Comparison
Sideline vs. ManyRequests
Both are built for agencies handling client requests. The difference is philosophy, and it's big enough that one of us is clearly right for you.
ManyRequests is the all-in-one
Client portal plus CRM, subscriptions, invoicing, checkout forms, and proofing, a genuinely capable operations suite, priced per seat ($59 to $99/mo base, $20 to $30 per additional seat). If you'll use all of it, it can replace several tools at once.
Sideline is the focused tool
The request half, intake, queue, portal, collaboration, time, reports, done completely, at a flat $49/mo for your whole team. No module maze, nothing your clients need training for, and the roadmap grows where the request workflow points (retainer billing is next). Simple enough that clients actually use it.
| Feature | Sideline | ManyRequests |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo flat, 5 seats included | $59/mo + $20/mo per extra seat |
| 5-person team, realistic plan | $49/mo (Studio) | $219/mo (Pro + 4 seats) |
| Unlimited clients | Yes | Yes |
| Client requests, statuses, views | List, board, calendar | List, kanban, queue |
| Custom intake forms | Yes | Yes |
| Internal team notes on requests | Yes, inline with the thread | Yes |
| AI connector (Claude / ChatGPT / MCP) | Included on every plan, one-click OAuth | Not offered |
| AI writing assist | Polish + Write-for-me, included on Studio | AI assisted comments & briefs (Pro tier) |
| Flexible staffing without seats | Specialists sign in with their own email; personal contact details stay private; AI holds one standard | Team accounts, standard |
| Content-free notifications (privacy mode) | One switch, no client content in any email | Not advertised |
| Time tracking | Built in, all plans: a per-person timer that follows you across devices, filterable reports, CSV export | Yes (tier-dependent) |
| Retainer billing & subscriptions | Not yet, next on the roadmap | Yes, Stripe-based |
| CRM | No, your CRM keeps that job | Yes |
| File storage | 500GB included (+$19/mo per 500GB) | 500GB, 1TB by tier (+$25/mo per 500GB) |
| Design/video proofing & annotations | No | Yes (higher tiers) |
| White-label / custom domain | In development; included in the $49 plan when it ships | Yes (Pro tier) |
| Free migration | Yes, we do it for you in 24h | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card |
| Hide your client list & team roster from staff | Agency setting per page: client list, team roster, reports. Client list hidden by default | Granular permissions exist; hiding the client list or roster not documented |
| Queue ranks itself, with reasons | Smart Focus ranks each person's queue and says why in plain language | Not offered |
| AI suggests field updates from the thread | Suggests status, due date, and priority from the conversation; you accept or ignore | Not offered |
| Client-set priority order | Drag in the list or on the board; the order is shared, so clients can set your priorities | Not documented |
ManyRequests details from manyrequests.com/pricing, verified July 26, 2026, check their site for current numbers. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it: hello@sideline.io.
Our honest take
If you want one system to run your whole agency, deals, billing, subscriptions, proofing, delivery, and your team will genuinely adopt all of it, ManyRequests is a good product and you should try it.
If your billing already works and the thing that's actually broken is the request chaos, five inboxes, invisible workload, clients asking for updates, then you don't need the suite. You need the request half done perfectly, at a price that doesn't climb every time you hire. That's Sideline.
Simplest test: would your least technical client log in? That's the feature that decides whether any portal works at all.
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