HoneyBook vs Dubsado: Which CRM Is Right for Your Business?
HoneyBook and Dubsado can both manage your clients, automate processes, collect payments, and create a professional client experience. But they aren't identical.
After working with both platforms, I've found that the better choice depends less on which platform has "more features" and more on what your business needs from its CRM.
Quick answer
If you... | I'd lean toward... |
Want an easier design experience | HoneyBook |
Are new to CRMs | HoneyBook |
Run a coaching/consulting business | HoneyBook |
Sell digital products | HoneyBook |
Need multiple payment processor options | Dubsado |
Want highly customized forms | Dubsado |
Can work with HTML/CSS | Dubsado |
Prefer straightforward automation | Dubsado |
Need extensive customization | Dubsado |
Neither is universally better. Your business determines the better fit.
1. CRM & Client Management
Both platforms can take you through the major stages of the client journey:
Inquiry → Lead Management → Proposal → Contract → Payment → Onboarding → Delivery
HoneyBook
HoneyBook lets you create forms, manage leads, send proposals and contracts, invoice clients, schedule appointments, and automate different parts of the client journey.
Dubsado
Dubsado offers many of the same capabilities, including forms, proposals, contracts, invoices, scheduling, client portals, and workflows.
Verdict: Tie. Both are capable CRM platforms. The difference comes down to how you want to build and manage your process.
2. Automation
This is one area where I don't think the old comparison of "HoneyBook is simple and Dubsado is advanced" tells the full story anymore.
HoneyBook
HoneyBook has significantly expanded its automation capabilities. You can build more sophisticated processes than you could in the past.
However, because there are now more options available, the automation system can feel overwhelming when you're new to the platform.
Dubsado
Dubsado also offers powerful automation.
What I personally like about Dubsado is that its automation feels very straightforward to build and follow.
You can think of it as:
When this happens → do this → then do this.
That simplicity is one of the reasons I often prefer working with Dubsado when building more customized client processes.
Verdict: Dubsado wins for me—not because HoneyBook's automation is basic, but because I find Dubsado's automation more straightforward to work with.
3. Forms & Design
This is where the two platforms take noticeably different approaches.
🎨 HoneyBook
Best for beginners and aesthetics
HoneyBook's form designer is easier to work with if you want a professional-looking form without touching code.
If you're not technical and want your forms to look polished, HoneyBook has a major advantage.
💻 Dubsado
Best for customization
Dubsado also allows you to create attractive forms without coding.
However, if you want to take the design further—such as importing custom fonts, making extensive background changes, or controlling other visual elements—HTML/CSS knowledge can give you significantly more control.
My rule of thumb:
Can't code + want beautiful forms? → HoneyBook
Can code + want deeper customization? → Dubsado
Verdict:🏆 HoneyBook for ease of design🏆 Dubsado for customization
4. Payment Options
This is another area worth considering before choosing your CRM.
HoneyBook
HoneyBook provides payment options for clients such as credit/debit card and bank-related payment methods, depending on the payment setup and region available to your account.
Its payment experience is designed to keep the client journey within HoneyBook.
Dubsado
Dubsado gives you more flexibility around payment processors, with integrations/options that can include Stripe, Square, and PayPal, depending on availability and configuration.
This can be particularly useful if you already have a preferred payment processor or want to give clients more payment options.
My take:
Want more payment processor flexibility? → Dubsado
Want a straightforward integrated payment experience? → HoneyBook
Verdict: Dubsado wins for payment flexibility.
5. Scheduling
This is one of the areas where I would pay close attention to what type of business you run.
HoneyBook
HoneyBook's scheduler can support appointments where multiple attendees can participate, which can be particularly useful for coaches, consultants, group sessions, and businesses where several people need to attend the same appointment.
Dubsado
Dubsado also has scheduling functionality, but the way it handles certain multi-attendee scenarios can be different.
If your business relies heavily on consultations or sessions involving multiple participants, this can be an important factor when choosing your CRM.
My take:
For coaches and consultants who frequently schedule sessions involving multiple attendees, I'd lean toward HoneyBook.
6. Digital Products
If you sell digital products, your CRM needs to do more than simply collect money.
You also need a simple way to get the product to the customer.
HoneyBook
One thing I like about HoneyBook for digital products is the ability to include a product/access link within the invoice, creating a straightforward connection between payment and delivery.
For a business selling templates, guides, downloads, or other digital products, this can make the process very convenient.
My pick for digital products: HoneyBook.
7. Which One Is Easier?
This depends on what you're trying to make easy.
HoneyBook
Easier if your priority is:
Design → Client experience → Getting started
Dubsado
Easier if your priority is:
Customization → Control → Building your own process
Neither platform is "easy" in every area.
And this is where having someone experienced with both platforms can make a big difference.
8. Which CRM Should You Choose?
Instead of asking:
"Which CRM is better?"
Ask:
"Which CRM fits the way my business works?"
Choose HoneyBook if you:
✓ Want an easy-to-design client experience✓ Are new to CRM systems✓ Run a coaching or consulting business✓ Rely heavily on scheduling✓ Sell digital products✓ Don't want to deal with coding✓ Want powerful automation in an approachable platform
Choose Dubsado if you:
✓ Want deeper customization✓ Need more payment processor flexibility✓ Can work with HTML/CSS✓ Want more control over form design✓ Prefer straightforward automation✓ Have a more customized client journey✓ Want greater control over how your system is built
HoneyBook vs Dubsado: My Overall Take
There isn't a universal winner.
🏆 HoneyBook
Best for:Ease of use • Design • Coaches & Consultants • Digital Products • Scheduling
🏆 Dubsado
Best for:Customization • Payment flexibility • Coding • Straightforward automation • Complex client processes
And here's the important part:
A CRM is only as good as the system built inside it.
I've seen businesses with excellent CRM platforms struggle because their systems weren't set up around how they actually operate.
The goal isn't to build the most complicated system.
The goal is to build the right one.
Still Can't Decide?
Which CRM Is Right for You?
Whether you're a photographer, event planner, event rental business, coach, consultant, videographer, hair & makeup artist, dog trainer, digital service provider, or another service-based business, start by asking yourself:
Are you prioritizing aesthetics or functionality?
If you want beautiful, easy-to-design forms and a simpler client experience, HoneyBook may be the better fit.
If your business requires detailed onboarding, multiple process steps, and customized workflows, Dubsado may be worth considering.
Still confused? Book a consultation and let's find the right CRM for your business.
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