Keep client work out of the chat scroll
Slack channels get archived. WhatsApp threads get buried under family photos. Telegram blends your client into a list with everyone else you've ever spoken to. Droplana gives each client one quiet, organized place — files, messages, and decisions that don't slide off the screen by Friday.
| Feature | Droplana | Messaging App |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Seconds — share a link, done | Client must install the app and share their number |
| File sharing | Persistent files with download tracking | Files expire after 30 days, no organisation |
| Messaging | Threaded per client, searchable | Chat mixed with personal messages, hard to search |
| Client experience | One link, no account or app needed | Requires Messaging App install and phone number sharing |
| Cost | Free to start | Free, but your personal number is your work number |
The case against running clients out of chat apps
Messaging apps feel productive. They're not — at least not for client work. A few honest observations:
- Important things scroll away. That brief they sent on Monday? It's somewhere above 200 messages by Thursday.
- Files vanish. WhatsApp media expires from your phone. Slack's free plan caps message history. Telegram is fine until you change devices.
- There's no structure. Client questions, your invoices, their feedback, and a meme they sent are all in the same scroll.
- Boundaries disappear. Your client texts you Sunday at 9pm because… well, you texted them Friday at 6pm.
- It looks unprofessional. A WhatsApp thread is fine for a friend. For a paying client, it can feel a bit "off the books".
- Search is mediocre. Especially across multiple clients.
Chat is a layer. Client work needs a structure.
Side-by-side comparison
| Slack / WhatsApp / Telegram | Droplana | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for client work | ❌ Built for chat | ✅ Built specifically for client portals |
| Per-client isolation | ⚠️ Manual channels/threads | ✅ Each client = own portal |
| Mixed with personal life | ❌ Often | ✅ Never |
| Files persist forever | ❌ Often expire or capped | ✅ Always there |
| File size limits | ⚠️ Varies, often small | ✅ Generous |
| Professional appearance | ⚠️ Casual by default | ✅ Branded, clean |
| Async-friendly | ❌ Pressure to reply fast | ✅ Designed for async work |
| Out-of-hours boundaries | ❌ Notifications blur lines | ✅ A workspace, not a chat |
| Search by client | ⚠️ Patchy | ✅ Built in |
When Droplana wins (real scenarios)
Three months in, the client asks "what did we decide about the homepage hero?"
Slack/WhatsApp: Scroll. Search. Hope you used the right keyword. Droplana: Open the portal. The decision (and the file) are right there in context.
A client wants to send you 30 reference images
WhatsApp: Compressed to oblivion, your phone storage cries. Droplana: They drop them in their portal. Full quality. Organized.
You finish the project. They want their files in 2 years.
Messaging apps: That conversation is long gone. Droplana: The portal still works. The files are still there.
You're growing and need to look more legitimate
WhatsApp: Tells your client this is a side hustle. Droplana: A clean, dedicated workspace tells them you're serious.
A new project, same client
Slack/WhatsApp: New thread? Same thread? Where do the files go? Droplana: Same portal. Just upload. No restart.
When messaging apps are still fine
This isn't a "delete WhatsApp" pitch.
Messaging apps are still good for: quick "running 5 min late" notes, scheduling, casual rapport, and instant back-and-forth on a single small question.
Droplana is for the substance — files, deliverables, project messages, decisions you'll need to find later.
In practice, lots of users send a quick "I just dropped V2 into your portal — link below" on WhatsApp, then do the actual work in Droplana. Best of both. For more on why chat and email both fall short for active client work, stop running your client work out of email covers the patterns in detail.
How it works (3 steps)
- Add a client. They get their own isolated portal in seconds.
- Upload files and write messages. From a clean dashboard.
- Share the link. No account on their side. No confusion.
Check our simple pricing (or start free)
Free
€0
- 1 client
- 5 GB storage
- 100 MB max file size
- Max 1 year file retention
- No team members
- Custom slug with random suffix
Pro
€10/mo+ tax
- Unlimited clients
- 100 GB storage
- 1 GB max file
- Unlimited file retention
- 3 team members included
- Fully custom slug
Need more? Add the Team addon (€20/mo) or Storage addon (€25/mo). Add or remove any time.
No per-client fees.
Security, encryption, isolation, and data export are the same on every plan.
Tax calculated by Creem at checkout.
Check who are we building Droplana for
Consultants
Consulting engagements run on decks, docs, and decisions. Keep them in one clean portal per client — easy for executives, organized for you.
Freelancers
Stop juggling email threads and Dropbox folders. Give every client their own portal in seconds — no client accounts, no lost files, no follow-up emails.
Legal
Give each client their own private document portal. EU-hosted in Germany, DPA available. Engagement letters, signed contracts, court filings — all in one clean place. No client login required.
Agencies
Every client gets their own private portal. No shared drives, no Slack chaos. Droplana scales with your agency.