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The best HoneyBook alternatives in 2026
Seven HoneyBook alternatives, with prices from each company's own site: Aventide, Dubsado, Bonsai, 17hats, Moxie, Plutio and Bloom. In short: Moxie or Plutio for solo work on a budget, Dubsado for detailed forms and workflows, Bloom for packages and add-ons sold through one booking form, and Aventide for sessions paid at booking, with the contract, a client portal, a second business on the same plan and unlimited team members.
EB
Eric Baxter
Written October 18, 2026
SHORT ANSWER
Most of these tools, HoneyBook included, keep team members, extra businesses or automations for their higher plans. Aventide doesn’t: Starter and Pro both have every feature, unlimited team members and unlimited businesses, and you pay more only for more AI credits. It also schedules and posts to your social accounts. If you run one business and HoneyBook works for you, stay. If you want the lowest price for solo work, look at Plutio or Moxie. If you sell packages and add-ons through one booking form, look at Bloom. If you sell sessions paid at booking, with the contract, a client portal and a second business on the same plan, look at Aventide.
We make Aventide, so weigh our take accordingly. We tested HoneyBook with demo businesses; we haven't run a business on it. Competitor prices and plan limits come from each company's own pricing page, as of October 18, 2026, with links. Multiple-business rules and payment-fee details that sit in help centers rather than on pricing pages are as of October 3, 2026.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
What to look for in a HoneyBook alternative
Most client management tools now do the basics: proposals, contracts you can sign online, invoices, a client portal and booking. The differences show up in five places:
More than one business. Some tools include it, some charge per business, some don’t allow it.
Your team. Whether helpers are included or paid per seat.
What AI does. Writing help, meeting notes, or AI that drafts work and asks you before it goes to a client.
Payments. Whose processor handles your money and whether the tool adds its own fee on top.
Switching. What comes over from HoneyBook and what you redo by hand.
The tables and sections below answer those five for each tool: price, the cost of running three businesses, payment fees, features and AI, and switching.
QUICK PICKS
Quick picks
Running more than one business, or working with a team? Aventide is $39 a month for all of them, with unlimited team members. HoneyBook needs Premium ($129 a month) for a second company.
1 business
2 businesses
Team members
Trial
Aventide
Solo owners and small teams who want one place to run their business with an AI Sidekick.
$39/mo
$39/mo (any number)
Unlimited
14 days, no card
HoneyBook
One business that wants HoneyBook's own payments and templates, with tap to pay on a phone
$36/mo
$129/mo (Premium)
None on Starter, 2 on Essentials
30 days, no card
Dubsado
Detailed forms and workflows
$35/mo
$45/mo
3 included, then $25/mo
21 days, no card
Bonsai
Tax tools in the same app
$25 per user/mo
Two separate accounts
Priced per user
7 days
17hats
Solo owners who want one plan
$60/mo
$60/mo (2 brands included)
3 included, then $5/mo each
7 days
Moxie
Solo work on a budget
$25/mo
Not stated
Up to 5 on Teams ($40/mo)
14 days
Plutio
Solo owners, up to 9 active clients
$19/mo
$38/mo (two workspaces)
None on Core, 30 on Pro ($49/mo)
7 days, no card
Bloom
Packages and add-ons sold through one booking form
$18/mo
Not stated
Not stated
7 days
WHAT IT COSTS
What three businesses cost
If you run three businesses, here is the lowest monthly price for each tool that supports it, billed monthly.
Tool | Three businesses | How |
|---|---|---|
Aventide | $39/mo | Unlimited businesses on every paid plan (the trial allows up to 3) |
Dubsado | $55/mo | Starter $35 plus $10 a month for each extra brand; scheduling needs Premier ($55 plus $20) |
Plutio | $57/mo | Each workspace has its own billing, so three workspaces on Core |
17hats | $70/mo | Two brands are included; each brand after that is $10 a month. |
HoneyBook | $129/mo | Multiple companies are on Premium only ($109 a month billed yearly) |
Bonsai, Moxie, Bloom | Not stated | Bonsai allows one company per account and doesn’t price a second; Moxie supports several workspaces without listing a price; Bloom doesn’t say |
PAYMENTS AND FEES
Who handles your payments, and what's added on top
Card and bank fees are a cost you pay on every invoice, so it’s worth knowing who processes your payments and whether the tool adds its own fee.
