Studio Ninja
$16/mo or $160/yrSuits you ifYour team is growing, and your device count with it
Unlimited users: top planA bigger team costs the same here, but galleries still need another service.
7 alternatives · Prices checked November 2026
Light Blue alternatives, compared honestly
Light Blue gives you every feature, but bills monthly by device count, with no galleries. Pick a way out by your reason.
- 14-day free trial
- No card required
- 20 GB of galleries included
Light Blue
- Studio Ninja
- Iris Works
- Sprout Studio
- Pixieset Studio Manager
- ShootQ
- 17hats
WeddingRunbook
Updated November 5, 2026 · WeddingRunbook comparisons
Reasons first, tools second
Where to look, one reason at a time
Your reasonLook at
- Your team keeps growingStudio Ninja$40/mo or $400/yr, unlimited users
- Yearly billing, and your data moved in freeIris Worksfrom $14.95/mo, or $149/yr
- You want the CRM to hold the galleriesSprout Studiofrom $19/mo
- Photos and bookings, paid once a yearPixieset Studio Manager$35/mo or $336/yr, galleries in
- You need the basics, not every featureShootQ$14.95/mo or $149/yr
- One plan suits you, if paid yearly17hats$60/mo or $600/yr
- You want your whole season in one viewWeddingRunbook (ours)$9/mo or $90/yr, galleries included
WeddingRunbookOne plan
A yearly price, with the galleries in.
$90 a year or $9 a month after a 14-day free trial, with 20 GB of galleries in the plan.
The full comparison
Every option, in one table
Light Blue first, as you have it today. Then seven places to go: the price, the reason to pick it, the catch.
- Light Blue
From $32.50/mo
- Why pick it
- Every feature on one plan, priced by device
- Watch out
- Monthly only; no galleries of its own
- Studio Ninja
From $16/mo or $160/yr
- Why pick it
- Any number of users at $40/mo
- Watch out
- No galleries; 3 brands at most
- Iris Works
From $14.95/mo or $149/yr
- Why pick it
- Every plan sold by the year too
- Watch out
- Photos go through a partner; one brand
- Sprout Studio
From $19/mo
- Why pick it
- Galleries, album proofing and email marketing built in
- Watch out
- Billed monthly, as Light Blue is
- Pixieset Studio Manager
From Free then $15/mo or $144/yr
- Why pick it
- A free plan; galleries in the same account
- Watch out
- No trial; the free plan caps contracts
- ShootQ
From $14.95/mo or $149/yr
- Why pick it
- Smaller plans for smaller needs
- Watch out
- No galleries; booking add-on is $10/mo more
- 17hats
From $60/mo or $600/yr
- Why pick it
- One plan like Light Blue, paid yearly too
- Watch out
- Not made for photographers; no galleries
- WeddingRunbook
From $9/mo or $90/yr
- Why pick it
- Your season on one calendar
- Watch out
- The newest tool here
Prices from each maker's site, November 2026. The last row is ours. Product names and logos belong to their owners and identify the products compared.
Ask this first: does it still fit?
Within 5 devices and happy with it? Light Blue still fits.
Light Blue's price, per month, UK VAT included
- Up to 5 devices $32.50
- Up to 10 devices $47.50
- Up to 15 devices $62.50
- Up to 20 devices $77.50 More devices: ask Light Blue
Keep Light Blue if
- Five devices cover your whole team
- You lean on its training and set-up help
- ShootProof or Pic-Time already delivers your galleries well
Look elsewhere if
- A single payment for the year appeals to you
- Your device count keeps passing 5, 10 or 15
- Couples should get their photos from the CRM
Nodding along to the stay list? Then stay, and get back to your couples.
The closer look
Find the card for your reason to move
The main catch on a tag, and the verdict under it.
Iris Works
$14.95/mo or $149/yrSuits you ifYou want a yearly bill and someone to move your data in
No room for a second brandA yearly bill and a free move-in, but one brand and no galleries.
