It’s the smackdown of the century – Honeybook vs. Dubsado! Which CMS is right for you as a small business owner? Both of these systems have some serious pros and cons. I’ve been using them both for years now to find the winner. Keep reading for our final thoughts on the Honeybook vs. Dubsado debate! 

What is Honeybook? What is Dubsado?

Honeybook and Dubsado are both what we call CMS – or Client Management Systems. The purpose of a client management system is…well…to manage your clients and projects. But they can do so much more.

Both Honeybook and Dubsado features include invoicing, contracts, questionnaires, and so much more to help you streamline your projects and save you time. Not to mention, they can help you look more professional to your clients. My first “big” client that wasn’t friend or family was the first client that I booked with a Client Management System.  

How much is Dubsado? How much is Honeybook?

Dubsado’s starter plan is currently $20/month or $200/year. Honeybook’s starter plan is currently $19/mo and $192/year. As you can see, they’re very similar in pricing. I have a coupon code below for either of them to save a little if you like!

Frankly, I would pay double for either of these services, so while Honeybook is a little cheaper, don’t let that be a deciding factor for you in the Honeybook vs. Dubsado debate. The amount of time and energy a Client Management System will save you is well worth the investment.

Honeybook Coupon Code (35% off) – or use code “laney”

Dubsado Coupon Code (30% off) – or use code “designbylaney”

Top Honeybook Features

1. Their invoicing is really well done. Will talk about this later.
2. The Honeybook App is perfect for on-the-go. Dubsado does not have an app.
3. Smart Files allow you to customize pretty much any flow for your clients – including blocks for contract, services, invoice, questionnaires, images, and more all in the same files!
4. You can interact with multiple vendors in one system – good for collaborating and referrals.
5. There’s a “table of contents” on long forms which is helpful for clients to see what they’re going to get.
6. Honeybook is its own payment processor, which can add simplicity.
7. The Honeybook Chrome Extension is honestly a game-changer if you use G-Suite to send your emails. I don’t personally, but if I did I’d definitely be on team Honeybook.
8. Uploading and managing jobs in bulk is easier – if you have a TON of jobs going at once, go with Honeybook.
9. Sell one-time digital downloads with Lead Forms

 Want a full Honeybook setup course for free? Check out this one!

Top Dubsado Features

1. Ease of use. All Dubsado forms have the same setup and capabilities.
2. Available worldwide (Honeybook is only available in the US and Canada at this time)
3. Manage multiple brands on one account.
4. Process payments with Stripe, Square, or Paypal if you prefer!
5. Automated workflows in Dubsado are much more robust than Honeybook.
6. The Free Trial of Dubsado is 3 clients with no time limit (Honeybook free trial is 7 days). The free time limit really helps to get you familiar with the system and allows time to get things set up.
7. Custom coding on Dubsado forms allows you to full customize, if you’re familiar with CSS and HTML.

Want a full Dubsado setup course for free? Check out this one!

Setting up Dubsado or Honeybook

Setting up either of these systems is the biggest challenge. Once you set up all the forms and workflows, you are golden, because everything will work automatically for you. But how do you get there?

Psst! We now have *FREE* courses on HoneyBook and Dubsado! Sign up to get access to 13 videos teaching you what the features are and how to use them in your business! Dubs Course | HB Course

First, you’ll want to have a great understanding of your process flows. Here’s a link to a free worksheet you can use to map out your own.

Once you map out everything that happens from the initial contact until the order is done, you can mark any areas where the CMS can help you. Here are some suggestions:

• Canned email templates – Use a canned email whenever you are sending the same information over and over again. For instance, you could use a canned email after you receive a payment, to thank them for that payment, or after a contract is signed.
• Forms – Use forms and questionnaires to collect data from your clients to keep it all in one place. Here’s a link to my Invitation Information Questionnaire (please do not submit it!) that all clients send me so that I never have to look through a bunch of emails to see when their wedding date is or how to spell their name correctly.
• Automated Workflows – Both of these systems have the ability to automate many tasks. Not only do you not have to TYPE the same email 29 times, but you can also set the system up to automatically send it at a certain time. You literally don’t have to even think about that “thank you” email – it’s done for you.

Once you have your workflow set up, both Honeybook and Dubsado customer service offer some setup features to help you with everything. If you’re switching from another system, they will even convert your existing forms, contracts, and questionnaires.  

Branding Features

The first thing that you should do in any CMS system is set up your branding and account details. This includes connecting your email account so you can send and receive emails, indicating your brand colors, and uploading your logo so that all of your emails and communications look like they came from your company (not Dubs or HB).

If you’d like to further customize your forms and proposals in Dubsado, I recommend checking out Dub-Ins. 

