Dubsado vs HoneyBook

by Gralio Feb 27, 2025

Dubsado and HoneyBook are both client management platforms, but Dubsado offers greater customization and automation, while HoneyBook prioritizes ease of use and a simpler interface.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 315 reviews and 60 websites, saving 2 hours, 15 minutes of reading.

Dubsado

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HoneyBook

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About

Dubsado is a business management tool that helps you organize and automate client interactions. It offers customizable templates for contracts, invoices, and forms, simplifying your workflow and making your business look professional. Dubsado also includes scheduling features, client portals for easy communication, and payment processing. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes and is particularly popular with creative entrepreneurs and freelancers.

HoneyBook is a client management platform designed for small businesses and freelancers in the USA. It brings together tools like invoicing, online payments, scheduling, contracts, and proposals into one system. HoneyBook aims to streamline client interactions, get you paid faster, and reduce administrative tasks. It also boasts integrations with popular tools like Quickbooks, Zoom, and Google Calendar.

Summary

Main difference

Dubsado offers more robust customization for forms and workflows, making it suitable for businesses with complex processes. HoneyBook provides a simpler, more user-friendly interface ideal for businesses seeking a streamlined, out-of-the-box solution.

Relative strengths of Dubsado (compared to HoneyBook)

More customizable forms and workflows
Client portals offer greater control over branding and content
Stronger automation capabilities

Relative weaknesses of Dubsado (compared to HoneyBook)

Steeper learning curve and more complex setup
Less intuitive user interface
Potential email syncing issues

Who should use Dubsado VS. HoneyBook

Dubsado is a powerful business management solution streamlining client interactions for creative entrepreneurs and freelancers. It offers customizable templates for contracts, invoices, and forms, automating workflows and simplifying administrative tasks. Users praise its comprehensive features and responsive customer support. However, some find the learning curve steep and experience occasional bugs. Despite a recent dip in employee growth, website traffic continues to increase, indicating growing popularity.

HoneyBook is a client management platform streamlining client interactions, payments, and administrative tasks for small businesses and freelancers. Users praise its centralized platform and automated payment reminders but note difficulties with initial setup and occasional payment processing issues. A user-friendly interface and professional templates enhance client experience. HoneyBook offers integrations with popular tools like QuickBooks, Zoom, and Google Calendar.

Best for freelancers and small to medium-sized businesses needing client management.
Ideal for creative entrepreneurs, marketing & advertising, and professional services.

Best for freelancers and small to medium-sized businesses.
Ideal for creative professionals and service-based businesses.

Dubsado and HoneyBook features

Supported

Partially supported

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Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Invoicing

Supported

Dubsado allows creating and sending invoices, including recurring ones, with online payment options.

Supported

HoneyBook allows creating and sending customizable invoices with integrated payment processing.
Invoice sending

Supported

Dubsado allows sending invoices manually and automatically.

Supported

HoneyBook allows creating and sending invoices with online payment options.
Client portal access

Supported

Clients can access invoices and payment history via the client portal.

Supported

Clients can access and manage invoices and payment history through the client portal.
Online payments

Supported

Dubsado allows receiving payments online directly from invoices via integrations with Stripe, Square, and PayPal.

Supported

HoneyBook allows clients to pay invoices directly online using various payment methods.
Email reminders

Supported

Dubsado sends automated email reminders for upcoming appointments.

Supported

HoneyBook supports automated reminders for various tasks, including appointment reminders through custom workflows.
Invoice creation

Supported

Dubsado allows creating and customizing invoices, including adding packages and line items.

Supported

HoneyBook allows creating and customizing invoices, including setting payment schedules.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

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Customer Service

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Ease of Use

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Reliability and Performance

No data

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Ease of Implementation

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Scalability

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Dubsado and HoneyBook Pricing

Dubsado is a business management platform offering tools for client management, scheduling, automation, and more. It offers a free trial and two main pricing plans - Starter and Premier - billed monthly or annually (annual billing offers over 15% discount). Additional users and brands can be added for an extra cost.

Plans

See full Pricing page

HoneyBook offers a 7-day free trial and three pricing tiers: Starter, Essentials, and Premium. The platform provides tools for client and project management, invoicing, contract signing, scheduling, and more. HoneyBook integrates with QuickBooks Online. The AI Assistant is available in beta on all plans.

Plans

See full Pricing page

Dubsado and HoneyBook review insights

Users love

Comprehensive features for client management, including proposals, contracts, invoicing, and client portals.
Robust workflow automation capabilities, streamlining client onboarding and other repetitive tasks.
Excellent and responsive customer support, readily available through various channels.
Customizable branding options, allowing users to maintain a consistent brand identity.
Affordable pricing compared to other CRM solutions with similar functionalities.

Centralized platform for contracts, invoices, and payments, streamlining client interactions.
User-friendly interface and easy navigation.
Automated payment reminders contribute to timely payments.
Professional templates enhance business appearance and client experience.
Excellent customer support praised for responsiveness and helpfulness.

