17hats vs Studio Ninja (2026): which should you pick?

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 Studio Ninja if

• Fits if you run a photography or video studio on your own
• Makes sense if you want contracts, invoices and booking in one app

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you start on Starter, with 1 user, 1 brand and 5 active jobs
• Skip it if you want online booking forms, which start on Pro at $27
• Not for you if you run a business other than photography, as templates and integrations like ShootProof and Pic-Time are photography-specific
• Watch out: the page shows pounds and Australian dollars too, so check the currency

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.

Studio Ninja

• Starter caps active jobs at 5 and leaves out online booking forms and workflow automation.
• Plans are limited by users and brands: 1 user on Starter, 3 on Pro.
• The pricing page also lists prices in pounds and Australian dollars; the dollar figures here are the USD column.
• Built for photography businesses, so some templates and integrations (ShootProof, Fundy, ProSelect, Pic-Time) are photography-specific.

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.

Studio Ninja

Leads and jobs

Track enquiries from lead sources through to booked jobs, with tasks, deadlines and invoice status in one place.

Quotes, contracts and questionnaires

Clients review quotes, sign contracts and pay through a branded client portal, with automatic payment reminders.

Online booking

Booking forms let clients choose a session and pay at the time of booking. They are not included on Starter.

Workflow automation

Pre-built or custom workflows send emails, contracts and questionnaires. Automation is not included on Starter.

Payments and income reports

Stripe integration for online payments, payment schedules and income reporting.

Mobile app

The vendor says every feature is available in its iOS and Android apps.

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.

Studio Ninja

• Starter$16

  per month, billed monthly ($160 billed yearly)

  1 brand, 1 user, 1 contact form and 5 active jobs. No online booking forms or workflow automation.

• Pro$27

  per month, billed monthly ($270 billed yearly)

  1 brand, 3 users, 3 contact forms, 3 online booking forms, unlimited jobs and workflow automation.

• Master$40

  per month, billed monthly ($400 billed yearly)

  3 brands, unlimited users, contact forms, online booking forms and jobs, plus workflow automation.

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.

Studio Ninja

• Annual discount

  Save 17% with yearly billing

  The pricing page labels yearly billing as saving 17% against monthly, and its FAQ describes it as a two-month discount.