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Proposals · head to head

17hats vs Apptivo

17hats logo

17hats

Proposals

Small business client workflow with quotes, contracts, invoices and automated follow up sequences

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apptivo logo

Apptivo

CRM

A bundle of around fifty business apps sold on one per-user subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 17hats the interface is visibly older than newer competitors, which matters because the client facing documents are part of how a small business presents itself.; Apptivo the tiers gate the number of apps rather than only the depth, so a business that buys Lite at 15 US dollars because of the CRM and later needs an app in the 46-app Premium set faces a 67 per cent per-seat increase to unlock it.
  • They diverge on capability: 17hats covers Quotes and contracts, Apptivo covers CRM core.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 17hats and Apptivo actually diverge.

Attributes where 17hats and Apptivo differ
Attribute17hatsApptivo
Pricing modelquotePer user per month
CategoryProposalsCRM

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 17hats

  • Quotes and contracts
  • Invoicing and payments
  • Lead capture forms
  • Questionnaires
  • Bookkeeping basics
  • Calendar and time tracking

Only in Apptivo

  • CRM core
  • Invoicing and estimates
  • Project management
  • Field service
  • Help desk
  • Procurement and inventory
  • Custom apps and fields
  • Email and calendar sync

Both cover

  • Workflow automation

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

17hats

  • A photographer or event professional running the same booking sequence dozens of times a yearnot Apptivo
  • Automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly tasknot Apptivo
  • Capturing enquiries through a public form that starts a quote and contract workflow without manual entrynot Apptivo
  • A sole trader who wants client records, contracts and basic bookkeeping in one place rather than threenot Apptivo

Apptivo

  • A ten-person consultancy that wants CRM, project timesheets and invoicing on one subscription instead of stitching three tools togethernot 17hats
  • A distributor needing quotes, purchase orders and stock levels against the same customer record without an integration projectnot 17hats
  • A service business replacing a spreadsheet-driven help desk that also wants the ticket history visible on the sales contactnot 17hats
  • A business already paying separately for CRM, invoicing and project tools that wants to cut vendor count and consolidate billingnot 17hats

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

17hats

  • The interface is visibly older than newer competitors, which matters because the client facing documents are part of how a small business presents itself.
  • The workflow builder takes real time to learn and configure, so the automation benefit arrives weeks after purchase rather than on the first day.
  • A consultancy where no two engagements are alike gets little from the workflow engine, which is most of what the price pays for.
  • It is built around a single operator, so a business adding staff or subcontractors runs into structural limits rather than a higher tier.
  • Payments run through third party gateways, so card processing fees apply in addition to the subscription and should be included when comparing cost per booking.

Apptivo

  • The tiers gate the number of apps rather than only the depth, so a business that buys Lite at 15 US dollars because of the CRM and later needs an app in the 46-app Premium set faces a 67 per cent per-seat increase to unlock it.
  • Workflow automation is capped at 25 rules on both Lite and Premium, which is low for any business automating more than a basic sales process, and lifting it means jumping to Ultimate at 40 US dollars.
  • Each app is shallower than the dedicated product it replaces, so teams that outgrow one module end up buying a specialist tool anyway and lose the single-record advantage that justified the suite.
  • There is no free tier, only a 30-day trial, so evaluating the breadth properly against real data requires paying or rushing the trial window.
  • The interface is dense and inconsistent between apps because they were built over many years, which lengthens onboarding and produces persistent user complaints in teams that are not technically confident.

Pricing, plan by plan

17hats

On request
  • 17hats$undefined/year
    • Quotes, contracts and electronic signature
    • Invoicing and online payment
    • Workflow automation sequences

Apptivo

On request
  • Lite$15/month
    • 18 apps
    • 100 custom fields per app
    • 25 workflows
  • Premium$25/month
    • 46 apps
    • 250 custom fields per app
    • 25 workflows
  • Ultimate$40/month
    • All apps
    • 350 custom fields per app
    • 150 workflows
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • 500 custom fields per app
    • 300 workflows
    • 100 custom dashboards

Which should you pick?

Choose 17hats if

  • You need quotes and contracts.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want invoicing and payments.
17hats review

Choose Apptivo if

  • You need crm core.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want invoicing and estimates.
Apptivo review

Questions people ask

Is 17hats or Apptivo better?
Neither clearly leads. 17hats starts at On request and Apptivo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 17hats or Apptivo?
17hats starts at On request and Apptivo at On request.
Does 17hats or Apptivo run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is 17hats best used for?
17hats is most often used for a photographer or event professional running the same booking sequence dozens of times a year, automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly task, capturing enquiries through a public form that starts a quote and contract workflow without manual entry, a sole trader who wants client records, contracts and basic bookkeeping in one place rather than three. Of those, a photographer or event professional running the same booking sequence dozens of times a year and automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly task are not what Apptivo is typically brought in for.
What can 17hats do that Apptivo cannot?
17hats covers Quotes and contracts, Invoicing and payments, Lead capture forms, Questionnaires. Apptivo covers CRM core, Invoicing and estimates, Project management, Field service. Both handle Workflow automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

17hats: What is the main reason to choose it?

The workflow engine. If your bookings follow the same sequence every time, that sequence can be automated once and reused.

Apptivo: Does Apptivo have a free plan?

No. There is a 30-day free trial; the cheapest ongoing plan is Lite at 15 US dollars per user per month billed annually.

17hats: Is it worth it for bespoke consulting work?

Rarely. Without repeatable engagements the automation, which is the main value, has nothing to automate.

Apptivo: What is the real difference between Lite and Premium?

Mostly app count and dashboards: Lite opens 18 apps, Premium opens 46 with custom dashboards. Check which specific app you need before choosing on price.

17hats: Does it handle bookkeeping?

At sole trader level. It is not a replacement for accounting software once complexity grows.

Apptivo: Is monthly billing more expensive?

Yes, by roughly a third. Lite is 15 annually versus 20 monthly, Premium 25 versus 30, Ultimate 40 versus 50.

17hats: Can I add team members?

It is designed for a single operator, and multi person use is awkward rather than supported properly.

Apptivo: Are all fifty apps really included?

Only on the top tiers. The lower tiers include a subset, and the app list per tier is the thing to verify before buying.

17hats: How long before it saves time?

Not immediately. Budget for a configuration period before the workflow automation starts paying back.

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