Purchase ProofBuddy
ProofBuddy is available in a free Lite version and a Professional version. The Lite version is free for you to download, install, and use as long as you like at no charge. The Professional version of 2.0, priced at $149.95, allows for unlimited albums and images, optionally watermarks your files, and allows you to create packages and digital download products.
If you would like to have the Pro version of ProofBuddy but either do not have hosting yourself or are not comfortable installing it on your server we also have a hosted option available.
Lite vs. Pro
| Lite | Pro | |
| Albums | 10 | Unlimited |
| Images per Album | 100 | Unlimited |
| Users | Yes | Yes |
| Shopping Cart | Yes | Yes |
| Coupons | Yes | Yes |
| Packages | No | Yes |
| Digital Products | No | Yes |
| Image Protection | ||
| JavaScript | Yes | Yes |
| User Verification | Yes | Yes |
| Watermarking | No | Yes |
| Image Labels | No | Yes |
| Transparent Overlays | No | Yes |
| Cost | Free | $149.95 |
To Register
To register ProofBuddy download and install the Lite version. There will be a 'Register' tab in the administrative section with a link to PayPal and a form to fill out. After you have paid through PayPal simply fill out the form to submit your information and I will send the files needed to convert the Lite version to the Pro version.
Note that registrations are valid for a single domain. If after registering you change domains or would like ProofBuddy on additional domains that are part of your company please contact us.
I am just getting started in this business and have good equipment but very little working capital since i quit my job to do photography full time. I signed with Pictage during their promo till the end of the month. I like online proofing but their price jacks up to 100/month for august. Is ProofBuddy 100 a month also or yearly? or onetime charge?
Thanks for your help.....
I'm also curious if it's a $100 one time fee. Also, does this include free upgrades in the future, or would there be an additional fee for a new version? The features for the Free says it doesn't include "digital products," are the cupon codes part of that? Thanks as well! :)
It is a one time fee, just like if you bought software in a computer store.
If you register version 0.7, the current public release, you will receive the upgrade to 1.0 with your registration. The way ProofBuddy is setup all versions in the 1.0 series (1.0.1, 1.0.2, etc) will be treated as the same version so your registration will be valid through any minor releases. As far as upgrades in major and version upgrades (1.2, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, etc), that's a decision I haven't made yet. There will most likely be a cost involved, although I imagine that registered users will be able to upgrade at a lower rate.
The digital products option allows you to upload a digital file (jpg, zip, pdf, etc) as a pricing option. When a client orders that product they will be able to download the file, but only after the order is marked as paid or completed.
Coupons are separate and are available in the Lite version. Version 0.7 has credit, flat rate, and percentage coupons. Version 1.0 will add free item and free shipping coupons as well as the ability to use multiple coupons on a single order.
I am trying to register.
Jule - What you'll need to do is to download and install the Lite version. Once you login you'll see a register tab with a form to fill out. Submitting that form will send me a couple pieces of information I need to create your registration key and take you to the Paypal site to complete the registration.
I just downloaded ProofBuddy today and already have it up and running smoothly. The installation went along without a hitch and the admin interface is very easy to use. Why pay online proofing sites your hard earned money every month, when you can easily maintain your own site, with only the small one-time registration fee for the professional version! I will easily make back that money from all the extra ordering from out-of-state relatives of my clients, who will now have a very easy way to order photos of their loved ones.
Thanks for the compliments Marian. It's great to hear from happy users.
I am currently upgrading my website and wanted to include client proofing :) Thanks for making such a simple program for me to do that with. I installed it, and have it running (including a test run) and it is working great.. Only took me an hour or so! Quite impressed, I will definitely be upgrading to the pro version.
Thanks for the comment Deena. Once I decided to get ProofBuddy to a point where it could be downloaded and used by more than just me, I decided that it was very important that it be easy to install and get running. I spent quite a bit of time on the install scripts to make them as easy to follow as possible. In future versions I hope to make the process even easier.
I downloaded it, but it is a compressed file (I unzipped it) and I can not figure out how to install it.
Nevermind! :)
I am so new to this and am currently working on a website. This proofing sounds right up my ally and my only question (for now, I'm sure) is how the payment works. Is it like the online proofing that cuts a check to the photographer after the photos are ordered? Sorry if the anwser is glaring at me from somewhere on this site...
