Production Swell vs Dubsado
Dubsado is a CRM. Production Swell runs the whole shoot. Dubsado is one of the most powerful CRMs in the creative space. But once a project moves from a signed contract into a real production, you're back to spreadsheets, Notion, and group texts. We fix that.
Best for
Production Swell: Production studios who want CRM + shoot tooling under one login.
Them: Service-based creatives with a complex workflow they want full control over.
Where it shines
Production Swell: Production planning, crew management, budgets, day sheets.
Them: Deep, branching workflows and white-label client portals.
Where it falls short
Production Swell: Branching workflow logic isn't as rich as Dubsado's yet.
Them: No production tooling at all — you need a second app for shoots.
Feature
Production Swell
Dubsado
Time to first proposal sent
Dubsado workflows are powerful but take real time to design.
< 30 min
2–5 hours
Free white-glove migration
Cross-module events
Accept a proposal → contract + invoice + project all spin up.
Deal memos for contractors
Stripe + Square + PayPal
We're Stripe-only on launch — Square + PayPal coming.
Recurring billing / subscriptions
Stripe Connect crew payouts
Budget-to-invoice in one click
Shoot planning + shot lists
Location scouting + day sheets
Crew + contractor management
AI rate benchmarking + negotiation
AI receipt scanning + email inbox
AI photo culler (up to 500 shots)
AI permit application generator
AI weather contingency plans
Voice transcript → treatment
Color grade approval portal
Base price
Dubsado is cheaper but does only the CRM piece.
$249/mo Suite
$40/mo Premier
One login for client work and production Stop duct-taping a CRM to a shoot-planning tool.