HoneyBook payments itself as a clientflow administration platform for impartial companies. It goals to mix a number of capabilities — together with invoices, on-line funds, scheduling and CRM software program — into one single platform.
On this overview, we dive deep into the professionals and cons of HoneyBook that will help you resolve if it’s the appropriate selection in your small enterprise.
Leap to:
HoneyBook presents three totally different pricing plans. A seven-day free trial is offered for all three plans, and so they every include a 60-day a refund assure as properly.
Starter
The Starter plan begins at $8 per 30 days billed yearly for the primary 12 months or $1 billed month-to-month for the primary two months. After the promotional interval, the plan prices $16 per 30 days billed yearly or $19 per 30 days billed month-to-month. The Starter plan consists of limitless shoppers and tasks, invoices, funds, proposals, contracts and a consumer portal.
Necessities
The Necessities plan begins at $16 per 30 days billed yearly for the primary 12 months or $1 billed month-to-month for the primary two months. After the promotional interval, the plan prices $32 per 30 days billed yearly or $39 per 30 days billed month-to-month. The Necessities plan consists of automations, a QuickBooks On-line integration, as much as two group members and expense administration.
Premium
The Premium plan begins at $33 per 30 days billed yearly for the primary 12 months or $1 billed month-to-month for the primary two months. After the promotional interval, the plan prices $66 per 30 days billed yearly or $79 per 30 days billed month-to-month. The Premium plan consists of limitless group members, a number of corporations, precedence help, an onboarding specialist and a devoted account supervisor.
HoneyBook’s key options
Invoices, proposals and contracts
Determine A
HoneyBook makes it easy to create an bill (Determine A), customise it along with your model and ship a hyperlink proper to a buyer. The software program will stroll new customers via all the course of with pleasant pop-ups, although the system is properly laid-out and simple to determine by yourself.
In case you have an intermediate proposal stage as a substitute of leaping straight into invoices, you possibly can select from just a few contract templates, fill in your info and ship it to your consumer for eSigning.
On-line funds
Determine B
When you’ve created your bill, your shoppers pays you immediately via HoneyBook (Determine B). HoneyBook accepts main debit and bank cards in addition to financial institution transfers, but it surely doesn’t combine with exterior fee gateways comparable to PayPal, Sq. and Stripe. Purchasers also can select to arrange auto-pay if they need, and HoneyBook will routinely ship fee reminders to those that don’t.
Processing charges are as little as 2.9% + 25¢ for card funds or 1.5% for ACH funds. HoneyBook additionally presents the choice of Instantaneous Deposit to get your funds instantly as a substitute of in 2-3 enterprise days.
Scheduling
Determine C
HoneyBook is understood for its seamless scheduling device (Determine C), which is offered for the Necessities and Premium plans. Merely set your availability and share the hyperlink with potential shoppers to allow them to e-book conferences with you immediately at a time that works for them.
You’ll be able to even construct in time buffers and arrange various kinds of classes so that you don’t overbook your self. New classes will routinely be added to your calendar and the shoppers’, and automatic reminders will hold your shoppers on observe.
CRM
Determine D
HoneyBook additionally presents easy buyer relationship administration (CRM) instruments for freelancers and small companies. When you create a contact, your entire messages and funds will likely be logged on their contact web page. You may also add shoppers to totally different tasks and provides them entry to a shared workspace utilizing the consumer portal possibility. New leads and communications will present up on the HoneyBook dashboard (Determine D).
Automations and AI
Determine E
In case you have the Necessities or Premium plan, you additionally get entry to HoneyBook’s automations. These automations might be custom-made to your workflows and lower down on sure repetitive, handbook duties (Determine E).
For example, you should utilize automations to ship a questionnaire to a brand new consumer or get a reminder when you’ve gotten a job due. HoneyBook’s AI operate will routinely pull branding out of your web site into the platform and aid you compose skilled emails.
HoneyBook professionals
- Combines many alternative capabilities into one easy-to-use platform.
- Guided setup course of for brand new customers.
- Pleasant tone and approachable visible design.
