Quick Disclosure: This blog includes affiliate links for both Dubsado and HoneyBook. When you click these links and make a purchase, it won’t cost you more, but I may receive a commission for sharing them with you. I promise I only share tools I genuinely recommend—these are platforms I’ve seen work in real creative businesses.

If you’re a creative entrepreneur juggling client proposals, contracts, invoices, and follow-ups, you’ve probably heard about client management systems (CMS) or client relationship management systems (CRMs). These platforms promise to streamline your workflow, keep you organized, and help you look more professional to your clients.

So which CRM is best for freelance work and creative entrepreneurs?

Honestly, it depends. (I know, I know…not the quick answer you were hoping for!)

The reality is, not all systems are created equal, and what works for an agency might not work for a solo photographer or copywriter.

I’ve been in the trenches with creative business owners for over a decade (almost two!), and I’ve seen businesses thrive with Dubsado, watched others flourish with HoneyBook, and witnessed agencies scale with High Level. The “best” platform isn’t about which one has the most bells and whistles, it all comes down to which one fits your needs and how you prefer to work.

So let’s break down these three platforms, cut through the noise, and figure out which one makes sense for your business.

What Do You Really Need from a CRM?

Before we dive into the details, let’s talk about what a CRM should actually do for your creative business:

• Capture leads without you lifting a finger
• Share pro-level proposals and contracts 
• Generate invoices and collect payments (because your business isn’t a glorified hobby!)
• Automate follow-ups so nothing falls through the cracks
• Offer clients a clean portal where everything lives
• Keep you and your team organized with project management and timelines

The good news? Dubsado, HoneyBook, and High Level can all handle these basics.

The real question is: How do they handle them, and are you the right person or business for the CRM platform?

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Choosing Between Dubsado vs. Honeybook vs. High Level

Dubsado: The Customization Powerhouse

Perfect for: Photographers, brand designers, consultants, and service providers who want their systems to work exactly the way they envision.

What You Need to Know

Dubsado is like getting the professional kitchen of your dreams. It can do absolutely anything you want… once you figure out where everything goes and how it all works together.

Pricing Structure (as of 2025)

Dubsado is globally available and offers two main plans (Starter and Premier) with both monthly and annual billing options. Both plans include unlimited clients and projects, which is great for growing businesses. They also offer a unique free trial that lets you work with up to 3 clients for an unlimited time (AKA no pressure to decide quickly)!

Why My Clients Love Dubsado

You Can Make It Yours 

I’m talking full customization from forms, to contracts, proposals, to workflows, and yes, even custom CSS if you’re into that. One of my tech-savvy clients spent a weekend setting up her Dubsado and the result? Every single touchpoint looks like an extension of her portfolio. Her clients are impressed.

Multiple Brands, One Account 

If you’re running a photography business AND a stationery side hustle (hello, multi-passionate creative!), you can manage both brands separately within Dubsado. It costs an extra $10/month per brand, but it keeps everything organized in one place.

Payment Flexibility 

Unlike some platforms that lock you into their payment processor, Dubsado plays nice with Stripe, Square, AND PayPal. Already have a Stripe account you love? Keep using it.

Scheduler That Gets You 

You can build different schedulers for different services and group them together. So if you offer 30-minute consultations, 60-minute strategy sessions, and 90-minute VIP intensives, clients can pick what they need.

The Reality Check

Setup Is No Joke 

Listen, I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Setting up Dubsado takes time. Like, real time. One of my clients said, “Erin, I didn’t think I’d actually need to clear my calendar for a week!” (I did warn her. She didn’t believe me.) All that customization comes at a cost, you have to actually do the customizing (or hire a Dubsado pro to set it up for you).

Desktop-First Design 

If you live on your phone, this might frustrate you. Dubsado works best on mobile browsers, and while they do (finally) have a dedicated app, it is often clunky and tricky to use. You’ll want to do your heavy lifting from a laptop.

