Honeybook vs. Dubsado: My Take on Choosing Your VA CRM
If you're anything like I was when I first started my VA business, you're probably looking for ways to make things smoother, right? Getting clients, sending invoices, making sure everything runs like a well-oiled machine – it can feel like a lot. That's where a good Client Relationship Management (CRM) system comes in. It's like your personal assistant for managing all your client stuff.
For years, Dubsado has been my go-to. I started using it back in 2019, and honestly, it transformed how I handled my client onboarding and kept everything organized. I loved learning all its tricks and soon became a big fan, even offering Dubsado setup services and eventually becoming Dubsado certified!
But here's a fresh take: one of my newer clients recently decided to switch from Dubsado back to Honeybook. This gave me a golden chance to jump back into Honeybook and see how it stacked up after all these years and updates. While I didn't dive into every single feature, it certainly gave me a good look at how Honeybook works now. And let me tell you, it confirmed my love for Dubsado, but also gave me some interesting insights into both.
First Impressions: Is Honeybook Easy to Use?
When I first jumped back into Honeybook to help my client move things over, I noticed something right away about how things look. On the client side, meaning what your clients see, Honeybook proposals often appear a bit cleaner and more modern. They have a sleek design that can feel very polished.
However, when it came to actually building those forms on the backend, I found Dubsado's form builder much easier to get the hang of. It felt more straightforward and logical to navigate as I was putting things together.
Speaking of forms, Honeybook's menu and the way it describes different form types felt a little confusing to me. It showed options for service timelines and invoices in one spot, but then a proposal template would pop up in a client's profile from seemingly nowhere. It was a bit overwhelming trying to figure out which templates were which and how they connected to a client's actual project.
For someone just starting out or moving to a CRM, this can add to the feeling of being swamped. In my experience, Dubsado has a clearer, more step-by-step approach to setting up your account and getting started. Any CRM can feel like a big project to set up, but Dubsado's layout just makes more sense to me, especially in its menu options and templates.
Workflows and Automations: Where the Magic Happens
One of the biggest reasons to use a CRM is to automate tasks and make your life easier. This is where workflows come in – they're like a set of instructions that the CRM follows to send emails, invoices, or tasks at the right time.
When I was helping my client move her workflows from Dubsado to Honeybook, I found Honeybook's options for triggers and actions in workflows felt quite limited. There weren't as many ways to set up automated steps compared to what she had in Dubsado. It meant that some of the clever automations she relied on just weren't possible in Honeybook.
Dubsado offers a much more robust set of triggers and actions. This allows you to automate a lot more in your business, saving you precious time and ensuring you never miss a step in your client process. It truly helps make your business run efficiently, especially when it comes to client onboarding. If you're looking to really streamline your processes and reduce manual work, having powerful automation tools is key.
Want to learn more about setting up smooth client experiences? Check out this post on What Can Dubsado Do? The Preferred Online CRM Software for Small Businesses. You might also find my tips on how to Create or Update a Canned Email Signature in Dubsado helpful for automating your communication!
My Overall Thoughts: Preference is Key
After spending time in both systems, I still stand by Dubsado as my preferred choice for my Virtual Assistant business and for what I recommend to my coaching clients. While Honeybook has its strengths, especially in its clean client-facing design, Dubsado's deep customization, extensive automation capabilities, and clear layout ultimately win for me.
It's important to remember that both the Honeybook CRM and Dubsado are powerful tools. They share many similar features, and often, choosing between them comes down to personal preference. It's like picking between two very similar cars – both will get you where you need to go, but one might just feel a little better to drive for you.
So, if you're on the fence, I encourage you to try them both out! Most CRMs offer free trials, which is a great way to poke around and see which one clicks with your brain and how you like to work. For me, Dubsado continues to provide the structure and flexibility I need to manage my clients and keep my business running smoothly.
If you decide Dubsado is the right fit for you, you can use my code samantha20 to save 30% off your first month or year! It’s a great way to start building those organized systems that reduce stress and burnout in your business.
If you already know Dubsado is the client management system for you, but need a hand setting it up. Let's chat about my Dubsado set-up services!
