In a Nutshell
pros
- Secure document exchange
- Powerful workflows and delegating tools
cons
- No API to connect to other tools such as MS Outlook
- Poor in-app communication options
FunctionFox at a Glance
Best for: Small creative teams
Key use: Seamless project planning
Price: $5, $10, or $15 per user per month, depending on the plan
Free trial: 14 days
Features and Functionality
Time Tracking
From the most basic plan and up, FunctionFox offers advanced time tracking functionality. You can track the time spent on each project or task, run 2 timers at once for 2 different projects, track time for employees, freelancers, and remote workers, and more. FunctionFox allows you to set different rates for different stopwatches so you can automatically calculate rates.
Budgeting
FunctionFox’s tracking features include setting up estimates, budgets, retainer budgets, and expense budgets, and then tracking progress. You can also use the FunctionFox Invoicing add-on to quickly produce branded quotes and invoices and send them from within the platform.
Project Management
FunctionFox stars in the field of project management. It’s simple to set up new projects with a detailed scope, thanks to custom fields. You can save project templates to speed things up for the future, too. FunctionFox allows you to create unlimited clients and projects, and to add extra personnel too so that everything is in one place. Use FunctionFox to make project timelines, track milestones, set up to-do lists, and produce resource availability calendars.
The email alert functionality is a big boost to your ability to keep on top of things – you can set up email alerts for your to-do list, when milestones are reached, or when your project estimate is near completion. The functionality of Project Schedule View or Project Calendar View helps you to keep an eye on the big picture while still staying on top of the details.
Collaboration
FunctionFox eases project collaboration with an in-platform secure document exchange add-on called Flink. You can add as many personnel as you’d like without compromising the security of your project, thanks to customizable access rights, and keep everyone in the loop with a group calendar, project status, and a project blog.
Reports
FunctionFox provides powerful reporting functionality. With the Classic and Premier plans, you’ll be able to generate reports on project progress, individual personnel productivity, individual workloads, expenses, project status, time tracking, and more. The In-House plan offers a higher level of reports that includes cycle and capacity reports as well as advanced customizable reports.
Other Features
FunctionFox makes life easier with a built-in address book for contacts and vendors, a free mobile app for iOS systems and limited Android usage, and an integrated personal calendar for scheduling meetings and tracking deliverables.
Collaboration Tools
It has to be said that FunctionFox is built around project management, rather than communication. Tools like the Group Calendar, timelines, to-do lists, and project schedules are viewable by everyone connected with the project and boost collaboration. Some functionalities, like assigning and tracking tasks and running a project blog, are only offered on the Premier and In-House plans. FunctionFox allows you to set access levels for each personnel member so that you can decide if they can edit or create new tasks, and choose what information is available to them.
For communication, project members can write Daily or Personal notes on the timesheet or edit the project document, depending on their level of access. The Premier and In-House plans allow you to track internal and external communication, although it’s not clear how that works. FunctionFox also offers an add-on called Flink, which is a proprietary secure document exchange platform.
Plans and Pricing
Classic
Premier
In-House
$5/month/user, $35/month for the first user
$10/month/user, $50/month for the first user
$20/month/user, $150/month for the first user
Time, project, and budget tracking
Everything from Classic, plus assign tasks and allocate resources
Everything from Premier, plus custom project tracking fields
Client, project, and personnel reporting
Project calendar, scheduling, to-do list, and milestones
Cycle, capacity, and customizable reports
Unlimited clients, projects, and personnel
Project blog
10GB document exchange
Project request forms for outside departments
FunctionFox’s pricing can be a little confusing. As well as paying for the tier of your choice, you’re also charged according to the number of personnel on your project. So, the first user pays a higher price and then pays a fixed monthly fee for every additional user. Fortunately, FunctionFox makes it easy to add and remove personnel, so there’s no need to pay for unnecessary workers. There’s no extra fee for adding more clients or projects, though. FunctionFox offers a free 14-day trial, which it calls a demo, so you can see if it’s suitable for your needs before taking the plunge.
Apps
Desktop App
FunctionFox is compatible with most internet browsers, including Chrome, Safari, FireFox, and Edge, and works on both Mac and Windows PCs. You'll have to enable cookies and JavaScript, and have a high-speed internet connection to use FunctionFox. If you want the ability to export information or modify reports, you'll also want to have Excel on your device.
FunctionFox is designed with simplicity in mind. It's geared towards freelancers and in-house project teams who don't have extensive IT know-how, so the dashboard is intuitive, and all the sections of the app are easy to find. Reports are laid out clearly, and you can switch between different views without a fuss.
Mobile App
FunctionFox offers a mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, although the mobile app doesn’t have the full functionality of the desktop app. With the FunctionFox mobile app, you can track billable and non-billable hours, manage your to-do list, and access the project blog.
Setting up the FunctionFox app is simple, as long as you have WiFi, 3G, or a mobile hotspot. Just visit the Apple or Google app store and choose FunctionFox. It's free to download. All you'll have to do is log in with your FunctionFox username and password to find all your data waiting for you.
Data Privacy
FunctionFox makes it clear to all users which data it collects, such as your name, IP address, email address, etc. To preserve your security, FunctionFox is protected with SSL and high-level encryption, so your information is always kept safe. FunctionFox never accesses your business’ proprietary data, which is stored on a separate, secure server that FunctionFox cannot penetrate.
Customer Service and Support
FunctionFox prides itself on its high level of customer support. The website itself has a good FAQ section with video and PDF guides. All of FunctionFox’s customer support methods are manned 7am to 4pm PT, Monday to Friday. If you call or email outside of office hours, FunctionFox promises to get back to you as quickly as possible on the following business day. FunctionFox has a consistently high rating for customer support, with friendly and helpful staff.
How FunctionFox Compares
Bottom Line
FunctionFox provides easy-to-use, effective project management software that is cloud-based and intuitive. FunctionFox offers time trackers, budgeting tools, workflows, reports, and collaborative tools to make it simple for small creative groups to keep on top of their projects. Although the communication options and mobile app could be better, FunctionFox’s ease of use and work tools make it a solid project management app.
