flat fee based editing subscription provides approximately fifty percent of the cost savings associated with replacing a full-time senior editor while also building in capacity buffers for the weeks where everything is due at once. In addition, our editors view comments submitted via your agency’s review tool in the same order they were received as opposed to viewing comments in some form of AI-based summary since ordering matters in terms of meaning. Finally, we stack versions within your agency’s review tool (version 1/version 2/version 3) in order to maintain a clean audit trail of who approved what.
FAQs
Are reviews done with review software the same as using project management software?
No. Review software tracks all comments/ approvals with timestamps made on a particular cut. Project management tools (as Asana, Monday, ClickUp) are tracking what tasks are being completed by who and when will those tasks be due. Most agencies would benefit from having both.
Can’t I simply use Vimeo or YouTube’s Unlisted feature?
Yes you can for 1-2 videos each month with 1 reviewer. With over 30 videos per month, and multiple reviewers/stakeholders involved, Vimeo’s reliability for sending out notifications regarding feedback, and their ability to handle different versions, begin to fail. As producer u/popswastaken on r/videography stated “I’m getting really sick of Vimeo. The notifications we used to receive whenever our clients would give some sort of feedback aren’t coming through anymore.”
What does Frame.io cost for a 10 person agency?
According to Adobe’s response to the r/editors comparison, Frame.io charges $250.00 per month for the Teams plan which allows up to 10 users with 21 TB of total storage space (3 TB initially and then 2 TB for each user above the first ten.) Confirm pricing on Frame.io’s current pricing page prior to purchasing.
Does my client need to create an account to provide a comment?
On Frame.io, ReviewStudio, Vimeo Review & Filestage; No. Guest links are available. On almost all others; Yes, or they may be able to join via Single Sign-On (SSO) if they’re part of an Enterprise. Test the Guest experience during a Free Trial.
Is there a GDPR compliant solution?
Since 2024, Frame.io has had a GDPR compliant solution. Filestage and Ziflow offer an EU Data Residency option. ReviewStudio provides a GDPR Statement. If you’re doing client work under GDPR regulations in the EU, ask the vendor for their data processing addendum before you make a purchase.
Typically how long does it take to complete a single review round?
Based on Fastio’s Working Guide, two to three business days for each review phase is common. Agency Producers that we’ve worked with typically try to get Client Rounds done in 48 hours and Internal Rounds in 24 hours.
What is the least expensive solution that does not sacrifice quality for agency-based work?
At May 2026 prices, Krock at $140.00 monthly for 10 users / 2TB is the best value for dollar in the Production Grade Tier. Frame.io at $250.00 monthly is likely a better investment if you are already an Adobe customer. Any price point less than $100.00 monthly for 10 users will require cuts somewhere in terms of annotations, versioning, or integrations.
If your bottleneck is not your review tool but rather the editing capacity behind it, this is exactly why we developed Vidpros to help you with. Send us your brief and the URL of your review tool and we’ll build V1 inside it and deliver it back to you in 24 hours so you can conduct a legitimate round of feedback on a legitimate cut.
