If your clients keep asking for updates or can’t find key documents, something’s not working. When project details are spread across emails, spreadsheets, and shared drives, it slows everyone down and creates confusion on both sides.

A client portal helps fix that. It gives each client access to the specific files, tasks, or information they need—all in one place, with the right level of visibility.

But building one can get complicated. You need to manage logins, connect data sources, control who sees what—and do it without spending weeks on setup or hiring a developer.

In this post, we’ll explain what a client portal is, show examples from real businesses, and walk through tools that help you create your own—no technical background required.

What are client portals and client portal solutions?

Client portals, sometimes called customer portals, are a secure spaces where your clients can log in to find the information that matters to them—things like project updates, documents, invoices, or dashboards. Instead of sending spreadsheets or files manually, you control what each client can see and give them one place to stay informed.

Here’s what most client portals include:

• A login page to ensure access is limited to specific individuals or organizations
• Various access types based on user profiles, rights, roles, etc.
• An intuitive interface to allow users to access data in a digestible way
• Seamless syncing with the data source(s) to ensure information is always up-to-date and accurate
• Optional features like payment integrations, dashboards, or commenting—depending on what your clients need

The goal isn’t to build something fancy. It’s to make life easier—for you and your clients. No more back-and-forth emails. No more “where’s that file?” messages. Just the right information in the right place.

With Softr, you can create a client portal that fits your workflow, your clients, and your brand. You can pull in live data from 14+ native data sources like Airtable, Notion, SmartSuite, ClickUp, or Google Sheets, and control exactly who sees what—no coding needed.

“Our submission process used to be on paper. Now clinics use our Softr customer portal and submit in a few clicks. It saves 3-4 hours a day of at least one employee’s time.”

Ashley Kalinauskas
CEO, Torigen Pharmaceuticals

Next, let’s look at some real examples of client portals built on Softr.

5 client portal examples

We gathered five portal examples from Softr customers to inspire your projects. The examples cover a wide range of industries, use cases, and implementation levels.

FUGA: Real-time reporting and project updates for music clients

FUGA, a global music distribution platform, used Softr to create SCORE—a dynamic portal that lets artist managers and record labels access real-time reporting and update project details independently.

What stands out:

• Live dashboards replace static PDFs by pulling real-time data from Airtable and BigQuery
• Clients can update project metadata and marketing details directly in the portal
• Smart filters and role-based permissions ensure each user sees only what’s relevant
• Additional tools like interactive maps and tutorials help clients get more value from the portal

Why it works:
The SCORE portal saves FUGA’s team hours each week and gives clients instant visibility into release progress, inventory levels, and regional campaign coverage. It’s a scalable, branded solution that’s now being white-labeled for partners globally.

“We really appreciate how we can set user-specific visibility—clients see only what they need to see, nothing more.”

‍Laura,
FUGA team

Read the full case study →

Designity: Managing 500+ users across three portals

Designity, a subscription-based creative services platform, needed a more organized way to manage projects across clients, creative directors, and freelancers. Off-the-shelf tools like monday.com and Asana didn’t offer the flexibility they needed—so they built their own system with Softr, Airtable, and Fillout.

What stands out:

• Three connected portals for clients, creative directors, and creatives
• 500+ users and 100K+ Airtable records powering 8+ custom workflows
• Features include request forms, timeline tracking, report builders, and approval flows
• Advanced permissions ensure each user sees only what they need

Why it works:
Designity launched the system in just 9 weeks—without hiring developers. Clients can request work, track progress, and approve deliverables in one place. Internally, teams manage projects, reports, and collaboration more efficiently, all in a system that adapts as the business grows.

“We thought we’d need developers and product managers to build this. With Softr, we did it ourselves in weeks.”

Natalie Neumann,
COO, Designity

Read the full case study →

Torigen: Streamlining pathology submissions for 250+ vet clinics

Torigen, a biotech company working with veterinary clinics, needed a faster, more reliable way to collect and process tumor sample submissions. Their old process relied on paper forms and manual data entry into HubSpot—costing hours of staff time each day and leaving room for errors.

