HoneyBook vs 17hats: a back-to-back comparison

Small business owners, freelancers and solo entrepreneurs undoubtedly need a solid software solution to organize the chaos in client relationship management and workflows. While the market offers a number of viable options, it can be quite challenging to select the right platform for your needs. 

You need to take into consideration the exact features that will suit your particular business management processes. Naturally, it depends on the field in which you’re working and the volume of clients you can take. Once you’ve determined what sort of solution can be a good fit for you, it’s time to compare the offers on the market.  

Some of the popular options for small businesses and solopreneurs are HoneyBook and 17hats. In order to assist you in your choice, here is a thorough comparison of the two platforms. You can find detailed information about their features and pricing in the sections below. 

HoneyBook vs 17hats: features and pricing

HoneyBook defines its tool as client management software for small businesses. It is particularly targeted at creative entrepreneurs. HoneyBook is currently available only in the U.S. and Canada.  

On the other hand, 17hats is positioned as a suite of business tools for solopreneurs. 

Here is a checklist of the features and pricing for both platforms, which will give you a quick overview of what you can get done with each of them.

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While both solutions are focused on booking coordination, contract signing, invoicing and online payments, 17hats clearly boasts more features. The additional ones that it has (and HoneyBook doesn’t) are targeted at lead generation and client relations, as well as at time management. 

You can explore the advantages and disadvantages of the two platforms in the sections that follow. 

The Pros of HoneyBook

HoneyBook has minimalistic design and a smooth interface. Here is how its features fared in our assessment. 

1. Contract creation and signing made easy

The goal of HoneyBook is to help creative entrepreneurs focus on their creative tasks, rather than get bogged down in administrative ones. That’s why it aims to make the process of creating contracts, sharing them with clients, and getting them signed simple. The platform’s professional-looking contract templates contain all necessary legal information, so you need to input manually very few details. When you send the contract via HoneyBook, the clients can easily spot where they need to sign. You get notifications when they have reviewed and signed the document. 

2. Setting up CRM workflows automates your work

With HoneyBook, you can bring automation in your client relationships with ease and deliver timely and consistent communication. You can automate appointment requests, follow-up emails and thank-yous. In the project’s space in the platform, you can create to-do lists and tasks reminders, and set up automatic payment notifications. 

3. HoneyBook integrates with other basic work tools

HoneyBook connects with Gmail and Google Calendar, which is a great plus. This allows you to streamline your communication efforts, as well as to easily schedule appointments. It also integrates with QuickBooks for further accounting support. The Zapier integration, additionally, allows you to connect HoneyBook with many other tools and automate actions seamlessly. 

The Cons of HoneyBook

HoneyBook proves to be a great solution for creative professionals. It is applicable in other sectors as well, but it lacks some important functionalities such as time tracking and task management. They would make it an all-round platform for a larger scope of businesses. 

The Pros of 17hats

17hats is an all-round suite of business tools for solo entrepreneurs, and it lives up to the expectations in terms of richness of features. 

1. Managing multiple projects just got easier

With 17hats, you can easily run a couple of projects at the same time. You get an overview of the status of each project. You can filter the project dashboard according to leads, active projects and archived ones. 

2. 17hats helps you with lead generation and management

You can create lead inquiry forms straight in the platform, and then embed them in your website. Once you get an inquiry, the tool can send an automatic initial answer. It will also warn you that there’s a potential lead and will store the collected information from the inquiry. 

3. You get a built-in timer too

The time tracking capability is certainly one of the best perks of 17hats. The built-in timer can automatically note the hours you’ve dedicated to a certain project and task. Then on the basis of tracked time, you can issue correct invoices to your clients, as well as keep track of your projects’ profitability. 

The Cons of HoneyBook

It can be a bit difficult to get started with 17hats because of its numerous features and options. The design and user interface can be updated to make the onboarding and overall experience easier.

The bottom line

Both platforms fare more or less at the same level in terms of quality and features. HoneyBook is definitely the better solution for creative professionals, while 17hats has a broader range of potential users and boasts a more extended list of features. 

Here’s why Bonsai is your right choice

It’s not by chance that Bonsai has been dubbed the number one freelance product suite. It’s tailored to meet the administrative and client management needs of solo professionals  

Bonsai helps you manage efficiently and easily the preparation and sending of client proposals, as well as of contracts. It also boasts time tracking, project management features and client CRM. Handling invoices is quick, and you can get payments in 180 currencies. Bonsai also supports your freelance business with accounting and taxes features.

You can get started with Bonsai today by signing up for a free trial and explore how it can boost your work.