Sprout Studio
from $19/moSuits you ifYou'd like each couple's photos to go out from your CRM
Cheapest plan: 10 shoots, 50GBGalleries move inside the CRM, but the bill stays monthly.
Pixieset Studio Manager
Free, then $15/mo or $144/yrSuits you ifOne login should hold your photos and your bookings
Paid plans have no trialGalleries and a yearly bill in one account; test it on the free plan.
ShootQ
$14.95/mo or $149/yrSuits you ifBookings, contracts and invoices are most of what you use
Seats and brands have limitsPay for less when you use less, yearly if you like, with no galleries.
17hats
$60/mo or $600/yrSuits you ifYou like one plan for everything, paid by the year
Built for any tradeOne plan, as now, paid yearly, but it is not built for photographers.
Monthly, or once a year
One plan, everything included
Try it free for 14 days, then $9 a month or $90 a year. No tiers, no job caps, 20 GB of galleries included.
- Calendar, runbooks and day plans
- Client portal: quotes, contracts, invoices, messages
- Galleries with films - 20 GB included
- The iOS app, offline at the venue (beta)
Start your free trialFree for 14 days. No card required.
The studio behind WeddingRunbook
The timeline for our second shooter used to go out the night before, if one of us remembered. Now it goes out two weeks ahead on its own. Three of us, one runbook, the whole season.
Ready to leave?
Leave Light Blue with every booking in place
Six steps: export first, cancel last.
- 1
Save your records before the plan lapses. Anything the export misses, type up yourself.
- 2
Finish with a billing month. Light Blue charges monthly, so time the move to end as one closes.
- 3
Leave the galleries running. Keep ShootProof or Pic-Time open until each couple has their photos.
- 4
Start with next season's couples. Keep the file you saved for older shoots.
- 5
Request the free import. Studio Ninja and Iris Works will load your data for you.
- 6
Put one real couple through the new tool. End Light Blue only once their contract is signed.
For a bill you pay once a year
Rather pay for the year in one go?
One plan at $90 a year, or $9 a month: every wedding's dates on one calendar, a runbook with a date on each task, and each couple's galleries in their own portal.
- Free for 14 days
- $9 a month or $90 a year
- Client portal + 20 GB of galleries
- iOS app in beta
No card required.
FAQ
Light Blue questions, answered
Is it worth switching from Light Blue?
When one of its limits costs you money or time. Move if you want a yearly bill, your team has passed 5 devices, or you want galleries in the CRM. Stay if 5 devices cover you, you rely on its training, and ShootProof or Pic-Time already delivers your galleries.
How much does Light Blue cost in 2026?
$32.50 a month for up to 5 devices, UK VAT included, then $47.50, $62.50 and $77.50 a month for up to 10, 15 and 20. Every price buys every feature. Billing is monthly only, and the 30-day trial needs no card.
What does Light Blue do that I would miss?
One plan with no limit on staff, brands, shoot types or contact forms, and one-to-one training with help moving in. Studio Ninja comes closest on help: every plan includes a free move-in and training. Every photography tool here limits something by plan, so check the limit you would hit.
Which Light Blue alternative costs the least?
WeddingRunbook is the cheapest paid plan here: $9 a month or $90 a year after a 14-day free trial. Pixieset Studio Manager is the only one here with a free plan: 3 contracts, 3 quotes or questionnaires and 1 session type. ShootQ's entry price matches Iris Works': $14.95 a month or $149 a year.
How long is a move off Light Blue?
About a month, timed to end with a Light Blue billing month. Sprout Studio's 30-day trial is the longest of the six, and Pixieset Studio Manager offers a free plan instead of a trial.
What does WeddingRunbook not do yet?
WeddingRunbook does not do online booking, lead capture forms, automated email sequences or card payments in the portal yet. Light Blue sells all its features in one plan by device count, so list which of them you use before you switch.