Best Production Accounting Software
The 7 Best Film Production Accounting Software Options for 2025 (Read This Before You Pay $10,000 For Your Next Project)
For decades, the film industry has been held captive by a handful of legacy software providers. The model has always been the same: pay a massive, per-project fee ($5,000-$10,000+) for a single-user license to use slow, outdated, and disconnected software.
But what if that entire model is wrong?
What if, instead of being a massive budget line item, your software could be a profit center? What if your tools were blazing-fast, cloud-based, and built for modern, collaborative workflows?
That’s why we built Periscope. Below is an honest comparison of how we stack up against the established players, both on the business model and on the core features you use every day.
Part 1: The Business Model Comparison
| The Big Picture | Periscope (The New Standard) | Greenslate / Wrapbook | ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS / CAST & CREW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | One low monthly subscription for your entire company (unlimited projects) | Per-project fee or tied to payroll services | Massive per-project licensing fees ($5k-$10k+) |
| Business Impact | Becomes a profit center for your company | A necessary cost center | A major budget drain on every production |
| Budget Integration | Seamless, one-click import from our budgeting software | Manual import/export required | Manual import/export required |
| User Interface | Blazing-fast, intuitive, and modern (cloud-native) | Generally modern but can lack polish | Dated, legacy interfaces with a steep learning curve |
| Collaboration | Unlimited users, real-time access | Varies, often limited | Primarily single-user |
Part 2: Core Accounting Features: Head-to-Head
| Core Feature | Periscope | Greenslate | Wrapbook | EP SmartAccounting | Cast & Crew PSL+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget Import | Seamless 1-Click | ||||
| A/P Aging | |||||
| Check Printing | |||||
| Petty Cash & CC Mgt. | |||||
| Journal Entry | |||||
| Trial Balance | |||||
| General Ledger Report | |||||
| Film Cost Report | |||||
| Bank Reconciliation | |||||
| Payroll Import | |||||
| The Bottom Line: | All the features you need, built on a modern platform with a superior business model. |
A Detailed Look at the Alternatives
Here’s a breakdown of the most popular production accounting software platforms and how they compare to the new model we’ve pioneered at Periscope.
1. Periscope Apps
Overview:
Periscope is a platform designed to transform the financial model for production companies. It is built for the 99% of companies that require speed, flexibility, and a smart financial model. The system provides core functionality while avoiding the cost and complexity associated with enterprise-level solutions. Periscope’s ecosystem begins with a disruptive budgeting offer and flows into an accounting model, aiming to change the company’s financial equation fundamentally.
Core Strengths:
A key feature of the platform is a one-click budget import that uses Periscope’s own modern budgeting software. This process is faster and more seamless than the MMB-to-SA pipeline and helps create a smoother workflow from pre-production to production. The platform is built to serve the independent spirit by using a scalable model. It allows productions to grow from a $2 million indie to a $20 million series all under the same predictable subscription, saving the company money at every stage.
The Periscope Difference:
Periscope directly challenges traditional models, such as paying $10,000 for one project. Its subscription model allows clients to run unlimited projects and their entire slate for a fraction of that cost per month. The focus is on eliminating costs and turning accounting into a revenue-generating service or a profit-generating tool. While “free” options may function as cost-saving measures, they remain part of the old model. Periscope is designed to be a profit-generating tool that is independent of payroll providers and built on a modern business model.
2. Greenslate
Overview:
Standing out as an all-in-one alternative to traditional production finance platforms, the software is designed by production accountants, emphasizing efficiency, user autonomy, and a fully paperless workflow.
Core Strengths:
GreenSlate’s standout advantage lies in its unified ecosystem. It combines payroll and accounting into a single platform and eliminates the need to transfer data between disparate systems.
Potential Considerations:
Although powerful, some users report that the interface lacks polish and mobile-friendliness. Critically, it operates on a traditional model where the software is a cost tied to their payroll services
The Periscope Difference:
While Greenslate bundles services, Periscope transforms the entire financial model. Instead of just being a cost, our subscription model allows you to run unlimited projects and turn your accounting into a revenue-generating service for your productions.
3. Wrapbook
Overview:
Known for its intuitive, mobile-first interface and rapid innovation, the platform has carved out a strong foothold in the production finance space, primarily in commercials, music videos, and independent films.
