Dubsado is a strong candidate for a creative service business whose client experience depends on customized intake and repeatable follow-up. The buying decision is whether those workflows deserve deliberate setup and an ongoing owner. Starter is $35 a month and Premier is $55; scheduling and automated workflows start on Premier, so budget around that plan if they are the reason you are looking. We read the plans and trial terms on October 25, 2026. Run your last job through our free trial checklist before you pay.
What Dubsado is (and is not)
Dubsado is client-management software for service businesses: lead forms, proposals and contracts, invoices with payment plans, scheduling, a client portal and workflows that send the next form or email. It is not an accounting package, a project-management suite or a shared team inbox, and it lists no texting on its pricing page.
It suits an owner who can describe the client process step by step and will maintain the templates. It fits less well when the bottleneck is the work after the booking: delivery, hours and the conversation with the client. Our Dubsado alternatives guide covers that move.
How we compared these tools
We compared the two Dubsado plans and three alternatives by reading each vendor’s own published pages on October 25, 2026, for one person on the monthly plan, in US dollars.
- Plan price and gates. Dubsado Starter and Premier list prices and which features sit on which plan, from the Dubsado pricing page and its official product information.
- Seats and brands. Included users, extra user tiers and the cost of an extra brand, on Dubsado and the three alternatives.
- Trial and card terms. Trial length and whether the vendor states that a card is needed, including which plan the trial runs on.
- Workflow coverage. Whether the pages describe intake, workflows, scheduling, the portal and billing, from Dubsado’s feature pages.
- Setup effort. What you would have to build and maintain, judged from the feature descriptions, not from a timed setup.
What we did not test. We did not sign up for, time or load-test Dubsado or any alternative, and we did not measure setup time, speed, mobile apps or support quality. We have no customer ratings to report. The trial checklist below is a recommended process, not a result. Rankings are an editorial judgment from published plans, and vendors change plans without notice. Check the sources at the end before you buy.
The best Dubsado plan and alternatives in 2026
The order follows documented fit for a reader weighing Dubsado: its two plans first, then the alternatives. It is not a ranking by price.
1. Dubsado Premier, best for automated workflows and scheduling
Premier is $55 a month ($525 billed yearly) and is the plan the product is known for. It adds automated workflows, scheduling, public proposals, unlimited lead forms, Zapier and QuickBooks Online integration to everything in Starter. Dubsado’s workflow page describes milestone-based actions, personalized follow-ups and the option to review important emails before they send, which suits a process that repeats but still needs judgment. Its scheduler supports durations, buffers, availability rules and client time zones.
The limits are setup and ownership. Someone has to write the sequence, build the templates and update them when packages or prices change. Dubsado lists three additional users; beyond them, 4 to 10 users add $25 a month, and each extra brand is $10 a month. Dubsado says these rates apply to new subscribers from December 1, 2025, and earlier subscribers keep their old pricing.
Best for: owners with a defined client sequence and a person to maintain it. Dubsado pricing
2. Dubsado Starter, best for documents and billing handled by hand
Starter is $35 a month ($335 billed yearly). It includes email integration, unlimited projects and clients, invoicing with payment plans, form and email templates, client portals and calendar connection. It allows one active lead form and leaves out scheduling, automated workflows, public proposals and Zapier. Dubsado’s forms support branded questionnaires and smart fields, which helps a business whose first useful conversation depends on the right answers.
The catch is the trial: the free 21 days run on Premier, so a test can rely on automation that Starter would not keep. Before choosing the lower plan, repeat the evaluation using only Starter’s features. Starter fits a small number of projects where you are happy to choose the next action yourself; if a form submission should start a sequence, price Premier instead.
Best for: a small client list coordinated manually, with a branded intake form. Dubsado plan comparison
3. HoneyBook, best for guided setup
HoneyBook is the alternative when setup effort is what put you off. Starter is $36 a month ($29 billed yearly) and covers proposals, contracts, invoices, a client portal and up to two live lead forms. Essentials, $59 ($49 billed yearly, shown as a 25% promotional rate), adds the scheduler, automations, QuickBooks Online, SMS reminders and up to two team members; Premium is $129.
It costs slightly more than Dubsado at each comparable tier, and a team beyond two people means Premium, whereas Dubsado includes three additional users. HoneyBook’s trial is 30 days and its page says no credit card is required. See our HoneyBook vs Dubsado comparison for the full matchup, or the HoneyBook review for its plans.
Best for: owners who would rather start from templates than build every workflow. HoneyBook pricing
4. Workspace369, best for conversations, hours and billing after the booking
Our #1 pick is Workspace369 for owners whose problem starts after the booking, and it ranks fourth here because Dubsado is the product under review. Its pricing page, read November 2, lists a client portal, proposals clients accept and sign through a link, contracts, invoices, recurring invoices, retainers, deposits on acceptance, intake forms and time tracking on every plan. Cadet is $29 a month ($23.25 billed yearly) for one seat. Voyager is $74 for two seats and adds a shared inbox and two-way texting; extra seats are $10 a month from Voyager.
Cadet has limits: one seat and up to 3 active email workflows. Client self-booking pages start on Specialist at $149 a month for 10 seats, so scheduling costs more than on Dubsado Premier. The 14-day trial asks for a card to start. Intake is simpler than Dubsado’s custom form design.