What stands out:

• Smart submission forms adapt based on tumor type and animal breed
• Submissions are stored as HubSpot tickets and tracked in real time
• Clinics can search, filter, and download case reports from their dashboard
• Built-in print slips, resource hub, and tailored next steps based on sample data

Why it works:
Over 250 clinics now use the portal, which processes more than 600 samples a month. It replaces a frustrating paper process with a clean, guided experience for clinics—and saves Torigen 3–4 hours of admin work daily. The team can also adapt quickly: when their lab software requirements changed, they updated the portal over a weekend with no code.

“We’re not coders or developers, but Softr is so easy to use and learn — it lets us run with our ideas.”

Ashley Kalinauskas,

CEO, Torigen

Read the full case study →

Urban’s Group: Boosting productivity by 25% with a custom ERP system

Urban’s Group, a landscaping and construction business with 80+ employees, was running into major operational headaches. Outdated tools like Excel, Trello, and legacy construction software made it hard to track projects, manage teams, or automate anything—slowing the business down just as it was trying to scale.

What stands out:

• A custom ERP built with Softr and Airtable, covering 7+ tools in one app
• Role-based access for managers, field workers, and clients
• Real-time dashboards for project tracking, payroll, and financial performance
• Time tracking and geolocation features integrated with Zoho Forms
• Automations for invoicing, payroll, and client updates via Make

Why it works:
By bringing everything into one place, Urban’s Group reduced admin time by 30% and increased productivity by 25%. Field workers can now log hours and access project info on the go, while managers and clients each get a tailored view of what they need. The app’s flexibility has helped Urban’s replace multiple disconnected tools—and keep growing.

“We used Softr’s Form blocks for absence requests and client feedback, and the Comment block to streamline communication within the app. Everything’s easier—managers, field teams, and clients all benefit.”

Clément Piot,

Founder, KYRRO.tech

Read the full case study →

Officeheads: Automating 8 workflows in under 2 days

Officeheads, an accounting firm for SMBs, wanted to give clients a clearer view of what was happening with their finances—without relying on endless emails or hard-to-read spreadsheets. After trying Sharepoint and custom dev, CEO Rebecca Berneck turned to Softr.

What stands out:

• Built a full client portal in 2 days using Softr and Airtable
• Automates 8 workflows, including service timelines, dashboards, video guides, and project tracking
• Clients see what’s happening each week, download reports, and watch tailored financial videos
• Uses permissions to control access for each client and internal team

Why it works:
The portal now serves 50+ clients, replacing static reports with interactive dashboards and self-serve info. Clients can easily see the value they’re getting—something Rebecca says helps close new deals too.

“I’m happy that I have the client portal after dreaming about what I wanted it to be. It makes everything complete of what I want to offer.”
— Rebecca Berneck, CEO, Officeheads

Read the full case study →

What are the best client portal solutions?

We hope that you’re inspired by these great client portal examples and are now ready to create your own. But where should you start? The logical first step is to evaluate the options available to you.

You can create your own client portal in three main ways: by coding it and building from scratch, using a dedicated client portal solution, or using Softr as your self service client portal solution. Let’s take a look at each.

1) Hard-coding your client portal internally

This method might be the most obvious choice. Building a custom client portal with your team or an outsourced agencypresents clear advantages but also significant drawbacks:

Pros:

• Entirely custom: You can build your portal according to your specific requirements down to the most minute detail, which can be important if you have a very niche use case
• Proprietary: If you are worried about not owning the technology behind your client portal, this can alleviate that concern.
• “Free": Theoretically, you won't pay a software subscription. However, your up-front costs for development and engineering will be much higher than other options.

