5 Best Packaging & Labeling Workflow Approval Tools in 2025

Still depending on confusing back-and-forth email chains for your review process? It’s time to upgrade your packaging workflow with tools specifically designed for today’s regulatory challenges, like GoVisually!

GoVisually can doesn’t just streamline reviews—it completely changes your entire process,

helping your team meet compliance requirements
reducing production timelines and increasing product’s time to market by 50%
automatically flagging packaging issues based on your selected regulatory body guidelines and more!

Similar to GoVisually, we listed down few more options for you. We have researched and compared these top options on the market to help you make an informed decision.

This guide breaks down each tool’s key capabilities, pricing structure, and key features, their use case and user reviews From AI-powered compliance verification to seamless stakeholder collaboration, we’ll show you exactly what each platform offers so you can choose the solution that best fits your team’s requirements and budget.

Table of Contents

What should you look for in an approval tool for your packaging workflow?

When selecting an approval tool for your packaging workflow, focus on features that enhance collaboration, streamline processes, and ensure compliance. Based on insights gathered from Reddit discussions among packaging professionals, here are key considerations:

AI-Powered Compliance Capabilities: Reddit users frequently mention compliance as a major pain point. Look for tools that automate regulatory checks for your specific markets (FDA, EU, etc.) to reduce manual verification time.
Intuitive Feedback Tools: According to packaging designers on Reddit, “Point-and-click annotation that doesn’t require explanation” ranks as a top priority. Tools with visual markup capabilities substantially reduce misunderstandings.
Flexible Workflow Automation: As one Reddit user noted, “You can use automation to funnel tickets to different teams or spin up linked issues” – confirming that customizable workflows prevent bottlenecks and keep projects moving.
Integration Capabilities: Several Reddit discussions emphasize the importance of integration with existing systems: “Do you have a PLM/ALM system? You should be able to set up these workflows within a PLM system and integrate with that as well.”
Version Control and Comparison: Packaging professionals consistently cite this as very important for ensuring accurate reviews and preventing costly errors that can lead to recalls.
Budget Scalability: Reddit discussions reveal frustration with tools that become prohibitively expensive as teams grow. Look for pricing that scales reasonably with your organization.

By prioritizing these features, you can select a tool that enhances your packaging approval process while controlling costs—something the Reddit community consistently emphasizes as a balancing act for packaging teams.

Source: Reddit Community— Approval Based Project management Workflow Tool

Top 05 Best Packaging Workflow Approval Tools for your creative business in 2025

1. GoVisually

If you’re looking for a comprehensive packaging workflow approval solution that streamlines label compliance and packaging review processes, then GoVisually is the tool for you. This packaging workflow approval tool is built specifically to address the complex needs of food, cosmetics, and supplement industries as it combines AI-powered compliance checks with intuitive collaboration features. Learn more about the features below:

GoVisually’s key features and how they help.

Feature	How does it help
AI-powered label compliance	Reduces review time from 2-6 weeks to minutes Verifies compliance with FDA, UK, and CA CFIA regulations Achieves 99.9% accuracy for keyword and claim verification Identifies required and restricted keywords automatically
Version control	Prevents reviewing outdated versions by ensuring everyone sees the latest updates. Tracks changes across multiple iterations. Maintains a complete history of all label versions. Reduces compliance risks by 99%.
Multi-market compliance checks	Simultaneously verifies requirements across different regions. Identifies regulatory discrepancies between markets. Streamlines approvals for products sold internationally. Reduces the complexity of managing cross-border labeling.
Contextual feedback tools	Provides precise annotation directly on designs (Comments, Box, Arrow). Reduces misunderstandings between stakeholders. Speeds up review processes by up to 2x. Eliminates lengthy email chains and confusion.
Proof cycle workflow	Organizes the approval process into clear stages. Tracks every design’s status in real time. Provides visibility into bottlenecks. Consolidates feedback from all stakeholders in one place.
No-sign up reviews	Simplifies client participation with link sharing. Removes barriers to external stakeholder involvement. Increases review completion rates. Accelerates approval timelines.
Custom approval checklists	Ensures consistent verification of all required elements. Maintains brand integrity across packaging materials. Creates accountability in the review process. Adapts to specific industry compliance requirements.

