Shot List Planner vs Timeline Pro
Timeline Pro is a timeline app first, with a shot list attached. If the thing you need is a wedding day schedule, it's a different and complementary tool.
| Shot List Planner | Timeline Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Shot list | Wedding day timeline |
| Built for | Couples | Photographers & planners |
| Platform | Any browser | iPhone only |
| Price | Free | Free with in-app purchases |
| Timeline building | No | Yes |
| Shot list | Yes | Yes — inside the timeline |
| Swipe to mark shots complete | Yes | Yes |
| Guest headshots | With Seat the Day | No |
| Sun / light tracking | No | Yes |
| Vendor & venue contacts | No | Yes |
| Guest list integration | With Seat the Day | No |
Different tools, different jobs
Timeline Pro is built for photographers, wedding planners, event planners, and videographers to plan the wedding timeline, create session shot lists, track the sunset, and collaborate with clients, teams, vendors, and venues. Its shot list is built into the timeline — you see what's coming next and swipe to mark items complete.
That timeline integration is genuinely the right idea. Shots don't exist in the abstract; they exist at 4:15 p.m. on the west lawn while the light is still good. Anchoring a list to a schedule is smart.
The iPhone problem
Timeline Pro is iPhone only. That's a defensible choice for a professional tool — most working photographers carry an iPhone — but it means the couple can't reliably open it, the Android second shooter can't, and neither can the aunt running family formals.
A share link that opens in any browser has no such requirement. Nobody installs anything.
Who holds the list
Timeline Pro is the vendor's app, and its collaboration model is the professional inviting the client in. If your photographer doesn't use it, you don't get any of this. The free planner is yours from the start and works with whoever you hired.
They work fine together
If your photographer runs Timeline Pro for the schedule, that's good news for you — timelines are the part couples are worst at. Build your shot list separately, send the link, and let them decide how to run it against their timeline. The face sheet in particular is something no timeline app produces.
Which one you should use
Pick Timeline Pro if…
- You're a photographer or planner on iPhone
- The timeline is the thing you actually need built
- You want sunset tracking and vendor contacts in one place
Pick Shot List Planner if…
- You're the couple, and you want to own the list
- Anyone involved is on Android or a laptop
- You want faces, outfit notes, and printables
Comparison based on each product's own public pages, checked August 2026. Products change — if something here is out of date, tell me and I'll fix it.
Common questions
Is Timeline Pro free?
It's listed as free with in-app purchases. [VERIFY] check what's gated before recommending it either way.
Can couples use Timeline Pro?
It's built for vendors, with client collaboration as a feature. In practice it's the photographer or planner who buys it and invites you in, and it needs an iPhone.
Do I need a timeline as well as a shot list?
Yes, and usually your photographer or planner builds it. The shot list says what; the timeline says when. They're complementary, and a good photographer will want both.
Build your shot list free
No account needed to start. Add your shots, flag the ones that matter, share a link your photographer can check off on their phone.
Free forever. The paid tier lives inside Seat the Day.