Things that are Equal

I’d love to go into every single feature in this post – but I want to focus on the differences in the Honeybook vs. Dubsado debate for creative entrepreneurs like you. But first, there are a few places where I think Honeybook and Dubsado are pretty equal systems, including:

• Customer Service – Both have excellent customer service, and active Facebook communities to ask questions or receive help with your Honeybook or Dubsado questions and issues.
• Contracts – Both systems handle contracts very similarly, and both are equally reputable.
• Lead Captures – Both systems have lead capture forms that you can create, that you can embed into your contact page or send as a link to collect leads. They both automatically load those leads into your projects – here’s a video tutorial on how that works:

More Things that are Equal

• Emails – If you have G-Suite, then Honeybook’s new Chrome extension is going to save you a ton of time, but if you don’t, then they both handle email equally well as far as I’ve experienced.
• Accounting – HB and Dubs both can integrate with Quickbooks, although the handling isn’t always perfect. I don’t use either system alone for accounting but rely on Quickbooks directly. There are probably some slight pros and cons if you want to dig into the accounting features, but in my opinion, neither one is a standalone accounting solution. Plus, Quickbooks being the industry standard, my accountant loves that I have it. In late 2024 – 2025, Honeybook will be introducing some accounting features that will likely give it the lead here!
• Creating packages – In both systems, you can package your items into pre-set groupings, so it’s easy to add them to an invoice quickly (even if your packages contain multiple line items).
• Scheduler – Both have scheduling capabilities that are similar.
• Custom Mapped Fields / Project Details Fields – These are called different things, but both features allow you to collect the data that you need from a client, whether that’s their favorite color, who their wedding planner is, or what their partner’s name is (or anything else you can dream of!). You can add a custom field, and then use that on later forms (for instance, have the system fill in a client’s wedding venue in an email by using a form field rather than having to type it each time). The ability to create custom fields allows you more flexibility with your canned emails and templates. Instead of only being able to use generic terms, you can make everything look truly custom.

So what are some of the main differences between Honeybook and Dubsado?

Invoicing in Honeybook

Invoicing in Honeybook is better. Here’s a video where I show you this process. Both systems are similar, but I like the look and layout of Honeybook’s invoices better. You can add product photos if you like, and you can create packages that show clear hierarchies within the invoice – in contrast, Dubsado’s packages are all “equivalent” in look.

 

It’s also easier and quicker to make edits – in Dubsado, you have to click a drop-down, then “edit” and then edit the field you want to change, whereas quantity and price are directly editable in Honeybook. If you have only a few line items and they don’t vary by quantity much – this may not be an issue for you (for instance, if you’re a wedding photographer). As a wedding invitation designer, it’s a big deal as my quantities change often.

Workflows in Dubsado

As mentioned earlier, the workflow capabilities in Dubsado are more robust than Honeybook’s. Here is an example of all the actions you can add to a workflow in each platform. You can see that in Dubsado you have a lot more actions than in Honeybook, such as updating the project status, sending an invoice, or even halting actions.

I love this Hold Actions Until step in particular, because it allows me to pause a workflow if design proofs are taking longer than expected for any reason (this happens frequently as a lot of my clients are on different schedules). Thus, no one gets a “here are your proofs” email until I’ve actually been able to create them!

Honeybook Mobile App

We mentioned the Honeybook App, and it’s a big one. If working on the go is really vital to your business, then you should probably go with Honeybook. Dubsado’s website is definitely mobile-friendly, but it’s not nearly as clean an experience as the app.

Anything you can do in the web app, you can do in the mobile app.

Dubsado Client Portal

It’s not to say that there is no portal in Honeybook, but just that they don’t really allow for the customization that Dubsado does with their client portal. I don’t really use it, but a lot of you will likely use the portal feature.

I recently worked with a web designer on my Design by Laney website and branding, and the portal was very helpful to keep track of files that I needed to return back to as well as all of the deliverables she added as we went through the project.

In Dubsado, you can white label the portal, meaning you can add your own custom domain to it. You can even embed portal logins into your own website, so it looks seamless with your brand. And you can customize the look of it to an extent to create a cohesive client experience.

Honeybook vs. Dubsado: Payment Processing

Now, here’s an important one – how do you get paid in Dubsado and Honeybook? Dubsado integrates with Stripe, Square, and PayPal, so if you’re already comfortable with one of those processors, Dubsado is great. As a side note, PayPal is not the best system for entrepreneurs, and are known to side with clients in almost all disputes!

Getting paid through Honeybook is directly through Honeybook. This is a pro and a con, depending on your current payment setup. If you have none, then Honeybook payment processing is as good as any and the rates are very similar (3% for Credit Cards, 1.5% for ACH/bank transfer). It’s actually really simple to use, and your clients can click for auto-bill which means Honeybook will store their cc info and charge them their payments automatically – Dubsado cannot do this.

If you’re already using a different system, however, it’s a little limiting that HB forces you to use their payment processing. And here are some bonus thoughts on credit card fees for you!

