# Sprout Studio Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Sprout Studio the right Photography Studio solution for you? Explore 63 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/147969/Sprout-Studio/reviews --- Sprout Studio 4.5 (63) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/147969/Sprout-Studio/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Sprout Studio Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 4.6 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews DO Deborah O Photographer/OwnerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “it's not really a figure-it-out-as-you-go kind of program. But the tutorials are very clear and thorough, as long as you actually the take time to watch them.“ October 11, 2023 Ryan G OwnerPhotography, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “On the surface it will look like a good option when you're shopping around, but trust me you will regret it down the road, and it is a huge hassle to switch CRMs once you're all set up with one!“ May 17, 2024 DO Deborah O Photographer/OwnerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “The software definitely has a learning curve, but the Sprout School videos lay everything out so clearly, and every time I've reached out with questions, someone from Sprout has promptly responded. If I call customer support instead of sending a message, a live representative answers the phone by the third ring.“ January 31, 2023 Ryan G OwnerPhotography, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Site speed: It takes FOREVER to load anything.“ May 17, 2024 DO Deborah O Photographer/OwnerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “The software is beautifully designed with a lovely client portal. If you take the time to go through the Sprout School videos (which I highly recommend), you'll find the software is much easier to navigate than it seems at first brush.“ January 31, 2023 Ryan G OwnerPhotography, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Do yourself a favor and avoid this company at all costs.“ May 17, 2024 DO Deborah O Photographer/OwnerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Just last month, they vastly improved the features available for customizing client galleries.“ January 31, 2023 DO Deborah O Photographer/OwnerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I don't love that clients have to manually make each payment individually.“ October 11, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 63 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Lisa N. Freelance Photographer Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "I love Sprout! From the fantastic customer service to the myriad of features it's been amazing!" March 31, 2018 5.0 Pros I love that my whole photography studio is under one roof. Leads, calendars, workflows, contracts, galleries, album proofing, money management... everything is all in one place. It makes my life so much easier! I also LOVE the customer service. The team is super prompt at answering questions and solving problems, and they're very responsive to adding newly requested features for their members. Amazing! Cons There isn't much I have to say that's not positive about Sprout, I think at this point the only thing I would say isn't working for me is that the calendar system isn't easy to navigate. At this point I have to click through each month to get to a date in the future, and when I'm looking to see what September 2019 looks like, for instance, having to click through 18 months to get there is annoying. Also sometimes I find the lead and shoot pages are quite slow, I'm assuming it's because I have a lot of open shoots so it take awhile to populate. It would be great if these pages could somehow populate a little quicker :) Review Source DO Deborah O. Photographer/Owner Photography Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Can't beat it for the price" October 11, 2023 5.0 Overall, I'm pretty happy with it, and I don't think you can beat it for the price. Customer Support is always friendly and helpful. It's a pretty complex program, so there's a definite learning curve- it's not really a figure-it-out-as-you-go kind of program. But the tutorials are very clear and thorough, as long as you actually the take time to watch them. Pros My favorite feature is that it includes gallery delivery- so my clients only have to manage one portal for everything from signing the contract, making payments, and Cons I REALLY wish they would have an automatic payment option. I don't love that clients have to manually make each payment individually. Alternatives considered [HoneyBook](https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/)[Dubsado](https://www.capterra.com/p/206389/Dubsado/)[17hats](https://www.capterra.com/p/144328/17hats/) Reason for choosing Sprout Studio Sprout Studio was the only one that included Gallery Delivery, so my clients only have one portal to keep up with. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Worst CRM with the Worst People" May 17, 2024 1.0 Pros Sprout has some decent features, notably their booking proposals which are very pretty. Cons Where do I begin? 1. Site speed: It takes FOREVER to load anything. I just sat for literally 2 whole minutes waiting for an email drip campaign to load. It takes about 30 seconds just for your active shoot dates to load. It takes about 20 seconds to search for a specific client. It is truly mind blowing how slow it is. This should not happen on a website in 2024. We have 1gig fiber internet and this happens on every computer at every location for all of our employees. 