Capterra Ratings & Reviews: 4.6/5 with 120+ reviews

Pricing: GoVisually delivers targeted value at every tier:

Lite ($16/user/month) gives freelancers and small teams essential review tools with generous storage
Pro ($33/user/month) allows growing teams with expanded project capacity, video support, and 24/7 human assistance
And Enterprise offers large organizations custom solutions with dedicated account management and training.

Annual billing saves 20% across all plans, making professional design collaboration accessible for any budget. Check out our pricing page for most up to date pricing information.

2. Artwork Flow

Artwork Flow is a workflow management tool designed for packaging and labeling teams. It claims to streamline collaboration between marketing, regulatory, printing, and packaging departments through automated workflows and centralized asset management.

Artwork Flow’s key features and how they help.

Feature	How does it help?
Automated workflows	Establishes sequential approval paths to keep projects moving. Allows setting triggers for each action to standardize processes. Provides workflow templates for reuse across projects.
Project management dashboard	Displays project statuses, due dates, and assigned team members. Tracks projects with list and Gantt view options. Shows task completion metrics but requires manual monitoring.
Regulatory compliance automation	Offers automated checks for allergens, barcodes, and nutrition tables. Uses rulebooks to highlight errors. Limited to predefined compliance rules that may require updates.
Collaborative review	Provides annotation tools for design feedback. Connects stakeholders across departments. Requires all users to follow the defined workflow for effectiveness.
Version control	Manages multiple design iterations. Tracks changes across versions. May require additional steps to compare earlier iterations.

Capterra Ratings & Reviews: 4.5/5 with 25 reviews

Pricing: This solution offers a flexible per-user pricing model with three tiers:

Free plan for individuals and small teams (up to 3 users)
Professional plan at $39/user/month for growing teams (up to 10 users)
Custom-priced Enterprise plan for large organizations.

They focus on accessibility for all types of businesses, with robust creative workflows available even at free tier levels, and enterprise-specific compliance, security, and auditing features.

3. Approval Studio

Another packaging artwork workflow tool is Approval Studio. It was primarily built as design proofing solutions and then expanded into a workflow tool to streamline packaging and label review processes for creative industries. Its workflow builder allows packaging teams to define approval sequences, though the system appears to offer mostly standardized functionality rather than deep customization.

Approval Studio’s key features and how they help.

Feature	How does it help?
Custom workflow builder	Allows creating workflows that auto-switch between project phases. Offers control over design review steps for internal and external tasks. Requires initial setup time to configure properly.
Automated task assignments	Automates the assignment of tasks based on workflow triggers. Handles routine task distribution but depends on properly configured workflows. May need manual intervention for exceptions.
Trigger-based automation	Uses triggers such as project creation, document uploads, or client reviews to advance workflows. Helps move projects through stages but relies on predefined conditions that might not cover all scenarios.
Multiple creative workflows	Supports setting up different workflows for various creative processes. Allows some customization based on project requirements. Limited flexibility for complex approval patterns.
Project phase management	Enables transitioning between workflow stages with reduced manual work. Attempts to streamline the switch between phases like internal and external reviews. Requires clear process definition to be effective.

Capterra Ratings & Reviews: 4.8/5 with 34 reviews

Pricing: Approval Studio positions between lower-cost options and higher-priced enterprise solutions like ManageArtworks, it starts at $55/month. Here’s a brief breakdown of their pricing plans:

Lite: $55/month
Pro: $135/month
Pro XL: $255/month
Enterprise: Custom

Their feature set focuses primarily on design review workflow rather than comprehensive project management. Check out their pricing plan here for more information.

