Freelance Business Growth

Top 7 HoneyBook Alternatives for 2025

November 11, 2025
Last Updated
9 Min
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Top 7 HoneyBook Alternatives for 2025

Your agency just hit 5 people. HoneyBook sends you an email: upgrade to Premium for $109/month. That’s $1,308 per year for features you barely use because HoneyBook was built for wedding planners, not software agencies.

You don’t need beautiful client galleries or automated questionnaires for brides. You need time tracking that connects to invoices. You need project management where your team can actually collaborate. You need pricing that doesn’t triple when you add your sixth employee.

HoneyBook works great if you’re a photographer managing individual clients. But agencies billing by the hour? You’re paying for the wrong features while missing the ones you actually need.

Here are seven HoneyBook alternatives that understand what agencies actually do.

1. Tymora: Best HoneyBook Alternative for Time Tracking & Billing Agencies

HoneyBook doesn’t have time tracking. Neither does it understand agencies that bill clients by the hour. Tymora was built specifically for this.

What it does: Complete business management platform where tracked time automatically becomes invoices. No manual data transfer between systems.

The workflow: Your team tracks time with the desktop app. Hours go into timesheets. Manager approves. The system generates an invoice with everyone’s billing rates already calculated. That’s it.

What you get:

  • Desktop time tracker for Mac and Windows with productivity metrics
  • Full Kanban project management with sprint planning and burndown charts
  • One-click timesheet to invoice conversion
  • CRM with contract management and milestones
  • P&L dashboard showing project profitability
  • White-label branding option

Pricing:

  • Freelancers Plan: $19/month (3 users)
  • Agency Plan: $35/month (10 users)
  • Scale Plan: $70/month (unlimited users)

Perfect for: Development agencies, marketing firms, consulting companies, IT services. Anyone billing by the hour.

What works:

  • Save $74/month compared to HoneyBook Premium ($35 vs $109)
  • Actual time tracking (HoneyBook has zero time tracking features)
  • Automated invoice generation from approved hours
  • Flat-rate pricing instead of per-user fees
  • Better project management than HoneyBook’s basic task lists

What doesn’t:

  • Payment gateway integration coming soon (manual payment tracking for now)
  • Newer platform without HoneyBook’s brand recognition
  • Less focus on beautiful client-facing proposals

HoneyBook vs Tymora: If you’re a wedding photographer, stick with HoneyBook. If you’re a 10-person dev agency billing $150/hour, Tymora saves you $888/year plus 10 hours monthly on admin work.

2. Bonsai: Best All-Around HoneyBook Alternative

Bonsai started for freelancers but works well for small agencies that prioritize contracts and proposals over everything else.

What it does: All-in-one platform focused on winning clients with professional proposals, then managing the relationship through invoicing and basic project tracking.

What you get:

  • Legally reviewed contract and proposal templates
  • E-signature workflow for agreements
  • Browser-based time tracking
  • Automated invoicing with Stripe/PayPal integration
  • Tax estimation and expense tracking
  • Client portal for document sharing

Pricing:

  • Starter: $25/user/month (annual billing)
  • Professional: $39/user/month (annual billing)
  • Business: $79/user/month (annual billing)

Perfect for: 2-5 person agencies where winning business with proposals matters more than detailed project management.

What works:

  • Contract templates better than HoneyBook’s
  • Built-in payment processing (HoneyBook and Tymora don’t have this yet)
  • Comprehensive tax tools for freelancers and small agencies
  • Good mobile app for working on the go

What doesn’t:

  • 10 people at $25/user = $250/month (vs Tymora $35 or HoneyBook $109)
  • No desktop time tracking app (browser only)
  • Project management is basic compared to dedicated tools
  • Per-user pricing gets expensive fast

When to pick Bonsai over HoneyBook: You need stronger contract features and integrated payment processing, but you’re a small team (under 5 people) willing to pay per-user pricing.

3. Dubsado: Best for Service-Based Agencies

Dubsado and HoneyBook compete directly for the same market: service-based businesses that need client management and workflow automation. Dubsado wins on automation complexity.

What it does: CRM and workflow automation platform for service providers who run the same client process repeatedly.

What you get:

  • Advanced workflow automation with conditional logic
  • Client portal with branded experience
  • Scheduler with calendar integration
  • Forms, questionnaires, and lead capture
  • Contract and proposal templates
  • Invoice creation and basic payment tracking

Pricing:

  • Starter: $20/month (1 user)
  • Premier: $40/month (1 user + $25 per 4 additional users)

Perfect for: Coaching businesses, consulting firms, creative service providers who run standardized client processes.