Tool | Who processes client payments | Fee the tool adds on top | Bank transfer (ACH) on a $5,000 invoice |
|---|---|---|---|
Aventide | Your own Stripe account, or QuickBooks Payments if you invoice through QuickBooks | None. Aventide takes 0%; you pay only Stripe’s or QuickBooks’ standard fees | $5 through Stripe (0.8%, capped at $5) |
HoneyBook | HoneyBook is the processor | Its rates are its own: online cards from 2.7% + 10¢, or 2.9% + 25¢ in its plan table; instant deposit 1% ($5 minimum) | $75 (1.5%, no cap stated) |
Dubsado | Dubsado Payments (powered by Stripe), Square or PayPal | None stated; Dubsado Payments matches Stripe’s rates | $5 (0.8%, up to $5) |
Bonsai | Bonsai Payments, Stripe or PayPal | 1% extra if you use Stripe or PayPal where Bonsai Payments is available | $50 with Bonsai Payments (1%, $1 minimum) |
17hats | Stripe or Square | Not stated | $6.50 (0.8% + $1.50, capped at $6.50) |
Moxie | Stripe or PayPal | Not stated | $5 through Stripe |
Plutio | Stripe, PayPal or Square | None (“We don’t take a cut”) | $5 through Stripe |
Bloom | Stripe or Square | 1.5% on Starter (cards and bank transfers); none on Standard and Plus | $80 on Starter, $5 on Standard and Plus |
With Aventide the money goes straight to your Stripe or QuickBooks account, the same as if you sent the invoice yourself. On a $5,000 bank transfer, that’s the difference between $5 and $75. Fees are each provider’s published standard rates; QuickBooks Payments sets its own.
THE ALTERNATIVES
The alternatives
Aventide
Every feature on Starter and Pro, with unlimited team members and unlimited businesses.
BEST FOR
Solo owners and small teams who want one place to run their business with an AI Sidekick.
PRICE
Starter $39 a month or $390 a year; Pro $99 a month or $990 a year
TRIAL
14 days, no card
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
As many as you run, on Starter or Pro; three during the trial.
Aventide is a client management platform like HoneyBook or Dubsado, built for people running more than one business, with Sidekick, the AI in Aventide, which drafts the work for your approval.
Before Aventide, Christian ran his businesses in “two totally separate Chrome profiles,” with 20 or 30 tabs open in each. In Aventide each business has its own clients, branding, client portal and Stripe account, and you switch between them from one menu.
Starter and Pro both include unlimited businesses and unlimited team members. Pro adds more AI credits (120,000 a month instead of 40,000) and storage (500 GB per business instead of 100 GB). Credits pay for AI work such as drafting; extra packs start at $10 and never expire.
Christian’s own estimate from running his businesses on Aventide: “On average I would say that I am saving 8-10 hrs a week.” That’s one person’s experience, not a promise.
STRENGTHS
Proposals, contracts with e-signature, invoices, booking with deposits, and a client portal in each business’s own logo, colors and fonts.
Social posts to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok and Threads.
Aventide’s AI drafts proposals, follow-ups and invoices; anything it drafts for a client waits for your approval, and automations you switch on run on their own.
Payments: clients pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through your own Stripe account, and by bank transfer (ACH) or Cash App Pay if you turn those on in Stripe. If you invoice through QuickBooks with QuickBooks Payments on, clients can also pay with PayPal or Venmo. Aventide takes 0% of any of it.
WHERE IT FALLS SHORT
The company behind it was founded in 2025, so there are few reviews yet. Its app completed Google’s Cloud Application Security Assessment (CASA) at Assurance Level 1, validated in September 2026 by TAC Security, an independent assessor authorized by the App Defense Alliance (details).
The full app is for a desktop browser; on your phone you work through Sidekick on Telegram, WhatsApp or Slack.
Questionnaires don’t come over from HoneyBook yet; that’s being built.
HoneyBook
The tool the other six are measured against.
BEST FOR
One business that wants HoneyBook's own payments and templates, with tap to pay on a phone
PRICE
Starter $36, Essentials $59 and Premium $129 billed monthly; $29, $49 and $109 a month billed yearly
TRIAL
30 days, no card
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
Only Premium allows more than one company: $129 a month, or $109 a month paid yearly.
HoneyBook does the basics well, processes client payments itself, and puts AI on every plan.
STRENGTHS
The longest free trial on this list (30 days), with no card.
AI on every plan, and a ChatGPT app.
WHERE IT FALLS SHORT
Booking with payment on Starter covers 1 session type.
HoneyBook is the processor: online cards from 2.7% + 10¢, or 2.9% + 25¢ in its plan table, and bank transfers (ACH) 1.5% with no cap stated, so $75 on a $5,000 invoice. Source
Dubsado
If you want detailed forms and workflows, Dubsado does them well; each extra business is $10 a month.
