Comparison · checked September 2026
BacklotHub vs Assemble
Short answer: Assemble is project and asset management for creative teams: calendars, tasks, file review with annotations and version control, and production documents, priced per teammate with free guests. BacklotHub isn’t a file-review tool. It runs the production office: crew roster and hires to payroll, vendors with insurance tracking and POs, call sheets, gear, shipping and events, for one flat price per company.
What is Assemble?
Assemble describes itself as an all-in-one platform that combines project management, asset management and production documents. It covers a shared calendar and tasks, file and media review with annotations and version control, collaborative documents including a call sheet template sent as a link with view tracking, and review links anyone can open without signing up. It’s priced per teammate, and guests are free and unlimited.[3][1][4][2]
Assemble and BacklotHub, feature by feature
“Not published” means we couldn’t find it on Assemble’s own site. It may still exist. Numbers in brackets point to the sources at the bottom of the page.
Swipe the table sideways to see both columns.
| Feature | Assemble | BacklotHub |
|---|---|---|
| How it’s priced | Per teammate[2] | Flat monthly price per company |
| Crew, vendors and guests without paid seats | Unlimited free guests[2] | Yes |
| File sharing with review and approval | Yes: annotations and version control[1] | Document library only |
| Tasks | Yes[1] | Yes; Asana My Tasks on Studio and up |
| Shooting schedules and stripboards | Project calendar; stripboards not published[1] | No |
| Build call sheets | Call sheet template[4] | Yes |
| Send call sheets by email or text from the app | Shared as a link, with view tracking[4] | Not yet: build and print |
| Gear and asset tracking | Media and file assets; gear tracking not published[3] | Yes, sequential asset tags |
| Vendor records and insurance (COI) expiry tracking | Vendors invited as guests; insurance tracking not published[1] | Yes |
| Crew database for your company | Not published | Yes |
| Crew hires sent to payroll, confirmed from a link | Not published | Yes |
| Purchase orders with approval | Not published | Yes, second approver required |
| Shipping requests, labels and live carrier status | Not published | Yes; label buying on Studio and up |
| Event RSVPs, guest lists and door check-in | Not published | Yes |
| Single sign-on (SSO) | Enterprise plan[2] | On the roadmap (Enterprise) |
| Native iPhone and Android apps | Desktop app for macOS; phone apps not published[5] | Coming soon; works in the phone browser today |
Pricing: Assemble and BacklotHub
Assemble
As published on Assemble’s own site, September 2026.
- Starter: shown as $5/mo per teammate, 100 GB storage.[2]
- Pro: shown as $10/mo per teammate, 500 GB storage.[2]
- The plan comparison table on the same page shows Starter at $20/mo and Pro at $30/mo; the page doesn’t make clear which figure is monthly and which is yearly.[2]
- Enterprise: custom. Yearly billing is labelled a 17% discount.[2]
- 14-day free trial, no credit card. Guests are free and unlimited.[2]
BacklotHub
One flat monthly price per production company, in US dollars.
- Lite · 5 staff seats$199/mo
- Studio · 15 staff seats$399/mo
- Pro · 40 staff seats$599/mo
- Enterprise · unlimited seatsCustom
- · Annual billing: 12 months for the price of 10.
- · Extra staff seat: $20/month.
- · Crew, vendors, payroll contacts and guests are never seats.
Which should you choose?
Choose Assemble if…
- Your team’s day is reviewing and approving files: annotations, versions and review links for clients.
- You want projects, tasks and calendars shared with clients and vendors as free guests.
- You’re a small creative team, so per-teammate pricing costs less than a company plan.
Choose BacklotHub if…
- You need a crew roster with your own crew sign-up page, and hires confirmed by payroll from a link.
- You manage vendors, insurance certificates and purchase orders with a second approver.
- You tag gear, index hard drives and ship with Shippo labels and live carrier status.
- You run screenings and festival weeks with RSVPs and door check-in.
Questions people ask
- Is BacklotHub an Assemble alternative?
- Not for file review: BacklotHub has no annotations, versions or client review links. It’s an alternative for running the production office, which Assemble’s site doesn’t describe: crew, hires to payroll, vendors and POs, gear, shipping and events.
- Do guests and outside people cost extra?
- Neither charges for them. Assemble includes unlimited free guests. In BacklotHub, crew, vendors, payroll contacts and guests use portals and signed links and are never seats.
- How does pricing compare?
- Assemble is priced per teammate. BacklotHub is one price per company, from $199 a month (Lite: 3 active productions, 5 staff seats), with extra staff seats at $20 a month.
Related
Other comparisons
The BacklotHub features in question
Checked September 2026 · sources
Everything we say about Assemble comes from Assemble’s own website or help centre, read in September 2026. Prices and features change, so check their site before you decide. Where something isn’t published, we say so rather than guess. Spot something out of date? Email us and we’ll fix it.
- [1]Assemble home page: www.onassemble.com/
- [2]Assemble pricing: www.onassemble.com/pricing
- [3]Assemble blog: how Assemble describes itself: www.onassemble.com/blog/best-studiobinder-alternatives
- [4]Assemble call sheet template: www.onassemble.com/template-library/call-sheet-template
- [5]Assemble download: www.onassemble.com/download
Assemble is a trademark of its owner; BacklotHub is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Assemble. We name it only to compare the products.
See BacklotHub with your own shows in mind.
A 30-minute walkthrough with someone who has run a production office. Bring the spreadsheet you trust least.