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Dubsado vs Houdini

Dubsado logo

Dubsado

Software

Business management for creatives

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Houdini logo

Houdini

Software

Procedural 3D animation and VFX

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Houdini has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Dubsado automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals all require the Premier plan at $525 a year; Houdini houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD
  • They diverge on capability: Dubsado covers Scheduler, Houdini covers Procedural modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dubsado and Houdini actually diverge.

Attributes where Dubsado and Houdini differ
AttributeDubsadoHoudini
Starting price$20/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, MacOS, Linux
Founded20161987

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Dubsado

  • Scheduler
  • CRM
  • Invoicing
  • Contracts
  • Automation workflows
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • QuickBooks

Only in Houdini

  • Procedural modeling
  • VFX
  • Simulations
  • Particle systems
  • Pyro FX
  • Ocean tools
  • Rigging
  • Rendering

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Dubsado

  • Client management and project workflows for freelancers and studiosnot Houdini
  • Sending proposals, contracts and invoices with automated follow upnot Houdini

Houdini

  • Procedural 3D modelling and environment generationnot Dubsado
  • Visual effects simulation for pyro, fluids, cloth and rigid bodiesnot Dubsado
  • Building reusable procedural assets for a studio pipelinenot Dubsado

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Dubsado

  • Automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals all require the Premier plan at $525 a year
  • The Starter plan allows a single lead capture form
  • Zapier and bookkeeping integrations are excluded from Starter
  • Additional brands are $10 a month each
  • Only 3 users are included, with 4 to 10 costing $25 a month and 21 to 30 costing $60

Houdini

  • Houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD
  • Houdini Indie cannot be used in the same pipeline as commercial versions of Houdini
  • Houdini Indie and Apprentice save to their own .hipnc file format, which commercial Houdini pipelines do not share
  • The free Apprentice edition is non commercial, caps render resolution at 1920x1080 and watermarks output images
  • Houdini Indie ships with only 2 render tokens
  • Full DOP level simulation node access requires Houdini FX at $4,495 per workstation; Core at $1,995 exposes only SOP level pre built simulation assets
  • Extra render tokens cost $195

Pricing, plan by plan

Dubsado

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 3 clients
    • Core features
    • Scheduler
  • Premier$40/month
    • Unlimited clients
    • All features
    • Automation

Houdini

Free
  • ApprenticeFree
    • Learning version
    • Non-commercial
  • Indie$269/month
    • Revenue limit $100K
  • Core$1995/month
    • Full commercial
  • FX$4495/month
    • Full + simulations

Which should you pick?

Choose Dubsado if

  • You need scheduler.
  • You also want crm.
Dubsado review

Choose Houdini if

  • You need procedural modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want vfx.
Houdini review

Questions people ask

Is Dubsado or Houdini better?
Neither clearly leads. Dubsado starts at $20/month and Houdini at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dubsado or Houdini?
Houdini has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for Dubsado and Free for Houdini.
Does Dubsado or Houdini run on more platforms?
Dubsado runs on Web. Houdini runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Houdini for free?
Yes. Houdini has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Dubsado starts at $20/month.
What is Dubsado best used for?
Dubsado is most often used for client management and project workflows for freelancers and studios, sending proposals, contracts and invoices with automated follow up. Of those, client management and project workflows for freelancers and studios and sending proposals, contracts and invoices with automated follow up are not what Houdini is typically brought in for.
What can Dubsado do that Houdini cannot?
Dubsado covers Scheduler, CRM, Invoicing, Contracts. Houdini covers Procedural modeling, VFX, Simulations, Particle systems.
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