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It's a split decision.
Choose 17hats if a free, basic CRM matters and you can work within four invoices per quarter, or if you want client workflows with SMS and automation. Choose HoneyBook if you need lead forms, proposals and contracts in one booking flow; its annual Starter price is $29/month versus 17hats’ $50/month All Features price. HoneyBook has no free plan, and its Essentials plan is $49/month annually for scheduling and automations. Compare paid plan limits and add-on fees before switching.
01Side by side
| 17hats | HoneyBook | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free plan; All Features: $60 monthly, $50/month annually. | No free plan; Starter: $36 monthly, $29/month annually. |
| Free plan | Yes; four invoices per quarter on Free CRM. | No free plan or free trial listed. |
| Best for | Small businesses wanting a free basic CRM and workflows. | Businesses bundling lead forms, proposals, contracts and payments. |
| Core strength | Client workflows, SMS, pipelines and workflow automation. | Lead capture through proposals, contracts, invoicing and payments. |
| Learning curve | Not published. | Not published. |
| Integrations/data | Stripe and Square; QuickBooks Online costs $5/month extra. | QuickBooks Online on Essentials; other integrations not listed. |
| Team/seat costs | Extra users $5/month; three included at one level. | Essentials caps at two team members; Premium allows unlimited. |
| Support | Support details not published. | Priority support on Premium; other support details not published. |
17hats Choose 17hats if
- A free basic CRM matters; four quarterly invoices are enough.
- You want SMS, pipelines and workflow automation in one platform.
- You need listed Stripe and Square payment support.
HoneyBook Choose HoneyBook if
- You want lead forms, proposals and contracts in the booking flow.
- Annual Starter pricing of $29/month fits your budget.
- Your team needs scheduling, automations or QuickBooks on Essentials.
02Pricing compared
17hats has a free CRM tier with unlimited contacts and projects, but it caps invoices at four per quarter. Its All Features plan is listed at $60 monthly or $600 yearly ($50/month); a two-year option works out to $33.33/month. The pricing page also lists a separate 50% sale: $300 yearly or $400 for two years. A 7-day trial is listed for All Features.
HoneyBook has no free plan or trial listed. Starter costs $36 monthly or $29/month with annual billing. Essentials is $59 monthly or $49/month annually; Premium is $129 monthly or $109/month annually. HoneyBook says annual billing saves up to 35%. Check 17hats add-ons before comparing totals: scheduling costs $5 or $10/month, and QuickBooks Online costs $5/month. HoneyBook lists payment processing fees starting at 2.9% + $0.25, with a 1.5% processing fee also shown.
03Features and depth
Both products cover client records, project workflows, invoicing and payments, but their listed strengths differ. 17hats includes lead pipelines, SMS texting, online scheduling, workflow automation, invoices with payment schedules and a client portal. Its scheduling can support payments and Zoom integration. The free CRM includes email templates and a sales tax report, but the four-invoice quarterly cap makes it a limited fit for businesses billing regularly.
HoneyBook centers its booking flow on lead forms, proposals, contracts, invoices and payments. Starter includes up to two live lead forms; Essentials raises that to 10 and adds a scheduler, automations and QuickBooks Online integration. Premium includes unlimited live lead forms, multiple companies and unlimited team members. HoneyBook also lists AI tools for drafting emails, meeting notes, project recaps and business trends. For a straightforward client journey, either may cover the basics; choose based on the specific workflow limits and tools you need, not the feature list alone.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The published reviews score HoneyBook slightly higher for ease of use (7/10) than 17hats (6/10), but neither review establishes how long setup takes or how much training a team needs. Both combine several business tasks, so expect to configure your client process rather than treat either as a simple invoicing app.
For 17hats, check which features sit in the plan you’d buy and which require add-ons, especially scheduling and recurring billing. For HoneyBook, confirm the live lead-form and team-member limits on your plan. If you are moving existing client records or workflows, the published sources do not specify migration tools or migration support; ask each vendor before switching.
Questions people ask
Does 17hats have a free plan?
Yes. 17hats lists a Free CRM plan with unlimited contacts and projects, email templates and a sales tax report. The main constraint is four invoices per quarter. If you invoice more often or need the all-features set, compare paid-plan pricing and add-ons before treating the free tier as a long-term replacement.
Is HoneyBook cheaper than 17hats?
HoneyBook Starter is listed at $29/month with annual billing, while 17hats All Features is $50/month billed yearly. That is not a like-for-like comparison: 17hats also has a free CRM tier, and HoneyBook Starter includes up to two live lead forms. Compare the features and caps you need, plus fees, before switching.
Which is better for proposals and contracts?
HoneyBook’s Starter plan lists proposals and contracts alongside invoices and payments, with up to two live lead forms. 17hats’ published feature list emphasizes workflow automation, pipelines, scheduling and invoicing; it does not specify proposal or contract features. If those documents are central to booking, verify 17hats’ current plan details before choosing.
What extra fees should I check before switching?
17hats lists add-ons including scheduling at $5 or $10/month, recurring billing at $10/month, QuickBooks Online at $5/month and additional users at $5/month. HoneyBook lists payment processing starting at 2.9% + $0.25 and also shows a 1.5% processing fee, plus a 1% instant-deposit fee pending eligibility. Confirm which fees apply to your account.