Dubsado vs Pixieset (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pixieset grades higher than Dubsado: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Dubsado grades higher on ease of use. Pixieset grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Dubsado
Client management, contracts and invoicing for service businesses
Pixieset
Client galleries, booking and studio CRM for photographers
Which one is for you
Pick Dubsado if
- Fits if every job means a proposal, a contract and an invoice, like shoots, weddings and coaching
- Works for studios of up to four people, since both plans include three extra team members
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you sell to other companies and need a sales pipeline, which Dubsado says it isn't built for
- Pricey if you want the scheduler, automations, Zapier or QuickBooks and Xero sync, as all need Premier at $525 a year
- Not for you if you want a free plan, because after 21 days it's $335 a year or $35 a month
- Tight if your team grows past 3 extra users, which costs $25 to $60 a month more
- Watch out: Starter allows 1 active lead capture form, and there's no desktop app or API listed
Pick Pixieset if
- Fits if you are a photographer who wants contracts, booking and invoices in one app
- Works for studios that also deliver galleries through Pixieset
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 3 contracts and 1 session type
- Pricey if you need galleries and a store too, as each product is billed separately
- Watch out: free accounts pay 15% commission on store sales
- Skip it if you need integrations, as none are listed
How we grade them
| 2.4GPADubsadoFair | 2.6GPAPixiesetGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $335 a year, or $35 monthly, for the whole account with three extra team members included, which is middling against HoneyBook and the others it lists as rivals. The parts people actually come for, the scheduler and the Flows automations, wait for Premier at $525 a year. | BStudio Manager Plus is $12 a month billed annually, inside the category's cheaper quarter that starts at $15. Pro is $18, and gallery storage and other products are priced separately. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. You do get a 21-day trial with full access to Premier and no card, which is longer than most here. After that it's $335 a year or $35 a month. | CA free plan with unlimited invoices, 3 contracts, 3 quotes or questionnaires and 1 session type. A working studio will hit those caps. |
| Features | CProposals that carry the contract and the invoice, e-signatures, payment plans with autopay, lead capture forms, branded client portals, a scheduler and multi-step Flows. It covers the client-management job, and that is a smaller job than a CRM's: Dubsado says itself it isn't for sales pipelines. | BContacts, a project board, contracts, quotes, questionnaires, a booking site, invoices and a mobile app. Nothing in the listing is missing from a photographer's studio work. |
| Ease of use | B4.83 from about 570 App Store ratings, too few ratings for an A. Both plans come with form and email templates, so you aren't writing every contract from a blank page. | CNo store rating on record. A web app where you build session types, contracts and booking forms. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with no desktop app. Payments run through Stripe, PayPal or Square and it works with Gmail and Google Calendar. QuickBooks Online, Xero and Zapier are there too, but only on Premier, and no API is listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android. No integrations are listed. |
| Best for | creative freelancers who book and bill clients | client booking and studio management 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: Dubsado and Pixieset. How we grade
Price against what you get
Dubsado starts at $27.92 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pixieset starts at $12 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Pixieset starts $15.92 a month lower. Of the other CRM tools on the chart, 6 score higher than Dubsado for less, and 3 score higher than Pixieset 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
- Dubsado also covers templates, booking links, workflow automation, time tracking and reports.
- Pixieset also covers calendar, quotes and estimates, appointment booking and online store.
At a glance
| Dubsado | Pixieset | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $335 / year for Starter ($35 billed monthly) | $12 per month for Studio Manager Plus, billed annually ($15 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Studio Manager Free: unlimited invoices, 3 contracts, 3 quotes or questionnaires, 1 session type, a booking site and online payments. |
| Free trial | 21-day free trial with full access to the Premier plan, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Dubsado | Pixieset |
| Price read from | dubsado.com | pixieset.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Dubsado
- There is no free plan: after the 21-day trial, Starter costs $335 a year or $35 a month.
- Scheduling, Flows automation, public proposals, Zapier and the QuickBooks and Xero integrations are only on Premier.
- The vendor describes it as client management for service businesses, not a CRM for B2B sales pipelines or prospecting.