Sending Client Proofs

One area that’s important to me as an invitation designer is in sending client proofs. I always need a legally-binding signature on the final proof, to protect myself in case there are any printing issues, typos, etc.

Previously, you could do this in Dubsado with a subcontract, but could not really do this in Honeybook. With the introduction of Smart Files, however, you can add as many contract blocks on your forms as you want! Here’s an example of what my proofs look like in Dubsado, and you can do something similar in Honeybook as well if you check out our Smart Files Video.

Versions in Honeybook

One thing I love in Honeybook is the access to versions of a file. Here’s a full tutorial on how to access it. This basically means that you can change files that have been sent over, and still access the older versions. As far as I know, this applies to invoices, contracts and proposals.

In Dubsado, it’s sometimes tough if I change an invoice and the client questions it or wants to go back to the original because I can’t always see what it looked like before. Of course, my pricing is fairly standard, but every once in a while I find this tough if I’ve raised prices recently, the client was quoted a long time ago, etc. etc.

Public Proposals and Lead Forms

Dubsado allows public proposals, and Honeybook has a similar feature called Lead Forms that’s fairly new! They don’t work super well for custom orders, but if you have set packages, they are amazing.

Because these forms are connected to an invoice and contract, you could have a client literally find a page on your website, choose their options, view an invoice for those options, and pay and sign right there. You may not even have to speak to them!

If you need them to select certain dates, or if your sales cycle typically involves a little more work – that’s possible too. You just need to ensure that your public proposal or lead form covers all of those options, FAQs, and directs them clearly through the process. Think of this as your new contact form – but way better.

Using Multiple Currencies

What if you need to accept multiple currencies? For both Dubsado and Honeybook multiple currencies can be accepted – but only one currency can be presented on the invoice, and that has to be the same for all of your projects, as of the time of writing this post.

8/19/20 – A developer from Honeybook mentioned that this is something they’re working on, but nothing official was stated.

5/29/20 – A Dubsado member said that Dubsado will create a new brand for you free of charge (typically $10/mo) if you need to use it to bill a different currency. They’ll help copy over forms, but you have to manually create new workflows, etc. if you need this option.

Gratuity

Both Honeybook and Dubsado allow for automatic gratuity collection on invoices – it’s the same in both platforms, but I thought it deserved its own block because SO MANY CLIENTS end up tipping me. Definitely turn on this option, and you’ll be shocked. Maybe it’s an extra couple bucks, but I recently had a client tip me $350 that I never expected!

Collaborating

I mentioned that collaborating was better in Honeybook as well. This is due to their “Workspace” feature. A Workspace can involve multiple vendors, clients, and forms from everyone basically. So if you’re working on a styled shoot – a workspace will be a great place to keep track of moodboard, timeline, details, etc.

You can also make and send referrals in Honeybook directly, so if you get a good network of other vendors who use it, then you can directly refer business out to each other.

Multiple Brands in Dubsado

One thing you may find appealing is that Dubsado offers the opportunity to have multiple brands on the same account. Each new brand is $10/mo as of the writing of this post. If you want to manage multiple brands on the same account, Dubsado is the system for you!  

Lead Tracking

A slight win to Honeybook on this one. They have built-in lead tracking functionality. Dubsado allows this via a custom mapped field, but it’s not automatically built in and doesn’t come with reporting like it does in Honeybook. This will help you figure out where your leads and sales are coming from, and which streams are most profitable!

Honeybook vs. Dubsado: The Final Verdict

Which one do you think is winning the Honeybook vs. Dubsado smackdown? The Client Management System that is right for you is a decision you’ll have to make based on where your business is and what features are important to you!

My final verdict when it comes to Honeybook vs. Dubsado is this: You need a Client Management System. It does not have to be Dubsado and it does not have to be Honeybook, but they are both great options – depending on your current setup.

If you use G-Suite and/or work on the go a lot via your phone – get Honeybook. If you have a LOT of clients and projects (like 30+/month) – get Honeybook.

Here’s that Honeybook Discount Link again for 35% off. – or use code “laney”

If you want to keep things simple, or automated workflows are really important to you – get Dubsado. If you need lots of legally-binding signatures after the first one, or you’re really attached to Stripe, Square or PayPal, or have multiple brands to manage, or don’t live in the US or Canada – get Dubsado.

Here’s that Dubsado Discount Link again for 30% off. – or use code “designbylaney”

If none of these “deal-breaker” decisions really speaks to you – spend some time in each and see which interface you like better. Yes, you’ll waste a little time form-building, but whichever one feels more intuitive to you is probably the right choice long-term.

Training + Tutorials

Once you’re ready to dive into one (or try out both) of these systems, I have free setup courses for each:

Free Honeybook Setup Course

Free Dubsado Setup Course

Which system feels right for you? Tell me in the comments, and feel free to ask follow up questions if you’d like some more info on Honeybook or Dubsado!