Phlostate vs Dubsado
Dubsado is deep on workflows and forms, and many photographers have years of setup inside it. Here is what Phlostate does differently, and where Dubsado still wins.
Side by side
Public facts from each company’s own pricing page, checked September 2, 2026. If Dubsado changes something, tell us and we’ll fix the row.
| Phlostate | Dubsado | |
|---|---|---|
| Leads, projects, inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Contracts with e-signature | Yes | Yes |
| Invoices with installments and autopay | Yes | Yes |
| Client galleries | Yes | No |
| Print store in the gallery | Yes | No |
| Public booking page and scheduler | Yes | Premier plan only |
| Website, built and hosted | Yes | No |
| AI assistant | Phlo — runs the back office, 150+ actions | No |
| Talk to it out loud | Yes | No |
| QuickBooks / Zapier integrations | No | Premier plan only |
| Team seats | 3 on Pro | Add-on pricing |
| Free trial | 14 days, card required | 21 days |
| Platform fee on client payments | 0% — clients pay you direct through your own Stripe | 0% — your own Stripe, Square or PayPal |
| Credit card, client-entered | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) | Your processor’s rate |
| Card on file / autopay | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) | Your processor’s rate |
| Bank transfer (ACH) | 0.8%, capped at $5 (Stripe) | Your processor’s rate |
| Client can be billed the fee | Yes — on by default, per payment method | Card surcharge in supported regions |
| Subscription, from | $100/mo | $335/yr |
What is the same
Leads, projects, contracts with e-signature, invoices with installments, and payments through your own processor. Both let you keep your money path direct.
Where they differ
Dubsado has no client galleries and no website. Its scheduler is on the Premier plan. Phlostate includes galleries with a print store, a booking page with Google Calendar sync, and a hosted website on every plan.
Dubsado automations are built by hand. Phlostate ships with sensible ones on by default, like a booking confirmation with the video call link and a reminder three hours before the call, and Phlo handles the rest of the back office in plain English: drafting the reply, building the contract from the project, retrying a failed installment, blocking your calendar.
Where Dubsado is stronger
- A lower yearly price on its Starter plan.
- Very flexible custom forms and workflow branching for people who like to build.
- A 21-day trial.
The full five-product table, including a worked year of twenty weddings, is on the compare page.
Questions
- Do I have to rebuild my Dubsado workflows?
- Most of what a Dubsado workflow does is either a default automation in Phlostate or something you ask Phlo to do. Contract and email templates come over as text; you paste them in and Phlo fills the details per project.
- Can clients pay by bank transfer?
- Yes. ACH through Stripe, capped at $5 a transfer, and the fee can be billed to the client.
Try it on your own business
Fourteen days free with a card on file. Nothing is charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel before then from Settings.