Proposals · head to head
17hats vs Dubsado
17hats
Proposals
Small business client workflow with quotes, contracts, invoices and automated follow up sequences
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Dubsado has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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.; Dubsado automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals all require the Premier plan at $525 a year
- They diverge on capability: 17hats covers Workflow automation, Dubsado covers Scheduler.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 17hats and Dubsado actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Proposals).
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
- Workflow automation
- Quotes and contracts
- Invoicing and payments
- Lead capture forms
- Questionnaires
- Bookkeeping basics
- Calendar and time tracking
Only in Dubsado
- Scheduler
- CRM
- Invoicing
- Contracts
- Automation workflows
- Google Calendar
- Outlook
- QuickBooks
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 Dubsado
- Automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly tasknot Dubsado
- Capturing enquiries through a public form that starts a quote and contract workflow without manual entrynot Dubsado
- A sole trader who wants client records, contracts and basic bookkeeping in one place rather than threenot Dubsado
Dubsado
- Client management and project workflows for freelancers and studiosnot 17hats
- Sending proposals, contracts and invoices with automated follow upnot 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.
Dubsado
- Automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals all require the Premier plan at $525 a year
- The Starter plan allows a single lead capture form
- Zapier and bookkeeping integrations are excluded from Starter
- Additional brands are $10 a month each
- Only 3 users are included, with 4 to 10 costing $25 a month and 21 to 30 costing $60
Pricing, plan by plan
17hats
On request- 17hats$undefined/year
- Quotes, contracts and electronic signature
- Invoicing and online payment
- Workflow automation sequences
Dubsado
Free- Starter$335/year
- Limited to 1 active lead capture form
- Email integration
- Unlimited projects & clients
- Premier$525/year
- Unlimited active lead capture forms
- All Starter features
- Bookkeeping integration
Which should you pick?
Choose 17hats if
- You need workflow automation.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want quotes and contracts.
Choose Dubsado if
- You need scheduler.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want crm.
Questions people ask
- Is 17hats or Dubsado better?
- Neither clearly leads. 17hats starts at On request and Dubsado at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 17hats or Dubsado?
- Dubsado has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for 17hats and Free for Dubsado.
- Does 17hats or Dubsado run on more platforms?
- 17hats runs on Web, iOS, Android. Dubsado runs on Web.
- Can I use Dubsado for free?
- Yes. Dubsado has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 17hats starts at On request.
- 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 Dubsado is typically brought in for.
- What can 17hats do that Dubsado cannot?
- 17hats covers Workflow automation, Quotes and contracts, Invoicing and payments, Lead capture forms. Dubsado covers Scheduler, CRM, Invoicing, Contracts.
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.
Dubsado: Does Dubsado offer a free trial?
Yes, Dubsado offers a 21-day free trial with full access to the Premier plan. Annual billing saves 2 months of costs compared to monthly billing.
Source17hats: Is it worth it for bespoke consulting work?
Rarely. Without repeatable engagements the automation, which is the main value, has nothing to automate.
Dubsado: What is the cost of adding team users?
Dubsado includes 3 free team users. Additional team users cost $25/month for 4-10 users, $45/month for 11-20 users, $60/month for 21-30 users, and custom pricing for 30+ users.
Source17hats: Does it handle bookkeeping?
At sole trader level. It is not a replacement for accounting software once complexity grows.
Dubsado: Can you add multiple brands to Dubsado?
Yes, additional brands cost $10/month per brand beyond the included brand.
Source17hats: Can I add team members?
It is designed for a single operator, and multi person use is awkward rather than supported properly.
17hats: How long before it saves time?
Not immediately. Budget for a configuration period before the workflow automation starts paying back.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- 17hats vs HoneyBook
- 17hats vs Indy
- 17hats vs Moxie
- 17hats vs Paperbell
- 17hats vs Nutshell
- 17hats vs Nusii
- 17hats vs Quoter
- 17hats vs HelloSign
- 17hats vs Prospero
- 17hats vs RFPIO
- 17hats vs GetAccept
- 17hats vs Subskribe
- 17hats vs Prospect
- 17hats vs Microsoft Dynamics 365
- 17hats vs Responsive
- Dubsado vs HoneyBook
- Dubsado vs Indy
- Dubsado vs Moxie
- Dubsado vs Paperbell
- Dubsado vs Nutshell
- Dubsado vs Nusii
- Dubsado vs Quoter
- Dubsado vs HelloSign
- Dubsado vs Prospero
- Dubsado vs RFPIO
- Dubsado vs GetAccept
- Dubsado vs Subskribe
- Dubsado vs Prospect
- Dubsado vs Microsoft Dynamics 365
- Dubsado vs Responsive