2. Bugs: they have bugs all the time. The #1 thing you need in a CRM is trust that there will be no bugs. What if a shoot date just disappeared? That hasn't happened yet, but we have no faith that it won't, considering how often other bugs pop up. Their latest was to send out a marketing email to every single email address that has ever contacted us. People whose weddings were years ago, weddings that haven't happened yet, freaking those couples out, people who decided not to use us, etc. 3. None of their workflow items are dynamic and update in real time across the system. So, if you have 100 shoots coming up and a questionnaire is set to go out to them 6 weeks before the wedding, and you want to add a question to that questionnaire template, that added question will not update on all 100 of those current weddings... it will only apply to any NEW bookings after the change is made. So any critical changes you want to email templates or questionnaires, etc basically are always a full year behind in implementation LOL. 4. Customer service - they often take hours to respond in the chat. When they do they rarely have answers for you that are helpful, and they clearly do NOT care about their clients at all. They don't actually relay any of the feature requests you want and instead focus on new features that are totally unnecessary. They have no system of voting on feature requests like other CRMs, so they just choose to work on whatever THEY like the most, not what their PAYING CUSTOMERS actually want. They just recently had a huge email blunder described above, and when I gave a simple solution for how they could send us the email addresses that were affected by it using ChatGPT they literally told me they weren't allowed to use ChatGPT to help us out..... I could go on and on. Do yourself a favor and avoid this company at all costs. On the surface it will look like a good option when you're shopping around, but trust me you will regret it down the road, and it is a huge hassle to switch CRMs once you're all set up with one! Review Source MS Marc S. owner Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Sprout is the tool I needed" September 22, 2020 5.0 I love it. I have used many other platforms but none had everything I needed in one place. I would invoice a customer here, send a gallery from there, manage a calendar in yet another place. Now, I have all of that and sooo much more in ONE PLACE. It is such a critical part of my business and I'm grateful! Pros Having Sprout is like having an employee, without the cost. I'm able to set up workflow, that makes it easy to stay in touch with potential clients and customers to ensure that nothing is missed. It also provides great reporting to stay on top of the business. It's awesome. Cons Nothing. they listen to their clients and are constantly making updates which makes the software even better. Switched from [17hats](https://www.capterra.com/p/144328/17hats/) I love 17hats too and it was a hard decision, but the ultimate thing for me is that this software was made by photographers for photographers and had features that were critical for my business, like the galleries. It's been worth the switch because I was able to consolidate a few different expenses all into one platform. Review Source RP Rozalind P. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Hard to set up, but like a lot of the features" March 8, 2022 4.0 Was okay. Wasn't my favourite CRM which is why I ultimately ended up switching but I'm glad I tried it based on other people's like for it. Pros I liked the client portal. It was actually the reason I bought the software based on a friends recommendation of how nice it looked when she would send it to clients. Cons I found it very difficult to set up. I've used two other CRM's and for some reason the set up just wasn't intuitive (for me at least). Alternatives considered [HoneyBook](https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/) Reason for choosing Sprout Studio A friends recommendation Switched from [17hats](https://www.capterra.com/p/144328/17hats/) I wanted something that looked nicer for my clients. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Big Hopes, Big Promises, Low Quality Delivery, Different Product" October 19, 2022 2.0 Pretty terrible from day 1. But I bought it stupidly so gave it time, too much time it's time to switch. I speak with support often but nothing is ever fixed.I'd rather pay 3x more money than have to put up with the bugs and problems sprout throws at me on a daily basis. Pros The design is great, for the most part.If a good looking system to work in everyday is your primary concern, go with Sprout. Rounded corners, pretty boxes and subtle colouring.All-in-one, but if none of it works properly or fully, what's the point in it being an all-in-one solution? Cons Where to start?So many missing features.So many bugs and errors.Far too complex for most users to even consider setting up by themselves.Basic things that a CRM should have, integrated emails, nope.Marketing that sends from YOUR email address, nope sends from noreply@sproustudio.com, your mass marketing emails aren't sent from your own email address.Calendar scheduling that doesn't disconnect every day or week, which then allows clients to double and triple book your time.Workflows aren't editable once applied to a shoot, you also can't easily add new steps without creating a workflow under settings and applying it. The add step option on the shoot or lead is a joke of an implementation.Contact management is basic and truly underwhelming at best. Merging contacts is again, a joke.They give you stats for irrelevant things.Task management is just painful to work with.The whole system is just annoying at best and down right awful at worst.If you have a VERY simple photo business with 1 brand and a lot of time to learn and configure sprout, go for it, but buy a lot of advil, you'll need it, otherwise, choose any other CRM. You'll thank me. Alternatives considered [HoneyBook](https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/)[Dubsado](https://www.capterra.com/p/206389/Dubsado/)[StudioCloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/92910/StudioCloud/)[17hats](https://www.capterra.com/p/144328/17hats/)[Iris