The Ultimate Guide to HoneyBook Alternatives for Small Businesses in 2024

As a small business owner or freelancer, effectively managing your client relationships is essential for achieving success. Given that 99.9% of all U.S. firms are classified as small businesses, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA), having the right CRM tools in place is essential to stay competitive in such a vast segment of the economy.

As your business grows, so does the complexity of managing client relationships, proposals, contracts, and invoicing. While HoneyBook is popular in this domain, it often falls short in providing customized invoice solutions.

That’s where exploring HoneyBook alternatives comes in. This guide will introduce you to the top alternatives that could perfectly fit your specific business needs.

Let’s get started.

Understanding the Need for HoneyBook Alternatives

Here are the most common reasons users seek alternatives to HoneyBook:

• Limited customization options: HoneyBook lacks the customization needed for unique business processes. For personalized features, consider more flexible alternatives.
• Lacks proper customer support: HoneyBook’s customer support can be slow, leading to delays in issue resolution. Opt for an alternative that provides more responsive support.
• Budget constraints: HoneyBook is expensive for freelancers and small businesses. Seek alternatives that offer similar features at a lower cost.
• Overloaded features: HoneyBook’s many features can overwhelm new users. Look for alternatives that are simpler and easier to use.
• Limited integration options: HoneyBook’s third-party integration is limited, causing issues for businesses relying on other accounting software.

Below are the top 10 HoneyBook alternatives with highlighted features of each platform

Brand	Top Features	Pricing
InvoiceOwl	Customizable invoicing Estimating E-signatures	Free trial, paid plan starts at $9.99/month
Bonsai	Contract management Time tracking Task automation	Starts at $9/month
Dubsado	Client management Workflow automation Invoicing	Starts at $20/month
17hats	Project management Lead tracking Calendar sync	Starts at $13/month
QuickBooks	Invoicing Expense tracking Payroll integration	Starts at $9/month
Plutio	Task management Invoicing Collaboration tools	Starts at $19/month
Keap	CRM Email marketing Automation	Starts at $299/month
Thryv	Appointment scheduling Customer management Payments	Free, paid plan starts at $228/month
ClickUp	Project management Time tracking Task automation	Free, paid plans start at $7/month
FreshBooks	Expense tracking Invoicing Financial reporting	Starts at $9.5/month

Comprehensive List of Top HoneyBook Alternatives for Small Businesses

Let’s have a look at each HoneyBook alternative in detail by understanding its key features and pricing.

1. InvoiceOwl – Best for Invoicing and estimating
2. Bonsai – Best for creating, sending, and tracking proposals online
3. Dubsado – Best for project management
4. 17hats – Best for document management
5. QuickBooks – Best for accounting and financial management
6. Plutio – Best for client collaboration
7. Keap – Best for sales and marketing automation
8. Thryv – Best for service-based businesses
9. ClickUp – Best for task management and project management
10. FreshBooks – Best for invoice generation and accounting

1. InvoiceOwl features & benefits

InvoiceOwl is an invoice processing and estimating tool designed to automate invoice processes for small businesses across carpentry, plumbing, contractors, and HVAC.

With over 13,000 active clients and more than 16,000 estimates generated, this platform has proven its effectiveness in generating estimates, streamlining invoices, and ensuring timely payments.

InvoiceOwl is popular among small business owners in the US due to its user-friendly interface and compliance with American tax regulations, such as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules and state-specific tax requirements.

The tool enables solo entrepreneurs and contractors to create professional estimates without hassle. The budget-friendly pricing and user-centric approach make it stand out as the best HoneyBook alternative.

Advanced features of InvoiceOwl

• Invoice generation: Allows small businesses to generate professional-looking invoices and customize their invoice with information like the organization’s names, branded logos, attachments, and payment instructions.
• eSign: Offers users with a digital drawing pad to sign documents electronically and approve payments.
• Reporting: Provides a comprehensive view of your business transactions and invoices under a reporting dashboard. It helps you make informed decisions, track your business performance, and improve financial reporting.
• Estimates generation: Facilitates you to generate accurate estimates and use templates to send quick quotations and get paid faster.
• Accept online payments: This enables your clients to pay online, with secure US payment gateways like Stripe, Square, or PayPal integrated into your invoices for quick transactions.

Why is InvoiceOwl the best alternative to HoneyBook?

