Pixieset built its name on client galleries and added Studio Manager for the business side. Both start free, so the real question is what each free tier actually allows.
Pixieset is best known for client galleries, and Studio Manager is the business layer it added on top: contacts and leads, a project board, online booking, invoices, contracts with e-signatures, and questionnaires. It is genuinely photography-native, it has an ongoing free tier rather than a trial, and the Studio Manager iOS app is a real native app, which is why it sits near the top of most 2026 roundups.
The difference is packaging. Client Gallery, Studio Manager, Website, and Store are priced as separate apps, so each free tier is thin on its own (3GB of gallery storage, 3 contracts, 1 active session type), and getting the whole set in one place means the Suite. PhotoCRM puts the same pieces (clients, projects, invoicing, contracts, galleries, and video hosting) into one plan, with 20GB of storage included on the free plan.
Pixieset's free tier is genuine but capped per app: 3GB of gallery storage, 3 contracts, and 1 active session type. Studio Manager's paid plans start around $12/mo billed annually, and the Suite that bundles galleries, website, and CRM together starts around $28/mo billed annually.
| Feature | PhotoCRM | Pixieset Studio Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing free plan | ||
| Built specifically for photographers | ||
| Client & project management | ||
| Invoicing & online payments | ||
| Contracts & e-signatures | ||
| Client galleries & photo delivery | ||
| Website or public profile | PhotoFinder directory profile | |
| Video hosting & streaming | ||
| Native iOS app | ||
| White-label + custom portal domain | $35/mo add-on | |
| Payments coverage | 135+ countries (Stripe) | Pixieset Payments, Stripe, PayPal |
| Starting price | $0/mo (free plan) | Free tier; from ~$12/mo, Suite ~$28/mo |
Competitor features and pricing change often; figures are indicative as of June 2026; check Pixieset Studio Manager's site for current details.
Shoots, galleries, photo delivery, and contracts are first-class — not bolted onto a generic service-business tool. Your workflow fits without workarounds.
Run real client work on the free plan — clients, projects, invoicing, contracts, and a branded portal. Upgrade only when you need more storage, seats, or white-label.
Deliver photos and video through a branded client portal with downloads and approvals — no separate gallery subscription to stitch in.
Stripe-powered invoices, deposits, and balances with Apple Pay and card, right inside the client portal. Split a job into a deposit and a balance in a click.
Add white-label for $35/mo to put your logo, colors, email sender, and a custom portal domain on everything — with no “Powered by” credits.
A native iOS app for managing clients, projects, invoices, and payments on shoot day — not just a mobile web page.
Pixieset's galleries are its strongest product and they are genuinely excellent: proofing, favorites, a client-facing mobile gallery app, and a print store with fulfilment attached. If selling prints through a polished storefront is central to your business, or you already have a large Pixieset gallery library your clients know how to use, staying put is a reasonable call. Pixieset also scales storage further than PhotoCRM does at the top end, up to unlimited photo storage on its highest tiers, which matters if you archive everything you have ever shot. PhotoCRM is the better fit if you would rather run the whole business on one plan, start with more storage before paying anything, and not buy each piece as a separate app.
Yes, and it is ongoing rather than a trial. The free Studio Manager tier covers unlimited invoices, online payments, and basic booking, but caps documents at 3 contracts and 3 quotes or questionnaires with 1 active session type. Client Gallery's free tier is counted separately and includes 3GB of photo storage. PhotoCRM's free plan includes 20GB along with clients, projects, invoicing, contracts, and the branded client portal with galleries.
Both start at $0, so the comparison is about what you get before paying. PhotoCRM's free plan includes 20GB of storage, galleries, video hosting, and contracts. Pixieset caps each app separately and bundles them in the Suite, which starts around $28/mo billed annually. Pricing changes often, so compare current pricing on their site.
Studio Manager is a real CRM: contact and lead tracking, a visual project board, online booking and scheduling, invoices with payment schedules, contracts with e-signatures, and questionnaires. It is a separate app from Client Gallery, so which plan you need depends on how many Pixieset apps you actually use.
Partly, and it depends on the tier. The free tier shows a "Powered by Pixieset" banner, the Plus tier replaces that banner with a Pixieset badge, and removing the badge entirely requires a Pro or Ultimate tier. PhotoCRM's white-label add-on is $35/mo ($350/yr) and covers your logo, colors, email sender, and a custom portal domain with no "Powered by" credits.
Yes, videos can be uploaded and shared inside Client Gallery, but the allowance is capped by plan (the Basic gallery plan includes 30 minutes of HD video) and video sits on the gallery side rather than inside Studio Manager. PhotoCRM includes video hosting and streaming in the same branded client portal as your photos.
Move your clients, projects, and invoicing into one place. Start on the free plan, and upgrade only when your studio needs more.
Start freeSee all comparisons on the HoneyBook alternatives page or the pricing page.