BEST FOR
Detailed forms and workflows
PRICE
Starter $35 a month or $335 a year; Premier $55 a month or $525 a year
TRIAL
21 days, no card
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
$10 a month per extra brand, billed monthly even on a yearly plan
A client management platform for service businesses, strong on forms and automated workflows.
STRENGTHS
Client portals, proposals, contracts and invoices on both plans.
A 21-day trial with full Premier access and no card.
WHERE IT FALLS SHORT
Scheduling, automated workflows and public proposals are Premier only.
The brand fee is charged monthly even when the main plan is paid yearly. Source
Bonsai
For small teams who want tax tools in the same app.
BEST FOR
Tax tools in the same app
PRICE
Essentials $25 per user a month, or $19 billed yearly
TRIAL
7 days
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
No: “Each Bonsai account can own only one company.”
An all-in-one platform for agencies and consultancies, priced per person.
STRENGTHS
Invoices, proposals, contracts and a client portal from Essentials.
An optional tax add-on for expense tracking, quarterly tax estimates and write-offs.
An MCP server so AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT can work in your account.
WHERE IT FALLS SHORT
17hats
For solo owners who want a single plan.
BEST FOR
Solo owners who want one plan
PRICE
$60 a month, $600 a year, or $800 for two years
TRIAL
7 days
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
Two brands come with the one plan; a third is $10 a month (checked October 18, 2026).
One plan for solo business owners.
STRENGTHS
A quote, contract and invoice combined in one document the client selects, signs and pays.
Texting and bank-connect add-ons.
WHERE IT FALLS SHORT
A 7-day trial, and add-ons cost extra (bank connect is $5 a month).
Moxie
Built for one person, with a client portal from its Pro plan.
BEST FOR
Solo work on a budget
PRICE
Pro $25 a month ($20 yearly); Starter $12 without a client portal; Teams $40 for up to five people
TRIAL
14 days
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
Several workspaces under one login; the price of extra workspaces isn't stated
Built for people who work on their own (formerly Hectic).
STRENGTHS
A low price.
An AI assistant on every plan that can prepare projects, invoices and forms from a description.
A white-labeled client portal on Pro.
WHERE IT FALLS SHORT
The Teams plan stops at five team members.
Moxie's Starter ($12) has no client portal.
Plutio
A low price for one person, up to 9 active clients on Core.
BEST FOR
Solo owners, up to 9 active clients
PRICE
Core $19 a month, Pro $49, Max $199, or $190, $490 and $1,990 a year
TRIAL
7 days, no card
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
As many workspaces as you need, each billed on its own
Proposals, contracts, invoices, projects and a client portal for solo owners and agencies.
STRENGTHS
Every core feature on every plan.
It takes no cut of your payments.
A built-in AI assistant metered by credits.
WHERE IT FALLS SHORT
Core is for one person and 9 active clients.
Bloom
Built around one booking form that sells the package, takes the contract and collects the payment.
BEST FOR
Packages and add-ons sold through one booking form
PRICE
Starter $18 a month ($14 yearly), Standard $44 ($34), Plus $78 ($66), at standard prices
TRIAL
7 days
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
Not stated on its site
Built around booking forms for packages and add-ons.
Bloom was showing a 50% promotion for the first 12 months when we checked on October 18, 2026, and these are its standard prices.
STRENGTHS
One booking form that takes a package, add-ons, a contract and payment.
Custom domains for the client portal on every plan.
WHERE IT FALLS SHORT
Starter allows 3 active projects and adds a 1.5% fee on card and bank payments.
Team members are on Plus only.
FEATURE BY FEATURE
What you pay extra for
A tick means the job is covered on the plan priced above. A circled dash means it is partly covered, on a higher plan or with a workaround. A cross means it is not available. Where a cell has words instead of a mark, the words say what you get. Partial marks are explained in the note under each feature.
THE OTHER SIDE
When to stay with HoneyBook
HoneyBook is a good product. In our testing it kept tidy client records, its contract editor is pleasant to use, and its pipeline view makes it easy to see where each lead stands. It has the longest free trial on this list (30 days), AI on every plan, and a ChatGPT app.
As our founder Christian Quiver puts it: “If you're happy, there's no reason to go anywhere.” Happy usually means one business, payment fees you've accepted, and no need for a team seat on Starter. The seven tools above are for when one of those stops being true.
Why Aventide. Of the seven, it's the one that charges nothing extra for a second business or a team member, puts every feature on both plans, and takes 0% of client payments. Pick Dubsado for workflows, Bloom for packages, Plutio or Moxie for the lowest solo price.
