IPS software for photographers
What in-person sales software actually does, the difference between desktop and browser-based tools, and how to choose one. We make Portrait Reveal, so we say plainly where the alternatives are the better fit.
What is IPS software?
IPS means in-person sales (the full story is in what IPS photography is). It is a sales session, usually held after the shoot, where you sit down with the client and show them their images on a screen. Instead of emailing a gallery and waiting, you guide the decision: you show how a collection of portraits would hang on a wall and let them choose.
IPS software is the tool that makes the session work. It presents the images, shows products such as framed prints, canvases and albums, lets you build a collection with the client, and records the order. The reason photographers use it is simple: a client who can see the finished piece on a wall buys the piece, not just the files.
What good IPS software should do
Whichever tool you pick, judge it against the same checklist:
- Show wall art in a room. The client should see portraits on a wall at a believable size. Even better is their own wall, which is what turns a vague idea into a decision.
- Let you cull and present fast. You should be able to sort a gallery into favourites without breaking the flow of the conversation.
- Build multi-piece collections. Selling a set of pieces at a set price is how the average sale goes up, so collection design should be easy.
- Close the sale. Taking payment, or at least producing a clean order, while the client is still excited.
- Keep working after the session. Clients often want to talk it over with a partner. A tool that sends them home with a link keeps the sale alive.
- Fit how you work. A sales room, a client’s sofa and a video call have different needs.
Desktop vs browser-based IPS software
The biggest practical split in the category is where the software runs.
| Desktop install | Browser-based | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A fixed sales room and one main computer | Selling on location, at home, on an iPad or by video call |
| Setup | Install, calibrate, build your price lists | Sign in and go |
| After the session | Usually an order you invoice yourself | Client can reopen a private link and often pay online |
| Updates | You manage them | Handled for you |
The main IPS tools compared
These are the tools photographers most often weigh against each other. We have compared several in full; where we have not, check the vendor’s current pricing and features before you decide.
| Tool | Runs on | Pricing | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait Reveal | Any browser | US$14.99/month, no commission | Client’s own wall at true scale, in person or by private link, Stripe payment built in |
| ProSelect | Mac and Windows desktop | US$29 or US$49/month per user, six-month minimum | The long-standing standard, with album design and lab integrations we do not match |
| N-Vu | Browser | Free to US$59/month, commission on online sales below the top plan | IPS galleries from its US$19 plan, which still takes a commission online |
| Swift Galleries | Cloud-based | Check the vendor | Focused on wall gallery design for in-person sessions |
Full breakdowns: Portrait Reveal vs ProSelect, vs N-Vu, vs Pic-Time, vs Pixieset and vs ShootProof. Already using ProSelect? See how to switch from ProSelect.
How to run an IPS session
The software matters less than the structure of the session. A reliable shape:
- Prepare before the day. Send a short consultation and ask for a photo of each wall the client is considering. It is the single thing that moves an order from one small print to a collection.
- Start with the reveal. Show the images as a slideshow before any prices appear. See the reveal session.
- Choose favourites, then design. Cull to a short list, then build the collection on the client’s wall together.
- Talk about size and price in context. Use a print size guide, and see how to price wall art.
- Handle “I need to think about it”. It is the most common objection and it is usually uncertainty, not money, so be ready with a calm answer rather than a discount.
- Send them home with a link. Keep the sale open after the session and follow up while the images are still fresh.
IPS without a studio: online and remote sessions
A sales room is optional. Plenty of photographers sell at the client’s home, in a cafe or over a video call, and some clients prefer it because they are looking at their real walls. A browser-based tool makes this easy because the client can open the same gallery on whatever device they have. We cover the video-call version step by step in how to run a portrait sales session over a video call, how to hold one away from the office in how to run in-person sales without a studio, and the trade-offs in in-person sales vs online galleries.
How to choose
- You have a dedicated sales room and design albums daily: a desktop suite such as ProSelect is a reasonable fit.
- You sell on location, at home or over a link, and want to take payment: a browser-based tool will serve you better.
- You want the lowest running cost: compare the flat price against any commission on online sales, since a cheap plan with a commission can cost more as you sell more.
- You are unsure: run your next session on two tools and see what the client orders. Most trials are free.
Portrait Reveal is our answer for the second group: a browser-based tool that works in the room and as a link, for US$14.99 a month with no commission. It does not design albums or place lab orders, and we would rather you know that now.
IPS software: common questions
What does IPS stand for in photography?
IPS stands for in-person sales. It is a session, usually after the shoot, where the photographer shows the client their images and sells wall art, albums and other products in a guided conversation rather than sending a gallery link and hoping for the best.
What is IPS software?
IPS software is the tool you use during that session. At minimum it presents the images, lets you show products such as framed prints and canvases on a wall, and records what the client chooses. The better tools also take payment and let the client keep looking after the session ends.
Do I need a studio to run an IPS session?
No. Sessions run in a coffee shop, at the client's home or over a video call. What matters is a screen, a good presentation and, ideally, a photo of the client's own wall.
Is desktop or browser-based IPS software better?
Desktop software suits a dedicated sales room and a photographer who works from one machine. Browser-based software suits anyone who sells on location, from an iPad, or over a link the client opens at home. Many photographers who sell both in person and remotely prefer a browser tool so there is one system for both.
How much does IPS software cost?
It varies widely. ProSelect is US$29 or US$49 a month per user with a six-month minimum. N-Vu includes IPS galleries from its US$19-a-month plan but takes a commission on online sales on every plan except its US$59-a-month one. Portrait Reveal is US$14.99 a month with no commission. Prices change, so check each vendor before you decide.
Can I sell remotely with IPS software?
Some tools can. Portrait Reveal works in a session and as a private link the client opens at home, and you can run the same session over a video call. Traditional desktop tools are built around being in the room.
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