HoneyBook vs Dubsado
HoneyBook and Dubsado do the same job for photographers, planners, designers, coaches and other service businesses: capture the lead, send the proposal and contract, collect the payments and keep the client organized. Both include e-signatures. They differ in price, in how they split features between plans and in how many people you can add. Here's a neutral comparison from both companies' own pages as of November 2026, and a short word on where SignMaster does and doesn't fit.
Updated November 9, 2026 · 3 min read
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The short answer
Dubsado costs less, especially paid yearly, and says three additional users are free, with automated workflows and scheduling on its Premier plan. HoneyBook costs more but bundles more: a fuller payments experience with autopay, tipping and digital wallets, HoneyBook AI on every plan, and finance tools such as a checking account and expense tracking.
Both offer free trials, so the fastest way to decide is to rebuild one real client flow in each: inquiry form, proposal with contract, first invoice, and the reminder that follows.
HoneyBook and Dubsado side by side
| HoneyBook | Dubsado | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter, $36 a month billed monthly | Starter, $35 a month or $335 a year |
| Full plan | Essentials, $59 a month; Premium, $129 | Premier, $55 a month or $525 a year |
| Yearly billing | Discounted; $30, $38 and $83 a month under a seasonal offer on November 9, 2026 | About two months free |
| Team | Up to 2 team members on Essentials, unlimited on Premium | 3 additional users free, then $25 to $60 a month by team size |
| Trial and guarantee | Free trial, 60-day money-back guarantee | 21-day trial of Premier, no card |
| Contracts and e-signatures | Every plan, with lawyer-approved templates | Both plans, with smart fields and countersigning |
| Invoices and payments | Every plan; card fees from 2.9% + 25¢, ACH 1.5% | Both plans, through Stripe, with payment plans |
| Scheduler | One session on Starter, unlimited from Essentials | Premier |
| Automations | Essentials and up | Workflows on Premier |
| Lead forms | 2 on Starter, 10 on Essentials, unlimited on Premium | 1 on Starter, unlimited on Premier |
| Accounting | QuickBooks Online from Essentials | Bookkeeping integration on Premier |
| More than one brand | Multiple companies on Premium | $10 a month per extra brand |
Figures come from HoneyBook's pricing and online contract pages and Dubsado's pricing, contracts and payments pages, read on November 9, 2026. HoneyBook's yearly prices were discounted by a seasonal offer, so check its page before comparing yearly totals.
What a small studio pays
A solo owner who wants a scheduler and automations pays $59 a month for HoneyBook Essentials billed monthly, $708 a year, or $525 a year for Dubsado Premier. An owner with three assistants outgrows HoneyBook Essentials, which stops at 2 team members, and moves to Premium at $129 a month billed monthly, $1,548 a year. On Dubsado, which says three additional users are free, Premier stays at $525 a year.
Where HoneyBook is stronger
- Getting paid. Autopay, payment plans, tips, late fees, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and instant deposit for a 1% fee, with fraud monitoring and dispute help.
- AI throughout. HoneyBook AI is listed on every plan, and its features include email drafts, a meeting notetaker, follow-up suggestions and an AI automations builder.
- Money management. HoneyBook Balance, savings buckets, expense tracking and a tax hub sit next to your client work.
- Contract templates to start from, which HoneyBook describes as lawyer-approved, with a note that they aren't legal advice.
- A 60-day money-back guarantee.
Where Dubsado is stronger
- Price. Premier, with workflows and scheduling, is $525 a year.
- Team members. Dubsado says three additional users are free, with paid tiers only after that.
- Workflows you shape yourself. Premier's automated workflows take over repetitive steps, like sending the next form or reminder.
- Several brands, cheaply. Each extra brand is $10 a month.
- A trial with everything. 21 days of full Premier access with no card.
Which to choose, by situation
- A solo photographer or planner on a budget: Dubsado Starter or Premier.
- A business that wants clients to pay as easily as possible: HoneyBook.
- A studio with three or four people: Dubsado, unless HoneyBook Premium's extras matter to you.
- Someone who wants AI help writing and following up: HoneyBook.
Where SignMaster fits
Honestly, for most HoneyBook and Dubsado customers, it doesn't replace either. SignMaster only gets documents signed: no invoices, payments, lead forms or scheduler. If you take retainers, keep the contract where the invoice lives.
It fits when signing is the whole job, or for the paperwork outside your client flow: model releases signed on location with in-person signing, vendor or venue agreements, or one form sent to a list with bulk send. Solo is $15 a month with unlimited envelopes. See the HoneyBook and Dubsado alternative pages for more.
Questions? Answers.
Is Dubsado cheaper than HoneyBook?
Yes, on list prices. Dubsado Premier is $525 a year or $55 a month; HoneyBook Essentials is $59 a month billed monthly and Premium $129. HoneyBook's yearly prices were lower under a seasonal offer when we checked.
Do both include contracts and e-signatures?
Yes. HoneyBook includes proposals and contracts on every plan, and Dubsado includes contracts with e-signatures on both of its plans.
Which one has more team seats?
Dubsado says three additional users are free, then charges by team size. HoneyBook allows up to 2 team members on Essentials and unlimited on Premium.
Which payment processors do they use?
Dubsado says its payments are built on Stripe. HoneyBook's pricing page doesn't name a processor; it lists card fees starting at 2.9% + 25¢ and 1.5% on ACH.
Where do these figures come from?
From HoneyBook's pricing and online contract pages and Dubsado's pricing, contracts and payments pages, read on November 9, 2026, in US dollars.
Sources
- HoneyBook pricing · honeybook.com
- HoneyBook online contracts · honeybook.com
- Dubsado pricing · dubsado.com
- Dubsado: legally binding contracts · dubsado.com
- Dubsado: accept payments · dubsado.com