The Price Keeps Going Up
HoneyBook has raised prices multiple times. At $36-129/month, you're paying for CRM, booking, and portal features that many freelancers never touch.
HoneyBook pricing history and reviews
HoneyBook Alternative
$36/Month for Invoicing?
That's Too Expensive.
HoneyBook is a CRM, booking system, and invoicing tool rolled into one at $36-129/month. For freelancers who just need to send invoices and get paid, that's a lot of money for features you won't use.
3 free invoicesNo card requiredProfessional invoicing at a price that makes sense
Why people compare
Why Freelancers Switch from HoneyBook
Built for Event Professionals
HoneyBook's UX is optimized for photographers, event planners, and wedding vendors. Consultants, writers, and developers often find the workflow doesn't fit.
Target market analysis
More Clicks Than Necessary
Creating an invoice means navigating through projects, clients, and workflows. For simple freelance work, that's unnecessary friction.
UX workflow comparison
Honest comparison
Quidbill vs HoneyBook: Honest Comparison
Quidbill is deliberately narrower: invoice fast, track payment status, keep follow-up visible, and leave full accounting suites to teams that really need them.
CapabilityQuidbillHoneyBook
Monthly Price
Quidbill$19/month
HoneyBook$36-129/month
Annual Price
Quidbill$99/year (founding) / $149/year (regular)
HoneyBook$360-1,548/year
Time to First Invoice
Quidbill30 seconds
HoneyBook10-15 minutes
Client Limits
QuidbillUnlimited
HoneyBookUnlimited
CRM Features
QuidbillBasic client list
HoneyBookFull CRM
Booking/Scheduling
Quidbill
HoneyBook
Client Portal
Quidbill
HoneyBook
Contracts
Quidbill
HoneyBook
Payment Processing
QuidbillManual tracking and payment instructions
HoneyBookYes (3% + 30¢)
Learning Curve
QuidbillNone
HoneyBookSteep
Target User
QuidbillAll freelancers
HoneyBookEvent professionals
Bottom line
HoneyBook is excellent for photographers, wedding planners, and event professionals who need CRM, booking, and client management. For freelancers who just need fast invoicing, it's expensive overkill.
Decision guide
Which Tool is Right for You?
Choose Quidbill if
- You just need invoicing, not a full CRM
- You don't need booking or scheduling
- Your client workflow is simple
- You want to save $17-110+/month
- You're not in the events industry
- You value speed and simplicity
Choose HoneyBook if
- You're a photographer or event professional
- You need online booking and scheduling
- You want a full client portal
- You manage complex client workflows
- CRM features are essential to your business
- You need integrated contracts and proposals
The HoneyBook Reality Check
HoneyBook started as a tool for wedding professionals. It's excellent at what it does:
- Client management for creative businesses
- Online booking and scheduling
- Contract signing and client portals
- Project-based workflows
But here's the thing: most freelancers don't need all that.
Who Actually Needs HoneyBook?
HoneyBook is genuinely great for:
- Wedding photographers who manage complex client journeys
- Event planners who need booking and contracts in one place
- Creative agencies with multiple team members
- High-touch service providers who want client portals
Who Doesn't Need HoneyBook?
For most freelancers, HoneyBook is overkill:
- Consultants who invoice after calls
- Developers who bill for completed work
- Writers who send monthly retainer invoices
- Designers who invoice per project
- Coaches who charge per session
If your workflow is "do work → send invoice → get paid," you don't need a CRM or booking system.
The Math: HoneyBook vs Quidbill + Calendly
| HoneyBook | Quidbill + Calendly | |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ (Quidbill) |
| Scheduling | ✓ | ✓ (Calendly free) |
| Monthly Cost | $36-129 | $19 |
| Annual Savings | - | $204-1,320 |
| Focused Tools | No | Yes |
For most freelancers, specialized tools work better than all-in-one suites.
When to Stay with HoneyBook
To be honest—if these apply to you, HoneyBook might be worth the price:
- You've built your entire workflow around HoneyBook and switching would be disruptive
- You actively use the CRM, booking, and portal features every week
- You're in the events industry where HoneyBook is designed for your needs
- Your clients expect a portal and would be confused by email invoices
But if you're just using HoneyBook for invoicing, you're leaving money on the table.
Migration path
Switching from HoneyBook is Simple
Keep the invoicing, lose the complexity
Start your migration$19/month. Cancel anytime. 3 free invoices first.
- 01
Export your HoneyBook clients
Go to HoneyBook → Contacts → Export. Download as CSV.
- 02
Sign up for Quidbill (30 seconds)
No credit card required. Just email and business name.
- 03
Import your clients (2 minutes)
Upload your CSV. Quidbill handles the mapping.
- 04
Save $17-110/month
Cancel HoneyBook or downgrade. Use those savings for marketing or coffee.
Questions
Questions from HoneyBook Users
What about my booking and scheduling?
Quidbill doesn't include booking. For scheduling, I recommend Calendly (free tier available) or Cal.com (open source). They're better at scheduling than HoneyBook anyway, and using them with Quidbill is still cheaper than HoneyBook.
I like HoneyBook's client portal. Does Quidbill have that?
Not currently. If client portals are essential to your workflow, HoneyBook might be the right choice. For most freelancers, a simple invoice email works just as well—and your clients probably prefer it to logging into another portal.
Is Quidbill good for photographers?
Quidbill is great for photographers who want simple invoicing. If you need galleries, client proofing, and complex packages, a photography-specific tool might be better. But if you just need to invoice clients for shoots, Quidbill works great.
Can I use Quidbill with Calendly for booking?
Absolutely! Many freelancers use Calendly for booking and Quidbill for invoicing. Together, they're cheaper than HoneyBook and better at their respective functions.
Final call
Stop Overpaying for Features You Don't Need
HoneyBook is built for event professionals. If you just need invoicing, Quidbill is faster, simpler, and $7-100/month cheaper.
Founding annual
$149/yr$99per year
No card required3 free invoicesExport anytime