There are a few key features that Dubsdao has over Honeybook, but when it comes to which is better in the Dubsado vs. Honeybook argument – the end answer is whichever works best for you!

You can watch my YouTube video or read on to discover the features that are missing with Dubsado vs. Honeybook.

QUICK LINKS: 1:19 Lead Generation | 4:12 Client portals | 6:14 workflows

There are a few key features that Dubsdao has over HoneyBook, but when it comes to which is better in the Dubsado vs. HoneyBook argument – the end answer is whichever works best for you!

When looking at Dubsado and HoneyBook, the difference in features is not that far apart. But there are a few that could sway you in one direction or another. 

Hey, I’m Lauren with The Smarter Creative, and I am here to help creative small business owners run their businesses more effectively and productively. I’m so glad you’re here!

I am a huge advocate for CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools and have been playing around with two on the market that claim to be best for creatives. One is HoneyBook and the other is Dubsado. Both are lovely and have some unique aspects to them, but I am personally biased toward one versus the other. 

Below I’m going to share three things that I like about Dubsado more than HoneyBook. But, make sure to stick around until the end for my complete 180° on why HoneyBook could be even better for you and your business. 

Lead Generation with Calendar

One of the things that Dubsado does much better than HoneyBook is lead generation from a calendar request. 

On my website, I offer a 30-minute free clarity call. This allows prospective clients to see if we are a good fit to work together and if my services can help elevate your business to the next level. On the main page of my website, there is an embedded Dubsado form, which shows my availability in a calendar, as well as a short form to submit. 

HoneyBook also has a form embed option, but you cannot automatically embed calendar requests. Now, there are workarounds to just about everything in the world, but this is something that Dubsado does very nicely. 

With HoneyBook your prospective client would need to complete a handful of extra tasks after filling out this form online before actually booking a time with you. However, with Dubsado, prospective clients can select a time and complete the form at the same time, which makes the process quicker and more streamlined for them and you. I walk through the specifics of how this works and what it looks like more in-depth here.

Client Project Sharing

Dubsado also makes it easy to build out client portals and make sure your client is only seeing what they want or need to see. HoneyBook does a good job as well, but they go about it a different way. With HoneyBook, you are actually inviting your client into the project, which is fine, but unfortunately, you can’t limit what the person has access to inside their account. I speak more about potential issues for creatives who use HoneyBook and work with clients who also use HoneyBook here if that pertains to you.

Client Workflows

A third place where Dubsado excels above HoneyBook is when it comes to workflows. Now, both platforms have workflows available, but what Dubsado does that HoneyBook does not do is allows you to put them into an additional workflow when they finished the first one. 

What helped me wrap my head around why Dubsado workflows make a lot of sense is when I think about my business email marketing. My current email marketing is done through Flodesk, which allows you to set up workflows for clients. I have lead generators available as freebies, with workflows created based on the specific freebie. If a client completes a workflow, I can move them into a welcome workflow where they get to hear a little bit about me and my business. 

Moving a client from workflow to workflow helps us move them along their client journey with us. In my experience, workflows in Dubsado are much better than what HoneyBook can provide. To see an example workflow in Dubsado, watch the full tutorial video here.

Which is the best fit for you?

At this point, you probably already know that I’m a little biased toward Dubsado. It’s true – I really like the way Dubsado does certain things, especially when it comes to processes, automation, and in general making things easy for your client. 

But, remember when I said to wait for my complete 180° on HoneyBook? Well, here it is: HoneyBook is easy to use for the client, but it’s even easier for the business owner. Compared to Dubsado, HoneyBook’s infrastructure is much easier to navigate as a small business owner.

Dubsado is very complicated, which means you have to be committed to either figuring it out for yourself or hiring somebody to help you. Now, Dubsado does a wonderful job when you just start by helping you build some questionnaires, but creating workflows and forms can be a lot of work, which can make Dubsado harder to navigate.

HoneyBook is a bit more intuitive for small business owners who are just looking for a way to get organized simply, while Dubsado is not as intuitive and might take a while to wrap your head around. However, if you’re ready to take your business to the next level and make things even easier for your clients, ultimately I believe Dubsado is the way to go. 

Easier for your clients, Easier for you

I am a huge advocate for not just thinking about what is easier for you as a business owner, but about what is easier for your client, too. 

I hope these three differences between Dubsado vs. HoneyBook are helpful for you as you consider which CRM will help you in your creative business, as well as make things easy for your future clients.

Looking at Dubsado and HoneyBook specifically, the difference in features are not that far apart; however, there are a few things that could sway you in one direction or another, depending on what you need and want in your CRM. 
If you need some more hands-on help to get your CRM system up and going, go ahead and book your 30 Minute clarity call with me. I would love to see how The Smarter Creative can come alongside you to help you get your creative small business organized. My heart is for you to get your time back for things to run smoother so you can get back to focusing on what gets you excited inside of your business.