METHOD
How we chose and compared
We picked the tools people search for most alongside HoneyBook: HoneyBook comparison searches in the US name Dubsado, Bonsai, Moxie and Bloom most, and 17hats and Plutio rank among HoneyBook's closest competitors in search data. We compared each on price, the client features above, and how it handles more than one business. Competitor prices and plan limits come from each company's own pricing page, linked above and as of October 18, 2026. Multiple-business rules and payment-fee details that sit in help centers are as of October 3, 2026. Where a site didn't say, we say “not stated” rather than guess. We recheck this page every month.
HoneyBook, Dubsado, Bonsai, 17hats, Moxie, Plutio and Bloom are trademarks of their owners. This page isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them.
NEXT STEP
Switching from HoneyBook to Aventide
If you are coming from HoneyBook, Aventide’s Switch Kit previews what will come over, saves nothing until you confirm, and can be run again without doubling up; the FAQ below says what moves. Open payments, file attachments and the signed documents themselves stay in HoneyBook, so settle and download those first. The details, step by step, are on how the HoneyBook import works.
QUESTIONS
FAQ
What is the best HoneyBook alternative?
It depends on your setup. If HoneyBook suits your one business, stay. For more than one business, Aventide and Dubsado cost the least: three businesses are $39 a month on Aventide Starter and $55 on Dubsado Starter, billed monthly (as of October 18, 2026). For the lowest solo price, try Plutio or Moxie; for packages and add-ons sold through one booking form, Bloom; for sessions paid at booking, with the contract and a client portal, Aventide.
We make Aventide, so weigh our take accordingly.
Is there a free alternative to HoneyBook?
Not among the seven tools we compare. Aventide, Dubsado, Bonsai, 17hats, Moxie, Plutio and Bloom list no free plan on their pricing pages (as of October 18, 2026). Each has a free trial instead: seven days for Bonsai, 17hats, Plutio and Bloom, 14 for Aventide and Moxie, and 21 for Dubsado. HoneyBook's own trial is 30 days.
Is HoneyBook free?
No. HoneyBook has no free plan. Its free trial lets you try virtually every feature for 30 days with no card, and plans then start at $36 a month billed monthly, or $29 a month billed yearly (as of October 18, 2026, HoneyBook's pricing page). It doesn't charge per lead, project or client.
Aventide has no free plan either. Its trial is 14 days, no card, with every feature except inviting teammates. After that, Starter is $39 a month for every business you run.
How much does HoneyBook cost per month?
HoneyBook has three plans. Billed monthly, Starter is $36 a month, Essentials $59 and Premium $129; billed yearly, they work out to $29, $49 and $109 a month (as of October 18, 2026, HoneyBook's pricing page). Team members start on Essentials, up to two, and more than one company takes Premium.
For comparison, Aventide Starter is $39 a month with every feature, unlimited team members and every business you run. Three businesses are $39 on Aventide and $129 on HoneyBook Premium (checked October 18, 2026).
Does HoneyBook take a percentage of payments?
HoneyBook's cut is its processing fee, since it processes client payments itself. As of October 18, 2026, its pricing page shows card fees from 2.7% + 10¢ and, in its plan table, 2.9% + 25¢, plus 1.5% on bank transfers with no cap stated. Aventide takes 0% of client payments; only Stripe's or QuickBooks' own fees apply.
Is HoneyBook a CRM?
Yes. HoneyBook describes itself as AI-powered client relationship software for creatives, consultants, marketers and event professionals. Its CRM holds unlimited clients and projects with a pipeline you set up yourself, next to proposals, contracts, scheduling, invoices and payments, which it processes itself (as of October 13, 2026, HoneyBook's pricing page).
Aventide is the same kind of software, built for people who sell sessions, projects or both. Every feature is on both paid plans, and clients pay through your own Stripe account, so Aventide takes 0% of what they pay you.
Can I move my data from HoneyBook to Aventide?
Yes. Connect your HoneyBook account in Aventide and the Switch Kit shows a preview before anything is saved. Contacts, clients with their pipeline stage, projects, tasks, notes and past messages come over, with invoice and contract history as read-only records. Running it again updates what it brought over instead of copying it twice. Collect open invoices in HoneyBook first.
Can I try Aventide for free?
Yes. Aventide’s free trial lasts 14 days and needs no card. It covers up to three businesses and includes AI credits to try Aventide’s AI. Inviting teammates needs a paid plan. After the trial, Starter is $39 a month and Pro $99 a month, and both include unlimited businesses and team members.