Works](https://www.capterra.com/p/149597/Iris-Works/) Reason for choosing Sprout Studio I thought it was better then all of the others, and on paper it is, I can't deny that. But, using it day to day, which is when you really get to know a piece of software it's far too complex to make simple changes and the support team do their best but they're constantly coming up with workarounds. Switched from [Light Blue](https://www.capterra.com/p/106272/Light-Blue/) I thought Sprout Studio would be a better piece of software, I was lured in by the design and promise that the issues I found on day 1 were being fixed, they aren't and haven't been yearly later. Review Source KM Kalina M. Owner Arts and Crafts Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "All in one for client management for Photographers" July 11, 2021 5.0 Extremely useful, however, they need to do a wayyyy better job at explaining where to start setting up all of the tools they have to offer. I think even for them is hard to explain what number one thing to do from the get go. I love all of the tools they offer but there has to be a better way of setting up. In my opinion the templates are the number one place to start, then price list, etc. Pros These is so much in this software, and much that I have been wanting to keep my photography business organized. Cons It is quiet the learning curve with the immense amount of tools that the software offers. They should have step one, step two, step three. It is extremely disorganized even their training. I had to create my own 1,2,3 list of where to start setting up. Yes they offer a whole "school of training" which has the most annoying music one hears for too long when each training video starts. Now give me two weeks later between learning how to use it, I can appreciate all of the tools Switched from [HoneyBook](https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/) I needed a more complete software and more affordable plan. Not ready to pay $40 a month and have a lot of expenses as I am starting to get my photo studio going. Review Source Kortney K. Owner Photography Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Has potential, but entirely unreliable" April 18, 2023 2.0 Horrible. I wish I could say differently. I paid $1000 for someone to build my Sprout account for me (because I lacked the time and knowledge at the time) on top of the $600 annual fee. Now I'd consider myself and my team borderline experts just by simply troubleshooting so many errors. Unfortunate, but there are many others out there! Don't waste your money!In the end, they offered to refund me $90 for the "2 months I was distressed". Pros I love the potential. It has a good foundational concept. Client Management, automation, drip campaigns. Cons The platform is incredibly unreliable, outdated integration, bugs, customer service takes hours to respond and when they do it's a generic answer or they limit you to 15 min chats that take 15 minutes to troubleshoot the connection then you start all over again. More specifically: SPF records didn't exist until it was too late; leaving emails not reaching my clients for the first 2 months (thousands $ lost). For 6 weeks I was told it was a host or domain issue then it was Google's problem - to contact them (impossible btw). I hired my own tech engineers and they got to the root of the issue; finding Sprout had never created SPF records in the first place, brought it to their attention and basically said thanks for finding the problem. The fb community was puzzled and demanding answers but the issue was never addressed publicly. This was about the time they locked down comments.Simultaneously, I had spent about 6 weeks building my storefront and just as I completed it, had noticed one day the thumbnails were ruined. Upon discussion, Sprout claimed it was an irreparable bug, to reupload all images again. Like the SPF issue, they were well aware but we were left to find it on our own. I refused to fork the engineer bill again, so with 7 storefronts and approximately 60-100 items per store, I'm 1 week in and not even half way finished. I have historically opened 1-3 tickets per week for 3 months. I can't wait to win enough time back to part ways! Review Source Karen B. Owner/Professional Photographer Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A few bugs but overall it's fantastic " March 27, 2018 4.0 Organization, peace of mind Pros Having everything in one place, functional workflows and ease of use. Cons That there aren't more automated things to choose from when sending template emails like addresses, emails and phone numbers. Review Source SP Stephanie P. Owner Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Sprout Studio has streamlined my business to make me more organized and profitable. " March 28, 2018 5.0 Pros I love everything about Sprout Studio. Before I found SS I was paying for several different services separately for galleries, invoicing and sending contracts. It drove me crazy having to go from one login to another, keeping organized etc. Not only do they offer an amazing piece of software, they also offer some really incredible photography education via their podcast and online workshops! Cons There's the occasional bug that comes with updates but they are always resolved in a timely manner! I really have had a positive experience with their service. Review Source LV Lauren V. Owner/Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My experience with Sprout Studio has been incredibly beneficial to running and growing my business." June 8, 2017 5.0 Business growth and efficiency. Pros The all-in-one features offer a simple and efficient way for my clients to book and navigate through their time with me. Streamlining everything into one studio management software not only helps my