The HoneyBook Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HoneyBook in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HoneyBook
The Insider’s Guide
Client management, contracts and payments for independents
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among CRM tools, read from HoneyBook’s own pages.
Made by HoneyBook Inc. · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HoneyBook’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HoneyBook’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 35 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade
HoneyBook is a client management platform for independent businesses such as photographers, event planners, consultants and designers. It combines a project pipeline with proposals, contracts, invoices, online payments, scheduling and automations, so a lead can be booked and billed in one place. Plans are priced per account rather than per user, and the service is available only to businesses in the U.S., Canada, the UK and Australia.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about HoneyBook, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Outside those four countries, look elsewhere.
- 1
Best for one-person businesses that book and bill clients
HoneyBook is client management for photographers, planners and other independents: one file lets a client pick a package, sign and pay.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $29 / month, billed yearly ($36 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial, no credit card required; 60-day money-back guarantee after subscribing
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Project pipeline and client records
Leads and projects move through a customizable pipeline, and each client record holds contacts, conversations, files, notes and payments. Clients and projects are unlimited on every plan.
- 6
Proposals, contracts and invoices
Interactive files let a client choose services, sign a contract by eSignature and pay from a single document. A gallery of professionally designed file templates is included.
- 7
Online payments
Accepts cards, ACH bank transfers, Apple Pay and Google Pay, with payment plans, autopay, reminders and late fees. Processing fees are charged on each transaction.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 35 of 48
That is against the other CRM tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace HoneyBook you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
HoneyBook at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $29 / month, billed yearly ($36 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial, no credit card required; 60-day money-back guarantee after subscribing
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- HoneyBook Inc., since 2013
- Category
- CRM Software
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 16,313 ratings
The report card
Best for one-person businesses that book and bill clients
HoneyBook is client management for photographers, planners and other independents: one file lets a client pick a package, sign and pay. It only takes businesses in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, there's no free plan, automations start on Essentials at $49 a month, and it processes your payments itself at 2.9% + 25¢ a card payment. Outside those four countries, look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Starter is $29 a month on yearly billing for the whole account, not per person, mid-pack against the CRMs here. Automations wait for Essentials at $49, and card fees of about 2.9% come on top of everything. |
| Free plan and trial | C | There's no free plan. You get 30 days to try it with no card, and a 60-day money-back guarantee once you've paid. After that the bill starts at $29 a month yearly or $36 monthly. |
| Features | B | Proposals, contracts clients sign on screen, invoices, payment plans, a scheduler, lead forms, a client portal and automations. That covers booking and billing clients, and payments run through HoneyBook itself. Starter goes without the automations and without team members. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.8 from about 16,300 App Store ratings. There are hundreds of templates to start from, and once you've subscribed their team turns your old contracts and price lists into templates at no charge. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web, iPhone and Android, but you can only sign up if your business is in one of four countries. The phone app can't issue refunds or change settings, and the integrations page doesn't mention an API. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HoneyBook is for
- Fits if every job means a proposal, a contract and an invoice, like weddings, shoots and events
- Works for small studios that want one account price, as Premium is $109 for the whole team
Who it is not for
- Skip it if your business is outside the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, because you can't sign up
- Pricey if you're solo and want automations: Starter has none, so it's Essentials at $49 a month yearly
- Not for you if you'd rather keep your own card processor, as HoneyBook takes 2.9% + 25¢ a card payment itself
- Tight if you have a team: Starter allows none and Essentials stops at 2, so more means Premium at $109
- Watch out: the phone app can't issue refunds, change settings or reach lead forms, and no API is mentioned
Good to know
Good for
- Photographers, event planners and other independents who book clients
- Solo businesses that want contracts, invoices and payments in one tool
- Small studios that prefer a flat account price to per-user pricing
Worth knowing
- Available only to businesses in the U.S., Canada, the UK and Australia.
- Starter has no automations or team members, includes 1 scheduler session, and integrates only with email, calendar and Pic-Time.
- Team members are capped at 2 on Essentials; unlimited members, multiple companies and priority support need Premium at $109 a month.