What works:

  • More sophisticated automation than HoneyBook
  • Better for complex, multi-step client workflows
  • Scheduler integration works well
  • Not per-user pricing like Bonsai

What doesn’t:

  • Steeper learning curve than HoneyBook
  • No time tracking at all
  • Minimal project management features
  • Still focused on service businesses, not development/marketing agencies

HoneyBook vs Dubsado reality: Both serve the same creative/service market. Dubsado offers more powerful automation. HoneyBook has a prettier interface. Neither is built for agencies that bill by the hour.

4. 17hats: Best Budget HoneyBook Alternative Under $50

17hats strips away the fancy features and gives you basic business management at a price that won’t make your accountant cry.

What it does: Simple all-in-one platform for solo entrepreneurs and tiny teams who need the basics without complexity.

What you get:

  • Lead capture and contact management
  • Contract and proposal templates
  • Basic invoicing and payment tracking
  • Time tracking (very basic)
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Project workflow tracking

Pricing:

  • $55/month flat (up to 3 users included)

Perfect for: 1-3 person agencies or solo consultants who want one tool instead of five.

What works:

  • Flat $55/month beats HoneyBook’s $66/month for 2 users
  • Simpler interface than HoneyBook (easier to learn)
  • No per-user pricing up to 3 people
  • Covers the basics adequately

What doesn’t:

  • Hard limit at 3 users (can’t scale)
  • Very basic project management
  • Time tracking is rudimentary
  • Smaller template library than HoneyBook

The budget calculation: For 2-3 person service businesses, $55/month flat beats HoneyBook’s Essentials plan at $66/month. But you can’t grow past 3 people.

5. Plutio: Best HoneyBook Alternative for Remote Agency Teams

Plutio built collaboration features into the core platform instead of making you use Slack alongside your business management tool.

What it does: All-in-one agency management with built-in team chat, time tracking, and collaboration features for remote teams.

What you get:

  • Built-in team chat and comments
  • Time tracking with productivity insights
  • Proposal and contract creation
  • Project management with task boards
  • Invoice creation and basic accounting
  • White-label portal for clients

Pricing:

  • Solo: $19/month (unlimited clients)
  • Studio: $39/month (unlimited team members)
  • Agency: $99/month (5 businesses under one account)

Perfect for: Remote agencies where team communication and collaboration drive everything.

What works:

  • Unlimited team members at $39/month (HoneyBook charges $109 for Premium)
  • Built-in collaboration tools (no need for separate Slack)
  • White-label client portal included
  • Time tracking built in (HoneyBook has none)

What doesn’t:

  • Interface feels cluttered with so many features
  • Less polished than HoneyBook’s sleek design
  • Smaller user community
  • Learning curve for all the features

Why choose over HoneyBook: Your remote team needs collaboration built into the platform, and you want to save $70/month compared to HoneyBook Premium while getting more features.

6. Moxie: Best HoneyBook Alternative for Design & Creative Agencies

Moxie focuses on what creative agencies actually care about: project profitability, capacity planning, and financial analytics.

What it does: Agency management platform with robust financial tracking and project profitability analysis.

What you get:

  • Budget tracking and project profitability
  • Capacity planning across team
  • Time tracking by project
  • Client management and proposals
  • Invoice creation
  • Financial analytics dashboard

Pricing:

  • Solo: $20/month (1 user)
  • Studio: $35/month (up to 5 users)
  • Agency: Custom pricing

Perfect for: Design agencies, creative studios, marketing firms that need to track project margins closely.

What works:

  • Better financial insights than HoneyBook
  • Capacity planning helps with resource allocation
  • Project profitability tracking shows which clients are profitable
  • Modern, clean interface

What doesn’t:

  • Newer platform (less established than HoneyBook)
  • Still building out feature set
  • Per-user pricing for larger teams
  • Smaller template library

When to choose Moxie: You’re a creative agency that needs to know which projects make money and which ones drain resources. HoneyBook doesn’t show you this.

7. Sprout Studio: Best for Photography & Creative Studios

Sprout Studio is HoneyBook’s direct competitor in the photography and creative studio market. If you’re in that space, this comparison matters.

What it does: Complete studio management specifically for photographers, videographers, and creative professionals.

