MilestoneGate.
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For agencies with many clients

Stop chasing invoices. Start gating the work.

Milestone ties every project stage to a payment. Your client pays, the next stage unlocks. No awkward emails, no finished work handed over unpaid.

Start free — up to 5 clientsI'm a client

Free up to 5 clients · then $29/month · no card to sign up

Agency portfolio · Monday
$30,100 outstanding
Lumen Launch
Stage 2 of 4 · Brand book
Paid
Northwind Coffee
Retainer · September
Awaiting
Studio Kite
Stage 3 of 5 · Website build
Overdue 12 days
Field Notes Co.
Stage 1 of 3 · Discovery
Locked
The problem

Unpaid work doesn't wait. It ages.

Every day an invoice sits unpaid, it gets harder to collect — until it quietly becomes bad debt you write off.

0–30 days
$12,400
Still a friendly nudge away
31–60 days
$8,900
Chasing begins in earnest
61–90 days
$5,200
Now it's uncomfortable
90+ days
$3,800
Effectively written off

Agencies don't lose money to bad clients. They lose it to the gap between work delivered and payment received.

The fix

A shared plan where payment unlocks work

One live plan both sides see. When a stage is paid, the next one opens automatically. Overdue stages pause the work — that's the leverage.

Lumen Launch · stages
Stage 1Paid
Discovery & brief · $2,000
Stage 2Paid
Brand book · $4,800
Stage 3Awaiting
Website build · $6,200
Stage 4Locked
Launch kit · $3,000
Stage 3 unlocks nothing until it's paid. Stage 4 stays sealed.
Reminder queue
Studio Kite · Stage 3
Today · 12 days overdue
Northwind Coffee · Retainer
Thu · Due in 2 days
Auto-escalate Studio Kite
Fri · Firm reminder
Field Notes Co.
Next Mon · Nudge before lock
One click sends a reminder — the client sees it inside their portal too.
01
Plan the stages

Use a template like 40/30/30 or a monthly retainer. Each stage lists its deliverables and price.

02
Share with your client

They sign in free and see exactly what's delivered, what's due, and what's next.

03
Payment unlocks work

When a stage is paid, the next one opens automatically. Overdue stages pause the work.

Features

Built for the way agencies actually bill

Payment-gated stages

The next stage stays locked until the previous one is paid. Work becomes the leverage.

Shared live plan

You and your client see the same schedule, amounts and deliverables. No version drift.

Reusable templates

Save your 40/30/30, 50/50 or monthly retainer once, apply it to every new project.

Aging at a glance

Portfolio view shows what's paid, awaiting, overdue or paused — across every client.

One-click reminders

Send a nudge from the project page. The client sees it in their portal instantly.

Fixed or retainer billing

One-off stage projects or rolling monthly retainers, with add-a-month built in.

Instant alerts

Both sides get notified when a stage is paid, unlocked, or slips overdue.

Client-friendly

Clients sign up free with email or Google — no onboarding marathon on their side.

Built for many clients

Manage 5, 15 or 30 clients from one dashboard without a spreadsheet in sight.

Early agencies

What testers say

"The gate does the talking for me. Clients stopped asking for extensions on payment and started paying on schedule."
Founder, design studio
"Testimonial coming soon."
Creative director, branding agency
"Testimonial coming soon."
Owner, video production co.
Pricing

Simple, like the plan itself

Start free. Upgrade when your client list grows past five.

Starter
Free
  • ✓Up to 5 clients
  • ✓Unlimited projects & stages
  • ✓Shared client portal
  • ✓Payment-gated stages
  • ✓One-click reminders
Start free
Most agencies
Milestone Pro
$29/month
  • ✓Unlimited clients
  • ✓Everything in Starter
  • ✓Priority support
  • ✓New features first
Start free, upgrade later

Client→agency card payments are rolling out next; today the gate and the shared plan are fully live.

FAQ

Straight answers

Do my clients need an account?+

Yes — but it's free and takes a minute. They sign in with their email (or Google) and see every project you've shared with them.

Does Milestone hold my money?+

No. Your client pays you directly. Milestone tracks the schedule and unlocks work when payment is confirmed — your money never passes through us.

What if a client won't pay?+

The next stage stays locked. The shared plan shows them exactly why: Stage 2 is paid, Stage 3 is waiting. No chasing emails required.

Can I use my own payment schedule?+

Yes. Build stages from scratch or save your usual split — like 40/30/30 — as a reusable template.

What counts as a client for the 5-client limit?+

Each client company on your roster counts once, no matter how many projects you run for them.

Is this legally binding on my client?+

Milestone is a shared plan and transparency tool, not a contract. Most agencies pair it with their existing agreement — the shared schedule makes the terms visible to both sides.

Your work is the leverage. Use it.

Set up your first payment-gated project in under ten minutes. Free for up to five clients.

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