17hats vs Sprout Studio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, 17hats grades higher than Sprout Studio: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
17hats grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
17hats
CRM and small business manager with invoicing, booking and texting
Sprout Studio
Client management, galleries and invoicing for photographers
Which one is for you
Pick 17hats if
- Fits if you are a freelancer or small studio who wants leads, contracts and invoices in one place
- Works for service businesses that book clients online
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are solo: $60 a month is above most CRM tools
- Watch out: the pricing page also shows a comparison grid with three older plan levels that conflicts with the single plan
- Watch out: bank connect is $5 a month extra, and extra users and brands are bought separately
- Watch out: payments run through Stripe or Square only, and a 50% first-purchase discount is a sale banner
Pick Sprout Studio if
- Fits if you are a photographer who wants CRM and galleries in one web app
- Works for studios that want a month to test before paying
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you pick Lite: 10 active shoots, 50GB and 3 users
- Pricey if you want unlimited shoots, which needs Pro at $51
- Watch out: unlimited storage, users and brands need Unlimited at $69
- Watch out: the page does not say whether its prices are monthly or yearly billing
How we grade them
| 2.4GPA17hatsFair | 2.0GPASprout StudioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$60 a month ($600 a year) sits in the dearer quarter of CRM tools, which start at $49, against a $25 middle. It is one price for the account. | C$19 a month for Lite, between the category's cheaper quarter at $15 and its middle at $29. The page does not say if that is monthly or annual billing, and the useful limits are on $36 to $69 plans. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day free trial with every feature and no card needed. No free plan after it. | C30-day free trial of any plan, no card required. There is no free plan after it. |
| Features | BClient and lead management, contracts, quotes, invoices, pipelines, scheduling, SMS and bookkeeping. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. | CContacts, contracts, invoices and payments, galleries, album proofs, email automation and scheduling. Lite and Basic cap active shoots at 10 and 20. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Templates, pipelines and workflows have to be built. | CNo store rating on record. A web app where you build your workflows, forms and galleries. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Stripe, Square, QuickBooks, Zapier, Zoom and Google Calendar connections. | CWeb only, with Freedom Print Lab as the one integration listed. No phone app is listed. |
| Best for | a small-business manager with invoicing and booking | client management and galleries for photographers |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: 17hats and Sprout Studio. How we grade
Price against what you get
17hats starts at $60 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sprout Studio starts at $19 a month and scores 2.0.
17hats scores higher, and starts $41 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other CRM tools on the chart, 8 score higher than 17hats for less, and 26 score higher than Sprout Studio for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- 17hats also covers sales pipeline, quotes and estimates and sMS marketing.
- Sprout Studio also covers file sharing and email campaigns.
At a glance
| 17hats | Sprout Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $60 per month, billed monthly ($600 billed yearly) | $19 per month (Lite; billing period not stated) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial with access to all features, no credit card required; the trial can be restarted once it ends. | 30-day free trial of any plan, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | 17hats | Sprout Studio Inc. |
| Price read from | 17hats.com | getsproutstudio.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
17hats
- The pricing page also shows a comparison grid with three older plan levels, which conflicts with the single plan shown above it; confirm the plan before buying.
- Bank connect is an extra $5 a month, and extra users and brands are bought separately.
- Payments run through Stripe or Square only.
- The pricing page shows a 50% discount on a first yearly or two-year purchase, which is a sale banner and may change.
Sprout Studio
- Active shoots and galleries are capped at 10 on Lite and 20 on Basic, and storage ranges from 50GB to unlimited by plan.
- Lite, Basic and Pro include 3 users and 2 brands; unlimited users and brands need the Unlimited plan.
- The page lists USD and CAD prices side by side and does not say whether the monthly figure is for monthly or annual billing.
- Built for photographers rather than as a general-purpose CRM.
Key features
17hats
- Client and lead management
- Contacts, projects, tags and custom fields, with lead capture forms and an auto-responder for new leads.
- Contracts, quotes and invoices
- Documents with e-signature, payment schedules and saved cards, paid through Stripe or Square.
- Pipelines and workflows
- Visual pipelines and automated workflows that trigger tasks and emails across a client's journey.
- Online scheduling
- Clients pick a service, date and time, with Zoom links and payment at booking on the advanced version.
- SMS texting
- Text clients from inside the CRM, which the vendor lists as a built-in feature.
- Bookkeeping and reports
- Transaction categorizing plus sales tax, profit and loss, and receivables reports.
Sprout Studio
- Photography CRM
- Keeps client records, bookings and shoots together, with hundreds of customizable templates for emails, contracts and questionnaires.
- Contracts, invoices and payments
- Sends contracts and invoices and collects payment, with the vendor stating it takes no commission.
- Online galleries
- Proofs, sells and delivers photos to clients from client galleries; photo storage depends on the plan.
- Album design proofs
- Clients can give feedback on album designs in a proofing tool.
- Email marketing and automation
- Designs email campaigns and automates follow-up with built-in workflows.
- Scheduling and questionnaires
- Clients book time without back-and-forth, and questionnaires collect information before a shoot.
Plans
17hats
Monthly$60
per month, billed monthly
The one all-inclusive plan, billed every month. Bank connect costs $5 a month extra.
Yearly$600
per year
Same plan billed yearly, which works out to $50 a month. The page also shows a first-purchase price of $300.
Bi-Yearly$800
for 2 years, billed every two years
Same plan billed every two years, which works out to about $33 a month. The page also shows a first-purchase price of $400.
Sprout Studio
Lite$19
per month, billing basis not shown
10 active shoots and galleries, 50GB photo storage, 3 users and 2 brands.
Basic$36
per month, billing basis not shown
20 active shoots and galleries, 100GB photo storage, 3 users and 2 brands.
Pro$51
per month, billing basis not shown
Unlimited active shoots and galleries, 200GB photo storage, 3 users and 2 brands.
Unlimited$69
per month, billing basis not shown
Unlimited active shoots and galleries, unlimited photo storage, unlimited users and brands.
Ways to pay less
17hats
- Annual discount
Yearly and two-year billing
The pricing page lists $600 a year or $800 for two years, against $60 a month.
- Other savings
50% off a first purchase
A sale on the pricing page shows a first yearly plan for $300 or a first two-year plan for $400, with no end date stated and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Sprout Studio
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, 17hats or Sprout Studio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Sprout Studio is cheaper to start with: $19 a month, against $60 a month for 17hats. 17hats starts at $60 per month, billed monthly ($600 billed yearly), and Sprout Studio starts at $19 per month (Lite; billing period not stated).
Which has a free plan, 17hats or Sprout Studio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither 17hats nor Sprout Studio has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.