You have three options for registering with us. The first is to download and install the Lite version to your server and use it, which costs you nothing aside from whatever time it takes you. You are free to use the Lite version for as long as you would like at no cost. Once you have the Lite version on your server you then have the option to upgrade the Lite version to the Pro version, which is currently $100. The Pro version adds several features, most notably the ability to sell packages. And the third option is to sign up for a hosted account which will give you the Pro version of ProofBuddy hosted on our servers instead of your servers. The advantage there is that you always have the latest version and don't have to worry about installing it yourself.
Whichever way you go, we have no part in the payments between you and your client or the printing. By default ProofBuddy displays a PayPal link at the end of the checkout process that ties to your PayPal account. After your client orders the prints you're sent an email with what they ordered so you can fulfill it. The orders are also visible in the admin interface.
Thank you so much for the info.
I made a download, but it didn't say "Lite" ...so I am assuming after I go through more steps I'll run into the choice to get Lite or Pro. I'd love to do Pro, but I couldn't do that today or maybe even for a few months. I'm looking forward to trying out the program, though. I read some great reviews on your program on Prophotogs.com forum. YOu really ought to check into being a sponsor there. You've already got a group of members singing your praises on the forum.
Once you install it should say "ProofBuddy Lite" in the title bar. Upgrading to the Pro version is just a matter of entering a registration code. After the code is checked, your server connects to my server and downloads a set of files to do the actual upgrade.
Ryan, my son came by and helped get ProofBuddy in the right place on my website. He is quite a computer software expert/writer himself and he was impressed with the "free" program we're starting out with. We will, no doubt, soon upgrade to Pro. My husband has not thought we need online proofing and a shopping cart to go with it, but he will soon see the value of it and it's place in this www shopping place we have. I was wondering about pricing on the Pro Version. On the free version, it appears all Albums have the same price. I thought I was able to have a different price list for each album. I did get an error message when I was exploring in the change price from "default." Can you tell us more about the options in the Pro version?
Thanks for a great product. Hope to see you on Prophotogs forum soon as a sponsor. That's where I learned of your awesome program. There a lot of photogs over there who think this is the "Bee's Knees" of proofing programs.
Is it possbile to have local clients pay by check rather than PayPal? Other than that, it looks like this is just what we need.
Ramona - Yes, they can pay you however you'd like. The default page after checkout prompts the buyer to either mail a check to you or click the PayPal link. We have clients that have other merchant accounts and call the customer after purchase to complete payment. ProofBuddy just has a PayPal link built in, although it's fairly simple to turn it off.
Do you require our Tax Identification or Social Security Number? for the Lite version?
Nope. Download away and use it for as long as you'd like.
Thank you, Ryan! I appreciate the quick response!
I only have a blog. Can i use this on blogspot.com?
Charmaine - No, it won't work on blogspot. ProofBuddy needs a host that supports PHP and MySQL and that you can upload your own script to, which Blogspot does not.
What you can do is sign up for a hosted account with us.
If you upgrade and pay the one time fee of $100, you get unlimited storage and albums and free watermarking? And also do you charge a percentage of the sales of photos? Can you make a log-in and password for each album so the album is private except for the users that I give them their log-in and password to view their album. I know it probably says all this all over here, but I am just wanting to double check b/c I have tried to use other sites like this and they charge you a fee and then % of photos ordered and their account setup is difficult and customer I do no thinks exists there. So do you offer 24 hour customer service and if so or if not, what type of customer service do you have? Thanks so much for being patience with all my questions.
Crystal - The Pro version of ProofBuddy doesn't impose any limits, but you'll still have to stay within what your hosting account allows. Each album has a unique passcode that you can give to clients to view their images. And we don't take a percentage because we don't handle the printing. ProofBuddy is just the software. You'll get an email with the order that you can then use to send images to whatever lab you're comfortable with.
I have to tell you, I used ProofBuddy last year, but switched to another program because at the time ProofBuddy didn't offer things that this other program said it was going to have "soon" in it's new release. Well, that program still hasn't released it's new version, and I find myself coming back to ProofBuddy for an easy to use and affordable option for online proofing.