What you get:

  • Client gallery hosting and sharing
  • Contract and proposal templates
  • Booking and scheduling
  • Invoice creation and payment processing
  • Questionnaires and workflows
  • Email marketing integration

Pricing:

  • $27/month (unlimited clients, one user)
  • Additional users: $12/month each

Perfect for: Photography studios, video production companies, creative professionals managing client projects.

What works:

  • Better gallery features than HoneyBook
  • Photography-specific workflows and templates
  • Cheaper than HoneyBook ($27 vs $39)
  • Unlimited clients included

What doesn’t:

  • Too niche for non-creative agencies
  • No time tracking features
  • Limited project management
  • Really built for photographers, not agencies

Sprout Studio vs HoneyBook: If you’re a photographer, Sprout Studio gives you better gallery features for less money. If you’re a software agency, neither tool fits your needs.

Quick Comparison: HoneyBook vs Alternatives

ToolBest ForStarting PriceTeam FeaturesKey Advantage
TymoraTime tracking and billing$35 per month (10 users)Full collaborationTimesheet to invoice automation
BonsaiContract focused agencies$24 per user per monthBasic team featuresStrongest contract templates
DubsadoService businesses$40 per month (1 user)Workflow automationAdvanced client workflows
17hatsBudget conscious teams$55 per month (3 users)LimitedCheapest all in one
PlutioRemote teams$19 per month (unlimited)Built in chatBest collaboration features
MoxieCreative agencies$20 per user per monthProject profitabilityFinancial analytics
Sprout StudioPhotography studios$27 per monthClient galleriesPhotography specific
HoneyBookCreative and event services$39 to $134 per monthLimitedClient experience focus

Stop Paying for Features You Don’t Need

HoneyBook built its reputation serving wedding photographers and event planners. Beautiful client galleries, automated questionnaires for brides, gorgeous proposal templates for creative services. They do those things exceptionally well.

You’re not that business. You’re an agency that bills by the hour. You need time tracking that connects to invoices. You need project management where your development team collaborates. You need pricing that scales with growth instead of punishing it.

When a 10-person agency switches from HoneyBook Premium ($109/month) to Tymora ($35/month), they save $888 annually. Plus 10-15 hours monthly on manual timesheet-to-invoice work that Tymora automates completely.

Ready to test a tool built for agencies? Start your free 14-day trial of Tymora. No credit card required. Track time on a real project, approve timesheets, and watch invoices generate automatically. If your team doesn’t save 5+ hours in week one, you’re probably doing it wrong.

Start Your Free Trial and stop paying for wedding planner features you’ll never use.

Pick the tool that matches your actual workflow. Test it with a real client project. Your team will tell you within a week if it works. The right HoneyBook alternative isn’t the one with the most features or the prettiest interface. It’s the one that solves your specific problem without making you want to throw your laptop.

1. What is the cheapest HoneyBook alternative for agencies?

17hats at $55/month for up to 3 users is the cheapest full-featured option. For larger teams, Tymora at $35/month for 10 users offers the best value. Plutio’s Studio plan at $39/month with unlimited team members is also cheaper than HoneyBook Premium ($109/month).

2. Can I use HoneyBook for free?

No, HoneyBook has no free plan. The cheapest option is $39/month for one user. Among alternatives, Plutio offers a limited free plan, and most platforms (Tymora, Bonsai, Dubsado) offer 14-day free trials with full feature access. ClickUp also has a generous free plan if you only need project management.

3. What’s better than HoneyBook for team collaboration?

Tymora and Plutio both beat HoneyBook for team collaboration. Tymora offers integrated time tracking with approval workflows where managers review timesheets before invoicing. Plutio has built-in team chat and commenting. HoneyBook’s team features are limited to basic task assignments.

4. Do any HoneyBook alternatives integrate with QuickBooks?

Bonsai has native QuickBooks integration. Moxie and Dubsado can export data for QuickBooks import. Tymora’s QuickBooks integration is coming soon; currently, you export data for manual import. Most platforms integrate with accounting software through Zapier if native integration isn’t available.

5. Which HoneyBook alternative is best for 10+ person agencies?

Tymora’s Scale plan at $70/month with unlimited users beats every competitor for large teams. HoneyBook Premium costs $134/month for unlimited users but lacks time tracking. Plutio at $39/month (unlimited users) works if you don’t need advanced time-to-invoice automation. Avoid per-user pricing tools like Bonsai ($250+/month for 10 users).

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