Switching from Dubsado to CoreHue
Recreate the parts of your Dubsado workflow you need in CoreHue, using contacts, proposals, contracts, invoices and booking services. This guide also explains the limits of CoreHue's built-in automations.
In short, you'll configure less, and your photo delivery sits in the same place as your contracts and invoices.
What it's called in CoreHue
| In Dubsado | In CoreHue | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Project or job | Booking, on the contact's page | A job is a booking. Everything for that person sits in tabs on their contact page. |
| Lead capture form | Contact form | Each submission creates a contact and starts a conversation. |
| Questionnaire | Questionnaire | Sent to one client, on its own or automatically around a booking. |
| Proposal | Proposal | Pricing, options, contract and payment schedule on one link. |
| Contract and sub-agreements | Contract | One contract per document. There are no sub-agreements. |
| Package | Item | A reusable priced line for invoices and proposals. |
| Smart field | Variable | 28 contract variables. A variable that can't be filled stops the send instead of printing a blank. |
| Canned email | Email template | Ready to drop into any email you send. |
| Workflow | Reminders and automatic questionnaires | Built-in automatic steps rather than a builder. |
| Scheduler | Services | Inquiry, direct booking or mini session, on one booking page. |
| Payment plan | Payment schedule | Up to 12 payments on one invoice, each with its own date. |
| Client portal | Links and the client's booking page | No login for clients. |
| Multiple brands | One business | One logo and one set of client pages per account. |
| Bookkeeping | Finance report | Income through CoreHue. No expense tracking. |
| Photo delivery | Galleries | Built in, with video on Plus and Pro. |
What moves over, and how
There's no importer, so you'll rebuild what you use. It goes quicker than you'd expect, because there's less to configure.
Forms. Rebuild your lead capture form as a contact form, and your client forms as questionnaires. Both can show a question only when an earlier answer matches. Questionnaires can also take file uploads, like inspiration photos.
Contracts. Paste your wording into a contract template and replace smart fields with variables. Check the starter templates CoreHue added for your kind of photography first. One might save you the typing.
Canned emails. Retype the ones you actually use into email templates.
Packages. Save them as items, and present tiers as options on a proposal.
Clients. Add the active ones in Contacts. The rest will arrive as they inquire or book.
Documents and payment history. Download signed contracts and invoice PDFs before you close Dubsado. Past payments don't move.
What CoreHue does differently
Galleries in the same account. Deliver photos and videos to the same contact you booked and invoiced, with proofing, download controls and privacy settings.
Less to set up. Services, booking emails, reminders and starter templates are ready from day one. You adjust rather than build.
Booking that collects everything. A direct booking service can take the signed contract, questionnaire answers and deposit before the booking confirms.
What you'd give up
The workflow builder. You can't chain your own triggers and actions. Here's what runs on its own:
- Reminders for upcoming bookings, unpaid invoices and unsigned or unanswered documents
- Questionnaires sent automatically around a booking
- Contracts and deposits collected during booking
- Proposals that create the contract, invoice and booking once accepted
For most photography businesses that covers it. If one of your Dubsado workflows does something unusual, check it's on that list first.
Multiple brands and team members. One business and one login per account.
See What CoreHue doesn't do (yet).
Your first week
Day 1. Create your account, add your business details, logo and saved signature, and set your default currency.
Day 2. Rebuild the form you use most, as a contact form for new inquiries or a questionnaire for booked clients.
Day 3. Turn a starter contract template into your real agreement.
Day 4. Save your items, then send yourself a proposal with a contract and payment schedule. Accept, sign and pay it.
Day 5. Turn on automatic reminders. It's the closest thing to the workflows you're leaving, and it handles the chasing they usually did.
Then. Take your next inquiry through CoreHue from the first reply.
Frequently asked questions
Is CoreHue a good Dubsado alternative for photographers?
Yes, if you'd rather spend less time configuring and want client galleries in the same account. If you depend on complex custom workflows or several brands, check the list above first.
Can I recreate my Dubsado workflows?
Not step for step. CoreHue has no workflow builder. It has built-in reminders and automatic questionnaires instead of a builder, which covers the usual photography workflow.
Can I import my forms or contacts from Dubsado?
No. CoreHue has no Dubsado import. Forms are rebuilt in CoreHue's builders, and active clients are added by hand.
Do clients need a portal login?
No. CoreHue has no client portal login. Every document opens from a link, and once a booking exists your client's booking page brings the details together.