- Payment processing costs extra: the pricing page quotes card fees from 2.7% + 10 cents in one place and 2.9% + 25 cents in another, plus 1.5% for ACH.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29
A month to start
HoneyBook is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $29 / month, billed yearly ($36 billed monthly).
Starter
$29
per month, billed yearly ($36 billed monthly)
Unlimited clients and projects, invoices, payments, proposals, contracts, client portal, basic reports, 1 scheduler session and up to 2 live lead forms.
Essentials
$49
per month, billed yearly ($59 billed monthly)
Adds unlimited scheduler sessions, automations, QuickBooks Online and Zapier integrations, up to 2 team members, 10 lead forms and SMS reminders.
Premium
$109
per month, billed yearly ($129 billed monthly)
Unlimited team members and lead forms, multiple companies under one account, advanced reports and priority support.
Trying it first
30-day free trial, no credit card required; 60-day money-back guarantee after subscribing
Read from honeybook.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save up to 18% with yearly billing
The pricing page states a saving of up to 18% for yearly billing: Starter is $29 a month billed yearly against $36 monthly, Essentials $49 against $59 and Premium $109 against $129.
Stated on honeybook.com
How its prices have moved
- Feb 9, 2025Starter: $16 per month, billed yearly → $29 per month, billed yearlyThe archived copy of 9 February 2025 shows Starter at $29 a month billed yearly; the copy before it, of 24 January 2025, shows $16. The price changed between the two.
- Feb 9, 2025Essentials: $32 per month, billed yearly → $49 per month, billed yearlyThe archived copy of 9 February 2025 shows Essentials at $49 a month billed yearly; the copy before it, of 24 January 2025, shows $32. The price changed between the two.
- Feb 9, 2025Premium: $66 per month, billed yearly → $109 per month, billed yearlyThe archived copy of 9 February 2025 shows Premium at $109 a month billed yearly; the copy before it, of 24 January 2025, shows $66. The price changed between the two.
- Mar 1, 2023Starter, Essentials and Premium: Unlimited Monthly at $39 per month, or Unlimited Annual at $390 per year → Starter $16, Essentials $32 and Premium $66 per month, billed annuallyThe archived copy of 1 March 2023 shows three plans, Starter, Essentials and Premium; the copy before it, of 4 February 2023, shows one Unlimited plan billed monthly or annually. The plans were replaced between the two.
- Jun 26, 2022Starter Plan: withdrawn (was $9 per month, limited to $10,000 in total transactions)The archived copy of 26 June 2022 lists only Unlimited Monthly and Unlimited Annual; the copy before it, of 14 March 2022, also has the $9 Starter Plan. The plan was withdrawn between the two.
- Apr 1, 2021Unlimited Annual: $400 per year → $390 per yearThe archived copy of 1 April 2021 shows Unlimited Annual at $390 a year; the copy before it, of 1 January 2021, shows a single membership billed annually at $400. The price changed between the two.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “HoneyBook Starter Plan”, against $38.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $51.99 | $36.54 | 6% less |
| Australia | $59.99 | $41.88 | 7% more |
| United Kingdom | £39.99 | $52.87 | 36% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Client management, contracts and payments for independents. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, templates, booking links, sales pipeline, workflow automation, forms, invoicing.
Proposals, contracts clients sign on screen, invoices, payment plans, a scheduler, lead forms, a client portal and automations.
- Project pipeline and client records
- Leads and projects move through a customizable pipeline, and each client record holds contacts, conversations, files, notes and payments. Clients and projects are unlimited on every plan.
- Proposals, contracts and invoices
- Interactive files let a client choose services, sign a contract by eSignature and pay from a single document. A gallery of professionally designed file templates is included.
- Online payments
- Accepts cards, ACH bank transfers, Apple Pay and Google Pay, with payment plans, autopay, reminders and late fees. Processing fees are charged on each transaction.
- Scheduler and lead forms
- Clients book sessions from shared availability and can pay while booking. Starter includes 1 session and 2 live lead forms; Essentials has unlimited sessions and 10 forms.
- Automations
- Workflows send messages, follow-ups, files and tasks on triggers, and an AI builder drafts a workflow from a description of your process. Both start on Essentials.
