Alternatives
HoneyBook vs Dubsado for creative freelancers
HoneyBook is the more guided clientflow CRM for independents who want proposals, contracts, invoices and payments with less setup. Dubsado is the more customisable studio system — Flows, branded portals, and proposal, contract and invoice in one send. Neither replaces a two-sided contract room: we are the third column when the client needs to redlineA redline is a proposed edit on a draft contract — words added, struck out or rewritten — not a signed change.More in the glossary the words, not only sign them.
Last updated 28 October 2026
How do HoneyBook, Dubsado and Contracts.io compare?
HoneyBook and Dubsado are creative client CRMs with contracts, e-signatureAn e-signature is any electronic way of showing agreement to a document, such as a typed name, a drawn signature or a click.More in the glossary, invoicing and portals. HoneyBook is the more guided, now UK-billed option; Dubsado is the more customisable studio OS, priced in USD. We are the third column for drafting and negotiating the contract itself. Prices checked October 2026.
| HoneyBook | Dubsado | Contracts.io | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing tiers | Starter $29/month; Essentials $49/month; Premium $109/month (USD as shown). 30-day trial. | Starter $335/year or $35/month; Premier $525/year or $55/month (USD). 21-day trial of Premier. Extra brand $10/month. | Free £0 (3 active contracts); Plus £15/mo; Pro £29/mo; Team £119/mo (5 seats); Enterprise from £750 |
| Contracts / e-sign | Proposals and contracts on Starter. Legally binding e-sign in a smart file. | Contracts with legally binding e-sign; proposal + contract + invoice in one send. Locks after signing. | Lex drafts; both sides negotiate; e-sign on one frozen version. |
| Invoicing | Invoices and payments on every plan. Card fees from 2.7% + 10¢; ACH 1.5%. | Invoicing and payment plans on Starter. Dubsado Payments, PayPal, Square. | No. We do not invoice or take payment for the deal. |
| Client portal | Yes. | Yes — branded, password-protected. | No portal. One share link; guest needs no account. |
| UK availability / currency | Live in the UK (May 2026). Subscriptions priced in GBP for UK visitors. | Used worldwide; prices in USD. Privacy policy names a UK GDPR representative. | England and Wales first. Public prices in GBP. |
| Negotiation / redlining | Client fills marked fields and e-signs; sender edits, client accepts and re-signs. | Send for e-sign; document locks once signed. Not two-sided drafting. | Yes: Accept, Counter, Decline. Private Lex on each side. |
| Best for | Independents who want a guided CRM from inquiry to payment. | Creative studios that want a branded, automatable client process. | Agreeing the contract with the other side on one link, then signing. |
Is HoneyBook or Dubsado cheaper?
Dubsado’s public pricing page lists Starter at $335/year and Premier at $525/year (USD), with monthly rates of $35 and $55 on its official AI information page. HoneyBook’s public page lists Starter at $29/month, Essentials at $49/month and Premium at $109/month (USD). We publish GBP plans from £0. Prices checked October 2026.
Dubsado also charges $10/month per extra brand and tiers extra users above the three included seats. HoneyBook Starter is unlimited clients and projects; Essentials adds a scheduler, automations and up to two team members. We do not convert USD to GBP. See each vendor’s page before you buy, and our pricing for GBP figures.
Which is better for creative freelancers and small studios?
Dubsado if you want a branded studio process you can automate — photographers, planners, designers and similar businesses are who it names. HoneyBook if you want a guided CRM that gets a solo creative from inquiry to payment with less configuration. Pick us when the client will negotiate the contract, not only sign and pay.
Dubsado’s home page is explicit: proposal, contract and invoice in one send; legally binding contracts; payment plans; a client portal; workflows. HoneyBook’s FAQ lists graphic designers, photographers, videographers, planners, copywriters and similar independents, with smart files that combine those documents.
Both are genuinely better than we are at CRM, scheduling and getting paid. We are better at the argument over the words. See HoneyBook alternative and Dubsado alternative.
Does HoneyBook work in the UK?
