Stop paying for a CRM and a gallery
Studio Ninja pairs with gallery tools. Mankai includes galleries and proofing with the CRM.
Studio Ninja alternative when you want CRM and galleries on WordPress
Studio Ninja is a hosted photography business app for leads, quotes, contracts, invoices, booking, and workflows. Mankai is a self-hosted WordPress photography CRM that also includes native galleries and a client portal on your domain, with flat annual licensing and no Mankai payment cut.
Mankai
Honest summary
Neither product is junk. The fit depends on hosting tolerance, galleries, and how you want to get paid.
What Studio Ninja does well
- Photography-focused CRM with leads, quotes, contracts, invoices, booking forms, and a real mobile app.
- Free data migration and 1-on-1 training are part of their published plan story.
Where Mankai takes a different approach
- Mankai installs on WordPress. Clients, sessions, invoices, and galleries live in your database.
- Native galleries and proofing ship with the CRM, instead of pairing Studio Ninja with Pic-Time or ShootProof.
Stay with Studio Ninja if…
- You want a polished hosted CRM and do not want WordPress hosting responsibility.
- Studio Ninja’s mobile app and free migration offer are the reasons you picked it.
Consider Mankai if…
- You run Studio Ninja plus a separate gallery platform and want fewer subscriptions.
- You want galleries and the CRM on your domain, without active-job caps on the entry plan.
At a glance
Simple side-by-side facts as of July 24, 2026. Their plans change, so double-check before you decide.
| Topic | Studio Ninja | Mankai |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Studio Ninja hosts it for you | On your WordPress site |
| Built for WordPress | No | Yes, as a plugin |
| Studio CRM | Yes, that is the main product | Yes: clients, sessions, workflows |
| Booking | Online booking forms on Pro and Master | Yes, included |
| Quotes and contracts | Yes, with e-sign | Yes: quotes and contracts |
| Invoices and payments | Online payments, including Stripe | Your Stripe or PayPal |
| Extra fee on payments | Processor fees; check current terms | No Mankai cut; processor rates only |
| Client galleries | No native galleries; pair Pic-Time or ShootProof | Yes, built in |
| Workflows | Automation on Pro and Master | Workflows tied to real job events |
| Where client data sits | Studio Ninja’s servers | Your WordPress database |
| Starting price | From $160/yr (Starter, billed yearly) | $149.99/yr for the CRM; hosting is separate |
| How you pay for it | Starter, Pro, or Master; monthly or yearly | One flat yearly license |
| Job limits | 5 active jobs on Starter; unlimited on Pro+ | Unlimited clients from Mankai’s side |
| Moving over | They advertise free data migration in | Optional Setup & Migration help; no auto-import |
What this page does not claim
- Currency-specific GBP and AUD list prices beyond the USD figures published on their pricing page.
- Whether every listed integration remains available on every plan over time.
- Dollar “savings vs Studio Ninja + gallery” claims for any specific studio volume.
Switch or stay
Honest cases in both directions. Studio Ninja may still be the better fit. Switching for the wrong reasons wastes a season.
Why someone might switch
Reasons not to switch
What migration involves
Studio Ninja will not swallow itself into WordPress. You finish open jobs, rebuild templates, and move new work when you are ready.
-
Export or list your clients and jobs
Capture names, emails, and which jobs still need delivery before you change client links.
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Archive the paperwork that matters
PDF active contracts and invoices, and note which workflows still run live jobs.
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Rebuild packages and templates
Quotes, contracts, questionnaires, and booking setup get recreated once in Mankai.
-
Move new bookings to your site
Update public links so new leads and galleries land on your WordPress install.
Job history, email threads, and paired gallery platforms do not import automatically. Treat the move as a rebuild with eyes open.
Setup & Migration can cover install, branding, booking, templates, and hands-on help after you buy. Scope is agreed before any invoice.
See the full feature set
This page is about the switch. Features and a clickable demo live elsewhere.
Browse all features Visit the live studio (opens in a new tab)
Questions people ask before leaving Studio Ninja
No native galleries. Their pricing and integrations point you to partners like Pic-Time and ShootProof. Mankai includes galleries with the CRM.
Starter can look cheaper on paper at $160/yr, then you often add a gallery tool and hit the 5 active-job cap. Compare the stack you actually run, not one line item.
You can keep any gallery tool you want, but Mankai already includes galleries. Most switchers consolidate. Pairing is your call.
Mankai is WordPress-based. Many studios use the site and progressive web app path on phones. It is not a clone of Studio Ninja’s App Store / Play apps.
Studio Ninja Master packages multiple brands. Mankai is one WordPress install story unless you run multiple sites. Compare how you actually brand.
This is a comparison, not a pitch. Neither product is the right fit for every studio. Read their current docs, skim Mankai’s features if the WordPress path interests you, and pick the stack that matches how you want to work.
Studio Ninja site (opens in a new tab) Mankai features Mankai pricing
Reviewed 2026-07-24.