- HoneyBook AI
- AI drafts email replies, recaps projects before meetings, takes meeting notes and flags high-value leads. HoneyBook AI is listed on all three plans.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- QuickBooks Online
- Zapier
- Zoom
- Calendly
- Canva
- Flodesk
- Pic-Time
- ChatGPT
HoneyBook is made by HoneyBook Inc., and has been around since 2013.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
35/48
Other CRM tools it is graded above
HoneyBook's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 47 of 48) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $24 for the category: 29 of the 46 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 49 CRM tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. HoneyBook’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 18 of 48
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 48
- BFeaturesAbove 18 of 48
- AEase of useAbove 47 of 48
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 48
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 47 CRM tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HoneyBook is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace HoneyBook you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade. It costs $348 a year.
What you could make
- Sales pipeline, invoicing, forms and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Booking pages that read and write other people's calendars and send the emails.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. HoneyBook’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Dubsado, Keap, Capsule CRM and Less Annoying CRM
The 4 tools HoneyBook is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Dubsado
Free trial · from $335/yr
Client management, contracts and invoicing for service businesses.
- HoneyBook also covers sales pipeline.
- Dubsado also covers time tracking and reports.
- 2.2GPA
Keap
Free trial · from $299/mo
CRM with sales and marketing automation for small businesses.
- HoneyBook also covers templates.
- Keap also covers marketing automation.
- 2.2GPA
Capsule CRM
Free plan · from $18/mo
Small-business CRM for contacts, sales pipelines and projects.
- Capsule CRM has a free plan. HoneyBook does not, though it has a free trial.
- HoneyBook also covers templates, booking links, forms and invoicing.
- Capsule CRM also covers tasks, kanban boards and reports.
- 2.4GPA
Less Annoying CRM
Free trial · from $15/mo
Simple CRM for small businesses at one flat per-user price.
- Only HoneyBook lists iOS and Android apps.
- HoneyBook also covers templates, booking links, workflow automation and invoicing.
- Less Annoying CRM also covers tasks, calendar and reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is HoneyBook free?
No, HoneyBook is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial, no credit card required; 60-day money-back guarantee after subscribing.
How much does HoneyBook cost?
HoneyBook lists 3 plans. Starter: $29 per month, billed yearly ($36 billed monthly).
What platforms does HoneyBook work on?
HoneyBook is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does HoneyBook offer any discounts?
HoneyBook publicly lists the following: Save up to 18% with yearly billing.
How is HoneyBook rated?
HoneyBook's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16,313 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does HoneyBook have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. HoneyBook is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does HoneyBook have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. HoneyBook is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is HoneyBook open source?
HoneyBook is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does HoneyBook integrate with?
HoneyBook's listing names QuickBooks Online, Zapier, Zoom, Calendly, Canva, Flodesk, Pic-Time and ChatGPT.
Who makes HoneyBook?
HoneyBook is made by HoneyBook Inc. It dates from 2013.
What are the alternatives to HoneyBook?
The closest alternatives to HoneyBook in our directory are Dubsado, Keap, Capsule CRM and Less Annoying CRM.
How does HoneyBook compare with other CRM tools?
HoneyBook's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 4.
Is HoneyBook good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HoneyBook C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $24 for the category: 29 of the 46 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of HoneyBook?
To replace HoneyBook you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HoneyBook’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Based on HoneyBook's home, pricing, CRM, payments, automations and integrations pages and two help centre articles as of 9 October 2026, and its App Store reviews. We found no Hacker News comments about it from the last two years. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-09-18.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by HoneyBook Inc. Prices change, so check honeybook.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HoneyBook, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/honeybook
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HoneyBook: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/honeybook
Know someone choosing between CRM tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/honeybook/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded CRM tools after HoneyBook, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- CRM Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 49 CRM tools we grade, compared
- HubSpot Insider's GuideFree CRM at the center of a marketing, sales and service suite3.2 GPA
- Bigin by Zoho CRM Insider's GuidePipeline-based CRM from Zoho for small businesses2.8 GPA
- Bitrix24 Insider's GuideFlat-priced CRM with tasks, chat, video calls and a site builder2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HoneyBook’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HoneyBook is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by HoneyBook Inc. Prices and plans change: check honeybook.com before you buy.