Learning Curve Is Real 

There are approximately 47 ways to set up a workflow in Dubsado (okay, I’m exaggerating, but only slightly). This is amazing once you know what you’re doing. Before that? It can feel overwhelming.

You’ll Thrive With Dubsado If You:

• Get excited about systems and processes
• Don’t mind investing time upfront to save time later
• Work mostly from your desk or laptop
• Have multiple service offerings or brands
• Want complete control over your client experience
• Are managing your own client projects (not an agency serving other businesses)

HoneyBook: For the “Just Make It Work” Crowd

Perfect for: Graphic Designers, event professionals, artists, photographers, and creatives who want to launch fast and look professional immediately with room to grow.

What You Need to Know

HoneyBook is like buying a beautifully furnished apartment. Everything’s already set up, it looks great, and you can move in today. You can swap out some furniture and add some fresh paint, but you’re working within the structure they’ve pre-established.

Pricing Structure (as of 2025): 

HoneyBook offers three tiers (Starter, Essentials, and Premium) with both annual and monthly billing options. Each tier unlocks more features, so you can start with the basics and scale up as your business grows. Plus, they offer a 30-day free trial with full access to test everything out (who doesn’t love a test-drive?).

Why Creatives Love HoneyBook

You Can Start TODAY 

HoneyBook is designed for speed. The templates are ready to go, the interface makes sense, and you’re not drowning in options. I’ve seen colleagues and peers launch with HoneyBook in just a few days. If you need to send professional proposals by the end of the week, HoneyBook’s simplicity is its superpower.

The Mobile App Is Gold 

If you’re coordinating a wedding on-site or meeting with clients at coffee shops, HoneyBook’s mobile app is a lifesaver. You can manage everything from your phone without wanting to throw it across the room.

Built for Events 

Wedding planners and event professionals, this one’s for you. HoneyBook has timeline features that help you manage everything from initial planning through day-of coordination. It just gets the event world.

Payment Processing Is Seamless 

HoneyBook has its own payment processor built right in. No setting up third-party accounts, no fumbling with API keys. Your client signs the contract and pays right there. Done.

Responsive Customer Support 

They’re available 7 days a week, and you can even book 1:1 calls when you need help. We all know real support can be a godsend when you’re stuck!

The Reality Check

Less Room to Customize 

You can brand your templates with colors, logos, and fonts, but you’re not rewriting the code. If you’re a designer who needs pixel-perfect everything, this might feel limiting.

US & Canada Only 

If you work abroad or with any international clients, this could be a dealbreaker. HoneyBook only operates in the US and Canada right now.

Payment Processor Lock-In 

You’re using HoneyBook’s payment system, which is great for simplicity but means you can’t bring your existing Stripe setup over. For most people this isn’t an issue, but I like to mention it.

You’ll Thrive With HoneyBook If You:

• Want to get up and running THIS WEEK
• Work from your phone constantly
• Plan events or work on-site
• Value ease of use over deep customization
• Love having solid customer support
• Are managing your own client projects 

High Level: The Agency Powerhouse

Perfect for: Marketing agencies, creative firms, and consultants serving multiple business clients.

Here’s Where This Gets Different

Okay, real talk: I’m including High Level in this comparison because I keep getting asked about it. There’s been a lot of buzz from business influencers and gurus promoting it lately. But I need to be crystal clear: High Level is not built for most creative entrepreneurs, freelancers, or solopreneurs.

It’s built for agencies who serve other businesses. It’s built for consultants who manage 10+ client accounts. 

If you’re a photographer trying to manage your brand imagery clients, High Level is like buying an 18-wheeler when you just need a reliable car.

Pricing Structure (as of 2025): 

High Level offers three main plans (Starter, Unlimited, and Agency Pro/SaaS Pro) with different capabilities at each level. The pricing reflects its agency-focused features and is generally pricier than platforms designed for individual creatives. They offer a 14-day free trial to explore the platform.