4. ManageArtworks

ManageArtworks positions itself as a packaging artwork management solution focused on automating compliance checks and streamlining approval workflows for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical packaging teams. It focuses on combining digital asset management with approval workflow capabilities for packaging teams.

ManageArtwork’s key features and how they help.

Feature	How does it help?
Ai-powered proofing tools	Offers text, color, font, and barcode analysis to catch errors. Enables spell checking in multiple languages. Provides layer examination but may require manual validation of results.
Pack copy management	Centralizes packaging content including ingredients, translations, and marketing claims in one location. Attempts to maintain consistency across product variants but requires proper setup.
Serial and parallel workflows	Allows creating approval routing with different pathway options. Enables departmental reviews to occur simultaneously or sequentially. Multiple workflow paths can sometimes create confusion.
Regulatory compliance checks	Claims FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and EU Annex 11 compliance with audit logs and electronic signatures. Focuses primarily on documentation requirements rather than comprehensive content validation.
Adobe integration	Provides plugins for Adobe Illustrator and InDesign to work directly with packaging files. Reduces some copy-paste errors but requires designers to actively use the plugins.

Capterra Ratings & Reviews: 4/5 with 6 reviews

Pricing: Most customers find ManageArtworks plans to be a bit pricey as their basic plan starts with $91/month. Here’s a brief breakdown of their pricing plans:

Free: $0/month
Basic: $91/month
Pro Plan: $274/month
Growth Plan: $458/month
Enterprise Plan: Custom

So if you’re looking for something budget friendly with all the benefits of a packaging artwork approval workflow, we’d suggest trying out GoVisually. You can check out their complete pricing page breakdown here.

5. Filestage

Filestage is a review and approval platform that focuses on streamlining the packaging artwork review process through visual feedback tools and standardize approval workflows. The system supports creating dedicated reviewer groups for various departments, though it offers limited automated validation of feedback quality or regulatory compliance.

Filestage’s key features and how they help.

Feature	How does it help?
Feedback tools	Enables stakeholders to leave comments directly on packaging designs. Offers point-and-click annotation but can become cluttered with multiple reviewers. Limited to basic markup tools.
Version comparison	Provides side-by-side and overlay comparison views to identify changes between versions. Highlights text differences but may miss subtle design elements. Requires manual navigation between versions.
Custom approval workflows	Allows setting up different workflows for various project types like product launches and label updates. Requires initial configuration time and maintenance. Limited flexibility for complex approval patterns.
Reviewer groups	Creates designated reviewer teams for different departments like design, product, and compliance. Attempts to organize feedback but doesn’t enforce departmental standards. Depends on manual assignment.
Project organization	Organizes packaging assets into sections and categories. Helps track progress with visual status indicators. Relies on consistent user input to maintain organization.

Capterra Ratings & Reviews: 4.7/5 with 102 reviews

Pricing: Filestage implements tiered pricing based on user requirements, with custom enterprise solutions available. Also, it ensures flexibility in choosing plans

Here are the pricing plans offered by Filestage:

Free: $0/month
Basic: $109/month
Professional: $299/month
Enterprise: Custom

For more information on their pricing plans check here.

Not sure which tool suits you the best?

When selecting a packaging workflow approval tool, balance cost with functionality that addresses your specific challenges. GoVisually stands out as the most budget-friendly option at just $16/user/month while delivering AI-powered compliance features that competitors only offer at premium tiers. For small teams transitioning from manual processes, GoVisually provides the fastest ROI with its intuitive interface and generous 50GB storage allocation.

Meanwhile, Artwork Flow offers a free tier that’s ideal for startups testing the waters, ManageArtworks provides robust pharmaceutical-specific compliance tools (though at a premium price point), and Filestage excels with its version comparison capability. Approval Studio falls somewhere in the middle, with strong creative review features but less comprehensive workflow automation.

Consider starting with a free trial of GoVisually to experience firsthand how the right tool can transform your packaging approval process from a bottleneck into a competitive advantage. Book a demo right now!