Core Strengths:
Designed for speed and usability, Wrapbook simplifies labor-intensive aspects like crew onboarding and mobile timecards, with real-time cost tracking accessible from a modern dashboard.
Potential Considerations:
While ideal for some productions, it has been seen as less equipped for the intricacies of union-heavy, studio-scale projects compared to legacy platforms.
The Periscope Difference:
Wrapbook focuses on making cost easier to manage. Periscope focuses on eliminating that cost and turning it into profit. Our one-click budget import also creates a more seamless pre-production to production workflow.
Tired of software being a budget line item? See how you can make it a profit line item instead.
4. Entertainment Partners (EP) SmartAccounting
Overview:
For decades, Entertainment Partners (EP) has been the staple industry software. Its flagship product, SmartAccounting, is widely considered the benchmark, particularly among major studios.
Core Strengths:
SmartAccounting’s greatest advantage is its seamless integration with EP’s broader set of tools, including Movie Magic Budgeting and SmartStart for digital crew onboarding.
Potential Considerations:
This ecosystem comes at a very high price, with massive per-project licensing fees and a steep learning curve, making it unsuitable for most independent production companies.
The Periscope Difference:
We directly challenge this model. Why pay $10,000 for one project when you can run your entire slate for a fraction of the cost per month? Our one-click import from our own modern budgeting software is faster and more seamless than the MMB-to-SA pipeline.
5. Cast & Crew (PSL+)
Overview:
Cast & Crew stands as another global heavyweight, serving a diverse range of clients, from indie films to international blockbusters. Their high-end platform is PSL+.
Core Strengths:
PSL+ is a robust, enterprise-grade solution for managing complex film finances. Its standout feature is its global readiness, supporting eight currencies and payment processing in over 150 countries.
Potential Considerations:
PSL+ may be out of reach for smaller or domestic-only productions. Some users have noted that while the system is highly capable, its interface may feel dated.
The Periscope Difference:
Periscope is built for the 99% of production companies that need speed, flexibility, and a smart financial model. We provide all the core functionality you need without the enterprise-level cost and complexity.
6. Media Services (MediaWeb)
Overview:
MediaWeb is a flexible and user-friendly true SaaS platform. Its most compelling advantage is its pricing; the software is offered for free to all Media Services payroll clients.
Strategic Positioning:
MediaWeb features an automated payroll feed, seamless purchase card data import, and a robust set of reports ideal for a wide range of production types.
Potential Considerations:
The software is a natural fit for those already using or intending to use Media Services for payroll, creating vendor lock-in.
The Periscope Difference:
Free is a great price, but it still functions as a cost-saving measure within the old model. Periscope is built to be a profit-generating tool, completely independent of your payroll provider, giving you more freedom and a better bottom line.
7. Revolution Entertainment Services (ProBooks)
Overview:
ProBooks is a flexible, fully web-based production accounting software known for its clean, intuitive user interface and integration with Revolution’s broader suite of tools.
Core Strengths:
ProBooks gains value through its integration with the large Revolution ecosystem, including ProHire and SetKeeper, offering a unified production management experience.
Potential Considerations:
User feedback indicates that ProBooks might be less robust in deep accounting functionality and is best suited for mid-range productions.
The Periscope Difference:
An integrated ecosystem is powerful, but one built on a modern business model is better. Periscope’s ecosystem starts with a disruptive budgeting offer and flows into a profit-generating accounting model, fundamentally changing the financial equation for your company.
8. ABS Payroll
Overview:
ABS Payroll is the go-to software for the independent and low-to-mid-budget production space, built to address the challenges of producers with tighter financial constraints.
Core Strengths:
ABS Payroll is widely praised for its highly personalized and responsive services, real-time cost reporting, and seamless payroll integration.
Potential Considerations:
The software is not geared for large-scale productions, international co-productions, or complex, multi-location TV series.
The Periscope Difference:
We serve the same independent spirit but with a more scalable model. As your productions grow from a $2 million indie to a $20 million series, our platform scales with you, all under the same predictable subscription that saves you money at every stage.
Stop Renting Your Software. Start Owning Your Workflow.
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