Ryan, really nice job. I'm still testing the lite version, but will be purchasing the full version in a few days. The nice thing is you have the business workflow tied into the program nicely. Paul
Glad to hear you like it Paul.
Hi there! I would like to register for the pro version but plan to change my domain name sometime probably in the near future. Will there be any extra charges for that or will you just be able to send me a new registration number or something?
Kristen - As long as you stop using the Pro version on the old domain when you move it over to the new there won't be any charge. There are a couple of steps to go through, but we'll cross that bridge when you move domains.
Thanks for the quick response! Will I need to re-upload all of the galleries, etc. or will that information (and the favorites, shopping carts, etc. for that matter) be transfered?
It can all be moved.
Just ordered Ryan! Keep up the great work.
Oh, fabulous! Thanks!
I just started using proof buddy lite version. It is super easy to use...and that was a big selling point for me.
Is there any way to add slideshow to proof buddy?
Thanks again Ryan for such great customer service.
Brooke - It could be done through a theme; but there isn't a theme, at least not one that I've done, that has a slideshow in it. With a little PHP and JavaScript it should be possible though.
I am new to all of this. I've been reading a ton of forums and don't have the money for a huge investment. I need a website, someone to host it, and a strong customer/tech service to support it. I would like online proofing, option to password protect each event, watermarking, a blog and an online checkout option. All of these features are included in the one time fee of $100? Where do I start?
Kim - We offer hosting for ProofBuddy for clients that don't have their own site or their site doesn't have the necessary software to support ProofBuddy. We do not host general websites.
The $100 is the cost to upgrade from the Lite to the Pro version, but it does not include hosting of any type. If you click on the Download link to the right there is a file to download that you'd install to whoever you sign up with for hosting. It's the Lite version which you can install and try out for free.
Hi Ryan,
This looks ideal for a friend of mine who is a professional wedding photographer and wants to be able to upload images into a password protected album for each client.
I have a few questions - apologies if they've already beens asked!
1. Can I setup a separate 'admin' type login for my friend which allows management of all the albums but prevents him from seeing or changing any of the application set-up? To stop him messing things up!
2. Want he wants to do in have every client album is just have a slideshow which starts up when they login to their album - no thumbnails; can this be done?
3. He also wants to set-up a few albums that appear elsewhere on his public facing site pages (as slideshows), can this be done?
4. Can the ordering/payment side of things be turned off for now as he doesn't need it yet?
5. Asides from hosting limits, are there any restrictions to the number of albums or images per album?
6. Is ProofBuddy something I can easily integrate into his current website (I know a bit of html/php)?
7. For his clients to login, would I just need to put a login box anywhere on his current site?
Thanks Ryan!
Regards
Mark :)
Mark -
1 - No, the admin login gives them access to add / edit albums and the settings.
2 - It can be done with a custom theme. There's not currently a theme that does this though.
3 - You can set albums to auto login, and version 2.0 will support albums without passcodes, but my guess is it won't work like you want it to.
4 - Yes. You just don't put in any pricing options and the add to cart won't show up (depending on theme).
5 - The Lite version has a 10 album / 100 image per album limit. The Pro version is only limited by your hosting space.
6 - The design is handled by a series of theme files which are either straight HTML or a mix of HTML & PHP.
7 - The login box can be added to your site. It is also shown when they go to the ProofBuddy site without being logged in.
Hi Ryan,
thanks for the quick reply.
In response -
1. Can I set-up two admin logins, so I can repair anything he does? (I think having the lower Admin access level would be a cool addition to the software?)
Before I ask any more questions, I think I'll download the Lite version and have a play!
Regards
Mark :)
You can setup as many admin logins as you'd like.
How 'bout we head on over to http://forums.proofbuddy.com if you have any more questions. It would probably be easier to answer over there.
If I don't have any programing/coding knowledge, is this program still easy to use?
Amber - It's as easy to use as we've been able to make it. The most confusing part for most people is getting ProofBuddy on their server, but that's due more to how web servers work. The actual setup process and ProofBuddy itself are both fairly easy to use without much web-type knowledge at all. Although a little web knowledge can help if you want to customize your theme much above simply adding a logo.