client experience run smoothly but also allows me to spend more time working on other aspects of my business. Cons There are minor bugs or glitches that occur when pushing each new update. This is completely understandable, but would be the thing I like the least. Review Source Response from Sprout Studio June 8, 2017 Thank You Lauren :D CJ Corey J. Owner Photography Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great Software for Wedding Photographers" July 16, 2019 5.0 Its been fantastic! Pros This has streamlined and created a much more organized workflow for me and our team Cons Would love a built in print fulfillment option Reason for choosing Sprout Studio Price and options. Heard good stuff from peers Review Source CK Caitlin K. Owner, Photographer/Videographer Photography Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Sprout Studio does it all for your photography business and then some" August 15, 2018 5.0 Pros This is the most affordable & robust service out there for photographers. For the price, it's amazing what it can do in comparison to other similar services! It's also the only photography business/studio manager I've found that can actually make me money, too (via making sales via my online galleries). I love that my galleries, client management, sales/bookkeeping, etc. are all in one place, rather than needing to use a number of different (expensive) services to accomplish what Sprout Studio can do alone. Cons Not much. It does it all and is functional at a low price, which is highest priority for me. The only potential drawback is the interface design & user experience could be a little easier/prettier, but for the price I am a happy customer. Review Source TC Tiffany C. Kick ass boss lady Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Got me so organized!" June 5, 2017 4.0 Organization of my business. I don't have many. Whenever there has been an issue it has been addressed pretty quickly. I feel a little uneasy about using the new gallery feature but interested in getting rid of my other gallery software to save money. Pros I'm able to monitor all of my business in one central location. Leads. Bookings. Income reports! It has change everything about my workflow and given me peace of mind. Review Source Response from Sprout Studio June 5, 2017 Thanks Tiffany :D MW Michelle W. Photographer owner Photography Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The best decision I ever made for my business " June 8, 2017 5.0 I got some of my time and organizing back Pros I love that I can talk to an actual person when I have a problem. I love the layout of this software because it is so professional. Review Source Response from Sprout Studio June 8, 2017 Thank You Michelle! :D LM Lisa M. Owner Photography Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "The complete solution for my wedding photography business!" June 7, 2017 5.0 Being able to accept payments via Square, quick and easy booking proposals, tons of templates for questionnaires and honestly too much more to list here. Pros I love the integrated galleries, and the fact that they allow me to accept credit card payments via Square! This means I get my money in under 3 days vs. over a week with other processors! That can make a huge difference to my business when I have to order albums quickly from my suppliers. Sprout's customer service is also amazing! I had a few questions along the way and it was so great to just be able to talk to our rep and get help right away. Review Source Response from Sprout Studio June 7, 2017 Thank you Lisa :D JB Jason B. Photographer Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Everything You Need" August 29, 2016 5.0 So far it has been smooth. The couple snags I ran into customer support helped me super fast. I've been at it a little over a week and have it mostly set up. The galleries are beautiful. I just can't wait to see what this will offer a little down the road. Pros All in one, easy to navigate with little clutter like other business management solutions, great support Cons I would like to see lead forms and questionnaires be a little more intuitive. Like taking more information from a form and incorporating it into a shoot. Also Fisrt and last name on the same line for contact and lead forms. Review Source Response from Sprout Studio June 7, 2017 Thanks Jason :D VR Verified Reviewer Audio Producer Broadcast Media Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Great value all-purpose CRM for the photography industry." April 2, 2019 4.0 A great product for its price point. Pros It is incredibly simple to use, and the support available in order to maximize its potential is great. Cons The CRM elements of the software are rudimentary in places and could do with further development. Review Source AA Amy A. Owner & Photographer Photography Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "SproutStudio" July 30, 2019 5.0 Pros Coming from another platform, I love that Sprout has the ability to let clients order directly from your website! I didn’t have that with the other and it was such an inconvenience. I also like that I can send contracts and invoices directly to my clients. Clients can create their own logins to get directly to their session galleries, and that is top notch!! Cons Not necessarily a con, but there is a learning curve. I’m happy with Sprout so far in the short amount of time I’ve been using it. Review Source NW Nataschia W. Photographer Used the software for: ### "Everything is in one neat and tidy place!" April 28, 2016 5.0 This is the first full season that I will be using Sprout for my studio management and I'm super excited to have cancelled all the other softwares I was using to stay organized-everything is in one neat and tidy place-Galleries, album proofing and all of my client information! It's clean, user friendly and when setting up and learning Sprout, the