How we wrote this: This comparison is based on each company’s public pricing and feature pages, which are linked inline. We have not run a long-term business on either tool, so you won’t find “in my experience” claims here. Please test both free trials yourself.
The short answer
- Choose HoneyBook if you want a polished, guided all-in-one setup with monthly plans and built-in payments. Your file setup is done for you (they convert your existing documents into templates for free), and there’s a 30-day free trial.
- Choose Dubsado if you’re happy to tinker in exchange for deep customization, you prefer paying annually, and you need multiple brands or several team members cheaply.
Pricing side by side (checked 2026-10-24)
| HoneyBook | Dubsado | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter: $29/mo | Starter: $335/yr |
| Mid / top plan | Essentials $49/mo · Premium $109/mo | Premier $525/yr |
| Billing note | Pricing page shows these monthly figures with a “billed yearly” note. Check the month-to-month price on the toggle | Prices shown are annual; Dubsado says annual “get[s] 2 months worth of savings” vs monthly |
| Free trial | 30 days, no credit card | 21 days of Premier, no credit card |
| Guarantee | 60-day money-back guarantee | Not stated on pricing page |
| Card processing | From 2.7% + 10¢; ACH 1.5% | Not listed on pricing page |
| Extra team / brands | Essentials: up to 2 team members; Premium: unlimited team members, multiple companies | 3 additional users free; 4–10 users $25/mo; extra brand $10/mo |
Sources: HoneyBook pricing · Dubsado pricing, both checked 2026-10-24.
Feature differences that actually matter
Scheduling & automations
- HoneyBook: Scheduler and automations start at Essentials ($49/mo). Starter includes calendar, proposals, contracts, invoices, client portal and up to 2 live lead forms.
- Dubsado: Scheduling, automated workflows, public proposals, bookkeeping integration and Zapier are Premier only. Starter has 1 active lead capture form.
What this means: If automations are the reason you’re switching, compare HoneyBook Essentials with Dubsado Premier, not the two Starter plans.
Setup effort
- HoneyBook offers free file setup: upload your existing pricing guides, contracts and invoices and their team turns them into templates.
- Dubsado offers a full-featured 21-day trial plus customer-care support via email and live chat. Its pricing page says it’s built for creating “organized processes”, so plan time to build your workflows.
Team & multiple businesses
- Dubsado’s add-on pricing is clear: 3 extra users free, additional brands $10/mo.
- HoneyBook caps Essentials at 2 team members. Premium ($109/mo) unlocks unlimited team members and multiple companies.
Payments
- HoneyBook publishes its fees: cards from 2.7% + 10¢, ACH 1.5%, with no international or premium-card fees according to its pricing page.
- Dubsado’s pricing page doesn’t list processing fees. Check its help center for the processors it supports before you decide.
Who each one suits
| You are… | Lean towards |
|---|---|
| A solo photographer who wants to be up and running this week | HoneyBook (free file setup, 30-day trial) |
| A planner running two brands (e.g. weddings + corporate) on a budget | Dubsado (extra brand $10/mo) |
| A small studio with 3–4 people | Dubsado (3 extra users free) or HoneyBook Premium |
| Someone who wants monthly billing, not a yearly commitment | HoneyBook. Dubsado’s published prices are annual |
| Someone who loves building custom forms & workflows | Dubsado Premier |
Honest cons
HoneyBook
- Automations and scheduler aren’t on the cheapest plan.
- Team members are capped below Premium.
Dubsado
- Scheduling and workflows need Premier ($525/yr).
- Published pricing is annual; monthly pricing wasn’t shown on the pricing page we checked.
- More setup time if you want the customization it’s known for.
How to decide in one afternoon
- List your must-haves: scheduler? automations? number of brands? number of team members?
- Start both free trials (HoneyBook 30 days, Dubsado 21 days). Neither needs a card.
- Build the same thing in both: one inquiry form → proposal → contract → invoice.
- Pick the one where that flow felt easiest to keep running for a year.
Placeholder links: they currently point to each vendor's official homepage, not an affiliate link.
FAQ
Is HoneyBook cheaper than Dubsado? At the entry level, HoneyBook Starter is $29/mo (≈ $348/yr at the displayed rate) and Dubsado Starter is $335/yr. They’re close, and the features differ, so compare the plan that includes the features you need.
Do both have free trials? Yes. HoneyBook: 30 days, no credit card. Dubsado: 21 days on Premier, no credit card (both per their pricing pages on 2026-10-24).
Can I switch later? You can, but moving clients, templates and workflows to a new CRM takes real time, so use the trials to choose carefully. We haven’t verified each tool’s export options; check their help centers.
Last price check: 2026-10-24. Sources: honeybook.com/pricing, dubsado.com/pricing.
Price recheck: every price and plan detail above was rechecked on 2026-10-24 at about 10:00 a.m. PT against honeybook.com/pricing, dubsado.com/pricing. No changes found.