I have a question about the paypal plugin. Do you have to have a particular paypal account? I just checked paypal site and the account that lets you take online payments is $30, unless I misunderstood. Can you use the free one (not that I would really want one) but at least a cheaper option?
Thanks
I think I found the answer to my own question. I searched PayPal further and see that there is a Website Payment Standard with no monthly fees but the Website Payment Pro is $30/month. Looks like I would just need standard. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The PayPal Pro allows you to manually enter credit cards. It's closer to a true merchant account. The normal, free version is all you need. During checkout ProofBuddy, by default, creates a button that your client can click and go to PayPal for payment. If you don't want that button you can disable it.
And yes, the free version is all you need. But be sure it's the business version, not the personal account. The business version allows you to take credit cards where the personal doesn't.
I downloaded the Lite version, and compressed the files, and cannot figure out what to do next. I see all the yellow folders and then a bunch of PHP files that won't do anything. Am I missing something?
Crystal - It needs to be uploaded to a web server. What you'll need to do is create a folder under your web space - most people use proofs or something like that - and upload the files from the zip to that.
Is this compatable with bludomain websites?
Janice - Yes, we've done installs on BluDomain hosted sites before.
How long will it be until you release the 2.0 version? I have downloaded the lite program and would like to upgrade to the pro because of the extra features, but I don't want to upgrade to the pro and then have the new version come out and end up paying the upgrade again.
Also is there a way to have the pricelists display in the order that the prices are entered? Everytime I enter a new item in a pricelist I have to re-organize the list because it doesn't put it at the bottom.
Thank you.
@Carrie - We're shooting for a summer release. The plan is for those that have registered version 1.0 to be able to upgrade to 2.0 for the difference in cost for the first 30 days.
Now that 2.0 appears to be right around the corner (public, not beta, I mean) have you settled on a policy for upgrading for current registered Pro users? Will there be a fee, and if so what will it be, I am on 1.? and I am eager to see what 2.0 will be like, also if I install 2.0 beta will it overwrite my current installation, and will I lose my albums, orders, etc?
I have a similar question as well. I was interested in trying out the 2.0 beta version, however, I am currently running the pro version. Will I still be able to upload unlimited albums in the beta version?
Will there be a fee for upgrading? What steps should I follow to upgrade?
The plan is to have an upgrade price that's less than the price for a new user. Version 2.0 Pro will be $149.95 when it's finalized and Version 1.0 Pro users will be able to upgrade for $79.95. During the first 30 days after 2.0 is released the upgrade will be $49.95 instead of $79.95.
I have recently submitted a email about havign you install mine for the price of 30 bucks. I havent heard back and would love to get this going ASAP.
I have a ShowIt site...does this work on that? I hope so because this sounds perfect for what I have been looking for.
Hope to hear back soon.
Melissa
Answer to your email should be in your inbox.
Ryan, will you email us when we are able to update from V1 Pro to V2? I would like to update as soon as it comes out.
Thanks,
Titus
Updates are posted on the newsfeed that you see on the dashboard admin side.
I downloaded the free version and viewed its source code which has been obfuscated - understandable being its free. If I were to purchase the "pro" version will that also be obfuscated?
Thanks
Yes it would.
If you're looking to customize, you can do so without editing ProofBuddy itself. The client side can be totally customized using a series of theme files which are HTML but can also contain PHP. Most themes can be built using a series of variables that are replaced when the page is built. If you need a little more than that there are also data classes available where you can pull out all sorts of information about the album, image, cart, etc.
On the admin side there is a plugin API that you can use to add functionality. In fact, all of the pages that are part of the standard download of ProofBuddy are built using this API.
Hi Ryan! I'm the Kristen from late July '08 above who was wondering if I could switch proofbuddy to my new domain name eventually. Well, I would like to do that soon and was wondering if I should purchase the new version of proofbuddy first and then have you help me with the move or vice versa or if it matters. Thanks!
It depends on whether you're trying to upgrade or just start with a fresh copy. Either way, shoot me an email with the contact form on the right and we'll get it worked out.
Hi! I am trying to figure out setting up my own stuff but have a slowww learning curve. I am interested in the pro version, it says to download the lite and install. You lost me there. I clicked on the download button and there came up different things to download. I hit the 2.0 I think and then it says to open or save. I saved it to my my documents and then unzipped it. But I don't know what to do from there. There are just a bunch of folders in there that I don't know what to do with. I have a host already to use.
