Light Blue
from $32.50/moSuits you ifEvery feature at once matters more than a free plan
Galleries come from elsewhereAll its features from day one, though it bills monthly and sends photos through partners.
7 alternatives · Prices checked November 2026
Pixieset Studio Manager alternatives, compared honestly
Pixieset Studio Manager starts free, but stops at 3 contracts and sells paid plans with no trial. These six answer each reason.
- 14-day free trial
- No card required
- Every feature in the trial
Pixieset Studio Manager
- Light Blue
- HoneyBook
- Iris Works
- ShootQ
- Studio Ninja
- Sprout Studio
WeddingRunbook
Updated November 5, 2026 · WeddingRunbook comparisons
Why you would leave, and what fits
Each reason, and the alternative that answers it
Your reasonLook at
- You'd rather not climb a ladder of plansLight Bluefrom $32.50/mo
- 60 days to get your money backHoneyBook$36/mo or $348/yr
- Online booking and a free import matter mostIris Works$14.95/mo or $149/yr
- About $15 a month, but tried firstShootQ$14.95/mo or $149/yr
- You deliver photos through another serviceStudio Ninjafrom $16/mo, or $160/yr
- Galleries in the CRM, cheaper than Pixieset's bundleSprout Studiofrom $19/mo
- You want your whole season in one viewWeddingRunbook (ours)$9/mo or $90/yr, 14 days free
WeddingRunbookOne plan
Fourteen days of the full plan, free.
Then $9 a month or $90 a year, galleries (20 GB) and no job caps included.
Compared on one table
Past the free plan: every option
Pixieset Studio Manager first, as you have it today. Then seven places to go: the price, the reason to pick it, the catch.
- 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
- Light Blue
From $32.50/mo
- Why pick it
- Every feature on one plan, priced by device
- Watch out
- No free plan, no yearly price, no galleries
- HoneyBook
From $36/mo or $348/yr
- Why pick it
- Try it a month; refunds for 60 days
- Watch out
- Built for every trade; photos go elsewhere
- Iris Works
From $14.95/mo or $149/yr
- Why pick it
- Online booking, plus a no-cost move-in
- Watch out
- No galleries; one brand per account
- ShootQ
From $14.95/mo or $149/yr
- Why pick it
- Space for a growing team and extra brands
- Watch out
- No galleries; booking add-on is $10/mo more
- Studio Ninja
From $16/mo or $160/yr
- Why pick it
- Made for photographers, with free move-in and training
- Watch out
- Cheapest plan caps 5 active jobs; no galleries
- Sprout Studio
From $19/mo
- Why pick it
- Galleries, album proofing and email marketing built in
- Watch out
- Monthly bills; storage starts at 50GB
- 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.
A fair question first: why not stay?
Free or $12 a month billed yearly, and it still fits? Staying costs nothing extra.
Pixieset Studio Manager's price, per month billed yearly
- Free $0 Unlimited invoices; 3 contracts, 3 quotes or questionnaires, 1 session type
- Plus $12 Or $15 billed monthly; unlimited contracts, custom branding, reminders
- Pro $18 Or $24 billed monthly; unlimited session types, booking reminders
- Suite $28 Or $35 billed monthly; the essential Pixieset apps, 100 GB of photos
Keep Pixieset Studio Manager if
- Your galleries and website are on Pixieset, beside the CRM
- The free plan, or the cheapest paid one, covers you
- One session type is all you sell
Look elsewhere if
- You've hit the free plan's 3-contract limit
- You'd rather not buy a paid plan without trying it
- Your galleries and website are with other services
You see yourself in the first list? Stay put and go send a gallery.
The closer look
One card per reason to leave
The main catch on a tag, and the verdict under it.
HoneyBook
$36/mo or $348/yrSuits you ifYou won't pay for software you have not tried
Cheapest plan: no schedulerTry it for 30 days with a money-back guarantee, but it is general software with no galleries.
Iris Works
$14.95/mo or $149/yrSuits you ifYou'd rather not rebuild your records by hand
One brand, full stopYour records move in free and you get 14 days to test; galleries go elsewhere.
ShootQ
$14.95/mo or $149/yrSuits you ifYour studio may take on staff or a second brand later
Booking is a $10/mo add-onStarts at $14.95 a month with a 14-day trial, but has no galleries.
Studio Ninja
$16/mo or $160/yrSuits you ifYour galleries are with another service, not Pixieset
Cheapest plan: 5 active jobsA photographers' CRM with a free move-in and training, if your galleries live elsewhere.
Sprout Studio
from $19/moSuits you ifYou'd trade some storage for a smaller bill than the bundle's
Cheapest plan: 10 shoots, 50GBKeeps photos beside the bookings from $19 a month, but bills monthly only.
One plan, tried before you pay
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.
Moving off Pixieset Studio Manager
Move off Studio Manager and keep every booking
Settle the galleries before the CRM closes: six steps.
- 1
Download your records before anything. Whatever the export lacks, key in yourself.
- 2
Decide on the galleries on their own. Keep every gallery a couple still needs online until they have their photos.
- 3
Pick a quiet stretch of two weeks or so. Keep it free of weddings.
- 4
Bring over the bookings still ahead of you. Keep that file for past clients.
- 5
Use a free import if the new tool has one. Neither Iris Works nor Studio Ninja charges for it.
- 6
Close Studio Manager at the end. Do it once one real booking is signed in the new tool.
Try first, pay after
Want to try the paid plan before you pay for it?
Fourteen days free on the one plan WeddingRunbook sells, then $9 a month or $90 a year. You get the season on one calendar, galleries inside every couple's portal, and a runbook: every task already has a day.
- 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
Pixieset Studio Manager questions, answered
Is it worth switching from Pixieset Studio Manager?
Yes, if the free plan's 3 contracts are used up, you won't buy a paid plan untried, or your galleries live with another service. Stay if Pixieset holds your galleries and website and the free or cheapest paid plan covers you.
How much does Pixieset Studio Manager cost in 2026?
Free to start, with 3 contracts and 1 session type. The three paid plans are $12, $18 and $28 a month on a yearly bill, or $15, $24 and $35 paid monthly. The top one bundles the main Pixieset apps with 100 GB for photos. No paid plan has a trial.
Which parts of Pixieset Studio Manager would I miss?
The galleries and website in the same account as the CRM, and a free plan. Of the six here, only Sprout Studio keeps galleries beside the CRM. Keep each gallery online until its couple has the photos.
Which Pixieset Studio Manager alternative costs the least?
WeddingRunbook is the cheapest paid plan here: $9 a month or $90 a year after a 14-day free trial. Its galleries are part of that price. None of the six is free; Iris Works and ShootQ charge least to start: $14.95 a month or $149 a year.
How many weeks does leaving Pixieset Studio Manager take?
About two weeks, in a quiet stretch with no weddings. Leave the galleries online meanwhile, for couples still downloading.
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. Pixieset Studio Manager's paid plans add reminders, so check which of its emails your couples count on.