Cons:

• Difficult to implement: Requires internal expertise in several technical areas and constant maintenance and iterations
• Very expensive: DIY solutions are very costly in terms of time and money, as resources (both human and technological) will inevitably pile up.
• Time-consuming: Building your client portal internally will likely turn what could have been an agile experiment into a massive project that could last for months (with no guaranteed result).

Although going the DIY route is commendable, it’s likely to prove very challenging unless you work at a large corporation with deep pockets and significant resources. Even then, building a fully custom client portal will require numerous iterations, improvements, and changes over time that might prove counterproductive over time.

2) Paying for a dedicated client portal solution

Another option is to adopt a dedicated software or solution that focuses solely on helping you build and implement your client portal. Contrary to the DIY method, this introduces more flexibility but still presents limitations you should know about.

Pros:

• Focused offering: A dedicated solution generally ensures that you have access to advanced features catering specifically to client portals.
• Specialized expertise: Dealing with a niche solution might translate into quality support and user community.

Cons:

• Expensive: Most dedicated client portal solutions are relatively costly. You might find it difficult to justify paying a high price for a single purpose.
• Limited scope: A niche solution will prevent you from transferring the skills and features you’re investing time and resources into to other projects beyond your client portal.
• Third-party solution: Reliance on third-party software will limit your ability to own your client portal and might require exposing your data.

This option can be a great choice for larger companies that want to dedicate time and resources to building a client portal. However, the limited scope of these solutions can prove quite restrictive and hard to justify when considering your budget and long-term vision.

3) Using Softr to build your client portal without code

Lastly, our favorite client portal solution (who would’ve guessed) is our own: Softr. Our platform allows agencies, organizations, and individuals to build client portals, internal tools, web and mobile apps, and more without ever needing to write a line of code.

“Softr’s intuitive interface and seamless integration with Airtable won me over in no time. The drag-and-drop functionality makes it incredibly easy to design.” - Bob Rutledge, Owner, MicroManaged Media

Softr comes with a wide range of benefits, but also some drawbacks you should be aware of ahead of time:

Pros:

• A large variety of ready-to-use templates, including our client portal template, to get started in minutes.
• Various data sources: Softr allows you to connect to multiple data sources and tools. Your clients can access the information they’re looking for in one place with the reassurance that the data is always in sync and up-to-date.
• Custom design and interface: Our platform features a drag-and-drop editor, allowing you to move blocks to build a branded client portal without coding or design skills required.
• Secure data and access management: Client portals often feature sensitive information, so it’s imperative that you feel confident about the safety of your data. Softr ensures world-class storage and hosting practices and helps you manage access rights to ensure who can access what at all times. Learn more on our security page.

Cons:

• Some elbow grease will be needed: Although we make it as seamless as possible to get started (including by leveraging artificial intelligence with our AI App Generator), Softr does require manual work during implementation.
• Limited data sources: As of writing this article, Softr supports Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot, SmartSuite, and BigQuery. We’re working on adding more!

Softr is a great choice if you want to experiment with client portals with limited consequences - all you need to do is sign up for free and try it out. It’s also perfect if you want to skip the cost of hiring a developer, empower your non-technical team members, avoid purchasing software that doesn’t meet your needs, or save seats on your Airtable or HubSpot plan (these can add up quickly!).

If you’re interested in trying Softr but still unsure whether you have the skills to do it (trust us, you do), check out the next section, where we break down the implementation steps to build a client portal on our platform.

How to start building your client portal with Softr today

Starting with Softr is quick, free, and doesn’t require any coding experience. The entire process can be boiled down into three steps:

1. Connecting Softr to your data, syncing with the data source of your choice (Airtable, HubSpot, Google Sheets, BigQuery, etc.)
2. Customizing the layout and logic of your portal to match your intended workflows and allow precise control over what users can see and do.
3. Sharing with your clients and collaborators using your custom domain.

For a detailed tutorial, check out this video, where no-code expert Dan Leeman breaks down how to create a client portal on Softr in minutes, or head directly to our sign-up page and get started for free:

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