FEATURE
A studio phone system that lives inside your CRM
Allio is the CRM for portrait studios with a phone system built in, at $297 a month with no per seat fee. Your studio number rings your team, can record the call, and logs it to the right client’s record, next to every text, email and message they’ve sent. No separate phone app, no personal mobiles, no “who spoke to this client last?”. Calling works from the moment your number is live.
$297 per month. Card required. AI and phone usage is billed at cost, on top of the $297.
What happens when a client rings
It rings your team, not one person. Incoming calls can ring several team members at once, and the first to answer takes it. If nobody picks up, the call can roll to a backup person or to voicemail.
It sends callers to the right person. You can add an optional call menu (“Press 1 to book a session, press 2 for an existing order”) that routes callers before anyone answers.
It records, transcribes and logs calls. Call recording and transcription are built in, and calls are logged to the client’s record. The recording message is a setting, so switch it on before you go live. Before you switch on recording or transcription, set up the notice and consent your clients’ locations require. A recording announcement alone may not be enough. Anyone on the team can press play and hear exactly what was promised.
Missed calls get a text back. A missed call can send the caller a text straight away, so the enquiry stays warm while your booker finishes the call they’re on. See missed-call text back.
Calling out, and seeing how your phones perform
Call from the client record. Click a client’s number to call from your computer, from your studio number, and the call lands on their timeline when you hang up. Away from the desk, use the mobile app for iPhone and Android.
Keep your existing number. In the US, you can usually move your current studio number across, which typically takes two to four weeks. In Australia and the UK, porting is handled case by case and some numbers need extra registration. If your number can’t move, pick a new local number and forward the old one to it.
See how your phones are really doing. The Call Reporting Dashboard shows call volume, answer rate, missed calls and who’s handling the load, with every recording a click away. It’s included in the $297 plan at no extra charge.
Voicemail that lands on the record. Voicemails attach to the caller’s record and show in the inbox, so nobody has to dial in to check them.
Why the phone is in the CRM
Family, newborn, pet and boudoir clients often want to talk before they book. A studio phone on a separate system means the booker has to remember to note the call, the owner can’t hear what was offered, and the client has to repeat themselves next time. Mike owned and ran a portrait studio before building Allio, and putting the phone inside the client record is the reason it exists.
How it compares
Most photography CRMs don’t include a phone line. Dubsado, Sprout Studio, Pixieset Studio Manager and Studio Ninja don’t list calling on their pricing or product pages (checked 2026-10-22).
HoneyBook added one in August 2026. It’s a paid add-on from $8 a month for members in the US and Canada: one shared 800-style number, with incoming calls forwarded to the account holder’s phone. That works well for a solo photographer. Allio is built for a team answering one studio line. See Allio vs HoneyBook.
Studio phone system questions
Can I use my existing studio phone number?
In the US, usually yes: porting typically takes two to four weeks. In Australia and the UK it’s handled case by case. Either way, you can start on a new local number and forward your old one.
Can more than one person answer calls?
Yes. Calls to your studio number can ring several team members at once, and the first to answer takes the call. There’s no per seat fee for adding team members.
Are calls recorded?
They can be. Call recording and transcription are built in. The recording message played to callers is a setting you switch on. Before you switch on recording or transcription, set up the notice and consent your clients’ locations require. A recording announcement alone may not be enough.
What do calls cost?
Allio is $297 a month. AI and phone usage is billed at cost, on top of the $297, and email at wholesale rates, so you pay for what your studio actually uses.
Do I need a desk phone?
No. Calls can be made and answered from your computer, and the mobile app for iPhone and Android can be set up to ring for incoming calls, switched on for each team member.
Does texting work straight away too?
Calling works as soon as your number is live. Texting from that number needs carrier registration first, which can take a few weeks. In the US, studio numbers can be set up with SHAKEN/STIR call verification, CNAM caller name and Voice Integrity once your business details are approved.
Sources
Public (competitor facts, checked 2026-10-22):
1. HoneyBook Business Phone and SMS: help.honeybook.com/en/articles/15123809
2. Dubsado: dubsado.com/llm-info
3. Sprout Studio: getsproutstudio.com/features/
4. Pixieset Studio Manager: pixieset.com/studio-manager/
5. Studio Ninja: studioninja.co/pricing/
Hear what your phones have been missing.
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Want the story first? Read who built Allio and why, or see what a call about Allio covers.
$297 per month. Card required. AI and phone usage is billed at cost, on top of the $297.