10 Best approval workflow software platforms

Tristan Ovington
By Tristan Ovington
Updated May 30, 2024

If getting stuck in slow approval processes is a daily frustration for your HR department, we have the answer. Ditch the paper jams and manual approval nightmares with approval workflow software. You can then enjoy a 60% improvement in work processes

This digital innovation tool can streamline your operations and boost efficiency. It can also help you join half of all surveyed companies that agree workflow automation can help cut errors

These benefits keep you compliant with regulations or company policies. You can then benefit from more control over decision-making. Doing so will ensure every decision aligns with organizational goals. 

But which approval workflow software is right for you? We are here to answer that question with our list of the ten best workflow software choices. This list will support your decision and ensure you invest in the right tool for every digital workflow task. 

Top 10 approval workflow software platforms

Top 10 approval workflow software platforms (1)

Selecting the optimal workflow approval software is critical. It maximizes operational efficiency and ensures streamlined processes. It also enhances team collaboration, maintains compliance with regulations, and drives organizational success and competitiveness.

We rely on G2 ratings to assist in selecting top HR tools for workflow optimization. It offers unbiased assessments by aggregating user reviews and social media feedback. 

Higher reviews may appear lower. We grade each review using combinations of reviews, such as review quantity and score.

We evaluate use and effectiveness using ‘good,’ ‘bad,’ or ‘excellent.’

  1. Jotform
  • Review Rating: 4.7/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Jotform turns your online forms into approval workflows. Build custom chains with a drag-and-drop interface; this step will remove the need for coding. 

This software will allow you to join the 77% of companies utilizing low-code or no-code tools and enjoy the benefits. Jotform is perfect for teams that need to streamline approvals for requests, applications, or anything submitted through a form. Jotform makes approvals faster and more accessible for everyone involved.

  1. IntelligenceBank
  • Review Rating: 4.6/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

IntelligenceBank automates marketing content approvals. Doing so helps businesses organize digital assets faster and get brand-approved content out. Marketing teams set up workflows to ensure brand compliance and streamline project progress. Unique features include real-time feedback, version tracking, and an audit trail for all approvals.

  1. Filestage
  • Review Rating: 4.6/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Filestage is a cloud-based platform for streamlined content review and approval.  Creative teams and agencies use it. They share and annotate all file types, centralize feedback, and track revisions. Its strength lies in simplifying collaboration and accelerating the approval process for creative projects.

  1. Integrify
  • Review Rating: 4.4/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Integrify empowers businesses to build custom approval workflows with a drag-and-drop builder.  Designed for any department, it automates tasks and integrates with existing systems. It also offers flexible features like conditional routing and group approvals. Integrify’s strength lies in its adaptability and ease of use for non-technical teams.

  1. Hub Planner
  • Review Rating: 4.2/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Hub Planner focuses on internal team approvals,  especially timesheets and resource requests.  Project managers can set up custom workflows to manage project teams, track time effectively, and ensure proper resource allocation.  Its strength lies in its tight integration with resource scheduling and project management within the Hub Planner platform.

  1. Approval Studio
  • Review Rating: 4.9/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Approval Studio simplifies creative approvals with visual proofing tools.  Design and marketing teams love its side-by-side comparisons. Its markup for feedback and easy client collaboration also makes it popular. It stands out for its focus on streamlining the visual review and approval process for creative assets.

  1. Moxo
  • Review Rating: 4.5/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Moxo combines workflow automation with secure collaboration for B2B projects.  It is ideal for finance, legal, and healthcare. It offers pre-built templates and drag-and-drop workflow building for approvals while keeping all communication in context.  Moxo’s strength is its focus on streamlining client-facing workflows with a balance of automation and human interaction.

  1. Cflow
  • Review Rating: 5/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Cflow is web-based workflow automation software designed to streamline approval processes for documents and projects. Businesses of all sizes can use its drag-and-drop interface to build custom workflows. Unlike competitors, Cflow allows even people without a Cflow license to approve requests, making it a more flexible solution.

  1. Admation
  • Review Rating: 3.8/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Admation tackles creative project lifecycles,  from briefing to approval.  Ad agencies and brands love its all-in-one solution for managing tasks, resources, and approvals. It streamlines the creative workflow. Admation stands out by combining project management with built-in approval tools in a single platform.

  1. Oppolis Cloud
  • Review Rating: 5/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Oppolis Cloud focuses on creative team approvals.  Marketing and design teams use it to streamline project management and review assets. They do so within Adobe Creative Suite, and collaborate effortlessly. Its strength lies in its deep integration with Adobe tools, allowing direct feedback in design software.

What is workflow approval software?

Approval workflow software digitizes, streamlines, and automates company approval processes for documents. It also supports creative decisions and equipment procurement. It does this across teams and departments. 

Cloud-based systems facilitate customizable workflows and templates for document approvals. Features include online proofing, digital sign-offs, and deadline management. 

Its advantages include faster processing, reduced errors, improved transparency, and enhanced accountability in decision-making.

How to choose the best approval workflow software

How to choose the best approval workflow software (1)

Choosing the optimal approval workflow software is pivotal for enhancing organizational efficiency. 

The approval software-choosing process is simple. First, consider what problem you need the software to solve and what approvals you must make. Are you a creative organization, or do you focus on manufacturing? Each industry requires different software. 

Consider functionality, integration needs, customizability, and pricing to get the best software to meet your approval needs. 

Look out for incorporated functionality

Firstly, prioritize platforms equipped with built-in approval features. Base this decision on your desire to minimize reliance on external tools or integrations, ensuring seamless operations within a unified system. 

Leveraging native functionalities such as one-click approval handling, drag-and-drop workflow builders, and visual document management capabilities, you can streamline approval processes and bolster overall efficiency.

Consider your integration needs

While native features are desirable, integration capabilities are also essential. In instances where your software lacks specific approval functionalities, exploring integrations with complementary cloud-based platforms becomes imperative. 

You can augment its capabilities with the right software by evaluating compatibility with approval management systems. You can then tailor it to your unique requirements within your digital business strategy

Research customizability

Beyond basic automation, it’s crucial to establish the software’s adaptability for your workflow needs. This step involves defining your customization options that extend beyond predefined templates. 

Features like robust audit trails, leveraging approvals for onboarding processes, and facilitating customer input collection through web forms are paramount. 

It’s also essential to ensure compatibility with mobile platforms such as Android and iOS. These considerations enhance accessibility and employee experience, accommodating modern work dynamics and preferences, which is vital for today’s hybrid workforce.

Be mindful of pricing transparency

Lastly, a thorough evaluation of pricing structures is essential to make informed decisions. Transparency regarding monthly plans, tiered options, and the availability of free trials or versions is imperative. 

Understanding the financial implications upfront makes aligning your investment with budgetary constraints and overall objectives easier. This final, crucial step ensures optimal value proposition and return on investment.

Invest in the right approval workflow software today 

This tool can streamline operations and boost efficiency and compliance for faster, smarter decisions. 

When you invest in the right digital tools, you achieve ROI quickly, avoid waste and staff frustration, and retain staff and their collective knowledge. 

Your organizational culture will also see benefits as staff well-being from higher productivity. 50% of people feel that technology will influence workplace changes in the next 10 years, and digital tools will likely be at the core. 

This statistic highlights the importance of selecting the right tools for each function. 

Invest in the right approval workflow software today to support your staff and your organization to success now and in the future. 

Tristan Ovington
By Tristan Ovington
Tristan Ovington, an accomplished senior writer and journalist, typically contributes his expertise to the Enterprisers Project. Renowned for his valuable perspectives on digital adoption, digital transformation, change management, and Cloud applications.