Users dislike

Steep learning curve, requiring significant time investment for setup and effective use.
Limited customization options for proposals and forms, often necessitating external tools or coding knowledge.
Scheduler integration issues, including conflicts with existing calendar entries and limited multi-user functionality.
Email syncing problems, particularly with non-Gmail accounts, leading to missed messages.
Occasional bugs and glitches in various features, requiring frequent troubleshooting and support requests.

Difficult initial setup process, leaving some users feeling scattered.
Problems with payment processing times, sometimes exceeding the stated 2-3 business days.
Inaccurate invoicing reported, requiring manual monitoring.
Limited customization options for proposals and brochures.
Steep learning curve, especially for advanced features and new updates.

Dubsado and HoneyBook Ratings

G2

4.2/5

(71)
Capterra

4.2/5

(50)

G2

4.5/5

(176)
TrustPilot

3.9/5

(20)
Glassdoor

4.2/5

(143)

Company health

Employee growth

35% decrease in the last year

No change in the last year

Web traffic

14% decrease in the last quarter

1% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data

July 2021 - $498M

How customizable are the proposal templates in Dubsado vs Honeybook?

Dubsado offers more customization options for proposal templates than Honeybook. While both platforms provide templates, user reviews indicate that Honeybook's customization is more limited, sometimes requiring workarounds. Dubsado, while having a steeper learning curve, allows for greater flexibility in tailoring proposals to specific client needs.

Which product better integrates with existing calendar systems for scheduling?

HoneyBook integrates better with existing calendar systems. While both products offer scheduling features, Dubsado users specifically report "scheduler integration issues," while HoneyBook boasts integrations with popular tools like Google Calendar.

What are the advantages of Dubsado?

Dubsado offers more robust workflow automation and document generation capabilities compared to Honeybook. It also provides billable time tracking, a feature not available in Honeybook. While both cater to similar client management needs, Dubsado seems better suited for businesses needing detailed time tracking integrated with their billing processes and more control over automated workflows.

What are the disadvantages of Dubsado?

Dubsado's disadvantages include a steep learning curve, requiring significant time investment for setup and effective use. Users have reported limited customization options for proposals and forms, often necessitating workarounds. There are also known issues with scheduler and email syncing, particularly with non-Gmail accounts, leading to potential conflicts and missed communications. Occasional bugs and glitches across features require frequent troubleshooting.

Is Dubsado cheaper than HoneyBook?

Dubsado's monthly pricing is cheaper than HoneyBook's annual pricing. Dubsado's Starter plan is $20/month and its Premier plan is $40/month. HoneyBook's Starter plan is $192/year (equivalent to $16/month), its Essentials plan is $396/year (equivalent to $33/month), and its Premium plan is $792/year (equivalent to $66/month). Therefore, HoneyBook's Starter plan is cheaper than both of Dubsado's plans, while HoneyBook's Essentials plan is cheaper than Dubsado's Premier plan, but more expensive than the Starter plan. HoneyBook's Premium plan is more expensive than both of Dubsado's plans.

Alternatives to Dubsado and HoneyBook

17hats

17hats is a business management software designed for freelancers and small businesses. It offers tools to manage client interactions, including contracts, invoices, online payments, scheduling, and communication. 17hats aims to simplify administrative tasks and provide a central hub for managing client-based businesses.

CogniSaaS

CogniSaaS is a software platform designed for onboarding new customers and managing projects, particularly for enterprise SaaS companies. It aims to streamline customer projects, improve team collaboration, and provide data-driven insights to optimize project delivery and revenue recognition. CogniSaaS offers features like task management, customer collaboration tools, timesheet tracking, reporting dashboards, and resource management functionalities. Their focus on customer success and industry best practices sets them apart.

Bonsai

Bonsai is an all-in-one business management platform designed for agencies, consultants, and freelancers. It helps you manage clients, projects, billing, and more from a single location. Bonsai offers tools like time tracking, invoicing, contract creation, and expense tracking to simplify your workflow and improve efficiency. It aims to save you time and get you paid faster by automating tasks like recurring billing, payment reminders, and expense reports.

Trello

Trello is a visual project management tool that helps teams organize tasks and collaborate more effectively. Using boards, lists, and cards, teams can easily track progress on projects, from simple to-do lists to complex workflows. Trello offers a high level of customization with features like templates, integrations with other popular apps, and no-code automation. Its intuitive interface makes it easy for anyone to use, regardless of technical skill. Trello offers various pricing plans to suit different team sizes and needs, including a free plan for small teams.

Plutio

Plutio is an all-in-one business management software designed for freelancers and small businesses. It allows you to manage projects, communicate with clients, share files, create proposals, send invoices, track time, and get paid, all within a single platform. Plutio aims to simplify business operations by offering a centralized hub for various tasks, eliminating the need for multiple applications. It's highly customizable, adaptable to different work styles, and includes features like real-time collaboration, automation, and integrations with popular tools.

Bloom

Bloom is a business management software designed for freelancers and small service-based businesses. It brings together essential tools like invoicing, scheduling, contracts, and client communication into a single platform. Bloom aims to streamline client management, simplify administrative tasks, and offer a professional experience. It's geared towards creative professionals who want to manage their business more efficiently.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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