HoneyBook CRM review September 2024: Features, integrations and more
Christiana Jolaoso-Oloyede is a personal finance and business technology expert. She has written for multiple media publications, agencies and tech brands, covering various topics around business communication, cybersecurity, human resource management, sales and marketing, and web development.
Cassie is the business and banking editor at Fortune Recommends. She obtained her degree from Northern Kentucky University and is a certified SCRUM master. Prior to joining the team at Fortune Recommends, Cassie was a deputy editor at Forbes Advisor and a Central Operations Project Manager at Fit Small Business.
Best known as business management software, HoneyBook CRM streamlines lead qualification, sales, client onboarding, and offboarding. Since it was founded in 2013, the customer relationship management (CRM) software has helped more than 100,000 businesses, including solo, small and midsized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises, nurture leads, track processes, and manage customer relationships.
HoneyBook earned 4.8 stars out of 5 in Capterra, with customers mostly applauding its intuitiveness despite its extensive feature range. In this HoneyBook review we’ll highlight what you need to know, including its features and cost, to help you determine whether it fits your business well.
HoneyBook CRM
Price: | Starting at $11.20 per month |
Free trial length: | Seven days |
Free plan available: | No |
Pros
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Compatible with iOS and Android devices
- Accepts card payments and transfers from automated clearing house (ACH) and banks
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Core CRM and sales pipeline management features are limited
- No free plan is available
HoneyBook service plan overview
HoneyBook is an all-in-one client management platform that helps you manage every sales pipeline stage and communication, from client booking to contract signing, invoicing, and payments. Its AI features generate personalized responses and qualify leads to keep businesses on top of customer relationship management.
This CRM software has three pricing plans costing between $19 and $79 per month. You’re entitled to 30% off your first three months of a monthly subscription. Opting for the annual billing will get you two months free and a 30% discount for the first year. HoneyBook also offers a seven-day trial for all its plans and a 60-day money-back guarantee.
See HoneyBook’s plan offerings below.
Plans | Pricing | Free Trial or Plan Available? | Features |
---|---|---|---|
Starter | $19 | 7-day trial | Dedicated workspaces for unlimited clients and projects Recurring or custom invoice schedules and online payments Interactive proposals and contracts Customizable professionally designed templates Calendar synchronization Client portal Lead, booking, and sales reports |
Essentials | $39 | 7-day trial | All Starter features plus: Two users User permission Workflow automation Client and project reports Scheduler Expense management Profit and loss overview Integration with QuickBooks Online Nonbranded emails, contact forms, and client portal |
Premium | $79 | 7-day trial | All Essentials features plus: unlimited users Single log-in for all owned companies Onboarding specialist Priority support Advanced reports (coming soon) |
Starter | |
---|---|
Pricing | $19 |
Free Trial or Plan Available? | 7-day trial |
Features | Dedicated workspaces for unlimited clients and projects Recurring or custom invoice schedules and online payments Interactive proposals and contracts Customizable professionally designed templates Calendar synchronization Client portal Lead, booking, and sales reports |
Essentials | |
Pricing | $39 |
Free Trial or Plan Available? | 7-day trial |
Features | All Starter features plus: Two users User permission Workflow automation Client and project reports Scheduler Expense management Profit and loss overview Integration with QuickBooks Online Nonbranded emails, contact forms, and client portal |
Premium | |
Pricing | $79 |
Free Trial or Plan Available? | 7-day trial |
Features | All Essentials features plus: unlimited users Single log-in for all owned companies Onboarding specialist Priority support Advanced reports (coming soon) |
Best HoneyBook CRM plan for small businesses: Starter
For solopreneurs and SMBs with smaller teams, HoneyBook’s Starter plan is an ideal choice. The plan offers everything you need to onboard and offboard clients. HoneyBook’s Starter plan allows you to manage each client pipeline from inquiry to feedback.
All customer communication and sales processes are in one place, and the client portal improves overall customer experience (CX). It allows clients to do many things, including signing contracts and making payments with a few clicks. Businesses can also take advantage of the unlimited clients and projects offering, AI features, and customizable professional templates available for as low as $11.20 per month.
Pros
- Costs as low as $11.20 per month when you first subscribe
- Allows as many clients or projects as you need
- Provides access to various templates for invoices, proposals, contracts, satisfaction questionnaires, and feedback forms
Cons
- Limited customization and reporting features
- Lacks basic collaboration features, such as project sharing and deadline setting
- Doesn’t track expenses or profit and loss
- Direct integration with only a few apps
Other services HoneyBook offers
- Contracts: HoneyBook provides contract templates you can customize and share with clients, who can sign from any device while you track the status of the contract.
