If you’ve been struggling to decide between HoneyBook vs Dubsado because you’ve heard such great things about them, let me help you choose!
I’m actually a big fan of both tools, but I switched to HoneyBook because it’s easier to set up and helps me simplify and streamline my business.
I guess I’m getting ahead of myself though so let’s start with the basics.
What is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tool?
Customer Relationship Managers help you interact with past, present, and potential customers. They allow you to automate your processes so you can save a ton of time, look more professional, and impress your clients which will help drive referrals to your business.
A CRM can help you:
- Capture new leads
- Send proposals, contracts, and invoices
- Collect payments from clients
- Schedule meetings
- Automate client onboarding
- Streamline your biz
Some of the most popular CRMs include:
- HoneyBook
- Dubsado
- 17Hats
- HubSpot
- Zoho
Why do I need a CRM?
If you offer a service for your customers or clients, you MUST have a CRM.
Sure, you can try to hack your onboarding together by putting a form on your website, responding to them in a timely manner (but probably not), emailing back and forth to set up a meeting, sending contracts through another program to collect signatures, emailing some more to get your invoice paid…
Or —
You can get a CRM and automate your onboarding like a real CEO. Here’s an example of onboarding a client with a good CRM:
- Client fills out the form on your website and immediately sets a meeting with you by choosing from available times on your scheduler.
- They receive a confirmation email as soon as they schedule with a welcome message from you and a link for their meeting.
- Your CRM creates a task on your calendar for you to research the client and prep for the meeting.
- After a fantastic meeting, you trigger a workflow with one click to send the client your intake questionnaire, contract, and invoice.
- The client fills everything out and you get paid!
Bam! And you barely had to lift a finger. This is the power of automation.
Why I Started with Dubsado
When I first started offering 1-1 support with TheOrganizedCEO, I knew I wanted to have a great system in place to automate the process. I read all the HoneyBook vs Dubsado articles, but everyone I knew was raving about Dubsado.
“Their customer support is amazing…”
“It’s so easy to use…”
“It comes with so many features…”
Combine that with their impressive marketing, and I was hooked. I HAD to have this new shiny toy.
I paid for a year of Dubsado upfront and got started setting it up. As you might expect, I live for learning new tools and getting everything organized. Unfortunately, my excitement for Dubsado started wearing off as I spent day after day after day going through all their support documents and trying to get everything working properly.
It was tough! Even for a big systems and processes nerd like me, Dubsado became a huge undertaking that made me feel completely overwhelmed. And frankly, a little stupid for not being able to master it.
I eventually settled for mostly-ok workflows and moved on, convinced that I would just have to hire someone to finish setting things up and testing them for me.
Why I Switched to HoneyBook
A few months after I started using Dubsado, HoneyBook reached out to me and asked if I would like to become an HB Educator. I was having some regret over Dubsado so I jumped at the chance to learn more.
During our meeting, I asked a ton of questions and got a wonderful tour of everything HoneyBook has to offer. I fell in love immediately! It was so much simpler and I knew it would only take me a couple of hours to learn and then set up.
*Honest moment - They also offered me a free account for life. So simple + free made it easier for me to make the switch.
Pros and Cons of Dubsado
What made it hard to leave Dubsado?
- The best customer service on the planet
- Slightly lower processing fees through Stripe + PayPal
- Better customization and white-labeling
- More automation features
- 3 client trial instead of a certain number of days
Get 20% off your first year of Dubsado!
Why did I stop using Dubsado?
- It was overwhelming to set up and test the workflows
- I felt like I could never get things working right
- They don’t have an app (but they are working on this)
Pros and Cons of HoneyBook
Why did I finally switch to HoneyBook?
- Much simpler and easier to set up
- I just needed to capture leads, send invoices and forms, and get paid
- Great app that I can use while I’m out and about
- No stressing over whether I have things set up correctly
Get 35% off with my HoneyBook educator link!
What do I not like about HoneyBook?
- I can’t customize as much as I’d like
- Slightly higher processing fees (3% vs 2.9%)
- Slightly higher pricing plans
- 7-day trial isn’t long enough
In the end, what was most important to me was having something simple and stress-free for client management. Period. And that’s why I made the switch.
Honeybook vs Dubsado: Which CRM is best for your online business?
HoneyBook is best for you if:
- You want a simple solution for leads and invoices
- You don’t have days to spend learning new software
- You are okay with connecting your bank account
- You want an app so you can work on the go
Dubsado is best for you if:
- You can afford to pay an expert to set it up (usually starts around $800)
- You have plenty of time and patience to learn how to use it
- You have complex services and need more automation features
- You need to use Stripe or PayPal for payments
- You want a longer free-trial
Take Action
Are you ready to take your services to the next level? Do you want your clients to view you as an expert in your niche?
It’s time for you to get a CRM!
- Take some time (but not a long time!) to decide which tool is best for your business.
- Sign up for the free trial and set up your account.
- Learn as much as you can about your new tool and try out all the features.
- Map out your onboarding process and build it in your new CRM.
- Test, test, and test some more!
