Iris Works vs Studio Ninja (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Iris Works and Studio Ninja share a 2.2 GPA, neither has a free plan, and Iris Works starts cheaper, at $14.95 a month against $16 a month.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Iris Works
Client management and booking software for photographers
Studio Ninja
Studio management and CRM for photographers and videographers
Which one is for you
Pick Iris Works if
- Fits if you are a photographer who wants booking and contracts at a flat monthly price
- Works for studios that already use ShootProof or Pic-Time
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you pick Starter: workflows and lead pages need Basic at $29.95
- Pricey if you want booking and email together, which needs Pro Plus at $49.95
- Watch out: Square, Stripe and PayPal charge their own fees on payments
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as none is 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
| 2.2GPAIris WorksFair | 2.2GPAStudio NinjaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $14.95 a month, but workflows, lead pages and invoices with quotes start at Basic, $29.95, which is the category middle. | 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 | C14-day free trial with no card required. There is no free plan after it. | CA 7-day trial with all features and no card needed. No free plan. |
| Features | COnline booking, contracts, invoices, quotes, workflows, lead pages and email marketing. Pro includes booking or email marketing, and both together need Pro Plus. | 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 | CNo store rating on record. A web app where you build your booking pages and workflows. | CNo store rating on record. Templates, forms and workflows to build. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Square, Stripe, PayPal, QuickBooks, ShootProof, Pic-Time and Google Calendar. No phone app is listed. | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with Gmail, Google Calendar, Xero, QuickBooks and Stripe. No desktop app. |
| Best for | booking and client management for photographers | 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: Iris Works and Studio Ninja. How we grade
Price against what you get
Iris Works starts at $14.95 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Studio Ninja starts at $16 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Iris Works starts $1.05 a month lower. Of the other CRM tools on the chart, 14 score higher than Iris Works for less, and 16 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
- Iris Works also covers email campaigns.
- Studio Ninja also covers tasks and sales pipeline.
At a glance
| Iris Works | Studio Ninja | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $14.95 per month for Starter, billed monthly | $16 per month, billed monthly ($160 billed yearly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 7-day free trial with all features, no credit card needed. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Iris Works | Studio Ninja PTY LTD |
| Price read from | iris-works.com | studioninja.co |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Iris Works
- Workflows, lead pages and invoices with quotes start at Basic, not Starter.
- Pro includes either online booking or email marketing; both together need Pro Plus.
- Payments run through Square, Stripe or PayPal, which charge their own fees.
- The pages read list no mobile apps.
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
Iris Works
- Online booking
- Session-specific booking pages with real-time availability, buffer times, cancellation windows and a booking, contract and payment flow in one pass.
- Contracts, invoices and quotes
- Photography contract templates with auto-filled variables, invoices and quotes, and questionnaires with conditional questions.
- Workflows
- Attach automated questionnaires, reminders and follow-ups to booking calendars, with different workflows per session type.
- Lead pages
- A custom lead page integrated with the CRM to capture inquiries from a studio website.
- Email marketing
- Templates, segmentation, scheduled sends and opt-in forms; the vendor says it does not use complex event-based automation.
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
Iris Works
Starter$14.95
per month, billed monthly ($149 per year)
Online booking, booking website, online payment processing, e-contracts and invoice templates on booking.
Basic$29.95
per month, billed monthly ($299 per year)
Adds workflows and automation, a custom lead page, free contract templates, invoices and quotes, and locations.
Pro$39.95
per month, billed monthly ($399 per year)
Basic plus free account setup, with a choice of online booking or email marketing, not both.
Pro Plus$49.95
per month, billed monthly ($499 per year)
Pro with both online booking and email marketing.
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
Iris Works
- Annual discount
Yearly plans cost less than 12 months
The pricing page lists a yearly price per tier: $149 Starter, $299 Basic, $399 Pro and $499 Pro Plus.
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, Iris Works or Studio Ninja?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Iris Works is cheaper to start with: $14.95 a month, against $16 a month for Studio Ninja. Iris Works starts at $14.95 per month for Starter, billed monthly, and Studio Ninja starts at $16 per month, billed monthly ($160 billed yearly).
Which has a free plan, Iris Works or Studio Ninja?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Iris Works nor Studio Ninja has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Iris Works and Studio Ninja run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Studio Ninja lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.