HubSpot vs HoneyBook: Which is The Best CRM in 2025

by | Mar 12, 2025

Winner
Hubspot
4.5
  • Marketing
  • Content
  • Automation
  • Commerce
  • Reporting
  • Free Plan Available
  • Paid Plan Starts at $15
Runner Up
Honeybook
3.0
  • Automated Workflows
  • Online Invoices
  • Great Scheduling Feature
  • Cool Templates
  • Digital Contracts
  • Free trial available
  • Paid Plan Starts at $29
HubSpot vs HoneyBook

You’re running a business, right?

And you know, keeping track of customers is super important. 

It’s frustrating. You don’t want to pick the wrong one and waste time or money. 

We’re going to break down HubSpot vs HoneyBook in a way that’s easy to understand. 

Let’s make this decision simple.

Overview

We’ve spent countless hours diving into both HubSpot and HoneyBook.

Our team tested each platform’s features, from customer management to workflow automation.

This hands-on experience allows us to provide a clear, practical comparison, helping you make an informed choice.

Hubspot
4.5out of 5

Ready to grow your business with a powerful all-in-one platform? Get started with HubSpot’s tools today.

Pricing: It has a free plan. The premium plan starts at $15/month.

Key Features:

  • CRM
  • Marketing Automation
  • Analytics & Reporting
Honeybook CTA
3out of 5

Are you looking for a simple way to manage projects and get paid? Explore all its features.

Pricing: It has a free trial. The premium plan starts at $29/month.

Key Features:

  • Client Communication Tools
  • Online Invoicing and Payments
  • Contract Management

What is HubSpot?

Think of HubSpot as a super-powered toolkit.

It’s built to help businesses grow. It handles everything from marketing to sales.

It’s a big platform with lots of tools.

Also, explore our favorite Hubspot alternatives…

What is Hubspot

Our Take

Hubspot

HubSpot is a powerful platform with many features, but you must consider your budget and needs before committing. It’s a good choice for businesses that want a comprehensive solution & are willing to invest in it.

Key Benefits

  • Free CRM: Start with a free plan with basic CRM features.
  • All-in-one platform: Access a marketing, sales, and service tools suite.
  • Extensive community and resources: Benefit from a wealth of knowledge and support.
  • Inbound marketing focus: Attract and engage leads with valuable content.

Pricing

  • Free Tools: Free for up to two users.
  • Marketing Hub Starter: $15/seat/month.
  • Starter Customer Platform: $15/seat/month.
  • Marketing Hub Professional + three seats: $800/month, additional seats at $45/month.
HubSpot Pricing

Pros

  • Comprehensive features and tools.
  • Free CRM option.
  • Strong reputation and brand recognition.
  • Great for inbound marketing.

Cons

  • It can be expensive for small businesses.
  • It can be complex to learn and use.
  • Some features are limited to lower plans.

What is HoneyBook?

HoneyBook is designed for service-based businesses.

Think photographers, designers, and consultants.

It helps you manage clients and projects. It simplifies booking and payments.

It’s all about making your workflow smoother.

Also, explore our favorite HoneyBook alternatives

Honeybook Homepage

Our Take

Honeybook CTA

Streamline your business and get back to doing what you love. HoneyBook’s intuitive platform automates tasks, manages clients, and gets you paid faster.

Key Benefits

  • Stay easily organized: Manage all your projects, clients, and communication in one central hub.
  • Get paid faster: Send invoices and receive payments online with ease.
  • Boost your bookings: Create and send professional proposals in minutes.
  • Automate your workflow: Streamline tasks like sending contracts and follow-up emails.

Pricing

HoneyBook offers a free trial to get a feel for the platform. They have a simple pricing structure with two main options:

  • Starter: $29/month.
  • Essentials: $49/month.
  • Premium: $109/month.
Honeybook Pricing

Pros

  • It has a beautiful and intuitive interface.
  • Easy to use and navigate.
  • Great for client communication.
  • Affordable pricing options.

Cons

  • Limited customization options.
  • Fewer integrations than GoHighLevel.
  • More robust for marketing.

Feature Comparison

This evaluation pits HubSpot, the robust customer relationship management system designed for scaling sales teams and large-scale marketing teams.

HoneyBook, a specialized business management platform built for freelancers and small businesses.

This feature comparison clarifies which of these crm tools is the better fit for enterprise growth or managing individual client projects and sales pipeline management.

1. Primary Focus and Target Market

  • HubSpot: Serves as a comprehensive crm platform (the hubspot crm) designed for unifying sales and marketing teams in mid-market and enterprise businesses. Its primary and fixed focus is on inbound marketing and scalability.
  • HoneyBook: Designed specifically for service-based small businesses, freelancers, and solopreneurs. Its core focus is managing the entire client workflow, from inquiry to payment, for a single project.

