A Dubsado alternative for studios that hire crew
Dubsado is an app that keeps track of clients, made for small businesses that sell a service. It handles forms, proposals, contracts, invoices and a client portal. Its Premier plan adds a scheduler, and steps that run on their own, which Dubsado calls Flows. It costs $35 or $55 a month. Three team members come free. Dubsado has no client galleries of its own. You link a gallery from another app instead. It has no crew side either. There are no crew slots, no clock-in, and no record of what you owe each person. bckendIQ runs the client steps, the galleries and the crew in one app.
Dubsado
$35–$55/mo
bckendIQ
From $49/mo
When to choose Dubsado
You want to build your own forms and steps in detail. You never hire crew, and you already like your gallery app. Dubsado costs less than bckendIQ, and three team members come free. On Premier, its Flows send forms, emails and reminders for you.
When to choose bckendIQ
You hire second shooters, helpers or editors. You want your galleries in the same app as your bookings. And you want each person’s hours and pay worked out for you, not added up by hand.
Feature by feature
bckendIQ wins 6 of 11 rows. Dubsado wins 3. Checked against the live vendor pages on 2026-10-10.
| What it does | bckendIQ | Dubsado | Who wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $49 or $89/mo, storage included; 0% of client payments | $35 or $55 a month. $335 or $525 a year | Dubsado |
| Forms, quotes and contracts | Forms, quotes, packages, contracts signed online | Forms, proposals, contracts signed online | About the same |
| Invoices and card fees | Invoices and part payments. Your own Stripe, with Stripe’s normal fee | Invoices and payment plans. 2.9% + 30¢ for US cards | About the same |
| Booking calls | Booking calls that check your calendar, on both plans | Scheduler on Premier only | bckendIQ |
| Client galleries | Built in. Clients pick favourites and write notes on the photo | Not built in. You link a gallery from another app | bckendIQ |
| Films for clients | Films stream, and notes land at the exact second | Not offered | bckendIQ |
| Team seats | 3 on Studio, 5 on Studio Pro then $10 each; freelance crew free | You plus 3 free, then more for a monthly fee | Dubsado |
| Crew slots and claims | Roles, how many people, and crew claim a shoot | Not offered. Team members see the projects you give them | bckendIQ |
| Who turned up | Crew clock in for each session | Not offered. Its time tracking is for billing clients | bckendIQ |
| What you owe crew, and payslips | Worked out from checked hours and locked | Not offered | bckendIQ |
| Age and community | New, and still small | Well known, with a large community | Dubsado |
Common questions
Does Dubsado have client galleries?
No. Dubsado has no gallery of its own. You can put a link to a gallery from another app in its client portal. bckendIQ has galleries built in. Clients pick favourites and write notes on the photo. Films stream, and notes land at the exact second.
Is bckendIQ more expensive than Dubsado?
Yes. Dubsado costs $35 a month on Starter and $55 on Premier. Billed yearly, that is $335 or $525. bckendIQ is $49 a month on Studio and $89 on Studio Pro. Our price includes client galleries with 250GB of storage. Dubsado has no galleries. If you never send a gallery and never hire crew, Dubsado costs less.
Does Dubsado track crew hours?
Not for crew pay. On Premier, Dubsado logs hours you bill to a client. It does not record a second shooter’s hours on a shoot. It does not work out what they are owed.
HoneyBook or Dubsado: which is better?
For a one-person business, both are good. HoneyBook costs $36 to $129 a month and has client galleries built in. Dubsado costs $35 or $55 a month, has no galleries, and gives you three team members free. HoneyBook charges 2.9% + 25¢ for an online card payment. Dubsado charges 2.9% + 30¢ for a US card. Neither one has a crew side. If you hire crew, that is where bckendIQ comes in.
See it on your own shoots
Free through October 31, 2026. Paid plans start November 1, 2026. No card needed.
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