It's Been a Year Since Splacer Closed. Have You Found a Replacement Yet?

Splacer shut down in April 2025. It's been almost a year now — and if you're reading this, there's a decent chance you still haven't found something that properly fills the gap.

Maybe you went to Peerspace and winced at the commission. Maybe you tried Giggster and found three listings in your city. Maybe you just went back to Google Maps and Instagram and accepted that searching for a studio would be a pain again.

You're not alone. A lot of former Splacer users — both studio owners who lost a steady source of bookings and creatives who lost a trusted directory — are still piecing together alternatives from different places.

So here's an honest look at what's out there now, a year on. What actually works, what costs what, and where the gaps still are.

What you actually need from a replacement

A year on, it's worth being clear about what you're still looking for — because it differs depending on which side of the booking you were on.

If you were a studio owner on Splacer: You need discovery. You need creatives in your city to be able to find your space, see your prices and equipment list, and get in touch. Ideally without giving away 15–20% of every booking to a platform.

If you were a creative renter on Splacer: You need a searchable directory with enough detail to make a decision — hourly rates, what's included (backdrops, lighting, props), location, and real contact information. Not a Google Maps result with a phone number and three photos from 2019.

Both sides need trust. A platform full of dodgy listings or hidden fees doesn't help anyone.

Here's what's currently out there.

The alternatives

Peerspace

Peerspace is the biggest player in this space. They have serious inventory — thousands of spaces across US cities and growing international coverage. Their photography of listed venues tends to be good. Their search and filter system is functional.

The catch: Peerspace takes approximately 15% commission from hosts on every booking, and renters pay a separate guest service fee on top of the space rate. So the price you see isn't the price you pay, and as a studio owner, you're handing over a meaningful chunk of every booking.

The other thing worth knowing: Peerspace has a notably poor reputation for customer service. Their Trustpilot reviews are mixed at best. Studio owners report account terminations without warning and no appeal process. Renters describe disputes dragged out for weeks.

That said: if you need the largest possible inventory in major US cities, Peerspace is the incumbent. For lots of renters, it works fine. Just go in with eyes open about the fees.

Best for: Renters in large US cities who want maximum choice.

Giggster

Giggster is more tightly focused on the film and photo production market, which makes it a natural fit for photographers and videographers specifically. Their spaces tend to be production-ready rather than general venues.

The commission model is heavier than Peerspace: Giggster charges hosts 19% plus a separate renter processing fee of roughly 5–10%. On a £500 booking, that's nearly £100 gone from the host's side.

Giggster has strong US coverage — particularly Los Angeles and New York — but limited international inventory. If you're in the UK or anywhere outside major US cities, their listings get thin quickly.

Best for: Film and photo professionals shooting in LA or NYC who need production-specific locations.

Tagvenue

Tagvenue has solid coverage in the UK, Australia, and Ireland. It's a broader venue platform — meetings, events, dining, and production spaces — so photography studios sit alongside conference rooms. Commission is 12.5–15%. Their local SEO is strong.

Best for: UK and Australian renters searching for event or multi-use spaces with a studio component.

Creative Studio Hire

Creative Studio Hire (creativestudiohire.com) is a directory of 1,000+ creative studios across 30+ cities, built specifically for photographers, videographers, and content creators.

The model is straightforwardly different from the others: zero commission. Studio owners list for free, and when a creative contacts them or makes a booking, the studio keeps everything. There's no platform taking 15–19% off the top.

For renters, that matters too — because when studios aren't paying commission on every booking, they're not quietly building it back into their hourly rate to compensate. The price you see is more likely to be the real price.

The directory is searchable by city, studio type, and equipment. Coverage is strongest across UK cities plus major US metros.

Best for: Studio owners who don't want to give up commission on every booking. Creatives who want to find and contact studios directly, without platform fees inflating the cost.

Listing your studio is free. Browsing is free.

Why commission-free actually matters

This deserves a moment, because "zero commission" can sound like marketing language until you do the maths.

Say you're a studio owner charging £80/hour. You're getting 20 hours of bookings a month — solid, not exceptional. On a 15% commission platform, that's £240/month you don't see. On a 19% platform, it's £304/month. Over a year, you've paid £2,880–£3,648 in platform fees for the privilege of being listed.

For a small studio running lean, that's not nothing. It's a piece of equipment, a marketing budget, or simply money that stays in your business.

The honest summary

Peerspace: Most inventory, biggest US coverage, but high commission and poor customer service reputation.
Giggster: Great for film/photo professionals in LA and NYC, but 19% commission and thin outside the US.
Tagvenue: Good for UK renters, but venue-generalist rather than studio-specialist.
Creative Studio Hire: Free to list, zero commission, 1,000+ studios across 30+ cities. Booking is direct.

If you're a studio owner who was on Splacer and you're now weighing up where your listing goes next, the case for trying a zero-commission directory first is fairly obvious. You have nothing to lose — listing is free — and you keep 100% of what you earn from every booking.

If you're a creative who used Splacer to find spaces, it's worth checking what's listed in your city before defaulting to the biggest platform with the most friction and fees.

Browse studios in your city at creativestudiohire.com — or list your space for free and reach thousands of creatives searching right now.