To my mind, Sprout Studio is a great Studio Ninja alternative, offering
great functionality that even surpasses that of the reference program.
It has photography-specific functions, remarkable task automation
capabilities, efficient client communication, and helpful marketing
instruments.
You will be impressed by beautiful and convenient online galleries, as well
as advanced tools for financial reporting, client analysis, and sales analytics.
I’ve been in portrait photography for quite a long time and I know that managing such business independently is quite challenging. You may have to grapple with many tasks that become unbearable without assistance. That's why I've always relied on Studio Ninja to handle and automate many of them. However, over time, it started to feel insufficient due to rather basic CRM.
I decided to consult with fellow photographers about feature-rich Studio Ninja alternatives they use. I wanted to find the perfect option for myself that would help me streamline photo studio operations with delivery management software.
Whether you learning the ropes of your profession or have rich experience as a full-time photographer, videographer, event planner, or entrepreneur, you can take advantage of the programs listed below.
With them, it is easier to manage emails, appointments, projects, leads, invoices, and taxes. Besides, getting new clients in photography business is simpler with such tools.
Best photography-specific features
Being developed by photographers for photographers, Sprout Studio is unified photo studio management software.
I love its Galleries feature. With it, I can share my work with clients very promptly. I simply upload my edited photos and design a beautiful, custom online gallery for them. Sprout Studio has lots of pro-looking templates to choose from, so my gallery always matches my brand. The best part is that I can set up a price list in the CRM manager, for my clients to purchase photos directly from the gallery.
Another time-saving feature is Design Proofs. No exchange of multiple messages with clients anymore. I can share a curated gallery of my favorite photos, and clients can leave feedback directly on the images. They can even pin comments to specific areas. This streamlines the approval process for everyone.
Key features of Sprout Studio:
Pricing: free trial, from $19 to $69 per month
Best client experience and online booking
Pixieset is a universal platform that can streamline your entire business. I can deliver photos, manage print sales, build a stunning portfolio website, book clients, and even collect payments from one central hub. No more juggling multiple tools or chasing down paperwork. Pixieset keeps everything organized and readily accessible.
With this website builder for photographers, I can establish smooth cooperation with my clients. Everything needed like a booking system, contracts, and photo delivery are available in a single package that reflects your brand.
This Studio Ninja alternative lets me create a modern booking site with all my photography sessions and available times. Potential clients can see my sessions, get the details, choose a time that works for them, and book straight away. Such an approach eliminates the need to send multiple emails to confirm dates, locations, paperwork, and payments.
Key features of Pixieset:
Pricing: Free plan, from $12 to $28 per month, and there are a lot of Pixieset coupons available
Best for well-designed automatic workflows
If you're a photographer who wants to automate and speed up workflows, Tave is your perfect fit. The developers understand the photographer's life, so this software comes pre-loaded with templates specifically designed for photography businesses. With them, you can save lots of time and focus on taking great photos.
After trying out this photography business app, I was fascinated by its automation features There are ready-to-use workflows designed to satisfy the needs of different photographers, whether they shoot weddings, portraits, or events. Tave helps you work smarter, not harder saving with its variety of automation features.
Key features of Tave:
Pricing: Free 30-day trial, from $24.99 to $49.99 per month
Best for small businesses that require a robust CRM
ShootQ is built by photographers for everyone in the creative world. The team behind this software understands the importance of good customer service and offers several options to get help, including talking to a real person on the phone, traditional email, and even personalized setup assistance.
Here you can find tools to create pre-written email templates, questionnaires, and even contracts. This is helpful for gathering key info from loyal clients and leads in a quick and intuitive way. Plus, it is possible to automate communications.
ShootQ goes beyond just client communication. It has your back on the financial side, letting you create invoices and contracts with your own branding. Plus, you can easily share price lists for photographer with potential clients, winning their trust. When it comes to projects, ShootQ offers customizable tasks and reminders, so you won’t miss an important meeting. Besides, the program generates insightful analytics on your bookings, sales, and referrals.
Key features of ShootQ:
Pricing: Free 30-day trial, from $29 to $80 per month
Best for small to medium-sized photography businesses
With Pixifi, running your photography business becomes much easier. For instance, it is possible to set up automatic emails, questionnaires, and even wedding photography contracts. Plus, there's a special portal for your clients, where they can view and sign things, pay their bills, and stay in the loop of their sessions.
This is one of few Studio Ninja alternatives that can sync with your Google Calendar. Thus, I can set up automatic reminders about deadlines and other important events. Pixifi is also suitable for finance-related matters. Here I can create invoices that match my brand, collect deposits, and track all my income. Plus, it connects with payment processors like PayPal and Stripe, so my clients can pay securely online.
Key features of Pixifi:
Pricing: Free 14-day trial, from $29.99 to $149.99 per month
Best for great project management from lead to client
HoneyBook is a CRM for photographers that surpasses similar options, namely, Sprout Studio, Studio Ninja, Tave when it comes to usability. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how this program works. Even though it's simple to use, HoneyBook still offers all the basic features you need. That's why it's a top option in the industry.
HoneyBook is the best Studio Ninja alternative for project management, but it isn’t the perfect fit for photographers. While it does a great job of handling projects, leads, invoices, and even workflows, it lacks the special features photographers crave.
However, if you're just looking for a strong project management or document management system, or maybe even a real estate CRM software, HoneyBook is definitely worth checking out.
Key features of HoneyBook:
Pricing: Free trial, from $19 to $79 per month
Best for smooth workflows and form creator
Dubsado isn't an average project management tool. It is a powerful solution to simplify client and project management for freelancers and businesses. Building automated workflows in this photography booking app was easy. While there are a couple of pre-made workflows to get started, I can also create my own from scratch.
Dubsado is a powerful customer management software that allows me to manage my clients and projects, and keep track of tasks, documents, and deadlines. Plus, the software has the online appointment booking feature, calendar synchronization, and a time tracker so I can bill clients accurately by hour.
Key features of Dubsado:
Pricing: Free trial, from $20 to $40 per month
Best because of a rich template choice
While 17Hats positions itself as client management software, its target audience extends beyond photographers, encompassing a wider range of brands. Therefore, I didn’t find here specialized photography features as in Sprout Studio, Pixieset, and other Studio Ninja alternatives. However, the program still has a few photo-friendly templates or documents.
I checked out this contact management software, and I think it may work for photographers who need to stay on top of tasks, projects, and clients. For me, though, 17Hats is a nice solution because of a big selection of templates.
You can choose suitable variants for emails, contracts, and wedding photography questionnaires. What’s more, there are pre-assembled document bundles. Most of the templates are free.
Key features of 17Hats:
Pricing: From $15 to $60 per month
Picking the right photography business software can feel overwhelming with so many choices out there. But don't get upset. You should first figure out what you actually need and then select a CRM that ticks all those boxes.
If you need photo-specific features, then Sprout Studio is your best option. If you are more into branding, Pixieset is all about that. Those, who want to track finances seamlessly, should take a closer look at Tave. If you need various templates, questionnaires, and proposal tools for clients, ShootQ is your best bet.
Pixifi offers an efficient workflow visualizer, so you can control multiple projects. HoneyBook is unmatched when it comes to automating payments. Dubsado will fit the bill if you want customizable client portals to level up your brand image and foster stronger client relationships. Last but not least, 17Hats is a consolidated all-in-one solution for CRM, invoicing, contracts, and scheduling.
