The landscape
| Option | Pricing model | Built for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flow Production Tracking (Autodesk, ex-ShotGrid) | ~US$50/user/mo | Large facilities with pipeline TDs | A 5-person studio pays ~US$3,000/yr and still needs configuration weeks |
| ftrack Studio (Backlight) | ~US$25/user/mo | Mid-size studios, review-heavy workflows | Still per-seat; still a server platform to administer |
| Kitsu (CGWire) | Free self-hosted; hosted plans available | Budget-conscious teams comfortable hosting | Asset/task-centric rather than cut-centric; self-hosting is a job someone owns |
| Google Sheets / Notion | Free | Everyone, initially | Statuses are typed by humans, so the sheet drifts from reality within a week |
| Cutlist Tracker | Flat A$29/mo per studio | 2-10 person studios where the cut is the source of truth | Cut-centric by design - if you need asset/task trees and review tools, pair it with Kitsu |
The question that picks your tool
Where does truth live in your studio? In a large facility, truth lives in the database - artists update tasks, coordinators groom statuses, the tracker IS the pipeline. At a small studio, truth lives in two files: the cut the editor exported, and the renders folder. Any tracker that asks humans to retype those two truths into a third place will drift, because retyping is the first thing skipped under deadline.
What "the anti-tracker" looks like
- The shot list is imported, not typed - the EDL/OTIO already contains every shot, duration and version reference.
- Statuses are derived, not declared - scan the renders folder; what exists on disk is the status.
- Flat pricing - hiring your sixth artist should not trigger a software budget meeting.
- No server - a status file in the project folder makes the file server the sync layer, which small studios already have and already back up.
Honesty clause: vendor prices above are public list prices as observed mid-2026 and change; all trademarks belong to their owners; no affiliation. If you are 50 people with a review pipeline, Flow or ftrack is probably the right call - this page is for the other 90% of studios.