Sorry to need probably such basic help :{
Let's do this. Go ahead and start a post on the forum and we'll work through it there. It's probably a little much for blog comments.
Alright I downloaded. Did all the steps, everything is looking good UNTIL this:
Error: shell_exec() [function.shell-exec]: Unable to execute 'convert -version'
File: D:\home\jlori.com\wwwroot\PhotoCART\user\functions.inc.php(8) : eval()'d code(3) : eval()'d code:1072
Should I do something to fix this oooorrr......???
Just sent you an email. It may be something more than we can fix through comments here.
Hi,
I am very new to all this. I want to start online proofing. How does this work? Specifically, will I get or need my own domain name for the proofing? Also, will this work if I host with godaddy.com? I am very overwhelemed.
Thank you.
We do have a hosted option available if you don't already have a site. Most of our hosted clients either don't have their own site or using something like Wordpress.com or Blogger as their primary site. A few just didn't want to install, although we do have an option to install for you if you want to go that route.
If you want it on your own domain, then yes, you'll need hosting somewhere. GoDaddy Linux plans work, their Windows plans don't. It has nothing to do with what you use on your computer, so their Linux plans will do what you need.
Hello;
In the pro version of ProofBuddy are you allowed to upload images in batches larger than 10? I was also wondering if there is an option to sell additional items at a discounted price?
Thanks
Karri
Take a look at http://www.proofbuddy.com/2007/12/15/bulk-uploading-files/ . It shows how to use FTP to upload instead of the web form. Most servers have a limit of either 2 or 8 megs as a max upload size, but the FTP method gets around that.
You can also upload zips of jpegs instead of jpegs and they'll be unzipped and imported.
We're actually working on a plugin right now that would allow a discount on additional copies of the same image & print.
I'm interested in the full version but curious to have a little more information about/see how packages work in terms of from a client's perspective. Is there a demo site I can see?
A package has a set of what we call slots. Each of those slots is a specific item off of your pricing list, say a 5x7. When an item is added to the cart ProofBuddy first tries to find an empty slot to add it to.
Let's say you have a package called Package A with 5 4x6s and 2 5x7s. Client adds the package to their cart and is billed for it. They then add a single 4x6 from 10 different images. The first 5 will fill into the empty slots and the next 5 will be billed normally.
It also works the other way. The client orders 6 4x6s and 3 5x7s and then realizes that it would be cheaper to use a package so they add Package A to their cart. 5 of the 6 4x6s and 2 of the 3 5x7s are put into the package even though they were already in the cart.
Hello,
I have 3 questions regarding digital downloads.
1. I assume that files for digital downloads can be uploaded in bulk via the ftp method, is this so?
2. What is the maximum file size for download?
3. What file formats are allowed?
4. Can I set an entire album for digital download?
Thanks
Karri
1 - Yes
2 - That depends on your server and how you're uploading. ProofBuddy doesn't set a limit, but hosts have a upper limit on file sizes if you're using the Local Files option to upload. The Files on Server / FTP option shouldn't have any limits. Either way, the limit isn't coming from ProofBuddy.
3 - You can upload anything you want. By default ProofBuddy limits it to jpg, png, tif, and zip; but it's an option you can change. We have several clients that use digital attachments for PDFs.
4 - When you upload the images there's a checkbox to add a digital item to each image, but they'll still be downloaded separately. Best solution there would be have that pricing option, but not as a digital product. Then if your client orders it either email the files to them if it's relatively small or send them a link to download.
Hi Ryan,
I like to allow clients to order photo books. It's 40 pages, and they can choose up to 80 pictures. If I buy the pro proofbuddy, would there be a way to allow clients to choose the book option, and then tell me what pictures they wanted in the book? Thanks!
What I've seen users do is have their clients add what they want in the book to their favorites and then submit those favorites to you.
Packages in ProofBuddy don't look at what image is put into a package, only that one of the right item is there.
If I buy the full version - is the script still encrypted?
Yes it is. What are you trying to customize? The user side can be customized by creating a theme and the admin side can be customized through plugins.