Online proofing software for creative teams

What online proofing software does

Online proofing software replaces email attachments and scattered feedback with one shared copy of the file. Reviewers open it in a browser, leave comments in place, and the current version, the conversation and the approval status stay together. It is also sold as an online proofing system, a proofing platform, client proofing software or proof approval software; the job is the same: get clear feedback on creative work, and a decision you can point to later.

The five stages of a proofing process

1. Share the file. Upload the design, artwork, photo or PDF and give reviewers access to the folder, or send a link to a dedicated review page.
2. Collect feedback. Reviewers comment on the file, and place markers on the spot they are talking about. Everyone sees the same thread, so the same correction is not sent three times.
3. Revise. The designer uploads a new version. The earlier versions stay, with their comments attached to the version they belonged to.
4. Decide. An approval label such as "Pending approval" or "Approved" is set on the file, so anyone can see where it stands without asking.
5. Deliver and keep. The approved file stays in the same library the rest of the business already uses, ready to share or download.

Who does what

• The owner sets up the folder, decides who can see it and who may comment.
• Internal reviewers — designers, marketers, product owners — comment and reply.
• Clients and external partners review through a link, without being set up as users in advance.
• The approver sets the label that ends the round.

Do reviewers need an account?

No, not in the usual sense. External reviewers open a secure link and register themselves on the review page to add comments, so nobody has to create accounts for them first. Filecamp includes unlimited users on every plan, so extra reviewers never cost more.

Worth knowing before you promise it to a client: reviewers who register themselves this way do not receive email notifications. Notifications go to managed users, are set per folder, and are off until someone turns them on. If a client needs to be told when a new version arrives, add them as a user, or tell them yourself.

How versions work

Uploading a new version keeps the old ones. Reviewers always work on the latest file, and earlier versions can be opened or downloaded from the version dropdown, with the comments that belonged to them. Filecamp does not show two versions side by side for comparison; if that is central to how you work, test it before you buy.

How approval status works

Approval in Filecamp is a label, not a locked workflow state. You create labels that match your process — "Pending approval", "Changes requested", "Approved" — give each a colour, and filter or search on them. Custom label sets are part of the Advanced and Professional plans. Commenting is available on the Professional plan and is switched on per folder.

That is deliberately simpler than a routing engine: there are no automated deadlines, reminders or approval chains. Teams who need a compliance-grade workflow with enforced sequences should look at a dedicated proofing suite; teams who mostly need the file, the feedback and a visible decision tend to find the label enough.

What to look for when choosing proofing software

• Which files it opens in the browser: PDFs, common images, and the design formats your team actually sends.
• Whether outside reviewers need a paid seat. Per-user pricing is what makes proofing tools expensive once clients join.
• Whether feedback stays attached to the version it was written about.
• How a decision is recorded, and whether you can find every file in that state later.
• Whether reviewers see your brand or the vendor's — a white-label portal matters when clients use it.
• What happens after approval: does the file live on in a library the rest of the company can use, or only inside the proofing tool?
• What it costs when the team grows, which is where unlimited-user pricing is worth checking against per-seat plans.

What Filecamp does not do

Stated plainly, so you can rule us out quickly: no automated routing, reminders or deadlines; no side-by-side version comparison; no integrations with Creative Cloud, Slack or Zapier; and a multi-page PDF is approved as one file, so a document that needs page-by-page sign-off should be split first. Commenting requires the Professional plan.

Questions people ask

Is online proofing the same as artwork approval? Nearly. Artwork approval is the same loop with a print or packaging file at the centre, where the decision is a sign-off rather than a comment thread. See artwork approval.

Can a client comment without a Filecamp login? They open a secure link and register themselves on the review page, which takes a moment and costs nothing, since users are unlimited.

Which file types can be reviewed? PDFs, standard image formats and many design formats; Filecamp renders a preview in the browser so reviewers do not need the original application.

Can I see who approved something, and when? Yes. The label shows the current state, and comments and versions carry their author and timestamp.

Does it work for long PDFs? It works, but the label applies to the file as a whole. For page-by-page approval, split the document first.

What does it cost? Filecamp starts at USD 29 a month with unlimited users; commenting is on the Professional plan at USD 89. See pricing.