On this page
The options
| Tool | Price | Planning depth | Proposals and invoices | Client review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StudioBinder, for reference | Free, then $29 to $299 a month | Deep, with screenwriting | No | No |
| Cutvey | Solo $49 a month, Pro $99 a month, Studio $199 a month | Shot lists, breakdown, stripboard, call sheets | Yes | Yes |
| SetHero | See their site | Call sheets, crew, production reports | No | No |
| Assemble | See their site, guests free | Projects on a calendar, with proofing | No | Proofing |
| Celtx, Yamdu | See their sites | Scripted and long-form | No | Not on their main pages |
| A spreadsheet and a template | Free | What you build | No | No |
Prices checked November 2026 on each seller's own pricing page. A price we could not read there is left out, so check their site. Assemble's page shows $5 and $10 a teammate a month on its plan cards and $20 and $30 a month in its comparison table, so check the figure with them.
Why people look for an alternative
Three reasons come up.
The price climbs with the team. StudioBinder's plans go by users: 1 on Starter, 2 on Indie, 4 on Professional, 10 on Agency at $199 a month. For a company with a producer, two editors and a coordinator, that is the $99 plan, and you still need something for the rest of the job.
It stops at the money. Its plans include contacts, messaging and documents. They do not send a proposal or take a payment, so a company doing client work runs a second system beside it.
It is built for scripts. A lot of it assumes scenes and pages. A corporate interview day or a wedding has no script to break down, so you are paying for depth you will not use.
Cutvey, for client work
Everything a commercial, brand, wedding or documentary shoot needs in prep: shot lists, storyboards, locations, cast, gear, moodboards with client approval, and script import with breakdown, stripboard and day out of days. Call sheets fill from your bookings, and a change reaches only the people it touches.
Then it does what StudioBinder leaves to others. A signed proposal opens the project with the deposit invoice, crew get deal memos and timecards, clients review on the frame, and delivery waits for the balance.
It is short of StudioBinder here: no screenwriting, no sides, no revision colors, fewer call sheet layouts, and no free plan for a studio. Cutvey and StudioBinder, side by side.
SetHero
A specialist that does call sheets very well, with a drag-and-drop builder, sending by text and email, and a no-signup start. It also handles cast and crew contacts and production reports. Choose it if you are an AD or coordinator who works on other people's productions. It has no client or money side. Our own no-signup tool is the free call sheet maker.
Assemble
Its idea is simple: every file, note and to-do sits on a calendar, with plan, proof and present as the three stages. Guests are free on every plan. It suits a small team with a short plan. It has no money layer.
Which to pick
| You are | Pick |
|---|---|
| An AD or coordinator working on other people's shoots | SetHero |
| Writing and prepping scripted films | StudioBinder |
| A production company with paying clients | Cutvey |
| A small team wanting a shared calendar | Assemble |
| Shooting one day this month | The free call sheet maker |
Moving from StudioBinder
There is little to move. Crew go into the roster by hand, once, since there is no crew CSV import. Scripts come across as Final Draft, Fountain or PDF, then you break them down. Let any job in progress finish where it is, and start the next one in Cutvey.
Frequently asked
Is there a free StudioBinder alternative?
StudioBinder's own free plan may be enough. For a one-off, use the free call sheet maker or the Excel template.
Which alternative has invoicing?
Of the tools here, Cutvey. HoneyBook and Dubsado have invoicing with no production planning, and pairing one of them with StudioBinder is the usual way around it. Add up that pairing in the stack calculator.
Does Cutvey do stripboards?
Yes: import a script, tag it in eleven categories, drag scenes into days, and see a day out of days. It suits commercial and documentary schedules more than a long feature. Script breakdown.