Principal SeatFree
5 live opportunities plus one file import. iCloud sync included.
One client at a time, with quotes, contracts and hours, and one invoice in total. A deposit and its balance count as one.
From inquiry to paid, in one private place.
Client quotes, deposits and invoices in Career. Household stays separate, shared only if you choose.
Who it's for: Freelance and small studio designers in brand and identity, UX and product, web, packaging and illustration.
Three ways designers use it
1. Quote with a deposit in minutes.
Build a quote from your saved packages, with line items, a deposit and a valid until date.
- PDFs with your logo
- Mark it Accepted and the client moves to Signed
- Contracts from a template, shared to your own e-sign app
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In the Consultant template a quote is called a Proposal. Save your usual work as packages, such as "Brand identity" or "Website, 5 pages", and put what is included in the package text. Each line has a Taxable switch, and each client can have its own currency. Templates are a starting point, not legal advice. Clients, quotes, contracts, invoices and hours are part of Premium Portfolio.
- Coming soon Revision rounds included, printed on the quote, with a note when a project goes over.
- Coming soon A deposit plus a payment schedule on one quote, such as 50% up front, 25% at first review and 25% on delivery.
2. Get paid on delivery.
A deposit invoice when the client says yes, and a balance invoice that takes the deposit off.
- Your own payment link on each invoice
- Record a payment or Mark paid
- Today shows overdue invoices as a count only
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Principal Seat does not process payments or take a fee. Your default payment link from your own payment provider goes on each new invoice. Payment due reminders never show the amount.
- Coming soon A delivery link and a review request when the work is done.
3. Never lose a lead.
Share an inquiry email into the Inbox and make it a new lead, with a follow-up date.
- Stages from Lead to Renewal
- Log hours on each project, with totals for the week and month
- Booking and questionnaire links in your business profile
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Today you start with the Consultant template. Turn off Show job search pages to see only your client work.
- Coming soon Pick Designers when you first open the app.
- Coming soon A Designer template with stages made for design projects.
Your AI assistant, like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Grok, helps with the words. Send it your client list with prices left out, ask it to write up the work or a follow-up, then add the prices yourself.
A month with Principal Seat (fictional example)
Noor Ellsworth was a senior designer at an agency and now runs Brindlecote Studio.
- Monday: an inquiry from Tillbrook Cycles becomes a new lead.
- Tuesday: a "Brand identity" quote with a 50% deposit goes to Marrowfield Coffee.
- Thursday: Marrowfield says yes. The contract goes to the e-sign app, then the deposit invoice.
- The next Monday: the deposit is paid and recorded.
- Delivery day: the balance invoice takes the deposit off.
- What never went out: prices and totals, for every AI send.
Read Noor's full story
- Monday. An inquiry from Tillbrook Cycles arrives by email. Noor shares it into the Inbox and makes it a new lead with a follow-up date.
- Tuesday. Noor builds a quote for Marrowfield Coffee from the "Brand identity" package. The package text says two revision rounds are included. Noor adds a 50% deposit and a valid until date, emails the PDF and marks it Sent. The client moves to Proposal.
- Thursday. Marco Penhallow, the owner of Marrowfield Coffee, accepts. Noor marks the quote Accepted and the client moves to Signed. Noor starts the contract from a template, sends it to an e-sign app, then makes the deposit invoice, which already has Noor's default payment link.
- The next Monday. Marrowfield pays the deposit. Noor records the payment.
- Delivery day. Noor delivers the brand guide. The balance invoice takes the deposit off. Mossgrove Physio, a website client, is still Active, with hours logged.
- What never went out. Prices and totals, because Include pay, rates and prices stayed off for every AI send. Noor uses Premium Portfolio.
Privacy
- Client work stays on your devices and in your own iCloud. We do not receive it.
- Prices and contact details go out only when you turn them on.
- Amounts sit behind Face ID or Touch ID, and payment reminders never show them.
More on privacy
- Your data stays with you. Your data stays on your devices and in your own iCloud account. We do not receive it. The app has no accounts, no analytics, no ads and no tracking.
- Prices go only when you say so. Amounts are sent to your AI assistant or an export only when you turn on Include pay, rates and prices for that send.
- Typed text goes as written. Keep prices in the price fields, not in notes, so the pay switch covers them.
- Contact details are off by default. Client email, phone, LinkedIn and website go to your AI assistant or a snapshot only if you turn on Include contact details. Names and roles are always included. Client and contact postal addresses are never sent.
- Amounts stay off your lock screen. Payment due reminders never show the amount. Client names stay off your Lock Screen unless you turn on Show names on Lock Screen. On a Mac, notifications name the client, so set Show previews to When Unlocked in System Settings before you share your screen.
- Your export, your choice. Export my data includes a Business folder with your quotes, invoices and contracts. Amounts and payment links go in only with Include pay, rates and prices on.
See the privacy policy.
The rest of your life, in the same app
Client work stays in Career. Household stays separate, shared only if you choose.
- Warranties on your drawing tablet and display, and the renters or home insurance policy, in Household.
- Share Household with a partner. Your quotes and invoices stay private.
- To try an independent practice in Demo mode, try Riley Brennan. Open Settings, Help and demo, pick the made-up person, and turn on the selected demo. Your own info stays as it is.
Fictional examples. See how spaces work. Sharing limits are on Plans.
Plans
Premium
$14.99 a month, or $99 a year, or a $59 six-month pass that does not renew. The monthly and yearly plans share one 14-day free trial with Premium Portfolio.
For a search for an in-house role: unlimited live opportunities, prep sheets, Compare two or three offers with your current role and two-way calendar sync.
One client, the same as Free.
Premium Portfolio
$24.99 a month or $199 a year. The monthly and yearly plans share one 14-day free trial with Premium. There is no six-month pass for Premium Portfolio.
Best for several clients at once: everything in Premium, plus unlimited clients, quotes, contracts, invoices and hours. If Premium Portfolio ends, nothing is deleted. One client remains editable within the Free limits; the rest stay visible, read only. You can still record payments, mark invoices paid and save or share your PDFs. See Plans for the full limits.
The Apple Watch app is free. All paid plans share one 14-day free trial. Prices and details may change. Compare plans
Other ways people use Principal Seat
Photographers and videographers
Inquiry to paid, with shoots on Today, quotes and invoices with your logo, contracts, a shoot day pack, a kit list and a drone checklist on iPhone and Apple Watch.
Consultants
Keep leads, clients and referrals moving, with proposals, contracts, deposit invoices and tax.
Tech contractors
Clients, contracts, hours and invoices on your Mac and iPhone, with client names and rates kept private.
Job seekers
Track every application, recruiter and interview in private, with a follow-up date on each.
Run your studio in private.
On the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.