Why Creative Agencies Love High Level

Built for Scale 

You can manage unlimited businesses or clients from one master account. If you’re a marketing consultant serving 15 local businesses, this is your dream setup.

Marketing Automation on Steroids 

We’re talking funnels, SMS marketing, email campaigns, appointment scheduling, reputation management, membership sites, AI assistants… it’s a LOT.

Unlimited Contacts and Users 

Add as many team members and contacts as you want without your monthly fee going up. For agencies and large teams, this is huge.

The Reality Check

It’s Not For (Most) Solo Creatives 

I’m saying this loud for the people in the back: If you’re a designer, photographer, planner, or consultant managing YOUR OWN client projects, this is probably overkill. High Level is designed for businesses who serve other businesses.

The SMS Hype Isn’t Worth It 

A lot of people I’ve talked to are drawn to High Level because it includes SMS marketing. But in my experience, texting clients or customers isn’t necessarily more impactful than email for most creative businesses, and it’s certainly not worth investing in such a high-cost platform just for that feature. There are much more affordable texting options available if that’s what you need for your marketing strategy.

Complexity Is Built In 

You’ll need technical skills, to outsource the process to an expert, or to build a team to set this up properly.

The Price Tag Reflects Its Audience 

High Level costs more because it’s built for agencies who are making money by serving clients. That math works when you have 10+ clients paying you monthly. It doesn’t work when you’re a brand designer booking 15 projects a year or a photographer with 30 sessions on your calendar.

Hidden Costs Add Up 

High Level includes website and funnel builders, but if you want to host WordPress sites through the platform or add white-label mobile apps, those cost extra. These add-ons make sense for agencies serving clients, but they’re another reason why solo creatives often prefer to stick with simpler platforms and keep their existing website separate.

You’ll Thrive With High Level If You:

• Run a marketing agency or consultancy
• Serve multiple business clients who each need their own systems
• Need comprehensive marketing tools beyond basic CRM software
• Have technical skills or a team to manage setup
• Have the budget and client base to justify the investment

Skip High Level If You:

• Are a solo creative (photographer, designer, planner, copywriter, etc.)
• Just need to manage your own client workflow
• Want something you can set up yourself this month
• Need simple proposals, contracts, and invoicing

My CRM Bottom Line

Look, I’ve worked with clients who swear by Dubsado and others who can’t imagine life without HoneyBook. Both are excellent platforms for creative entrepreneurs managing their own client work.

The HoneyBook vs. Dubsado decision really comes down to this:

• Need it fast and simple? → HoneyBook
• Want it customized and controlled? → Dubsado

The High Level decision is different: It’s not better or worse, it’s just built for a completely different business model. Unless you’re running a creative agency or serving multiple business clients, it’s likely not the right tool for the job.

Here’s what I tell my clients: The best system is the one you’ll actually use consistently.

High Level, HoneyBook, and Dubsado all offer free trials. Take them both for a test drive. Set up a sample project in each. See which one makes you say “Oh yes, this makes sense!” and which one makes you want to close your laptop and take a nap.

And if you’re an agency owner considering High Level? Make sure you have the technical resources, client base, and business model to justify the investment.

Want Help Figuring This Out?

This is literally what I do! I help creative entrepreneurs like you bridge the gap between the creative work you love and the operations that support it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of this (totally normal, by the way), let’s chat about getting your systems set up properly.

Visit www.erincantwell.co to learn more about working together.

Ready to Take the CRM Plunge?

Here’s where to start:

Going with HoneyBook? I’ve got you covered with 30% off your first year plus a free 7-day trial → Grab the HoneyBook discount

Team Dubsado? Use code ERIN20 for 20% off → Get your Dubsado discount

Take advantage of the trials. Actually use them. You’ll know pretty quickly which one feels right for your business.And if you need help setting either one up? That’s what I’m here for.