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Professional Services · head to head

FreshBooks vs HoneyBook

FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Professional Services

Accounting software that makes you look good

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HoneyBook logo

HoneyBook

Proposal & Quote

Client management for creative entrepreneurs

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FreshBooks has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum; HoneyBook no free tier; free trial ends after 30 days requiring upgrade
  • They diverge on capability: FreshBooks covers Expense tracking, HoneyBook covers Meeting scheduler.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreshBooks and HoneyBook actually diverge.

Attributes where FreshBooks and HoneyBook differ
AttributeFreshBooksHoneyBook
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
CategoryProfessional ServicesProposal & Quote
Founded20032013

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 FreshBooks

  • Expense tracking
  • Time tracking
  • Financial reporting
  • Proposals
  • Mileage tracking
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • G Suite

Only in HoneyBook

  • Meeting scheduler
  • Contracts
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • QuickBooks
  • Zoom
  • Web support
  • Ios support

Both cover

  • Invoicing
  • Project management
  • Payments
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

FreshBooks

  • Invoicing and payment processingnot HoneyBook
  • Time tracking and expense managementnot HoneyBook
  • Multi-client project accountingnot HoneyBook

HoneyBook

  • Schedulingnot FreshBooks
  • Appointment bookingnot FreshBooks
  • Time trackingnot FreshBooks
  • Resource managementnot FreshBooks
  • Team coordinationnot FreshBooks

Where each one falls short

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

FreshBooks

  • Lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum
  • E-signatures, proposals, and client retainers unavailable on Lite and Plus tiers
  • Advanced payment processing fee of £20/month on Plus tier (extra cost)
  • Email customization and project profitability tracking restricted to Premium tier and above
  • Offline mode not available; web-based only

HoneyBook

  • No free tier; free trial ends after 30 days requiring upgrade
  • Essentials plan limited to 2 team members, requiring Premium upgrade for unlimited team access
  • Essentials plan limited to 10 live lead forms, requiring Premium for unlimited

Pricing, plan by plan

FreshBooks

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the FreshBooks review.

HoneyBook

$29/month
  • Starter$29/month
    • Unlimited clients and projects
    • Invoices, payments, proposals, contracts
    • Calendar and templates
  • Essentials$49/month
    • All Starter features
    • Scheduler and automations
    • QuickBooks Online integration
  • Premium$109/month
    • All Essentials features
    • Unlimited team members
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose FreshBooks if

  • You need expense tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want time tracking.
FreshBooks review

Choose HoneyBook if

  • You need meeting scheduler.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want contracts.
HoneyBook review

Questions people ask

Is FreshBooks or HoneyBook better?
Neither clearly leads. FreshBooks starts at Free and HoneyBook at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FreshBooks or HoneyBook?
FreshBooks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FreshBooks and $29/month for HoneyBook.
Does FreshBooks or HoneyBook run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use FreshBooks for free?
Yes. FreshBooks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HoneyBook starts at $29/month.
What is FreshBooks best used for?
FreshBooks is most often used for invoicing and payment processing, time tracking and expense management, multi-client project accounting. Of those, invoicing and payment processing and time tracking and expense management are not what HoneyBook is typically brought in for.
What can FreshBooks do that HoneyBook cannot?
FreshBooks covers Expense tracking, Time tracking, Financial reporting, Proposals. HoneyBook covers Meeting scheduler, Contracts, Google Calendar, Outlook. Both handle Invoicing, Project management, Payments, Zapier.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HoneyBook: What is included in HoneyBook's free trial?

HoneyBook offers a free 30-day trial with no credit card required. You can test virtually every feature including proposals, invoices, contracts, digital signatures, payments, scheduling, and automations.

Source
HoneyBook: What are HoneyBook's pricing tiers?

HoneyBook offers three plans: Starter at $29/month (with invoices, proposals, contracts, client portal), Essentials at $49/month (adds scheduler, automations, up to 2 team members), and Premium at $109/month (unlimited team members, priority support). All billed annually with 60-day money-back guarantee.

Source
HoneyBook: Does HoneyBook integrate with accounting software?

Yes. Essentials plan and above include QuickBooks Online integration for syncing invoices and payments.

Source
HoneyBook: What platforms does HoneyBook support?

HoneyBook is available on web (browser), iOS, and Android.

Source
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