2. Core CRM and Lead Management

  • HubSpot: Offers a highly flexible, free crm tier (hubspot’s free crm) providing robust lead management and sales pipeline management capabilities across all its hubs. It is a powerful foundation for all customer relationship management.
  • HoneyBook: Provides basic crm tools focused entirely on organizing client communication and documents related to a specific project. It manages customer relationships but lacks the complexity needed for large-scale sales pipeline management.

3. Marketing and Automation Features

  • HubSpot: Features a dedicated marketing hub with industry-leading marketing tools for email, social media, SEO, and advanced workflow automation, primarily targeting marketing teams.
  • HoneyBook: Lacks a dedicated marketing hub or advanced marketing tools. Its automation is centered around client communication, proposals, and contract signing related to the current project.

4. Financial and Invoicing Tools

  • HubSpot: Provides invoicing and payment processing features primarily through third-party integrations or its specialized Payments tool. Invoicing is not a core feature.
  • HoneyBook: Invoicing and payments are a core feature. It allows small businesses to send professional proposals, contracts, and invoices easily and get paid faster.

5. Client Portal and Communication

  • HubSpot: Offers a dedicated service hub and client portal for tickets and support, though the client-facing documents (like quotes) are less customizable than HoneyBook’s.
  • HoneyBook: Provides a beautiful, branded client portal where clients can review documents, sign contracts, and make payments for their project seamlessly.

6. Email Functionality

  • HubSpot: Excellent for high-volume email tracking, logging all communications against the contact record in the hubspot crm. It allows sales teams to send personalized, high-volume sequences.
  • HoneyBook: Focuses on transaction-based emails (proposals, invoices, contracts) that look professional. It helps ensure the same emails are used across a project to maintain branding.

7. Scalability and Pricing

  • HubSpot: Highly scalable, offering a free crm with paid hubs built on a per user model. Ideal for sales teams that grow from 1 to 100+ sales teams.
  • HoneyBook: Designed for the single user or very small businesses. Its cost is primarily a flat rate per month, not based on a per user model, making the honeybook cost predictable.

8. Customization

  • HubSpot: Allows extensive customization of data fields and reports across the hubspot crm to fit specific sales pipeline management requirements. Users can deeply customize the crm tools.
  • HoneyBook: Allows users to customize proposals, contracts, and email email templates extensively to fit their brand, but lacks the deep data customization of an enterprise-grade crm platform.

9. Overall Value Proposition

  • HubSpot: Offers better overall value for sales teams needing deep integration, large-scale marketing teams needing advanced tools, and any business prioritizing inbound marketing and comprehensive customer relationship management.
  • HoneyBook: Offers better value for small businesses and freelancers who need a simple, single system to manage client workflows, look professional, and get paid faster for each project.

What to Look For in a CRM Software?

  • Ease of Use: Offers an intuitive interface saves time & reduces training. site properly verification successful waiting.
  • Scalability: The software should grow with each of your business needs. hubspot crm reviews.
  • Integration: Compatibility with existing tools is crucial. hubspot crm review.
  • Customer Support: Reliable support ensures smooth operation. sales hub.
  • Specific Features: Tailor the choice to your industry’s needs. sales team.
  • Pricing Transparency: Avoid hidden costs and understand long-term expenses. hubspot marketing hub.
  • Automation Capabilities: Look for tools that automate repetitive tasks. zoho crm.
  • Mobile Accessibility: Ensure the software is accessible on mobile devices.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Robust reporting helps track performance.
  • Security and Data Privacy: Verify the software’s security measures.
  • Customization Options: The ability to detect and tailor the CRM to your specific workflow.

Final Verdict

So, which one wins? It really depends on your business.

If you’re a service-based business, like a photographer or designer.

Hubspot is likely your best bet. It’s built for you.

If you need a powerful tool for marketing and HubSpot sales, especially if you’re a larger B2B company, HoneyBook might be a better fit.

We’ve compared HoneyBook and HubSpot.

We’ve found that Hubspot excels in client management, while HoneyBook is a robust marketing and sales platform.

Ultimately, the best choice is the one that meets your specific needs.

More of Hubspot

Here’s a brief comparison of Hubspot with these software solutions:

  • HubSpot vs GoHighLevel: Hubspot is an all-in-one platform for agencies, with strong marketing automation and white-labeling options.
  • Hubspot vs Pipedrive: It is a sales-focused CRM known for its visual sales pipeline management and intuitive interface, which makes it ideal for tracking deals. Hubspot provides a more comprehensive, all-in-one platform that encompasses sales, marketing, and customer service.
  • Hubspot vs Keap: It (formerly Infusionsoft) specializes in CRM and marketing automation, particularly for small businesses looking to streamline sales processes. Hubspot offers a wider range of marketing, sales, and service features.
  • Hubspot vs ActiveCampaign: It excels in email marketing and marketing automation, with advanced segmentation and conditional logic. However, Hubspot provides a more extensive all-in-one platform that encompasses lead generation.
  • Hubspot vs Clickfunnels: It is dedicated to creating high-converting sales funnels, focusing on landing pages and sales processes. Hubspot, on the other hand, is a broader marketing and sales automation platform.
  • Hubspot vs Folk: It is a simpler CRM solution that excels in straightforward contact management and organization. It is suitable for small teams that prioritize ease of use.
  • Hubspot vs Instantly: It specializes in cold email outreach and lead generation automation. Hubspot provides a much broader suite of tools, including a full CRM, comprehensive email marketing with advanced design capabilities.
  • Hubspot vs ClickUp: It is primarily a project management tool with extensive customization and collaboration features. It allows users to manage tasks, documents, and goals. While it offers some CRM functionalities through custom fields.
  • Hubspot vs Monday CRM: It.com is a work operating system focused on project management, collaboration, and workflow automation. In contrast,
  • Hubspot vs Capsule CRM: It is a simpler, user-friendly contact manager and sales tracker, ideal for small businesses needing organized customer information and clear pipeline views.
  • Hubspot vs Insightly: It combines CRM with strong project management features, making it versatile for businesses requiring both.
  • Hubspot vs Freshsales CRM: It is a sales-focused CRM emphasizing AI-powered lead scoring and sales automation for efficient deal management. Hubspot provides a more extensive all-in-one platform with robust marketing automation features integrated alongside sales and service tools.
  • Hubspot vs Salesforce: It is a powerful, highly customizable enterprise-grade CRM with robust reporting and forecasting capabilities, ideal for large organizations with complex needs.
  • Hubspot vs Zendesk: It is a specialized customer service and support platform, excelling in omnichannel support, ticketing, and advanced AI capabilities for issue resolution.

More of Honeybook

Here’s a brief comparison of Honeybook with these software solutions:

  • Honeybook vs Pipedrive: Honeybook focuses on client and project management for freelancers and small businesses, while Pipedrive specializes in visual sales pipeline management for sales teams.
  • HoneyBook vs GoHighLevel: HoneyBook is great for creative businesses and freelancers. It helps with client booking, contracts, and payments in one place. GoHighLevel is an all-in-one platform for marketing agency needs.
  • Honeybook vs Keap: Honeybook streamlines client and project workflows with integrated payments, while Keap provides comprehensive sales and marketing automation for business growth.
  • Honeybook vs ActiveCampaign: Honeybook is an all-in-one platform for client management and project workflows, while ActiveCampaign excels in advanced email marketing automation and customer relationship management.
  • Honeybook vs Hubspot: Honeybook provides a streamlined solution for small businesses managing client projects, whereas HubSpot offers a wide range of marketing, sales, and service tools for scaling companies.
  • Honeybook vs Clickfunnels: Honeybook is a client management and payment processing platform; ClickFunnels is primarily a sales funnel builder designed for lead generation and online sales.
  • Honeybook vs Folk: Honeybook is an all-in-one platform for client management, proposals, and payments, while Folk focuses on collaborative contact organization and team-based CRM.
  • Honeybook vs Instantly: Honeybook provides an integrated solution for client and project management, while Instantly is a specialized tool for high-volume cold email outreach and deliverability.
  • Honeybook vs Clickup: Honeybook is designed for client and project workflow management with integrated invoicing, while ClickUp is a versatile platform for project management, task tracking, and team collaboration.
  • Honeybook vs Monday: Honeybook streamlines client processes and payments for service businesses, while Monday CRM offers customizable visual workflows for diverse project and sales management.
  • Honeybook vs Capsule: Honeybook focuses on project-based client management and integrated payments, whereas Capsule CRM is a straightforward CRM for general contact organization and sales pipeline tracking.
  • Honeybook vs Insightly: Honeybook offers an all-in-one solution for creative professionals to manage client projects, while Insightly provides a more robust CRM with advanced sales, marketing, and project management capabilities.
  • Honeybook vs Freshsales: Honeybook is designed for client-focused project management and invoicing, while Freshsales CRM is a comprehensive sales automation platform with robust lead management and reporting.
  • Honeybook vs Salesforce: Honeybook provides a user-friendly platform for small business client management, while Salesforce is an expansive, highly customizable enterprise-level CRM with extensive sales, service, and marketing functionalities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HubSpot better for large businesses?

Yes, larger businesses, especially those in the mid-market and enterprise sectors, often prefer HubSpot. Its comprehensive features and scalability make it a powerful tool for complex business operations. You can use HubSpot to manage extensive marketing and sales efforts.

Is HoneyBook suitable for product-based businesses?

While HoneyBook focuses on service-based businesses, it can still be used for some product sales. However, its strengths lie in managing client projects, contracts, and invoices, which are more relevant to service providers.

What kind of support does each management software offer?

Both platforms offer support. HubSpot has a comprehensive knowledge base, community forums, and direct support options. HoneyBook focuses on providing helpful support via chat, email, and a knowledge base. The management software offers many self-help options.

How easy is it to learn HubSpot?

HubSpot has a steeper learning curve, especially for its advanced features. However, it provides extensive training and resources to help users get started.

Does HoneyBook integrate with other software?

HoneyBook integrates with several popular tools, but its integration options are not as extensive as HubSpot’s.

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