Yes. HoneyBook’s May 2026 launch post says it is live in the United Kingdom with subscriptions in GBP. Dubsado prices in USD; its privacy policy names a UK GDPR representative, which is not the same as a UK-priced product. We bill in GBP and start from England and Wales.
If you need a UK-shaped draft, start from a freelancer agreement. If you need the whole studio OS in GBP, HoneyBook is the one that published a UK launch. Dubsado remains a strong creative CRM worldwide; we do not claim a UK storefront it did not publish.
Which one handles contract negotiation?
Neither is a two-sided drafting room. HoneyBook clients fill marked fields and e-sign; term changes are accepted and re-signed. Dubsado sends a contract form for e-sign and locks it once signed. We put both parties on one link with redlines, Accept, Counter and Decline.
Dubsado’s help centre: you build a contract template, send it, the client reads and signs, and once signed it locks. That is the right model when the paper is already agreed.
When it is not agreed — kill feeA kill fee is a payment due to a creator or supplier when a client cancels a project before it is finished.More in the glossary, revision caps, IP on payment — use Negotiate contracts online. Lex hosts the room. A person always sends and signs.
Do they both invoice and take payment?
Yes. HoneyBook includes invoices and payments on every plan, with card fees from 2.7% + 10¢ on its pricing page. Dubsado includes invoicing and payment plans on Starter, with Dubsado Payments, PayPal and Square. We do not invoice or collect the fee for the deal.
That breadth is why studios pick them. Keep the CRM for cashflow. Keep us for the signed terms you will point to if a client later will not pay — the England and Wales sequence is in client won't pay a freelance invoice.
Where does Contracts.io fit between HoneyBook and Dubsado?
As the contract layer. They run the client journey; we run the paper. Lex drafts from one sentence, both sides edit one link, then you e-sign. Use HoneyBook or Dubsado for leads, portals and invoices. Use us when the wording still has to be agreed.
A clean split for a small studio: Dubsado or HoneyBook for onboarding; a freelancer agreement on Contracts.io when the job is large enough that the client will redline. The other side never pays us and never makes an account.
When to choose which
HoneyBook
- You want a guided clientflow CRM with proposals, contracts, invoices and payments on Starter.
- You are a UK independent who wants GBP billing, which HoneyBook published in May 2026.
- You prefer a templated setup over building Flows from scratch.
Dubsado
- You want proposal, contract and invoice in one send, plus a branded portal and (on Premier) Flows.
- You are a photographer, planner, designer or small studio that wants the process to match how you already work.
- You need sub-agreements, lead capture and payment plans in the same system.
Contracts.io
- The missing piece is agreeing the words, not the CRM.
- Both sides should draft and redline one shared contract, then e-sign.
- You want a free guest seat and GBP public prices.
The legal wording governs. See pricing and features.
Sources
We only repeat what each vendor publishes about itself. Prices checked October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dubsado or HoneyBook better for photographers?
Both name photographers. Dubsado’s materials emphasise branded portals, Flows and proposal-plus-contract-plus-invoice. HoneyBook emphasises a guided clientflow CRM. Pick from their sites based on how much automation you want to build. Neither is a two-sided contract room.
Does Dubsado work in the UK?
Dubsado sells worldwide and names a UK GDPR representative. Its published prices are USD. It does not publish a UK-localised pricing page on the URLs we checked. HoneyBook did publish a UK launch with GBP billing in May 2026.
Can a client redline a Dubsado or HoneyBook contract?
Not as two-sided drafting. HoneyBook: fill fields, e-sign, accept changes and re-sign. Dubsado: send for e-sign, then the file locks. On Contracts.io both sides edit one link.
Does Contracts.io include a client portal?
No. We send one share link. The other side opens it free, negotiates and signs. For a branded portal, HoneyBook or Dubsado is the better product.
Does the other side need an account on Contracts.io?
No. They never pay and never make an account. They get their own private Lex on the same paper.
Should I use a CRM and Contracts.io together?
Yes, if you want both jobs done well. Keep HoneyBook or Dubsado for leads, invoices and the portal. Use us when the wording still has to be agreed, then e-sign.