Dubsado is a well-established business-management tool for creatives, strong on forms, workflows, and client admin, with a loyal following across many creative fields. If you are weighing it against Arteliox, here is an honest, category-level look at where each one fits. No dark patterns, no cherry-picked screenshots.
What each one is
Dubsado is a general client-management system: leads, forms, contracts, invoices, and a well-known workflow builder, used by coaches, consultants, designers, and photographers alike. File delivery is not part of it, so most studios pair Dubsado with a separate gallery product.
Arteliox is a studio platform where the client gallery lives inside the CRM. You run the enquiry, the proposal, the contract, the invoice, and the delivery in one place, and the final images unlock the moment the invoice is paid. Photo Studio CRM is the first solution on the platform.
Who should pick which
Pick Dubsado if you mainly need contracts, forms, and automations, you work across several creative services, and you are happy delivering files with a tool you already like. Pick Arteliox if delivering galleries and getting paid before you hand over the files is central to your week, and you would rather not run a CRM and a gallery product side by side.
Side by side
| Capability | Dubsado | Arteliox |
|---|---|---|
| Client galleries | Not included, pair a separate tool | Built in, private and signed |
| Pay-to-unlock delivery | Not available | Native, final images unlock when the invoice is paid |
| Proposals, contracts, e-sign | Yes | Yes |
| Invoices and payments | Yes | Yes, you are the merchant of record |
| Workflows and automations | Yes, mature builder | Yes |
| Who holds your money | Your own processor | Your own Stripe account, 0% to Arteliox |
| Security model | Standard | Per-tenant isolation, signed file links, audit trail |
| More than one industry | Creative generalist | One secure core, more solutions on the roadmap |
Where Arteliox is different
Delivery is part of the CRM. Instead of exporting a gallery to another product, you deliver a private gallery from the same record as the invoice and the contract. Pay-to-unlock delivery ties the final images to a paid invoice, so the client sees previews, pays, and the full-resolution files unlock automatically.
The money stays yours. Client payments go to your own Stripe account and you are always the merchant of record. Arteliox charges 0% on your sales, and the only thing you pay us is your monthly subscription.
Security is in the foundation. Every studio's data is isolated at the database level, files are served through short-lived signed links, and sensitive actions are written to an append-only audit trail. See the security page for the details.
The honest take
Dubsado is a strong, mature CRM for creatives who already have a delivery tool they trust. If you want your CRM and your gallery delivery to be one secure system, that is exactly what Arteliox is built for. You can explore Photo Studio CRM or get the opening date, with no card charged until you pick a plan.
Questions, answered
Can I switch from Dubsado to Arteliox?
Yes. When we open, you can set up your leads, contracts, invoices, and galleries in Arteliox while you wind Dubsado down. There is no lock-in, and client payments always go to your own Stripe account.
Does Arteliox replace both my CRM and my gallery tool?
That is the idea. Client galleries and pay-to-unlock delivery are built into the CRM, so you do not run a separate delivery product alongside your admin.
What does Arteliox take from my client payments?
Nothing. Arteliox charges 0% on your sales. You are the merchant of record, money goes to your own Stripe account, and the only thing you pay us is your monthly subscription.
Comparing others? See Arteliox vs HoneyBook, Arteliox vs Studio Ninja, Arteliox vs Pixieset, Arteliox vs Sprout Studio, or the full alternatives overview.