customer service was AMAZING! Review Source GH Gulnar H. Graphic designer Entertainment Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Awesome studio" February 7, 2017 4.0 I love that software because this product is so easy to use. there are all needs of customers in one program, thank you too much))) Review Source Response from Sprout Studio June 2, 2017 Thanks Gulnar :D DO Deborah O. Photographer/Owner Photography Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "LOVE this software!" January 31, 2023 5.0 Pros I cannot say enough about the customer service with Sprout! When I signed up, I received a handwritten thank you note from the CEO. The software definitely has a learning curve, but the Sprout School videos lay everything out so clearly, and every time I've reached out with questions, someone from Sprout has promptly responded. If I call customer support instead of sending a message, a live representative answers the phone by the third ring. The software is beautifully designed with a lovely client portal. If you take the time to go through the Sprout School videos (which I highly recommend), you'll find the software is much easier to navigate than it seems at first brush. Sprout Studio is constantly growing and evolving. Just last month, they vastly improved the features available for customizing client galleries. I actually prefer it to PixieSet for gallery delivery. I love that this program was specifically developed with photographers in mind and that it is a small business run by real, kind, supportive people. I can't recommend it enough! Cons I'm hoping to one day see Sprout Studio add an automatic payments feature, so my clients don't have to make each payment manually. Other than that, I have nothing but good things to say! Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner/Operator Photography Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Easy to Use, But Missing Essential Features" December 27, 2018 4.0 It's no longer possible to communicate effectively with clients, and our marketing/referral efforts are suffering. We are unlikely to continue using the software another year unless this problem is addressed prior to our next renewal. Pros This software eliminates the learning curve a non-salesperson would normally have with a typical CRM. Opportunities are called Shoots, for instance. Also, the gallery feature and workflows are spot-on, and the online contracts are a game-changer. All in all, there's some great functionality to be had. Cons Don't plan on communicating with your clients. I cannot fathom how a CRM solution would have no communication capability outside of an automated response. It's not possible to export contact records based on shoot type or date. It's not possible to send mass emails in any way. It's not possible to automate messages based on shoot type or date. It's not even possible to filter a list of contacts by shoot type. If you want to put your data into a system but not be able to get it back out in a useful manner, Sprout's the way to go. Review Source TP Troy P. Photographer Photography Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "It truly is the best all-in-one!" April 15, 2019 5.0 Pros Migration. -I can't stress how easy it was to integrate orders and contracts that were made in my previous CRM and online. This was something I had struggled with when signing up to my previous one. Interface - Really well-thought out, easy to use and intuitive. I love how quick it is too. Galleries and shop - Are truly beautiful, my setting up Sprout and having a shoot ready to present to a client was a happy coincidence. After creating a couple of test galleries, I got the nack of it pretty quickly and the client side is simple and easy to use. Payment integrations are great too and I love being able to give the client the choice to still pay in person by cheque or cash too (and the option to create my own methods!) Customer support - This is always important to me as there's nothing worse than running into issues and having no help when you need it. Sprout's customer service is great. I had the pleasure of dealing with rep. He was really keen to help and his responses were lightning fast, no more than 5-10 minutes apart. Cons As someone who will be using the lower packages at least for another year or so, it could do with just a few more features of the premium-featured plans. I get the reasons for doing it and it's great for growing businesses that are working their way up to needing that package but some of the reports (even just income and profit) would be helpful and are almost necessary for all businesses and doesn't take much away from your existing offering. The same can be said for album proofing, it would be good to at least have maybe even one album proofing allowed at any one time? Review Source MH Marianne H. photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A CRM for photographers, created by photographers" April 26, 2022 4.0 Since I started using Sprout Studio I finally feel like I look properly professional to my clients. Everything is streamlined and simplified for them. My only reason to stop using them would be if I stopped being a photographer Pros I love how SproutStudio makes me look professional and keep everything in one place. I especially like their client portals and the new public pricelists and shop design. They have all the tools a photographer needs Cons As this is a Canadian software, some of the features are not optimized for European photographers and European business (like invoicing, payment solutions and tax). I've found workarounds for now, but it would be nice to have it 100% suited for our use as well in future. Reason for choosing Sprout Studio They had more features and presented themselves better to a new user. It was clear that the software was made by photographers for photographers only. Review Source Similar Products Featured