Here is a list of features that make InvoiceOwl stand as the best HoneyBook alternative:

1. User-friendly interface: InvoiceOwl is power-packed with an intuitive interface. This helps you navigate the platform easily and manage invoicing tasks without a steep learning curve. It enables you to send invoices, track payments or manage expenses without hassle. HoneyBook, on the other hand, can be overwhelming for new users due to its extensive features.
2. Affordable pricing: InvoiceOwl is more affordable than HoneyBook, which makes it a great option for freelancers and small businesses. HoneyBook offers more features for your business, that you might not need. Whereas InvoiceOwl offers the essential features at an affordable cost.
3. Comprehensive features: InvoiceOwl comprises essential features like real-time notifications, advanced reporting, make online payments via multiple gateways including PayPal, Stripe, and ACH. These features help you streamline your invoicing and billing processes. While HoneyBook also offers a broad set of features, it may be more complex and less intuitive to use.
4. Effortless integrations: With InvoiceOwl, you can integrate various essential tools like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, and accounting software. This integration allows you to reduce manual data entry and automate several processes. With HoneyBook, users require more effort and technical know-how to set up and manage them effectively.
5. Mobile accessibility: InvoiceOwl’s mobile app enables you to manage estimates and invoices, track expenses, and send reminders from anywhere. It helps you to stay updated with real-time notifications and stay on top of your finances. HoneyBook also offers a mobile app, but it is not user-friendly.

Pricing details: InvoiceOwl compared with HoneyBook

Free Trial (3 days)	Starter $16/month
Growth $9.99/month	Essentials $32/month
Champion $23.99/month	Premium $66/month

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2. Bonsai: features & benefits

Bonsai is an all-in-one suite for client management, financial management, and project management. It consists of task management, time tracking, and scheduling features to streamline business operations and boost productivity.

This CRM platform is most preferable for freelancers, small businesses, and agencies. With Bonsai, you get access to more than 500+ customizable templates for contracts, proposals, and invoices.

Key features of Bonsai

• Client and project management: With Bonsai, users can manage projects, contracts, and payments, everything in a single platform.
• Invoice creation: Enables businesses to track billable hours, create invoices, and send them within a few minutes.
• E-sign: This helps to send e-signed documents from legally vetted templates that can be fully trusted.
• Bonsai Tax: Bonsai is designed for self-employed individuals like marketing consultants and copywriters to track expenses, identify deductible expenses, estimate quarterly taxes, and maximize tax write-offs.
• Customizable contract templates: Offers ready-to-use templates to build trust and improve professional image.

Bonsai pricing

Starter $21/month (Billed annually)

Professional $32/month (Billed annually)

Business $66/month (Billed annually)

Why consider Bonsai as an alternative to HoneyBook?

Bonsai is a platform specifically designed for small businesses with growing teams. It’s one of the best HoneyBook alternatives, offering powerful project management tools and the ability to accept payments for scheduled tasks.

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3. Dubsado: Features and benefits

Dubsado is a business management platform for small businesses and freelancers. It offers various features, such as contract management, customizable automated workflows, and invoices.

With Dubsado, you can streamline your client interactions and save your precious time with automation. Last but not least, it helps you maintain a professional image through branded client portals.

Key features of Dubsado

• Forms and templates: Offers pre-built pre-made templates for proposals, contracts, questionnaires, and lead capture forms.
• Invoice Creation: Allows you to send invoices to your client without hassle and also automated reminders to never miss a due date.
• Client portals: Enables clients to make invoice payments, accept contracts, and sign important forms. Every email, contract, form, invoice, and task is situated in the client’s custom portal.
• Schedule appointments: Allows you to book calls, appointments, and sessions from the website itself and also checks for conflicts.

Dubsado pricing

Starter $20/month

Premier $40/month

Why consider Dubsado as an alternative to HoneyBook?

Dubsado offers more flexibility in the creation of invoice proposals and forms for service-based businesses. This feature helps users tailor their client interactions as per the brand’s unique style and meet the client’s specific needs.

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4. 17hats: Features and benefits

17hats is an all-in-one business management solution with 25,000+ active members all around the world. This platform can manage all your invoices, contacts, and calendars in one place without hassle.

The tool also streamlines the process of data collection with e-questionnaires and eliminates calls. Additionally, 17hats stands out with its branding customization tools that offer professional images to your business. 

Key features of 17hats

• Quotes and proposals: Allows you to create professional invoices and quotes effortlessly with personalized messages and logos.
• Organization tools: Offer a handful of organizational features that help to streamline business operations. The project page organizes and stores everything ranging from documents, events, communication, and events, tasks to notes.
• Document management: This enables you to improve your client interaction and reduce paperwork with the 3-in-1 document that comprises quotes, contracts, and invoices.

