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CRM · head to head

Apptivo vs Dubsado

Apptivo logo

Apptivo

CRM

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dubsado logo

Dubsado

Proposals

Business management for creatives

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Dubsado has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Dubsado automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals all require the Premier plan at $525 a year
  • They diverge on capability: Apptivo covers CRM core, Dubsado covers Scheduler.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apptivo and Dubsado actually diverge.

Attributes where Apptivo and Dubsado differ
AttributeApptivoDubsado
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryCRMProposals
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: 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 Apptivo

  • CRM core
  • Invoicing and estimates
  • Project management
  • Field service
  • Help desk
  • Procurement and inventory
  • Custom apps and fields
  • Workflow automation

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.

Apptivo

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

Dubsado

  • Client management and project workflows for freelancers and studiosnot Apptivo
  • Sending proposals, contracts and invoices with automated follow upnot Apptivo

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

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

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 Apptivo if

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

Choose Dubsado if

  • You need scheduler.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want crm.
Dubsado review

Questions people ask

Is Apptivo or Dubsado better?
Neither clearly leads. Apptivo 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, Apptivo or Dubsado?
Dubsado has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Apptivo and Free for Dubsado.
Does Apptivo or Dubsado run on more platforms?
Apptivo 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. Apptivo starts at On request.
What is Apptivo best used for?
Apptivo is most often used for a ten-person consultancy that wants crm, project timesheets and invoicing on one subscription instead of stitching three tools together, a distributor needing quotes, purchase orders and stock levels against the same customer record without an integration project, a service business replacing a spreadsheet-driven help desk that also wants the ticket history visible on the sales contact, a business already paying separately for crm, invoicing and project tools that wants to cut vendor count and consolidate billing. Of those, a ten-person consultancy that wants crm, project timesheets and invoicing on one subscription instead of stitching three tools together and a distributor needing quotes, purchase orders and stock levels against the same customer record without an integration project are not what Dubsado is typically brought in for.
What can Apptivo do that Dubsado cannot?
Apptivo covers CRM core, Invoicing and estimates, Project management, Field service. Dubsado covers Scheduler, CRM, Invoicing, Contracts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

Source
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.

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.

Source
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.

Dubsado: Can you add multiple brands to Dubsado?

Yes, additional brands cost $10/month per brand beyond the included brand.

Source
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.

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