If you were on Tave, you’ve probably noticed the ground moved under you.
Tave used to be the obvious answer for photographers who wanted automation without enterprise pricing — somewhere around $25/month, with a client portal, questionnaires, contracts, and invoicing all in one loop. That pricing doesn’t exist any more.
Tave has been folded into VSCO Workspace. New customers can’t buy Tave standalone: the only way in is VSCO One at $499.99/year, billed annually only. Existing subscribers have been migrated onto that stack. If you were paying roughly $25/month, the effective jump is real — and it lands as a single annual charge rather than a monthly one.
So the question stops being “is Tave the right tool” and becomes “where do I go now”. Here are the five places Tave users are actually landing, and which one fits which kind of studio.
Prices checked in October 2026. Entry-tier pricing is exactly where vendors compete hardest, so it moves.
Quick comparison
| Option | Price | Best for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Ninja | $16/mo or $160/yr | Fast, simple core loop | Limited advanced automation |
| Sprout Studio | $19/mo (Lite) or $209/yr | One bill for CRM + galleries | Busier to learn |
| Pixieset | Free; paid from $8/mo (annual) | Photographers already delivering galleries here | Light CRM features on lower tiers |
| Dubsado | $35/mo or $335/yr | Deep, custom workflows | Setup-heavy |
| HoneyBook | $29–$109/mo (annual billing) | All-in-one with built-in payments | Gets expensive as you grow |
1. Studio Ninja — the closest thing to what Tave felt like
If what you liked about Tave was that it just handled the loop — enquiry to quote to booking to invoice — Studio Ninja is the shortest path back. Starter is $16/mo, or $160/yr (about $13/mo), and you’ll learn it in an afternoon.
Fits: solo photographers who want the core workflow done and nothing more.
Doesn’t fit: teams, or anyone who needs complex conditional logic in their workflows.
If you came from Tave: the biggest difference is automation depth. Tave’s conditional automations were its selling point; Studio Ninja deliberately keeps things simpler. Most solos don’t miss it. If you built elaborate automations, you will.
2. Sprout Studio — if you’re also paying for galleries
Sprout bundles CRM and gallery delivery into one subscription, which is where the “cheap” actually comes from — you’re collapsing two bills into one. The Lite plan is $19/mo or $209/yr.
Fits: studios currently paying separately for a CRM and a gallery host.
Doesn’t fit: anyone who wants the simplest possible tool.
If you came from Tave: if Tave was also your gallery host, Sprout is the most direct like-for-like replacement. If you deliver galleries elsewhere, this is overkill.
3. Pixieset — the “I already use it” answer
If you deliver client galleries through Pixieset, its booking and invoicing layer costs you little extra. The gallery side has a free tier; paid Client Gallery plans start at $8/mo billed annually ($10 monthly).
Fits: photographers already inside the Pixieset ecosystem.
Doesn’t fit: anyone who needs deep automation.
If you came from Tave: Pixieset’s CRM features are lighter than what Tave offered on its higher tiers. It’s a good fit for volume, not for workflow complexity.
4. Dubsado — for the people who loved Tave’s automations
Dubsado is the place to go if Tave’s automations were the reason you stayed. It’s $35/mo, or $335/yr, and it can do almost anything — which is also its problem: you have to build it.
Fits: studios willing to spend a weekend setting up workflows that then run themselves.
Doesn’t fit: anyone who wants something that works out of the box.
If you came from Tave: this is the most capable replacement on the list, and the one with the biggest setup tax. It also got a price increase recently, so don’t rely on older posts quoting $20/mo.
5. HoneyBook — the all-in-one with payments built in
HoneyBook bundles contracts, invoices, and card payments, with plans from $29/mo to $109/mo when billed annually. It’s polished and client-facing.
Fits: studios that want payment collection and client experience handled in one place.
Doesn’t fit: solo studios trying to keep costs low — the processing fees (2.9% + 25¢ on card) add up on top of the subscription.
If you came from Tave: HoneyBook is a step up in polish and a step up in cost. Compare it properly before committing — see our HoneyBook pricing breakdown for what you’d actually pay.
What actually transfers from Tave
Before you pick, know what moves and what doesn’t:
- Comes with you: contacts, projects, invoices (usually as CSV exports), and your uploaded files.
- Doesn’t come with you: your automation logic, your client portal’s history, and any embedded forms or links you’ve sent clients. Those need to be rebuilt or redirected.
The mechanics are the same regardless of which tool you leave for — we wrote the whole process up step by step in How to Migrate Off HoneyBook Without Losing Projects, Invoices, or Clients. The export/rebuild sequence is identical.
How to decide
- Want the old Tave feel, cheap? Studio Ninja.
- Need your automations back? Dubsado.
- Also paying for galleries? Sprout Studio.
- Already on Pixieset for galleries? Start there.
- Want payments and client experience in one place? HoneyBook.
If you’re still weighing the bigger names, our HoneyBook alternatives roundup and the HoneyBook vs Dubsado vs Pixieset comparison cover those in more depth.
The honest summary: Tave’s disappearance forces a decision, but the tools that absorbed its users are all mature. Pick based on whether you valued simplicity or automation — those two questions split this list cleanly in half.
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