Dubsado vs Studio Ninja (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Dubsado grades higher than Studio Ninja: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Dubsado grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features 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
Studio Ninja
Studio management and CRM for photographers and videographers
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 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
How we grade them
| 2.4GPADubsadoFair | 2.2GPAStudio NinjaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$16 a month on Starter, but booking forms and automation start on Pro at $27, just above the category's $25 middle. |
| 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 7-day trial with all features and no card needed. No free plan. |
| 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. | CLeads, quotes, contracts, booking, automation, payments and reports. It does the photography job fully, which is a smaller job than a general CRM. |
| 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. Templates, forms and workflows to build. |
| 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 plus iOS and Android apps, with Gmail, Google Calendar, Xero, QuickBooks and Stripe. No desktop app. |
| Best for | creative freelancers who book and bill clients | running a photography studio's leads, contracts and bookings |
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 Studio Ninja. 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. Studio Ninja starts at $16 a month and scores 2.3.
Dubsado scores higher, and starts $11.92 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other CRM tools on the chart, 6 score higher than Dubsado for less, and 14 score higher than Studio Ninja 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, time tracking and reports.
- Studio Ninja also covers tasks, sales pipeline, quotes and estimates and appointment booking.
At a glance
| Dubsado | Studio Ninja | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $335 / year for Starter ($35 billed monthly) | $16 per month, billed monthly ($160 billed yearly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 21-day free trial with full access to the Premier plan, no credit card required | 7-day free trial with all features, no credit card needed. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Dubsado | Studio Ninja PTY LTD |
| Price read from | dubsado.com | studioninja.co |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dubsado or Studio Ninja?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Studio Ninja is cheaper to start with: $16 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 Studio Ninja starts at $16 per month, billed monthly ($160 billed yearly).
Which has a free plan, Dubsado or Studio Ninja?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Dubsado nor Studio Ninja 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.