- Invoices: Send and schedule branded invoices with payment terms and automated follow-up reminders to ask clients for payments. Several invoice templates are available, and you can combine this feature with HoneyBook’s payment features so clients can make payments with a single click.
- Proposals: Besides its many customizable prebuilt proposal templates, HoneyBook lets you combine contracts and payments into proposals that outline your service terms and ask for client signature and payment.
- Payments: HoneyBook offers a seamless payment process by accepting bank transfers and credit and debit cards. It also includes recurring payments, tracking, automated reminders, and tipping features.
- Workflows and automation: Create automated messages and tasks based on specific triggers or dates. For example, HoneyBook can help you respond to inquiries, remind a client to clear an invoice, and send an automated email with a feedback form at the end of client service.
- Scheduling: With HoneyBook’s scheduling feature, you can block out your availability and add time buffers around meeting times to prevent last-minute bookings. Also, the ability to create appointments (in-person, video, call, and more) with links that sync with your Google Calendar prevents double bookings.
The HoneyBook platform and customer support
HoneyBook ’s platform is intuitive and easy to use. Its dashboard offers an integrated experience, allowing you to manage different aspects of client management with only a few clicks. Plus, you can combine features such as proposing, invoicing, and receiving payment. Even clients find it easy to book appointments, sign contracts, and pay invoices.
If you need help setting up your account or using a feature, there’s a live chat option and a rich knowledge base with videos, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and written guides on optimizing the CRM platform. You can also join live tutorials or email [email protected] if you need troubleshooting help or have technical questions you need answered. However, you might experience some delay in getting a response from the team. We are still awaiting responses to two emails requesting information about HoneyBook ‘s security measures.
Is HoneyBook secure?
HoneyBook uses encryption technology and industry-standard transport layer security (TLS) to secure customer data. It also ensures that sensitive data is transferred over secured and encrypted channels and that its systems have the highest level of certification. For example, Stripe, which is used for payment processing, is a certified Payment Card Industry (PCI) Level 1 service provider. Other security measures include two-factor authentication (2FA) when signing in and regular monitoring to identify potential risks to customer data quickly.
There’s been no recorded security breach, so rest assured that your and your customers’ data are safe.
HoneyBook user reviews
While we didn’t find many reviews, HoneyBook boasts 4.8 stars out of 5 from more than 600 user reviews on Capterra and a 4.5-star rating from about 200 users who reviewed it on G2. Most users say they like how multifaceted HoneyBook is and how super easy its interface is to navigate. However, some users said they would have preferred it if the software had features, such as file categories and a search and filter feature. They also complained about limited customization and integration options and glitches, such as calendars not syncing with Google and emails ending up in spam boxes.
Customers also frowned at HoneyBook ‘s recent price increase, which they didn’t think was worth it since there are no additional features. The absence of phone support and live chat with an agent was also an issue, especially since sometimes there are delays or no responses when you send an email.
Compare HoneyBook alternatives
Is HoneyBook right for you?
While the top systems typically provide more CRM benefits with features for sales teams, HoneyBook focuses on managing the entire client relationship by including sales pipeline features, proposals and contracts, invoices, and payments in its package. So, if your goal is to streamline client management processes on an easy-to-navigate platform, HoneyBook is a suitable fit.
However, since it lacks core CRM features, such as lead generation, lead scoring, personalized interaction, sales forecasting, and advanced reporting features, it won’t be the best choice for businesses looking to take their CRM up a notch. Those with limited budgets or who require advanced team collaboration, customization, and integration should also consider another CRM tool.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use HoneyBook for free?
Yes, HoneyBook is available for free for up to seven days on all three plans. This free trial allows you to test its CRM features and determine whether it’s the right client management platform for your business.
How much are HoneyBook fees?
HoneyBook ’s direct payment processor accepts credit and debit card payments and, with a feature like Instant Deposit, you can access funds within minutes or seconds. HoneyBook charges a 2.9% and 25 cents fee on card payments. ACH and bank transfers cost less, at 1.5%.
What apps does HoneyBook integrate with?
To help you make the most of your HoneyBook account and run your business more efficiently, this CRM software integrates with other business apps, such as QuickBooks, Calendly, Google, Microsoft, iCloud, and Zoom. Zapier lets you connect to even more apps, including Asana, Slack, Mailchimp, Airtable, Wave, Square, HubSpot, Klaviyo, Shopify, and WordPress.
Should I use HoneyBook or QuickBooks?
It depends on what you need. QuickBooks is the way to go if you need an accounting solution since it includes payroll, bill management, and financial statement preparation features. However, if you’re looking for a CRM and client management solution, choose HoneyBook. With a higher plan, you can integrate HoneyBook with QuickBooks for a robust financial and client management solution.
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