Best for: owners who want one client record from first message to paid invoice. Workspace369 pricing
5. Moxie, best for a small solo budget
Moxie Starter is $12 a month ($10 billed yearly) and lists client management, projects, invoicing, proposals and contracts, time tracking, basic accounting, forms and meeting schedulers. Pro, $25, adds the white-labeled client portal, workflow automations, client request management and a phone line (US, Canada, UK). Teams, $40, allows up to five team members.
Starter is the lowest-priced paid plan in this review, but the portal and automations start on Pro. The trial is 14 days; Moxie’s pricing page does not state whether a card is needed. We did not compare its form builder or workflows with Dubsado’s in depth, so a business with an elaborate intake sequence should test that part first, and anyone needing more than five team members will outgrow Teams.
Best for: solo freelancers who want the basics for the lowest monthly price. Moxie pricing
Side-by-side comparison
Prices are US dollars on monthly billing, from vendor pages read on 2026-10-25.
| Option | Price | Key gate | Seats | Trial and card | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubsado Premier | $55 | Scheduling and workflows start here | 3 additional users included | 21 days; no card | Setup needs an owner |
| Dubsado Starter | $35 | One lead form; no workflows | 3 additional users included | Trial runs on Premier | Trial shows more than Starter keeps |
| HoneyBook | Starter $36; Essentials $59 | Automations and scheduler start on Essentials | Essentials: 2 team members | 30 days; no card | Costlier than Dubsado at each tier |
| Workspace369 | Cadet $29; Voyager $74 | Texting starts on Voyager | 1 on Cadet; 2 on Voyager | 14 days; card to start | Self-booking pages start on Specialist $149 |
| Moxie | Starter $12; Pro $25 | Portal and automations start on Pro | Teams: up to 5 members | 14 days; card not stated | Teams caps at five members |
Which option fits your use case
| If you are… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Running a detailed intake and follow-up sequence | Dubsado Premier, $55 | Workflows, scheduling, public proposals and unlimited forms |
| Coordinating a few projects by hand | Dubsado Starter, $35 | Invoices, payment plans and portal; one lead form |
| Wanting a guided, template-first setup | HoneyBook Starter, $36 | Packaged booking flow; 30-day no-card trial |
| Needing texts, hours and invoices on one record | Workspace369 Voyager, $74 | Shared inbox with texting, time tracking and invoices |
| A solo owner on a tight budget | Moxie Starter, $12 | Proposals, invoices, scheduler and time tracking |
Use the trial to test exceptions
The 21-day trial runs on Premier, so keep a list of features your intended paid plan would retain. If you run the test, expect to learn more from the exceptions than from the ideal path. Use one representative service and this checklist:
- Build a minimal intake. Ask only the questions needed to make the next decision.
- Write the normal sequence. Name the trigger, owner and expected client action at each step.
- Complete a sample journey. Review the inquiry, prepare the documents and follow the invoice and client portal experience on a phone.
- Add an exception. Reschedule an appointment, leave a sample invoice unpaid or revise the scope.
- Check every automated message. Confirm its recipient, timing and wording, including where human review belongs.
- Choose the maintenance owner. Document who updates templates and investigates a stalled project.
Do not judge only the ideal path. The useful result is a short list of exceptions you can handle and unresolved steps to investigate before moving active clients. For more creative-business options, see our photography CRM guide, and the agency cost guide shows how subscriptions add up.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Dubsado cost?
Dubsado Starter is $35 a month or $335 billed yearly, and Premier is $55 a month or $525 yearly, in US dollars (read October 25, 2026). Each extra brand is $10 a month, and users beyond the three included start at $25 a month for 4 to 10 users.
Is Dubsado Starter enough for a small service business?
It may be if you need documents, invoicing and a client portal and are happy to coordinate the next action by hand. Scheduling, automated workflows and public proposals are Premier features no matter how small the business is.
Does Dubsado have a free trial?
Yes, 21 days, with full access to Premier and no credit card required. Because the trial is on Premier, repeat your evaluation using only Starter’s features before choosing the lower plan.
Is Dubsado easy to set up?
No single setup effort applies to every business, and we did not time one. Clear templates and a simple process need less work than several brands with different intake forms and exceptions. Evaluate one service before rebuilding everything, and name a maintenance owner during the trial.
Does Dubsado do text messaging?
Dubsado’s pricing page lists email integration for client communication and does not list texting. If clients reply by text, check where those messages will live. Workspace369 lists two-way texting from Voyager at $74 a month.
What is the best Dubsado alternative?
It depends on why you are leaving. Our #1 pick is Workspace369 for texts, hours and billing on one record, HoneyBook suits guided setup and Moxie a solo budget. The Dubsado alternatives guide ranks six options.
Is Dubsado cheaper than HoneyBook?
Slightly, at comparable tiers. Dubsado Starter is $35 against HoneyBook Starter at $36, and Dubsado Premier is $55 against HoneyBook Essentials at $59, billed monthly, and Dubsado includes three additional users where HoneyBook Essentials allows two team members.
Next step: test one real client
If the Workspace369 plans fit how you work, you can start the 14-day free trial and run your last client through it. Whichever tool you pick, test it on one real client first, and do the same in Dubsado’s trial before you pay.