- Intuitive for shoppers to make use of.
- Chat and electronic mail help out there seven days every week for all plans.
- Safe on-line funds.
HoneyBook cons
- Restricted integrations.
- Should improve to the Necessities plan for scheduling, automations and the QuickBooks integration.
- Prices greater than some opponents.
- Not superb for bigger corporations or teams.
- Superior stories are within the pipeline however are usually not but out there for Premium customers.
HoneyBook integrations
HoneyBook largely depends on Zapier for its integrations. Whereas Zapier can join HoneyBook to 1000’s of apps, it does require you to create one other account — and relying on which integrations you need, you would possibly want a paid subscription as properly. Nonetheless, HoneyBook does provide a handful of native integrations as properly:
- Sync HoneyBook paybooks immediately into QuickBooks (this integration requires an Necessities or Premium subscription).
- Ship emails with Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, iCloud, Microsoft Outlook, Hotmail and Dwell.
- Let your shoppers schedule conferences with Calendly.
- Seize leads from social media with Fb and Instagram integrations.
Who’s HoneyBook greatest for?
HoneyBook is designed for freelancers, solopreneurs and microbusinesses. In case you are half of a bigger firm or group, you in all probability received’t discover HoneyBook advanced sufficient in your wants. But when most platforms you’ve checked out appear too overwhelming for you, then HoneyBook could be the appropriate selection in your smaller enterprise.
HoneyBook is dearer than some opponents, particularly as soon as the introductory interval ends. Nonetheless, it’s a must to remember that HoneyBook does mix many alternative capabilities into one. This prevents you from having to pay for a separate CRM, scheduler and invoicing device, so that you would possibly really get monetary savings in the long term with HoneyBook. However in the event you’ve already received most of your software program stack discovered and also you’re taking a look at HoneyBook to do one particular factor, you could be higher off taking a look at cheaper options.
When you’re searching for an invoicing device to sync up with common accounting software program, you must keep in mind that HoneyBook integrates immediately with solely QuickBooks On-line, and you could improve to at the least the Important plan for that. To sync HoneyBook’s invoices and funds with some other accounting software program, you’ll need to set it up in Zapier, which could be a deterrent for some small companies.
If HoneyBook isn’t superb for you, take a look at these options
Whereas HoneyBook presents many benefits, it’s not the appropriate answer for everybody. Its pricing plans could be too costly for smaller companies, and its options may not be superior sufficient for sure bigger companies. Some companies may additionally be searching for an invoicing platform that integrates with methods aside from QuickBooks in addition to fee gateways like PayPal, Stripe and Sq..
So listed here are some HoneyBook options that you simply would possibly wish to contemplate.
Zoho Books and Bill
When you’re on a critical price range, take a look at the Zoho Books accounting platform and its companion device, Zoho Bill. Each of them include entry-level ceaselessly free plans which are excellent for small companies that may’t actually afford to pay for software program. Zoho additionally presents a number of tiers of inexpensive, clear pricing plans to select from in the event you resolve that you simply want extra options.
FreshBooks
FreshBooks is an intuitive accounting and invoicing platform that’s extra inexpensive than QuickBooks, with pricing plans beginning at $17 a month. Along with accepting funds immediately, it additionally integrates with PayPal and Stripe, whereas HoneyBook doesn’t work with exterior fee gateways. FreshBooks additionally consists of extra strong instruments for time monitoring and expense administration.
Xero
Whereas it’s identified for its accounting software program, Xero additionally consists of invoicing and fee instruments that make it akin to HoneyBook. Xero additionally has a contact administration operate similar to HoneyBook that offers you a full image of their transactions and communication historical past. You may also retailer notes and paperwork related to every contact. Pricing plans begin at solely $13 a month, making this an inexpensive different.
Evaluation methodology
To overview HoneyBook, we signed up for a free trial. We additionally consulted product documentation and consumer critiques. We contemplate options comparable to invoices, proposals, contracts, on-line funds, scheduling and CRM. We additionally weighed components comparable to pricing plans, automation, integrations, consumer interface design and buyer help.