- Teams with more than 3 additional users pay $25 to $60 a month extra, depending on size.
Pixieset
- Each product is priced separately; Client Gallery starts at $8 a month billed annually and runs to $40 for unlimited storage.
- The free Studio Manager plan caps contracts and quotes at 3 and session types at 1.
- Free accounts pay a 15% commission on store sales; upgraded plans pay none.
- Add-ons cost extra, such as Photo Editor at $12 a month and extra email campaigns at $10 a month per 5,000.
Key features
Dubsado
- Proposal, contract and invoice in one
- A single proposal can carry the contract and the invoice, so a client picks a package, signs with a legally binding e-signature and pays from one link.
- Invoicing and payment plans
- Invoices support packages, discounts, payment plans, recurring billing and autopay, with automatic reminders. Payments run through Dubsado Payments (powered by Stripe), PayPal or Square.
- Flows automation
- Multi-step workflows start on events such as a submitted form, signed contract, payment or booked appointment, then send emails, forms and invoices. Premier plan only.
- Scheduler
- Scheduling templates offer bookable times from custom availability windows, with two-way calendar sync and reminder emails. The scheduler is part of the Premier plan.
- Lead capture forms and client portals
- Embeddable lead capture forms bring in new inquiries, and each client gets a branded, password-protected portal. Starter allows 1 active lead capture form.
- Multiple brands and team members
- One account can run several businesses with separate branding at $10 a month per extra brand. Three additional users are free; larger teams pay from $25 a month.
Pixieset
- Contacts and project board
- Tracks clients, leads and other connections, with a visual project board organized by stage and a built-in calendar.
- Contracts, quotes and questionnaires
- Branded documents with e-signatures, with templates for documents and emails and reminders for unsigned items.
- Booking site
- A booking page where clients see availability, book sessions and pay a full amount or retainer; includes a mini-sessions creator.
- Invoices and payments
- Online payments by card and digital wallet, payment schedules and reminders, tips, and Tap to Pay in the mobile app.
- Client Gallery and Store
- Separate Client Gallery plans for delivering photos, with a gallery storefront; free accounts pay 15% commission on store sales.
- Mobile app
- A Studio Manager app for iPhone and Android for tracking bookings and payments.
Plans
Dubsado
Starter$335
per year ($35 billed monthly)
Unlimited projects and clients, invoicing and payment plans, form and email templates, client portals, 1 active lead capture form and 3 extra users.
Premier$525
per year ($55 billed monthly)
Adds the scheduler, automated workflows (Flows), public proposals, unlimited lead capture forms, QuickBooks and Xero sync and Zapier.
Pixieset
Studio Manager Free$0
Unlimited invoices, 3 contracts, 3 quotes or questionnaires, 1 active session type and basic booking.
Studio Manager Plus$12
per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
Unlimited contracts and quotes, 3 session types, custom branding, booking intake forms and reminders.
Studio Manager Pro$18
per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)
Unlimited session types, booking reminders, retainers and tips at booking, manual booking approval.
Pixieset Suite$28
per month and up
Client Gallery, Studio Manager, Website, Store and Mobile Gallery App in one package, up to 37% off.
Ways to pay less
Dubsado
- Annual discount
About 2 months free with annual billing
The pricing page says annual billing gives 2 months' worth of savings: Starter is $335 a year against $35 a month, and Premier is $525 a year against $55 a month.
Pixieset
- Annual discount
Discount for yearly billing
Annual billing lowers Studio Manager Plus to $12 and Pro to $18 a month, against $15 and $24 billed monthly.
- Other savings
Suite bundle saves up to 37%
The Pixieset Suite bundles the essential apps from $28 a month with up to 37% off buying them separately.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dubsado or Pixieset?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pixieset is cheaper to start with: $12 a month, against $27.92 a month when paid by the year for Dubsado. Dubsado starts at $335 / year for Starter ($35 billed monthly), and Pixieset starts at $12 per month for Studio Manager Plus, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Dubsado or Pixieset?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Pixieset has a free plan. Dubsado does not, though it has 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.