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

Pick HoneyBook if

• Fits if every job means a proposal, a contract and an invoice, like weddings, shoots and events
• Works for small studios that want one account price, as Premium is $109 for the whole team

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if your business is outside the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, because you can't sign up
• Pricey if you're solo and want automations: Starter has none, so it's Essentials at $49 a month yearly
• Not for you if you'd rather keep your own card processor, as HoneyBook takes 2.9% + 25¢ a card payment itself
• Tight if you have a team: Starter allows none and Essentials stops at 2, so more means Premium at $109
• Watch out: the phone app can't issue refunds, change settings or reach lead forms, and no API is mentioned

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

HoneyBook

• Available only to businesses in the U.S., Canada, the UK and Australia.
• Starter has no automations or team members, includes 1 scheduler session, and integrates only with email, calendar and Pic-Time.
• Team members are capped at 2 on Essentials; unlimited members, multiple companies and priority support need Premium at $109 a month.
• Payments cost extra: card fees from 2.7% + 10 cents or 2.9% + 25 cents (the page gives both), plus 1.5% for ACH. A business phone line with 300 texts a month is $8 extra.

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.

HoneyBook

Project pipeline and client records

Leads and projects move through a customizable pipeline, and each client record holds contacts, conversations, files, notes and payments. Clients and projects are unlimited on every plan.

Proposals, contracts and invoices

Interactive files let a client choose services, sign a contract by eSignature and pay from a single document. A gallery of professionally designed file templates is included.

Online payments

Accepts cards, ACH bank transfers, Apple Pay and Google Pay, with payment plans, autopay, reminders and late fees. Processing fees are charged on each transaction.

Scheduler and lead forms

Clients book sessions from shared availability and can pay while booking. Starter includes 1 session and 2 live lead forms; Essentials has unlimited sessions and 10 forms.

Automations

Workflows send messages, follow-ups, files and tasks on triggers, and an AI builder drafts a workflow from a description of your process. Both start on Essentials.

HoneyBook AI

AI drafts email replies, recaps projects before meetings, takes meeting notes and flags high-value leads. HoneyBook AI is listed on all three plans.

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.

HoneyBook

• Starter$29

  per month, billed yearly ($36 billed monthly)

  Unlimited clients and projects, invoices, payments, proposals, contracts, client portal, basic reports, 1 scheduler session and up to 2 live lead forms.

• Essentials$49

  per month, billed yearly ($59 billed monthly)

  Adds unlimited scheduler sessions, automations, QuickBooks Online and Zapier integrations, up to 2 team members, 10 lead forms and SMS reminders.

• Premium$109

  per month, billed yearly ($129 billed monthly)

  Unlimited team members and lead forms, multiple companies under one account, advanced reports and priority support.

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.

HoneyBook

• Annual discount

  Lower monthly price with yearly billing

  Billed yearly, Starter is $29 a month against $36 monthly, Essentials $49 against $59 and Premium $109 against $129. The page labels this as saving up to 35%.

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.