17hats vs Helix
The Real Comparison for Photographers

17hats
$30/mo ($360/yr)
VS
Helix
$279 once — own forever
or 3 payments of $99
Break even: 9.3 months. Save $929 over 3 years.
"I compared 17hats and Helix side by side. The math wasn't even close. $1,208 over 3 years vs $279 once. Switched and never looked back."
— Photographer, Helix customer

The verdict for photographers: 17hats is solid software, but at $30/month it costs $1,208 over 3 years. Helix does most of what 17hats does for $279 once. For solo photographers and small teams, Helix is the better deal.

Choose Helix if:

  • You're done paying monthly forever
  • You're a solo operator or small team (1-5)
  • You need Connect CRM, scheduler, Invoicing in one purchase in one tool
  • You're tired of price increases
  • You want to own your tools like you own your equipment

Choose 17hats if:

  • You have a large team (10+) needing enterprise features
  • You're deeply invested in 17hats's specific workflow
  • You need a feature Helix doesn't have yet

What 17hats Actually Costs Photographers

The 3-Year Damage

Year 1$360
Year 2 (+11.4% inflation)$401
Year 3$447
Total lost to 17hats$1,208

Helix: $279. Once. You keep $929. And you own it — no more "we're updating our pricing" emails.

Your 17hats subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Feature-by-Feature

Feature17hatsHelix
Invoicing✓✓
Scheduling✗✓
CRM✗✓
Time Tracking✗✓
Full Accounting✗✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management✗✓
Price$30/mo$279 once
or 3 × $99
3-Year Total$1,208$279
You own it?No — stop paying, lose accessYes — forever
"The feature comparison convinced me. Helix does 90% of what 17hats does — for 10% of the 3-year cost. And I actually own it."
— Photographer

Calculate Your Full Stack

17hats plus whatever else you're paying for:

Email yourself this comparison?

Switching from 17hats

1
Export your data — Go to Settings → Data Export. Download clients, invoices, expenses as CSV.
2
Set up Helix — 15-minute setup. Import your client list and data.
3
Parallel run — Run both for 1-2 weeks to verify everything transferred.
4
Cancel 17hats — Cancel subscription before next billing cycle.
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee. Zero risk.
Photographers are switching from 17hats every week.

The math doesn't lie.

What This Means for Photographers

You just finished a 6-hour wedding. Tomorrow you have an engagement session at golden hour. You need to send contracts to two new leads, collect a deposit from a family portrait booking, and schedule delivery reminders for three galleries — all while editing 800 photos from last weekend. HoneyBook charges you $39/month and takes a payment processing fee on the $4,000 wedding package you just invoiced.

Photographers deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: HoneyBook takes a percentage of every contract payment on top of the monthly fee. Managing deposits, payment plans, and final balances across 15+ active clients. Contract management — sending, signing, tracking for every shoot. Tracking expenses across shoots (travel, second shooters, prints). Dubsado has a brutal learning curve that takes weeks to set up. 17hats charges $30/month on top of these daily realities. The median photographer earns $42,000/year — $360/year in software subscriptions is a significant percentage of that income, paid every year, forever.

Helix is $279 once. Invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, accounting — all connected, built for photographers. You own it like you own your Camera bodies (Canon R5/R6, Sony A7IV, Nikon Z6 — $2,500+ each).

FAQ

Is Helix really a 17hats replacement?

For solo photographers and small teams, yes. invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting — all for $279 once. 17hats may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

What does 17hats do that Helix doesn't?

17hats has features like All-in-one for service businesses and Strong workflow automation (chain triggers) that some businesses rely on. For most solo photographers, these aren't dealbreakers.

How fast does Helix pay for itself?

At $30/month, Helix pays for itself in 9.3 months. After that: $360 saved every year.

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. Helix is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.

"$1,208 over 3 years to 17hats. Or $279 once for Helix. I own my tools now. No more renting software."
— Photographer, Helix owner

$1,208 Over 3 Years. Or $279 Once (or 3 × $99).

Own your tools. Stop renting your software.

Get Helix — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back — save $500 or full refund

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