17hats pricing

Essentials $13/month (Billed annually)

Standard  $25/month (Billed annually)

Premier $50/month (Billed annually)

Why consider 17hats as an alternative to HoneyBook?

17hats offers various features like time and expense tracking and built-in bookkeeping tools, which are not present in HoneyBooks. This feature helps you to manage your accounting operations effortlessly.

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5. QuickBooks: Features and benefits

QuickBooks is an all-in-one business platform designed for small and medium business owners. Businesses can automate time-consuming tasks like invoices, payments, and accounting. With its financial management capabilities, you can manage your business and tax finances effortlessly.

Last but not least, it also allows inventory management in real-time and easy integration with your business apps.

Key features of QuickBooks

• Invoice and estimates: Create and send professional invoices and estimates. It also helps to accept various payment methods directly through the platform.
• Tax features: Offers tools for tax preparation, including automated reporting and reminders.
• Multi-currency support: Manages transactions in multiple currencies and makes your business suitable for international clients.
• Automated banking and accounting: Simplifies your business financial management with income and expense tracking, automated payment reminders, and month-end reviews.

QuickBooks pricing

Simple Start $15/month (Billed annually)

Essentials $30/month (Billed annually)

Plus $45/month (Billed annually)

Advanced $100/month (Billed annually)

Why consider QuickBooks as an alternative to HoneyBook?

QuickBooks is known for its amazing accounting capabilities. It offers various important features for financial tracking, advanced reporting, and tax preparation that are not available in Honeybook. These features make it a good choice for small businesses that need both financial and operational efficiency.

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6. Plutio: Features and benefits

Plutio is a comprehensive business management software suitable for freelancers, agencies, and small businesses. It is trusted by 13,728 businesses worldwide and supports 25+ languages, multi-currencies, and payment methods.

The platform of Plutio helps to manage projects, create proposals and contracts, track invoices, and collaborate with your client effortlessly. It gives you the flexibility to customize your workflows and manage everything in one place. 

Key features of Plutio

• Automated workflow: Provides you with customized workflows to automate repetitive project tasks and save time.
• Project management: Enables you to plan, execute, and monitor projects effectively.
• Professional invoices: Allows you to create custom invoices, set recurring bills, and track payments without hassle.
• Time-tracking: Ensures you about recording the time spent on each project. It can also be linked to invoices for transparent billing.

Plutio pricing

Solo $19/month

Studio $39/month

Agency $99/month

Why consider Plutio as an alternative to HoneyBook?

Plutio is a great HoneyBook alternative for individuals who want a more flexible and customizable platform. It supports various US payment methods, including ACH transfers and PayPal which lacks in HoneyBook.

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7. Keap: Features and benefits

Keap is a well-known client management platform for small businesses and freelancers. This platform enables you to streamline the lead-capturing process through customized forms.

Additionally, you can also automate follow-ups, create sales processes, build marketing campaigns, and send custom branded invoices to your clients. The integration process with QuickBooks and Gmail is hassle-free.

Key features of Keap

• Automated workflows: With Keap, businesses can automate their tasks and eliminate repetitive work. The advanced automation builders help streamline business processes.
• Invoices and Payments: This platform facilitates quicker payments with invoices, quotes, payment, and other eCommerce tools.
• Comprehensive CRM: With this feature, you can manage your contacts, leads, and client relationships in one platform and simplify lead management.

Keap pricing

Pro $199/month

Max $289/month

Ultimate Custom quotes available

Why consider Keap as an alternative to HoneyBook?

Keap is known for its advanced email marketing automation and robust CRM capabilities, which HoneyBook lacks. These features will make it easier for you to manage customer relationships to ensure invoices are sent on time, and payments are tracked.

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8. Thryv: Features and benefits

Thryv is an all-in-one small business management platform designed to help small businesses streamline their operations. It comprises various essential tools for CRM, online appointment scheduling, invoicing, social media management, and marketing automation.

The user-friendly interface allows you to manage customer interactions and boost your online presence. With Thryv’s ability to handle administrative tasks, you can focus on improving business efficiency.

Key features of Thryv

• Client portals: With Thryv’s client portals, customers can access their accounts, manage their listing, and view reports.
• Invoices & estimates: Thryv allows businesses to send directly to clients and accept various payment methods with ease.
• CRM: Enables users to organize client information, track customer interactions, and streamline communication.
• Calendars & schedules: Thryv consists of built-in appointment scheduling tools that enable customers to book online appointments and improve overall service.

Thryv pricing

Basic Free

Plus $20 seat/month

Professional $30 seat/month

Why consider Thryv as an alternative to HoneyBook?

Thryv offers a user-friendly interface and 24/7 customer support, making it a perfect choice for small business owners who want to streamline their operations.

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9. Clickup: Features and benefits

ClickUp is an all-in-one solution meant for creative professionals. This platform amalgamates the features of CRM and project management to boost business productivity.

With its ability to integrate various tools into one business management software, it works well for individuals who work on multiple projects. The contract and invoicing templates simplify lead management with their marketing automation tools.

Key features of ClickUp

• Task management: ClickUp offers several task management options like Kanban boards and Gantt charts that allow you to visualize project progress.
• Collaboration tools: This platform comprises integrated chats, comments, and proofing capabilities for better communication among team members.
• Workflow automation: ClickUp offers a custom automation builder to streamline workflows by automating repetitive tasks.
• Time tracking: This platform has built-in time tracking tools that allow users to log hours, set time estimates, and create time reports.

ClickUp pricing

Free Forever  Free

Unlimited $10/month

Business $19/month

Enterprise Custom quotes available

Why consider ClickUp as an alternative to HoneyBook?

ClickUp is known for its highly customizable project management features. Unlike HoneyBook’s client-centric focus, ClickUp offers different tools for diverse workflows and team collaborations.

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10. FreshBooks: Features and benefits

FreshBooks is one of the best cloud-based accounting software for small businesses. This platform helps you to manage invoices, expenses, and time-tracking easily. Its user-friendly interface and reporting tools come in handy to streamline your accounting processes.

With FreshBook, you get introduced to the client portal and project collaboration features that enhance communication and productivity.

Key features of FreshBooks

• Customizable invoice templates: Allow you to create professional invoices with customizable templates and branding. Also, you can set up recurring invoices, and send automatic payment reminders.
• Project management: Helps users to create projects, assign tasks, set deadlines, track progress, and collaborate with their team by sharing files within the platform.
• Client portals: This enables clients to view invoices, make payments, and communicate through a dedicated client portal, resulting in improved client relationships.
• Expense tracking: Helps users classify business expenses and import expenses directly from their bank accounts.

FreshBooks pricing

Lite $5.70/month

Plus $9.90/month

Premium $18/month

Select Custom quotes available

Why consider FreshBooks as an alternative to HoneyBook?

FreshBooks is designed to simplify accounting and invoicing for small businesses, making it a great HoneyBook alternative. It offers seamless integration with US accounting tools like QuickBooks and complies with IRS tax reporting requirements. However, for those seeking different options, there are several alternatives to FreshBooks that also provide similar integrations and compliance features.

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Essential Factors to Consider in Choosing a HoneyBook Alternative

When searching for a HoneyBook alternative, you must consider these 5 essential factors to choose the right platform for your business. Here’s what you should look for:

1. Customization and flexibility

Every business is different and has different needs. So, you must look for an alternative that provides customizable workflows, templates, and branding solutions.

Furthermore, maintaining tax compliance is important, so choose software that supports varied sales tax regimes and automates tax calculations.

2. User-friendly interface

An intuitive interface can make a big difference in your business. Choose an alternative that has a user-friendly interface. It comes in handy to handle projects, invoices, and clients.

Platforms with steep learning curves tend to slow down efficiency, so go for platforms with simple and essential features.

3. Invoicing capabilities

Invoices are one of the most important aspects of CRM and cash flow. Always choose an alternative that offers invoicing features, like automated invoicing, recurring billing, customizable invoice templates, and integration with payment gateways.

4. Client support

A responsive customer support team can be helpful while solving troubleshooting issues or maximizing the platform’s capabilities. Choose alternatives with trusted customer support channels and a strong user network.

5. Comprehensive feature set

The lack of important features can harm your business. So, choose alternatives that offer a wide range of tools that cover all business aspects. 

The feature set must comprise client management, invoicing, and task management. contract management and time tracking. These features can boost your business operations to the next level.  

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Enhance Client Management and Invoicing with InvoiceOwl

Choosing the best HoneyBook alternative is dependent on your specific business requirements. Whether you prioritize effective client management, effortless invoicing, or integrated payment processing, all of the 10 HoneyBook alternatives offer unique features that add significant value to your business.

InvoiceOwl emerges with its user-friendly interface and free invoicing templates, making it an ideal choice for freelancers and small businesses. With its efficient invoicing features, you can manage your billing and payments with professionalism and utmost ease.

InvoiceOwl simplifies financial management with competitive pricing and its intuitive designs. It streamlines your invoicing process along with enhancing your workflow. This results in efficient business operations and strong client relationships. If you are looking for an efficient way to manage your invoices efficiently, choose InvoiceOwl.